Marlins Pound Martinez To Win 11th Straight Road Games

 

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Dateline: 1,209 Kilometers from the Gulf of Mexico

The Miami Marlins are going nowhere in the National League East but they won their 11th consecutive game on the road in a 12-1 pounding of the Reds.

The Marlins record on the season improved to 42-48 as the Reds' fourth straight loss dropped them back to the .500 mark at 46-46. There are 70 games to go.

"It is a remarkable stretch. Winning on the road is very difficult. It comes back to the way that we pitched and our offense, to come up with some big hits. No matter where we are we have the confidence to play our brand of baseball," Clayton McCullough

In each of the four straight losses the Reds' managed just one earned run. They scored in the ninth but it took a passed ball on strike three to Will Benson and Connor Norby's error with the bases loaded on Noelvi Marte's ground ball.

Matt McLain hit his 10th home run of the season off Marlin's starter, Eury Perez in the first inning.

Reds' starter Nick Martinez retired the first six Marlin batters but the next seven reached base. Liam Hicks walked. Heriberto Hernandez, Dane Myers singled. Xavier Hernandez doubled off the right field wall, Jesus Hernandez singled. Augustin Ramirez doubled on a high hop over Noelvi Marte's head. Kyle Stowers and Norby drove in runs with fly outs to right field. The Marlins collected seven runs before Hicks grounded out to end the inning. 

In the inning, the Marlins batters were 6-for-7 in the inning. 

"Walking the first batter wasn't good," Martinez said. "They had some ground balls that found holes. Edwards put a good swing on a change up, then more ground balls found holes. That's the way baseball is sometimes."

The Marlins chased Martinez in the sixth inning. Walks were the culprit. Stowers walked to start the inning. Norby singled and Martinez walked Hicks to load the bases. Scott Barlow came in and walked in a run with a free pass to Hernandez. The Marlins scored again when Dane Myers hit into a double play but Edwards singled to drive in Hicks.

"When he was in the delivery, good. When he was in the stretch, things happened in a hurry. I don't know the significance of that or whether he just didn't make pitches," Terry Francona said.

Martinez pitched five plus innings allowing 10 runs on seven hits and three costly walks. He struck out two.

Eury Perez for the Marlins, recovering from "Tommy John" surgery that cost him the 2024 season. He returned on June 9. He evened his record at 2-2.

Richardson did not allow a hit but walked two after Norby reached on McLain's error. Jose Trevino brought his knuckleball to the mound to save a bullpen arm for another day. Myers hit a sacrifice fly and Sanchez singled but Trevino limited the Marlins to one run.

Trevino gave up three hits in the ninth and one run.