ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves were eager to show off their new relievers.
They weren't needed, thanks to Max Fried and a line of severe thunderstorms.
Fried pitched six strong innings before the rain hit, giving the Braves a weather-shortened 4-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday night.
Freddie Freeman hit a three-run homer in the first and Adam Duvall went deep again — his fifth homer in six games since being recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett.
"It's a little unfortunate," Fried said. "My pitch count was down and I was excited to get back out there. But I'll take the win."
Fried (12-4) threw one pitch in the top of the seventh — his 76th of the game — before strong storms swept across SunTrust Park, forcing the umpires to hastily call out the grounds crew. Nearly two hours after play was halted, lightning continued to crackle across the sky and sheets of rain turned the warning track into a muddy mess.
With no sign of the storm letting up, the game was finally called with the area under a flash flood warning until early morning.
The Braves acquired three relievers before Wednesday's trade deadline: new closer Shane Greene, along with Mark Melancon and Chris Martin.
Melancon began to loosen up at the beginning of the seventh, but it wasn't long before the rain sent him scurrying for cover.
"We got all that bullpen help, and we didn't even need it," Freeman joked.
Fried breezed to this third straight win, surrendering just four hits. After Jose Peraza's RBI single in the second, the left-hander retired 11 straight hitters before Nick Senzel reached on catcher's interference.
Reds starter Anthony DeSclafini (6-6) trailed 3-0 before getting his first out. Ronald Acuña Jr. led off the bottom half of the first with a double and moved over to third on Ozzie Albies' single. Then, after fouling off three straight two-strike pitches, Freeman went the opposite way for his 26th homer of the season.
"They were definitely aggressive," DeSclafini said. "We got ourselves in a hole."
Duvall struck out with the bases loaded in the third, but he resumed his torrid streak leading off the sixth against his former team. On Wandy Peralta's fourth pitch after replacing DeSclafini, Duvall launched a 434-foot drive over the center-field wall for his fifth homer in six games since being called up from Triple-A Gwinnett.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Reds: C Curt Casali is making progress from a right knee injury but isn't sure when he'll return. He went on the 10-day IL last weekend.
Braves: SS Dansby Swanson (foot) will likely come off the IL this weekend. ... OF Nick Markakis watched the game from the Braves dugout with a cast on his wrist. He is expected to be out at least until mid-September.
UP NEXT
Braves RHP Kevin Gausman (3-6, 5.97) will look to bounce back from a tough start when he goes Friday against Cincinnati LHP Alex Wood (0-0, 3.86). Gausman went six innings in his last appearance at Philadelphia, surrendering six runs on nine hits in a 9-4 loss. Wood, who remained with the Reds amid reports that he might be dealt before the trade deadline, will be making his second start after missing much of the season with an injured back.
