Braves bounce back vs. Marlins

ATLANTA -- After having Miami snap their 14-game winning streak Saturday, the Atlanta Braves weren't about to let the Marlins take a second series from them at home this season.

The Braves scored four runs in the seventh inning against the Miami bullpen to break a tie, getting back on track with a 9-4 victory over the Marlins on Sunday at Turner Field.

Jason Heyward had four hits, Evan Gattis smacked three and Freddie Freeman belted a three-run homer as Atlanta improved to 40-16 at home and a National League-best 72-46 overall.

"Having the winning streak end was a bummer," Gattis said. "It was huge to be able to bounce back like this put up a lot of runs."

Gattis drove in one of the seventh-inning runs with his second double and Chris Johnson doubled in two more.

Shut out on three singles in a 1-0 loss the night before, the Braves had 12 hits, including five for extra bases.

"As an offense when you get shut out you want to come back and get things going again and we able to do that," Freeman said.

The Braves have lost just two home series all year, one to the Marlins in early July.

"Baseball is crazy," Gattis said.

Mike Minor, benefiting from the Braves' big inning, improved to 12-5. He allowed four runs on six hits in seven innings, striking out six and walking one.

The Marlins, who had gone 22 innings without a run before scoring on a wild pitch in the ninth Saturday, scored three times on four hits in the second inning against Minor.

Jake Marisnick had a two-out RBI single and Marlins starter Henderson Alvarez delivered a two-run double after a Koyie Hill popup dropped between second baseman Dan Uggla and right fielder Heyward.

"We got (Minor) in the hole a little bit with that sun ball," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

"I felt like I threw a lot better than what it showed," said Minor, who was facing the Marlins for the fourth time this season.

The Braves got one of the runs back in the bottom of the inning on Uggla's sacrifice fly and, after leaving the bases loaded in the fourth, took the lead in the fifth. Freeman picked on a 3-1 fastball from Alvarez and lined a three-run line homer just over the left-center-field wall. It was his 14th homer of the season and gave him 79 RBIs.

Freeman had a large family contingent in from California. "It was nice to do something for them," said the first baseman, who also had a double and was walked twice.

The Marlins tied it in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Ed Lucas, allowing Alvarez to get a no-decision. The right-hander worked six innings and allowed four runs on seven hits, striking out four and walking one.

Dan Jennings replaced Alvarez to start the seventh and gave way to A.J. Ramos after walking pinch-hitter Joey Terdoslavich and giving up a single to Heyward.

Then the Braves looked like the team that had averaged nearly six runs per game during the winning streak.

B.J. Upton delivered a tie-breaking sacrifice fly and Freeman was walked intentionally before Gattis and Johnson came through with their big doubles.

"In the seventh inning we just couldn't stop them," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "We didn't execute some pitches and they have a lot of weapons over there in the middle of that lineup."

The Braves added a run in the eighth inning as Heyward produced his fourth straight single after a hit and stolen base by Jordan Schafer.

"After snapping their streak, we wanted to win the series," said Lucas, who had two hits in addition to his sacrifice fly. "We don't score a lot of runs, so it was good to put up a crooked number early. But we let them back in the game and then couldn't finish them off. It was disappointing."

NOTES: Braves LF Justin Upton had to leave the game in the fifth inning when he suffered a cramp in his left hamstring running to first base on a bunt. ... The Braves activated C Gerald Laird (kidney stone) from the disabled list and sent OF Todd Cunningham back to Triple-A Gwinnett. ... RHP Julio Teheran (9-5, 2.98) will start against LHP Cole Hamels (4-13, 3.81) as the Braves begin a three-game home series with Philadelphia on Monday. ... The Marlins continue their road trip at Kansas City with an interleague series against the Kansas City Royals. RHP Tom Koehler (3-7, 4.40) will start against RHP Wade Davis (5-9, 5.42) on Monday.