Johnson blanks Arizona for 6 innings, Marlins win 8-1 to split series

Johnson, Ross lead Marlins past D-backs 8-1

PHOENIX — All-Star Josh Johnson blanked Arizona through six innings and Cody Ross drove in three runs with a pair of doubles, leading the Florida Marlins past the Diamondbacks 8-1 Sunday for a split of their four-game series.

Jeremy Hermida hit a two-run homer off the right-field foul pole and NL batting leader Hanley Ramirez singled three times as the Marlins entered the All-Star break two games above .500, four games behind first-place Philadelphia in the NL East.

Despite the loss, the Diamondbacks won seven of nine going into the break and were 5-2 on the homestand.

Johnson (8-2) allowed a run on seven hits — all singles — in 6 2-3 innings, striking out seven and walking two in his first victory in four starts.

Arizona left-hander Doug Davis (4-9), a leading candidate to be traded before the July 31 deadline, matched his briefest outing of the season at four innings, giving up five runs.

After two quick outs, the Marlins scored three times in the first. Ramirez singled and came home on Jorge Cantu’s single. Dan Uggla walked, then both runners scored on Ross’ towering double off the overhang some 400 feet in center field.

Emilio Bonifacio beat out an infield single with one out in the fourth, then Hermida fouled off three pitches before hitting Davis’ 3-2 delivery high off the foul pole above the Florida bullpen for his 10th home run.

Ross doubled in another run in the seventh.

Brian Sanches relieved Johnson with runners at first and second and two outs in the seventh, then Drew ended the shutout with his third single of the day. Justin Upton struck out for the third time to end the inning.

NOTES: Arizona manager A.J. Hinch has moved back the next scheduled start of Dan Haren to next Sunday to give the Diamondbacks ace four days’ rest after his anticipated appearance in the All-Star game. … A woman sitting in the second row near the plate was hit in the face by a line drive foul ball off the bat of Cantu in the first inning. Her head was wrapped in bandages and she was carried out on a stretcher. … Reynolds, the majors’ runaway strikeout leader with 123, fanned three times, went 0 for 4, committed an error that led to two unearned runs and finished the home stand 3 for 24. … After the break, Florida has a four-game showdown with the Phillies in Miami.