Marlins 1, Braves 0
ATLANTA - The Miami Marlins broke a 22-inning scoreless streak and ended the Atlanta Braves' 14-game winning streak in the process.
Adeiny Hechavarria legged out a triple to open the ninth inning and scored on a wild pitch by reliever Jordan Walden to give Miami a 1-0 victory Saturday night and halt the Braves' streak one game short of tying a team record.
Walden's 2-2 slider to Ed Lucas hit the dirt in front of catcher Evan Gattis and went to the backstop to the dismay of 42,177 at Turner Field. Lucas ended up striking out and the next two batters were also retired, but the damage had been done.
The Braves were completely shut down by Miami starter Nathan Eovaldi for seven innings and three relievers completed the three-hit shutout as the Marlins snapped a six-game losing streak.
Steve Cishek pitched the ninth inning for his 24th save, striking out Paul Janish after allowing a two-out single by Gattis.
The only hit for the Braves off Eovaldi was a first-inning liner the opposite way by Freddie Freeman that just eluded diving Marlins shortstop Hechavarra.
Eovaldi, who didn't allow a base runner in his final four innings, walked three and struck out eight in seven innings before leaving for a pinch hitter after 90 pitches.
It was the fifth straight game that the Marlins had failed to score while Eovaldi was on the mound.
Braves starter Alex Wood like Eovaldi had to pitch around a single and walk in the first inning, but was dominant from there while working six innings. The rookie left-hander allowed just one more hit and struck out seven, leaving after throwing 87 pitches.
Braves third baseman Chris Johnson, leading the National League with a .337 average, was ejected by home plate umpire Jim Joyce after being called out on strikes to end the first inning. Johnson threw his bat and then his helmet before looking back to bark at Joyce.
After Johnson was tossed, the skies opened up and a downpour accompanied by thunder caused a 54-minute delay. But neither starting pitcher seemed bothered by the interruption.
Wood retired the next 11 batters he faced before Jeff Mathis singled for the Marlins with two outs in the fifth. Eovaldi, meanwhile, allowed the Braves just two walks from the second through fifth innings.
NOTES: Marlins rookie LF Christian Yelich singled leading of the game for the second straight night, extending his hitting streak to 10 games. ... RF Giancarlo Stanton, 4-for-37 over the previous 10 games, wasn't in the starting lineup for the Marlins. ... The Braves activated OF Jordan Schafer and sent OF Jose Constanza back to Triple-A Gwinnett. Schafer, who played eight rehab games with Gwinnett, had been sidelined since early July with a broken ankle. ... LHP Mike Minor (11-5, 2.76 ERA) will pitch for the Braves in Sunday's series finale against Marlins rookie RHP Henderson Alvarez (2-1, 2.80). ... Johnny Logan, a four-time all-star and the shortstop on the Milwaukee Braves' 1957 World Series championship team, died at age 86 in Milwaukee on Friday night.
