Marlins 3 - 2 Braves
Final
  for this game

Alvarez on track to make start vs. Braves

Jul 24, 2014 - 2:57 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Having already lost ace Jose Fernandez earlier this season to injury, the Miami Marlins got a scare with regards to All-Star Henderson Alvarez in his most recent outing.

Alvarez, though, is on track to make his start on Thursday evening in the finale of a four-game set with the Atlanta Braves.

The right-hander was forced to exit Saturday's game versus the San Francisco Giants following 2 2/3 innings after taking a comebacker of his left shin. X- rays were negative as the Marlins appeared to dodge a disaster.

That wasn't so for Alvarez's stat line as he was charged with the loss for giving up two runs -- one earned -- on three hits before leaving.

The 24-year-old fell to 6-5 with a 2.64 earned run average on the year, but manager Mike Redmond is glad to still have the option of penciling Alvarez in.

"We got lucky, because it caught Henderson between the muscle and the shin," Redmond told Miami's website earlier this week. "I think it got more muscle than bone. It blew up quickly on him. It was sore, of course. I think he's fine. We can't lose anybody, but especially him. It's good that he's fine."

Alvarez will now take aim at a first career win against the Braves, who he is 0-2 versus lifetime with a 6.67 ERA in five meetings.

Veteran Aaron Harang counters for Atlanta having not lost since June 18. He was, however, denied a fifth straight winning start on Saturday versus Philadelphia despite six scoreless innings.

The 36-year-old righty yielded five hits and three walks in the no-decision as the Braves dropped a 2-1 contest.

Harang is 5-5 with a 6.25 ERA lifetime versus the Marlins.

The Braves lost the first two games of this series before coming through with last night's 6-1 victory. Atlanta plated five runs over the first two innings, keyed by Freddie Freeman's three-run homer.

Ervin Santana struck out 10 and allowed a run on six hits and three walks over 7 1/3 innings for Atlanta, which had dropped three of its last four games coming in.

"Our objective today was to come out and get on top early, we did that. Ervin pitched well, he had great stuff today," said Braves outfielder B.J. Upton, who had a pair of hits and scored twice.

Nathan Eovaldi surrendered five runs on six hits and two walks over seven frames for the Marlins, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.

"He just went down there and hit a good pitch," Eovaldi said of Freeman's second-inning homer.

These two clubs have split 12 meetings this season, with the Braves having gone 15-8 over the last 23 contests with the Marlins at Turner Field.






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