Behind two home runs from left fielder Marcell Ozuna and a total of nine extra-base hits, the Braves slugged their way to a 6-3 win against the Miami Marlins on Sunday.
Here are five observations on Atlanta (23-25):
1. The Braves lineup used its matinee to rebound from Saturday’s rough showing, in which the Braves struck out 16 times and tallied only five hits. Ozuna and third baseman Austin Riley erased a first-inning deficit with back-to-back solo homers in the bottom of the frame, and the Braves added insurance runs in three of the next four innings.
With six doubles and three homers, the Braves’ bats kept the club in control for almost all afternoon.
“It’s nice to see the guys bunching some hits, getting something going,” manager Brian Snitker said. “They’ve been working their tails off to get to this point and it’s nice to see it come around.”
2. Ozuna didn’t start off his series against the Marlins well. An 0-for-4 performance Friday snapped a 12-game hitting streak, and he didn’t get a hit on Saturday.The left fielder attributed the lack of production to issues stemming from a stomach virus he first felt in the series against the Phillies.
“The next day, we play against Miami, I felt like I wasn’t running hard because I feel like I’m going to poop my pants,” Ozuna said. “So 0-for-4 that day and then yesterday 0-for-3, and then today I said, ‘I’m feeling good.’”
With a clean slate in Sunday’s series finale, Ozuna did not hold back. He blasted a fastball from Miami starter Elieser Hernández 413 feet to the pool in center field in to tie the game in the first inning. In his next at-bat, Ozuna deposited an slider 458 feet into the left field bleachers. Both solo homers clocked scorching exit velocities of at least 109 mph and lifted the Braves to a comfortable three-run lead.
3. Fried’s eighth straight start of at least six innings wasn’t exactly smooth sailing, but he silenced the Marlins’ bats when it mattered most. Miami was 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left seven runners on base, including failing to capitalize with two runners on base with no outs in the fifth inning.
“I was trying limit it as much as I could,” Fried said. “Just trying to not do too much, make my pitch and get a ground ball and, if I have two strikes, put them away.”
Fried gave up six hits and walked three, but didn’t allow a run after Marlins designated hitter Jorge Soler’s first-inning solo shot.
“He wasn’t his sharpest, but he kept fighting and battling and grinding through that six innings,” Snitker said. “The one where he got 9Marlins first baseman Garrett) Cooper to ground out, that was a huge inning right there because that was right in the meat of their order.”
4. In the fourth inning, center fielder Michael Harris flashed his tantalizing defensive potential on a lineout from Cooper. Harris tracked the 106.9-mph line drive, then dove headfirst and trapped the ball into his glove with his bare left hand for a rare two-handed catch. Cooper’s would-be hit had an expected batting average of .730, but Harris’ play instead gave Fried his first out of the frame and earned the rookie a loud ovation from the home crowd.
With the lead down to three in the eighth inning, Harris battled the sun to catch a deep fly ball and retire shortstop Miguel Rojas. Snitker called Harris’ snag the one of the most difficult plays an outfielder can make.
“They were a little better than ‘pretty good,” Snitker said of Harris’ plays. “Obviously, the diving ball, but the one over his head, that’s probably the toughest play for an outfielder. How he recovered and the body control and all that was pretty impressive.”
5. One player who didn’t come out of the bullpen on Sunday – right-hander Spencer Strider. The Braves announced before Sunday’s game that Strider would be starting in the club’s Memorial Day game against the Arizona Diamondbacks for what will be his first career major-league start. Tucker Davidson, Saturday’s starting pitcher, was optioned earlier in the day, opening up a spot in the rotation.
Strider has a 2.22 ERA and leads the Braves with 13.7 strikeouts per innings. The second-year pro has become a fan favorite by regularly topping 100 mph with his fastball, while fooling opposing hitters with an effective slider. Strider last pitched on Wednesday, striking out five Philadelphia batters over 2-2/3 innings of work.
“It’s still the same game - just go out and get outs,” Strider said. “I haven’t started in a while, so my expectation isn’t to pitch eight innings or something. It’s to get as many outs as possible.”
Stat to know
13: Ozuna added to his career total of multi-homer games and recorded his second of the season.
Quotable
“We are champions, so everyone has to come to us and beat us. We’re not going to let them.” - Marcell Ozuna on having the first winning homestand of the season
Up Next
Strider will make his first major league start against the Diamondbacks at 8:10 p.m. on Monday and will match up against Zac Gallen (3-0, 2.22 ERA).
