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Bullpen falters in blowout loss
Braves Reds Baseball Heal
Cincinnati Reds' Todd Frazier points to the dugout after hitting a double off Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Cristhian Martinez to drive in three runs in the seventh inning of Saturday's game in Cincinnati. - photo by Associated Press

CINCINNATI — Edgar Renteria replaced injured rookie shortstop Zack Cozart and drove in three runs Saturday, rallying the Cincinnati Reds to an 11-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

Cozart hyperextended his left elbow while trying to make a tag in the fourth inning, getting Renteria off the bench. His two-run double off Derek Lowe (6-8) started a three-run rally in the sixth inning that put the Reds ahead.

Brandon Phillips had a pair of run-scoring doubles, and Todd Frazier doubled with the bases loaded as Cincinnati pulled away.

Homer Bailey (5-4) threw 53 pitches in the first two innings, but made it through six on a 92-degree afternoon. Lowe's bases-loaded double drove in a pair in the second.

It was Cincinnati's highest-scoring game since an 11-2 win over Pittsburgh on April 16. The Reds scored seven runs in the seventh, matching their season high. It was the most runs off Atlanta's staff in an inning this season.

The Reds remain stuck in their win-one, lose-one pattern. They haven't won consecutive games since June 14-15.

Cozart hurt his left elbow while trying to catch the ball and tag out the sliding Nate McLouth in the fourth inning. Cozart lost his glove and fell to the ground, grabbing his left elbow. He covered his face with his right hand, fighting back pain, while a trainer examined the elbow.

X-rays were negative. There was no immediate word on how long he'd be out. Cozart was called up on July 7 and gave the Reds a boost at a troublesome position, hitting safely in his first seven games.

Lowe took a 2-1 lead into the sixth but couldn't get another out. Jay Bruce, out of the lineup with an inner-ear problem, had a pinch-hit double, starting Cincinnati's comeback. The Reds cobbled together five consecutive hits for a 4-2 lead, knocking Lowe from the game.

Renteria singled home another run off Scott Proctor in the seventh, when Cincinnati sent 11 batters to the plate. Frazier's three-run double made it 11-2.

Bailey routinely fell behind in the count, setting himself up for a tough time. Atlanta couldn't take full advantage, stranding eight runners during his six innings.

Jason Heyward was thrown out at the plate while trying to score from second base on Freddie Freeman's single in the first inning. Atlanta loaded the bases with one out in the second, and Lowe doubled for a 2-1 lead. Lowe leads the Braves' pitching staff with eight hits and six RBIs.

Atlanta left the bases loaded in the inning when Brian McCann flied out to the warning track in center.

Braves second baseman Dan Uggla ran before the game, testing the sore left calf that kept him out of the lineup the two previous games. He was back in the lineup on Saturday and singled in his first at-bat, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 14 games.

NOTES

 

 

: The crowd of 41,192 gave the Reds their 11th sellout, matching the record for a season at Great American Ball Park.