ATLANTA — Homers from Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies helped the Atlanta Braves overcome a shaky season debut by Kyle Wright to beat the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.
Wright, who made his first start of the season after being on injured list with right shoulder inflammation, struggled in three innings of work.
Wright faced 10 Reds batters in the third. Wright gave up four runs and walked three batters in the inning.
Wright hit Tyler Stephenson with a pitch for the second time in as many at-bats to force in a run, and a bases-loaded walk to Barrero pushed home another run. Spencer Steer got an infield single to drive in two more runs. On the play, Jake Fraley safely slid across home plate by beating Olson’s throw from first.
Michael Tonkin (1-1) pitched three scoreless innings to earn his first win since 2016. He allowed one hit with three strikeouts, in relief of Wright.
Cincinnati right-hander Luis Cessa (0-1) couldn’t hold the 4-1 lead, as Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a run-scoring single in the third. Then Albies followed up with a two-run homer to highlight a three-run fourth.
A double by Sam Hilliard drove in Marcell Ozuna, who singled, later in the fourth to give Atlanta a 5-4 lead.
Cessa allowed five runs on seven hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings.
A two-run shot by Jose Barrero off of reliever Joe Jiménez in the eighth cut the Braves lead to one run. Barrero drove in three runs on the night.
Nick Anderson pitched a perfect ninth for his first save since 2021.
Olson’s first-inning homer carried 448 feet into the right-center stands to give Atlanta an early 1-0 lead before Cincinnati rallied to take the lead in the third.
Steer tallied a career high three hits in the loss.
Hunter Greene (0-0, 5.63) will get the start Wednesday night. Green will look for his first win of 2023 against RHP Spencer Strider (1-0, 2.45).
Cincinnati Atlanta
ab r h bi ab r h bi
India 2b 4 1 1 0 Acuña Jr. rf 3 0 1 1
Friedl cf 4 1 1 0 Olson 1b 5 1 1 1
Fairchild ph-lf 1 0 0 0 Riley 3b 4 1 2 0
Fraley lf 2 1 2 0 Murphy c 3 2 0 0
Newman ph-ss 1 0 0 0 Rosario lf 4 0 2 0
Stephenson dh 3 1 0 1 Albies 2b 4 1 1 2
Myers rf 5 0 0 0 Arcia ss 4 0 1 2
Vosler 1b 5 0 0 0 Ozuna dh 4 1 1 0
Steer 3b 4 1 3 2 Hilliard cf 3 1 2 1
Casali c 3 0 0 0 Barrero ss-cf 3 1 1 3 Totals 35 6 8 6 Totals 34 7 11 7
Cincinnati 004 000 020 = 6
Atlanta 101 310 10x = 7
DP–Cincinnati 1, Atlanta 0. LOB–Cincinnati 9, Atlanta 9. 2B–Friedl (2), Steer (4), Hilliard 2 (3). HR–Barrero (1), Olson (4), Albies (2). SB–Fraley 2 (2), India (2).
IP H R ER BB SO
Cincinnati
Cessa L,0-1 3 2/3 7 5 5 2 1
A.Young 2/3 2 1 1 0 1
Cruz 1 2/3 1 0 0 0 2
Herget 1 1 1 1 2 0
Law 1 0 0 0 2 2
Atlanta
Wright 3 4 4 4 4 3
Tonkin W,1-1 3 1 0 0 0 3
Chavez H,4 1 1 0 0 0 1
Jiménez H,2 1/3 2 2 2 1 1
Lee H,3 2/3 0 0 0 0 1
Anderson S,1-1 1 0 0 0 0 1
HBP–Wright 2 (Stephenson,Stephenson). WP–Cessa. Umpires–Home, Ryan Blakney; First, Marvin Hudson; Second, Hunter Wendelstedt; Third, John Tumpane.
T–2:44. A–33,559 (41,149).
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