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Cincinnati Reds ride Scott Schebler, power past Atlanta Braves

By Guy Curtright, The Sports Xchange
Scott Schebler and the Cincinnati Reds held off the Atlanta Braves on Saturday. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Scott Schebler and the Cincinnati Reds held off the Atlanta Braves on Saturday. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

ATLANTA -- Cincinnati Reds outfielder Scott Schebler appears to have his hitting stroke back after a stint on the disabled list to finally rest a strained left shoulder.

Schebler broke out of a 2-for-40 slump and Scooter Gennett hit his third grand slam of the season as the Reds went up by seven runs and held on for an 11-8 victory Saturday night over the Atlanta Braves.

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Schebler was 3 for 4 with double, walk, two runs scored and a RBI in his first start since late July after coming off the DL the day before and drawing a walk as a pinch hitter.

Gennett's slam, his 21st homer of the year, came in the ninth inning off reliever Jim Johnson and gave him five RBIs for the game. He was 2 for 3 with a walk and sacrifice fly, scoring twice.

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Schebler, who has 23 homers, hurt his shoulder in June and was 4-for-52 since the All-Star break before finally being shut down. His average had dropped to .228.

The Braves lost despite three homers, the last a three-run pinch shot by Matt Adams in the ninth inning off Blake Wood.

The Braves got the tying run to the plate, but Michael Lorenzen got Matt Kemp, just off the disabled list, to bounce into a force at third base to end the game.

Reds rookie starter Robert Stephenson was the beneficiary of the big nights by Schebler and Gennett, going five innings for his first victory of the season after four losses. He allowed five hits, including a homer by Brandon Phillips, and three runs (two earned).

Julio Teheran (7-11) took the loss, falling to 1-9 at SunTrust Park. He gave up eight hits and five runs (four earned) in six innings. He struck out seven, walked three and threw a wild pitch for a Reds run.

The home run by Adams was his 18th of the season. Kurt Suzuki hit a two-run homer in the seventh off Aaron Wojiechowski.

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The Reds scored three times in the fourth inning to go up 4-1, with one of the runs unearned thanks to an error by Gold Glove center fielder Ender Inciarte. Eugenio Suarez and Schebler had RBI singles after a double by Adam Duvall.

The Braves took advantage of a throwing error by Stephenson on a bunt by Teheran to get a run back in the bottom of the frame as Inciarte atoned with a sacrifice fly.

Phillips' 11th homer and first against his old team leading off the bottom of the third for the Braves matched a Reds run in the top of the inning courtesy of a Billy Hamilton ground out.

NOTES: LF Matt Kemp was activated by the Braves after missing 19 games with a strained right hamstring and was 1-for-6. ... SS Zack Cozart was out of the Reds lineup after being hit in the left shin by a pitch Friday. ... The Braves placed RHP Luke Jackson (shoulder strain) on the DL and recalled RHP Matt Wisler from Triple-A Gwinnett. ... OF/INF Micah Johnson was optioned back to Gwinnett when Kemp came off the DL. ... RHP Luis Castillo (2-5, 3.39 ERA) will start Sunday's series finale for the Reds against LHP Sean Newcomb (1-7, 4.45 ERA) in a matchup of rookies.

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