• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Marlins-Braves Preview

Aug 23, 2009 - 4:17 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Florida (65-57) at Atlanta (64-58), 1:35 p.m. EDT

The Atlanta Braves missed a chance at pulling ahead of the Florida Marlins with a loss in the opener of this key three-game series. They don't want to let that happen again.

Playing with a sense of urgency, the Braves look to win their second in a row and move past the Marlins in the standings in Sunday's finale at Turner Field.

After finishing with six hits in Friday's 5-3 loss, Atlanta (65-58) bounced back with a 4-3 win Saturday to move back into a third-place tie with Florida (65-58) in the NL wild-card race. Both teams trail Colorado by four games for the league's final playoff spot.

The Braves are 12-5 since Aug. 4, but realize they can't afford many setbacks the rest of the way if they want to make their first playoff appearance since 2005.

"That's what it's about now," reliever Mike Gonzalez said. "There's no chance for losing. That's the way we're going to have to keep playing."

Atlanta, powered by a two-run home run by Yunel Escobar and a solo shot from Omar Infante, scored all its runs in the first inning Saturday.

Adam LaRoche had two hits and drove in a run, continuing a torrid pace with his new club. In 19 games since the Braves acquired him from Boston on July 31, LaRoche is batting .415 with seven home runs, 16 RBIs and a .506 on-base percentage.

The Marlins couldn't muster much offense Saturday, finishing with four hits. Florida has dropped three of four after winning nine of its previous 11.

Hanley Ramirez led the Marlins in the series opener, going 3 for 4 with a two-run homer and three RBIs, but was hitless in three at-bats Saturday. As Ramirez goes, so go the Marlins.

Since Aug. 13, the All-Star shortstop is batting .591 with two home runs, two doubles and six RBIs in Florida's six wins, but is 3 for 15 with no extra-base hits and no RBIs in the team's four losses.

Ramirez may have better luck against Braves starter Derek Lowe (12-8, 4.45 ERA) on Sunday, as he's hitting .526 with five doubles lifetime versus the sinkerballer.

Ricky Nolasco (9-8, 5.22) takes the ball for Florida looking to build on one of his best starts of the season.

After being tagged for a career-high 10 runs and eight hits in 3 1-3 innings of a 14-6 home loss to Houston on Aug. 12, Nolasco fared much better at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday, allowing three hits in a complete-game 6-2 win over the Astros. The right-hander struck out 10, walked none and retired 23 straight following Carlos Lee's first-inning two-run homer.

Nolasco has now yielded two runs or fewer in five of six starts. One of those performances came against Atlanta last month.

Nolasco allowed two runs and seven hits in seven innings of a 4-3 win over the Braves on July 28, though he didn't receive a decision.

Lowe will try to emulate Nolasco's last start and bounce back from a rough outing of his own. He was knocked around for eight runs - all in the fourth - and 11 hits in 3 2-3 innings of a 9-4 loss to the New York Mets on Tuesday. The right-hander had gone 5-0 with a 2.91 ERA in his previous seven starts.

It could be tough for Lowe to get back on track. He has a 9.00 ERA in two starts against the Marlins this season.