Kyle Stowers snapped a month-long home run drought, and Sandy Alcántara delivered a vintage performance on Sunday as the Miami Marlins defeated the Atlanta Braves 5-3 in the rubber game of their three-game weekend series at loanDepot park.
Stowers launched a solo home run in the second inning, his first in 31 games and 11th of the season, tying the game after Atlanta opened the scoring. The blast was Stowers’ first since May 14, when he hit two against the Chicago Cubs, and it ignited a balanced offensive effort that lifted the Marlins to a series victory.
Sandy Alcántara (4-8), the 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner, turned in another solid outing, allowing three runs on six hits over six innings. He struck out four and walked two, completing six innings for the third time in his last four starts.
“I felt good out there today,” Alcántara said. “I tried to attack the zone and let my defense do the work. We’re playing good baseball right now.”
The Braves wasted no time getting on the board, with Austin Riley driving in a run in the top of the first. But Stowers answered in the home half with his homer, evening the score.
Atlanta briefly regained the lead in the third on Drake Baldwin’s RBI single, but Miami responded immediately. Otto López, who went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, tied the game again in the bottom of the inning with a run-scoring single.
López and Dane Myers delivered back-to-back RBI singles off Braves starter Bryce Elder (2-4) in the fifth to put Miami in front for good. Elder lasted 5 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on 10 hits while striking out three.
Xavier Edwards added to the Marlins’ lead in the sixth with an RBI single, part of a strong 3-for-4 day that included two singles, a double, and an RBI. That hit provided insurance after the Braves cut the deficit to 4-3 on an RBI fielder’s choice by Alex Verdugo earlier in the inning.
The Marlins bullpen preserved the win. Anthony Bender tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings, Calvin Faucher got the final two outs in the eighth, and Ronny Henriquez pitched a clean ninth for his second save of the season.
Miami finished a stretch of 10 straight games against NL East opponents with a 6-4 record, improving to 12-12 within the division this season.
The Braves head to New York to open a four-game series against the Mets on Monday. Right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach (5-4, 3.26 ERA) gets the start in the opener.
The Marlins will travel west to begin a three-game set against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday. Right-hander Cal Quantrill (3-7, 5.68 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound for Miami.
With Sunday’s win, the Marlins showed signs of momentum as they try to climb back into the NL Wild Card conversation during a crucial road trip.
