Stymied by Marlins' ace, McLain jump-starts Reds' 6-run rally

MIAMI -- Heading into the top of the ninth inning, the crowd at loanDepot park was on its feet, anticipating Sandy Alcantara finishing off a shutout with a two-run cushion. Instead, the Reds flipped the script.

Behind a late surge sparked by Matt McLain, Cincinnati rallied for a 6-3, 10-inning win over the Marlins on Tuesday night.

McLain ignited the comeback with one out in the ninth inning, turning on a 91.2 mph changeup down and in for the first extra-base hit Alcantara allowed all season.

“Just grind it out, trying to get a good pitch to hit," McLain said postgame. "Obviously, [Alcantara] was on today. He's a great pitcher, just trying to wear him down, get on base for the boys. And was able to do that. You know, good things happen after that."

The Reds have now won five straight games, dating back to their sweep of the Rangers, with three of their last six wins coming in games where they scored two runs or fewer. While the offense broke through late, the focus has remained on finding ways to win.

“Obviously, we want to be better as an offense," McLain said. "We always want to be better. But, you know, at the end of the day we're winning. So keep getting better, keep grinding and do everything you can to win a game."

After the double, Alcantara walked Elly De La Cruz and was lifted for reliever Anthony Bender. McLain stole third as De La Cruz swiped second, setting up Sal Stewart, who drove in McLain with a sacrifice fly to right.

“They had the green light, I don't think you can make someone steal third, because if they don't get a jump, we're done,” Reds manager Terry Francona said.

After walking Eugenio Suárez, Bender uncorked an 85.6 mph slider that bounced in front of the plate and skipped away, allowing De La Cruz to race home and tie the game.

“[This win] was very special, honestly, just because we were losing most of the game," De La Cruz said in Spanish, "and McLain did a really good job."

The Reds carried that momentum into the 10th. After Tyler Stephenson drew a leadoff walk against Calvin Faucher, Nathaniel Lowe lined a single to center, bringing home automatic runner Spencer Steer with the go-ahead run.

“In a situation like that, anytime you see someone new [on the mound], you feel a wave of confidence go through the group and we got the right guys up at the right time,” Lowe said. “I think we emptied out almost the whole bench today, and we got great bullpen performances and played pretty good defense. So, [everything] came together at the right time.”

Faucher then loaded the bases with a walk to TJ Friedl, and McLain delivered again, lifting a double to the left field that scored Stephenson and pinch-runner Dane Myers, extending Cincinnati’s lead.

“We obviously weren't swinging it early, and [Alcantara] had a lot to do with it, but we competed like crazy,” Francona said. “There [were] so many good things that happened, even though we didn't have a ton to show for and Alcantara was just dominant in dealing. I thought that game was gonna be over by [the] eight. That was pretty special.”

John King closed out the Marlins’ bullpen work, inducing a groundout from De La Cruz that brought home Friedl and capped the four-run inning.

Graham Ashcraft then came in to finish the game, retiring Connor Norby on a groundout into a double play to seal comeback victory.

“Everybody contributed to that,” Francona said. “That was a special win, but it just really helps your whole ball club when everybody feels like they're part of it.”