Disappointing Start for Marlins
Despite high hopes, our Miami Marlins had a tough start against the Cincinnati Reds. The opening inning saw out top hitters, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Xavier Edwards, and Bryan De La Cruz, strike out consecutively. Unfortunately, the Reds came back with a vengeance in the bottom of the 1st, thanks to back-to-back homers from Jonathan India and Jeimer Candelario which gave them a 2-0 lead.
Early Struggles Continue
The 2nd inning didn't fare any better for our Marlins as we couldn't manage any hits. The Reds extended their lead to 3-0 after Will Benson doubled to right, bringing in Rece Hinds. By the end of the 3rd, we were staring at a daunting 7-0 deficit, courtesy of a 397-feet homer by Rece Hinds that brought three more runs across.Fighting Back in the 4th
Finally, some life from our lineup in the 4th inning! Jesus Sanchez smashed a 378-feet homer, driving in three runs and cutting the Reds' lead to 7-3.
The bottom of the inning saw our defense holding strong, getting three quick outs.Squandered Opportunities
The middle innings continued to thwart us. Despite some baserunners, we couldn't capitalize, and we saw two double plays kill potential rallies in the 5th and 6th innings. Our pitching did keep the Reds at bay during these innings, which provided hope for a comeback.Endgame Effort
In the top of the 9th, hope flickered when Nick Gordon doubled to right and Ali Sanchez singled, bringing Gordon home to make it 7-4. With two outs and runners on first and second, the tension was palpable. Alas, Xavier Edwards grounded out to shortstop to seal our fate.
Wrap-Up
Final score: Reds 7, Marlins 4. Despite the tough loss, there were moments of promise. Our bats have to wake up sooner, and we need more consistency from our bullpen. Let's not get discouraged, Marlins fans! We'll get them next time.
Scoreboard for Marlins @ Reds (July 12th, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 1 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 1 |