National League Roundup : Esasky Is One-Man Wrecking Crew in Atlanta

After hitting his third game-winning home run in three days against the Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati first baseman Nick Esasky insisted he wasn’t swinging for the fences.

“I went out thinking I was going to get a hit,” said Esasky, whose three-run homer in the ninth inning gave the Reds a 5-2 victory Thursday at Atlanta. “But I wasn’t looking for a home run. A base hit would score a run, and that’s all we needed.”

Esasky now has hit 14 home runs at Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium, only a few miles from his home in suburban Marrietta, and was surprised when rookie starter John Smoltz (1-1) walked Paul O’Neill to pitch to him.

With one out in the ninth, Eric Davis doubled and O’Neill was walked intentionally. Esasky then hit a 1-1 pitch to left for his 10th homer.