The Sports Xchange
Jul 27, 2017
MIAMI -- Derek Dietrich hit a solo homer and drove in three runs, and rookie left-hander Chris O'Grady pitched seven scoreless innings to lead the Miami Marlins to a 4-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday night at Marlins Park.
The Marlins (47-53) won for the fifth time in their past seven games. The Reds (41-61) have lost four games in a row and 12 of their past 14. Cincinnati has lost six consecutive games at Marlins Park.
Dietrich has eight RBIs in the past two games after driving in a career-high five on Wednesday when the Marlins set a franchise record with 22 runs in a blowout of the Rangers at Texas.
O'Grady (2-1) allowed five hits, including four singles, and two walks, lowering his ERA from 5.40 to 3.68. He struck out five while earning his second major league win and his first at home.
Reds right-hander Robert Stephenson (0-4) lost to the Marlins for the second time in less than a week. He walked a career-high seven batters on Thursday and lasted just 4 1/3 innings. He also allowed four hits and three runs.
Dietrich broke a scoreless tie in the fourth, pulling a 1-0 fastball, clocked at 93 mph, for a solo homer to right-center. It was his fifth homer of the season.
Cincinnati nearly tied the score in the fifth. With two outs, Joey Votto was hit by a pitch. Votto later was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first on a double down the left field line by Adam Duvall. Left fielder Marcell Ozuna got the relay throw to shortstop Miguel Rojas, who made a stellar one-hop throw.
Miami extended its lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth, getting Dietrich's RBI walk and a sacrifice fly by Tyler Moore. Miami's rally featured three walks and an infield hit.
The Marlins increased their lead to 4-0 in the seventh when Dietrich's pop fly fell for an RBI single in short left field.
Cincinnati got to Miami's bullpen in the eighth as Scooter Gennett broke up the shutout bid with an RBI single off Junichi Tazawa.
The Reds had an opportunity for more in the eighth, but Marlins closer A.J. Ramos came in and got Tucker Barnhart to ground out with the bases loaded, ending the threat.
Ramos pitched a scoreless ninth for his 20th save.
NOTES: Reds 2017 All-Star SS Zack Cozart (right quad) missed his second start in a row. He leads all NL shortstops in batting average, on-base and slugging percentage. ... Reds C Tucker Barnhart threw out Marlins would-be base-stealer Dee Gordon twice -- in the first and sixth innings. Gordon did steal one base in the game. ... Reds INF Dilson Herrera will have season-ending right shoulder surgery on Tuesday. ... Miami has won three straight road series for the first time since May 2012. ... Since Miami hit the road on July 20, the Marlins put three players on the disabled list: 1B Justin Bour (oblique), SS JT Riddle (biceps) and RHP Kyle Barraclough (shoulder). They also demoted RHP Tom Koehler and recalled C Tomas Telis, INF Mike Aviles, LHP Hunter Cervenka and RHP Drew Steckenrider.