Major League Baseball
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Cincinnati 8, Atlanta 4
When: 7:10 PM ET, Saturday, May 2, 2015
Where: Turner Field, Atlanta, Georgia
Temperature: 74°
Umpires: Home - Jerry Layne, 1B - Sean Barber, 2B - Bob Davidson, 3B - David Rackley
Attendance: 29515

ATLANTA -- Right-hander Jason Marquis, who didn't pitch in the majors last season after elbow surgery, is showing that his long career isn't over.

Marquis won his third straight start as the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Atlanta Braves 8-4 on Saturday night behind three home runs.

Left fielder Marlon Byrd, third baseman Todd Frazier and shortstop Zack Cozart homered, the first two off Braves starter Eric Stults.

Marquis, who gave up a two-run homer to center fielder Cameron Maybin, pitched 6 1/3 innings and allowed five hits and three runs.

The 36-year-old, with his ninth team, walked two and struck out four to go to 11-11 at Turner Field, where he broke in with the Braves at the end of the 2000 season.

Marquis (3-1) had beaten Milwaukee in his two previous starts, going eight innings in the more recent outing. His career record is 124-115.

The Reds had 11 hits and six runs in seven innings against Stults (1-2). Left fielder Jay Bruce had a pair of triples and two RBIs off the Braves left-hander.

Frazier hit his eighth homer of the season on a first pitch from Stults with two outs in the seventh, putting the Reds up 6-2.

The Braves got the run back bottom of the inning while chasing Marquis after 90 pitches as shortstop Andrelton Simmons lined an opposite-field RBI double down the right-field line.

The Reds, though, padded their lead as Cozart, who had three hits, belted a two-run homer off reliever Donnie Veal in the ninth inning. It was Cozart's fifth homer of the year.

Maybin had an RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the inning off Kevin Gregg.

The Reds scored twice in fourth inning and added two more runs in the fifth, both times coming through with two out.

Bruce started things in the fourth with a two-out opposite-field drive that barely got over the glove of left fielder Kelly Johnson for a triple.

Second baseman Brandon Phillips drove in Bruce with an infield single, stole second and scored on a bloop hit by catcher Brayan Pena.

Bruce drove in the two runs in the fifth inning with a two-out triple to right-center field that scored Cozart and first baseman Joey Votto, who both singled.

Held without a hit through four innings by Marquis, the Braves momentarily cut the Reds' lead in half in the bottom of the fifth. Simmons singled leading off and Maybin connected on a 2-and-1 pitch with one out for his fourth home run of the season.

The Reds made it 5-2 when Byrd hit Stults' second pitch of the sixth inning over the fence in right-center field for his third home run of the season.

NOTES: LHP Mike Minor, sidelined since early in spring training because of rotator cuff inflammation, was moved from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list by the Braves. He remains in Florida and isn't throwing off a mound. ... The move by the Braves opened a 40-man roster spot for INF Pedro Ciriaco, whose contract was purchased from Triple-A Gwinnett. The Braves are Ciriaco's fifth team after stops with Pittsburgh, San Diego, Boston and Kansas City. ... The Braves optioned LHP Ian Thomas back to Gwinnett. He made four relief appearances, allowing a run in 3 1/3 innings. ... RHP Johnny Cueto (2-2, 1.95 ERA) will start Sunday's finale of the four-game series for the Reds. RHP Julio Teheran (2-1, 4.67 ERA) will go for the Braves. ... The teams play a three-game series in Cincinnati on May 11-13. ... The Braves won the season series, 5-2, a year ago, sweeping a three-game set in Atlanta.
Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
Cincinnati   Atlanta
Jason Marquis Player Eric Stults
Win W/L Loss
6.1 IP 7.0
4 Strikeouts 2
5 Hits 11
4.26 ERA 7.71
Hitting
Cincinnati   Atlanta
Zack Cozart Player Andrelton Simmons
3 Hits 2
2 RBI 1
1 HR 0
6 TB 3
.600 Avg 1.000
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Hits HR TB Avg LOB K RBI BB SB Errors
Cincinnati 12 3 25 .316 9 3 8 2 1 0
Atlanta 7 1 11 .219 9 10 4 3 0 0