[July 23, 2014]ATLANTA -- To get back in the
National League East race, the Miami Marlins must play better on the
road and within the division.
Despite a late scare from the Atlanta Braves, the Marlins are
doing just that at Turner Field.
Second baseman Donovan Solano had a career-best four hits, Jacob
Turner was successful in his return to the rotation, and the Marlins
held on for a 6-5 victory Tuesday night.
Solano, hitting .405 in his last 13 games to raise his average to
.261, a double and a walk in a 4-for-4 game as the Marlins (47-52)
assured themselves of at least a split of the four-game series.
"He's swinging the bat great and stepping up," Marlins manager Mike
Redmond said. "When we're going good, we have a lot of different
contributors."
The Braves (54-46) scored three times in the eighth inning, but
Marlins closer Steve Cishek, benefiting from a caught stealing,
pitched a scoreless ninth for his 23rd save in 26 opportunities.
Atlanta third baseman Chris Johnson led off the inning with a
single, but pinch runner Jordan Schafer was thrown out by catcher
Jeff Mathis after being successful on 15 of his previous 16 steal
attempts.
"Obviously we knew he was running," Redmond said. "Maybe we bought a
half step by throwing over there (four times) and that maybe that
was the difference to get him."
The throw short-hopped shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria, but he was able
to make the tag.
"Hech made a great play," Mathis said.
Turner, banished to the bullpen in early June, allowed four hits and
two runs in five innings. The right-hander struck out four and
walked two while improving to 3-6.
"That was great," Redmond said of Turner's outing. "We talked about
him getting another opportunity in the rotation and stepping up. He
did just that."
"He was throwing strikes to both sides of the plate with his
heater," Mathis said. "I think that was the key."
Braves starter Mike Minor (3-6) was battered early and often in a
rough outing that didn't last long.
Minor, who missed the first month of the season coming back from
shoulder tendinitis, failed to get an out in the fourth inning. His
ERA jumped to 5.32 with his shortest outing of the year. The
left-hander gave up 10 hits and two walks, and he was charged with
six runs.
"I couldn't really put anything on the corners. Everything was right
over the middle of the plate," Minor said. "I felt way rustier, and
that's not an excuse, either. I felt good. Bullpen was pretty good
and then I got out there and I just wasn't throwing to the corners."
Miami left fielder Christian Yelich had two hits and a walk, scoring
three times from the leadoff spot, while right fielder Giancarlo
Stanton had a single, a double and an RBI.
The Braves made it close in the eighth. Second baseman Tommy La
Stella hit an RBI single off Mike Dunn, and right fielder Jason
Heyward drove in two runs against Bryan Morris with his second hit
of the game.
Each team scored a first-inning run, with double plays keeping the
damage from being worse. The Marlins opened the game with three
consecutive singles, and the Braves had two hits and two walks in
their half against Turner.
Minor again started poorly in the third, and the Marlins made him
pay this time to take a 4-1 lead. Stanton hit an RBI double after a
walk and a single, and Miami ended up with three runs in the inning
thanks to four hits and a walk.
The Braves got a run back in the bottom of the third on Justin
Upton's 18th homer of the season, but Turner hit a double leading
off the fourth inning and Minor was gone two batters later after
Yelich singled and Solano doubled for this third hit of the game.
NOTES: Braves RHP Ervin Santana (8-6, 4.03 ERA) will start against
Marlins RHP Nathan Eovaldi (5-5, 4.08 ERA) in the third game of the
four-game series Wednesday night. Eovaldi has given up just four
runs in 21 innings over three starts against Atlanta this season and
has a 1.86 ERA against the Braves in his career. ... RHP Julio
Teheran, who matched his career high by fanning 11 in seven innings
against the Marlins on Monday, is the first Braves pitcher since
1914 to have five games with double-figure strikeout games before
his 24th birthday. ... Pittsburgh 1B Garrett Jones was out of the
lineup against LHP Mike Minor despite delivering a two-run single in
the 10th inning Monday to give the Marlins a 3-1 victory in the
series opener. He was batting .324 (11-for-34) with a double, two
homers and six RBIs in nine games against the Braves this season.
