ATLANTA, Ga.– No team struggled out of the gate quite like the Miami Marlins (4-6). After their first 7 games, they held a 1-6 record and had been shut out twice. However, things started to change in the 2nd game of the series with the New York Mets last week; despite 14 K’s from Jacob deGrom, the Marlins blanked the Mets to split the 2-game set. That sparked the latest Marlins’ run, as they went on to take the first 2 games of a 4-game series with the Braves (4-7).
Early on in game 3 of the series on Wednesday, the Marlins continued their hot stretch of hitting. The team scored five runs in the first three innings to claim a-run lead early. However, that lead would be erased by Ronald Acuna Jr. First, his 2-run bomb in the 3rd cut the lead to 3 runs. Then, another 2-run shot in the 7th from Acuna tied the game and sent it to extra innings.
In the 10th, the Marlins came through. Jesus Aguilar led off with a double to score the eventual game-winning run from 2nd. In the bottom half of the 11th, closer Yimi Garcia retired the Braves to secure the 6-5 victory.
For the Marlins, they now own a 4-game winning streak after the rough start of the season. Now at 5-6, they sit just 1.5 games behind the Mets at the top of the NL East. For the Braves, they drop their fourth straight outing and sit at the bottom of the division.
The new Marlins are propelling the win streak
Contributing to the 4-game win streak for the Marlins has been their newfound offensive firepower. Since the streak started, they have scored 28 total runs, including a 14-run outing in game 2 of the Braves series.
Recently, newer players in the Marlins organization have stepped up to bolster the lineup. During the 14-run win on Tuesday, former Braves’ Outfielder Adam Duvall clobbered 2 home runs in a 4 for 5 outing. On Wednesday, the power came from Chisholm Jr., the Marlins 2nd-year outfielder.
However, the new players are not only contributing to the offense. On the mound, rookie pitcher Nick Neidert pitched solid on Wednesday, outdueling the 37-year-old Charlie Morton through 5 innings of work. The Marlins are known to shuffle their roster wildly, so it is nice to see new guys contributing early.
Braves drop their 4th straight game despite a hot stretch from Acuna Jr.
Unfortunately for the Braves, the start of the season has been up and down. After being swept by the Phillies to open the season, they started a 4-game winning streak of their own. However, they now have dropped 4-straight games, including the first 3 games to the Marlins.
Despite the lack of consistency from the team, Ronald Acuna Jr. has been on a hot streak. On Sunday, he had 3 hits, including a home run in the loss to the Phillies. In Wednesday’s loss, his two homers were the highlights of the game for the Braves. During the losing streak, Acuna has racked up 8 hits, 3 HR, 9 runs scored, and 6 RBI. So far, in 2021, Acuna is hitting an outstanding .447 from the plate.
UP NEXT
Marlins @ Braves, Thursday, April 15, SunTrust Park, Atlanta, Ga.
