The Cincinnati Reds leaned on a strong pitching performance and timely extra-base hitting Monday night, defeating the Miami Marlins 2–0 in a crisp, low-scoring matchup highlighted by Brandon Williamson’s bounce-back outing and Tyler Stephenson’s late insurance homer.
Cincinnati’s pitching staff combined for a three-hit shutout, while Elly De La Cruz sparked the offense with a double and a single as the Reds secured their fourth straight victory.
Williamson (1–1) delivered a steady and composed performance after a rough season debut against Pittsburgh on March 31, when he allowed six runs on six hits. The 28-year-old left-hander responded in impressive fashion against Miami, scattering just three hits over 6 2/3 innings. He struck out four, walked one, and kept the Marlins hitless until Otto López lined a two-out single in the fourth inning.
The Marlins’ best scoring opportunity came in the sixth inning when Agustín Ramírez tripled with two outs, but Williamson ended the threat by striking out Jakob Marsee to preserve the scoreless tie at the time.
Cincinnati broke through in the fourth inning against Marlins starter Janson Junk (0–1). De La Cruz ripped a one-out double and raced home moments later when Miami native Sal Stewart lined a run scoring single up the middle to give the Reds a 1–0 lead.
The Reds added a key insurance run in the eighth inning when Stephenson launched a leadoff homer to left field. He drove a slider from Junk over the wall for his second home run of the season, extending Cincinnati’s advantage to 2–0.
Junk turned in a solid outing despite the loss, allowing just two runs on seven hits over a career-high 7 1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked one while keeping the Marlins within striking distance throughout the game.
After Williamson exited with two outs in the seventh, Brock Burke came on and struck out Xavier Edwards to end the inning. Tony Santillan handled the eighth, and Emilio Pagán closed the door in the ninth for his fourth save of the season to complete the shutout.
Edwards, who entered the game riding a 12-game hitting streak dating back to the final three contests of last season, went 0-for-3 to see the streak snapped.
The Reds’ offense has begun to show signs of life after a slow start to the season. Entering Monday’s contest tied with San Francisco for the fewest runs scored in the majors (26), Cincinnati plated nine runs during its weekend sweep in Texas and continued that momentum with timely hitting against Miami.
The series continues Tuesday night with Cincinnati scheduled to send left-hander Andrew Abbott (0–1, 3.09 ERA) to the mound against Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara (2–0, 0.00 ERA) in what shapes up as a strong pitching matchup.
