Fried solid, Ozuna homers as Braves roll over Miami
MIAMI — Max Fried pitched six solid innings and Marcell Ozuna homered to lead the Atlanta Braves to an 8-1 win over the Miami Marlins on Friday night, the opener to a threegame series between the National League East Division rivals.
Fried (1-0) entered with an 18.00 ERA after a pair of surprisingly rough starts to open the season, but the 2022 Cy Young Award runner-up limited the Marlins to four hits while striking out four batters 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 inning for his NL-leading sixth home run — it tied him with Tyler O’Neill of the Boston Red Sox and Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels for the MLB lead with the season in just its second full week — and the second-longest homer hit at Miami’s ballpark this year.
Ozuna finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia led off a five-run seventh for the visitors 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 highpowered Braves, who have an MLB-leading 38 doubles. Acuña stole two bases, giving him six this 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 run on a single by Emmanuel Rivera.
The Braves, the six-time reigning NL East champions and first in the division again, improved to 8-4 as they bounced back from dropping two of three at home to the New York Mets.
The Marlins fell to 2-12 and remain winless in Miami this year after opening with an 0-7 homestand.
On the injury front, Braves catcher Sean Murphy (oblique strain) threw flat-footed before Friday’s game and is increasing his activity. Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said it was a “good sign.”
In roster changes for Atlanta, pitcher Darius Vines was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett and fellow right-hander Allan Winans was optioned to that affiliate in a corresponding move after Thursday’s 16-4 loss to Mets.
The series continues Saturday with Atlanta sending lefthander Chris Sale (1-0, 3.38 ERA) to the mound and Miami countering with right-hander Max Meyer (1-0, 2.45).