The Braves were up to their long ball tricks again, but a disastrous eighth inning proved to be fatal. The Marlins used a six-run frame to take the 11-5 win, and hand Atlanta their second straight defeat.
Game Summary
The Braves only managed to hit one home run is yesterday’s ballgame, but they quickly surpassed that total in just the first inning this afternoon. Ozzie Albies hit his 30th homer of the season to become the fifth Brave to reach that round number.
Austin Riley took the very next pitch and deposited that over the left-center field wall. Just like that it was a 3-0 lead.
Unfortunately, this Jared Shuster start was much like the previous ones we’ve seen this year. Apparently, Luis Arraez is now a power hitter as well. Arraez led off the bottom half of the inning with a homer, his 10th bomb of the year.
The next three Miami hitters reached on a single, error, and three-run homer in that order. Four batters into his day Shuster had already relinquished a three-run lead.
The Marlins added another run in the third to extent the lead to 5-3 and get Shuster out the game after just three innings.
Jackson Stephens came in for another long relief assignment and he started his day by working an eventful, but scoreless fourth inning. Atlanta pulled a run closer in top of the fifth thanks to a solo homer from MH2.
History was then made in the top of the 6th as Matt Olson hit his franchise record 52nd home run of the season to tie the game at five.
We moved to the bottom of the seventh tied still and A.J. Minter came on to pitch. He looked pretty crisp, as he struck out the side to send the game to the eighth.
The top of the eighth provided the biggest AB of the day. Arcia came up to hit against Tanner Scott with the bases loaded and two outs. Sadly, it was the Marlins lefty who won this battle as Arcia grounded out to end the top half of the inning.
This is where the disaster occurs. Kirby Yates and Michael Tonkin partnered to have a nightmarish bottom of the eighth. A Jake Burger two-run homer, and a Jazz Chisholm Jr. grand slam completely broke the game open to a 11-5 Miami lead.
Scott pitched a scoreless night for the Marlins, and this game quickly became one of the most bitter ballgames Atlanta has played in this year. The Braves will try and avoid the sweep tomorrow afternoon behind Charlie Morton.