Braves Bats Ambush Alcantara, Marlins to Take Series

Michael Harris II hit two home runs to power the Atlanta Braves past the Miami Marlins 9-3 to win the four-game series on Thursday at IoanDepot park.

The National League East leading Braves (35-16) had key contributions from several players today putting up runs in six different innings. Ronald Acuna Jr went 2-for-3 with two RBI, Mike Yastrzemski went 3-for-3 with a home run and Dominic Smith also collected two hits for Atlanta.

Braves right-hander Spencer Strider went 6.1 innings with three runs allowed and nine strikeouts for his second win of the season.

Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara dropped to 3-3 with the loss. He pitched six innings and gave up six earned runs on nine hits including two home runs, which Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said were “on some changeups that he left up.”

“He really came out with a ton of first pitch strikes. He flooded the zone early,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said in his postgame press conference. “He still finds a way to get through six (innings). I know he’s frustrated with the line and how it ended up.” 

The Braves jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning after Mike Harris hit a two-run home run scoring Acuna who had previously singled. 

Yastrzemski added another run in the second inning with a solo shot to right-center field. 

Miami got on the board in the third inning when right fielder Owen Caissie homered to right-center field, cutting the Braves' lead to 3-1 after three innings. 

Kyle Stowers cut the lead again in the fourth inning when the outfielder hit a shot over the right field wall cutting the Braves' lead to one run with the score 3-2 after four. 

With men on second and third base, Acuna hit a single that scored Yastrzemski and Ha-Seong Kim who both had previously singled. The fifth inning ended with the Braves up 5-2.

Yastrzemski doubled in the sixth inning, scoring Dominic Smith who previously singled to bring the score to 6-2 Braves going into the seventh. 

Stowers hit his second home run of the day to cut the Braves' lead to three runs. Miami was down 6-3 after seven innings. McCullough said it was nice seeing Stowers “stay through some secondary pitches and elevate them to the pull side.”

“It’s a matter of time,” McCullough said. “While a tough outcome for our team, certainly getting him going and doing that and producing id gonna be really important for us as we move along.”

Mauricio Dubon hit a two-run single to maintain Atlanta’s five-run lead in the eighth inning. The Braves were up 8-3 going into the ninth inning. A second home run by Harris II would seal the deal in the ninth inning, and the Braves win 9-3.

Next for the Marlins is a three-game series with the New York Mets starting Friday in Miami. Tobias Myers (0-1, 3.41 ERA) will be on the mound for New York while the Marlins counter with Eury Perez (2-6, 5.33 ERA). 

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