Miami Marlins unleash offensive fury, blasting 16 hits and 10 runs to rout Atlanta and snap their hitting slump.
Three games of pent-up offensive aggression exploded on Monday.
The Miami Marlins racked up 16 hits and piled on 10 runs to beat the Atlanta Braves 10-4 to open a three-game series at Truist Park in Atlanta.
It was an about-face from the previous series, against the Tigers, in which the Marlins (9-8) totaled three runs and got swept.
"The three-game series in Detroit was not what we wanted to be as an offense," Miami first baseman Connor Norby said during his Marlins radio postgame interview. "Just had to grind out at-bats."
After a quiet three innings to start the game, the Marlins took a 3-0 lead at the top of the fourth off of a sacrifice fly by Hicks and back-to-back singles by Otto Lopez and Connor Norby. Jacob Marsee sparked the rally with a lead-off single and Xavier Edwards drew a walk.
The Braves (10-7) struck back in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game 3-3. Four straight singles to lead off the inning led to two runs, with Austin Riley and Mike Yastrzemski credited with the RBI. The Braves got their third run of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Dominic Smith.
A single by Edwards and Graham Pauley set the table for Ramírez’s three-run home run in the fifth inning to put the Marlins back up 6-3.
A single by Ronald Acuña Jr. and a walk in the fifth ended Eury Pérez’s night. Andrew Nardi didn’t leave the inning scoreless, but minimized damage with only one run off of a groundout.
Pérez finished with four innings, four runs (three earned), seven hits, two walks, and two strikeouts in 76 pitches to raise his ERA to 5.40 on the season. Fortunately for Pérez, he had more than enough run support.
“Obviously Eury didn’t have his best stuff but we got his back,” Norby said, “and we were able to tack on more runs, which is the name of the game.”
Norby led off the sixth inning by taking the first pitch he saw to left field for his second home run of the season. Ramírez and Hicks each singled in a run to improve the Marlins’ lead to 9-4. Hicks rounded out the scoring in the eighth with another single.
Ramírez went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI to lead the Marlins at the plate. Liam Hicks also had three hits and drove in three runs to add to his season RBI total at 16. Every Marlin hitter in the lineup came away with at least one hit.
“I thought the at-bats tonight were unbelievable,” Norby said, “probably the best of the year.”
Braves starting pitcher Grant Holmes lasted four innings with three runs on three hits, two walks, and three strikeouts. Aaron Bummer took the loss for giving up the Ramírez home run.
Nardi earned the win and the Marlins' bullpen combined to throw five scoreless innings with only two hits allowed. Lake Bachar struck out four batters in two innings.
Max Meyer (1-0, 3.68 ERA) takes the mound for the Marlins on Tuesday against Reynaldo López (1-0, 1.15 ERA) and the Braves. First pitch is set for 6:15 p.m. ET.
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