Brandon Williamson fired six scoreless innings and the Cincinnati Reds supported him with three solo homers to defeat the Atlanta Braves 4-0 on Tuesday in the opener of their three-game series.
Cincinnati (73-84) ended a two-game losing streak and evened the season series with Atlanta (92-65) at 2-2.
Williamson (5-4) worked six scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two strikeouts. It was his longest stint since going 6 2/3 scoreless against Miami on April 6. Williamson benefited from two double plays and did not allow a runner to reach scoring position.
Elly De La Cruz (29), Dane Myers (8) and Eugenio Suarez (25) each hit a home run for the Reds. It was Suarez’s 350th career homer, making him the 10th active player to reach that mark.
Cincinnati got a scoreless seventh inning of relief from Brock Burke, who stranded runners at second and third. Tejay Antone loaded the bases in the eighth before retiring slugger Matt Olson on a fly ball. Closer Emilio Pagan allowed a double but did not allow a run in the ninth.
Atlanta starter JR Ritchie (1-4) pitched five innings and allowed one run on four hits and three walks. The rookie struck out a career-high eight batters.
The Reds broke through for a run in the third inning on a solo homer from De La Cruz. His homer had just enough steam to travel 368 feet and clear the right field wall.
Cincinnati added another run in the sixth on a solo homer by Myers, a 410-foot shot to straightaway center off reliever Owen Murphy.
The Reds added another run in the seventh. With Matt McLain on third and one out, De La Cruz lined an RBI single off shortstop Ha-Seong Kim’s glove.
Suarez led off the eighth inning with a 415-foot homer off Murphy into the seats in left-center field.
The Braves lost right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. in the third inning. Acuna fouled a pitch off his left shin, which was unprotected by padding, and limped to the dugout. X-rays were negative, and Acuna was listed as day-to-day.
