Yonder Alonso homers, drives in 4 to help Reds rally past Marlins 8-6

MIAMI — Yonder Alonso homered and drove in four runs, including a tiebreaking double in the ninth inning that sent the Cincinnati Reds to an 8-6 victory over the fading Florida Marlins on Tuesday night.

Dave Sappelt tied the game at 6 with a two-run double and the Reds scored four times in the ninth off closer Leo Nunez (1-4), who blew his sixth save in 39 chances. They were the first career RBIs for Sappelt, who had three hits.

Jay Bruce hit his 27th home run for the Reds. Emilio Bonifacio homered and drove in three for the Marlins, who have lost six in a row. They are 2-16 in their last 18 games.

With the Reds trailing 6-4 going into the ninth, Joey Votto walked and Brandon Phillips singled. Sappelt then laced a double to left field, scoring both runners. Three batters later, Alonso lined a two-run double to center.

Alonso, who attended high school and college in Miami, had more than 200 friends and family members in attendance to see him go 3 for 4 while making his first start of the season at first base. He hit a solo homer, his second, in the second inning and had an RBI single in the third.

Alonso was the offensive star for the Reds Tuesday, belted a home run and also driving in the go-ahead runs in the ninth inning with a two-run double.

Reds manager Dusty Baker decided to give Joey Votto a night off, but the team's offense didn't miss a beat with Alonso. He also singled, giving him the first three-hit game of his young career. Alonso is now batting .448 in 29 at-bats for the Reds, and they might be forced to play him more in left field to keep his bat in the lineup.


(ap.com)