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Arroyo finally breaks skid, Reds earn DH split with Marlins

Aug 25, 2011 - 5:17 AM Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Bronson Arroyo threw eight shutout innings to pick up his first win in two months, and the Reds held on for a 3-2 victory over the Marlins in the second game of a doubleheader.

Florida had won the opener Wednesday, 6-5, after surviving a ninth-inning rally by the Reds. Cincinnati was in the opposite position in the nightcap, when a 3-0 lead dwindled to a one-run edge. But Francisco Cordero avoided blowing the save and secured a split.

Arroyo (8-10) was stellar in his start, limiting Florida to only six hits without a walk. The performance -- backed by another homer by Joey Votto, who went deep in the first game -- allowed him to win for the first time since June 25.

"He looked great. He had his good fastball tonight, good location and good command of his breaking ball," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "We were trying to take him into the ninth, but it was a hot night out there."

The right-hander had not held an opponent scoreless in any of his first 25 starts this season.

The Marlins lost the three-game series after starter Chris Volstad surrendered two runs before he even recorded an out.

Brandon Phillips and Fred Lewis began the game with singles, and Votto's base hit to center drove in a run. Jay Bruce followed by smoking a fastball down the right field line, making it a 2-0 game.

The damage could have been worse, but Volstad got a double play and strikeout to escape the jam.

The Reds tacked on the decisive run two innings later when Votto took a sinker the opposite way. While the pitch faded to the outside edge of the plate, Volstad left the ball up and Votto crushed it over the left field fence.

Arroyo avoided trouble, facing the minimum in the first three innings and staying out of jams. The Marlins had a scoring opportunity after Mike Stanton opened the seventh with a double and moved to third on a groundout, but Arroyo retired the next two batters on fly balls.

He worked a stress-free eighth and Cordero took over for the ninth, but the Marlins rallied thanks to several miscues.

Miguel Cairo's throwing error allowed Stanton to reach with one away, and he moved to second on a wild pitch. Greg Dobbs followed with an RBI double to left, then scored on Gaby Sanchez's single.

But Cordero got Bryan Petersen to fly out and induced a grounder from pinch- hitter Jose Lopez to end the game.

Game Notes

Cordero got his 28th save, and has recorded one in each of his last nine appearances...The Marlins were swept in their only other doubleheader of the season, June 15 at Philadelphia...The teams split the season series, 3-3.