Luzado pitches 6 shutout innings to help Miami beat Reds 2-1

MIAMI (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds started to complain about plate umpire Edwin Moscoso’s strike zone in the first inning and were still upset in the ninth, losing every argument and the game.

Cincinnati totaled two hits and two ejections Sunday in a 2-1 defeat to the Miami Marlins.

Joey Votto argued at length when he took a pivotal strike three in the first. Eugenio Súarez was ejected after being called out in the seventh, and manager David Bell was tossed for arguing a strike called on Kyle Farmer, who then went down swinging to end the game with the tying run on second.

Cincinnati’s lead over San Diego for the second NL wild card fell to 1 1/2 games.

Jesús Luzardo allowed one hit and no runs in six-plus innings to help the Marlins take the rubber game of the series. He escaped in the first inning after the first two Reds reached, with Votto taking a 3-2 pitch for a called third strike that appeared well outside.

“He gets that call, it’s a different inning,” Bell said. “And Joey knows that. He didn’t.”

The Reds weren’t alone in their reaction to how balls and strikes were called, Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.

“There was a lot of complaining, both sides,” he said.

Luzardo (5-7) had by far his best outing since being acquired from Oakland for Starling Marte at the trade deadline. The left-hander tied a career high with eight strikeouts.

Jesús Sánchez hit a two-run homer in the first, his sixth homer of the year and his second in two days. Miami won the final two games of the series after losing 11 in a row to Cincinnati over the past two years.

The Marlins' Anthony Bender pitched two scoreless innings and was helped by two double plays. Dylan Floro gave up a run in the ninth on Votto's sacrifice fly but earned his...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Luzado-pitches-6-shutout-innings-to-help-Miami-16420046.php