Rainy Night Drought Drowns Reds

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The Reds have been shut out for 16 innings after scoring four runs in the first inning on Friday.

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On Saturday, a pitcher's duel developed after Miami Marlins' shortstop Starlin Castro hit the 100th home run of his career in the same ballpark, he hit his first career home run. Castro homered in his first Major League at bat off Homer Bailey on May 7, 2010.  The two-run first inning home run was his first of the season, following Martin Prado's single.  Castro was 20 years old at the time. He is 28 now.

"It was a slider that Mahle left up,"
Jim Riggleman said.  "Castro is a good hitter. I think he is one of the youngest guys to get to 1,000 hits.  I looked up on the board. I saw Castro had zero homers.  I thought the law of averages might get us at some point tonight."

Caleb Smith kept the Reds extremely quiet.  Joey Votto doubled with two outs in the first inning. Smith pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed just three hits.  The Reds' second hit came in the fourth inning on Jose Peraza's well placed bunt single.  A double play by Votto eliminated that scoring chance.

The Marlins were schizophrenic, turning three double plays but committing two errors to make the double plays necessary.  Adam Duvall reached on an error in the fifth.  Scott Schebler singled with one out but Devin Mesoraco bounced into a 5-3 double play to Derek Dietrich at third base.

Mahle allowed two hits in the second inning but pitched out of a first and third, one-out jam.  He retired 12 of the next 13 batters with an error by Peraza allowed the lone base runner in that span.

Justin Bour hit a two-out home run in the sixth inning to break the streak.  Mahle finished six innings, allowing three runs on five hits.

"I thought he threw the ball well but if you ask him he'll say it wasn't his best," Riggleman said.

So we asked.

"I didn't really settle down.  There was one pitch that they hit and hit well," Mahle said.  "I continued to make average pitches and got some weak contact.  It was a battle all six innings.  Six innings and three runs is not a good day in my opinion."

Drew Steckenrider and Kyle Barraclough kept the Reds off the scoreboard through eight innings.

Austin Brice pitched a scoreless seventh but his own mental error allowed the Marlins to put the game out of reach.   J.B. Shuck reached first on a single that came to pass because Brice failed to cover first when Votto tried to range to his right to field a ground ball that Scooter Gennett fielded easily.  Brice hit J.T Realmuto with a pitch. Castro drove in his third run of the game with a double.

"Joey went over to get the ball and Austin probably thought it would not be a ball he would  have to cover on," Riggleman said.  "When you make the pitch and the ball goes to the right side, you have to be breaking.  He had a lapse there."

Dylan Floro came in to get the second out of the inning with runners holding but Brian Anderson's single off the handle fell in no man's land down the line.

Brad Ziegler competed the shut out, getting a double play ground out after Votto singled with one out.