Reds at Marlins
Eugenio Suarez has gone deep in three straight games for the second time in August to boost his career-best home run total to a team-leading 37 on the season. The 28-year-old aims to continue both his individual good fortune as well as the Cincinnati Reds' mastery of the Marlins on Wednesday when the clubs play the third contest of their four-game series in Miami.
Suarez belted a two-run blast to highlight his three-hit performance in Tuesday's 8-5 victory to improve to 11-for-20 with four homers in the season series against Miami. Rookie Nick Senzel also had a two-run shot and drove in three runs during his second straight two-hit performance in the series for the Reds, who have outscored the Marlins by a 35-9 margin en route to winning all five encounters this season. Miami's Jorge Alfaro has homered in consecutive contests and is riding a five-game hitting streak, during which he is 11-for-21 with four extra-base hits (one double, three homers), four RBIs and six runs scored. While Alfaro has been hot at the plate, the reeling Marlins have been ice-cold in the standings with defeats in 21 of their last 27 games as they cruise to their 10th consecutive losing season.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), FS Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Anthony DeSclafani (8-7, 4.27 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Sandy Alcantara (4-11, 4.15)
DeSclafani walked away with a no-decision on Friday at Pittsburgh despite allowing just one run on five hits in his second straight outing. The 29-year-old kept the ball in the park against the Pirates after surrendering six homers in his previous four trips to the mound. Neil Walker (4-for-11), Curtis Granderson (4-for-12) and Starlin Castro (5-for-16) have fared well versus DeSclafani, who has endured significant troubles on the road with a 2-4 mark and a 4.96 ERA.
Alcantara saw his winless skid extend to 10 consecutive outings on Thursday despite yielding one unearned run on three hits in seven innings at Atlanta. The 23-year-old, who has recorded three straight quality starts, is 0-5 in that 10-start span since allowing one run in 7 2/3 frames of a 2-1 win at Philadelphia on June 21. Alcantara's 149 2/3 innings over 25 starts this year have eclipsed the 127 total frames he pitched last year.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cincinnati, which plated a pair of runs in the first on Tuesday, has outscored the opposition 107-69 in that inning this season.
2. Miami 3B Brian Anderson will not require surgery after sustaining a fractured bone in his left hand last weekend.
3. Cincinnati RHP Robert Stephenson has not allowed a run in any of his last 10 appearances and permitted just two hits in his last nine.