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Freeman powers Braves past Marlins

Jul 24, 2014 - 2:38 AM Atlanta, GA (SportsNetwork.com) - Freddie Freeman smacked a three-run homer and the Atlanta Braves defeated the Miami Marlins, 6-1, in the third test of a four-game set.

Ervin Santana (9-6) struck out 10 and allowed a run on six hits and three walks over 7 1/3 innings for Atlanta, which had dropped three of its last four games coming in.

B.J. Upton recorded two hits and scored a pair of runs in the triumph.

"Our objective today was to come out and get on top early, we did that. Ervin pitched well, he had great stuff today," Upton said.

Nathan Eovaldi (5-6) surrendered five runs on six hits and two walks over seven frames for the Marlins, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.

The Braves raced out to a quick 5-0 lead after plating a run in the first and four more in the second.

Upton doubled to lead off the first, advanced to third on Tommy La Stella's sacrifice bunt and scored two batters later on Justin Upton's sac fly to left.

Andrelton Simmons hit a one-out single in the second and moved to second on a Santana bunt before B.J. Upton's base hit put runners on the corners. La Stella brought Simmons home with a single to right-center and Freeman followed by launching his three-run shot the opposite way in to the front row of seats in left-center to give the Braves their five-run cushion.

"He just went down there and hit a good pitch," Eovaldi said of Freeman's homer.

Miami got on the board in the third.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia walked and Adeiny Hechavarria singled. Jason Heyward committed a fielding error on Hechavarria's base hit, which allowed Saltalamacchia to scamper to third, but Heyward threw out Hechavarria while he attempted to advance to second.

After Eovaldi walked, Christian Yelich ripped a single to right to push across Saltalamacchia.

The Marlins stranded runners on the corners in the fifth after Donovan Solano grounded into a force out with two away and then squandered a second and third, two-out threat in the eighth when Jordan Walden struck out Casey McGehee.

Gerald Laird's RBI single in the eighth capped the scoring.

Game Notes

Freeman's homer was his 14th of the season ... The Braves were 4-for-8 with runners in scoring position, while Miami finished 1-for-7.