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Left-hander Nick Lodolo used six strong innings to pick up a win in a battle of former first-round picks and the Cincinnati Reds defeated the host Miami Marlins 8-2 on Tuesday night.

Tyler Stephenson and Ty France each hit a solo homer to lead Cincinnati’s offense.

Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs. He is 8-for-10 with two home runs and five RBIs through the first two games of this four-game set.

Lodolo (9-4), the seventh overall pick in the 2019 draft, allowed two runs on two hits. He walked three and struck out seven.

Right-hander Max Meyer (2-2) took the loss, allowing eight hits and six runs while walking three and fanning two in four innings. Meyer was the third overall selection in the 2020 draft.

Cincinnati opened the scoring in the second inning, as Stephenson ambushed Meyer on his first pitch of the frame and hammered a slider 418 feet to center.

The Reds made it 2-0 in the third when De La Cruz doubled down the right field line, stole third and scored on TJ Friedl’s double.

Cincinnati extended its lead to 6-0 in the fourth.

De La Cruz got the rally going with a two-run double, then Friedl added a sacrifice fly and Stephenson followed with an RBI single.

The Marlins got on the board in the bottom of the fourth after Lodolo issued three walks to load the bases. With two outs, Derek Hill drove a two-run single to center to pull Miami within 6-2, but Lodolo got out of the jam when catcher Stephenson caught Hill trying to steal second.

France’s homer to right-center in the fifth stretched Cincinnati’s lead to 7-2.

The Reds made it 8-2 in the eighth when Noelvi Marte doubled, advanced to third on a De La Cruz single and scored on a throwing error by Marlins shortstop Xavier Edwards.

Miami loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth, but Otto Lopez grounded into a double play to end the threat.

–Field Level Media