Hurston Waldrep threw six strong innings and Michael Harris II broke the game open with a three-run homer to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 7-1 win over the visiting Miami Marlins on Saturday in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.
Waldrep (2-0), rated as the team’s No. 4 overall prospect, was impressive in his first start of the season, allowing one run on four hits while striking out six.
Harris connected with a fastball from reliever George Soriano for a 409-foot shot into the Braves’ bullpen in right-center field in the seventh inning to complete a four-run outburst. It was the 11th homer of the year for Harris, who went 2-for-4 and is batting .347 (33-for-95) over his last 24 games.
Waldrep left the game after allowing a leadoff single to Liam Hicks in the seventh, but Pierce Johnson entered and finished the scoreless inning. Dylan Lee worked a scoreless eighth, and Tyler Kinley finished the game with a shutout ninth.
Miami starter Ryan Gusto (7-5) made his first start for the Marlins after being picked up from Houston at the trade deadline. He pitched six innings and allowed three runs on four hits, two walks and matched his career high with eight strikeouts.
The Braves scored two runs in the second inning to take the early lead. Sean Murphy was hit by a pitch to open the inning and scored on Ozzie Albies’ infield grounder. Eli White later drove in Harris with a sacrifice fly.
Atlanta scored again in the third when Drake Baldwin singled with the bases loaded and nobody out. Gusto, though, retired the next three batters to prevent further damage.
Miami seemed poised to get on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth inning when Agustin Ramirez belted a fly ball deep to left field. But Jurickson Profar kept the Marlins scoreless by reaching high over the fence to take away a home run.
The Marlins scored one run in the sixth after Xavier Edwards, playing on his 26th birthday, lined a run-scoring single to left to score Javier Sanoja.
–Field Level Media
