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Braves aim to solve Marlins' Cosart

Sep 5, 2014 - 3:10 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Hello, old friend.

The Atlanta Braves may not say exactly those words when they visit Marlins Park to encounter Miami starting pitcher Jared Cosart on Friday night, but they do hope their meeting in the opener of a three-game series is more cordial than it was the last time around.

The Braves arrive in South Florida after a difficult home stretch against Philadelphia, including a no-hitter against them on Monday and a shutout on Tuesday before rallying to score seven runs in a series-ending win.

It didn't help that Justin Upton, who leads the team in home runs and runs batted in, was absent with a triceps injury. He's iffy to return Friday.

Atlanta is among four teams in tight contention for the National League's two wild card spots and the Braves face Cosart again just six days after he tossed seven-plus scoreless innings in beating them, 4-0.

Cosart is 2-0 with a sub-1.00 earned run average against the Braves and has won three decisions in his last four starts with a 0.65 ERA. He was acquired from Houston in a six-player trade in late July.

"For him, going from Houston to our team, a team that is young and headed in the right direction and is fighting for a playoff spot, that energizes guys," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said.

The Braves counter with veteran righty Aaron Harang, who allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings in his last matchup with the Marlins, though he'd entered with just a 1-3 mark and an 8.44 ERA in his previous seven trips to Miami.

He dropped the decision to Cosart last weekend and is 0-2 with a 5.10 ERA in five meetings with the Marlins this season.

Miami slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who leads the NL with 36 homers, has six hits in 13 at-bats against Harang in 2014 and is one home run away from equaling the franchise record of 154.

On Wednesday in Atlanta, Christian Bethancourt helped the Braves break out of an offensive slide, going 3-for-4 with an pair of RBI and two runs scored in a 7-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Turner Field.

B.J. Upton added a homer and Freddie Freeman scored a pair of runs for the Braves, who salvaged the finale of the three-game set.

"We'd like to win all of them," Upton said. "Every game counts right now. We didn't hang our heads after the last two days."

Braves starting pitcher Ervin Santana (14-7) benefited from the outburst to record the win, his first since August 18. The right-hander was charged with four runs on seven hits, striking out four and walking one in six innings.

In Miami, Travis d'Arnaud's RBI double sparked a two-run eighth inning that gave the New York Mets a 4-3 win over the Marlins.

After Christian Yelich tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning, d'Arnaud put the Mets back in front a half inning later. Matt den Dekker, who went 3-for-4 with a double, reached on a drag bunt to start the frame. Lucas Duda singled to chase reliever Mike Dunn (10-6) from the game, and d'Arnaud greeted Bryan Morris by lining the second pitch he saw down to right.

After Kirk Nieuwenhuis was walked intentionally, Duda came home for a crucial insurance run after Dilson Herrera grounded into a fielder's choice.

Stanton led off the bottom of the eighth with a solo homer down the left-field line, giving him one home run in all three games.

Tom Koehler struck out 10 for Miami and gave up two runs on five hits over seven innings of work.

"They have played us tough," Redmond said. "Guys are battling. This is a new spot for us playing games with a little bit of pressure."

The season series between the Marlins and Braves is tied at 8-8.