A seemingly routine contest between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds erupted into a historic offensive spectacle on Thursday.
After a 3-3 tie through seven innings, the Braves appeared to put the game away with an eight-run rally in the top of the eighth. The offensive burst, which began with five consecutive hits, forced the Reds to use four different relievers before the inning ended with Atlanta holding an 11-3 lead.
In a stunning turn, Cincinnati answered immediately in the bottom of the frame. The Reds opened their half of the inning with eight straight hits, capped by a game-tying, three-run home run from Spencer Steer that knotted the score at 11-11.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was only the third time in MLB history that both teams scored at least eight runs in the same inning. The rare feat was previously accomplished in a 2004 game between the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers and a 2007 matchup between the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees.
After a scoreless ninth, the game went to extra innings, where the Braves prevailed 12-11 on a sacrifice fly from Marcell Ozuna in the 10th. Closer Raisel Iglesias then stranded the automatic runner to secure the win for Atlanta.
The wild game was one of only three played on the MLB trade deadline. The Reds (57-53) are currently in the wild-card hunt, while the Braves (46-62) are well out of playoff contention.
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