Nick Lodolo and four relievers combined on a four-hit shutout Thursday for the host Cincinnati Reds, who salvaged a split of a four-game series with the Miami Marlins by earning a 6-0 win.
Spencer Steer homered while Austin Hays had three RBIs thanks to a pair of singles for the Reds, who won the final two games of the series. Cincinnati is the only team in the majors that has not been swept this season.
Elly De La Cruz also had two hits, including a run-scoring single in the sixth, and a stolen base.
The Marlins, whose franchise-record 11-game road winning streak was snapped Wednesday, lost consecutive games for the first time since June 18-19. The defeat was just the sixth in the last 19 games for Miami.
The shutout loss was the first for the Marlins since June 21, when they were blanked 7-0 by the Atlanta Braves. Four players had a hit apiece Thursday for Miami, which recorded just 11 hits in the final two games of the series after outscoring the Reds 17-3 on Monday and Tuesday.
Lodolo (6-6) allowed three hits and walked none while striking out four over six innings. The left-hander allowed just one runner to get beyond second base. It was the longest scoreless effort for Lodolo since April 27, when he twirled seven innings in an 8-1 win over the host Colorado Rockies.
The Marlins mounted their biggest threat in the seventh against Graham Ashcraft, who allowed a single and a pair of walks before inducing pinch hitter Liam Hicks to ground into an inning-ending double play.
The Reds’ Tony Santillan worked around a leadoff walk in the eighth and reliever Scott Barlow got two outs in the ninth before Sam Moll retired Javier Sanoja on a fly out.
Marlins starter Cal Quantrill (3-8) took the loss after giving up all six runs (five earned) on seven hits and one walk while striking out five over five innings. The right-hander is winless in his last nine starts dating back to May 18.