It’s been a rough 10-game homestand for the Reds, as starting pitching and offense both sputtered coming out of the All-Star break. But both came together with synergy to net a 6-3 victory over the Marlins that salvaged a game from their three-game series. Cincinnati finished the homestand with a 2-8 record.
Scooter Gennett had two hits and two RBIs, including a home run, to spark the Reds, while Eugenio Suarez and Tucker Barnhart each added homers in the sixth inning. Rookie starting pitcher Sal Romano pitched a solid six innings with one earned run, three hits, one walk and seven strikeouts. A.J. Ellis’ two-out solo home run in the fourth inning was the only run Romano allowed as he retired 13 of his last 14 batters.
“Any time you can get separation from a team, it helps a ton,” Barnhart said. “It kind of takes the pressure off guys. Everybody up and down the lineup had good at-bats all day today. I think everybody contributed something, and that’s good to see.”
Marlins starter Tom Koehler gave up six runs (five earned) and nine hits over 5 2/3 innings, with two walks and two strikeouts. It was a 1-1 game when Gennett led off the bottom of the fourth inning with his 17th homer of the season, a shot to right field. In the two-run fifth, Gennett added a two-out RBI single to right field that scored Zack Cozart before Joey Votto was thrown out trying for third base.
“Bullpen’s been worked a little bit,” Koehler said. “You get a chance to maybe sneak out the sixth there, and with those balls going out — between that, and you go to bounce a curveball with two strikes, and [Billy Hamilton], like, cricket-hits it for a single as the last pitch you throw — it’s extremely frustrating. But no one’s going to feel sorry for me. … The Reds aren’t when I see them again on Friday. … Guys in here aren’t going to feel sorry for me. I just got to keep going out there, attack hitters and hope that this turns around.”
In the top of the seventh inning against reliever Michael Lorenzen, Ellis hit a double and scored on Miguel Rojas’ hit to right field. Scott Schebler fumbled the ball for an error that allowed Rojas to reach second base. That enabled Rojas to score on pinch-hitter Marcell Ozuna’s RBI single to center field.
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