MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (Interstat) — Max Meyer allowed one run over five innings and Owen Caissie drove in three runs as the Miami Marlins defeated the Cincinnati Reds 8-1 on Thursday afternoon at loanDepot Park. The Marlins scored in five different innings, breaking open a tight game with a three-run fourth. Caissie’s two-run double highlighted the rally, and he finished 3 for 4. Javier Sanoja and Agustín Ramírez each added two RBIs for Miami, which had 12 hits. Meyer earned the win, scattering four hits and striking out four. Tyler Phillips threw three scoreless innings for his first save. Cincinnati’s lone run came on a fifth-inning homer by Sal Stewart. Reds starter Rhett Lowder took the loss. Attendance was 9,578. The game took 2 hours, 40 minutes. Both teams are now 8-5.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (Interstat) — Max Meyer delivered a dominant five-inning start and the Miami Marlins’ offense erupted for 12 hits to power past the Cincinnati Reds 8-1 on Thursday afternoon at loanDepot Park, securing a series split in the four-game set. The victory evened both teams’ early-season records at 8-5. The outcome defied pregame projections, as National Statistical’s game simulator had forecast a 7-5 win for the Reds, who were also installed as a -1.5 run favorite. The combined nine total runs went under the over/under line of 7.5. The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the bottom of the fourth inning, transforming a tight contest into a comfortable Miami lead. Entering the frame locked in a 1-1 tie, the Marlins broke through against Reds starter Rhett Lowder. Liam Hicks worked a leadoff walk and Otto Lopez followed with a double, setting the stage for Owen Caissie. The right fielder laced a two-run double to left field, scoring both runners and giving Miami a lead it would not relinquish. Caissie later scored on an RBI single from Javier Sanoja, capping a three-run outburst that pushed the advantage to 4-1. That rally provided more than enough support for Meyer (1-0), who earned his first win of the season with a sharp performance. The right-hander allowed one run on four hits over five innings, striking out four and walking one. He effectively worked out of a first-inning jam after the Reds put two runners on with singles, leaving them stranded. Meyer’s only blemish was a solo home run to Sal Stewart in the fifth inning, which accounted for Cincinnati’s lone run. Miami’s bullpen was flawless in preserving the lead. Tyler Phillips, credited with a save, fired three scoreless innings of relief, allowing just two hits and striking out four. Anthony Bender added a perfect eighth inning. The trio of Meyer, Phillips, and Bender combined to limit a Reds lineup that had averaged over four runs per game in the series’ first three contests. Cincinnati’s offense, which mustered only seven hits, repeatedly failed in clutch situations. They went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base, including two in the first inning and another in the fourth after putting runners on first and second with one out. Lowder (1-1) took the loss, charged with four runs, all earned, on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings. The Marlins steadily extended their lead, adding single runs in the sixth and seventh innings before a two-run eighth put the game out of reach. Caissie was the offensive catalyst, finishing 3 for 4 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored. Sanoja also collected three hits and drove in two, while Agustín Ramírez contributed two hits and two RBIs, including a two-run single in the eighth. For the Reds, Spencer Steer went 2 for 4 with a double, and Stewart’s solo shot in the fifth provided their only scoring. Starter-turned-reliever Brock Burke recorded a key out in the sixth to strand a runner, but the Cincinnati bats never threatened a comeback after the fourth-inning rally by Miami. The series concluded with both teams taking two games apiece. The Reds head home to open a three-game weekend series against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. The Marlins embark on a road trip, beginning a three-game set against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit on Friday.

Preview: Reds at Marlins, Thursday, April 9, 2026 MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (Interstat) — The Cincinnati Reds look to secure a series victory when they face the Miami Marlins in the rubber match of a three-game set Thursday at loanDepot Park. First pitch is scheduled for the evening, with rain in the forecast and a game-time temperature of 76 degrees. The Reds (8-3) have won two of the first three games in the series, including a 6-3, 10-inning victory on Tuesday. The Marlins (6-5) responded with a 7-4 win Wednesday. Cincinnati will send right-hander Rhett Lowder (1-0) to the mound. Miami is expected to counter with right-hander Max Meyer (0-0). A player to watch for the Reds is left-hander Andrew Abbott, who earned the win in Tuesday’s contest after allowing two runs over 5 1/3 innings. In his last three starts, Abbott has a 2.70 ERA despite an 0-2 record, including six shutout innings in a loss to Boston on March 26. The Marlins will rely on ace Sandy Alcantara, who took a hard-luck loss Tuesday. Alcantara pitched 8 1/3 strong innings, yielding just three hits and two runs while striking out six. In his previous two starts, he tossed 16 scoreless innings. Cincinnati’s Matt McLain drove in two runs in Tuesday’s win. Miami’s bullpen, featuring Anthony Bender and John King, provided scoreless relief in the same game. According to National Statistical’s game simulator, the projected final score is Reds 7, Marlins 5. Cincinnati is a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5, and the over/under is set at 7.5. Following the series, the Reds return home to face the Los Angeles Angels for a three-game weekend series beginning Friday. The Marlins open a three-game road series against the Detroit Tigers on Friday.