Miami, FL – Freddie Freeman celebrated his 24th birthday by going 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and two runs scored to help Freddy Garcia get a win in his first start with Atlanta, as the Braves downed Miami 6-1 at Marlins Park.
Chris Johnson added three hits and two RBI and Evan Gattis drove in a pair of runs for the NL-East leading Braves, who won three of four from the Marlins to end a seven-game road trip with a 3-4 mark.
Garcia (1-1), who had made three relief appearance for the Braves before getting this start, was charged with one run on five hits in six innings. The veteran right-hander struck out three and walked one.
"He knows how to maneuver himself through a lineup and put a little on, put a little off and never give you the same look at any of the pitches," said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. "He's a veteran guy."
Donovan Solano drove in the lone run and Christian Yelich had two hits for Miami, which has lost five of six and completed a seven-game homestand with just a pair of wins.
The Braves used a four-run third to jump ahead. With the bases loaded, Gattis doubled home the first two runs and then scored along with Freeman on a Johnson double.
Florida got a run back in the bottom of the inning when Solano drove home a run, but Freeman's two-run blast in the fourth added the Braves cushion, 6-1.
Brian Flynn (0-1), making his second career start, suffered the loss. The left-hander was charged with six runs on six hits, striking out four and walking six, in four innings.
"After an emotional night last night, we needed someone to go out there and really pound the strike zone and put up some zeroes, and that just didn't happen," said Marlins manager Mike Redmond.
Game Notes
Freeman has 20 homers this season. He is now 6-for-14 in four career birthday games ... Garcia began 2013 by making 11 appearances with the Baltimore Orioles and posting a 3-5 record with a 5.77 earned run average. His contract was purchased by the Braves on Aug. 23 ... The Marlins now embark on an 11- game, 10-day road trip, beginning in New York over the weekend ... This was the final meeting of the season between these two clubs. Atlanta won the series 13-6 ... Elliot Johnson was thrown out trying to steal second in the fourth inning. It was the first time he was gunned down trying to steal this season (18-of-19) ... Justin Upton went 0-for-2 with three walks and two runs scored.
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