National League Game Summary - Atlanta at Florida
Final Score: Atlanta
5 -
Florida
6
Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Josh Willingham drove in the game-winning run
in the bottom of the 10th, as the Florida Marlins blew a big lead but still
managed to salvage a 6-5 win in the finale of a three-game series at Dolphin
Stadium.
Willingham went a perfect 5-for-5 to set a career high for hits and had two
RBI and a run scored for the Marlins, who dropped six of seven coming in.
Dontrelle Willis got the start and pitched well, but was replaced following an
extended rain delay. He ended with no runs and two hits in four innings of
work. Lee Gardner (2-2) ended up with the win, while Rafael Soriano (2-1) took
the loss. Atlanta starter Buddy Carlyle gave up just one hit over his three
innings of work.
Edgar Renteria knocked in a pair of runs and Andruw Jones homered for Atlanta,
which had a season-high five-game winning streak snapped.
The Braves offense woke up late to dig out of a 4-0 hole.
Jones got Atlanta on the board with a blast well over the left-field wall in
the seventh. Two more Braves runs came across in the eighth, when Renteria
singled to right to plate both Kelly Johnson and Yunel Escobar.
Atlanta then put runners on second and third in the ninth, and Escobar came
through with a two-out single that scored two and put the Braves ahead 5-4.
Miguel Olivo, though, led off the bottom of the ninth with a home run to force
extra innings.
The Braves threatened in the 10th, but Gardner was able to slip out of trouble
to keep the game tied.
Miguel Cabrera then opened up the bottom of the inning with a single, and
moved all the way to third on when Soriano committed a throwing error
following Jason Wood's sacrifice bunt. Willingham then singled to left to end
the game.
The contest was delayed by rain in the fourth inning with the game still
scoreless.
The Marlins did some damage just after play resumed, putting up a three-spot
in the bottom of the fourth. All of the offense came with two outs, as Mike
Jacobs started the rally with a double and came in on Willingham's base hit to
left.
Jeremy Hermida stepped in next and cracked a homer to right-center for a 3-0
Marlins lead.
The left fielder added an RBI single up the middle in the sixth to make it a
four-run advantage.