Derek Hill hit a grand slam to finish off a five-run first inning, and Marlins pitcher Valente Bellozo took a shutout into the sixth inning as Miami held off a late push by the Reds and won 6-4 on Wednesday night. This victory gave the Marlins some revenge after losing the first two games of the series.
Hill, who was picked up from San Francisco on Saturday, launched a fastball from Reds starter Andrew Abbott (9-9) 412 feet to center field after Jonah Bride had singled, and Jesus Sanchez and Otto Lopez had walked. It was Hill’s fourth homer of the season and his first with the Marlins.
“The analytics team and the coaching staff gave us a really good game plan going up against a really tough pitcher,” said Hill, who also played for Texas earlier this season. The Marlins plan to give him regular playing time, which he has not had since he started in 2020.
Hill’s grand slam followed a 399-foot homer to center by designated hitter Jake Burger. Burger also hit a 422-foot home run to left in the fifth inning, marking his 18th and 19th homers of the season.
He has hit six homers in his last nine games and joked about needing to keep up with his friend Josh Bell, who had homered twice earlier for Arizona.
T.J. Friedl hit a 396-foot grand slam, the first of his career, in the seventh inning off Marlins reliever Andrew Nardi.
This made the game closer. Calvin Faucher earned his second save after the bases were loaded in the ninth with a walk, a double, and a hit batter, but he retired Jeimer Candelario on a groundout to second base.
Bellozo (1-1) got his first career win by allowing five hits and striking out four while walking two. He was taken out with two outs in the sixth inning.
“It is something everybody dreams of. Every pitcher, every guy, it is their dream to compete here,” he said.
Bellozo managed to get out of a bases-loaded situation in the second inning by striking out Jonathan India. He kept Elly De La Cruz hitless in three at-bats, striking him out twice.
De La Cruz had performed well in the first two games of the series but finished 0 for 4 with three strikeouts and a walk in the ninth inning.
