Braves sweep doubleheader with 6-2 win over the Marlins

The Atlanta Braves got off to a fast start and never looked back in a 6-2 win over the Miami Marlins.

Ronald Acuña Jr. didn’t make the Braves wait long for their first run. Acuña jumped on a first pitch fastball from Tommy Nance and drove it 442 feet to center for his 26th career leadoff home run.

Ian Anderson was in the unique position where he was actually optioned last weekend, but stuck around on the taxi squad and was also penciled in to start Saturday’s doubleheader. He allowed back-to-back singles to Brian Anderson and Jesus Aguilar in the first, but worked out of trouble and left them stranded. Anderson settled in from there and retired 10 straight until he walked Charles Leblanc with two outs in the fourth.

The Braves extended their lead in the fifth. Marcell Ozuna got things started with a double to the wall in right center. Vaughn Grissom followed with a monstrous home run to left center to push the lead to 3-0.

The Marlins would get one of those runs back in the fifth. Anderson retired Lewin Diaz and Peyton Burdick on ground outs before Luke Williams lined one into the left field corner for a triple. Joey Wendle then reached on a swinging bunt just past the mound. Williams scored on the play and cut Atlanta’s lead to 3-1. Anderson got Brian Anderson to ground out to end the inning.

Atlanta got that run right back as Matt Olson launched a solo shot to center to make it 4-1. Olson has homered in three straight games and now has 24 on the season.

Anderson came back out for the sixth and allowed a solo home run to Jesus Aguilar to cut the lead to 4-2. Anderson retired the next three hitters in order to close the inning. He would exit having allowed five hits, a walk and two runs over six innings. He struck out five while throwing 101 pitches.

The Braves added back to the cushion in the seventh. Vaughn Grissom singled to get things started. He was erased on a fielder’s choice by Michael Harris who beat the relay throw at first. Acuña followed with a single to right and Austin Riley walked to load the bases. Matt Olson made them pay with a single to center that scored two to extend the lead to 6-2.

Dylan Lee worked a perfect seventh and then came back out and struck out the side in the eighth. Kirby Yates took over in the ninth and issued a leadoff walk to JJ Bleday. Bleday moved to second on a wild pitch, but Yates got Charles Leblanc to ground out to third for the first out. He then walked Jacob Stallings and that would be it as Brian Snitker would call for Raisel Iglesias who got Lewin Diaz to fly out for the second out, but then walked Burdick to load the bases. However, pinch-hitter Garrett Cooper lined out to Grissom at second to end the game. With the victory, Atlanta clinches a series win and improves to 69-46 on the season.