MIAMI – When the engines of this Braves offense are humming, it’s been impressive.
They were humming in the sixth inning Thursday night. Man, were they ever.
Ozzie Albies hit the first grand slam of his major league career and Freddie Freeman followed two batters later with a two-run homer as the Braves used a seven-run sixth inning to overwhelm the Marlins in a 9-2 rout to open a four-game series at Marlins Park.
Albies had a career-high five RBIs and Freeman had a career-high five hits for the Braves, whose eighth consecutive road win gave them their longest road winning streak since a 10-game tear in September 2009.
Marlins reliever Drew Steckenrider recorded just one out in the sixth inning and was charged with four hits, six runs and two walks. After intentionally walking No. 8 hitter Johan Camargo, he unintentionally walked pinch-hitter Preston Tucker on four pitches to load the bases.
Albies then unloaded them by crushing a 1-1 slider, driving it over the right-field wall.
It was the 11th home run for Albies, one behind National League leader Bryce Harper. The Braves’ 21-year-old second baseman leads the league with 25 extra-base hits, and the grand slam gave Albies five game-winning RBIs, tied the league lead in that category.
It was the first grand slam for the Braves since Matt Kemp hit one Sept. 13 off Washington reliever Brandon Kintzler at Nationals Park in Luiz Gohara’s first major league win. Coincidentally, Gohara made his season debut and first major league relief appearance Thursday and recorded his first save.
The big rookie left-hander entered to start the seventh inning with an 8-1 lead and pitched the final three innings, allowing two hits, one run and two walks with two strikeouts, the run on a Lewis Brinson homer in the ninth.
Freeman went 5-for-5 to raise his average from .301 to .326. He’s batted .371 with 19 extra-base hits (eight homers) in his past 40 games against the Marlins.
Albies, the Braves’ 165-pound dynamo and current leadoff hitter, has five homers and 15 RBIs in the past 14 games including 10 Braves wins. He’s had four games with at least three RBIs in his past 13 games.
Nine of Albies' 11 homers have come in 21 games on the road, where the Braves have a 14-7 record. They’ve played more road games than all but the Rockies and Pirates.
