Albies leads Atlanta Braves to extra innings win over Reds

Atop the N.L. East, the Braves welcomed the last place Reds to Atlanta Monday for the first of three game set.

The Atlanta Braves (45-32) got a solid start from Mike Foltynewicz Monday night, but an early exit gave way to bullpen troubles. The age old problem of leaving a boatload of runners stranded didn’t help matters for the Braves any either.

In a game that had nearly an hour and a half rain delay before starting, extra innings were inevitable, right? A 5-4 walk off win in the 11th made it all okay, however.

Jumping out to an early lead, the Braves scored a pair of runs in the first inning. One run was on an Ozzie Albies double – that ended with him on third – scoring Ender Inciarte. Run number two came off the bat of Kurt Suzuki who brought in Albies with a sacrifice fly.

The Reds would be held scoreless until a Scott Schebler line drive homer in the fifth. Atlanta would answer in the bottom of the inning when Ender Inciarte scored his second run of the game when Nick Markakis hit into a bases loaded double play to make it 3-1 Braves.

Fresh off a stint on the disabled list, Folty was pulled after five strong innings. He gave up only one run on one hit, walking four and striking out four.

In his first appearance since being called back up from triple-A Gwinnett, Lucas Sims struggled through the sixth inning, allowing the Reds to tie the game at 3-3 with two runs on three hits and a walk.

Sam Freeman allowed a run to the Reds in the top of the seventh inning to put Cincinnati up 4-3. Freeman went 1 and two thirds innings, giving up only one hit, but the run was a costly one.

Danny Santana doubled home Freddie Freeman in the seventh inning to tie the game at 4-4, which would lead to yet another extra inning affair for the Braves.

The Braves marched out just about the entire bullpen for scoreless outings until, in the bottom of the 11th, Ozzie Albies jacked the first walk off homer of his career for a 5-4 Atlanta victory.

https://twitter.com/FOXSportsBraves/status/1011593660809371649

The late homer gave Luke Jackson the win, his first of the season.

Next: Ronald Acúna Jr ready to return to the lineup, but to where?

The Braves and Reds are set to square off for game two in the series at 7:35 p.m. Tuesday night at SunTrust Park.