Atlanta, GA – Bronson Arroyo threw seven innings of one-run ball to pitch the Cincinnati Reds past the suddenly-hurting Atlanta Braves, 4- 2, at Turner Field.
Arroyo (8-7) allowed only three hits and one walk and had his shutout bid spoiled on a two-out home run by Brian McCann in the seventh inning.
"I had good stuff today for the first time in a little while," Arroyo said. "I had a little zip on my fastball, a little bit sharper breaking ball."
Brandon Phillips hit a two-run double, Todd Frazier tripled in a run and Jay Bruce added a sacrifice fly for the Reds, who had lost four of five coming in, including the opener of this four-game series.
Atlanta won Thursday's game but lost Jason Heyward to a hamstring injury, then watched its two other starting outfielders exit early Friday. B.J. Upton left in the first inning with a right adductor muscle strain, and his brother, Justin, limped to the locker room in the seventh due to a left calf strain.
"I don't think it's serious. Hopefully we can get them back," Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said of the injured outfielders.
Kris Medlen (6-9) added insult to injury when he was pulled after surrendering four runs on nine hits and a walk in four-plus innings.
Medlen gave up two singles and a free pass to start the game and found himself in a quick hole when Phillips stepped up with the bases loaded and roped a base hit to center to knock in Shin-Soo Choo and Derrick Robinson.
After Bruce grounded into a double play, B.J. Upton got a good jump on Frazier's sinking liner to center. Upton, though, couldn't make the sliding catch as the ball hit off the heel of his glove. The ball rolled to right field after caroming off Upton's knee, allowing Frazier to leg out an RBI triple as Upton lay face-first on the grass in obvious pain.
Upton left the game under his own power, and Medlen joined him in the clubhouse after putting the first three hitters on base in the fifth. Alex Wood came on in relief and limited the damage to Bruce's sac fly to right.
Cincinnati's bullpen took over in the eighth after McCann found the right- field seats the inning before. Sam LeCure worked a 1-2-3 frame, and Aroldis Chapman recorded two quick outs before finding a little trouble.
Tyler Pastornicky worked a walk, took second on defensive indifference and scored on Freeman's bloop single to center for the first run allowed by a Reds relief pitcher in 11 games.
Chapman shook off the end to the 33 1/3 scoreless inning streak and retired McCann on a pop out to first to secure his 21st save.
Game Notes
Arroyo came in 1-5 with a 5.70 ERA in six road starts this season. He picked up his 99th win as a Red ... Wood tossed 3 2/3 hitless innings behind Medlen, who came in 11th in the NL in lowest run support average at 3.61 ... Choo has a 10-game hitting streak after going 2-for-5 ... Braves third baseman Chris Johnson had his 12-game hitting streak snapped.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.