Tommy Hanson, Braves clip Marlins

By David O’Brien

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

He was a late entrant to the race for National League Rookie of the Year, but Braves pitcher Tommy Hanson is gaining ground on the leaders with performances like Saturday night’s.

The big right-hander worked seven strong innings, and the Braves rode a four-run first inning to a 4-3 win against the Florida Marlins at Turner Field, which evened the series between wild-card contenders at a game apiece.

Omar Infante and Yunel Escobar hit home runs in the first, and the Braves never trailed en route to their 12th win in 17 games, moving into a tie with Florida for third in the wild-card race and second in the National League East.

“It was good to get that [early lead],” said Hanson (9-2), who took a no-hitter to the fifth inning and won his fourth consecutive start. “I just wanted to go out and stay aggressive, let them put the ball in play.”

He allowed three runs, four hits and three walks with seven strikeouts in seven innings, including five where he faced the minimum three batters.

“Tommy pitched a four-hitter; he pitched a great game,” said manager Bobby Cox, whose Braves were 3-1/2 games behind wild-card leader Colorado before the Rockies’ late game ended Saturday. “Hopefully he’ll be rookie of the year.”

Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano (19th save) pitched a perfect inning apiece to complete the four-hitter against a Florida team that began the day with the majors’ best batting average (.314) in August.

On Thursday the Marlins snapped a string of 15 consecutive games with 10 or more hits — the longest such streak in the NL in 80 years — and beat the Braves 5-3 in Friday’s series opener.

“We had to make sure we got this one,” Gonzalez said. “We talked about it a little before the game, how we had to do whatever it took to win. There was no chance of us losing tonight. Tomorrow, we have to keep that same attitude.”

The Marlins didn’t get their first hit against Hanson until Atlanta native Jeremy Hermida’s two-out single in the fifth. Wes Helms followed with a double, and Jorge Cantu had a two-run, pinch-hit single.

“Every one of their hitters is good,” said Hanson, who is 4-0 with a 2.81 ERA in four August starts. “I was lucky to get out of that inning with those three runs, and glad it stuck.”

He wasn’t brought up from Class AAA until June, but Hanson nine wins in 14 games (all starts) rank second to Philadelphia’s J.A. Happ (10-2) among NL rookies. Happ got his 10th on Saturday in his 17th start and 29th game.

Hanson walked a batter to start the fourth and walked another with one out in the sixth, but the redhead induced double plays to end each of those innings.

The Braves played without injured outfielders Ryan Church, Garret Anderson and Nate McLouth — and with catcher Brian McCann out of the lineup for a rest.

That didn’t stop them from striking for four runs in the first against Chris Volstad (9-10), who gave up a homer to Infante on his fourth pitch.

“In the leadoff spot, I’m just trying to see the ball good and take the base if they give it to me,” said Infante, who led off a game with homer for the sixth time in his career and drew two walks.

After Adam LaRoche’s RBI single, Escobar hit a two-run homer for a 4-0 lead before Volstad recorded his second out.

“It was a bad pitch, and I took advantage,” Escobar said through an interpreter. “We’re in the same situation [as the Marlins]. We’re trying to gain ground.”

Escobar’s first homer since July 23 tied McCann for the team lead with 62 RBIs.

The Braves got more hits (four) in first inning than they had in seven innings against Volstad on April 14, when he held them to one run and three hits in seven innings of a Marlins win in Atlanta.