Marlins losing streak hits five games. Latest loss to Reds sends them 21 games under .500
Elieser Hernandez’s second start following his second injured list stint of the season began with some bad luck, continued with three strong innings, and ended with a pair of hard-hit home runs that ultimately ended his night early.
In total, Hernandez gave up five runs (four earned) over just 4 2/3 innings in the Miami Marlins’ 5-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Friday at Great American Ball Park. The loss drops the Marlins to 51-72, a season-worst 22 games under .500.
Friday was just Hernandez’s fourth start of the season after missing nearly two months apiece for right biceps inflammation and a right quad strain.
Hernandez, who returned to the active roster on Sunday, threw 68 pitches and struck out six batters but trouble brewed to start and conclude his outing.
Two first-pitch groundballs scored Cincinnati’s first run in the first inning. Tyler Naquin bounced a four-seam fastball down the first-base line and into right field for a triple. Nick Castellanos followed by sending a slider down the third-base line and into left field for an RBI double. Castellanos scored on a Kyle Farmer sac fly that should have been an inning-ending flyout if not for a Jesus Aguilar fielding error on a Joey Votto ground ball.
Hernandez settled down and tossed three scoreless innings — including maneuvering through a two-on, no-out jam in the fourth with three strikeouts — before giving up home runs to Naquin and Votto in the fifth. Naquin sent a first-pitch slider a projected 397 feet to right field. Votto’s home run, his second in as many games against the Marlins, came on a first-pitch fastball and went 432 feet to right-center.
After being shut out for seven innings against Reds starter Sonny Gray, the Marlins scored their only runs in the eighth on a Jazz Chisholm Jr. three-run home run against Lucas Sims. Chisholm also tallied the Marlins’ only hit against Gray with a single in the fourth.
Pablo Lopez update
Right-handed pitcher Pablo Lopez, who has been on the injured list since July 17 with a right rotator cuff strain, is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with the Triple A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp on Saturday. He is slated to throw three innings or 45 pitches.
Since the Marlins generally prefer their starting pitchers to be able to throw five innings (about 75 pitches) before activating them from the IL, this would point to Lopez making at least three rehab starts. That means the earliest Lopez would likely return is early September.
In 19 starts this season, all before the All-Star break, Lopez has a 3.03 ERA over 101 innings with 111 strikeouts against 25 walks and a .227 batting average against.
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