Friday night in Cincinnati belonged to the pitchers. Chase Burns and Sandy Alcantara traded zeroes early, but Burns kept rolling long enough for the Reds to scrape out the only run they needed in a 1-0 win over the Marlins.
The victory moved Cincinnati to 16-10 since the All-Star break, and it came on a night when offense was hard to find from either side.
Burns was the difference. The right-hander worked seven shutout innings, allowing four hits and no walks while striking out eight.
He also trimmed his season ERA to 2.47. Entering the game, Burns’ 31.7% miss rate (misses/swings) ranked fifth among qualified Major League starters, and he had already piled up 319 swings and misses.
Against Miami, he added 13 more whiffs on 43 swings, a 30.2% miss rate.
The Reds’ lone run came in the kind of way that fits a game like this. With two outs and Tyler Stephenson aboard at first, Eugenio Suarez lifted what looked like a harmless single to left. Jakob Marsee had other plans, diving for the ball - only for it to skip all the way to the wall and allow Stephenson to score from first for a 1-0 Cincinnati lead.
That was enough, even though the Reds had a shot to tack on in the eighth. Sal Stewart, Tyler Stephenson, and Ke'Bryan Hayes all singled to load the bases with one out in the frame, but Dane Myers grounded out to end the threat.
Cincinnati finished with six hits and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
After Burns’ seven scoreless innings, Brock Burke handled the eighth without allowing a run, and Emilio Pagan shut the door for his 15th save. Pagan has now gone 10 straight appearances without giving up a run.
The series continues Saturday night at 6:40 ET at Great American Ball Park, with Brady Singer starting for the Reds and Ryan Gusto going for Miami.
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