Atlanta Braves Use Home Run Ball To Win 40th Game

    https://gofund.me/he b67c71781

Dateline: Cincinnati

The Atlanta Braves became the first team in baseball to win 40 games by hitting four solo home runs, including two by Ronald Acuna Jr. to defeat the Reds 5-2 and take a two game lead in the series.

The Braves are 40-19 with the best record in baseball. The Reds lost their third straight game and fell to 29-28.

The Braves scored in the second inning against Singer. Ozzie Albies hit a ground rule double down the left field line to open the inning. Dominic Smith grounded out to first with Albies moving to third. Singer walked Mauricio Dubon. Mike Yastremski singled Albies home sending Dubon to third. 

Jorge Mateo missed a squeeze attempt and the Reds had Dubon caught but Tyler Stephenson's throw to Eugenio Suarez at third tip off his glove. The Reds caught a break when the third base bag stopped the ball. Suarez threw home in time to catch Dubon. Home plate umpire, Marvin Hudson, signalled out. The Braves challenged. The call was upheld.

JJ Bleday hit his ninth home run of the season in the bottom of the second. Scoring Spencer Steer who walked against Martin Perez. 

The Braves tied it with Acuna's fifth home run of the season. He has hit a home run in each of his last three games. 

Jorge Mateo hit his third home run of the season in the fifth. Singer walked Acuna, Michael Harris II and Matt Olson to fill the bases with two outs. Singer got Abies to fly out to end the inning.

"It was a mixed bag. The last inning they really made him work," Francona said. "He got that big out that kept us in it. The ball was really coming out (of his hand) better than we've seen it. When he makes a mistake, he's been paying for it. That's a dangerous team over there."

Singer finished five innings, allowing three runs on four hits and four walks. He struck out two. The two home runs allowed increase his total to eight allowed in his last three starts.

Singer's had 13 days off between starts.

"I felt like my stuff was a little better. Obviously, I don't like the walks," Singer said. "I guess a little time is good and bad. You get a little break for your body but your routine is a little off. I had a good bullpen this week and worked on stuff; some mechanical stuff. I didn't like the walks but I've been getting hurt in the zone a lot. The Mateo home run the pitch just spun out on me. I was going for the outside to get a little chase there but it just spun in the middle of the plate."

Perez, Tyler Kinley and Dylan Lee held the Reds scoreless on four hits from the third through the seventh.

Tejay Antone took over in the top of the sixth for Cincinnati. Antone pitched a scoreless sixth.

Brock Burke entered the game in the seventh and retired the first two batters but Matt Olson unloaded his 16th home run of the season, a line drive to the opposite field to increase the Braves lead to 4-2. 

Tony Santillan pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Robert Suarez pitched a 1-2-3 eighth. He has allowed just two earned runs in 25 games, covering 25 1/3 innings.

Lyon Richardson, who joined the Reds before the game when, Pierce Johnson was placed on the 15-day injured list. Acuna hit his second home run of the game and sixth of the season in the ninth inning with two outs. He has now hit four home runs in his last three games with his 15th career multi-home run game. 

Former Red Raisel Iglesias entered the ninth to try to nail down his 10 save in 10 tries. He came into the inning with a 1.08 ERA. He had no trouble in the ninth to secure the win for the Braves.

Dane Myers was in the original lineup for the Reds but was sent home sick. The trainers believe it was food poisoning according to Francona.