Max Meyer pitched six strong innings to help the Miami Marlins defeat the visiting Atlanta Braves 5-1 on Saturday.
Meyer (2-0) pitched six innings of six-hit, one-run ball, striking out seven and walking none. Miami left fielder Bryan De La Cruz went 2-for-4 with three RBIs to lead the offense to a victory following Friday’s 8-1 loss to the Braves.
After Meyer threw a scoreless top of the first, Miami broke the game open with Josh Bell’s home run against Braves starter Chris Sale in the bottom half of the frame.
Avisail Garcia and Emmanuel Rivera singled to start the second inning, followed by a strikeout by Christian Bethancourt. Vidal Brujan then brought in Miami’s second run with a hit to left field that Atlanta’s Jarred Kelenic bobbled, and Garcia scored.
Sale then got Luis Arraez to ground into a double play to end the second inning.
Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud led off the top of the third inning with a single and was later moved to third on Ozzie Albies’ double. Meyer did, however, strike out Austin Riley to close the inning.
Atlanta threatened again in the top of the fifth, when Ronald Acuna Jr. doubled to left with two outs, but Albies left him stranded after striking out to end the inning, and Meyer struck out the side.
Sale retired Bethancourt and Brujan to begin the bottom of the fifth, but Luis Arraez singled and Bell and Jake Burger walked to load the bases. De La Cruz followed with a bases-clearing double to left, increasing Miami’s lead to 5-0.
Atlanta scored in the sixth when Riley tripled and was driven in by Marcell Ozuna’s RBI groundout to Meyer. After six good innings, the Marlins’ starting pitcher was relieved and replaced by Calvin Faucher.
After retiring the last seven Miami batters, Sale (1-1) was pulled by reliever Jesse Chavez after seven innings. Sale allowed five hits, five earned runs, three walks, and struck out seven.
Miami’s Faucher threw a spotless seventh, and Anthony Bender followed with a 1-2-3 inning.
Tanner Scott concluded an impressive Miami pitching performance with a hitless ninth inning to secure the four-run victory.
