With the score tied, 3-3, Stuart Fairchild was the free runner on second base. And eight straight Reds reached base in seemingly every way possible.
It began with a walk to Jonathan India on a full count from Miami relief pitcher Emmanuel Ramirez. Elly De La Cruz pulled a screeching line drive at first baseman Jonah Bride.
If he catches the ball, he doubles India off first base. Instead the ball deflected off his glove for a single to load the bases.
—Tyler Stephenson walked on a full count, forcing in a run. 4-3.
—TJ Friedl was hit by a pitch. 5-3.
—Spencer Steer lobbed a broken-bat single to left. 6-3.
—Jeimer Candelario drove a two-run single to right. 8-3.
—Jake Fraley singled, refilling the bases.
—Noelvi Marte flied to left center and the ball dropped in when the left fielder and center fielder collided. Center fielder Derek Hill was charged with a run-scoring error. 9-3.
—Finally, an out. But a run scored on Fairchild’s sacrifice fly. 10-3.
The seven runs in an extra inning were the most for the Reds since a game in 1985.
Greene?
He entered the game on a streak of 21 straight scoreless innings. In his previous five starts he had given up one run, 10 hits, eight walks and struck out 40 for a 0.23 earned run average.
And he extended that scoreless innings to 24, one shy of Tom Browning’s 25-inning streak in 1989.
The Reds gave him a 3-0 lead with two runs in the first on Friedl’s two-run home run and Friedl’s run-scoring single in the third.
Friedl drove in runs in all four games against the Marlins, three of them Cincinnati wins. For the four games he drove in 11 runs while batting clean-up.
Greene’s streak ended in the fourth when he gave up three runs on three singles a walk and a hit batsman.
He pitched six innings, 108 pitches, gave up three runs, five hits, walked two and struck out five. He also hit two batters and leads MLB in that category with 19 plunkings.
And it stood 3-3 through nine innings.
The Marlins, on pace to lose 100 games, were afforded opportunity after opportunity after opportunity.
They put their leadoff batter on base in the first, third, fourth, fifth and seventh innings, but scored only in the fourth.
They had two on with one out in the eighth but Buck Farmer came on to strike out No. 9 hitter/catcher Jhonny Pereda, who had two hits, his first two hits in the majors.
They had two on in the ninth with one out but Farmer struck out Jonah Bride looking and coaxed a fly ball from Otto Lopez.
For the night, the Marlins stranded 11 runners and were 2 for 14 with runners in scoring position.
Still, as bad as they are with their 43-73 record, the Marlins are dangerous in close games. They are 17-15 in one-run games and they were 8-6 in extra innings and 9-2 in walk-off games.
The Reds, though, took care of that under the leadership of stand-in manager Freddie Benavides. Manager David Bell was ejected in the seventh innning when he rushed onto the field to protest a called third strike on De La Cruz.
Spencer Steer entered the game encased in a 4 for 42 slump and 0 for 13, but he chipped in two hits and drove in a run.
De La Cruz had three more hits and was 11 for 18 for the four games, despite a 0 for 4 in Cincinnati’s 6-4 loss in the second game.
The Reds won the other three by 10-3. 8-2 and 10-4, racking up 49 hits.
About how he stayed positive during his battle with the bat, Steer told Bally Sports Ohio, “I stayed within myself even though it was a tough stretch. I just trusted that I’m a good hitter and fought my way out of this thing. Two hits tonight helps.”
The Reds open a three-game series Friday night against the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers. The Brew Crew are fresh from sweeping three games from the Braves in Atlanta. On Wednesday in the finale, they crushed the Braves, 16-7, and hit six home runs.
“This one tonight was a huge win for us and we just have to keep stacking W’s,” said Steer. Just keep winning series. It’s a big weekend for us and we’re excited for it.”
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