The Atlanta Braves just pulled off something not many of us were expecting at the moment by taking four of five games from a surging Miami Marlins team that had been one of the hottest in baseball.
The Braves capped the series Sunday with a 7-1 win at Truist Park, their third comeback victory of the set. After falling behind 1-0 in the second inning, Atlanta responded with seven unanswered runs, highlighted by Marcell Ozuna’s seventh-inning, three-run blast — his fourth homer of the series.
Ozuna has been on a tear since late July, slashing .314/.457/.829 over his past 12 games and punishing Miami pitching to the tune of a .333/.368/.833 line this season. “He’s getting his swing off,” manager Brian Snitker said. “He’d been having trouble getting his swing off.”
Breaking Droughts and Piling On Runs
Matt Olson tied the game in the fourth with his first homer since July 20, snapping a 19-game drought. The Braves’ bats, which have struggled with runners in scoring position much of the year, came alive against Miami — going 14-for-38 in those situations over the series.
Snitker called it “really good to see” the team adding on late and stringing together big innings, something they’ve lacked for most of the season.
Bullpen Dominance, Wentz Impresses Again
Atlanta’s bullpen was lights-out against the Marlins, allowing just two earned runs in 17 innings with 17 strikeouts and only one walk. “When they get multiple guys out and have consecutive scoreless inning appearances, they feel good about themselves too,” Snitker said.
Starter Joey Wentz kept Miami in check Sunday, giving up one run over 5 1/3 innings. Since joining the Braves, he’s allowed just nine earned runs in 28 2/3 innings.
Braves Get a Much-Needed Streak
Before this series, Atlanta hadn’t won back-to-back games since July 11–12. Now, they’ve won three straight for the first time since mid-June and four of five for the first time since June 17–21.
With the homestand flipping from a sweep at the hands of Milwaukee to a series win over Miami, the Braves are hoping this is the spark they’ve been waiting for all season. As Olson put it, “We’re just trying to keep that rolling.”
