MIAMI (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton has two games left to reach the coveted 60-home run mark while his Miami Marlins teammates are compiling impressive numbers.
The Marlins’ slugger went 2 for 4 with a single and a double to remain at 59 homers as the Marlins rallied from a 5-0 deficit and defeated the Atlanta Braves 6-5 on Friday night.
Marcell Ozuna drove in three runs. His two-run double in the sixth started Miami’s comeback and pushed him past Preston Wilson with 121 RBIs for second in club history. Stanton set the team record Sept. 23.
“That is the result when you’re working harder every day in the off season,” Ozuna said. “That means I can do really good in baseball and it has made my family proud.”
Miami took the lead for good with a four-run seventh. Justin Bour’s two-run broken bat single to center gave the Marlins a 6-5 advantage. The Marlins also got run-scoring singles from Ozuna and Stanton off Braves reliever Dan Winkler (0-1).
“The big guys came through,” Miami manager Don Mattingly said. “That inning kept getting extended and (Bour) hung in there and fought that ball into center.”
Stanton’s RBI single on a short dribbler with the bases loaded scored Tyler Moore, who began the inning with a double to left-center.
“Not exactly of what we’re thinking there but it extends the inning which was good for us,” Mattingly said of Stanton’s RBI that gave him 130 for the season.
Adam Conley (8-8) pitched a scoreless seventh for the win. Junichi Tazawa inherited two runners in the eighth and induced pinch-hitter Tyler Flowers to hit into an inning-ending double play.
Brad Ziegler threw one pitch in the ninth and retired pinch-hitter Matt Kemp on a game-ending double play for his 10th save.
Braves starter Luiz Gohara, in his fifth major league start, left allowing Moore’s double and a walk against Miguel Rojas that started the seventh. Gohara allowed four runs, six hits and walked four. He struck out six.
“He battled through the sixth,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He did a good job. I thought he was going to throw a complete game out there.”
Ozzie Albies’ homer to lead off the game and Lane Adams’ three-run shot against Miami starter Dan Straily gave the Braves a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Atlanta increased the lead on Kurt Suzuki’s run-scoring single in the second.
“When you jump out early on offense like that, they start to bear down,” Adams said. “They adjusted, got some hits with runners on, some broken-bat singles. They got the job done.”
Straily allowed five runs, six hits and walked four. He struck out three in his shortest start of the season.
NO WAY TO TREAT A TEAMMATE:
In his at-bat to lead off the fourth, Stanton hit a hard smash foul that nearly struck teammate Dee Gordon, who sat on the top step of the dugout. Stanton smiled after Gordon looked toward him and pointed to hit the next pitch over the wall instead. Stanton grounded out to third.
AVOIDING 90:
The Braves need to win the last two games of the series to avoid 90 losses for the third consecutive season. After Friday’s loss, Atlanta will not extend a four-year streak of winning the final series of the season.
TRAINER’S ROOM:
Miami: Starters are getting games to rest in the final weekend of the season and Friday was CF Christian Yelich’s turn. Moore started in left field and Ozuna moved to center.
Atlanta: CF Ender Inciarte didn’t start but entered the game on a double switch in the seventh. Snitker planned to give Inciarte the night off to rest left thumb soreness he first experienced while sliding into a bag against the Nationals on Sept. 19.
UP NEXT:
Braves RHP Lucas Sims (3-5, 4.85) will make the final start of his rookie season Saturday. After four relief appearances, Sims returned to the rotation Sept. 20 against the Washington Nationals and got a no-decision, allowing one run in six innings.
Marlins: Fresh off his first victory in two years, Odrisamer Despaigne (1-3, 4.21) will start for Miami. Despaigne pitched six innings and allowed two runs as the Marlins defeated the Colorado Rockies 5-4 on Monday.
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