As long as you're still playin games, you might as well win them. After all, the goal of the game is to win, even if you're already eliminated from playoff contention.
Tuesday night in Atlanta, the Cincinnati Reds shut out a Braves team that is the winner of the National League East. It was a 4-0 score that saw Elly De La Cruz rack up two RBIs and a stolen base, while left-handed starter Brandon Williamson hurled a much-needed gem that could boost his candidacy to stay in the Reds' starting rotation in 2027.
Sep 13, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brandon Williamson (55) throws a pitch in the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Even though the Reds are eliminated from Postseason contention, there are still developments and trends worth watching. One of those trends, of late, has been left-handed pitcher Brandon Williamson. Since returning from the injured list at the start of this month, the Reds' left-hander has made five appearances and not allowed more than three earned runs in any of them.
Tuesday night in Atlanta, Williamson pitched six shutout innings without allowing a walk. He struck out two and only needed 68 pitches to get through six innings. Of his 68 pitches, 43 were for strikes.
Williamson needed to show something this month to prove he belongs in the Reds' pitching rotation. He's pitched well in September, winning three of his five starts and pitching a shutout against a powerful Braves' lineup.
Sep 22, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) reacts after hitting a home run against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Lost in this season of misery is how great Elly De La Cruz has been. Tuesday night, De La Cruz homered for the 29th time this season and stole his 29th base. Entering Tuesday night, it is worth mentioning that De La Cruz entered this game ranking first with a .394 batting average while also topping the rankings in slugging, OPS, hits, and total bases. In addition, he was also third in home runs and second in on-base percentage.
Right now, De La Cruz is hitting .288 with 29 home runs and 76 RBIs, with an OPS of .892. Really good numbers from the Reds' superstar. Also on Tuesday night, he walked twice. That means he was on base four times. That's what you want to see from De La Cruz.
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Andrew Abbott (41) throws a pitch in the first inning of a MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The Reds and Braves will resume their three-game series Wednesday night at Truist Park in Atlanta.
It's a pair of left-handers dueling Wednesday night, with the Reds sending Andrew Abbott to the mound (6-11, 4.70 ERA) against Braves' left-hander Chris Sale (14-9, 2.18 ERA).
First pitch is at 7:15 E.T. on Reds.TV and 700WLW.
For what it's worth, Thursday's game, also a 7:15 E.T. start, also has an interesting pitching matchup. Brady Singer (6-15, 5.67 ERA) will face Braves right-hander, and former Red, Tyler Mahle (7-10, 3.81 ERA).
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/reds/onsi as Brandon Williamson and Reds' Offense Shine Bright, Defeat Braves 4-0 .
