Ozzie Albies put on a show in South Florida, and the Atlanta Braves turned a tense game into a rout. Albies homered twice, doubled, and drove in four runs as the Braves exploded for a nine-run ninth inning to beat the Miami Marlins 11-2 on Tuesday night at loanDepot park.
The Braves broke open a 2-2 game in the final frame, with contributions from across the lineup. Drake Baldwin and Eli White each drove in two runs, while Ronald Acuña Jr. added an RBI walk. Tyler Kinley (3-3) earned the win after tossing a scoreless eighth.
Atlanta starter Hurston Waldrep was tested but effective, giving up just one run on eight hits and a walk over 5 1/3 innings. His Miami counterpart, Sandy Alcantara, delivered a strong outing of his own, surrendering two runs across seven innings.
The Marlins struck first when Jacob Marsee singled home Xavier Edwards in the first inning. Albies answered in the fourth, fouling off six straight pitches before launching a solo shot to left, giving Atlanta a 2-1 lead. Jurickson Profar’s leadoff walk in the first later led to a Marcell Ozuna RBI groundout with the bases loaded.
Miami tied it in the seventh when Javier Sanoja doubled and eventually scored on a Dylan Lee wild pitch, making it 2-2.
The game’s key moment came in the top of the ninth. Reliever Tyler Zuber (0-1) gave up a leadoff double to Ozuna, who was lifted for pinch-runner White. After Albies popped out and Nacho Alvarez Jr. walked, Josh Simpson took over, but the Braves pounced immediately. Vidal Bruján doubled home White, Baldwin followed with a two-run single, and Acuña drew a bases-loaded walk. White then singled home two more runs before Albies capped the frame with his second homer of the night, a three-run blast that put the game out of reach.
By the time Sanoja took the mound for his fifth pitching appearance of the season to get the final out, the Marlins trailed by nine.
Atlanta scored nine runs in the ninth inning, their highest-scoring frame of the season. The series continues Wednesday as Braves left-hander Joey Wentz (4-4, 5.25 ERA) faces off against Marlins righty Ryan Gusto (7-6, 5.05 ERA).
