ATLANTA (AP) — Brandon Phillips called the game crazy.

Manager Bryan Price called it entertaining.

They also could have called it a huge lost opportunity for the Reds.

Cincinnati scored two runs in the 13th inning to take the lead before Alfredo Simon gave up three runs in the bottom of the inning as the Reds fell to the Atlanta Braves 9-8 on Wednesday night.

“It was crazy how both teams scored runs in that inning,” Phillips said. “They just scored one more run.”

The Reds won the first two games of the four-game series and had won nine of 13. They were in an excellent opportunity to continue that momentum after taking the lead in the 13th.

The Braves snapped a four-game losing streak in a game between last-place teams even Price had to appreciate.

“For entertainment value, that had to have been one of the great games of the season,” Price said.

Chase d’Arnaud had a bases-loaded single in the 13th inning to cap the three-run rally off Simon (2-7), who was making only his second relief appearance of the season.

The Reds took an 8-6 lead in the 13th on Jose Peraza’s bases-loaded walk with two outs and Joey Votto’s run-scoring single off Alexi Ogando (2-1), the Braves’ ninth pitcher.

Freddie Freeman became the first Brave to hit for the cycle since Mark Kotsay against the Cubs on Aug. 14, 2008. He is also the first to do it in the majors this season.

“It would have meant nothing if we didn’t win,” Freeman said.

Simon gave up five hits and a walk in the 13th. Adonis Garcia and Nick Markakis opened the inning with singles, Jace Peterson hit a run-scoring double and Tyler Flowers added a tying single. An intentional walk to Erick Aybar loaded the bases before d’Arnaud’s fly ball fell in center field.

Freeman led off the 11th with a single to center field to complete his cycle.

The Braves loaded the bases off Tony Cingrani with no outs in the inning but could not score.

Freeman’s opposite-field homer into the first row of the left-field seats tied the game at 6-all in the sixth. Freeman also had a triple in the fourth and double in the third.

Aybar drove in three runs on three hits for Atlanta. Aybar hit a two-run double in the third inning and added a run-scoring single in the fifth.

Ivan De Jesus Jr. drove in three runs for the Reds.

Reds right-hander Anthony DeSclafani was knocked out of the game in the third inning after giving up four runs, one earned, on six hits and three walks.

Atlanta’s Bud Norris left the game with a 5-3 lead after allowing three runs on three hits in five innings. Reliever Casey Kelly blew the lead before recording an out in the sixth.

MORRIS HURTING

Reds right-hander A.J. Morris left the game in the fifth with a right shoulder strain. He will return to Cincinnati to be examined.

2 FOR 2 ON REDS REVIEWS

The Reds appealed two calls that Braves baserunners were safe at first base — Ender Inciarte in the fourth and Freeman in the 12th. Each call was overturned following brief reviews.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: OF Billy Hamilton, on the 7-day concussion DL, took his final tests and the results were sent to the Reds’ team doctor and major league baseball for final clearance before he can be reinstated on Thursday.

UP NEXT

Reds: RHP Dan Straily, who ranks fifth in the NL with a .199 batting average allowed, will make his first career start against Atlanta in Thursday’s final game of the four-game series. Straily (4-2, 3.15 ERA) gave up one run in seven innings in a 2-1 win over Oakland in his last start on Saturday.

Braves: RHP Matt Wisler (2-6, 4.36) will try to snap a string of losses in four straight starts when he makes his first career start against the Reds. Wisler lasted only four innings in each of his first two starts in June and allowed a combined 13 runs.

Cincinnati AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Peraza ss 6 0 1 1 1 2 .222

Votto 1b 5 1 2 1 2 3 .239

Phillips 2b 6 2 3 0 0 0 .264

Simon p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .071

Bruce rf-cf-rf-c 6 2 2 2 0 2 .273

Duvall lf 4 2 1 1 1 1 .258

De Jesus 3b-2b 5 1 1 3 0 1 .228

Holt cf-rf-cf-rf 4 0 0 0 1 1 .253

Cabrera c 4 0 1 0 0 2 .282

1-Selsky pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .375

Ramirez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

e-Cozart ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .278

Cingrani p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

Suarez 3b 1 0 0 0 0 1 .227

DeSclafani p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Morris p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000

J.Smith p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Hoover p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

Ohlendorf p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

c-Barnhart ph-c 2 0 0 0 1 1 .243

Totals 46 8 11 8 7 16

 

Atlanta AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Inciarte cf 6 0 1 1 1 1 .232

Freeman 1b 7 2 4 1 0 2 .257

Garcia 3b 7 2 3 0 0 1 .256

Markakis rf 5 2 2 0 2 1 .243

Peterson 2b 6 2 1 1 1 1 .233

Flowers c 6 0 2 1 1 3 .242

Aybar ss 6 0 3 3 1 1 .199

Norris p 0 0 0 0 1 0 .250

a-Snyder ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .222

Kelly p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Krol p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

Withrow p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

Cervenka p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

b-Francoeur ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .277

Johnson p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

Vizcaino p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

d-d’Arnaud ph-lf 3 0 1 1 0 2 .301

M.Smith lf 6 1 2 0 0 1 .247

Alvarez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

f-Pierzynski ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .200

Ogando p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

Totals 55 9 19 8 7 15

Cincinnati 000 303 000 000 2 = 8 11 2

Atlanta 103 011 000 000 3 = 9 19 3

No outs when winning run scored.

a-struck out for Norris in the 5th. b-struck out for Cervenka in the 7th. c-out on fielder’s choice for Ohlendorf in the 9th. d-struck out for Vizcaino in the 10th. e-walked for Ramirez in the 11th. f-grounded out for Alvarez in the 12th.

1-ran for Cabrera in the 9th.

E—Votto (5), Duvall (2), Garcia (9), Peterson (3), Aybar (4). LOB—Cincinnati 9, Atlanta 18. 2B—Bruce (13), Duvall (16), Inciarte (6), Freeman (12), Peterson (2), Aybar (7). 3B—Freeman (2). HR—Freeman (11), off J.Smith. RBIs—Peraza (1), Votto (36), Bruce 2 (51), Duvall (45), De Jesus 3 (12), Inciarte (6), Freeman (22), Peterson (5), Flowers (13), Aybar 3 (10), d’Arnaud (4). SB—Peraza (1), Votto (5), Holt (4), Inciarte (4), Peterson (1). SF—Duvall. S—De Jesus, Holt, Norris.

Runners left in scoring position—Cincinnati 3 (Peraza, Votto, Bruce); Atlanta 10 (Inciarte, Markakis, Peterson, Aybar 2, M.Smith 5). RISP—Cincinnati 4 for 10; Atlanta 7 for 25.

Runners moved up—De Jesus. GIDP—Peraza.

DP—Atlanta 1 (Aybar, Freeman).

Cincinnati IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

DeSclafani 2 2-3 6 4 1 3 2 76 2.08

Morris 1 1-3 1 1 1 1 1 24 6.30

J.Smith 2 2 1 1 0 2 27 3.12

Hoover 1 2 0 0 0 1 19 11.20

Ohlendorf 1 0 0 0 0 2 19 4.25

Ramirez 2 1 0 0 0 6 38 6.67

Cingrani 1 2 0 0 1 0 21 3.82

Simon L, 2-7 1 5 3 3 1 1 33 9.45

Atlanta IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Norris 5 3 3 3 2 7 96 4.81

Kelly BS, 1-1 1 4 3 3 0 0 24 5.79

Krol 1-3 1 0 0 0 0 14 3.29

Withrow 1-3 0 0 0 0 0 3 5.17

Cervenka 1-3 0 0 0 0 0 10 3.10

Johnson 2 1 0 0 0 0 19 5.66

Vizcaino 1 1 0 0 0 3 17 2.25

Alvarez 2 0 0 0 1 5 28 0.00

Ogando W, 2-1 1 1 2 0 2 1 30 3.64

Morris pitched to 1 batter in the 5th.

Inherited runners-scored—Morris 3-0, J.Smith 1-1, Withrow 1-0, Cervenka 1-0. IBB—off Alvarez (Cozart), off Ogando (Barnhart), off Simon (Aybar).

Umpires—Home, Marvin Hudson; First, Jim Joyce; Second, Adam Hamari; Third, Laz Diaz. T—5:18. A—14,953 (49,586).