Braves’ Hanson shuts down Reds

CINCINNATI — Apparently, Tommy Hanson is just getting warmed up.

The 6-foot-6 young gun with the mid-90s fastball won for the second time in three major-league starts, this time with six shutout innings in a 7-0 win over the Reds.

Hanson, and the trio of back-end relievers for the Braves — Peter Moylan, Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano, combined for the Braves’ fourth shutout of the season.

That’s one way to make a good effort by the starting rotation stand up — don’t give up any runs.

The Braves scored plenty anyway, thanks to Nate McLouth’s four-RBI day. He went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer and a two-run single.

Matt Diaz, batting cleanup, homered, doubled and scored two runs. He also saved a run, maybe two, with a great running catch in left center.

Thanks in part to that catch, Hanson allowed the Reds only three singles over his six innings. He struck out back-to-back hitters to get out of a self-inflicted bases-loaded jam in the second inning after he had walked two batters and hit a third.

“I was trying to place it in there and throw strikes instead of pounding the zone like I normally do,” Hanson said. “Once I slowed down a little bit, cleared my mind and went back after it, I was able to command my fastball better.”

Hanson, now 2-0 with a 4.08 ERA, has improved with every start, from a seven-run outing against the Brewers in his debut to his two-run, five-inning win against Baltimore to Thursday’s performance.

The Braves have won only twice in six games on this road trip, and both times it was behind Hanson. They head for Boston feeling much better about themselves after snapping a four-game losing streak. They also avoided falling five games under .500 for the first time this season.

“We got a shutout, made all kinds of good plays; we got a good pitching performance,” manager Bobby Cox said. “Got the whole ball of wax today.”

The Braves have scored seven runs twice for Hanson on this trip, but they had averaged 2.75 runs in the four games in between his starts — all losses.

“To score seven takes a little bit of a load off,” said McLouth, who matched his career-high with four RBIs. “Today should hopefully help with our mentality a little bit.”

McLouth enjoyed the view from center field, watching Hanson work. McLouth said he knew about Hanson before he was traded to the Braves and heard he was arguably the top pitching prospect in baseball.

“He’s tough,” McLouth said. “He throws a low-to-mid 90s fastball, but he’s not predictable. He’ll throw sliders in fastball counts and things like that.”

The only hit Hanson allowed in the first four innings was on a close call at first base when Brandon Phillips reached on an infield hit, but Hanson took care of Phillips by picking him off second base.

Hanson’s damage control was spot-on all day. First there was the second-inning jam he worked out of by freezing starting pitcher Matt Maloney on an inside fastball and getting Willy Taveras swinging at a breaking ball.

Then in the fifth, catcher David Ross put Hanson in a precarious spot by trying to throw out the lead runner on a sacrifice bunt by Maloney, but Hanson retired the side in order, with some help from Diaz’s catch.

Hanson also chipped in with his first major-league hit and RBI with a bases-loaded single in the sixth.