MIAMI _ The Miami Marlins thought little enough of Luis Castillo to trade him twice in sixth months, first to the San Diego Padres in the Andrew Cashner/Colin Rea deal last partially undone a couple of days later last summer and then to the Cincinnati Reds in a three-player package for Dan Straily in January.
On Sunday, in a matchup between the right-handers traded for one another, Castillo dominated and the Reds beat the Marlins, 6-4.
Castillo, who is making the transition from prospect to legitimate major leaguer, pitched a career-high eight innings and gave up one run. Straily allowed two runs in six innings.
The difference was mostly Straily's 29-pitch second, when Cincinnati scored twice. The Reds had two hits to the outfield: singles, neither hit particularly hard, from Jose Peraza and Tucker Barnhart. One of the Reds' runs scored on Castillo's bunt single to Straily.
The Marlins broke through against Castillo in the sixth, when A.J. Ellis _ batting second _ doubled over the head of a leaping Billy Hamilton in center. Dee Gordon scored standing up, narrowly avoiding a tag.
Other than that, Castillo cruised. He walked one, struck out six and allowed three hits.
After Ellis' double, Castillo retired his final seven batters, including a perfect eighth on nine pitches despite starting the inning with 97. His fastball touched 98 mph while getting Miguel Rojas striking out looking that inning.
In eight major league starts, Castillo has a 3.56 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 48 innings.
The Marlins, to be sure, have been far from disappointed in their end of the deal. Straily has been their steadiest starting pitcher in 2017, with a 3.79 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP. They are shopping him to contending teams in advance of the trade deadline at 4 p.m. Monday.
Cincinnati added four runs in the seventh against lefty Hunter Cervenka (three runs, no outs) and righty Drew Steckenrider (one run, three outs).
Marcell Ozuna made it close with a three-run home run, his first long ball since the All-Star break, in the ninth inning.
