Braves 4 - 3 Marlins
Final/10
  for this game

Braves hope Wood can slow down Marlins' hot bats

Sep 6, 2014 - 1:39 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Hey Alex Wood, can you give us another?

That's surely what the Atlanta Braves would like to say to their scheduled pitcher on Saturday night when he prepares to face the Miami Marlins for the second time in six days when the teams meet for game two of a three-game series at Marlins Park.

Miami rapped out a season-high 18 hits in winning the opener on Friday night 11-3 and had 10 hits with runners in scoring position after having just eight in a previous three-game series with the New York Mets.

"We (worked) a little slowly in that last series versus the Mets," Miami's Marcell Ozuna said. "Now we turned it around, we're together and had a good offense."

Wood went eight strong innings against the Marlins on Sunday, tying his career best with 12 strikeouts and allowing just five hits in eight scoreless innings of a 1-0 victory. The win raised him to 3-2 in his last seven outings and lowered his earned run average to 1.86 in that stretch.

Previously, the Marlins hadn't been blanked in 60 games.

In his prior start against the Marlins in April 29, Wood was raked for seven runs in five-plus innings of a 9-0 loss. A week prior to that one, he struck out 11 in eight innings of a 1-0 loss. His only other career outing in which he allowed seven runs was also against Miami, last September.

Atlanta enters game two trailing Milwaukee by a single game for the National League's second wild card position.

Nathan Eovaldi gets the call to face the Braves and Wood for the second straight time. He allowed a solo home run in the loss last Sunday over 6 2/3 innings and has dropped four straight starts -- which ties a career high.

"I feel like I misplaced some fastballs," he said. "I missed that one to (Evan) Gattis. Right down the middle. That was the difference in the game."

In his last nine meetings with Atlanta, Eovaldi has a 1.55 ERA. In five meetings this season, though, he's won just one of three decisions.

The Marlins have averaged less than one run per game with him on the mound in his last 11 starts, lowest in the majors.

On Friday, Ozuna went 4-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored in the Marlins' 11-3 victory over Atlanta.

Giancarlo Stanton went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored for the Marlins, who pounded out a season-high 18 hits. Donovan Solano went 4-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored.

Miami starter Jarred Cosart (4-1) allowed three runs on five hits while striking out six over 7 2/3 innings. The right-hander improved to 3-0 over his last three starts against Atlanta.

Freddie Freeman hit a solo homer for the Braves, who have lost three of four. Aaron Harang (10-10) gave up six runs on 10 hits over 3 2/3 innings.

The Marlins now own a 9-8 edge in the season series with the Braves.






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