MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (Interstat) — Brandon Williamson delivered a dominant bounce-back performance, and a trio of Cincinnati relievers completed a three-hit shutout as the Reds blanked the Miami Marlins 2-0 on Monday night at loanDepot Park.

Williamson, roughed up for six runs in his last start, silenced the Marlins’ bats over 6 2/3 innings, allowing just three singles while striking out four and walking one. His effort set the tone for a crisp, 2-hour, 16-minute pitchers’ duel witnessed by 10,934 fans.

The most important sequence of the game came in the bottom of the sixth inning, preserving Williamson’s shutout bid and the Reds’ narrow lead. After Agustín Ramírez launched a deep fly ball to right field that was reviewed and upheld as a triple, Williamson faced a critical moment with a runner on third and two outs. He promptly struck out Jakob Marsee swinging on a high fastball, stranding the tying run 90 feet away and extinguishing Miami’s best scoring threat.

Cincinnati’s offense, held in check for much of the night by Miami starter Janson Junk, scratched across single runs in the fourth and eighth innings. In the fourth, Elly De La Cruz led off with a ground-rule double and scored on Sal Stewart’s sharp RBI single to center. The insurance run came in the eighth when catcher Tyler Stephenson led off the frame by driving a Junk offering over the left-field wall for his second home run of the season.

Junk was the hard-luck loser for Miami, falling to 0-1. He worked 7 1/3 solid innings, surrendering two earned runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out three. The Reds’ seven hits were scattered, with De La Cruz collecting two, including his key double.

After Williamson departed with two outs in the seventh, having thrown 101 pitches, the Cincinnati bullpen was flawless. Brock Burke entered and struck out Heriberto Hernández to end the seventh. Tony Santillan worked a perfect eighth, and Emilio Pagán retired the side in order in the ninth to secure his fourth save of the young season.

The Marlins, who entered the series fresh off a series win in New York, never mounted a sustained rally. They put only two runners in scoring position all night and went 0-for-2 in those opportunities. Ramírez’s triple was their only extra-base hit.

The victory improved the Reds’ record to 7-3, keeping them atop the National League Central. The loss dropped the Marlins to 6-4. The game’s outcome defied pregame projections, as Miami was a slight favorite and statistical models predicted a high-scoring affair. The combined two runs fell well under an over/under line of 8.

Williamson’s performance was a stark contrast to his previous outing on March 31, when he took the loss against Pittsburgh after allowing six earned runs in 4 2/3 innings. The Reds have now won three straight games and five of their last six.

The two teams will continue their four-game series on Tuesday night in Miami.