Marlins Fall to .500 as the Braves Win Again

The Miami Marlins suffered a 7-4 defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Braves in the second game of a four-game series. The Braves took an early lead in the bottom of the first inning when Austin Riley singled, driving in Ronald Acuna Jr. The Marlins were able to level the score in the third inning when Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit his 4th home run of the season.

The Braves responded with a strong fourth inning, scoring three runs. Two singles drove in runs by Vaugh Grissom and Sam Hillard before Kevin Pillar doubled, making it 4-1 in favor of the Braves. The Marlins were not able to contain the Braves in the 6th inning when Ozzie Albies hit a solo shot, making it 5-1.

The Fish were not done yet, however, and managed to rally in the eigth inning with two runs behind RBI singles by Bryan De La Cruz and Avisail Garcia, bringing the score to 5-3. Unfortunately, the Braves responded in the bottom of the inning with two solo shots by Eddie Rosario and Ozzie Albies, putting the Braves ahead by four runs.

The Marlins had one last chance in the ninth inning when Yuli Guirriel hit an inside the park home run, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit. Starting pitcher Bryan Hoeing made his pitching debut in 2023 but allowed four runs and six hits with two walks in just 3.2 innings. The Marlins bullpen allowed three runs, contributing to the team’s loss.

The Fish now have a 12-12 record on the year and are in danger of falling below .500. With two consecutive losses to the NL-leading Atlanta Braves, the Marlins will need to regroup and find a way to bounce back in the next two games of the series to avoid falling further behind in the standings.