Andrew Abbott delivered a dominant performance just a day after being named an All-Star, and Elly De La Cruz powered the offense with a pair of RBI doubles as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Miami Marlins 7-2 on Wednesday night at Great American Ball Park. The victory snapped Miami’s franchise-record 11-game road winning streak and ended a four-game slide for the Reds.
Abbott (8-1), the 26-year-old left-hander, showed exactly why he earned his first All-Star nod, stepping in to replace injured Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Abbott held Miami scoreless through seven innings, scattering six hits and two walks while striking out five. He exited with two outs in the eighth after allowing an RBI single to Heriberto Hernández, narrowly missing a shutout but giving the Reds the boost they needed.
The key moment came in the opening frame when De La Cruz sparked a three-run rally with a laser down the line for his first RBI double. Austin Hays followed with an RBI single, and Tyler Stephenson added another run-scoring hit as the Reds quickly seized control. De La Cruz struck again in the fourth with his second RBI double, part of another three-run outburst highlighted by Noelvi Marte’s two-run homer — his fourth of the season.
Will Benson added an insurance run in the eighth, blasting his eighth homer of the year off Miami reliever Emilio Pagán.
Reds manager Terry Francona inched closer to history, moving within three wins of reaching 2,000 career managerial victories.
Miami’s ace Sandy Alcantara (4-9) struggled, surrendering nine hits and six runs over five innings. Despite a late solo homer by Connor Norby — his sixth of the season — off Pagán in the ninth, the Marlins’ bats couldn’t overcome the early deficit.
With the win, Abbott continued his remarkable season, allowing more than one earned run in just three of his 16 starts.
The series concludes Thursday, with Miami sending Cal Quantrill (3-7, 5.40 ERA) to the mound against Cincinnati’s Nick Lodolo (5-6, 3.58 ERA). The Reds look to build momentum as the first half of the season winds down, while the Marlins aim to start a new streak.
