The Sports Xchange
Aug 6, 2017
ATLANTA -- The Miami Marlins hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning and that was enough to get Jose Urena another road victory.
Marcell Ozuna hit a three-run homer and J.T. Realmuto followed by also going deep off Atlanta rookie starter Lucas Sims as the Marlins salvaged the finale of a three-game series with a 4-1 victory on Sunday.
Urena (10-5) allowed three hits and run over six innings to improve to 7-0 away from Miami this season. The right-hander struck out three and walked one, leaving after 73 pitches.
Sims (0-2) hit Giancarlo Stanton and walked Christian Yelich with one out in the first inning before giving up the back-to-back homers to Ozuna and Realmuto on hanging breaking balls.
Ozuna connected on a 1-2 curve for his 26th homer, driving the ball over the fence in left-center field. Realmuto pulled a 0-1 slider into the Marlins' bullpen in left field for his 13th homer.
It was the fourth time this season that the Marlins have hit homers in consecutive at-bats.
Ender Inciarte, on a 12-game hitting streak, had two of the three hits against Urena. The center fielder doubled leading off the fourth inning for the Braves' first baserunner, and singled in the sixth to drive in Jace Peterson, who had opened the inning with a pinch double.
The Braves (51-59) had won 18 of the previous 28 games against the Marlins (52-57), including seven of 10 this year.
Jarlin Garcia and Junichi Tazawa each pitched a perfect inning in relief for the Marlins, then Brad Ziegler struck out Nick Markakis after a two-out hit by Freddie Freeman in the ninth for his second save as Miami's new closer.
Sims steadied after the first, making it through six innings on 106 pitches. The right-hander allowed six hits, struck out three, walked two and hit a batter.
NOTES: Braves INF Brandon Phillips, playing his fifth game at third, made a diving stop to take away a potential double and threw out RF Giancarlo Stanton in the third inning. ... SS Miguel Rojas led off for the Marlins with 2B Dee Gordon out of the line and C J.T. Realmuto got a start at first with 1B Justin Bour on the DL. ... The Marlins had won four straight series before facing the Braves, going 9-4, while the Braves had taken a series in five tries, going 4-13. ... The Marlins play four games in Washington beginning Monday. They are 5-4 against the Nationals this year, winning two series in Miami. ... The Braves are idle Monday before playing Philadelphia twice to end an eight-game homestand. ... Atlanta is 2-9 against the Phillies, losing all seven games in Philadelphia.