Spencer Steer belted a go-ahead two-run homer to help erase a four-run deficit and lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-5 win Tuesday, dealing a costly blow to the playoff hopes of the visiting Atlanta Braves.
Steer’s homer to left in the seventh inning came off right-handed reliever Pierce Johnson (5-5). It was Steer’s 20th homer of the season, giving him 20 homers and 25 steals for Cincinnati (74-78). Steer and Elly De La Cruz, with 24 homers and 64 steals, are the first Cincinnati teammates since Barry Larkin and Eric Davis in 1996 to reach 20 homers and 20 steals in a season.
Brent Suter (1-0) recorded the final out of the seventh for his first win of the year, and Alexis Diaz pitched a scoreless ninth for his 28th save in 32 chances.
De La Cruz made a diving play at shortstop on a force play to end the eighth, and right fielder Jake Fraley leaned against the barrier wall in foul territory to record the first out of the ninth.
Atlanta (81-70) built a 5-1 lead thanks to homers from Michael Harris II, Matt Olson and Jorge Soler. But the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead and the Braves fell two games behind the New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks, who are tied for the final two National League wild-card spots, with 11 games left.
Cincinnati has won all four meetings this season and its win Tuesday clinched its first season series win over Atlanta since 2019.
The game began ominously for Cincinnati as left-handed starter Brandon Williamson was removed after throwing his 48th pitch of the night, a fastball that was fouled off by Harris with one out in the second. Williamson was diagnosed with a left elbow strain.
Williamson missed the first four months of the season with a strained left shoulder, suffered during a spring training start.
Before his latest injury, Williamson was in the midst of a strong finish to his shortened season, posting a 2.08 ERA in two previous starts and three appearances this season. Williamson was charged with three runs on three hits while walking two over 1 1/3 innings Tuesday, raising his ERA to 3.77.
The Braves wasted no time getting to Williamson as Harris drilled the second pitch 423 feet to right-center for his 12th homer of the season and a 1-0 lead. After a one-out single from Marcell Ozuna, Olson cracked his 26th homer to right to give Atlanta a 3-0 lead.
The Reds chipped away at the 5-1 deficit with a sacrifice fly by Fraley in the fourth, an RBI double by Noelvi Marte in the sixth and a run via error on that same play.
–Field Level Media
