Thursday, May 1, 2014

the Marlins scored nine runs in beating the Braves

With Marlins' starters Jose Fernandez and Nathan Eovaldi lined up the first two games, the Braves knew they would get a healthy dose of power from the mound. Perhaps they didn't anticipate as big a dose coming from the batters' boxes.

Marlins' hitters complemented Eovaldi's overpowering fastball with seven extra-base hits in a 9-3 rout of the Braves at Marlins Park. Eovaldi allowed a run on three hits over seven innings and unlike last season received plenty of support. Five different players stroked at least two hits. Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich each homered and combined for five RBI.

The Braves, who on Tuesday lost 9-0 to Fernandez, had not allowed nine or more earned runs on 13 or more hits in consecutive games since Sept. 23-24, 2006. After totaling four runs and hitting .198 in losing two of three in Atlanta last week, the Marlins have torched Braves' pitching at home, going 28-for-72 (.389) with 12 extra-base hits.

In a span of four batters in the second, Braves' starter Aaron Harang gave up more runs (four) than he had in his previous five outings combined (three). Harang last week at Turner Field held the Marlins to a run on six hits with a walk and 11 strikeouts in a no-decision. Wednesday, the first four batters he faced in the second all reached on hits.

"We did a nice job working some counts and getting in some hitters' counts," manager Mike Redmond said. "He's been lights out and he pitched great in Atlanta, but I give our guys a lot of credit. They went out there and put together a nice string of at-bats."

The last of those fourth-inning hits was Ozuna's fourth homer. He drilled a 2-2 pitch to the opposite field that landed in the Marlins' bullpen beyond the right-field wall. With one swing, Ozuna raised his RBI total to 16, five of which have come in the last two games. - See more at: http://www.fancyjersey.com

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