Austin Riley and Matt Olson each hit home runs in the first inning, and Orlando Arcia added another in the third as the Atlanta Braves secured a 4-2 victory over the Miami Marlins on Thursday night. This win marks the Braves’ fifth in their last six games.
“We’re hitting again,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker. “Bullpen continues to be really solid. Starting pitching has been really good. The biggest thing is the runs, putting something together consistently offensively. We’re kind of scratching the surface of doing that.”
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Charlie Morton (6-6) delivered a strong performance, allowing just one run on five hits over six innings. He struck out six and walked two. Despite allowing the leadoff batter to reach base in five of the six innings, Morton managed to limit the Marlins to a single unearned run in the fifth.
“I felt good about my delivery,” Morton said. “I felt good about my four-seamer; it was getting good spin off the top. I can afford to give up hits if my four-seamer is working and my breaking ball is there.”
Marcell Ozuna contributed by going 2 for 4 with a run scored, while Olson went 1 for 4 with two RBIs. Jorge Soler, in his first home game since rejoining the Braves after being traded from the Giants, went 0 for 3 with a walk. Soler was the MVP of the 2021 World Series for Atlanta.
Braves closer Raisel Iglesias earned his 23rd save of the season, following a perfect eighth inning pitched by A.J. Minter. For the Marlins, Jake Burger had a notable performance, going 2 for 3 with an RBI.
In the seventh inning, the Braves brought in newly acquired Luke Jackson with two runners on base. Jackson gave up an RBI single to Burger but managed to escape the inning by getting Jesús Sánchez to ground out.
The Braves took an early lead against Marlins rookie Max Meyer (2-1). Riley launched a home run into the right-field seats with one out in the first inning. After Ozuna walked, Olson followed with a 374-foot home run to right field, marking his fifth home run in six games and his 18th of the season.
Meyer pitched five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out seven.
The Braves’ continued offensive resurgence and solid pitching performances have been key to their recent success, as they look to maintain their momentum in the coming games.