Hamilton Helps Reds Beat Marlins 7-3
MIAMI (AP) — A teammate's injury kept Jacob Turner in the Miami Marlins' rotation for another start Sunday.
It might have been his last.
Turner failed to take advantage of his opportunity, enduring four rocky innings as the Marlins lost Sunday to the Cincinnati Reds 7-3.
Turner (4-7) had been ticketed for a move to the bullpen. That was delayed when Henderson Alvarez went on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation.
But with a 5.97 ERA, Turner might not get another start. He allowed nine hits and five runs.
"I just couldn't locate the fastball," Turner said. "I left too many pitches over the middle. When you're doing that on 2-0 counts, it's a tough way to pitch."
Todd Frazier had a season-high four hits for the Reds, who improved to 5-11 since the All-Star break and scored more than five runs for the first time during that stretch.
"Everybody did a good job manufacturing runs," Frazier said. "We were hitting singles. We do have the power, but it goes to show you that we know how to get runs in doing little stuff."
Garrett Jones hit his 12th homer for the Marlins, who got five hits. They went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
The Marlins managed only eight runs and 24 hits in the series, and they've lost to Cincinnati in eight of their past nine games.
Cincinnati totaled 15 hits, all but one a single. Billy Hamilton scored three times and Devin Mesoraco hit a two-run single as the Reds built a 7-1 advantage, the sort of cushion unfamiliar to them lately.
"It was great to get the separation and build the lead," manager Bryan Price said. "It's nice to have some wiggle room. It's a lot more fun."
Mike Leake (9-9) struggled with his control but allowed only one run in six innings to help the Reds take three of four games in Miami.
Zack Cozart's two-out RBI single in the second put Cincinnati ahead. In the third inning, Hamilton and Jay Bruce each singled, stole second and scored. Bruce singled home Hamilton and scored on a double by Ryan Ludwick.
Two-out, run-scoring singles by Hamilton and Frazier in the fourth made it 5-0, ending Turner's outing.
"It's extremely frustrating from my end not to be able to give the team a chance to win," Turner said.
Manager Mike Redmond said he and his staff haven't decided who will start when Turner's turn comes around again.
"I haven't even thought about it," Redmond said. "We'll talk as a group and decide going forward what we're going to do."
A MIXED AFTERNOON
Giancarlo Stanton, the NL leader in home runs and RBIs, struck out four times for the second Sunday in a row. But he also robbed Kristopher Negron of an RBI extra-base hit when he made a long run for an over-the-shoulder catch near the right-field foul pole in the second inning.
ON DECK
The Marlins are off Monday and open a three-game series at Pittsburgh on Tuesday when Brad Hand (2-3, 4.15) pitches against Charlie Morton (5-10, 3.54).
The Marlins went 6-1 on their last trip, then went 3-4 on their homestand as the offense slumped.
"I think we've got another good run in us," third baseman Casey McGehee said. "There's been a couple of us, myself included, who have not been swinging the bats the way we like to for a little while."
Miami has lost six consecutive games in Pittsburgh.
TRAINER'S ROOM
First baseman Frazier found himself in an awkward position when he couldn't find the base with his left foot, and Valdespin stepped on it in the third inning.
"I'm lucky — he could have taken my ankle right out," Frazier said. "He had no room to get to the bag."
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