Braves Pinch Hitter Helps Top Marlins 3-1
ATLANTA (AP) Pinch-hitter Evan Gattis broke an eighth-inning tie with a two-run double off A.J. Ramos, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Miami Marlins 3-1 Wednesday for their ninth win in 12 games.
Aaron Harang allowed one run and six hits in six innings with 11 strikeouts and one walk, raising his ERA from 0.70 to 0.85. Pulled from his previous start against the New York Mets after six hitless innings and 101 pitches, he stretched his streak of hitless innings to eight before Adeiny Hechavarria singled leading off the third.
Braves pitchers struck out 16 in all, giving them 41 strikeouts and five walks - one intentional - in the three-game series. Miami pitchers struck out 37 and walked nine.
David Carpenter (1-0) relieved with two on and two outs in the eighth and retired Casey McGehee on a flyout.
Making his first appearance since his first blown save of the season on Monday, Craig Kimbrel retired Derek Dietrich on a flyout, then struck out Adeiny Hechavarria and Jarrod Saltalamacchia for his sixth save.
Nathan Eovaldi gave up one run - unearned - and five hits in six innings.
Miami lost two of three in the series, dropping to 1-8 on the road this year. Marlins reliever Carlos Marmol left in the seventh after straining his right hamstring on a walk to Jason Heyward.
With the score 1-all in the eighth, Mike Dunn (1-3) walked Chris Johnson with one out after the batter fell behind 0-2 in the count. Dan Uggla reached on a two-out infield single, Ramos relieved and Gattis, hitting for Jordan Schafer, doubled to left.
Gattis' two-run, 10th-inning homer beat the Marlins 4-2 in the series opener. He is hitting ,351 with five homers and 10 RBIs in his last 10 games, a span of 37 at-bats.
Ryan Doumit's run-scoring single put the Braves ahead in the fourth. Giancarlo Stanton tied the score in the sixth with a bloop RBI double to left-center.
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