Griffin Conine slugged a two-run homer and Connor Norby hit a solo shot as the host Miami Marlins ended Cincinnati’s five-game win streak with a 7-4 victory on Wednesday night.
Michael Petersen pitched a scoreless ninth for his first career save as the Marlins halted a two-game skid.
Reds rookie first baseman Sal Stewart, a Miami native who had several family members and friends in the stands displaying posters with his likeness, had a big night. Stewart went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, two runs and a stolen base.
Eury Perez (1-1) earned the win, allowing six hits, two walks and four runs (two earned) in five innings. He also struck out six.
Native Floridian Brady Singer (0-1) took the loss, allowing 10 hits and six runs (five earned) in 2 2/3 innings. He was also charged with two errors on failed pickoff plays.
Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz scored a run for the eighth straight game after drawing a walk and stealing second base in the first inning.
Perez needed 35 pitches to get out of the opening inning in which Cincinnati emerged with a 2-0 lead. With two out, De La Cruz scored on Stewart’s chopper, which was ruled an error by third baseman Graham Pauley on a tough in-between hop. Eugenio Suarez followed with a bloop double just in front of right fielder Owen Caissie to make it 2-0.
Miami tied the score in the bottom of the first. Xavier Edwards singled and scored on Agustin Ramirez’s 111-mph double to left-center, giving him a three-game extra-base-hit streak. Singer was then charged with an error trying to pick off Ramirez at second, and Liam Hicks’ single made it 2-2.
The Marlins extended their lead to 4-2 in the second on two-out RBI singles by Jakob Marsee and Edwards.
In the third, Miami turned in its third straight two-run inning as Conine pulled a two-run homer that traveled 403 feet to right-center at an exit velocity of 110 mph.
Cincinnati closed its deficit to 6-4 in the fifth as Matt McLain was hit by a pitch and Stewart followed with a two-run homer to left. Stewart hit a 1-2 changeup at the bottom of the zone.
Norby’s homer to left off reliever Connor Phillips made it 7-4 in the seventh. Norby hit a 1-0 sweeper that was low in the zone.
In the ninth, Cincinnati’s first two batters, Noelvi Marte and Tyler Stephenson, hit singles. But Peterson worked out of the jam.
–Field Level Media
