Albies hits a slam, Braves roll past Marlins 9-2

MIAMI (AP) — Ozzie Albies hit a grand slam, Ronald Acuña Jr. tied a career best with four hits and the Atlanta Braves topped the Miami Marlins 9-2 on Saturday night.

Brian McCann drove in three runs for Atlanta, which trailed 2-0 after five innings before breaking out against Miami’s bullpen. Even Braves starter Mike Soroka got in on the offense, collecting his first career RBI with a seventh-inning single — his first hit of 2019 and the second of his brief big league career.

Albies tied a career best with five RBIs. The other time he did that: May 10, 2018, also at Marlins Park.

Soroka (3-1) lowered his ERA from 1.62 to 1.14 after seven very sharp innings. He allowed three hits, struck out six, walked only two and the two runs Miami scratched out with him on the mound were unearned.

Peter O’Brien, brought back from Triple-A earlier in the day, drove in the two Marlins runs in the second inning. The Marlins’ major league-worst record fell to 9-23, the third-worst in franchise history through 32 games. Only the 1995 and 1999 Marlins — both 8-24 — started worse.

Marlins starter Trevor Richards gave up two hits and three walks while striking out three in 4 1/3 shutout innings. Nick Anderson (0-1) gave up five runs in 1 1/3 innings, including the grand slam by Albies.

Atlanta’s five-run sixth began with a successful challenge of an out call at first to start the inning, with Acuña safe on the play after review. McCann’s double cut the Miami lead to 2-1 and the Marlins were one strike away from getting out of the inning — but Anderson grooved one to Albies, who posed for a second to admire the ball’s flight over the wall in right for his third career slam and seventh homer of the year.

Atlanta tacked on four more in the seventh.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Braves: Albies was grimacing as he jogged to first in the seventh after apparently aggravating something on his fourth hit of the night. After a brief conference, he stayed in the game but was replaced in the field for the bottom of the seventh by Charlie Culbertson.

Marlins: O’Brien was recalled from Triple-A New Orleans on Saturday because the Marlins placed OF Garrett Cooper on the 10-day injured list with a left hand contusion. The move with Cooper is retroactive to Wednesday.

BRAVES MOVE

Atlanta recalled LHP Sean Newcomb from Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday, and optioned RHP Touki Toussaint to Gwinnett. Toussaint threw 76 pitches and got the win for Atlanta on Friday over the Marlins.

COOLER HEADS

Soroka hit O’Brien with a pitch with two outs and the bases empty in the sixth inning, though no hysterics ensued. Tensions ran high between the teams on Friday when Atlanta starter Kevin Gausman was ejected for throwing a fastball behind Miami RHP Jose Ureña — who was at the center of a storm last season when he hit Acuña and got suspended for six games.

UP NEXT

Atlanta RHP Julio Teheran (2-4, 5.35) has lost each of his last three starts. He’ll face Miami RHP Pablo Lopez (2-4, 4.78) in the series finale Sunday.