Miami Marlins Have Bats Silenced By Atlanta Braves in 3-1 Defeat

Henderson Alvarez was tagged with the loss to drop to 1-1 this spring

It took until the ninth inning for the Miami Marlins to put a run on the board Wednesday as they fell to the Atlanta Braves by a final score of 3-1.

Henderson Alvarez made his second start of the spring for the Marlins and went 3.2 innings in which he allowed a run on five hits per the official box score. Alvarez was tagged with the loss to drop to 1-1. He has received decisions in both of his starts, which is rare in the spring.

The righthander had gone 13 straight innings prior to this one without allowing a hit if his final two 2013 regular-season starts are combined with his first Grapefruit League start. Carlos Marmol also pitched in this one and showed good command tossing 1.1 perfect innings. Marmol is known for his lack of control so this was an encouraging sign for the veteran reliever.

The lone run for the Marlins came courtesy of catcher Rob Brantly who hit his first home run of the spring in the closing frame of the game. Brantly, who is likely headed to AAA New Orleans, is having a great spring but has no place on the roster barring injury. The young backstop is now hitting .500 in 14 at-bats with four runs batted in. Brantly was the 2013 Opening Day starter for Miami but lost his job and roster spot due to a lackluster season. In the offseason, Miami opted to go in a different direction when they brought Jarrod Saltalamacchia on board. Jeff Mathis is expected to serve as the backup catcher for the Marlins.

Of note in this one was a pair of errors by the defense, which has not had the best of springs thus far. Derek Dietrich committed his second error while Garrett Jones was charged with his first. Marcell Ozuna also was caught stealing in what has been a tough spring for the prospect who is trying to win the centerfield job. Ozuna is only 4 for 26 at the plate but still has time to get his bat going.

The Marlins will take on the Detroit Tigers on Thursday with Jacob Turner scheduled to start.

Contact Us