Braves aim to rise up bats in finale over Marlins

When the Atlanta Braves play in South Florida on Sunday, they’ll be seeking for greater consistency from their offense in addition to a series win.

The lack of consistency is the reason they aren’t trying for a series sweep. After scoring eight runs on Friday night, Atlanta’s strong lineup managed only one run on six hits against Florida Marlins pitcher Max Meyer on Saturday, falling 5-1.

Atlanta’s 1-4 hitters combined to go 3-for-15. “He pitched well.” Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson described Meyer as “mixing it up.” “Not to discount anything he did, because he threw well, but it was not the best flow for us offensively today.”

The Braves will look to extend Miami starting Jesus Luzardo’s agony in the rubber match on Sunday afternoon. In three starts this season, the left-hander is 0-2 with a 7.20 ERA. In six career appearances versus Atlanta, Luzardo has a 3-3 record and a 3.52 ERA. Atlanta will start Charlie Morton (1-0, 3.18), who has faced the Marlins since they were known as the Florida Marlins. In 24 career appearances versus the Marlins, the 40-year-old righty has a 13-6 record and a 3.92 ERA.

Following a 2023 season in which Miami won the most games (84) since 2009 and made only its second postseason appearance since the 2003 World Series, the organization’s direction was positive. The Marlins started the season 1-11 and didn’t win at home until Saturday.

Nonetheless, Miami manager Skip Schumaker’s squad has won two of three games and has a chance to win its first series in 2024. “It’s not like we’re going to stop playing hard or stop fighting,” Schumaker said in a statement. “I realize it wasn’t everyone’s ideal start, but we have a pretty good team out there. If we pitch like that and avoid self-inflicted wounds, we’ll be fine.”

Along with Meyer’s strong start on Saturday, Miami received a boost from left fielder Bryan De La Cruz, who went 2-for-4 and cleared the bases with a three-run double off Atlanta’s Chris Sale in the fifth inning.

“It feels great,” De La Cruz said after the team’s first home win in 2024. “It’s a great feeling to win at home. We play together. This is what brought us to the playoffs last year, and it’s what we’re hoping to repeat this year.” De La Cruz is batting. This season, he has 270 points, one home run, and four RBIs.

Although the Marlins are just 11-23 versus the Braves since the start of the 2022 season, a win Sunday would give them their second straight series victory over their NL East foes, having swept Atlanta at home in a three-game set from Sept. 15-17 last year. The Braves will play their final game in Miami on Sunday before a late-season series begins on September 20.