Atlanta, GA – Run-scoring doubles from Evan Gattis and Chris Johnson highlighted a four-run seventh inning as the Atlanta Braves punished the Miami Marlins bullpen en route to a 9-4 victory, their 15th in 16 games.
The Braves, back on track after their 14-game run came to an end on Saturday, belted Miami relievers Dan Jennings (1-3) and A.J. Ramos in the decisive frame to take the series rubber match.
After B.J. Upton's sac fly in the inning snapped a 4-4 tie, Gattis and Johnson each laced doubles past the Miami outfielders, with Johnson's plating a pair to cap the inning and make a winner out of Atlanta starter Mike Minor.
Minor (12-5) was solid despite a three-run second inning, giving up four in all and six hits over seven frames. He struck out six while walking only one and captured a win for the third straight start.
"It was a good offensive day for us and Minor was outstanding," said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. "These guys battled, these guys are tough and they like to compete. It was a good team effort today."
The Marlins lost for the seventh time in eight games. Starter Henderson Alvarez was charged with four runs on seven hits over six innings of work.
Jennings took over for Alvarez to start the seventh but didn't last long. After walking Joey Terdoslavich, he served up a single to Jason Heyward. Terdoslavich headed for third on the hit and Heyward took second on the throw.
Ramos relieved him and received a sliding catch from left fielder Christian Yelich on Upton's sinking line drive, but a run came in and the Braves grabbed a 5-4 lead.
Freddie Freeman, who hit a three-run homer earlier, was then intentionally walked and Gattis smacked a double off the base of the wall in left to knock in another run. Johnson then followed suit and plated two to make it 8-4.
"Obviously that seventh inning was... we couldn't, we just couldn't stop them," said Marlins manager Mike Redmond. "We didn't execute some pitches and they've got a lot of weapons over there. As you can see, they have the ability to do some damage with the middle of their order."
Heyward had four hits in the game, with his last coming in the eighth to knock in Jordan Schafer and account for the final margin. Gattis ended 3-for-5 and Freeman 2-for-3.
A one-out double from Ed Lucas in the second began a big inning for the Marlins. Jake Marisnick brought him in two batters later with a line-drive single to left and Minor gave up two more hits -- including a two-run double to his counterpart Alvarez that vaulted Miami to a 3-0 lead.
Alvarez yielded a sac fly to Dan Uggla in the second and was able to work through a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the fourth unscathed, but couldn't find his way out of trouble the following inning, when he served up a three-run blast to Freeman that put Atlanta in front by a 4-3 count.
Miami drew even in the sixth, with a walk to Giancarlo Stanton and a single from Placido Polanco putting runners at the corners to set up a Lucas sac fly.
Game Notes
Atlanta's Justin Upton left the game in the bottom of the fifth inning with a left hamstring cramp. He is considered day-to-day ... It's Heyward's first four-hit game since Sept. 1, 2010 ... Miami's Justin Ruggiano pinch hit and grounded out in the seventh, extending his hitless streak to 42 at-bats.
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