Braves 3 - 2 Marlins
Final
  for this game

Marlins hope to snap 7-game slide versus Braves

Jun 9, 2011 - 3:08 PM

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(Sports Network) - Mired in their worst slump in more than two years, the Florida Marlins turn to right-hander Chris Volstad tonight when they conclude a three-game series with the visiting Atlanta Braves at Sun Life Stadium.

The skid reached seven games for the Marlins on Wednesday night, when Freddie Freeman's one-out RBI single in the top of the 10th handed the Braves a thrilling 3-2 victory.

The loss marked the first time Florida has dropped as many as seven straight since April 2009.

Trailing 2-0 and down to their final strike in the ninth, the Marlins brought two across the plate with a Mike Stanton single to right.

Florida again threatened in the bottom of the 10th when Scott Proctor allowed runners to reach first and second with one down, but George Sherrill struck out Greg Dobbs and Scott Linebrink erased Gaby Sanchez to end the threat.

Michael Dunn (4-4) took the loss after allowing Freeman's game-winning RBI.

Volstad, a 24-year-old product of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, was 2-1 on the season after a 4-2 defeat of the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 26, but has since dropped four decisions in seven starts.

He allowed six hits and three runs over seven innings of a 3-2 loss to Milwaukee on June 4, and, one start earlier, was raked for eight hits and five runs in just 3 1/3 innings of a 15-4 defeat in Arizona.

Volstad dropped a 5-0 decision to the Braves on April 12 in Atlanta and is 2-3 against them in seven career starts.

For Atlanta, 25-year-old ace Jair Jurrjens aims to rediscover his own winning form.

The Curacao native was 5-0 after downing Philadelphia, 5-3, on May 14, but has since dropped two of four starts, including a 5-0 verdict to the Mets in New York on June 4.

In that game, Jurrjens allowed six hits and four runs in 6 1/3 innings.

He has eight career starts against the Marlins and is 4-1 with a 3.86 earned run average and 35 strikeouts in 49 innings.

Atlanta is second in the National League East and trails the front-running Phillies by three games, while the Marlins are third in the five-team loop and sit five games behind the leaders.

Florida took two of three meetings with Atlanta from April 12-14 of this season, but the Braves have won nine of the 13 most recent encounters between the NL East foes.






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