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Boone, Willingham lead Marlins past Braves in series finale

Jun 6, 2007 - 9:47 PM ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Aaron Boone homered and Josh Willingham drove in two runs as the Florida Marlins posted a 7-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves in the finale of their four-game series Wednesday afternoon.

The Marlins entered hostile Turner Field - a place that had not been kind to them - with a 4-3 record on their season-high 11-game trip. Florida had lost six of nine here last season and trailed 39-73 in the all-time series coming into Wednesday's matinee.

But thanks to Boone and Willingham, the Marlins took three of the four games in the set to win a series in Atlanta for just the second time since the 2002 campaign.

"It was big," Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla said. "Anytime you come into someone else's park and take three out of four or two out of three, it's a big series."

In the first, Willingham gave Florida a 2-0 advantage with a two-run double to score Alfredo Amezaga and Uggla, who both singled to lead off the inning.

Boone provided the spark during a three-run third. Uggla stroked a leadoff double and stole third base. After Willingham walked, Jeremy Hermida lofted a sacrifice fly, plating Uggla and setting the stage for Boone's two-run blast off starter Kyle Davies (3-4) to make it 5-0.

"It was a hanging slider and I got a good piece of it," said Boone, who finished with six RBI in the series. "I was able to knock the (tar) out of it. It's nice to (hit a homer). And to get a win, makes it even nicer."

"It was a slider I just hung," Davies said. "It was one where I was just trying to throw a strike. It slid over the plate."

Florida added two insurance runs in the eighth as pinch hitter Joe Borchard and Amezaga both delivered run-scoring singles to extend the lead to 7-2.

With the win, the Marlins finished their 11-game trip tying a franchise record with seven wins. It was their best showing away from home since going 7-5 on a 12-game trip June 13-26, 2005.

"It was a good series for us," Boone said. "This was a good way to end the trip. We think we have a good team. It's about us playing good baseball."

Marlins starter Scott Olsen labored through 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs and four hits with four strikeouts and a season high-tying five walks.

The lefthander exited after getting into a jam in the fifth.

Olsen walked pinch hitter Pete Orr and Kelly Johnson. One out later, Jeff Francoeur hit a two-run double to finally get the Braves on the board and chase Olsen.

But Justin Miller (1-0) shut the door on the Atlanta rally. The righthander retired Andruw Jones and Matt Diaz to end the threat and worked around two hits in the sixth to record his first win since September 8, 2004.

"I was just trying to get hitters out, and get our guys off the field," Miller said. "I'm glad we won."

Atlanta plated two more runs in the eighth when Taylor Tankersley allowed a two-out single to Kelly Johnson. Marlins closer Kevin Gregg relieved Tankersley and allowed a single to rookie Yunel Escobar to load the bases. But Gregg induced Francoeur to ground out to end the threat and record his ninth save.

"It was a slider middle away," Gregg said of the pitch. "(Francoeur) hit it right off the end of the bat."

Atlanta stranded 12 runners on base.

"We didn't pitch good in the first three innings," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "You're not going to (come back) every night. That's why there's a pitcher on each team."

Davies allowed five runs and six hits in five innings to drop to 0-4 with a 9.53 ERA in seven games against Florida.

"I'm not as aggressive as I want to be," Davies said. "The pitches I threw in the fourth and fifth were thrown with more conviction. I want to begin the game like that. I've got to get out of my own way. It's a lot easier said than done."

Scott Thorman had three hits for Atlanta, which has lost five of six at home.