Atlanta Braves Series Recap: Miami Marlins (9/9 – 9/12)

Sep 12, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves second baseman Dan Uggla (26) congratulates catcher Evan Gattis (center) as shortstop Andrelton Simmons (19) congratulates first baseman Freddie Freeman (right) after scoring on an double by third baseman Chris Johnson (not pictured) in the fourth inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

The Braves hit the ground in Miami coming off of a (very) rare sweep of defeats in Philadelphia. However, things usually look up when the lowly Marlins are in the opposing dugout, and that was certainly the case here. Let’s get to the games.

Monday, September 9th – Win (5-2)

As Harris Nye pointed out in the game recap, this was a case of one explosive inning being enough for the Braves to cruise to victory. The Braves sent 11 hitters to the plate in the 4th frame, and emerged with all 5 runs on the strength of 5 hits and a wild pitch. The offense didn’t manage a single hit for the rest of the game, but it was more than enough for Kris Medlen. Medlen tossed 6.1 innings of quality ball, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits (with 2 walks) and striking out 6 Marlins hitters. With that performance, the 27-year-old Medlen has now allowed 3 runs or fewer in 7 consecutive starts, and he was very, very solid here. It wasn’t the most typical path to victory for the Braves (zero home runs, for example), but it was nice to see a return to the win column.

Tuesday, September 10th – Win (4-3)

Evan Gattis dr0ve in 2 runs, and the Johnson “brothers” added 2 hits a piece to pace the offense, and Julio Teheran emerged from a disastrous opening frame to lead the Braves to a 4-3 win on Tuesday. All 7 runs scored by the two teams came in the first 3 innings, with 5 of them (and all 3 from Miami) scored in the opening frame. Teheran allowed 3 runs on 3 hits in the 1st inning, but bounced back nicely and finished 6 innings having allowed only 2 additional hits in route to his 12th win of the year. It would be easy to attribute his 1st-inning struggles to rust, after he was skipped in his last turn of the rotation, but the “old” Julio emerged after that, and it was nice to see. Offensively, the Braves roughed up Tom Koehler for all 4 runs, and won their second consecutive game without the benefit of a home run. Ho hum.

Wednesday, September 11th – Loss (5-2)

This was an eventful evening in Miami. The largest takeaway from the night is probably the near-brawl that ensued after Jose Fernandez performed an epic “pimp job” of a home run in the 6th inning, but we’ll avoid that for the purposes of this recap. Offensively, the Braves struggled mightily against Fernandez, generating only a 6th-inning solo home run from Evan Gattis, and while Elliot Johnson gave Atlanta a 2nd run in the 9th off of closer Steve Cishek, that was too little, too late. It was “one of those nights” offensively, but Fernandez was the cause, and his dominance isn’t anything new. On the mound, Mike Minor struggled again, and was roughed up for 11 hits and 5 runs (4 earned) over 6 innings. Minor has avoided the monster blow-up in recent days, but he’s allowed 4 runs in 4 of his last 6 starts, and as a result, his ERA has climbed all the way to 3.15 on the season. I’m not “worried” about Mike Minor, but this type of outing against a bad Marlins lineup isn’t encouraging.

Thursday, September 12th – Win (6-1)

Freddy Garcia! The 37-year-old veteran shut down the Marlins on getaway day, throwing 6 innings of 1-run ball, and by the time he left the mound, the Braves held a 5-run lead that they would never relinquish. Garcia sat 86-88 with his fastball (as usual), but he did so with quality control (only 1 walk), and scattered only 5 hits during his 81-pitch effort. This was highly encouraging on the back of the Paul Maholm issues, but I would also encourage everyone to slow down on the Freddy Garcia train, as anything the Braves receive from him in the positive column is a bonus. Offensively, Freddie Freeman was the star of the game, going 3-for-4 with a home run, 2 runs scored, and 2 RBI. The home run was Freeman’s 20th on the year, and his .309/.384/.486 provides a glimpse of just how tremendous he’s been this year. Elsewhere, Evan Gattis and Chris Johnson teamed up on back-to-back doubles that blew the game open in a 4-run 3rd inning, and it was all gravy from that point forward.

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Taking 3 of 4 from the Marlins isn’t quite equal to taking 3 of 4 from any other National League team, but the games all count the same in the standings. As the Braves leave Miami to head home for a series with the San Diego Padres, they lead by 11 games in the NL East and 2 games in the race for home-field advantage in the National League playoffs. Finally, the magic number sits at 6, and the faster that number dwindles, the happier we will all be.

Stay tuned for a preview of the Padres series!