Miami Marlins Finish Season With 5-3 Win Over Playoff Bound Atlanta Braves

Marlins Rally Past Braves in Regular Season Finale

The Miami Marlins closed out the regular season on a winning note, beating the playoff bound Atlanta Braves 5-3 on Sunday behind home runs from Heriberto Hernández and Griffin Conine and another strong late inning appearance from Sandy Alcantara.

Alcantara, Major League Baseball’s innings leader, recorded his third save of the season. The Marlins ace worked around an error while pitching a hitless ninth inning to remain perfect in three save opportunities. He finished the season 13-11 with a 3.87 ERA across 33 starts and three relief appearances.

Miami improved to 80-82, one win better than last season, but finished with its third consecutive losing season and its 15th losing season in the past 17 years.

Miami Takes Control in Sixth

Atlanta struck first when Mauricio Dubón hit a solo home run in the third inning, but Miami answered in the fourth when Hernández connected for a solo shot to tie the game at 1-1. Marlins starter Janson Junk kept Atlanta in check, allowing one run and three hits over 4 2/3 innings before Miami’s offense took control.

The Marlins chased Braves starter J.R. Ritchie in the sixth inning during a three-run rally. Esteury Ruiz delivered an RBI single to break the 1-1 tie, and Jared Serna followed with a two-run double to extend Miami’s lead to 4-1.

Atlanta cut into the deficit in the seventh on DaShawn Keirsey’s RBI groundout and Dubón’s run scoring single, but Conine answered with a towering solo home run. His 110.2 mph drive landed in the upper-deck seats and restored Miami’s three run advantage. Michael Petersen earned the win after throwing 1 1/3 innings of relief, improving to 4-4 on the season.

Alcantara Closes Out Strong Season

Alcantara’s third save added another memorable chapter to a season in which the former ace led the majors in innings while contributing both as a starter and out of the bullpen. He entered the ninth with Miami holding a 5-3 lead and surrendered no hits. An error created some late tension, but Alcantara worked through it to preserve the victory and finish the season without a blown save in his three opportunities.

For Atlanta, the loss did little to change the bigger picture. The Braves finished 94-68 and won the NL East, an 18-win improvement from last year’s fourth place finish. Atlanta now turns its attention to the postseason, hosting the Philadelphia Phillies in a best-of-three National League Wild Card Series beginning Tuesday.

Braves’ Iron Men, López’s Historic Season

Atlanta sluggers Matt Olson and infielder Ozzie Albies both played in every game this season. Olson’s consecutive-games streak with the Braves reached 944, dating to May 2, 2021, when he was with the Oakland Athletics. He has not missed a game for Atlanta since joining the club in 2022.

Miami also ended the season with a notable streak coming to a close. Otto López did not play Sunday, ending his season with a major league best 191 hits. Despite the improved win total, Miami finished 29th in Major League Baseball in home attendance, drawing 1,221,018 fans during the season.

The Marlins will now head into the offseason looking to build on an 80 win campaign, while the Braves shift immediately into postseason mode with a division title and a Wild Card Series against Philadelphia awaiting them.