Marcell Ozuna and Adam Duvall each smashed two-run home runs in the eighth inning Thursday and the Atlanta Braves blanked Cincinnati 5-0 to advance in the Major League Baseball playoffs.
The Braves defeated the Reds two games to none in a best-of-three opening round playoff series to book a second-round matchup against either the Chicago Cubs or Miami Marlins.
It was the first post-season series the Braves have won since defeating Houston in the first round of the 2001 playoffs. Since then, Atlanta had dropped nine playoff series plus a wildcard game in 2012.
The Braves, who have not won the World Series since 1995, opened the scoring on Ron Acuna’s run-scoring double in the fifth inning before Ozuna and Duvall added insurance runs in Atlanta’s final time at the plate.
Atlanta right-handed pitcher Ian Anderson struck out nine and surrendered only two hits over six scoreless innings for the victory.
Not since 1995 have the Reds tasted victory in a post-season matchup. They went a record 22 consecutive innings without scoring a run in the playoff run after dropping the opener 1-0 to Atlanta in 13 innings on Wednesday.