Max Fried won his eighth straight decision, Austin Riley put Atlanta ahead in the first inning with his 19th homer and the Braves thrashed the Cincinnati Reds 9-1.
Dansby Swanson hit a three-run homer in the seventh for the defending World Series champion Braves, who are 22-6 since the start of June to pull within 3 1/2 games of the World Series-leading New York Mets. the East Division of the National League.
Fried (8-2) is 8-0 in 14 starts since losing his first two starts of the season. He gave up one run on five hits in seven innings of work with four strikeouts and no walks. The losing pitcher was Mike Minor (1-5)
After giving up an RBI single to Tommy Pham in the third, he retired 10 straight.
Ronald Acuña Jr., the leader in voting in the National League for the All-Star Game, returned to the Braves’ lineup. He hadn’t played four games after he fouled and the ball bounced off his left foot. He went 2-for-3 as the designated hitter and was hit by two pitches.
Cincinnati has lost nine in a row at Great American Ball Park and is bottom of the NL at 26-50.
For the Braves, Venezuelans Ronald Acuña Jr. 3-2 with two runs scored and Orlando Arcia 4-1 with two produced; the Dominican Marcell Ozuna 4-0 and the Cuban Guillermo Heredia 1-0.
For the Reds, Colombian Donovan Solano 4-0.
