McCoy: Rookie left-hander, Acuna lead Braves past Reds

Even though they are battered, bruised and beaten up, it was inevitable that the Atlanta Braves eventually would score more than three runs in a game.

In their previous nine games, the Braves had not scored more than three runs and, amazingly, they won four — including a pair of 1-0 wins.

On a hot, humid Sunday afternoon in Great American Ball Park, the Braves put four on the scoreboard, three more than they needed to beat the Cincinnati Reds, 4-0 on a two-hitter by six pitchers.

The victory gained the Braves a split of the four-game series and this one was accomplished with strong pitching.

The Reds had one hit through seven innings and that was a blooper behind first base hit by Scott Heineman in the third inning. It fell in, bouncing off right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr.’s glove because Acuna, second baseman Ozzie Albies and first baseman Freddie Freeman converged and nearly had a three-body collision.

Only one other hit came off a Cincinnati bat, a single in the eighth by Mike Freeman. Incredibly, Braves pitchers went to 3-and-2 counts nine times and the Reds produced no runs, two hits and four walks out of them.

The Reds were mesmerized by rookie left-hander Kyle Muller, a 6-foot-7, 250-pounder who looked more like a forward for the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks than a major league pitcher.

Muller, making his second major league start, silenced the Reds on one hit and two walks while striking out nine in five innings.

Relievers Chris Martin, Luke Jackson, A.J. Minter, Sean Greene and Will Smith finished the two-hit shutout that dropped the Reds back to .500 at 38-38.

“Muller made pitches when he had to, was really impressive, the difference in the game,” said Reds manager David Bell. “He made pitches after going deep in the count, a lot of 3-and-2 pitches. He threw a lot of 3-and-2 breaking balls -- good pitches.”

The Braves pecked away at Reds starter Tyler Mahle, who had won his previous five decisions but saw his record dip to 7-3. He gave up four runs, six hits, walked one and struck out seven.

Mahle hit Guillermo Heredia to open the third. He struck out Kevan Smith and Muller. But Acuna doubled home Heredia and Freeman singled home Acuna for a 2-0 Atlanta lead.

The next two runs came on home runs, a fifth-inning prolific launch by Acuna in the fifth that dug a divot in the sod behind the center field wall, and a sixth-inning leadoff shot by Austin Riley .

Before Acuna’s home run, Mahle knocked the bat out of his hands on a high and inside pitch headed for Acuna’s head. Three pitches later, Acuna’s home run left his bat at 107.4 miles per hour, the hardest ball he has hit this season and it was his 21st home run. And he did a celebratory dance all the way around the bases.

“What hurt is that I was not able to locate up-and-in,” said Mahle. “They pretty much scratched that pitch. … I could execute a good fastball. He fouled some pitches off.

“I wanted to go split (finger) to him, but I settled for a slider and he hit it out,” said Mahle. “That was a stupid mistake on my part. You should never throw a pitch that you don’t want to throw, that you are not convicted in.”

Acuna had a run-scoring double and a home run, which is nothing unusual for the Braves superstar.

“He was in swing mode and I threw him a slider that didn’t get off the plate or slide very much and he crushed it,” said Mahle of the home run. “So what are you going to do, he is a good hitter.”

You ask for a new ball and throw the pitch you want to throw … with conviction.