Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley each hit a home run and Grant Holmes threw six-plus scoreless innings to help the Atlanta Braves win their sixth straight game, a 4-2 victory over the visiting Miami Marlins on Tuesday.
Atlanta maintained its 7 1/2-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East while extending its edge to 6-2 in the season series with Miami, which saw its three-game winning streak come to an end.
Atlanta scored first when Albies hit the first pitch of the second inning for a solo homer to right field, his 19th of the year.
The Braves padded the lead in the seventh. Newly acquired Lane Thomas, batting for Dominic Smith, reached on a throwing error and scored when Riley socked a 433-foot homer to left off reliever John King.
Riley and Matt Olson had two hits apiece for the Braves. Olson played in his 895th consecutive game, tying Stan Musial for the eighth-longest streak in history.
Holmes (7-4) allowed five hits and one walk while striking out five. He was lifted after allowing a single to Heriberto Hernandez to start the seventh. It was the right-hander’s longest stint since he went six innings against the Toronto Blue Jays on June 3 and his first scoreless effort since July 8 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Dylan Dodd followed Holmes to complete the seventh. Dylan Lee worked a scoreless eighth inning with two strikeouts.
The Marlins rallied in the ninth against Braves closer Raisel Iglesias, who worked in a non-save situation with a 4-0 lead. Leo Jimenez broke up the shutout with a bases-loaded single that drove in two. With the go-ahead run at the plate, Jakob Marsee made the last out when he was caught trying to steal third base.
The Braves turned three double plays to support their pitchers.
Miami starter Ryan Gusto (0-3) tossed six innings, his longest outing of the season, and allowed only one run on five hits and no walks. He struck out five.
Victor Vodnik, acquired at the trade deadline, made his Miami debut in the eighth inning and allowed one run. He loaded the bases with the first three batters he faced before Ronald Acuna Jr., who opened the frame with a single, scored on a wild pitch.
–Field Level Media
