CINCINNATI – Michael Harris II went 3-for-5 with three RBIs, and Ronald Acuña Jr. showed more signs of a potential return to form with another tape measure home run as the Braves captured the series opener against the Reds, 8-3, Friday night at Great American Ball Park.
Acuña wasted no time continuing his momentum from Thursday’s grand slam at Fenway Park when he smoked the game’s fourth pitch -- a hanging curve from Cincinnati right-hander Chris Paddack (0-7) -- to the seats in deep left-center for his fourth homer of the season. The ball carried a Statcast-projected 429 feet and left the bat with an estimated exit velocity of 113 mph.
The Braves appeared poised to make the first inning a big one and the game a blowout from the start. But Cincinnati right fielder Blake Dunn made a pair of back-to-back sensational plays, robbing Harris of a home run with a leaping grab at the wall. He then threw out Matt Olson at second trying to extend his hit to the right field wall into a double.
Atlanta starter Grant Holmes, charged with three runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings, had a 4-0 lead to work with after two innings before allowing solo home runs to JJ Bleday and Nathaniel Lowe in the fourth. He allowed a leadoff bunt single to TJ Friedl in the fifth before retiring Dunn on a flyout and Elly De La Cruz on a strikeout. But Bleday singled, sending Braves manager Walt Weiss out to the mound with the hook for reliever Didier Fuentes.
The Reds would add a run against Fuentes (4-0) on an RBI single to center from Sal Stewart, with the run charged to Holmes. But the rookie Fuentes struck out Eugenio Suárez with runners on the corners to preserve the 4-3 lead, lowering his ERA as a reliever to 0.96 in 18 2/3 innings.
The Braves blew the game open with a four-run sixth, as Cincinnati skipper Terry Francona pulled Paddack after three scoreless frames following the leadoff shot to Acuña. The Reds went with righty reliever Yunior Marte, called up Friday after Graham Ashcraft went on the 60-day injured list with a UCL sprain in his right forearm. Paddack was charged with four runs on seven hits in five innings, with three walks and no strikeouts.
Marte, making his first MLB appearance since 2024, allowed a lead-off hit to Dominic Smith before hitting Austin Riley with a pitch. Mike Yastrzemski doubled in a run and Jorge Mateo singled home another before Harris singled in two for an 8-3 lead.