The Marlins saw their four-game win streak snapped Tuesday night at Turner Field as the Braves topped them 7-1 to bring the series even.
Brad Hand pitched well enough through the first five innings of the game, pitching out of some trouble to hold the Braves scoreless, but as Jack McKeon so eloquently put it: "it’s a nine-inning game."
Hand lost his lead with one out in the sixth, after he walked Dan Uggla and gave up a single to Matt Diaz. The result of a coaching visit to the mound was a 2-0 count to Brian McCann, who launched a three-run homer on the next pitch to give the Braves the lead.
The Fish weren’t exactly boosting their pitching staff with any kind of runs support. The team scored their lone run off of Mike Minor in the fifth when Donnie Murphy led off with a walk, moved to third on a single by Matt Dominguez, and scored on Emilio Bonifacio’s RBI single.
In the seventh, Dan Uggla added his own three run shot off of Brian Sanches, and the Braves were up 6-1. Atlanta would add their seventh and final run in the eighth when Alex Gonzalez doubled and later scored on a sac fly by Michael Bourn.
The Marlins have a chance to take the series with the rubber match Wednesday afternoon.