CINCINNATI — They didn’t score their second run early enough to get Shelby Miller the win that the Braves’ new ace deserved. But the Braves scored it against the most dominant closer in baseball right now and beat the Reds, 2-1, Monday night.
Phil Gosselin had a pinch-hit single against Reds closer Aroldis Chapman with one out in the ninth, went to second on Nick Markakis’ single and then stole third before scoring on a two-out wild pitch to snap a 1-1 tie.
Jim Johnson pitched the ninth for his second save as the Braves ended a three-game losing skid win in a series opener at Great American Ball Park.
“He’s a great piece,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said of Gosselin, a utility player. “We always talk about his baseball IQ. He’s never going to miss a sign. Today, he got a base hit off a tough left-hander, Chapman, and was able to steal third.
“We knew that (Chapman) had some big numbers (slow to the plate). I don’t know if he’s your typical stolen-base threat, but he had a great jump, great lead, and beat the throw to third base and was able to score on a passed ball/wild pitch, whichever way they scored it.”
Miller limited the Reds to three hits and one run in seven innings, trimming his ERA to 1.60. He had two walks and eight strikeouts and and has allowed two earned runs or fewer in all seven starts.
Braves closer Jason Grilli was held out of a third consecutive game with back spasms, even though his condition had improved significantly.
Chapman lost consecutive appearances for the first time in three years. He gave up a run and three hits in a loss to the White Sox on Sunday, the first run he allowed in 28 appearances since Aug. 17.
Andrelton Simmons again made Great American Ball Park feel like his person playpen. He hit a game-tying leadoff homer in the fourth inning, his fourth homer in his 30th at-bat at Great American Ball Park.
The Braves left the bases loaded in that inning — they got three singles after the Simmons homer — and left them loaded again in the sixth, going 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position in six innings against Reds right-hander Mike Leake.
Miller got in a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the second inning and got out with minimal damage. After two groundball hits to start the inning, Kristopher Negron was hit by pitch to load the bases. Tucker Barnhart’s sacrifice fly gave the Reds a 1-0 lead, but Miller induced a fielder’s choice grounder from Leake for an out at the plate, and Billy Hamilton popped out.
Beginning with Barnhart’s sac fly, Miller retired 15 consecutive Reds before a leadoff walk in the seventh inning.
“Shelby Miller was about as good as you could want him to be,” Gonzalez said. “Got himself out of some jams early, made some big pitches. It was a good team effort. We out-hit them; I think we got (11) hits, they got four. We put Leake on the ropes a couple of times and he showed why he is what he is. He was able to get out of it.”
Miller also gave up a two-out single that inning before retiring pinch-hitter Skip Schumaker on a slow roller in front of the plate that catcher A.J. Pierzynski fielded. After the single Miller had pounded his fist into his glove and shouted at himself.
“He’s a competitor, man,” Gonzalez said. “I’m glad that we were able to get him out of the inning, because he’s one of those guys you hate to go out there and get the ball from him. Because he ain’t going to give it to you that easily. And that’s a nice trait. I think he’s learned that with the Cardinals and those tough starters that they have up there. It’s a great trait. Good for us that we have that young man pitching for us.”
The Braves got Miller from the Cardinals as the other principle in the November trade that sent Jason Heyward to St. Louis. He’s 6-1 with a 1.55 ERA in his past 12 starts, and has allowed more than two earned runs just once in that stretch, and that time it was three earned.
“He’s throwing the ball great,” said Pierzynski, who also caught some of Miller’s starts last season in St. Louis. “I mean, what can you say about it? I know in the last game he pitched (against the Reds) they got (two) homers off of him. I know from being with St. Louis, that’s kind of their game, is hit home runs and put pressure on you. He did a really good job of slowing the game down after the first couple of innings.”
Pierzysnki said a one-hour, 40-minute rain delay before the first pitch threw off everybody including Miller a bit, since they all rushed to get ready when told only 30 minutes before the game was going to start.
“The first couple of innings we were kind of rushing a little bit,” Miller said. “A.J. came out and saw some things that were going on in my mechanics, so he came out and fixed that, which was nice. But after that we settled in pretty good, just trying to put up zeroes.”
We did a good job of that tonight, as well. The offense came around in the ninth against one of the best closers in the game, which was pretty special. Got to tip your cap to them. And made some good plays, got out of some jams. Overall good night, we needed this win bad.”
Simmons, who bounced a ground-rule double over the right-field fence in the first inning, homered to the left-field bleacher on an 0-2 cut fastball to start the fourth inning, his third homer this season. The shortstop has 14 hits (three homers) and seven RBIs in seven career games at the ballpark often referred to derisively as “Great American Small Park.”
