TAKEAWAYS: Atlanta takes the series versus Cincinnati thanks to a bunch of small ball

The Atlanta Braves escape Cincinnati with two out of three for yet another series win

Author:
Lindsay Crosby
Jun 25, 2023 5:28 PM EDT

After two games of absolute craziness, we were due for a "normal game", and these teams delivered.

The Atlanta Braves scored seven runs with only one homerun to put away the Cincinnati Reds, 7-4, and win yet another series against yet another first place team in Great American Ball Park. Here's what you need to know from the game:

Old Man Morton's still got it

Jun 25, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Charlie Morton (50) delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. — Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports

We asked in the game preview if Charlie Morton's stuff was on the decline, as his walk rate has almost doubled from 2021 to 2023.

He was good enough today.

Morton gave up only three runs in five innings, striking out seven. His three walks meant that he frequently had baserunners, with ten Reds reaching base in the outing, but he largely kept Cincinnati at bay in a ballpark that has seen the first two games featuring tons of homeruns and runs scored.

A Spencer Steer RBI double (3rd) and a Matt McLain two-RBI double (4th) were the only run-scoring hits against Morton, with everything else being singles.

Morton's final line: 5 IP, 7H, 3 ER, 3BB, 7Ks on 103 pitches (65 strikes)

Atlanta played a lot of "small ball" in this one

Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson (28) hits a base hit in the third inning of the MLB baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Atlanta Braves at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Saturday, June 24, 2023. — © Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Speaking of there being lots of homeruns in the first two games, both teams apparently ran through most of their allotment earlier in the series.

Atlanta scored seven runs with only one homer, albeit a three-run shot by Matt Olson in the 6th inning. The rest of Atlanta's runs came in via:

Ozzie Albies sacrifice fly (3rd)
Sean Murphy single (3rd)
Marcell Ozuna single (3rd)
Olson's homerun (6th)
Marcell Ozuna bases loaded walk (8th)

Atlanta finished the game with seven runs on nine hits, with four of them being for extra bases - Ronald Acuña Jr hit two doubles, and Michael Harris II had a triple.

It's a continuation of what has been a sizzling month offensively for the Braves - entering today, they were batting .298 as a TEAM, with a collective slash line of .298/.357/.530 and 55 homeruns & 162 runs in 26 games, for an average of 6.2 runs per game.

Sean Murphy is back and better than ever

Jun 25, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy (12) tags out Cincinnati Reds center fielder TJ Friedl (29) at home plate in the first inning of a baseball game at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports — Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports

The Braves catcher, slowed for the last week with "hamstring irritation" after an injury against Colorado last Saturday, finally returned to the lineup and looked none the worse for the layoff. He went 2-4, with a RBI single, a walk, and a strikeout, playing all nine innings behind the plate and making all of the defensive plays without incident.

Atlanta's decision to DFA Charlie Culberson and carry three catchers didn't come back to bite them, thankfully - there was no backup infielder on the roster for the week, so an injury would have required some shuffling of the lineup for the rest of that game.

Reportedly, catcher Chadwick Tromp would have backed up third base, Austin Riley would have covered shortstop, Eddie Rosario (who was originally an infielder as a prospect) was the backup at second base, and Travis d'Arnaud was to be the backup at first base.

Now that Murphy's back, look for a transaction on Monday morning moving Tromp back to AAA Gwinnett and someone being added to the roster to play infield, possibly Culberson (who cleared waivers).

These two teams have been pretty evenly matched all season, but Atlanta's come out on top more often than not

Jun 24, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (1) high fives right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) after their victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. — Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

The Braves have now played the Reds six times this season, and all six of them were one run games.

April 10th: Braves win, 5-4
April 11th: Braves win, 7-6
April 12th: Braves win, 5-4
June 23rd: Reds win, 11-10
June 24th: Braves win, 7-6
June 25th: Braves win, 7-6

All three games of this series felt like playoff games, with sellouts in Cincinnati and that capacity crowd being loud and boisterous at times. Atlanta travels well, and so there were dueling "Eddie" (Rosario) and "Elly" (De La Cruz) chants heard over the weekend.

These two teams aren't scheduled to meet again in the regular season, but it feels like you might see this matchup again in the playoffs.

What's next for the Atlanta Braves?

Atlanta's back in action tomorrow, starting a three game home series against the Minnesota Twins. Spencer Strider is set to take on Sonny Gray, with first pitch scheduled for 7:20 PM ET.

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