McCoy: Reds clinch series win with bizarre win over Braves

The Reds made three errors, two in the first inning. Shortstop Elly De La Cruz made two errors and leads baseball with 20.

Atlanta’s Matt Olson, 1 for his last 36, had two hits. Sean Murphy, a Centerville High School and Wright State University product, 0 for his last 14, had two hits.

And yet ...

Despite sloppy defense and poor starting pitching, the Reds recorded a relatively easy 9-4 victory over the injury-stricken Braves.

How?

In those first five innings, the Braves were 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 runners.

How?

The pitch-thin Braves were forced to call up a soft-thrower to pitch this first game of a day-night doubleheader after Tuesday’s game was rained out.

Allan Winans featured an 89 mph fastball and tried to rely on a bundle of hit-me change-ups. He fooled nobody, not even himself.

He was worse than Montas — 2 2/3 innings, seven runs, six hits (two homers) and three walks.

The Reds scored four runs in the first, ignited, of course, by De La Cruz. He singled with one out and stole second. With two outs, Spencer Steer tripled on a two-out drive on which right fielder Adam Duvall nearly snagged with a dive. De La Cruz scored and Steer continued home on second baseman Zack Short’s too long relay throw for an error.

Winans walked Tyler Stephenson and Jake Fraley launched his second home run of the year, a drive that crashed against the right field foul pole and it was 4-0 before the Braves stepped into the batter’s box.

And despite Montas giving up four runs and 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings, the Reds held on with some fanciful work from the bullpen.

When the day was done, De La Cruz had three hits that included two singles and his team-leading 18th home run, three runs scored and stolen bases numbers 50 and 51.

It was, once again, The Elly Element.

Steer had three extra base hits, a triple and two doubles, drove in three and scored two after entering the game 2 for 20.

Fraley contributed three hits, a run scored and two RBI.

So after getting swept three games by subpar Washington, the Reds once again have risen against a quality opponent.

“We’re finding a way to play good baseball against good teams,” said Steer in the post-game media interview room. “It is as simple as that.

“It is no secret that it’s winning time and we have to string together some good games and stay conistent,” he added. “It’s no secret it’s time to win some ball game, try to get hot and go on a streak.”

Even though the Reds gave him big leads, Montas couldn’t last long enough to get credit for the win.

He had to be rescued with one out in the fifth, two outs shy of qualifying for the win. He loaded the bases with one out with a 9-4 lead.

Sam Moll arrived to strike out Jarred Kelenic and Nacho Alvarez. Moll has inherited 17 runners this season and only one has scored.

After Moll, Lucas Sims, Tony Santillan and Justin Wilson combined to hold the Braves to no runs and no hits over the last 4 2/3 innings. Santillan pitched two perfect innings with four strikeouts.

After the Reds scored four in the first, the Braves scored a run in the first and two in the second to cut Cincinnati’s lead to 4-3, but the Reds countered with three in the third on De La Cruz’s homer and a two-run, two-out double by Noelvi Marte.

And Steer’s two-out, two-run double in the fourth assured the Braves of their fourth straight loss and seventh in 10 games.

“The offense did a really good job (12 hits, six for extra bases) of jumping on them early and putting pressure on them by taking extra bases and stealing bases (seven in the two games),” said Steer.

“We had really, really good at bats up and down the order, spraying base hits,” he added. "

Wednesday night’s game was rained out.