Marlins Take The Series To Win Fourth Straight Series

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Brandon Finnegan pitched through five innings in his last two starts.  Today he didn't get untracked until the Reds were in a 5-0 hole.  Four runs scored in the first and one in the second on the way to the Miami Marlins' 8-5 win over the Reds to send them to a 8-26 record.

"We didn't get a lot out of Finnegan," Reds' interim manager Jim Riggleman said.

Finnegan retired seven in a row after J.T Realmuto's double, leading off the second inning but singles by light hitting pitcher and former teammate, Dan Straily and Realmuto chased him from the game after 3 1/3 innings.

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The first inning made the game an uphill climb for the home nine.   Finnegan as he is known for doing, walked Realmuto, who reached base four times in the game.  Martin Prado hit a slow roller to third base.  Eugenio Suarez made the aggressive throw to second base but Realmuto beat it.  Scooter Gennett put his throw into the camera well behind first base to put both runners in scoring position.  Starlin Castro singled to score two runs, his fourth and fifth runs batted in for two games.   Brian Anderson walked.  Justin Bour grounded out at the runners moved ahead one base.  Cameron Maybin singled to score Casto.  Brinson grounded out off Finnegan that was scored 1-4-3 to drive in Anderson.

"What really hurt was after walking Realmuto, Finnegan went 3-2 to Prado.  By putting them in a running situation we couldn't turn the double play because he beat the throw and was on top of Scooter.  Any other count than 3-2 and we turn a double play," Riggleman said.

Realmuto doubled to start the second inning.  Prado grounded out to Joey Votto at first base.  Castro turned in his second straight three-RBI game with a sacrifice fly.

"It was a crappy way to start a game," Finnegan said.  "It made it tough on our hitters.  It sucks. The more we lose the more pressure we put on our selves and we try to be too fine."

Jesse Winker walked with out in the second inning.  Votto hit his fifth home run of the season to end the Reds' scoreless streak at 18 innings.  Gennett hit a double but was stranded.

After the Reds stranded two runners in the fourth, a heavy rain stopped the game.  It was 73 minutes before the game moved to the fifth with David Hernandez pitching for Cincinnati and Nick Wittgren for Miami.

Hernandez and Wittgren each pitched two scoreless innings.

The Marlins added a run against Kevin Shackelford in the seventh.

Castro singled but Shackelford struck out Anderson.  The Reds gave an intentional walk to Bour.  Maybin doubled to spoil the strategy.  Amir Garrett just back from the funeral of his aunt, came in.  He struck out pinch hitter Derek Dietrich but walked Yadiel Rivera to load the bases.  Garrett fanned J. B.  Shuck to end the threat.

"We had to piece things together because Brandon didn't give us much," Riggleman said.  "The Marlins kept pecking away.  Even when they didn't score they made us change pitchers."

Tayron Guerro took over for Miami in the bottom of the seventh.  Billy Hamilton doubled just inside the first base line.  The hit raise Hamilton's average to .204.  Peraza and Winker flied out.  Votto's third hit, a double scored Hamilton.

Austin Brice struck out two in a scoreless eighth to feed the fans LaRosa's Pizza.

Kyle Barraclough allowed a two out single to Tucker Barnhart, his second hit of the game.

Wandy Peralta, who is walking batters at a brisk pace, walked Anderson to start the inning.  It was the fourth walk in 1 1/3 innings over four games.  Bour's high chop over Votto's head put runners on first and third.  Peralta struck out Maybin but pinch hitter Miguel Rojas singled to center for a run.  Yadiel Rivera's infield hit loaded the bases.  Eugenio Suarez took his eye off the ball, while looking to turn a 5-3 double play.   Bour scored on the play.

Junichi Tazawa came in to pitch the ninth for the Marlins.

Hamilton walked.  Peraza was credited with a double off the glove of  Anderson in right field.  Winker's ground out to first scored Hamilton.  Votto drove in his fourth run of the game with his fourth hit.

Brad Ziegler took over in a save situation.

Gennett hit into a force play but Rivera threw the relay away for one error, then booted Suarez ground ball to bring Scott Schebler to the plate as the tying run.  Ziegler struck out Schebler on his third full count pitch.

Finnegan is 0-3 in five starts.  He hasn't pitched more than five innings in five starts.  The lefthander pitched 20 2/3 innings averaging four per start.  He has walked 15 batters in those innings or 6.5 per nine innings.

"His velocity is where it was.  His command isn't there," Riggleman said.

"It's not my call.  I would hope they would stick with me.  I've established myself here," said the pitcher whose last win was April 5, last year. "Things aren't going my way. I have to keep pushing forward.  I have to keep working with Danny (pitching coach Danny Darwin).