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Marlins top Reds on Yelich's 10th-inning hit

Aug 3, 2014 - 4:50 AM Miami, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Christian Yelich singled in the deciding run in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift the Miami Marlins to a 2-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

After Jeff Mathis greeted Sam LeCure (1-3) with a leadoff double in the Marlins' half of the 10th and was pushed to third on a sac bunt, Yelich laced a clean hit into short right field to halt Miami's seven-game losing streak to Cincinnati.

"Great at-bay by (Mathis), he's a huge part of our team," said Marlins manager Mike Redmond. "This guy cares a lot, not only about winning, but about the ball club."

Mike Dunn (9-5) set up Yelich's heroics by striking out Billy Hamilton and Jay Bruce to strand the potential go-ahead run at third in the top of the 10th.

Yelich and Jordany Valdespin each finished 2-for-4 with an RBI for Miami, which had an outstanding start from Nathan Eovaldi wasted after Hamilton came through with a two-out, game-tying RBI single off Bryan Morris in the eighth.

Eovaldi yielded just two hits and a pair of walks while being charged with one run allowed in seven-plus innings.

Homer Bailey also turned in a strong effort for Cincinnati, which had taken the first two of this four-game set. The right-hander permitted one run and three hits while fanning five over seven innings.

"It was going to be one of those games," said Reds manager Bryan Price. "You have two good bullpens going against each other after two really good, quality starts by Homer and Eovaldi."

Chris Heisey put the Reds in perfect position for a comeback when he ripped a pitch from Miami closer Steve Chisek into the gap in right center for a one- out triple in the top of the 10th. Dunn was able to preserve the 1-1 tie, however, by blowing fastballs by Hamilton and Bruce upon being summoned into the contest.

Earlier, Eovaldi was working on a one-hit shutout prior to surrendering a leadoff single to Ramon Santiago in the eighth, prompting Marlins manager Mike Redmond to bring in Morris to try to protect a 1-0 edge.

The move nearly paid off, as Morris struck out pinch-hitter Jack Hannahan after Zack Cosart's sacrifice bunt. However, Hamilton slashed a single to left in which a hustling Santiago slid into the plate just before Mathis applied the tag to even the score.

Eovaldi, who had been shelled for 18 runs in his first three starts after the All-Star break, was mostly dominant in a terrific rebound effort. The right- hander permitted a second-inning single to Skip Schumaker and issued walks in each of the next two frames, then proceeded to set down 11 straight Reds before Santiago's base hit in the eighth.

Bailey was nearly as good, with his only rough stretch of the evening coming when Yelich doubled in the third and Valdespin followed with a sharp single to left-center that put the Marlins ahead.

Miami managed just one baserunner over the next four innings, with Bailey retiring 12-of-13 hitters during that period.

Game Notes

The Marlins improved to 26-17 in one-run games and 7-9 in extra-inning affairs ... Cincinnati has now lost four straight extra-inning contests ... Miami recorded its first win over the Reds at Marlins Park since Sept. 15, 2012, with Cincinnati having taken the last six meetings between the clubs there ... Yelich entered the game just 2-for-19 on the Marlins' current homestand.