Cincinnati @ Miami preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 20, 2018 ) Cincinnati 4, Miami 2

Scooter Gennett was a non-factor throughout the first series he faced the Miami Marlins this season, but all he did was carry the offense in his second shot against them. Coming off another stellar performance, one of the top National League's top hitters will try to lead the Cincinnati Reds to their first back-to-back victories in nearly two weeks Friday when they visit Miami for the second of four games against the Marlins.

Gennett went 1-for-8 and struck out five times as Cincinnati dropped two of three at home to the Marlins in early May, but he continued his breakout season in Thursday's 4-2 series-opening victory, finishing 2-for-3 with a two-run double and a two-run blast. The first-time All-Star trails Milwaukee's Christian Yelich (.319) by a point in his quest to win the NL batting title and is hitting .333 with four homers and 12 RBIs across 17 games in September. J.T. Realmuto and Peter O'Brien each had two hits and an RBI in a losing cause for Miami, which has lost seven of nine and scored no more than four runs in any of those defeats. O'Brien has been a pleasant surprise over 13 games in what has been an otherwise dismal season for the NL-worst Marlins (59-93), going 6-for-12 with two home runs and five RBIs over his last four contests.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), FS Florida (Miami)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Luis Castillo (10-12, 4.52 ERA) vs. Marlins LH Wei-Yin Chen (6-11, 4.93)

Castillo has been dominant in three of his four starts this month, including back-to-back wins against National League division leaders in the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs. The 25-year-old Dominican is 3-1 with a 1.46 ERA in September after holding the Dodgers to one run over 6 1/3 innings on Sept. 11 and the Cubs to one run in 6 2/3 frames Sunday. Castillo enjoyed one of the finest starts of his career against Miami last year, getting the win after allowing one run across eight innings.

Chen continued to struggle on the road in last Friday's loss at Philadelphia, surrendering five runs on seven hits - including two homers - over four innings, falling to 1-8 with a 9.29 ERA with a .338 batting average against in 12 starts away from Miami. Conversely, the 33-year-old is 5-3 with a 1.77 ERA in 12 turns at home, however, yielding only a .190 average. Chen lost his only career start against the Reds on May 4, giving up four runs and two home runs in four frames.

WALK-OFFS

1. Marlins' starting pitchers have allowed three runs or fewer in 19 of the last 23 home games.

2. Reds SS Jose Peraza went 1-for-5 in the opener to move with 10 hits of tying Barry Larkin (185; 1990) for the most hits in a single season by a Cincinnati shortstop.

3. Realmuto has hit 18 of his career-high 21 home runs as a catcher this season and remains one shy of tying Charles Johnson's club record (19 in 1997).

PREDICTION: Marlins 3, Reds 2