Did Terry Francona Punt a Winnable Game? Reds Manager’s Shocking Bullpen Decision vs Braves

Nick Kirby and Craig Sandlin discuss Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona's decision to bring in Yunior Marte in a 1-run game in the 6th inning on Friday night.

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Braves Continue Dominant Season With 8-3 Win Over Reds

The Atlanta Braves continued to look like the best team in baseball on Friday night, defeating the Cincinnati Reds 8-3 at Great American Ball Park in the opener of a three-game series.

Behind another strong offensive performance and timely hitting throughout the night, Atlanta improved to a major league-best 39-19 on the season and moved to 20 games over .500. The Reds, meanwhile, dropped their second straight game after entering the series having won five of their previous six contests.

The Braves wasted little time getting on the board against Reds starter Chris Paddack. Ronald Acuna Jr. opened the game with a leadoff home run to left field, his fourth homer of the season and second in as many games. Acuna’s blast immediately gave Atlanta a 1-0 lead and set the tone for the night offensively.

Atlanta added to its advantage in the second inning after Dominic Smith singled and both Austin Riley and Mike Yastrzemski worked walks to load the bases with nobody out. Jorge Mateo brought home the second run of the game with a groundout before Chadwick Tromp followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.

Later in the inning, Michael Harris II delivered an RBI single to extend the Braves’ lead to four runs.

Paddack once again struggled to avoid damage early in counts and consistently pitched from behind throughout the night. The veteran right-hander lasted five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits while walking three and striking out five. The loss dropped Paddack to 0-7 on the season, continuing a frustrating start to his Reds tenure.

Despite falling behind early, Cincinnati battled back and briefly made the game competitive in the middle innings.

JJ Bleday got the Reds on the board in the fourth inning when he launched a solo home run to right field, his eighth homer of the season. Bleday has continued to provide quality at-bats for Cincinnati and was one of the few consistent offensive bright spots Friday night.

Following Bleday’s homer, rookie Sal Stewart doubled to left-center field for his first extra-base hit in the major leagues. Stewart was later thrown out attempting to steal third base by Braves catcher Chadwick Tromp, halting some of the Reds’ momentum in the inning.

Nathaniel Lowe kept the rally going moments later when he crushed a solo homer to right field, cutting Atlanta’s lead to 4-2. The home run was Lowe’s ninth of the season and continued what has quietly been a productive offensive stretch for the Reds first baseman.

Cincinnati threatened again in the fifth inning. TJ Friedl opened the frame with a single and Bleday later added a two-out hit to put runners on the corners and chase Braves starter Grant Holmes from the game.

Atlanta turned to Didier Fuentes out of the bullpen, and Stewart greeted him with an RBI single to trim the deficit to just 4-3.

At that point, Great American Ball Park came alive and it appeared the Reds had a legitimate chance to complete the comeback.

Instead, the game completely shifted in the top of the sixth inning.

With the Reds trailing by just one run, manager Terry Francona elected to turn to newly promoted right-hander Yunior Marte out of the bullpen. Marte entered the game having not pitched in the majors since 2024 and was making his Reds debut after being called up from Triple-A Louisville earlier in the day.

The move immediately backfired.

Dominic Smith opened the inning with a single before Marte hit Austin Riley with a pitch. Mike Yastrzemski followed with an RBI double to push Atlanta’s lead back to two runs. Mateo then added an RBI single before Harris delivered the biggest hit of the inning, a two-run double to left field that broke the game open at 8-3.

The Braves scored four runs in the inning and erased any momentum Cincinnati had built.

The decision to use Marte in such a high-leverage situation quickly became the major talking point after the game. With the Reds still within one run against the best team in baseball, many questioned why Francona chose to go with a pitcher making his first major league appearance in nearly two years instead of one of his more trusted bullpen arms.

Marte struggled badly with command and was unable to stop the bleeding once Atlanta began putting runners on base.

Offensively, Michael Harris II led the way for the Braves, finishing 3-for-5 with three RBIs. Acuna also continued to look more comfortable at the plate since returning from injury, while Smith added three hits and scored twice.

For Cincinnati, Bleday and Lowe each homered while Stewart collected his first career RBI. The Reds finished with eight hits but struggled to capitalize consistently against Atlanta’s pitching staff.