Griffin Conine slugged a two-run homer and Connor Norby hit a solo shot as the host Miami Marlins ended Cincinnati’s five-game win streak with a 7-4 victory on Wednesday night.
Michael Petersen pitched a scoreless ninth for his first career save as the Marlins halted a two-game skid.
Reds rookie first baseman Sal Stewart, a Miami native who had several family members and friends in the stands displaying posters with his likeness, had a big night. Stewart went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, two runs and a stolen base.
Eury Perez (1-1) earned the win, allowing six hits, two walks and four runs (two earned) in five innings. He also struck out six.
Native Floridian Brady Singer (0-1) took the loss, allowing 10 hits and six runs (five earned) in 2 2/3 innings. He was also charged with two errors on failed pickoff plays.
Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz scored a run for the eighth straight game after drawing a walk and stealing second base in the first inning.
Perez needed 35 pitches to get out of the opening inning in which Cincinnati emerged with a 2-0 lead. With two out, De La Cruz scored on Stewart’s chopper, which was ruled an error by third baseman Graham Pauley on a tough in-between hop. Eugenio Suarez followed with a bloop double just in front of right fielder Owen Caissie to make it 2-0.
Miami tied the score in the bottom of the first. Xavier Edwards singled and scored on Agustin Ramirez’s 111-mph double to left-center, giving him a three-game extra-base-hit streak. Singer was then charged with an error trying to pick off Ramirez at second, and Liam Hicks’ single made it 2-2.
The Marlins extended their lead to 4-2 in the second on two-out RBI singles by Jakob Marsee and Edwards.
In the third, Miami turned in its third straight two-run inning as Conine pulled a two-run homer that traveled 403 feet to right-center at an exit velocity of 110 mph.
Cincinnati closed its deficit to 6-4 in the fifth as Matt McLain was hit by a pitch and Stewart followed with a two-run homer to left. Stewart hit a 1-2 changeup at the bottom of the zone.
Norby’s homer to left off reliever Connor Phillips made it 7-4 in the seventh. Norby hit a 1-0 sweeper that was low in the zone.
In the ninth, Cincinnati’s first two batters, Noelvi Marte and Tyler Stephenson, hit singles. But Peterson worked out of the jam.
