MIAMI - No one will remember the Reds’ 90th loss of the year as they play out the string on their fourth straight last-place season.
Except Gabriel Guerrero.
The 24-year-old Reds rookie, called up three weeks ago, hit his first major-league home run and accounted for the only Reds’ run in a 5-1 loss to the Marlins.
It was the second hit in 10 at-bats for the nephew of 2018 Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero. To Guerrero, his every step around the bases was memorable.
“It was amazing running the bases. I was floating,” he said.
Marlins rookie left fielder Austin Dean hit his fourth homer and drove in three runs.
“Words can’t describe how much fun it is to be up here,” the 24-year-old Dean said. “It’s everybody’s dream as a kid. To finally be up here is unreal. I’m one of those guys who is always going to have a smile on my face. Whatever happens next year, just count on me playing the game hard and trying to win every single game.”
Anthony DeSclafani (7-7) tied a career high with 10 strikeouts but allowed five runs, three earned, in 5 2/3 innings.
“I don’t really care about strikeouts,” DeSclafani said. “I’ll take 20 balls smoked right at me if it means zeroes.”
DeSclafani committed a pair of errors in the fourth, which led to two unearned runs. It could have been a 1-2-3 inning, but he mishandled a dribbler by J.T. Realmuto, and Lewis Brinson and Dean delivered two-out RBI singles.
Jose Urena (8-12) pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings to win his fourth start in a row. In his past six starts, Urena has an ERA of 1.85, lowering his ERA for the season to 4.07.
Drew Steckenrider came on to get the final out and strand two runners for his fifth save.
The Reds fell to 8-24 on the road since mid-July.
Slumping Miami rookie Brian Anderson singled in the sixth for his first RBI in nine games.
The crowd of 12,559 was the Marlins’ largest at home this month.
FLASHING LEATHER
Marlins second baseman Starlin Castro made a diving catch of Scooter Gennett’s two-out liner to rob him of an RBI hit in the sixth.
CLINCHER
Miami improved to 4-2 against Cincinnati in 2018 and won the season series for the fourth consecutive year.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: SS Jose Peraza was back in the lineup after missing Friday’s game due to illness.
UP NEXT
The Marlins play their home finale Sunday when RHP Trevor Richards (3-9, 4.95) pitches against Cincinnati RHP Michael Lorenzen (3-1, 3.03), who will make his second consecutive start after beginning the season with 42 relief appearances.
