National League Game Summary - Miami at Atlanta
(Tuesday, July 31st)
Final Score: Atlanta 7, Miami 1
Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Kris Medlen's long road back to the rotation
ended in the rain, but it did not prevent him from picking up the Braves'
seventh straight win, a 7-1 triumph over the Miami Marlins.
Medlen (2-1) only pitched two games in 2011 recovering from Tommy John surgery
and started 2012 in the bullpen, but the right-hander held the Marlins to one
run on four hits and a walk in five innings in his first start since 2010. He
added three strikeouts as the Braves took the second portion of the four-game
set.
Brian McCann closed out July with his career-best ninth home run of the month
and Tyler Pastornicky hit his second career home run for the Braves, who have
taken 10 of 13.
"We're rolling pretty well," Pastornicky said. "I think we made some good
additions to the team. Everyone's kind of excited about that. We're just
looking forward to keep playing well."
The Braves lit up Ricky Nolasco (8-10) for the second time in a week. After
crushing him for six runs on Wednesday, Atlanta tagged the right-hander for
four runs on seven hits and four walks in five innings.
Jose Reyes extended his hitting streak to 18 games with a first-inning infield
single and Donnie Murphy slammed a solo homer, but they could not prevent the
Fish from losing for the 10th time in their last 13 games.
Murphy, the second hitter of the game, put the Marlins on top with an
opposite-field home run to right-center field, but Atlanta quickly responded
with three runs in the bottom half of the first.
Martin Prado and Jason Heyward reached base with one-out singles and advanced
to second and third on a balk. Prado scored on a McCann groundout before
Nolasco walked Freddie Freeman and Dan Uggla to load the bases. Juan
Francisco, playing in place of Chipper Jones, lined a single to right, plating
two more runs.
"I didn't give in and just tried to gut it out as long as I could," Nolasco
said. "A good team gives me a 1-0 lead, and I come in and give up three, it
just sucks all the energy right out of the team. It's not what you're looking
to do as a starting pitcher."
McCann hammered an 0-2 slider over the right-field fence to give Atlanta a 4-1
lead in the third inning.
After a 1 hour, 53 minute rain delay following the fifth inning, the Braves'
offense did not miss a beat.
Pastornicky, pinch hitting, belted a solo shot to left. Bourn then singled and
reached second on an error before Heyward scored him with a liner up the
middle, giving the Braves a 6-1 lead after six.
Freeman singled in McCann, who crushed a two-out double, to round out the
scoring in the eighth.
Cory Gearrin, Chad Durbin, Eric O'Flaherty and Jair Jurrjens, making his first
career relief appearance, combined for four scoreless innings in relief of
Medlen to lock up the win.
Game Notes
McCann has seven career home runs against Nolasco in 54 career at-bats...The
Braves have won eight of their last nine against Miami...The Marlins traded
Edward Mujica to St. Louis for infielder Zack Cox and dealt first baseman Gaby
Sanchez and pitcher Kyle Kaminska to the Pirates for outfielder Gorkys
Hernandez and Pittsburgh's competitive balance draft pick prior to the
game...The Braves optioned outfielder Jose Constanza to Triple-A Gwinnett
prior to the game to make room for outfielder Reed Johnson, who the club
acquired in a trade Monday night...Atlanta also placed pitcher Tommy Hanson on
the 15-day disabled list with a lower back strain and recalled Gearrin from
Gwinnett...Atlanta is a season-high 15 games over .500...The Braves have won
10 of their last 12 at home...Pastornicky hit his first career pinch-hit home
run...Francisco picked up his third three-hit game of the season.
08/01 00:18:06 ET

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