Marlins don't need homer to rally from 5 down
MIAMI -- The quest for 60 home runs remains on hold for Giancarlo Stanton, but the slugger did provide an RBI single in a four-run seventh Friday night at Marlins Park. The big hit in the inning was Justin Bour's two-out, two-run single off lefty Sam Freeman that rallied the Marlins to a 6-5 victory over the Braves.
Battling back from a five-run deficit, the Marlins had run-scoring hits by Stanton, Marcell Ozuna and Bour in the momentum-changing seventh.
"It was a nice one," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "I feel like we've lost like 10 games to these guys over the last couple years just like that, where we have an early lead and they seem to keep coming back on us. So it actually is nice that our guys keep going and come from behind there, rally and get that win."
Stanton, who remains at 59 home runs, had a double and a run-scoring infield single, giving him 130 RBIs on the season. Ozuna, who had a double and a single, drove in three runs and now has 122 RBIs. They are the first teammates to have at least 120 RBIs in the same year since David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez did it with the Red Sox and Gary Sheffield and Alex Rodriguez reached that many for the Yankees in 2005.
"I feel like they still don't get as much credit as they [deserve], especially Ozuna," Bour said. "He's having a ridiculous year, but I kind of feel like he's getting overshadowed a little bit [by Stanton] with the MVP-caliber season he is having."
In the ninth inning, the Braves loaded the bases with one out off Jarlin Garcia. But Brad Ziegler entered, threw one pitch to pinch-hitter Matt Kemp and induced a game-ending 1-2-3 double play.
When the Marlins brought in Ziegler, Braves manager Brian Snitker had the option to utilize left-handed slugger Matt Adams, but he stuck with Kemp, who is hitless in 26 at-bats as a pinch-hitter dating back to the start of the 2012 season, and 1-for-20 in his career against the Marlins' closer.
"I thought about [Adams], but I had a good feeling about [Kemp, too]," Snitker said. "It's just one of those things. If he gets a hit there, everything is great."
The Braves enjoyed five walk-off wins over the Marlins this year at SunTrust Park, so rallying and holding Atlanta off at the end was satisfying for Miami.
"That's what the Braves have done against us all year," Ziegler said. "We get out to a good-sized lead, and they scrap back and end up beating us in games we feel like we should have won. It's kind of fun to turn the tables a little bit, because we've had a team that's battled really well in games this year, but it seems like every time we play them, it's been the other way around."
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Atlanta left-hander Luiz Gohara limited the Marlins to two runs through six innings before he exited without recording an out in Miami's four-run seventh. Gohara retired 15 of the first 17 batters he faced and then allowed four straight hits before ending a two-run sixth with consecutive strikeouts. The conclusion led Snitker to allow the rookie to continue into the seventh with his pitch count at 80.
"I didn't think his stuff was down," Snitker said. "I kind of liked the matchups for him in the next inning. I didn't see any decline in his stuff."
In his 33rd and final start of the season, Dan Straily labored through three innings, giving up five runs on six hits, including two home runs. The outing was his shortest start of the year, and the five earned runs were tied for the third most he's allowed this year.
The Braves jumped out quickly to a four-run lead in the first, setting the tone on Ozzie Albies' first career leadoff shot. And with two outs, Lane Adams connected on a three-run homer, his third this year against Miami.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Blooper reel: Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, and Miami found itself on the beneficial side of a few softly hit balls to complete a four-run seventh inning. Stanton topped a 65-mph infield single and Ozuna flared an 81-mph single into center before Bour dumped a 71-mph broken-bat two-run single into center to give the Marlins a 6-5 lead. Bour's clutch two-out hit came off the lefty Freeman. Despite struggling over his career against southpaws, Bour is hitting .262 with 21 RBIs against lefties this year.
"I've said it a million times," Bour said. "No one is going to feel bad for us. No one is going to roll over for us. We have to keep playing these games hard and finish strong."
Instant offense: Albies, the 20-year-old standout second baseman, made an immediate impact Friday night. The switch-hitter blasted his first big league leadoff shot, and it came in his 10th at-bat from that spot. The homer, projected by Statcast™ at 389 feet, had an exit velocity of 102.9 mph.
"We knew we had to be aggressive against Straily early," Adams said. "He's gotten us a couple times. We did a good job early. We just couldn't get it going the rest of the game."
QUOTABLE
"Six in two days, those rollers. So we're getting a little bit of luck, I guess, and we've had that. Yeah, not exactly what we're thinking about there, but it extends the inning, which is good for us." -- Mattingly, on Miami benefiting from some softly hit balls in the first two games of the series
"It was almost like a Spring Training game, there was a new arm every inning or so." -- Adams, on the Marlins using eight pitchers
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Stanton (130) and Ozuna (122) have now combined for 252 RBIs this season. That marks the first pair of teammates to drive in a total of 250 runs since 2009, when Prince Fielder (141) and Ryan Braun (114) teamed up for 255 RBIs for the Brewers.
REPLAY DOUBLE PLAY
A key review helped the Marlins escape trouble in the eighth inning. With runners on first and second and one out, Junichi Tazawa replaced lefty Chris O'Grady and faced pinch-hitter Tyler Flowers. Protecting a one-run lead, Tazawa got Flowers to bounce to third. Brian Anderson went to Dee Gordon at second for the force, but the throw pulled Gordon toward first. Gordon threw to first, and Flowers was called safe. The Marlins challenged, and after a review of 43 seconds, the call was overturned, resulting in an inning-ending double play.
WHAT'S NEXT
Braves:Lucas Sims will make his final start of the season when this series resumes Saturday at 7:10 p.m. ET. Sims has allowed three earned runs over 11 2/3 innings in his two starts since concluding his short stint in the bullpen.
Marlins: Right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne (1-3, 4.21) gets the nod on Saturday. Despaigne makes his 18th appearance and eighth start. He is being looked at as a possible rotation candidate in 2018.
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