Pablo Lopez Tames Reds - Marlins Even The Series

Pablo Lopez turned a team the scored 11 runs the night before look anemic in a 2-1 win for the Miami Marlins. 

The Red had beaten the Marlins hurler in his other two appearances. Lopez was 0-2 with a 7.45 ERA, allowing eight runs in 9 2/3 innings.

Hunter Greene and Lopez matched zeroes for fout innings.

Greene allowed three hits in the first four innings but the Marlins broke through in the fifth with four hits.

"I just simply challenged them and kept going after them.  If they got a little hit here or hit there, I kept going after them.  I kept competing.  That's my biggest take away," Greene said.

Bryan De La Cruz lined out to Nick Senzel in center field.  Jesus Sanchez followed with a double.  Luke Williams lined the first pitch to center field but Sanchez was caught napping and stopped at third. Williams took off to steal second with the Reds in a shift.  Catcher Michael Papierski held the ball with the runner on third.  Greene had a chance to escape when he struck out Jacob Stallings but Joey Wendle singled to right center to drive in two runs.  Willians Austudillo singled Wendle to third but Greene got J.J. Bleday to fly out to right.

Lopez allowed a lead off single to Jonathan India to start the game then the right handed pitcher retired the next 12 batters, four by strikeout.

"Lopez had as good as stuff as we've seen all year," David Bell said.  "He had a good fastball, you didn't know which way he was going to cut it. He had a good sinker and great change up."

The streak ended when Mike Moustakas hit a 3-2 pitch into the right field seats for his sixth home run of the season.  

"Mike (Moustakas) is feeling better," Bell said.  "It's been a tough stretch where he didn't play a lot of games.  That may have helped."

The score held through the sixth inning.

Greene began to show signs of fatigue.  Williams flied out deep to center.  Stallings and Wendle both singled sharply.  David Bell brought in Buck Farmer to get out of the inning.  Farmer got out of the inning with two pop outs to the infield.

Greene pitched 6 1/3 innings.  He gave up just two runs on nine hits but he only walked one.  Greene struck out six.

"It was the same with Hunter," Bell said.  He had as good as stuff as he's had all year.  He was definitely throwing hard.  I thought it was a great start. They strung together a few hits there but other than that, it was one of his best starts."

Farmer escaped a mini jam in the eighth.  Avisail Garcia beat the shift with a slow ground ball that India had to chase down on the outfield grass.  Miami manager Don Mattingly sent former Red Billy Hamilton into run with everyone in the entire park expecting a stolen base.  Hamilton pilfered second beating the throw by plenty.  Lewin Diaz put Tyler Naquin against the right field fence as Hamilton rounded third after the catch.  Farmer walked Sanchez but struck out Brian De La Cruz and Williams to end the frame.

Lopez turned the game over to Anthony Bass after completing seven innings allowing just two hits, including Moustakas' homer.  He didn't issue any walks and struck out 11.

Tanner Scott entered in the ninth for the Marlins tasked with protecting the one-run lead. Scott finished off the Reds for his 13th save in 16 tries.