Chatterbox Reds Sunday Night: Cincinnati BEATS MLB Best Atlanta Braves | Recap, News, Highlights

Trace Fowler and Nick Kirby will be LIVE at 9:00 PM on Sunday night. The Cincinnati Reds will try to avoid a series sweep on Sunday afternoon when they wrap up a three-game set against the Atlanta Braves at Great American Ball Park.

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Atlanta enters the finale with the best record in baseball and a chance to continue its dominant stretch, while Cincinnati is desperately searching for momentum after another difficult week.

The Braves secured the series victory on Saturday with a 5-2 win, improving to 40-19 on the season and climbing to a season-best 21 games over .500. Atlanta’s offense has been one of the most dangerous units in Major League Baseball all season, and it has been especially explosive during this series against Cincinnati.

Led by superstar outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., the Braves have scored 23 runs over their last three games. Acuna has caught fire at the plate, blasting four home runs during that span after hitting just two homers in his first 42 games of the season.

“When he gets going, he’s one of those guys who almost makes the game look easy,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “We’ve all seen him when he’s going good, and he’s one of the best there is.”

Acuna’s recent surge has added another dangerous element to an Atlanta lineup that already ranks among baseball’s elite. The Braves entered Sunday with 312 runs scored this season, the second-highest total in MLB behind only the Washington Nationals.

Atlanta will hand the ball to ace right-hander Spencer Strider, who has been excellent since returning from the injured list earlier this month. Strider enters Sunday’s matchup with a 3-0 record and a 3.46 ERA through five starts.

The hard-throwing right-hander picked up his second straight win on Tuesday against the Boston Red Sox, allowing three runs on three hits over five innings while striking out five. Since making his season debut on May 3 after recovering from a left oblique strain, Strider has struck out 32 batters in 26 innings.

“Spencer was good. He’s given us a chance to win virtually every time out,” Weiss said. “He’s using his secondary stuff. I think he’s becoming more of a complete pitcher.”

Strider has also enjoyed success against Cincinnati in his career. In three appearances, including two starts, he owns a 1-0 record with a 2.77 ERA against the Reds.

For Cincinnati, Sunday represents an opportunity to salvage at least one game before the calendar flips to June. The Reds have lost three straight games and are just 9-17 during the month of May.

Manager Terry Francona is hoping left-hander Nick Lodolo can continue building off his best outing of the season. Lodolo will make his fifth start of the year after beginning the season on the injured list because of a blister issue on his left index finger.

The 28-year-old struggled in his first few outings after returning, allowing 12 runs over his first three starts. However, he looked much more like himself on Monday against the New York Mets, surrendering just one run over six innings while striking out seven in a 7-2 Reds victory.

“He worked ahead, he threw a lot of strikes, had good velocity, threw some changeups,” Francona said after Lodolo’s outing. “That was really welcome.”

Lodolo said afterward that he finally felt more comfortable mechanically and physically on the mound.

“It was definitely a lot better, for sure,” Lodolo said. “There’s definitely some things I’ve got to do a better job of, but overall, I’m happy with it.”

The Reds will need another strong outing from Lodolo if they hope to slow down Atlanta’s red-hot lineup. Lodolo has faced the Braves once previously in his career, allowing two runs over six innings while striking out seven in a no-decision during a May 2025 matchup that Cincinnati eventually lost in 11 innings.

Offensively, Cincinnati will look for production from hitters like Elly De La Cruz, TJ Friedl and Matt McLain against one of baseball’s toughest pitchers. The Reds have struggled with consistency throughout May, particularly against high-level starting pitching, and Sunday presents another major challenge.

First pitch is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at Great American Ball Park as the Reds attempt to avoid the sweep while the Braves continue their push as the hottest team in baseball.