CHRISTOPHER STOCK
Associated Press
MIAMI (AP) — Jarred Cosart was solid through five innings in his debut with the Miami Marlins before struggling in the sixth.
Cosart (0-1) gave up four runs and four hits in 5 1-3 innings one day after being acquired from Houston and the Marlins lost 5-2 to the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.
“I thought he looked good for five innings and looked like he just ran out of gas there in the sixth,” Marlins manager Mike Redmond said.
Marlins All-Star slugger Giancarlo Stanton homered in his third consecutive game to give him a National League-best 26.
Miami has lost three straight after winning six in a row.
Cincinnati starter Mat Latos finally broke through with a win against his hometown Marlins. Latos (3-3), who hails from nearby Coconut Creek, allowed one run in seven strong innings to beat Miami for the first time in eight career starts.
“I battled,” Latos said. “I had to bear down when I needed to. I made some good pitches and the offense picked me up today. A good game all around.”
He allowed one run on five hits and four walks while striking out five.
“He pitched well, mixed his speeds in, and we had a couple shots there to get to him early, but just couldn’t get that big hit,” Redmond said.
Aroldis Chapman got the last three outs for his 25th save in 27 chances.
“It’s a great team victory,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “We dodged a few bullets.”
The Reds’ Todd Frazier and the Marlins’ Jordany Valdespin traded RBI singles before the Reds scored three runs in the sixth inning to take a 4-1 lead.
Cosart retired the first nine batters he faced and recorded his first hit in the majors before running into trouble in the pivotal sixth. Cosart was pulled after he loaded the bases in favor of Chris Hatcher, who immediately allowed a two-run double to Ludwick.
“It’s a whirlwind, but (catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia) made it pretty easy on me,” Cosart said. “We pretty much had a game plan and for the most part I executed it.”
Stanton’s solo homer in the eighth pulled Miami to 4-2.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: Brandon Phillips (left thumb) joined the team on the road trip and fielded ground balls on Thursday, but there is no timetable of when he will be able to swing the bat. “I don’t think he’s close, but I don’t know what close is whether it’s five days or two weeks, I’m not sure,” said Price, who added that the target date for Phillips’ return remains late August.
Marlins: All-Star pitcher Henderson Alvarez was placed on the 15-day disabled list before the game with shoulder inflammation. Alvarez, who was scheduled to start Sunday’s game, is 8-5 with a 2.48 ERA. “I don’t know if it’s in the same spot or the same type of pain he had last year, but we’re going to get him checked out and make sure we get him healthy,” Redmond said. “Hopefully we caught it early enough where it’s not a huge deal; just 15 days on the DL hopefully, that’s the hope.”
ON DECK
The Reds will start right-hander Homer Bailey (8-5, 4.03) on Saturday against Marlins righty Nathan Eovaldi (5-6, 4.37). Bailey has pitched at least eight innings in three of his last five starts and is 1-1 with a 2.00 ERA during that span. Eovaldi is 0-2 with a 9.92 ERA in his last three starts.
STANTON’S POWER SURGE
Stanton has homered in three consecutive games for the first time since a three-game streak from Sept. 7-9, 2012. He hit his 143rd career home run tying Mike Lowell for third on the Club’s all-time list. “He’s swinging the bat,” Redmond said. “We just have got to get a couple other guys in front of him on base consistently and get some other guys to get some big hits. We’ve been pretty quiet the last couple of days.”
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