Yet another bummer in a season full of them
The Atlanta Braves just can’t sustain any positive momentum here in 2025, as they dropped a series to the Miami Marlins following a back-and-forth 5-3 loss on Sunday afternoon.
The seesaw nature of this game began early on, as the Braves wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a leadoff double to start things off and then Austin Riley brought him home with a one-out single that got the scoring underway in this one. While Ozzie Albies led off the second inning with a double, nothing came of it and the Marlins eventually took advantage of the missed opportunity by responding quickly. Bryce Elder left his requisite hanger of each of his starts right down the middle for Kyle Stowers to lift off on. Stowers’ leadoff homer in the second inning tied it up at one run apiece as this game still had plenty of twists and turns left in it.
Acuña led off the third with a single and then Matt Olson followed that up with a walk in order to set the table for the middle of the order. Austin Riley and Marcell Ozuna both got struck out by Sandy Alcantara but Drake Baldwin provided the breakthrough with an RBI single that put the Braves back in front.
Atlanta’s time in the sun didn’t last long, though. Xavier Edwards got on in the third inning with a one-out walk and then he made it into scoring position by stealing second despite Jesús Sánchez striking out on the same pitch. The stolen base ended up proving costly, as Otto Lopez looped one into center field in order to tie it up at two runs apiece. Things calmed down for an inning and a half before the Marlins came to life at the plate once again in the fifth inning.
Jesús Sánchez may not have made it to second earlier on in the game but he got to third here in this frame as he smacked a one-out triple into the corner in right field. Otto Lopez popped up to inflict harm upon the Braves once again, as hit a grounder right up the middle to plate Sánchez and put the Marlins in front once again. Eric Wagaman followed that up with a single of his own that moved Lopez over to third base. Bryce Elder nearly got out of the runners-on-the-corners jam after he struck out Kyle Stowers to get the second out but Dane Myers didn’t let him off the hook, as he ambushed Elder and hit one out to left for another RBI that gave the Marlins some precious breathing room at 4-2.
Atlanta did respond immediately afterwards, as Drake Baldwin’s one-out walk started a three-AB sequence that resulted in another run for the Braves. Following the walk, Ozzie Albies delivered a single and then Alex Verdugo’s productive out plated Baldwin in order to bring the Braves to within one run of Miami. Michael Harris II didn’t do anything productive with two outs, so the deficit remained at just the one run.
However, the Marlins started their half of the sixth inning with plenty of intent to extend their lead as Nick Fortes slapped a double into left field and then Javier Sanoja bunted Fortes over to second with a sacrifice bunt. That was the moment that ended Bryce Elder’s day on the mound, as Dylan Dodd got the nod to come in for relief. The actual relief wouldn’t come immediately, as Xavier Edwards blooped one out into the Bermuda Triangle in center field in order to push their lead back to two runs at 5-3.
There were no more fireworks at that point in the contest as it turned into a bullpen game to end things. Sandy Alcantara’s six innings of work didn’t go down in vain, as Anthony Bender, Calvin Faucher and Ronny Henriquez each came in and pitched scoreless frames in order to carry the Marlins over the finish line in this one. Just like that, any type of positive vibes were squandered as the Braves dropped the series to the last-place Miami Marlins.
Now the Braves head into New York for a massive four-game series in the midst of a divisional gauntlet. While we do know that the Braves are capable of beating this Mets team (we just saw them sweep them, after all), we also know that the Braves are just used to struggling on the road and are also going to be facing a Mets team that’ll be looking to set the record straight after that sweep. It’s also hard to trust that this Braves team will show up like they did in the home series as well. It’s a tough time right now as things continue to go in the wrong direction for Atlanta.