Writing the Dane Dunning review, I ran across this July 31st game versus the Reds. Dunning pitched in that game, and it didn’t go great. A little too much BABIP for Dane’s taste and for us fans. This was
likely the most certifiably nutty game of the year. Not that it made us nutty, 2025 had long since accomplished that. So do you remember this game?
If you don’t, I’ll help remind you. The Braves gave up three runs in the early innings, and would scratch together three runs to tie the game in the sixth inning. Then the Braves poured it on in the eighth, scoring eight without aid of a home run. In the bottom of the inning, the Reds used two home runs to help score those eight right back. The Braves would take it to the tenth, when two well-placed fly balls brought home the Manfred ghost runner. Raisel Iglesias would hold on in the bottom of the inning. Yes, the Braves won a game in extras playing small ball and hitting zero home runs while giving up eight runs in the eighth and three home runs overall. Seriously. And Eli White made a great baserunning play. No, I’m not kidding. Sit down in that chair right there and I’ll tell you about it.
Ok, where to begin here. This game between the Braves and Reds was the first of two games in Great American Ball Park after the trade deadline had passed and before they would play in the Speedway Classic at Bristol, TN. So Raisel Iglesias and Marcell Ozuna were still on the team. In fact, they would combine for 0.62 WPA.
The Braves sent Carlos Carrasco to the mound for his first Braves start. The Reds countered with 26-year-old Andrew Abbott, who would have a 2.87/3.66/4.31 line on the way to 3.9 WAR in 2025. Guess who gave up more base runners? It was 9 to 10 in favor of Carrasco, mainly because Abbott would give up 5 walks. Those walks would help the Braves score their three mid-game runs.
The Reds scored on a walk and a Tyler Stephenson double in the second. They would get two runs on a single and this Elly De La Cruz homer in the third. The Braves needed four successful plate appearances (single, double, walk, single) to score Marcell Ozuna in the fourth. The score stayed 3-1 Reds when Carlos Carrasco was left in to face De La Cruz in the third time through the order and fresh off a home run. I mean, whatever, the season was lost. But earlier the TV crew were adamant that the Braves were going to compete in every game. Did I mention that I watched the rest of the game with the radio feed?
Anyhow, Carlos came through. He struck out Elly with back-to-back changeups, then got Austin Hays and Spencer Steer to fly out. This game could have gone off the rails here very easily like so many miserable losses. But Carrasco stood tall, and the Reds went away empty-handed.
In the sixth, the Braves chased Abbott with two walks and a single. This brought up Eli White with the bases loaded versus Graham Ashcraft. The Reds defense left with Abbott and took a mental break for two plate appearances.
Ke’Bryan Hayes was just brought in from the Pirates, and he whiffs on this bouncer. This thing had some spin, but c’mon man. This tied the game, and the sparse Reds crowd let him hear about it. Drake Baldwin stepped in to pitch hit, and good grief, Reds. Sean Murphy could not advance, though, and Jurickson Profar would end the inning on a double play.
Let’s move ahead to the eighth inning. Ozzie Albies clobbered a single and Sean Murphy hit a 65 foot chopper to Hayes for an infield single. That was all for Graham Ashcraft, replaced by Sam Moll. Then Michael Harris lays down a bunt that Spencer Steer had no idea what to do with. Bases loaded for Eli White, and he scalds it past De La Cruz into left field for a 4-3 lead. Now it’s Luke Williams at the plate.
There’s a saying in baseball. If Luke Williams punks you for a double, then the horse is out of the barn. Actually there isn’t, but there should be. Jurickson Profar went 0-for-6 in this game, and Sam Moll strikes him out for out one. Then it’s time for some more sloppy Reds infield defense.
I know we’re focused on this lousy throw home from Moll, but Eli White makes a great play here. You can’t really see this on this video, but Eli White snuck his hand underneath the cleat of catcher Tyler Stephenson to score this run. That’s dedication. That was the last throw for Sam Moll, and it’s time for Lyon Richardson to put out the fire, right? Nope.
Austin Riley dropped in a bloop single into right field, making it 8-3 Braves. Marcell Ozuna collected his third walk of the game, which tied Sean Murphy. Then Ozzie Albies gets his fourth hit of the game here. There was a mound visit after this. I mean, it’s 10-3 so why not? I think the infield may have needed the breather.
Yeah, we’re not done here. Sean Murphy hitting this double here for his fifth time on base. The win probability would reach 99.9% here and the Braves were on cruise control. They didn’t score again in the inning though. They just went single, single, single, single, double, strikeout, fielder’s choice (no out), single, walk, single, double, and then mercifully for Cincinnati, strikeout, fly out. So no problem. They let Pierce Johnson sit down. Dane Dunning came on to pitch. Problem.
Tyler Stephenson smoked a high pitch into left for a base hit. Will Benson followed with a single just over Luke Williams at shortstop. Then the newly acquired and recently errored (is that a word, you know what I mean) Ke’Bryan Hayes came to the plate. Oh no.
Suddenly it’s a five-run game and the Braves were in a laugher but were no longer laughing. Dunning would allow two more singles, giving way to Dylan Lee because it’s serious now. Lee promptly gives up two more singles, bringing Spencer Steer to the plate.
So Ke’Bryan Hayes, who couldn’t field a costly base hit, went deep in the eighth inning. Spencer Steer, who tried to play Michael Harris’ bunt like a third baseman instead of a first baseman (which he was that night) and then dropped it, just tied the game. The Reds eventually cleaned up their mess. You know who finished the inning on the mound? The guy who was warming up before the Braves’ barrage, Pierce Johnson. Because despite their claim of being serious about finishing the season, the Braves couldn’t help but return to their old ways. They could have likely nailed down this game with Johnson instead of screwing around with Dane Dunning. But this is 2025, where the logic is made up and the losses don’t teach lessons.
Brent Suter silenced the Braves in the top half of the ninth inning. Pierce Johnson silenced the Reds in the bottom half. Yeah, the guy who was sat down got four outs. Matt Olson was the ghost runner in the tenth and was moved to third on an Austin Riley fly ball. That brought walk merchant Marcell Ozuna from the Braves to the plate. He was nearly struck out looking on the 2-2 pitch. But he stayed alive for this.
No, we’re not done. Ghost runner Elly De La Cruz tried to stroll home despite the grounder rolling 30 feet in front of him to Luke Williams. Luke tosses to Riley, and De La Cruz is out on the bases. Yay, more Reds infield chicanery, this time on offense. Raisel Iglesias stuck out Spencer Steer, then got Gavin Lux to foul out to end the game.
Well, that was certainly 1400+ words on a random game in July. Sure was a fun game, but only because the Braves won. It would have been nightmare inducing if they lost. But at that point in the season, you could have just thrown it on the pile with the other hair-pulling losses.
