May 20, 2024
MIAMI (AP) — Max Fried pitched six solid innings and Marcell Ozuna homered to lead the Atlanta Braves to an 8-1 win over the Miami Marlins in their series opener Friday night.
Fried (1-0) entered with an 18.00 ERA after a pair of rough starts to open the season, but limited the Marlins to four hits while striking out four and walking one. The 30-year old left-hander was replaced by Pierce Johnson after giving up back-to-back hits in the seventh.
Ozuna blasted a solo shot 446 feet to center field in the ninth for his sixth home run — tying him with Boston's Tyler O'Neill and the Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout for the major league lead — and the second-longest homer hit at loanDepot park this year. Ozuna was 3 for 4 with three RBIs.
Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia led off a five-run seventh with a double off reliever George Soriano, who then walked Ronald Acuña Jr. and hit Ozzie Albies with a pitch to load the bases. Andrew Nardi replaced Soriano and gave up a bases-loaded walk to Matt Olson and a two-run single to Ozuna.
Nardi exited to some boos before Burch Smith gave up a pair of RBI singles to make it 7-0. Smith got Travis d’Arnaud to ground out to end the inning.
Arcia also doubled to start the fifth and scored on Albies' single that put Atlanta up 2-0.
Olson, d’Arnaud and Austin Riley also doubled for the high-powered Braves, who have an MLB-leading 38 doubles. Acuña stole two bases, giving him six on the season.
Marlins starter Trevor Rodgers (0-2) allowed eight hits and two runs with five strikeouts and a walk in five innings.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled in the seventh against Fried, then scored Miami's only run on a single by Emmanuel Rivera.
The Marlins lost their 12th game and remain winless at home after opening with an 0-7 homestand.
