Field Level Media
Sep 23, 2020
Dansby Swanson capped a five-run rally with a three-run homer as the Atlanta Braves defeated the visiting Miami Marlins 9-4 on Wednesday.
The game was tied at 4 in the fourth inning when the Braves broke it open against reliever Josh A. Smith (1-1). Ozzie Albies and Nick Markakis drove in runs with soft singles before Swanson completed the uprising by launching a homer into the visitor's bullpen in left field.
Swanson, who went 2-for-3 with a walk and three RBIs, has nine home runs this season, including in back-to-back games. He is 5-for-10 in the first three games of the Miami series.
The winning pitcher was Luke Jackson (2-0), who pitched four innings and allowed two runs on three hits, striking out five. Jackson's effort was needed after starter Max Fried left the game after one inning when he sprained his left ankle while fielding a bunt.
Fried finished the inning but was removed as a precautionary measure. The Braves weren't taking any chances with the left-hander, who will start the first game of the playoffs next week.
The Marlins got to Fried for two runs in the first inning on solo homers from Jesus Aguilar and Brian Anderson. It was the first home runs allowed this season by Fried, who had faced 220 batters before surrendering a long ball.
The Braves responded by scoring three times in the bottom of the first against Sixto Sanchez, who had thrown six shutout innings against Atlanta on Sept. 8. Freddie Freeman, Albies and Adeiny Hechavarria drove in runs. Sanchez pitched three innings and allowed four runs on four hits, four walks and two strikeouts.
Hechavarria -- in the lineup to give starter Austin Riley the night off -- struck again with an RBI single in the third to stretch Atlanta's lead to 4-2, but the Marlins tied it in the fourth on a run-scoring single from Lewis Brinson and a groundout by Jon Berti.
Atlanta (34-22) has won six of nine meetings this year against the Marlins (28-28). Miami was unable to reduce its magic number of three games to clinch its first playoff spot since 2003.
--Field Level Media