The Miami Marlins handed the Cincinnati Reds a lopsided 7-1 defeat at Great American Ball Park on Sunday, August 16, 2026, behind a dominant six-inning performance from right-hander Eury Pérez and a decisive late offensive surge that blew the game open. Cincinnati's offense managed just two hits through six innings against Pérez, and the bullpen couldn't hold things together after Nick Lodolo departed, allowing the Marlins to turn a close game into a rout. The loss stings — this was a winnable ballgame through six innings that fell apart fast.

Eury Pérez Silences Cincinnati Lineup

Pérez was the story of this one. The Marlins' right-hander worked six innings, scattered two hits, walked five, and struck out five. He wasn't unhittable — those five walks kept Reds hitters in counts — but Cincinnati couldn't deliver when it mattered. Pérez escaped jam after jam and handed a 1-0 lead to his bullpen with the game very much in hand.

Nick Lodolo gave the Reds a fighting chance on the other side. He logged five innings, allowed just three hits, walked two, and didn't surrender an earned run. Cincinnati's offense gave him a 1-0 lead to protect, courtesy of Tyler Stephenson, who smoked a solo home run in his only at-bat of the night. That was essentially the entire Reds offensive output — one swing, one run, nothing else to show for it.

Jose Trevino was Cincinnati's most consistent bat, collecting two hits in three at-bats, but neither knock translated into a run. That pattern — baserunners, no production — defined the Reds' night at the plate.

Cincinnati Bullpen Collapses in Late Innings

The game unraveled in the final three innings. Julian Garcia was a genuine bright spot out of the Cincinnati bullpen — two innings, four strikeouts, one hit, no walks, no runs. He kept the Reds in it and gave the offense a chance to scratch something together.

Then it fell apart. Tejay Antone recorded just two outs and allowed one earned run on two hits and two walks. Ron Marinaccio finished the game but was tagged for five earned runs on two hits and three walks over 1.1 innings. That stretch — Antone and Marinaccio combining to allow six runs on four hits and five walks in less than two frames — is where 7-1 was born.

Miami's Big Bats: Sanoja, Ramírez, and Hernández Deliver

Three Marlins hitters did the real damage in the late innings. Javier Sanoja went 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI — the biggest single performance of the night for either club. Agustín Ramírez added two hits in five at-bats with two RBI to keep the pressure on. Heriberto Hernández contributed a solo home run and an RBI in three at-bats. Those three combined for four hits, three home runs, and six of Miami's seven runs batted in.

  • Javier Sanoja: 1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI
  • Agustín Ramírez: 2-for-5, 2 RBI
  • Heriberto Hernández: 1-for-3, HR, 1 RBI

Turning Point: Antone and Marinaccio Can't Hold the Line

Cincinnati held a 1-0 lead through Lodolo's five innings and entered the late game with a real shot. Garcia extended that window with two clean frames. But the moment Antone ran into trouble — two walks issued, two hits allowed — the floodgates opened, and Marinaccio couldn't stop the bleeding. Five runs scoring in a 1.1-inning stretch turned a competitive game into a blowout. The decision to hand the ball to Marinaccio in that spot came back to hurt Cincinnati badly.

Josh Ekness was credited with the win for Miami after bridging from Pérez to the backend of the bullpen with a scoreless inning. Tejay Antone took the loss.

What's Next for the Reds

Cincinnati will look to regroup quickly. The Reds were outscored 7-1 in this one and got nothing from the lineup beyond Stephenson's home run and Trevino's two singles. Getting more from the offense against Miami's pitching — and finding bullpen stability beyond Julian Garcia — are the immediate problems that need answers in the next game of this series.