Latos hopes to reverse fortunes vs. Braves
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(SportsNetwork.com) - After suffering losses in his first three starts in a Marlins uniform, Mat Latos has made tremendous strides and hasn't lost in nearly a month. Latos takes a personal four-game unbeaten string into Saturday afternoon's matchup with the Atlanta Braves, a team that dominated the right- hander in his first two starts of 2015.
Latos, who is 1-0 over his last four starts and hasn't lost since May 18 against the Mets, tossed seven solid innings in a no-decision against the Giants on Sunday.
In his first two starts of 2015, both against the Braves, Latos was charged with 11 hits, 10 runs -- nine earned -- over 4 2/3 innings. He didn't make it out of the first inning in his initial start. He's 3-5 with a 4.56 ERA in 10 career starts versus Atlanta.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Alex Wood won his first start of the season, which was in Miami, but hasn't been in the victory column since that April 7 contest. Wood allowed two runs on four hits while striking out four and walking three in five innings of Atlanta's 12-2 win in its second game of the season. The lefty is 0-2 over his last six starts since that triumph. Last Sunday in a no-decision at Washington, Wood went 3-for-3 with an RBI and gave up three runs on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings. He's 3-3 with a 3.74 in 10 games (7 starts) against the Marlins.
On Friday, Julio Teheran battled through 5 2/3 innings and helped himself at the plate in the Braves' series-opening 5-3 win. Teheran only yielded two runs -- one earned -- despite allowing nine hits and a walk with five strikeouts. In the second inning, he drove in a pair of Atlanta runs to give his team its first lead.
Phil Gosselin and Todd Cunningham added three hits apiece for Atlanta, and Cody Martin (2-2) was handed the win despite allowing the Marlins to even the score in the seventh.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I got a couple knocks early and kept hitting them," said Cunningham. "I wish they were all this easy."
Giancarlo Stanton crushed a pair of solo home runs for Miami, which got three more hits from Dee Gordon. David Phelps was charged with three runs -- one earned -- on nine hits in six innings with eight strikeouts and no walks, and Mike Dunn (0-2) took the loss.
"I think they tallied each time we scored," said Marlins manager Mike Redmond. "It's tough to win ball games when you can't shut them down."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Atlanta has won five of its seven matchups with the Marlins this season.