MLB Scores: Marlins 14, Reds 3

Ask and ye shall receive. Fish fans were looking for some signs of life from the offense and boy did we ever get it, the Marlins exploding for 21 hits and 14 runs en route to the win. The victory came at a heavy price, however, as the Marlins lone remaining All-Star Dee Gordon left the game after dislocating his left thumb sliding head first into the bag at 1st base, all but dashing any hopes of seeing Miami represent in three days.

In the first inning with the Reds threatening and Todd Frazier on at 2nd base, Jay Bruce hit a single to left and Frazier decided to test Christian Yelich's arm...a poor decision, as Yelich was able to gun down the Toddfather to end the inning. I confess I was going to post a video of it, but then Cole Gillespie went and did this:

Eugenio Suarez opened the scoring for the Reds with a solo shot off of Adam Conley in the 2nd. The Reds would score again in the top of the 3rd with Billy Hamilton tagging up on a Frazier sac fly. It was 2-0 Reds at this point.

Things remained tight until the fifth inning, when the Marlins decided they were done holding back. Cole Gillespie lead off with a solo shot to center to put the Fish on the board. JT Realmuto singled and then Derek Dietrich, pinch-hitting for Conley, singled as well, sending Realmuto to third. Dee Gordon laid down a bunt which allowed Realmuto to score and let Flash Jr. safely reach first. Christian Yelich followed with a single of his own to score Dietrich, and the Marlins had the lead, 3-2. Burke Badenhop then relieved Iglesias, induced a groundball from Adeiny Hechavarria that advanced the runners and then intentionally walked Justin Bour. Hits Casey McGehee then strolled up to the plate and did his apparently uniquely Marlins thing, and that is stroke a single and drive in two runs (an inning earlier, he did his other very Marlins thing by grounding into a double play, thus securing both the highest WPA per single play and the lowest). Gillespie couldn't keep the inning going that he started but the damage was done, 5-2 Marlins.

The Reds responded with a run of their own in the top half of the inning off of Sam Dyson to make it 5-3, and despite the earlier offensive outburst many Marlins fans probably settled in for another few rounds of holding their breath to see if the pen could hold on, but it was not to be.

The bottom of the seventh started off with an auspicious omen. Dee Gordon hit an infield single off of Manny Parra and dove headfirst, the weight of his body pressing his left hand sharply into the bag. He popped up immediately and exited the game, holding his misshapen digit for the world to see. It was a dislocated thumb and certainly means we will have no Marlins in the All-Star game. Rather then let his sacrifice go down in vain, however, the Marlins offense took the game over. Yelich singled again and advanced pinch-runner Miguel Rojas to 3rd. Hech singled and scored Rojas. Justin Bour then ripped a bouncing double to right allowing both Yelich and Hech to score, 8-3 Marlins. McGehee singled moving Bour to third and that was it for Parra. Gillespie, who'd already had a hell of a game, singled in Bour, making it 9-3 Marlins. Realmuto, not to be outdone, promptly homered to left. 12-3 Marlins. Ichiro singled to keep things going, and then Mike Dunn got an AB because why the hell n...oh, he singled too! Nine consecutive hits in an inning is a new Marlins record. Rojas grounded into a fielder's choice to snap the streak of hits but then Yelich decided he wanted to drive in a run too, singling Ichiro home for the eight and final run of the inning. 13-3 Fish.

Realmuto added a run for good measure in the 8th, driving in Cole Gillespie with a double to deep right center and bringing our happy totals to 14-3, Marlins. Mike Dunn and Brad Hand finished out the game effectively for the Fish.

Tune in tomorrow for the final match-up before the All-Star break, Dan Haren vs. Johnny Cueto, 1:10 EST.

Source: FanGraphs

Attendance: 21,052

Hero of the Game: Dee Gordon :( (+.120)

Goat of the Game: Raisel Iglesias (-2.75)

Play of the Game: McGehee singles to right in the 5th, scoring Yelich and Gordon (+.160)