MIAMI -- Reds center fielder Dane Myers got a head start for the highlight of the day on Thursday afternoon.
It was a quick start to what would be a busy day for Myers in an 8-1 loss to the Marlins at loanDepot park.
The Reds, who had won five straight after taking the opening two in this four-game set, lost the final two of the series and head home for a six-game homestand that starts Friday against the Angels.
All told, the Reds went 5-2 on this road trip, one that started with a three-game sweep of the Rangers in Arlington.
“I don’t even remember last night. Don’t want to,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “What I care about is now, tomorrow. That’s what I always care about.’’
Myers, who played for the Marlins last season, got his day going by robbing leadoff hitter Jakob Marsee of at least a double when he raced back to straightaway center and made a leaping grab on a 105.6 mph screamer up against the wall.
Myers crashed into the wall hard, but held on to the ball.
“Great catch,’’ Francona said.
He took a few minutes to compose himself as head athletic trainer Sean McQueeney checked him out.
“It was a well-hit ball,” Myers said, “but I know the ballpark, know the [warning] track. I was kind of counting my steps as I hit the track knowing I was coming up on the wall. I just tried to make a play for [starter] Rhett [Lowder].’’
Myers stayed in the game -- only a second highlight-reel catch in the next at-bat was not in the cards. With one out, Xavier Edwards laced a shot into deep right-center. Myers tracked it down and dove for it, but could not come up with the catch.
As he stayed on the turf and the ball bounced to the wall, Edwards raced to third. He scored on an infield chopper from Agustín Ramírez to give the Marlins an initial 1-0 lead.
Myers’ heroics in the outfield were no surprise to his old manager.
"Dane was flying all over the place today, and that first one was incredible going back. [Edwards] is right after it, and [he] nearly does it,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. “Marsee, I think, could say, 'Man, mine was a harder catch.' ... I guess maybe it feels better because it was an old teammate that made a great play on you."
In the eighth, Myers charged in on a fly ball to center by Miami’s Graham Pauley. Myers could not get to the ball, and it appeared he rolled over his left wrist in attempting to make the grab.
“We were kind of concerned, especially when you see it on the replay,” Francona said. “It’s his fingers, not his wrist.”
Myers said he caught his hand on the turf. After being attended to again, he stayed in the game -- and led off the ninth with a single.
Francona said Myers was checked out after the game and is OK.
”Obviously, I wanted to make the two other catches,’’ Myers said of all the action faced on Thursday. “It’s part of the game. Had the other two in my glove, just couldn’t finish them.”
Myers, who made a habit of making fantastic catches in center for the Marlins, was traded to the Reds in December.
April 9 must hold a special place in Myers' heart. A year ago on this day, Myers earned Play of the Week honors for the Marlins after robbing then-Mets first baseman Pete Alonso with a wall-crashing catch to end the ballgame.
"That’s crazy," Myers said when he was told that his catch against Alonso happened a year ago.
The Reds came into the game with the fewest runs scored in Major League Baseball with 38.
On Thursday, Miami native Sal Stewart produced the only offense with a solo home run to center with two outs in the fifth. It was his second home run in as many days at his hometown park, and it gives him nine in his first 31 career games dating back to his debut on Sept. 1 against the Blue Jays.
That is the most for a Reds player since Aristides Aquino hit 14 from 2018-19.
Cincinnati had seven hits on Thursday and went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
Wednesday’s 7-4 loss to Miami was just the fourth time the Reds scored four-plus runs in a game this season. Cincinnati is 3-1 in those games. Two came against Miami.
“We want our guys to be aggressive, especially with fastballs,” Francona said. “They started spinning it below the bat. That’s when it got a little tough for us.’’