Short-Handed Marlins Lose to Braves 8-5

The Fish continued a bad streak while former teammate Dan Uggla enjoyed one of his own

One of the three spectators in section 213 was a man wearing the Florida Marlins jersey, and he had Alex Gonzalez played just right — six rows behind the left field wall.

The fan caught Gonzalez' fifth-inning drive, which was bad news for the home team. The three-run homer was the big blow Monday night as the slumping Marlins lost 8-5 to the Atlanta Braves.

After climbing back to .500 last week, the Marlins are 0-5 on their homestand.

"I thought we had things turned around," catcher John Buck said. "Then to lose five in a row, obviously it's very frustrating."

Despite a suggestion by manager Jack McKeon that his players wear road uniforms, the Marlins opted for white and fell to 24-37 in home games. They're 31-23 on the road, the largest such disparity in the majors.

"That is the big mystery — how we can't win at home," utilityman Emilio Bonifacio said. "We can't let that frustrate you. We just have to keep our heads up."

Florida was without three starters injured in the past week — Hanley Ramirez, Omar Infante and Logan Morrison — which further hampered an offense that has scored 24 runs in 10 games against Atlanta this season.

The Marlins trailed 8-2 in the eighth before Greg Dobbs hit his fifth home run and Buck hit his 12th. They went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.

"I don't have the answer," McKeon said. "Lowe was not at his best tonight. We had the opportunities and we couldn't cash in. And we had the guys up there that we wanted to."

Adding insult to injury, former Marlin Dan Uggla extended his hitting streak to 29 games by beating out a grounder to short for an infield single in the fifth inning.

He has the longest active streak in the majors, and he's tied with Rowland Office for the second-longest streak in franchise history behind Rico Carty's 31 in a row in 1970.

After Uggla and Chipper Jones singled in the fifth, Gonzalez hit his 10th home run off Brad Hand (1-4).

Uggla added a sacrifice fly in the sixth. Atlanta's Michael Bourn drove in a run with his 30th infield hit, most in the NL. Freddie Freeman, whose career-best 20-game hitting streak ended Sunday, had a two-run single.

Ex-Marlins skipper Fredi Gonzalez missed the finish. He was ejected for the third time this season for arguing balls and strikes from the dugout in the fourth inning.

"You can't argue balls and strikes," Gonzalez said. "I deserved what I got."

Freeman was also thrown out by plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt when he complained after being called out on strikes in the eighth. Freeman said it was the first ejection in his life.

The Braves came in batting .222 against left-handers, but they totaled nine hits and seven in five innings off Hand. The rookie took some consolation from getting his first career hit and scoring his first run.

Notes: LF Morrison (swollen right knee) was held out of the starting lineup but might return Tuesday. SS Ramirez (left shoulder) said he's improving but doesn't expect to play Tuesday. The Braves' Brandon Beachy is scheduled to pitch Tuesday against the Marlins' Clay Hensley in a rematch of the game July 29, which Atlanta won 5-0.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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