Albies’ hits go-ahead 2-run HR as streaking Braves beat Marlins 6-3 to complete sweep
ATLANTA (AP) — Ozzie Albies’ two-run homer in the fifth gave Atlanta the lead and the Braves overcame an early two-run deficit to beat the Miami Marlins 6-3 on Sunday for their 16th win in 17 games.
The Braves won their eighth straight and completed a three-game sweep to extend their lead over second-place Miami in the NL East to nine games. Atlanta has won 10 in a row at home and 23 of 26 overall.
Travis d’Arnaud’s two-run homer off Andrew Nardi in the eighth extended Atlanta’s lead to three runs.
Luis Arreaz drove in two runs with two hits, lifting his batting average to .389. Arreaz gave Miami a 2-0 lead with a double that drove in Jonathan Davis in the second inning. Arreaz added a run-scoring single in the seventh to trim the Braves’ lead to 4-3.
Spencer Strider (10-2) stuck out nine while allowing six hits and three runs, two earned, in 6 2/3 innings. Raisel Iglesias pitched a perfect ninth for his 14th save in 16 chances.
Strider struck out five consecutive batters before Albies bobbled a grounder by Davis with two outs in the seventh for an error. Strider left the game after walking Jacob Stallings, and Davis scored on a single by Arraez off A.J. Minter.
Orlando Arcia’s homer in the second gave Atlanta its first run.
Michael Harris II singled to lead off Atlanta’s three-run fifth. Harris stole second, moved to third on catcher Stallings’ throwing error and scored on Sandy Alcantara’s wild pitch. Acuña walked and scored on Albies’ 20th homer, which barely cleared the right-field wall.
Alcantara (3-7) allowed four runs on five hits and two walks in five innings.
Ronald Acuña Jr., a distant second behind Arraez in the NL batting race, had two hits, lifting his average to .336. Acuña stole two bases, giving him a career-best 39. He had 37 steals in 2019.
The Braves, who scored 11 first-inning runs in the first two games of the series, left the bases loaded in the first when Marcell Ozuna ended the inning with a groundout.
TRAINING ROOM
Marlins designated hitter Jazz Chisholm Jr. left the game with left oblique soreness. Chisholm appeared to show discomfort after striking out in the sixth. Yuli Gurriel pinch-hit for Chisholm in the eighth. … Stallings was back in the lineup after missing Saturday’s game with a shin injury sustained on Friday night.
UP NEXT
Marlins: LHP Braxton Garrett (4-2, 3.53) is scheduled to face St. Louis RHP Miles Mikolas (4-5, 4.44) in Monday night’s opener of a home series.
Braves: Atlanta opens a three-game series at Cleveland on Monday night as RHP Bryce Elder (6-2, 2.44) puts his NL-leading ERA on the line against RHP Gavin Williams (0-0, 2.84).
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