ATLANTA – Tyler Stephenson watched his ninth-inning homer Thursday drop over the fence in right-center field and he couldn't help but smile.
He ended his homecoming with a homer.
Stephenson's family and friends, sitting in a section behind the Cincinnati Reds' dugout, filled the entire ballpark with their loud cheers. When the Reds walked off the field following their 12-3 victory against the Atlanta Braves, Stephenson's teammates urged the Truist Park crowd to give him a curtain call despite being the away team.
It was a "surreal" moment for Stephenson, who grew up about 25 minutes away from the Braves' new ballpark, and the Reds were thrilled to end their three-game losing streak.