MIAMI -- Max Meyer continued his recent string of quality starts with the first double-digit strikeout outing of his career.
The 26-year-old righty racked up an MLB season-high 14 strikeouts in the Marlins' 6-3 win over the Reds Monday night at loanDepot park. He did so while not walking a batter and allowing only five hits over six scoreless innings.
¡°It¡¯s crazy. Obviously, a special start,¡± Meyer said. ¡°It¡¯s not going to happen too often. I hope it does.¡±
After the Reds scored 24 runs off 25 hits on Sunday in Baltimore, they couldn¡¯t figure out Meyer. He fanned Elly De La Cruz and Gavin Lux three times each on his way to joining Jos¨¦ Fern¨¢ndez as the only Marlins pitchers with at least 14 strikeouts in a scoreless outing.
Meyer's 14 K's are tied for the second-highest total in franchise history, trailing only Ricky Nolasco's 16-K game on Sept. 30, 2009, against the Braves. It's the most strikeouts by a Marlins pitcher since Sandy Alcantara also tallied 14 on May 28, 2022, against Atlanta.
¡°Maybe you have five starts a year that everything feels like it¡¯s clicking and every pitch is doing exactly what you want it to do,¡± Meyer said. ¡°When you get strike one, and then you can just kind of play around after. I hope to watch the video and do that every single game.¡±
The third overall selection in the 2020 MLB Draft, Meyer has completed six innings in each of his four April starts. Meyer didn¡¯t allow a run in two of those four outings.
Meyer baffled the Reds with an assortment of fastballs, sliders and changeups. Reds hitters particularly struggled with Meyer¡¯s slider, whiffing at it 16 times.
¡°You couldn¡¯t have asked for a better start,¡± Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. ¡°He had everything working. His fastball played well. He had the hard breaking ball and really good changeup. It was really fun to sit back and watch him.¡±
Eric Wagaman and Kyle Stowers homered to back Meyer's gem, while Jes¨²s S¨¢nchez and Ronny Simon hit RBI singles for the Marlins, who won their second straight after a five-game skid.
Not overlooked in Meyer¡¯s dominant outing was the performance of his batterymate, Agust¨ªn Ram¨ªrez. Promoted from Triple-A Monday, Ram¨ªrez singled, doubled and walked in his Major League debut.
¡°This is incredible, I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Ram¨ªrez said. ¡°So many emotions, and especially gratifying because we won. I proved the type of ballplayer I can be.¡±
Ram¨ªrez had the best view of Meyer¡¯s performance. Ranked as the Marlins' No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline, Ram¨ªrez and Meyer established a bond when they teamed up during Spring Training.
¡°He told me he liked the way I worked with him in Spring Training,¡± Ram¨ªrez said. ¡°Before the game, we talked and went over the hitters. He did a phenomenal job from the start.¡±
Ram¨ªrez and Simon, who also made his Major League debut Monday, singled in their first at-bats during a two-run second against Reds starter Nick Lodolo. Simon¡¯s single also resulted in his first RBI, when the grounder up the middle plated Ram¨ªrez from second.
The Marlins have called up six players without previous Major League experience this season.
Wagaman hit a solo drive off Lodolo in the fifth to increase Miami¡¯s lead, and Stowers broke it open with a pinch-hit three-run blast against Alexis D¨ªaz in the seventh.
Meyer cruised through the first four innings before allowing a one-out single to Jake Fraley and a double to Noelvi Marte that advanced Fraley to third. But Meyer escaped the jam by striking out Jose Trevino and retiring TJ Friedl on a grounder to second.
¡°It¡¯s a real sign of maturity on Max¡¯s part,¡± McCullough said. ¡°Just step off and collect himself some and go one pitch at a time. A good sign for him as he continues to grow and mature as a starting pitcher.¡±
Meyer put an exclamation on his outing in the sixth. After allowing a leadoff single to Matt McLain, Meyer struck out De La Cruz, Austin Hays and Lux in order to end his outing.