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Nolasco, Marlins hand Braves historic loss

Jul 31, 2011 - 9:36 PM Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Ricky Nolasco pitched into the seventh inning to help Florida avoid the sweep with a 3-1 win over Atlanta.

Nolasco (8-7) gave up 12 hits, but allowed just one run while striking out four to win his second straight start as the Marlins won for the sixth time in their past eight games.

"I'd rather give up 12 hits and not walk anybody than however else you want to divide it up," said Nolasco. "They were a bunch of singles. I'm not taking anything away from them cause they are a great hitting team. You just have to battle and keep making good pitches. I was glad to hold them to just the one run."

Tommy Hanson (11-6) was handed the loss when he gave up three runs on six hits with four walks and seven strikeouts over six innings as the Braves lost a game for the 10,000th time in franchise history.

"I expect more than that out of myself when I go out there," said Hanson. "Since the All-Star break I've hit a rough patch here. I just have to keep working hard and try to do better."

Atlanta second baseman Dan Uggla extended his hitting streak to 22 games with a single in the first inning, but finished the game just 1-for-4 while Freddie Freeman moved his to 15 games with a 1-for-4 contest.

The Braves made their big splash at the trade deadline before the game as the team acquired center fielder Michael Bourn from the Houston Astros for outfielder Jordan Schafer and pitchers Juan Abreu, Paul Clemens and Brett Oberholtzer.

Atlanta took the lead in the first inning when Jose Constanza led off with a double, moved to third on Martin Prado's single and crossed the plate as Freeman hit into a double play.

Florida, though, tied the game in the second as Hanley Ramirez led off with a walk and stole second before Mike Stanton singled him home.

The Marlins took their first lead of the series in the third as Omar Infante reached base on a bunt single and came home when Greg Dobbs followed with a double for a 2-1 advantage.

The fifth inning saw Emilio Bonifacio hit a leadoff home run for a 3-1 lead.

Meanwhile, Atlanta consistently put runners on base except in the third inning when Nolasco set them down in order.

The Braves left two on in the second, men on first and third in the fourth after Jason Heyward hit a leadoff double and Alex Gonzalez later singled, one in the fifth, men at the corners again in the sixth when they put their first two batters on and one in the seventh when Edward Mujica got Uggla to pop out with Freeman on first.

Mujica set Atlanta down in order in the eighth while Leo Nunez worked around a two-out single to Prado in the ninth for his 30th save of the season.

Game Notes

Uggla is batting 28-for-84 during his streak...Bonifacio finished July with 38 hits, one shy of Luis Castillo's team record for the month of July set in 2000...Nunez joined Robb Nen as the only Marlin pitchers to reach 30 saves in one season. Nen had 35 in 1996 and 1997...The Braves have won six of nine against the Marlins this season...The Philadelphia Phillies are the only other team to have 10,000 losses on their resume...The Braves left 10 men on base.