Smyly conquers hitter's haven, claims victory

CINCINNATI -- At some point, the offense might become more consistent and the bullpen may become less maddening. But thanks to Drew Smyly’s recent success, the starting rotation has suddenly become the Braves’ strength.

Smyly delivered a third consecutive strong start as the Braves claimed a 3-2 win over the Reds on Friday night at Great American Ball Park. His effort was backed by Guillermo Heredia, who hit the decisive home run and got the wind knocked out of him while making the game-saving catch.

Heredia’s latter contribution set the stage for manager Brian Snitker to deliver the response of the night when asked if Heredia was laughing by the time he got to center field to check on his outfielder.

“As long as it took me to get out there, he could have healed from an injury,” Snitker said. “That's what I told him. I said, ‘Wait a minute, we're not going anywhere because I need to regroup. You're feeling good. That's great.’ But I said I need a couple of minutes here before I try to make that trek back.”

While Snitker was making the long walk back to the dugout, left fielder Abraham Almonte asked if he needed an Uber. It was a feel-good night for the Braves, who received Freddie Freeman’s RBI double in the fifth and solo homers from Dansby Swanson and Heredia the next two innings, respectively.

Heredia’s seventh-inning homer proved to be the decisive offensive contribution. But the outfielder, who battled a sore wrist earlier in the week, truly saved the game when he crashed into the wall while snaring Jesse Winker’s line drive in the eighth. Heredia fell to the ground and remained their momentarily before finishing the inning, which included two Reds singles, either of which would have likely scored Winker.

“When I caught the ball, I lowered my arm a little bit,” Heredia said through an interpreter. “I think that led to my stomach making a deep impact into the wall and that’s what knocked the wind out of me. It felt like I was a boxer to be honest.”

The victory snapped a two-game skid for the Braves, who are trying to stay in the thick of the National League East race.

To win a fourth consecutive division title, the Braves are going to have to improve in multiple aspects. But there has been reason to recently feel much better about the club’s starting pitching. Even factoring in Bryse Wilson and Jesse Chavez’s starts, Atlanta starters have posted a 2.65 ERA over the past 10 games.

The turnaround has coincided with Charlie Morton looking like a legit ace in his past two starts. But it also has a lot to do with the turnaround made by Smyly, who limited the Reds to one run over six innings. The veteran lefty has allowed just three runs while completing 16 2/3 innings over his past three starts.

“They have been really, really good,” Snitker said. “They are giving us every opportunity to win games. They have gone deep into games and that’s exactly what they needed to do.”

Tyler Stephenson’s two-out double in the sixth erased Smyly’s bid to construct a second consecutive scoreless start. But the double didn’t ruin another impressive showing by the veteran lefty, who is starting to look like he may have been worth the financial investment committed to him in the offseason.