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Homers power Marlins past Braves

Apr 24, 2008 - 3:22 AM By Phil Foley PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Hanley Ramirez and Mike Jacobs helped power Andrew Miller to his first win for the Florida Marlins.

Ramirez opened the contest with a home run and Jacobs blasted a two-run shot to lead Florida to a 7-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.

Miller (1-2) scattered two runs one earned and nine hits in five innings for the surprising Marlins, who have won four of their last five games.

"There was a lot of danger tonight," Miller said. "I'm trying to take as much out of this as I can. To go out there and after an inning or two to put up zeroes and keep our team in the game is nice, but I have to figure it out (from the first inning)."

The 22-year old Miller and minor leaguer Cameron Maybin were the centerpieces of yet another Marlins fire sale in the offseason, which cut their already-lean payroll to just under $22 million. But Miller has struggled in his new surroundings, surrendering 19 earned runs in his first 17 2/3 frames prior to this one.

The lefthander navigated his way out of trouble all evening, but managed to get the big out when he needed to en route to recording his first National League win.

Atlanta, which stranded 13 runners on base, wasted opportunities to chase Miller in the first two frames but plated just two runs.

After allowing Yunel Escobar to score on a single by Mark Teixeira in the first, Miller worked out of a first-and-second, one-out jam in the first inning before Matt Diaz led off the second with a homer to cut the Florida lead to 3-2.

Miller loaded the bases in the frame, but retired Teixeira on a fielder's choice to end the frame.

"I thought we were one hit away from winning the game the entire time," said Braves manager Bobby Cox, whose club finished a miserable 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position. "We just didn't get the hit at the right time."

Of course, it helped that Miller was pitching with the lead from the start.

Ramirez blasted a homer to dead center field on the second pitch of the game off Atlanta starter Jeff Bennett (0-1) for his seventh homer of the season. It was the second time this season that the 2006 Rookie of the Year has homered in the leadoff spot and 17th time in his brief three-year career.

Josh Willingham blooped a two-out single and Mike Jacobs deposited Bennett's 1-0 offering 415 feet into the right-center field bleachers to give the Marlins a 3-0 lead.

"Obviously, any time you can start off with a lead is huge," said Jacobs, who has seven homers this season. "It helps our pitcher out. Obviously, having a lead at the start of the game is a good thing."

Florida extended the lead back to three on a fielder's choice by Willingham and a sacrifice fly by Jacobs in the eighth. Dan Uggla capped the scoring with a two-run triple off reliever Chris Resop in the ninth.

Bennett, who was sent home on Monday with flu-like symptoms, allowed three runs and five hits, walked one and struck out four in six innings in his third start of the season. He settled down after allowing the three-spot in the first, scatting just two hits and walking one batter over the next five frames.

"In the first, two pitches were up and they got me," Bennett said. "I feel like I settled down and hit my spots a little bit better (after that)."

"He was sick as heck," Cox said. "Yesterday, he had a 101-degree temperature. He pitched great. I couldn't ask for anything more."

The righthander, who began the season in the bullpen, was inserted in the rotation due to injuries to Tom Glavine and Mike Hampton. Atlanta's two injured starters make $1 million more than the entire Florida roster.

The Marlins, who were picked by many to be vying with woeful Washington for the cellar in the National League East, have had a surprising start to their 2008 campaign. However, the bargain-basement club, which is an impressive 13-8 this season, continues to not to get much respect from around the league.

"The one thing we don't lack in this clubhouse is confidence," Jacobs said. "(Prior to the game,) they were playing something on the scoreboard that said, 'The Braves are facing an unproven lineup.' We've got guys down here that hit 30 homers last year. It goes to show you that people don't give us much respect.

"At this point it's nothing new. It's one of those things that people don't expect much out of you. We expect it out of ourselves and play hard."