Miami Marlins defeat Atlanta Braves 8-4 as Giancarlo Stanton shines - MLB Update
Starter Mark Buehrle restricts the Atlanta Braves to six hits in six innings as the Miami Marlins win 8-4 at Turner Field, Atlanta, Georgia on May 16, 2012 in first game of the two match series.
Omar Infante and Giancarlo Stanton lead the Marlins’ recovery in the season. Bringing valuable hits and sending base-runners to home-plate are all what the Marlins have been missing right from start of the season.
All of a sudden three Marlins’ hitters now maintain more than a .500 slugging percentage. Second baseman Omar Infante, left fielder Austin Kearns and right fielder Stanton are in this list.
While this negates their ability to manufacture runs to some extent, this definitely explains the kind of home runs they can provide.
Fourth and fifth innings swung the game heavily in favour of the Marlins. Kearns' double in the fourth led Infante and Hanley Ramirez to reach home plate. In the same inning, Emilio Bonifacio singled and allowed Kearns to complete his quest.
In the face of competent offence the Braves possessed, their lead was always vulnerable, but thanks to relievers Heath Bell and Edward Mujica, they protected it successfully.
Mujica came in the eighth inning when the Marlins were four runs ahead of the Braves. Following his scoreless inning, Bell stepped on the mound to do the closing job.
Given the fact Bell has been roughed up in such situations a number of times, the manager Ozzie Guillen knew the potential disaster.
Braves will be disappointed by their starter Mike Minor. He leaked six hits and six runs in little more than four innings. This is an area where the Braves have struggled to get results.
A lengthy outing by Tim Hudson in last game apart, most of their pitchers are called up before they justify their role as a starter. What happens afterwards is, bullpen comes into play and the hitters latch on to the weaknesses of their relievers.
That in the end results in so many runs and monumental task for the offence to make up for this deficiency.
Marlins cannot afford to let loose on momentum. By getting their starter to strike-out greater number of batters, they can build long winning streak now. Since their hitters have started finding right connections, achieving this will be easier.
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