Reds offense wakes up in series win over Marlins
C. Trent Rosecrans, crosecrans@enquirer.com 4:24 p.m. EDT August 3, 2014


Cincinnati Reds third baseman Todd Frazier (21) connects for an RBI single during the fourth inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Ballpark.(Photo: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports)

MIAMI -- Funny thing about baseball, when you get a lot of hits and score a lot of runs, you have a good chance to win.

The Reds did all three on Sunday, collecting 15 hits and 7 runs en route to a 7-3 victory over the Marlins. It was the most hits and the most runs the Reds have collected in a game since the All-Star break, and the team managed its first series victory since five Reds went to Minneapolis to represent the National League.

The Reds scored in four different innings, and Mike Leake got out of a huge jam in the third inning before cruising to victory.

After the Reds had taken a 3-0 lead in the top of the third, Leake loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning before recording an out.

Jeff Mathis led off the Marlins' third with a double to left-center. Pitcher Jacob Turner laid down a sacrifice bunt down the third-base side that Leake fielded, but as he tried to throw the ball to third, he dropped it, allowing not only Mathis to get to third, but Turner to first. Leake then walked Christian Yelich to load the bases with no outs.

But that's when Leake did his Houdini act.

First Jordany Vladespin grounded a ball to first baseman Todd Frazier, who fired home to get Mathis at home before Mesoraco tried to double him up at first. Valdespin was called safe by first base umpire Mike Winters, but Bryan Price challenge the call, saying Valdespin stepped on Frazier's foot, not the bag, when the ball got to first.

After a more than two-minute deliberation, the call stood, meaning there wasn't enough evidence to overturn it.

Leake then struck out Stanton and got Casey McGehee to ground to second for a force out at second to end the inning. McGahee carried his bat half-way down the first-base line before slamming it to the ground, knowing his team had let a golden opportunity get by them.

The Reds answered with two more runs in the top of the fourth -- even though they left more on the table. Kristopher Negron led off the inning with a walk and his first career stolen base, and then with two outs, Billy Hamilton singled to score Negron easily. After a Jay Bruce single moved Hamilton to third, Frazier singled in Hamilton, but Bruce was thrown out at third, but not before Hamilton scored to make it 5-0 and pretty much put the game out of reach. It was the team's largest lead since the All-Star break.

The Reds got on the board in the second, but were denied more runs on a great play by Stanton. After Mesoraco singled to star the inning, Skip Schumaker drew a one-out walk and Negron followed with a fly ball to right that looked as if it was going to score bother runners. However, Stanton ran the ball down and both runners had to scramble back to their bases to avoid being doubled up. Zack Coart then singled to bring in the first run.

Hamilton led off the third with a single, stole second and Bruce went the other way off of Taylor to make it 2-0 and then later scored on Ryan Ludwick's double.

Leake left after six innings, giving up just on run on three hits. He walked four and struck out five. All three hits he allowed were to the seventh (shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria) and eighth (catcher Jeff Mathis) hitters, with Mathis getting two of those and driving in Hechavarria in the fourth.

J.J. Hoover gave up a two-run homer in the eighth inning to Garrett Jones for the Marlins' second two runs.

Hechavarria tripled to lead off the ninth, but Jonathan Broxton struck out the side to end the game.

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/m.../13546691/