ATLANTA (AP) — Nick Markakis hit a tie-breaking, two-run single off third baseman Nick Prado's glove with two outs and the bases loaded in the eighth inning and the Atlanta Braves beat the Miami Marlins 4-2 on Friday night for a rare home win.
The Braves snapped a four-game losing streak and improved to only 3-20 in home games. They began the day tied with Minnesota for the majors' worst record.
Ian Krol (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth inning and Arodys Vizcaino pitched the ninth for his sixth save in seven chances.
Jeff Francoeur had four hits, all singles, and drove in a run for Atlanta.
Only an overturned call kept the eighth inning alive and made the decisive at-bat by Markakis possible.
His liner off David Phelps (3-3) was initially ruled an error on Prado before it was changed to a hit.
The Braves had the bases loaded with one out in the eighth when Tyler Flowers hit a grounder toward the pitcher's mound. Phelps fielded the ball, threw to catcher J.T. Realmuto for a forceout. Realmuto threw to first and first-base umpire Ben May called Flowers out for an apparent inning-ending double play.
The call was overturned following a review, setting up the Markakis at-bat.
The Braves were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position while trailing 2-0 through four innings. They finally came through with runners in scoring position when they knocked Adam Conley out of the game with four straight hits in the fifth. Flowers' double to the center-field wall drove in Freddie Freeman, who had a one-out single.
Flowers moved to third on a single by Markakis and scored on Francoeur's bloop single to left field for a 2-2 tie.
Ichiro Suzuki doubled to lead off the third. After Prado singled, Suzuki scored on Marcell Ozuna's double. Justin Bour's groundout drove in Prado.
Ozuna had three hits, boosting his batting average to .343 and giving him a nine-game hitting streak.
Atlanta right-hander Williams Perez allowed two runs on seven hits and one walk in six innings.
WILD CONTROL
Conley walked only one batter in 4 1/3 innings but he threw a wild pitch and hit three Braves batters with pitches — Freeman, Flowers and shortstop Erick Aybar. Daniel Castro replaced Aybar in the fifth after a low pitch from Conley hit Aybar's right foot in the fourth. The Braves said Aybar is day to day with a bruised foot and X-rays were negative.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Marlins: OF Giancarlo Stanton (right side soreness) missed his third straight game. He took swings in the batting cage and "felt pretty good," according to manager Don Mattingly. Stanton did not take batting practice with the team on the field. OF Christian Yelich (back spasms) missed his seventh straight start but walked as a pinch-hitter in the seventh.
Braves: RHP Shae Simmons, who missed the 2015 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, had tightness in his triceps after three rehab appearances with Triple-A Gwinnett. He said he felt better Friday. He had hoped to come off the DL for his 2016 debut as early as next week. He now hopes to resume his rehab schedule within a week.
UP NEXT
Marlins: LHP Wei-Yin Chen (3-2, 4.61) will make his second start of the season against the Braves on Saturday. He did not receive a decision after allowing two runs in 6 1/3 innings in the Marlins' 6-3 loss to Atlanta on April 15.
Braves: Rookie RHP Aaron Blair is expected to be recalled to start on Saturday. He was 0-3 with a 7.59 ERA in five games before being sent back to Triple-A Gwinnett on May 18. The Braves need a fill-in after projected starter Casey Kelly had to pitch four innings in relief in Wednesday's 13-inning loss to Milwaukee.
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