By Charles Odum
Associated Press
ATLANTA ó The Braves gave Brandon Beachy enough support with five runs in the first four innings.
ěPlenty of run support and I gave it right back,î Beachy said.
Beachy and Florida starter Ricky Nolasco each gave up five runs before John Buck drove in the go-ahead run with a seventh-inning single, and the Marlins held off the Braves 6-5 on Thursday night to win their second straight road series.
Beachy gave up five runs on seven hits and four walks in 5 1-3 innings.
Brian McCann hit a three-run home run and Dan Uggla also homered for Atlanta.
ěOur struggles continue,î said Chipper Jones. ěWeíve just got to work on putting all three phases together.
ěWe did this at various times last year, where weíd pitch and play defense, wouldnít hit. Pitch and hit, wouldnít play defense. Play defense and hit, wouldnít pitch. They all take turns. But then we hit our stride, started putting it all together.î
Jones tried to provide encouragement for Beachy, a rookie still looking for his first win.
ěI sort of got the feeling there for a time he was feeling for the strike zone,î Jones said. ěHe was missing up a lot. I just told him, ëDonít sacrifice stuff for location. You start sacrificing stuff for location, you get whacked. You gotta let your natural ability work for you.íî
Buck was 0 for 9 in the series before driving in Gaby Sanchez from second base with the single off Eric OíFlaherty (0-1) to break a 5-5 tie.
The Marlins have won two of three in both Houston and Atlanta for a successful start to their nine-game road trip, which shifts to Philadelphia on Friday.
Sanchez had two hits, including his first homer. Logan Morrison had a two-run double and Hanley Ramirez was on base five times with three hits, including a run-scoring single, and two walks.
Brian Sanches (2-0) pitched a scoreless sixth inning to earn the win and Leo Nunez pitched the ninth for his fourth save.
Chris Coghlan had two hits and was 7 for 12 in the series as he continued his success against the Braves. Coghlan has hits in 20 straight games against Atlanta, including 10 straight at Turner Field.
Coghlan also delivered the key defensive play of the game with a diving catch in center of pinch-hitter Brooks Conradís bases-loaded line drive to end the sixth.
The Marlins scored three in the first on a run-scoring double by Mike Stanton and Morrisonís two-run double. Ramirez drove in Buck, who walked, with a single in the second, and Sanchez hit his first homer in the third.
Nolasco lasted five innings, giving up five runs on six hits, including two homers, and a walk. Nolasco threw 33 pitches in the first inning while giving up four runs. Martin Prado, Nate McLouth and Jones reached on singles, with Jones driving in Prado. McCann followed with his three-run homer to right.
After his long first inning, Nolasco regrouped quickly by throwing only seven pitches in the second and six while retiring the Braves in order in the third. Nolasco gave up the homer to Uggla in the fourth as the Braves pulled even at 5-5.
Notes: Greg Dobbs struck out in each of his three at-bats against Beachy. Dobbs has six strikeouts in six career at-bats against the right-hander, including three with the Phillies in 2010. … Nolasco did not walk a batter in his first two starts. He issued his first walk of the season, to Jason Heyward, in the fourth. … Peter Moylan struck out Stanton to end the sixth with the bases loaded. … Ramirez lifted his batting average from .194 to .256.
The Associated Press
04/14/11 23:21