De La Cruz's 2 hits, Stephenson's HR power Reds to a 2-0 win over the Marlins

MIAMI — Elly De La Cruz doubled and singled, Tyler Stephenson homered and four Cincinnati pitchers combined for a shutout as the Reds beat the Miami Marlins 2-0 on Monday night.

Brandon Williamson (1-1) scattered three hits over 6 2/3 innings. After a difficult season debut in which he gave up six runs and six hits against Pittsburgh on March 31, the 28-yeaer-old left-hander struck out four and walked one. He kept the Marlins hitless until Otto López’s two-out single in the fourth.

The Reds, who won their fourth straight, began Monday tied with San Francisco for fewest runs scored in the majors with 26. They scored nine runs in their three-game sweep at Texas over the weekend.

Miami native Sal Stewart drove in Cincinnati’s first run with a single off Marlins starter Janson Junk in the fourth. De La Cruz hit a one-out double and raced home on Stewart’s line drive up the middle.

Stephenson extended the lead with his leadoff homer in the eighth. He drove a slider from Junk over the wall in left for his second homer of the season.

Brock Burke relieved Williamson and struck out Xavier Edwards for the third out in the seventh. Tony Santillan pitched the eighth before Emilio Pagan closed for his fourth save.

Agustin Ramirez tripled with two outs in the sixth, but Williamson fanned Jakob Marsee to end Miami’s only threat.

Junk (0-1) gave up two runs and seven hits in a career-high 7 1/3 innings. The right-hander struck out three and walked one.

Edwards went 0 for 3, ending his 12-game hit streak that began with the final three games of last season.

Up next

LHP Andrew Abbott (0-1, 3.09) will start for the Reds on Tuesday against Marlins RHP Sandy Alcantara (2-0, 0.00).