Following a come-from-behind victory on Saturday, the Miami Marlins on Sunday afternoon have an opportunity to claim back-to-back wins in Atlanta for the first time in more than two years.
April 23-24, 2022, was the last time Miami posted two straight victories at Truist Park. The Marlins snapped a six-game skid against their National League East rivals on Saturday, earning a 4-3 win thanks to two RBIs from both Jake Burger and Jesus Sanchez.
With Miami trailing 3-1 in the fifth, Burger tallied an RBI single and Sanchez hit an RBI double before Sanchez gave Miami the lead for good in the seventh with a run-scoring double.
“A game like this in Atlanta with a lot of adrenaline, we try to stay calm and do the little things,” Sanchez said. “We need to tie this series tomorrow. A win for us would be favorable going forward.”
Sanchez picked up three hits for the first time since July 4, and his multi-RBI game was his first since he drove in three runs against the Reds on July 12.
If Miami does pick up the series split on Sunday, it likely will need a solid outing from starter Edward Cabrera. After Saturday starter Kyle Tyler was pulled after 2 2/3 innings, manager Skip Schumaker was forced to call on five Miami relievers to carry the load.
The Marlins’ bullpen responded, pitching 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits.
“The bullpen was fantastic,” Schumaker said. “They were lights out with a lot of swing-and-miss. To come back after a tough loss last night shows what that bullpen is all about.”
Cabrera (1-3, 6.65 ERA) has struggled in 10 starts this season, allowing 32 earned runs in 43 1/3 innings. The 26-year-old right-hander is 0-1 with a 4.85 ERA in three career starts against Atlanta.
For the Braves, All-Star left-hander Max Fried will return to the mound Sunday for the first time since the midsummer classic on July 16. The 30-year-old had been sidelined with left forearm neuritis, but fortunately for an already battered Atlanta roster, Fried didn’t miss extended time.
“I’m really glad we’re getting (Max) out there again,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He feels good, he’s excited about it. You want to get him out there as quickly as possible, so it’s not such a long time since his last start. I just think getting him out there for this one will be really good.”
Holding a 7-5 record and a 3.08 ERA this season, Fried has completed six innings in four straight starts. In 14 career starts against the Marlins, Fried is 5-3 with a 4.03 ERA. In two games against Miami this season, he’s allowed just one earned run in 15 1/3 innings, including a shutout on April 23.
Offensively, Atlanta catcher Travis d’Arnaud enters play Sunday with a nine-game hitting streak, watching his batting average rise to .264 from .239 since July 12. Shortstop Orlando Arcia had his 13-game hitting streak snapped on Saturday but homered in the first two games of the series.
–Field Level Media
