The only big league starting pitcher in the building Thursday night with less experience than prized Marlins rookie Jose Fernandez was coveted Reds lefty Tony Cingrani.
Fernandez, a 20-year-old who pitched in Class A last season, had 98-mph heat and only two Major League starts under his belt. That was two more starts than Cingrani, 23, could boast.
But it was Cingrani’s five innings and another heaping of generous run support that led to an 11-1 Reds win over the Marlins at Great American Ball Park.
“It could have been a little better overall, but I’m happy with it,” said Cingrani, who gave up one run and five hits with three walks and eight strikeouts. He was the first Reds lefty to win his first Major League start since Tom Browning in 1984.
Cincinnati nabbed its fourth straight victory and for the second night in a row, it scored 11 runs, following the 11-2 thumping given to the Phillies on Wednesday.
While Cingrani doesn’t have Fernandez’s elite velocity, the fastball was his bread and butter in college and during his fast rise up the Minor Leagues. He used it often during his first big league start.
“He’s got good stuff. He’s aggressive with his fastball. I thought he looked good,” Marlins manager Mike Redmond said.
Of the 102 pitches Cingrani threw, 83 were fastballs. In the first inning, 20 of his 21 pitches were fastballs. Overall, they were generally in the 89-93-mph range.
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