Bullpen letdown

Reliever Freeman struggles again in Reds’ series-clinching win.

The Braves are a two-Freeman team and right now both of them are slumping, with one in particular having a big part in Wednesday’s 6-5 loss to the Reds.

No one doubts MVP candidate Freddie Freeman will soon snap out of his funk, but reliever Sam Freeman’s slide has lasted long enough to raise concerns. He came in with a 5-3 lead to start the seventh inning Wednesday

and gave up a leadoff walk and a pair of two-out singles, with all those runners eventually scoring to send the Reds to a series-clinching win at SunTrust Park.

The NL East-leading Braves ended a 2-4 homestand with series losses against two last-place teams, the Ori-

oles and Reds.

Scooter Gennett’s two-out single drove in the first run of the Reds’ seventh inning and chased Sam Freeman from the game. Reliever Dan Winkler was greeted by a tworun single from Adam Duvall that gave the Reds their first lead since the Braves’ fourrun fourth inning.

The Reds improved to 9-1 in their past 10 games, and the Braves were dealt their first consecutive home-series losses of the season. They’re off today before starting a three-city, nine-game trip Friday at St. Louis.

“(The Reds were) another one of those teams that we caught while they were hot,” said Braves starter Sean Newcomb, who allowed seven hits, three runs and two walks with six strikeouts in six innings and was in posi- tion for his ninth win in 11 decisions before the bull- pen blew it. Sam Freeman had a 2.94 ERA and .164 opponents’ average in his first 24 appear- ances through May 22, and the Braves were 16-8 in those games. In 15 appearances

since then, he has an 8.16 ERA with 15 hits, 13 earned runs and six walks allowed in 14⅓ innings. The Braves are 4-11 in those games and he took three of the losses, including Wednesday. man Meanwhile, went 15 Freddie for 34 (.441) Free- with six homers, four walks, seven strikeouts and a 1.588 OPS in a nine-game span from June 5 to June 15. In 10 games since then, he’s 7 for runs, outs, three Wednesday. 40 one including strikeouts (.174) walk with and 0 and for no 17 a 3 strike- home walk with

retired had Reds a perfect the starter first 11 Luis game Braves Castillo going and through fifth, when two it suddenly outs in went the from perfect to mayhem. He walked Freddie Freeman before giving up five consec- utive singles, the last four of them driving in a run to give the Braves a 4-2 lead.

On a day when Newcomb didn’t have his best stuff, he still limited the Reds to three runs in sixinnings for his 11th quality start in 16. He threw a career-high 111 pitches and snapped a string of four consecutive starts of five innings or fewer by Braves pitchers — all four pitchers since Newcomb worked seven innings of one-run ball in his previous start Friday against the Orioles. He’s the only Braves pitcher to work more than five innings in the past eight games.

TODD KIRKLAND / GETTY IMAGES Braves starter Sean Newcomb allowed seven hits, three runs and two walks with six strikeouts in six innings Wednesday and was in position to get the win before the Reds rallied against the bullpen and won 6-5.

TODD KIRKLAND / GETTY IMAGES The Braves’ Kurt Suzuki avoids the tag of the Reds’ Curt Casali in the fourth inning of Wednesday’s game at SunTrust Park. The Reds won 6-5.