MIAMI (AP) -- Martin Prado wasn't optimistic when the ball left his bat, and Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly also underestimated the opposite-field fly.
Right fielder Jay Bruce was fooled, too, which meant trouble for the Cincinnati Reds.
Prado's fly fell for a two-out, two-run double that put the Marlins ahead to stay in the fifth inning, and they beat shaky Cincinnati 4-2 Saturday.
"It was weird - the ball kept carrying for some reason," Prado said. "It had a weird spin, and I think Bruce misjudged it and overran it. I'm glad. It's one of the signs I'm blessed."
Prado went 3 for 3 to hike his average to .323. J.T. Realmuto added two hits and scored three times.
All-Star Adam Duvall hit his 23rd home run for the Reds, and Brandon Phillips had two hits and an RBI with a broken left hand. Phillips played less than 24 hours after suffering a hairline fracture when he was hit by a pitch from Jose Fernandez.
But too often the last-place Reds hurt themselves, and the Marlins were able to capitalize.
"You take wins any way you can get them," Mattingly said. "We've had some losses in these kind of games. They're the kind we're going to have to continue to win."
John Lamb (1-6) took the loss despite a career-high nine strikeouts in five innings, and defensive lapses contributed to all three runs against him, with one unearned.
Worst was the misplay by Bruce hours after he was added to the NL All-Star team.
"Obviously it looked terrible, and it was embarrassing," Bruce said. "I felt like I had plenty of time. I looked back up and it wasn't where I thought it was going to be."
In addition, conservative baserunning likely cost Cincinnati a run in the fifth. Catcher Ramon Cabrera led off with an apparent triple to right field, but third base coach Billy Hatcher stopped him at second.
Miami center fielder Marcell Ozuna threw out Phillips trying to advance from first to third on a single in the seventh. Phillips was initially ruled safe, but the call was reversed in a replay review, and the Reds failed to score despite three hits in the inning.
"Just an incredible throw," Mattingly said. "Thank God for relay, right?"
Cincinnati also dropped the ball on a rundown but still came managed the putout, however unsightly. It was scored 1-3-6-3-1-4.
Adam Conley (6-5) singled to start a rally, raising his average to .065. The left-hander also limited Cincinnati to two runs in 5 2/3 innings.
"He got us where we needed to get," Mattingly said.
Four relievers combined for 3 1/3 shutout innings. A.J. Ramos pitched around a walk in the ninth for his 27th save and was helped by shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria, who made a leaping catch of a liner by Phillips.
Miami has won the first two games of the series while outscoring Cincinnati 7-3.
The Marlins scored an unearned run in the first inning when Lamb threw a curve that crossed up and eluded Cabrera, allowing Realmuto to score from third on a passed ball.
"My fault," Lamb said. "Coming into the game we knew our signs and I happened to have a brain cramp."
UP NEXT
Marlins RHP Tom Koehler (6-7, 4.40) is scheduled to start Sunday against LHP Cody Reed (0-3, 9.00).
