Miami, FL – Omar Infante atoned for a big fielding error in winning hit against his former team, a two-run 5 win hopeful Atlanta Braves.
Infante's miscue capped a four-run Atlanta seventh, giving Atlanta the lead, but his first career walk-off homer sent the sputtering Braves to their seventh defeat in 10 contests. Atlanta's lead in the National League wild card standings was reduced to 2 1/2 games over St. Louis, which won at Philadelphia, 4-3, Monday night.
Florida was down to its last out, but Emilio Bonifacio reached safely on an infield hit when third baseman Chipper Jones lost the high chopper in the lights. Infante then smacked a 1-0 pitch from Kimbrel (4-3) over the wall in left field.
"It's a funny game. Just when you think you've got it figured out, it'll kick you in the gut," Jones said.
Mike Stanton clubbed a pair of mammoth solo homers and Logan Morrison added a two-run shot -- all off Mike Minor, as the Marlins won for the third time in four tries.
Dan Uggla homered to start Atlanta's big seventh inning. Michael Bourn singled in a run with the bases loaded and Ryan Webb walked Martin Prado on four pitches to tie the score. Jones then hit a ball that was booted by Infante as the ball caromed away from the veteran second baseman. That allowed pinch- runner Antoan Richardson to score the go-ahead tally.
Infante, who played for Atlanta the previous three years before being traded in the offseason in the deal that sent Uggla to the Braves, homered for the sixth time this season, handing Kimbrel his seventh blown save of the year.
"Omar has done a fantastic defensive job all year, probably the best second baseman in the league defensively," Marlins manager Jack McKeon said. "I'm just glad to see him come back, redeem himself."
The result for the Braves came one day after they blew an eighth-inning lead on the Mets.
Clay Hensley (6-6) pitched the final two innings to get the victory.
Stanton homered tight to the line in left in the opening inning and hit another huge blast in the third, this one to left-center.
Jason Heyward homered to right off Ricky Nolasco leading off the top of the sixth, but the Braves started their go-ahead rally in the opener of this three-game set on Uggla's career-high 35th long ball of the year.
Game Notes
Minor allowed six hits and four runs over 5 2/3 frames, while Nolasco gave up five hits and four earned runs in 6 2/3 innings...Atlanta leads the season series, 11-5. The Fish had dropped six straight to the Braves at Sun Life Stadium.
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