Scooter Gennett’s ninth-inning grand slam off Jim Johnson provided the Reds the cushion they needed to overcome a monstrous Matt Adams home run and preserve Robert Stephenson’s encouraging effort in Saturday night’s 11-8 win over the Braves at SunTrust Park.

“It is a crucial time whenever you get runners out there on the bases,” Gennett said. “In that situation, we were up three and to just get some more insurance is huge. Just how the game ended out, it ended up being a big moment.”
Scott Schebler delivered three hits in his first start since being sidelined with a left shoulder strain three weeks ago and Stephenson came off the disabled list to allow just two runs (one earned) over five innings. But when Adams drilled a three-run homer off Blake Wood that traveled a projected 405 feet directly down the right-field line, the Reds were fortunate to have widened their lead in the ninth, when Johnson, Atlanta’s recently demoted closer, surrendered Gennett’s third grand slam of the season.
“We’re just trying to find a spot to get him in to get him right because he’s too good,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Johnson, who has an 8.78 ERA over his past 16 appearances. “It’s not happening for him right now. You’ve just got to keep battling through it because we need him because he’s one of those guys who never turns the ball down.”
Schebler, who was in the lineup for the first time since straining his left shoulder on July 30, singled during a three-run fourth inning and doubled during the sixth inning against Julio Teheran, who was plagued by some defensive misfortunes as he allowed five runs (four earned) over six innings. Stephenson allowed two runs (one earned) and three hits as he completed five innings in his first start back from the disabled list.
“It was a little hit-and-miss and [Stephenson] had to battle,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “He had guys on base each inning and nothing came easy. He had to make pitches, and there is something to be said about that from a command standpoint.”
Former Red Brandon Phillips highlighted his two-hit night with a third-inning leadoff homer and produced a couple of defensive gems while handling his new third-base role. Kurt Suzuki added a two-run homer in the seventh. But the Braves were unable to overcome Teheran’s early damage and Gennett’s decisive slam.
Teheran created a brief scare when he fell to the ground with the indication he’d been hit on the left hand with a pitch while pulling back on a sacrifice bunt attempt in the second inning. Home-plate umpire Jim Reynolds ruled the pitch hit the bat and the call stood after the Braves requested a replay review. Teheran struck out on the next pitch.
Teheran struck out four of the first six batters he faced, but started to falter after Adam Duvall doubled with one out in the fourth. After Gennett walked, Eugenio Suarez lined a slider to center that took an unusual turn in the outfield grass and eluded Ender Inciarte. Suarez advanced to third base on the play and scored when Schebler followed with a line-drive single that deflected off the glove of Ozzie Albies, who was playing on the infield grass.
The Braves were staring at a manageable three-run deficit when Jason Motte entered to begin the seventh. But the Reds quickly created a much more comfortable lead as Joey Votto scored Jose Peraza from first base with a double, then scored on Gennett’s sacrifice fly.
“Those runs they got [against the bullpen] can hurt you, especially when you mount a rally like that,” Snitker said. “We thought it was going to be the greatest comeback in the sport.”
Luis Castillo takes the mound against Atlanta at SunTrust Park as the series concludes at 1:35 p.m. ET Sunday. Castillo has a 2.48 ERA in six road starts and has recently incorporated a two-seam fastball to his pitching repertoire.
Sean Newcomb will oppose Castillo in the series wrap. Newcomb’s fastball command has been better during his past two starts and he has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his past five outings.

Iowa Cubs starter Matt Swarmer turned in a brilliant performance to help the Cubs to a 4-0 win over the Nashville Sounds in front of a sellout crowd of 10,913 at First Tennessee Park Saturday night.
Called up from Single-A South Bend Saturday afternoon, Swarmer tossed seven shutout innings and limited the Sounds to only four hits. The chances against the right-hander were few and far between.
Nashville had two hits through the first four innings – a single by Josh Phegley in the first, and a single by Matt McBride in the third.
Hits by Beau Taylor and Melvin Mercedes put runners at the corners for the Sounds in the fifth, but Swarmer retired Jaff Decker on a groundout to get out of the jam.
In the seventh, Mark Canha walked and McBride singled for the second time to put runners at the corners with two down. Swarmer got out of the jam by striking out Mercedes to end the inning.
Iowa built a lead with a three-run second inning. The first three batters reached and Ali Solis’ RBI single brought in the first run of the game. John Andreoli knocked in a run with a groundout, and Mike Freeman’s bloop double down the left field line gave the Cubs a 3-0 lead.
Nashville starter Daniel Mengden struggled in his second start since coming off the disabled list. He allowed four hits and four walks in three innings in his third loss of the season.
Reliever Corey Walter gave the Sounds three scoreless innings to keep the game close but the offense never materialized. They managed just one extra-base hit and went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. McBride was the lone Sounds player to record a multi-hit game.
Game two of the four-game series is scheduled for Sunday night at First Tennessee Park. Right-hander Zach Neal (3-7, 3.99) starts for Nashville and Iowa has not announced a starter. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

Sal Romano halted his recent struggles by delivering one of the finest starts of his rookie season and R.A. Dickey’s attempt to produce another gem evaporated as the Reds tagged him for three home runs in the sixth inning of Friday night’s 5-3 win over the Braves at SunTrust Park.

“I was attacking the strike zone and using all three of my pitches,” Romano said. “I had a great mix tonight and was able to locate all my pitches. I worked really well with Tucker [Barnhart] and guys were able to make some plays.”
Adam Duvall, Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker homered during the decisive four-run sixth for the Reds, who saw Romano allow just one run and five hits over seven innings. Matt Adams’ one-out homer in the second inning accounted for the only damage incurred by the Reds right-hander, who entered with a 6.46 ERA over six starts since the All-Star break.
“[Romano] did a really nice job of not overthrowing, and staying within his skill set, and making pitches with his three-pitch mix,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “He made great pitches with his changeup today, [and] with a really good sinker got inside on some lefties.”
Dickey had produced a 2.12 ERA over his past 10 starts and it looked like he might be constructing another stellar start as he scattered four hits and notched seven of his nine strikeouts through five innings. But the sixth-inning power barrage added to the frustration he has experienced at SunTrust Park, where he has surrendered 16 of his 22 homers allowed this season.
“In a different park, maybe one of those is [an out], but for the most part, you’ve got to live with that,” Dickey said. “It’s not easy. It’s not the life for everybody. It’s one of those things. It’s baseball and you’ve just got to keep a good attitude about it and keep persevering. I’m in a good place mechanically and I look forward to my next outing.”
Joey Votto’s sixth-inning leadoff single set the stage for Duvall to follow with his 29th homer — a two-run shot that gave the Reds their first runs. Suarez’s one-out solo shot to center field was hit against an 0-2 knuckleball that was off of the plate. Dickey’s sudden struggles with his patented pitch were extended when Winker turned on a 1-0 knuckler and watched it sneak over the right-field wall for his third homer in 69 career at-bats.
“Duvall did a good job of hitting one that was really just a roller up there,” Dickey said. “But the other two weren’t too bad. The Winker kid hit a wall-scraper down the right-field line and it looked like it was a good 0-2 [pitch] to Suarez, but he did a great job of staying on it. That’s the nature of the pitch. You’ve got to live and die with it. It kind of bit me tonight.”
Romano stranded two when he got Brandon Phillips to fly out to end the fifth inning, but the most impressive escape was completed in the eighth. After Tyler Flowers cut Atlanta’s deficit to two runs with an RBI double and Adams nearly homered before drawing an eight-pitch walk against Kevin Shackelford, Blake Wood entered and squashed the threat with Ozzie Albies’ flyout to left field.
“In that situation, with guys on base and in a tough spot, the more experienced arm is the right guy,” Price said. “He did a great job on Albies, getting the first-pitch out.”
Robert Stephenson draws the start against Atlanta at SunTrust Park as the series continues Saturday at 6:10 p.m. CT.  Julio Teheran will oppose Stephenson in Game 2 of the series. Teheran found a better feel for his slider on Monday, taking a little off of it while completing seven scoreless frames at Coors Field.

The Nashville Sounds got home runs from Jaff Decker, Beau Taylor, and Renato Nunez on the way to an 8-7 win over the Memphis Redbirds Friday night at AutoZone Park.
With the win, the Sounds took three of four games and handed the Redbirds their first series loss since late April. Prior to the four-game set against Nashville, the Redbirds had either won or split each of their last 27 series.
It was a back-and-forth contest as both teams used the long ball to light up the scoreboard. Decker helped the Sounds get out to an early lead when he started the game with a single and cruised around the bases, eventually scoring on Joey Wendle’s single to make it 1-0.
The home run barrage began in the first when Memphis jumped in front on Alex Mejia’s two-run homer off Nashville starter Chris Jensen.
Yairo Munoz started the top of the third with a double to left field, setting the table for Decker who drilled a two-run blast to right-center to give the Sounds a 3-2 lead.
It didn’t last long as Tyler O’Neill singled and Patrick Wisdom launched another two-run homer for Memphis. Wisdom’s 27th of the season gave the Redbirds a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth. They added another tally in the inning but their lead was brief.
Mark Canha’s one-out double started a rally for the Sounds. The right fielder finished the night 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored one night after posting a four-hit game. Two batters later, Nunez lined a base hit up the middle, scoring Canha to trim the deficit to 5-4.
Taylor followed with Nashville’s second two-run homer of the night – a blast to right-center giving the Sounds a 6-5 lead.
Chris Bassitt relieved Sam Moll and got the Sounds out of a big jam in the bottom of the fifth. The right-hander retired all seven batters he faced, including striking out the side in the seventh.
Nunez made it three two-run homers for the Sounds when he drilled his 32nd of the season in the seventh. The 32 home runs in a single season are tied for fifth-most in franchise history.
It remained 8-5 until the ninth when the Redbirds made some noise. Josh Smith allowed a double to Breyvic Valera and a two-run blast to Rangel Ravelo to make it 8-7. Smith stopped the rally in its tracks by getting consecutive groundouts to end the game.
The Sounds return home Saturday to begin a 12-game, 13-day homestand to close the 2017 home schedule. Right-hander Daniel Mengden (2-2, 2.59) starts for Nashville while the Iowa Cubs have yet to announce a starter. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.