Trevor Richards bounces back with career-best outing

MIAMI — After struggling in September, Trevor Richards responded in a major way on Sunday.

Entering the afternoon with an 11.12 ERA this month, the Marlins rookie delivered a career-best outing, tossing seven scoreless innings to help Miami race past Cincinnati, 6-0, in the home finale.

Richards scattered just three hits and one walk, while striking out nine — one off his career-high. His seven innings pitched also matched a career-best. For Richards, it was his first victory since July 14, when he tossed six scoreless innings versus the Phillies.

“I just wanted to go out and attack the hitters,” Richard said. “Keep the hitters off-balance. [Chad Wallach] called a great game. We were on the same page the whole time. It turned out to be a good night.

“My slider was there. We were able to mix all three [fastball, change-up and slider] today. As the game goes, you just feel it out and being able to keep hitters off-balance with both sides of the plate is huge. It makes the game a whole lot different.”

The Marlins battered the Reds for 14 hits on the afternoon, with five different players recording multi-hit games.

After a Lewis Brinson RBI single put Miami up 1-0 in the third, Wallach — the backup catcher who spent most of the season in Triple-A New Orleans — broke the game open. The former Red blasted a threerun 407-foot homer to left to push the lead to, 4-0. For Wallach, who finished 3 for 4, it was his first career major league home run.

Miami tagged Cincinnati for two more in the sixth inning, extending the lead to, 6-0. Rookie third baseman Brian Anderson finished 3 for 4, notching his first three-hit game since Aug. 5 against the Phillies. Much like Richards, Anderson had also struggled this month, hitting .170 on 52 at bats this month.

Magneuris Sierra and JT Riddle both delivered twohit games for the Marlins.