Marlins send Penny to mound against Reds

(SportsNetwork.com) - Brad Penny's first major league appearance came as a member of the Marlins on April 7, 2000 in a victory over the Colorado Rockies. He won a World Series with the Marlins in 2003 before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2004 season.

Tonight, Penny makes his long awaited return to the Marlins when he takes the ball in the middle portion of a three-game series in Cincinnati. The right- hander was signed as a free agent with the Royals last winter, but was released during spring training and inked by Miami on June 17. He appeared in 22 games as a reliever for San Francisco in 2012. His last start came with the Detroit Tigers in 2011. Penny went 2-2 with a 2.28 ERA in five starts at Triple-A New Orleans this year.

Over his career against the Reds, the 36-year-old Penny is 7-4 with a 3.68 ERA in 16 games (15 starts). He's 5-1 in seven games at Great American Ball Park.

All-Star Alfredo Simon has yet to win since the Midsummer Classic. The Reds have dropped his first four starts since the break. That includes a 7-1 defeat at Cleveland on Monday when he allowed six hits and five runs across five frames. He's 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in six relief efforts versus the Marlins.

This will be a special night at Great American Ball Park. Outfielders Ken Griffey Jr. and Dave Parker, second baseman Ron Oester and 19th-century first baseman Jake Beckley are being inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame following Sunday's series finale. Tonight, Griffey, Parker and Oester are expected to address the crowd in an on-field ceremony prior to the game and throw out ceremonial first pitches.

Last night, Nathan Eovaldi pitched eight shutout innings for his first win in eight starts and the Marlins beat Reds, 2-1.

The Reds scored in the ninth inning against Marlins closer Steve Cishek after Todd Frazier and Devin Mesoraco hit consecutive doubles, but Cishek stranded runners at the corners and escaped with his 28th save.

The Marlins beat the Reds for only the third time in their last 13 meetings.

Eovaldi (6-6) had six strikeouts and gave up just five hits and a walk to snap an 0-3 skid in his previous seven outings. It was his first win since June 23 at Philadelphia.

"He executed his pitches and mixed in just enough breaking balls to keep them off-balanced," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said of Eovaldi.

Giancarlo Stanton hit a solo homer for Miami and Frazier had three hits for Cincinnati. Stanton has three homers in five games against the Reds this season.

Mike Leake (9-10) pitched seven innings for the Reds. He had seven strikeouts but gave up two runs on five hits and four walks and had a two-start winning streak snapped.

"I just tried to keep the ball down," said Leake. "Guys were getting on base but at least I was able to minimize them crossing the plate."

Cincinnati's Brayan Pena extended his hitting streak to 12 games, but departed Friday's contest after the second inning due to a tight left hamstring.

Miami's pitching staff has gone 11 straight games without allowing a home run, one shy of a club record, set July 24 - August 4, 2013.