Andrew Abbott struggles again in Cincinnati Reds’ 6-4 loss Marlins in Miami

MIAMI – A year after Cincinnati Reds starter Andrew Abbott began running out of gas as a rookie, the left-hander struggled for the fourth time in five starts Wednesday in a 6-4 loss to the very bad Miami Marlins.

Abbott (9-9) gave up two walks and two home runs, including a grand slam to Derek Hill, in a miserable first inning before settling down.

He got through five innings but not before giving up a second solo home run of the game to Jake Burger, and he needed 104 pitches to notch the five.

The three home runs allowed were a season high, and the six earned runs matched a season high for Abbott, whose five-game rough spell also includes three starters of 4 1/3 innings or less.

Since going 9-6 with a 3.06 ERA in his first 18 starts this season and flirting with All-Star consideration, Abbott has a 6.56 ERA in his last five starts. The Reds have won only one of those.

“I felt fine,” Abbott said. Everything’s firing. It’s the dog days of August. You’ve got to keep going and be better for the team next time.”

If anything, he said, a “missed execution mixed with bad umpiring” caused his undoing in the first. “And then good swings. They hit mistakes.”

By the time Reds center fielder TJ Friedl’s first career grand slam cleared the wall in right field with two out in the top of the seventh, it was too little, too late for the Reds.

The Reds loaded the bases again in the ninth with two outs for Jeimer Candelario, who grounded a 2-0 pitch to second for the final out.

Marlins rookie right-hander Valente Bellazo pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings against the Reds in his longest of four career starts. He escaped a two-out, bases-loaded jam in the second by striking out leadoff man Jonathan India after falling behind 2-0.