The Atlanta Braves jumped out to an early lead and then held on at the end for a 6-4 win over the Miami Marlins.
The Braves didn’t waste any time getting to Marlins starter Pablo Lopez. Ronald Acuña Jr. led off the game with a single and then moved over to third on a double by Freddie Freeman. After Ozzie Albies popped out, Abraham Almonte worked a walk thanks to a generous non-strike call to load the bases. Austin Riley then snapped out of his slump with a single to center that scored Acuña and Freeman to stake Atlanta to an early 2-0 lead.
.@austinriley1308 gets the first inning off to a good start!#HyundaiHighlight | #ForTheA pic.twitter.com/C1djqYBaIR
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 13, 2021
Ehire Adrianza then worked a walk to reload the bases. Lopez came back and struck out Kevan Smith but then hit Guillermo Heredia to force in another run.
The Braves added another run in the third when Austin Riley hit his 12th home run of the season to the opposite field in right.
Vote @austinriley1308!
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 13, 2021
⭐️ https://t.co/lDJmcxHPSV pic.twitter.com/nRkRkkKznr
It was another tough outing for Lopez against the Braves who would exit after just three innings having allowed six hits and four runs. He walked two and struck out two while throwing 84 pitches.
Riley was in the middle of things in the fifth as he worked a one-out walk and then came around to score on a single by Smith to extend the lead to 5-0. Ronald Acuña Jr. left the game at the end of the fifth inning due to some soreness in his right pectoral and was replaced by Ender Inciarte.
It has been a rough season overall for Drew Smyly, but he turned in a solid effort Sunday. Smyly breezed through the first inning while recording a pair of strikeouts. He pitched around a two out single in the second and then found himself in trouble again in the third as Jon Berti reached on an infield single and pinch-hitter Isan Diaz followed with a walk. However, Smyly came back and struck out Jazz Chisholm, Starling Marte and Jesus Aguilar to end the inning.
The Marlins finally got to Smyly in the fifth as Berti again reached on an infield single and advanced to second on a ground out. Smyly then struck out Chisholm for the second out but Starling Marte followed with a single to score Berti to cut the lead to 5-1. Aguilar followed with a single of his own and Marte came in to score on a wild pitch by Smyly to make it 5-2. Smyly got Corey Dickerson to ground out to end the inning.
Atlanta got one of the runs back in the sixth when Inciarte homered off of Ross Detwiler to make it 6-2.
.@enderinciartem wanted a hug!#ForTheA pic.twitter.com/vrwNr6ukou
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 13, 2021
Shane Greene struck out two in a perfect sixth before A.J. Minter ran into some trouble in the seventh. Minter struck out Berti to begin the inning before Isan Diaz laid down a bunt single against the shift. Chisholm followed with a double over Heredia’s head in left to put runners at second and third with one out. That would be it for Minter as he was replaced by Luke Jackson.
Marte lined Jackson’s first pitch into center and scored Diaz and Chisholm to cut the lead to 6-4. Jackson came back and struck out Aguilar and then got Magneuris Sierra to ground out to escape further damage.
Chris Martin made his first appearance since Thurday’s extra inning debacle in Philadelphia and worked a scoreless eighth. Will Smith retired the side in order in the ninth to slam the door for the win.
With the win, the Braves snap a four-game losing streak and improve to 30-33 for the season. They will enjoy an off day on Monday before beginning a six-game home stand Tuesday.