Albies, Urshela homer as Braves edge Marlins 5-4
MIAMI (AP) — Michael Harris II tripled, singled and scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and the Atlanta Braves beat the Miami Marlins 5-4 on Sunday.
Gio Urshela and Ozzie Albies homered while Matt Olson had two hits and an RBI for the Braves (85-71), who began Sunday two games behind the New York Mets for the third NL wild card.
Jorge Soler’s infield single with the bases loaded against Declan Cronin (3-4) in the seventh scored Harris from third and put the Braves ahead.
Miami loaded the bases with no outs against Aaron Bummer in the bottom half when Otto López and Derek Hill singled and Nick Fortes reached on a sacrifice after Bummer threw to third on an unsuccessful force out attempt. Bummer struck out Xavier Edwards before Daysbel Hernández relieved and struck out Connor Norby and retired Jesús Sánchez on a lineout to right.
Braves closer Raisel Iglesias pitched the final two innings for his 32nd save. It was Iglesias’ sixth two-inning appearance of the season.
Pierce Johnson (6-5) got the three outs in the sixth for the win.
The Marlins tied it at 4-all on consecutive homers from Norby and Sánchez to start the sixth.
Harris hit a game-tying RBI triple and scored on Olson’s single in the fifth that erased a 2-1 deficit.
Urshela homered for the second consecutive day with his solo drive in the sixth to extend Atlanta’s lead.
Jake Burger hit a solo homer off Braves starter Grant Holmes, putting the Marlins ahead 2-1 in the fourth. Miami tied it at 1-all when Jonah Bride homered in the second.
Holmes gave up two runs and three hits in four-plus innings. He walked one and struck out five.
Albies gave Atlanta a quick lead with his solo homer in the first. He drove an 0-1 pitch from Marlins starter Darren McCaughan over the wall in left for his ninth homer.
McCaughan allowed one run and four hits over four innings. The right-hander walked one, struck out five and hit a batter.
In their final home game of the season, the Marlins attracted a crowd of 20,104 and put their total attendance at 1,085,055 — 29th in the major leagues, ahead of only the Oakland A’s. The Marlins drew 1,162,819 in 2023, when the club ended a 20-year playoff drought over a 162-game season.
Miami finished 30-51 at home — a drop from 46-35 in 2023 — and will play three-game series at Minnesota and Toronto the final week of the season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: OF Dane Myers (left ankle fracture) homered twice during a rehab game with Triple-A Jacksonville on Sunday.
UP NEXT
Braves: Have not announced a starter for the opener of a three-game home series against the Mets on Tuesday. New York also has not announced a starter.
Marlins: LHP Ryan Weathers (3-6, 3.94) gets the start Tuesday, when the Marlins open a three-game set at Minnesota. The Twins will go with RHP Bailey Ober (12-7, 3.84).
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