Atlanta, GA – Freddie Freeman showed why he deserved to win the Final Vote to be on the 2013 NL All-Star team.
Freeman went 3-for-4 with a season-high four RBI to help the Atlanta Braves beat the Cincinnati Reds, 6-5, in the opener of a four-game set at Turner Field.
"We got a lot of scouting on Freeman but when a hitter can hit and he's hot, scouting doesn't do you any good," said Reds manager Dusty Baker. "He was in attack mode."
After not recording a win in his previous nine starts, Tim Hudson (6-7) has won two in a row. He yielded four runs -- three earned -- on eight hits while striking out five over seven innings.
"It was a really good win for us, their a really good team," said Hudson. "It was a great all the way around type ball game for us."
Craig Kimbrel secured his 25th save after working around a leadoff single in the ninth.
Justin Upton collected three hits, scored two runs and drove in a run while Reed Johnson added an RBI for the Braves, winners of three of their last four.
Matt Latos (8-3) had arguably his worst showing of the season. He was dinged for six runs on nine hits, both equaling season-highs, with seven strikeouts in just four innings of work, his shortest outing of the year.
Brandon Phillips had two hits and two RBI. Joey Votto and Jay Bruce each recorded an RBI for the Reds, who have lost four of their last five.
The Reds put two runs on the board in the first. Shin-Soo Choo singled up the middle and stole second, then advanced to third when Brian McCann's throw went into center field. Votto was walked and Phillips drove in Choo on a line drive that dropped in front of Jason Heyward. Bruce followed with an RBI base hit to right to plate Votto.
Freeman tied the game with a double to the right-center field gap in the home half. Andrelton Simmons and Justin Upton singled to put runners on the corners.
With two outs in the second, Heyward reached on an infield single and moved to third on a Justin Upton single. Heyward was replaced by Reed Johnson after sliding awkwardly into third. Freeman's RBI single scored Johnson.
Votto plated Choo with a sacrifice fly in the third to make it a 3-2 game. Choo doubled to start the inning and moved to third on a sac bunt.
Atlanta took a three-run lead in the fourth. Reed Johnson's triple, his first of the year, down the third base line plated Simmons. Justin Upton followed with an RBI double to right and later scored on a Freeman single to center.
Votto singled to third baseman Chris Johnson in the fifth, who tried to get the runner out at second but his throw was off the mark which allowed Choo to score from second to bring the deficit to two.
Phillips' line drive double off Jordan Walden in the eighth scored Zack Cozart, who reached on a Simmons fielding error, from first to make it a 6-5 game.
Game Notes
Phillips and Bruce are the first Reds players with 60 RBIs each by All-Star Game since Foster & Bench (1977) ... Chris Johnson extended his hitting streak to 12 games, going 1-for-4 ... Reds relievers haven't allowed a run since June 28 at Texas, the 10-game scoreless streak is a new franchise record for consecutive scoreless games by the bullpen... The Reds finished 4-for-10 with runners in scoring position, while Atlanta went 5-for-10.
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