Casali homers as Reds beat Marlins 8-5
MIAMI (AP) — Curt Casali homered and drove in three runs, helping Luis Castillo and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Miami Marlins 8-5 on Tuesday night.
Casali hit a tying solo drive off Caleb Smith (8-8) in the fourth inning. He batted again in the fifth and hit a two-run single off Tyler Kinley, giving the Reds a 5-3 lead.
Cincinnati also got a big game from Eugenio Suárez, who went deep for the third straight day and finished with three hits. Suárez leads the team with 37 homers.
The Reds have won the first two games in the four-game set after they were swept at Pittsburgh over the weekend.
Jorge Alfaro homered for the third straight game for last-place Miami, which has dropped three of four. Jon Berti had three hits, and Isan Díaz had two RBIs.
Smith allowed five runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Cincinnati opened a 7-3 lead on Nick Senzel’s two-run homer in the sixth. After Alfaro got two back with his 14th homer in the bottom half, Senzel added an RBI single in the seventh.
Castillo remained unbeaten against the organization that traded him before the 2017 season. Castillo (13-5) allowed five runs and seven hits, struck out 11 and walked two in six innings. The right-hander also went 2 for 3 at the plate while improving to 3-0 against Miami.
Raisel Iglesias got four outs for his 27th save.
The Reds got off to a solid start behind Suárez, who hit a two-run shot in the first. It was Suárez’s 13th first-inning homer of the year, breaking the Reds’ record of 12 by George Foster in 1977.
The Marlins tied it in the bottom of the inning on Díaz’s two-run double to right-center. Díaz was thrown out at third as he tried for a triple.
ROSTER MOVE
Reds first baseman Joey Votto returned from the injured list and went 0 for 5.
The Reds optioned infielder Jose Peraza to Triple-A Louisville to make room for Votto. Peraza saw limited play because of Freddy Galvis’ production since he joined the club Aug. 13.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: INF/OF Brian Anderson will not need surgery to repair the finger he broke against Philadelphia last week, but he is still expected to miss the remainder of the season. … RHP Austin Brice (forearm strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list.
UP NEXT
Reds: RHP Anthony DeSclafani (8-7, 4.27 ERA) began his major league career with the Marlins in 2014 before his trade to Cincinnati prior to the 2015 season.
Marlins: RHP Sandy Alcantara (4-11, 4.15 ERA) will make his team-leading 26th start Wednesday. Alcantara is 0-3 with five no-decisions since the All-Star break.
