The Braves couldn’t muster much offense against Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara, resulting in their 3-2 loss Saturday afternoon at Truist Park. The Braves and Marlins have split the first two contests of their three-game series.
Alcantara was superb, allowing one unearned run on five hits across six innings. He struck out four and walked four. The Braves had two runners on in two of the first three innings, but Alcantara didn’t allow them to score.
The 25-year-old lowered his career ERA against the Braves to 2.43 (10 earned runs in 37 innings) over six starts.
“I can’t help but like that guy, my God,” manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s another one of those guys that plays catch at 100 (mph). The stuff is so live. That’s what they look like. I’ve liked him from the get-go. I think he’s a really, really good pitcher, and the stuff is live. It’s effortless.
“He’s like one of those guys that seems like he could, once he gets loose, stay out there throwing all day. He doesn’t exert any effort in doing it. And it’s easy movement. He has a feel for the breaking ball. He has a good (change-up). This kid is really, really good.”
Both Braves’ runs were the result of Marlins errors. It was another frustrating game for the offense, which has scored more than four runs in a game once across their past 15 games, their 20-run outburst against the Mets on Wednesday. During that span, the Braves have scored two or fewer runs seven times.
A source of the troubles: failure to hit in scoring opportunities. The Braves struggled in that area again Saturday, going 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranding 10 men on base. They fell to 3-6 against Miami.
Kyle Muller’s third career start was another impressive showing, but the prized Braves southpaw allowed multiple runs in one game for the first time since his MLB debut as a reliever. He was charged with three runs over 5-2/3 innings, including surrendering his first homer to Garrett Cooper in the sixth.
“I got into some tough situations; I didn’t have my best fastball command,” Muller said. “But then (catcher) Kevan Smith back there, shout out to him. He did great. I was spraying some balls, and he was doing a really good job of keeping everything in front and and helped me calm down. But the command really wasn’t there. I didn’t really have my best stuff, but to be able to go out and give 5-2/3 (innings was good).”
Muller lost command in the third. Jon Berti opened with a single and advanced on Alcantara’s bunt. Jazz Chisholm singled home the game’s first run. Muller walked Starling Marte and Cooper’s single scored Chisholm. Muller caught a break when Cooper was thrown out at second. Jesus Aguilar lined out to end the inning.
“He wasn’t as sharp as he had been,” Snitker said of Muller. “But that thing could’ve went haywire really quick, and I thought he kept himself together. The fastball command wasn’t the greatest, but he never gave in. He kept us in the game, gave us a chance. Love the way he competed.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
The Braves got a run back in the fifth, when outfielder Ronald Acuna reached on an error and scored on second baseman Ozzie Albies’ single. It was Albies’ 59th RBI, most in the National League and tied for fourth most in the majors.
Miami immediately responded when Cooper homered off Muller’s first pitch of the sixth. The lefty recorded the next two outs, but Snitker removed him after he issued his fourth walk. Jesse Chavez finished the frame.
The Braves and Marlins finish their series Sunday when starters Charlie Morton (7-3, 3.74 ERA) and Zach Thompson (2-2, 1.50) will face off at 1:20 p.m.
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