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Marlins-Braves Preview

Aug 8, 2015 - 5:14 AM While they've been mediocre against the rest of the NL East, the Atlanta Braves continue to thrive against the Miami Marlins.

The Braves seek another win over Miami on Saturday night but face the only current Marlins starter to have beaten them this season, Tom Koehler.

Atlanta (50-60) is 24-24 against its division rivals but improved to 9-2 against Miami with a 6-3 victory Friday. The Marlins (43-67) took a short-lived lead by scoring three runs in the seventh, and the Braves responded with four in their half.

Nick Markakis hit a two-run single, and Atlanta took advantage of two errors, giving Miami nine in the past 10 games. Markakis went 3 for 4 to extend his hitting streak to an NL-best 14 games.

Atlanta, which has not won three straight in more than a month, has a tough task in solving Koehler (8-8, 3.71 ERA), who is 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA in his last four starts against the Braves and 1-0 with a 2.50 ERA in his last three in Atlanta. He picked up one of Miami's two wins over the Braves on April 14 by allowing two runs in 5 1-3 innings in an 8-2 win at Turner Field.

Koehler, however, has hardly been at his best lately, allowing a combined 12 runs in 10 1-3 innings in back-to-back losses. He matched a season high by giving up seven in 4 1-3 innings in a 12-1 drubbing to the New York Mets on Monday.

That triggered the Marlins' current five-game losing streak. They've also dropped 12 of 14 overall and 20 of 25 on the road.

"It's certainly not indicative of what he's done this year, just a bad game. Unfortunately, you're going to have some of those," manager Dan Jennings said.

Mike Foltynewicz (3-3, 5.40) also struggled in his latest outing Monday, his second since being called up from the minors. The right-hander gave up six runs on a career-high four homers in his six innings against San Francisco but avoided a loss as the Braves rallied for a 9-8 victory in 12 innings.

Foltynewicz, making his first appearance against the Marlins, gave up a pair of solo homers in his six innings July 29 in a 2-0 loss in Baltimore.

The Braves could have Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher in uniform for this game after acquiring the two players from Cleveland on Friday for Chris Johnson.

"I think with the addition of these two players, we're getting winning players with good makeups," Braves president John Hart told MLB's official website. "They've been around winners and they play the game the right way. I think these guys will fit what we're doing."

Bourn, who played 208 games for Atlanta from 2011-12, is batting .400 (14 for 35) in his last 11 games after hitting .224 in his first 84. Swisher has been rehabbing from inflammation on one of his surgically repaired knees and is batting .198 in 30 games this season.

Markakis, hitting .361 during his streak, is 3 for 6 lifetime against Koehler. A.J. Pierzynski, batting .426 during a 12-game run, is 5 for 9 with two homers.