ATLANTA (AP) — In his first four starts for the Reds, Anthony DeSclafani had very little trouble with his command.

That wasn’t the case this time as the right-hander kept falling behind in the count.

“I don’t remember the last time I walked five guys,” he said. “I need to do a better job, for sure. I probably tried to make too good of a pitch instead of just attacking.”

Making his 10th career start and first against the Atlanta Braves, DeSclafani issued a career-high five walks in a 4-3 loss Friday night.

DeSclafani (2-2) allowed four hits, four runs and struck out five in five innings. He began the game with just six walks allowed in 26 innings and led NL rookies in wins, strikeouts and innings pitched.

Mike Foltynewicz won his first career start and drove in two runs with his first career hit to lead the Braves.

Kelly Johnson hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning for a 4-3 lead, Atlanta’s first of the game, and the Braves snapped a three-game losing streak. Atlanta also won for the third time in 11 games.

Foltynewicz (1-0), recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Gwinnett, settled down after a rough, 28-pitch first inning. The right-hander allowed six hits, three walks and three runs — two earned — with two strikeouts in five innings.

“The dream about just pitching in the major leagues and getting a win is pretty incredible,” said Foltynewicz, a first-round draft pick for Houston in 2010. “My teammates and I celebrated. It was pretty fun. It’s awesome.”

Foltynewicz, acquired in the January trade that sent slugger Evan Gattis to Houston, doubled into the gap in left-center off DeSclafani to cut the lead to 3-2 in the fourth.

“I was trying to get ahead,” DeSclafani said. “Obviously I didn’t know if he was swinging on the first pitch or taking the first pitch. I just tried getting a strike in there. But it was too good of a strike. He obviously came out swinging and he put a good swing on it.”

Cincinnati manager Bryan Price, whose team had won three of four, credited his pitcher for competing hard.

“He was busting his tail to make those pitches,” Price said. “He just wasn’t able to get that final strike before having to face the pitcher. And the kid did a nice job hitting a double on a first-pitch fastball.”

Foltynewicz struggled to hold runners, giving up five stolen bases, and seemed to be having a tough time with his location in the first two innings. He trailed 2-0 in the first on Brandon Phillips’ two-run single, but Foltynewicz escaped further trouble when Marlon Byrd flew out to the left-field wall with runners on second and third.

Phillips was the catalyst as the Reds took a 3-0 lead in the fourth. Returning to the lineup after missing Thursday’s game with sickness, Phillips singled, stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on DeSclafani’s sacrifice fly.

Atlanta’s bullpen pitched well after some recent shaky outings. Cody Martin, Luis Avilan and Jim Johnson combined to allow one hit and three strikeouts in the sixth, seventh and eighth.

Closer Jason Grilli earned his eighth save in nine chances. Grilli faced four batters in the ninth, striking out Marlon Byrd, giving up a single to Brayan Pena, retiring pinch-hitter Devin Mesoraco on fly and Billy Hamilton on a grounder.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: The team announced that RHP Homer Bailey (elbow) will undergo Tommy John surgery and isn’t likely to return until the second month of next season. Bailey opened the season on the disabled list. After his second start, Bailey felt soreness in the elbow, and an MRI showed a torn ulnar collateral ligament.

Braves: 3B Chris Johnson (left hand) is wearing a splint after an MRI revealed three bone bruises and an old fracture he wasn’t aware of. Johnson is expected to miss between three and six weeks.

UP NEXT

Reds: Jason Marquis (2-1) is 4-5 with a 6.95 ERA in 10 career starts against Atlanta, the team that drafted him 35th overall in 1996.

Braves: Eric Stults (1-1) has made five appearances with two starts against Cincinnati, going 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA.