Swanson’s RBI single caps rally in 9th, Braves beat Marlins
ATLANTA (AP) – Dansby Swanson’s RBI single with the bases loaded capped Atlanta‘s two-run rally in the ninth inning, and the Braves beat the Miami Marlins 7-6 Thursday to snap a four-game losing streak.
The Braves recovered after blowing a 5-4 lead in the top of the ninth. Garrett Cooper singled to put Miami ahead.
Dylan Floro (0-1) couldn’t hold the 6-5 lead in the bottom half. Ender Inciarte and Ronald Acuña Jr. singled, and Freddie Freeman walked to load the bases with no outs.
Floro struck out Travis d’Arnaud before walking Ozzie Albies to force in the tying run. Swanson’s single to the left field set off the on-field celebration. The Marlins were trying for their first four-game sweep over the Braves.
This season, Pablo Sandoval connected for his third pinch-hit homer; a three-run drive in the seventh gave Atlanta a 5-3 lead. Acuña hit a two-run homer, his seventh, for Atlanta’s only runs off Trevor Rogers, who pitched five innings and allowed three hits.
With Atlanta clinging to a 5-4 lead, A.J. Minter (1-0) walked Miguel Rojas to open the ninth, with ball four-sailing to the screen behind home plate. Adam Duvall’s pinch-hit double to the wall in right-center tied the game.
With two outs, Cooper lined a single past Swanson’s dive at shortstop.
The Braves trailed 3-2 before Sandoval lined the opposite-field shot off Zach Pop into the Marlins’ bullpen behind the left-field wall. The homer, which drove in Austin Riley and Guillermo Heredia, gave Atlanta a 5-3 lead.
Starling Marte led off the seventh with a homer off Nate Jones, trimming Atlanta‘s lead to one run.
Marlin’s second baseman Jon Berti raced into shallow center field to make a tumbling, over-the-shoulder catch of Albies’ pop fly to open the second. Berti reached for the ball with his back to the infield to make the catch.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. doubled in the second and scored on Berti’s double off Ian Anderson. Chad Wallach’s single drove in Berti for a 2-0 lead. Corey Dickerson’s run-scoring single in the fourth added to Miami’s lead.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Heredia had two walks and was hit by a pitch in his first start after being recalled by the Braves on Wednesday. Heredia was needed after CF Cristian Pache (strained left groin) was placed on the 10-day injured list.
UP NEXT
Marlins: The Marlins have not announced their starting pitcher for Friday night’s opening game of a three-game home series against San Francisco.
Braves: LHP Drew Smyly will look for his first win of the season when Atlanta opens a three-game series at the Chicago Cubs on Friday.
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