The Atlanta Braves capped a dominant five-game set against the Miami Marlins with a 7-1 win on Sunday, but the story of the weekend extended well beyond the box score.
Jen Pawol, who made history Saturday as the first female umpire to work a regular-season Major League Baseball game, returned Sunday in the highest-profile spot — behind the plate. Pawol earned strong reviews for her work on the bases during Saturday’s doubleheader and received even more vocal support from fans on Sunday. Many held signs reading “Way to go Jen!” as she called balls and strikes with calm authority, making the extraordinary look routine.
“I just wanted to focus on doing my job,” Pawol said after the game, downplaying the attention but acknowledging the milestone.
On the field, the Braves gave her plenty of action to call. Joey Wentz (1-2) turned in his best outing since joining Atlanta, allowing one run on five hits in 5 1/3 innings for his first win since being claimed off waivers from Minnesota on July 11. His only blemish came in the second inning when Derek Hill doubled and scored on Liam Hicks’ single.
Atlanta’s offense steadily took control. In the fifth, Jurickson Profar broke a 1-1 tie with a run-scoring double off Tyler Phillips (1-1) and later came home on a wild pitch. Matt Olson added insurance with a solo homer, while Marcell Ozuna’s three-run blast and Michael Harris II’s solo shot in the seventh blew the game open.
Miami starter Cal Quantrill was pulled after just 47 pitches — his second-shortest start of the season — allowing one run on three hits without a walk in four innings. The Marlins struggled to generate much offense, managing only two extra-base hits all afternoon.
The Braves swept Saturday’s doubleheader and took four of five in a series that included a makeup game from an April 6 rainout.
Both teams have Monday off. The Marlins travel to Cleveland for a series beginning Tuesday, while the Braves head to New York to face the Mets, with Spencer Strider (5-9, 4.04 ERA) set to oppose Clay Holmes (9-6, 3.46).
For Pawol, it was a weekend that blended groundbreaking history with everyday professionalism — and for the Braves, it was another step toward keeping their NL East hopes alive.
