Field Level Media
May 3, 2019
In a tension-filled game, pitcher Kevin Gausman was ejected in the second inning, but his Atlanta Braves rallied to defeat the host Miami Marlins 7-2 on Friday night.
Atlanta's offense was led by Brian McCann, who homered and had three RBIs. Freddie Freeman also homered, and Josh Donaldson -- in his first game back since suffering a calf injury -- went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs.
Gausman was apparently seeking retribution against Marlins pitcher Jose Urena, who hit Braves star Ronald Acuna in the elbow last year. This was the first time since then that the Braves had faced Urena, and Gausman threw a 97-mph fastball behind his knees with his first pitch, earning an immediate ejection.
Marlins manager Don Mattingly was ejected in the sixth inning for arguing a strike call against one of his batters, Jorge Alfaro.
Touki Toussaint (2-0), who entered the game in the second inning after Gausman was ejected and inherited a two-on jam, earned the win in his first game since being recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett. He allowed one run in four innings, striking out six.
Urena (1-5) took the loss, allowing six hits, three walks and five runs, with no hit batters, in six innings. He led the National League in hit batters in each of the past two seasons, with 26 in total.
Atlanta opened the scoring in the first inning on Freeman's 418-foot blast to right-center. He hit a 95-mph fastball from Urena on a 1-2 count.
Miami tied the score in the second on Rosell Herrera's RBI groundout. The next batter was Urena.
Atlanta grabbed the lead back in the third as Ender Inciarte hit a leadoff single and scored on Donaldson's two-out single.
The Braves stretched their lead to 3-1 in the fourth as Acuna hit a leadoff single and scored on McCann's sacrifice fly. McCann then added a two-run homer in the sixth.
Miami cut its deficit to 5-2 in the bottom of the sixth as pinch hitter Neil Walker drew a bases-loaded walk.
--Field Level Media