Braves Fall Short in Game 3 vs. Reds, Miss Chance to Reach .500 Again

May 7, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna (20) celebrates with bench coach Walt Weiss (4) and manager Brian Snitker (43) after scoring a run against the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

A Hot Start from Cincinnati Spoils Atlanta’s Momentum

After taking the first two games of the series against the Cincinnati Reds, the Atlanta Braves returned to Truist Park on Wednesday night with a shot to lock in the series win and, perhaps more importantly, get back to .500 for the first time this season. With flamethrower Hunter Greene on the mound for the Reds and Grant Holmes toeing the rubber for Atlanta, it was never going to be an easy task. And in the end, it wasn’t. The Braves dropped a close one, 4–3, snapping their three-game win streak.

Let’s break down what went wrong, and where Atlanta came up short.

Friedl Sparks the Reds Early

The tone was set from pitch one. Reds leadoff man TJ Friedl hammered a solo shot to right-center to open the game. Grant Holmes followed that by allowing two more hits before Gavin Lux grounded into a run-scoring double play. Holmes escaped the inning with a strikeout, but the Reds were already up 2–0 before the Braves even picked up a bat.

Atlanta’s bats, meanwhile, came out flat. A 1-2-3 inning in the first followed by three straight strikeouts in the second had Braves fans already sensing some déjà vu from earlier offensive slumps this season.

Friedl Strikes Again, Greene Dominates

TJ Friedl wasn’t done. He clobbered another solo homer in the third inning, nearly identical to his first, extending the Reds’ lead to 3–0. Holmes bounced back with a couple of outs to end the inning, but Friedl had done his damage.

The Braves finally showed signs of life with back-to-back hits from Eli White and Drake Baldwin in the bottom of the third. But Greene’s elite fastball and wicked breaking ball froze the next two batters before Austin Riley lined out to end the threat. The Reds added another run in the top of the fourth with an RBI single from Tyler Stephenson.

Greene Exits Early, Braves Still Struggle

Hunter Greene’s night ended abruptly before the start of the bottom of the fourth inning with a reported right groin injury. In came Brent Suter, and with Greene out, you’d expect the Braves offense to pounce.

They didn’t.

Suter cruised through the fourth with a quick 1-2-3 inning. Even after Greene’s exit, Atlanta’s offense remained stuck in neutral.

Baldwin Goes Yard, Offense Shows Flicker of Life

Down 4–0 in the fifth, the Braves finally broke through. After two quick outs, Drake Baldwin went deep to right-center for his third home run of the season. That would be the first, and only, extra-base hit of the night for Atlanta.

Holmes finished with a gritty effort (5.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 5 K), handing the ball off to Aaron Bummer, who cleaned up the sixth efficiently.

Then, in the bottom of the sixth, Atlanta showed a glimpse of the offensive team they can be: Austin Riley singled, Marcell Ozuna walked, and Matt Olson drove in a run. Ozzie Albies then followed with a sac fly to make it a 4–3 game. Momentum? Maybe.

Missed Opportunities and Silent Bats Late

From there, though, the Braves reverted back to early-season form, missed chances and quick outs. Aaron Bummer, Dylan Lee, and De Los Santos did their jobs on the mound, holding Cincinnati scoreless across the final three frames.

But the Braves’ offense fizzled. They struck out 13 times total tonight and went down quietly in the seventh and eighth innings. After a two-out single from Michael Harris II in the ninth, Eddie Rosario had a chance to play hero, but went down swinging to end the game.

The Takeaway: Inconsistent Offense Still Plaguing Braves

The Braves had a real opportunity here, not just to win the series, but to get to .500 and build momentum. But the story was all too familiar: a cold start, missed chances, and way too many strikeouts. Thirteen Ks, only one extra-base hit, and failing to capitalize on Greene’s early exit won’t win many games, even at home in Truist Park.

It’s great to see young players like Drake Baldwin flash some power, but the stars like Ozuna, Riley, Olson, have to be more consistent if this team wants to contend. The starting pitching wasn’t perfect from Holmes, but the performance from the Braves bullpen was more than enough to keep the Braves in it. This one’s on the bats.

Up Next

The Braves and Reds wrap up the four-game series tomorrow night at Truist Park. First pitch is at 7:15 PM. Catch the game broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network South/Southeast and for radio broadcast listen on 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

Can the Braves finish strong before they head back on the road to Pittsburgh with a split series or better? We’ll find out tomorrow night.