[April 22, 2014]ATLANTA, Ga. — Evan Gattis made sure
that the Miami Marlins remained the only team in the majors without a
road victory.
The Atlanta Braves catcher hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning
off reliever Arquimedes Caminero for a 4-2 victory Monday night at
Turner Field that dropped the Marlins to 0-7 away from Miami.
Gattis, who had made a costly defensive misplay earlier, picked on a
1-0 fastball after a leadoff single by second baseman Dan Uggla and
lined his fifth homer of the season into the left-field seats for
the first walk-off hit of his two-year career.
"It definitely felt good to get the first one in the big leagues,"
Gattis said. "I was just trying to be as loose as I could be. I was
just trying to scratch out a win. I thought I got it, but I topped
it a little bit. So I didn't know."
"He hit that pretty good," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "If
you miss out over the plate, that's what he can do."
Braves closer Craig Kimbrel, working for just the second time in
nine days after experiencing shoulder soreness, blew his first save
opportunity in six attempts when the Marlins scored an unearned run
in the ninth to tie the game.
"Craig rallied pretty good with those three strikeouts," Gonzalez
said. "He's fine. Those last couple of batters was the old Craig
Kimbrel."
After a leadoff walk, shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria was awarded first
base on catcher's interference against Gattis, and pinch-hitter
Derek Dietrich delivered an RBI double. Pinch-runner Reed Johnson
stopped at third on the hit and Kimbrel fanned the next three
batters.
"I was mad," said Gattis, who was called for having Hachavarria's
bat tip his glove. "I don't like the rule. But I'll be way back from
now on."
Johnson got a bad read on Dietrich's double and thought he should
have scored from first base.
"I cost us the game," the veteran outfielder said.
The Braves loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth on a leadoff
double by pinch-hitter Jordan Schafer and two walks, but the game
went to extra innings when Marlins reliever Carlos Marmol got third
baseman Chris Johnson to bounce out.
Miami had two hits in the top of the 10th, but Anthony Varvaro got
catcher Jeff Mathis to hit into an inning-ending double play.
"We had a ton of opportunities," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said.
"If we are going to win on the road, we have to take advantage of
our chances."
Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons hit a fifth-inning homer off
Marlins starter Tom Koehler and scored to make it 2-1 in the seventh
on a single by right fielder Jason Heyward off Miami lefty reliever
Mike Dunn.
Braves starter Julio Teheran, who has never lost to the Marlins,
retired the last nine batters he faced, and Miami didn't get a
runner past second base in seven innings against him other than
first baseman Garrett Jones' homer leading off the second.
Teheran allowed five hits, struck out eight and walked two while
lowering his ERA to 1.80 in the no-decision.
"What happened late overshadowed just how well he pitched," Gonzalez
said.
Koehler entered the game with a 1.89 ERA and matched Teheran pitch
for pitch until the seventh, allowing five hits, walking two and
striking out eight in 6 1/3 innings.
Benefiting from a successful challenge by Redmond on a transfer
play, the Marlins loaded the bases with one out in the eighth inning
thanks to the error on Uggla. Braves reliever Jordan Walden, though,
worked out of the jam.
The Marlins were swept in a six-game road trip to Washington and
Philadelphia, and had lost eight straight games overall before a
weekend sweep in Miami against Seattle gave them four victories in
five games.
Teheran, coming off a three-hit shutout at Philadelphia, left a 1-2
fastball over the middle of the plate to Jones leading off the
second inning, and the left-handed hitter deposited his third home
of the season into the Braves' bullpen behind the fence in
right-center field.
Simmons tied it for the Braves in the fifth, picking on a hanging
1-0 breaking ball from Koehler and lining his third homer of the
season into the left-field seats. Koehler, who blanked Washington on
one hit in his previous start, had retired nine straight Braves
before Simmons connected.
"Every loss is a tough loss, but this was one we would have liked to
win," Koehler said.
NOTES: Marlins LF Christian Yelich extended his hitting streak to 15
games with an infield single in the first inning and added a hit and
stolen base in the eighth. ... RHP Jose Fernandez (2-1, 2.66 ERA)
will start the middle game of the series for the Marlins on Tuesday
night against Braves LHP Alex Wood (2-2, 1.67 ERA). Fernandez was
1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in two starts against the Braves last season en
route to being named National League rookie of the year. ... LHP
Mike Minor (shoulder tendinitis) will throw a side session on
Tuesday and could return to the Atlanta rotation as soon as Saturday
against Cincinnati. He has had four minor-league rehab outings.
