Historic Game: Braves and Reds star in a dream eighth inning
A seemingly normal encounter between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday night turned into an exciting spectacle in the eighth inning. The Braves, after breaking a 3-3 tie with an eight-run offensive explosion, saw the Reds respond in a similar fashion, also scoring eight runs. This unusual event marked the third time in MLB history that both teams scored eight or more runs in the same inning. In addition, it was the third time in the expansion era (since 1961) that two teams combined for 16 or more hits in the same inning, with eight hits for each team. The Braves finally took the victory with a score of 12-11 in 10 innings.In the tenth inning, Marcell Ozuna drove in Matt Olson with a sacrifice fly, sealing the victory in a game that featured a total of 12 pitchers and a combined 30 hits. Ozzie Albies stood out for the Braves with four hits, two runs scored, and two RBIs. Pierce Johnson (2-3) pitched 1⅓ innings, while Raisel Iglesias earned his 13th save. Emilio Pagán (2-4) of Cincinnati, despite retiring the three batters he faced, took the loss. The eighth inning began with three infield hits for the Braves, including a bunt by Michael Harris II. Atlanta scored eight runs against four Reds pitchers in that inning. The first eight Reds batters hit in the bottom of the inning, including three-run homers by Ke’Bryan Hayes and Spencer Steer, tying the score at 11 runs. In total, the eighth inning involved five pitchers, 25 batters, and 16 hits.I had never seen anything like that. I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’
Marcell Ozuna, Braves player
Elly De La Cruz hit a two-run homer to give the Reds the early lead.It hurts. We came up short. It’s just a loss. That one hurts, but we have to bounce back tomorrow and find a way to win.
Spencer Steer, Reds player
