Rookie Rece Hinds continued the torrid start to his career with a grand slam while Jonathan India stayed hot with a leadoff home run as the host Cincinnati Reds beat the Miami Marlins 7-4 on Friday.
Jeimer Candelario added a solo homer, Elly De La Cruz had three hits and starter Carson Spiers (3-2) struck out a career-high nine over five innings as the Reds improved to 4-4 on their 10-game homestand.
Nick Martinez tossed three innings of scoreless relief for the Reds, who won for the fourth time in five games.
Jesus Sanchez hit a three-run homer for the Marlins, who lost their fourth straight and fell for the ninth time in 11 contests.
The Reds got to Miami starter Yonny Chirinos (0-1) for a pair of solo homers in the first, from India and Candelario.
Cincinnati added another on a Will Benson RBI double in the second before Hinds drilled a homer to the seats in center for his first career grand slam in the third. Hinds has hit safely in all five games to start his Major League career this week, amassing three homers, three doubles and a triple.
Chirinos was charged with seven runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out one and walked four as the Marlins fell to 14-31 on the road.
One day after Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene struck out the first six Colorado Rockies batters, Spiers fanned the first six Miami hitters Friday night.
The Reds became the first team in the expansion era (since 1961) with starting pitchers striking out at least the first six batters in consecutive games.
Spiers retired the first eight batters before Ali Sanchez reached on an error by Elly De La Cruz at shortstop in the third.
Spiers recovered to strike out Jazz Chisholm Jr., as the Cincinnati starter had eight strikeouts in the first three innings.
Spiers ran into trouble in the fourth when Xavier Edwards and Bryan De La Cruz opened with singles. Jesus Sanchez then connected for his 11th homer of the season to the seats in right.
The Reds’ defense turned in multiple clutch plays.
Benson made a sliding grab in center on a sinking liner by Chisholm with runners on first and second and one out in the seventh.
Jake Fraley, in his first game back from a family medical leave, made a leaping grab of a Josh Bell fly ball at the chain link fence in left for the second out in the eighth.
Elly De La Cruz threw out the speedy Chisholm for the final out in the ninth as Chisholm represented the tying run following an RBI hit by Ali Sanchez.