Braves' run of 6 straight NL East titles ends with 4-3 loss to Marlins

MIAMI (AP) — The Atlanta Braves' run of six straight NL East titles ended Friday night with a 4-3 loss to the Miami Marlins as Jake Burger singled and doubled.

Atlanta (83-71) cannot mathematically win the division but entered Friday two games back for the last NL wild-card spot.

Kyle Stowers also singled and doubled for Miami (57-97), on track for its worst record since going 57-105 in 2019.

Valente Bellozo (3-4) allowed three runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings and Anthony Bender, Lake Bachar, Declan Cronin and Jesus Tinoco combined for two-hit relief. Tinoco got three straight outs for his second save.

Charlie Morton (8-9) gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings and threw a run-scoring wild pitch. He is 0-2 in his last three starts.

Ozzie Albies, a switch-hitter batting right-handed only, was 0 for 4 in his return from a fractured left wrist that had sidelined him since July 21.

Burger hit a run-scoring ground-rule double in a three-run first that included Stowers' RBI single and Jonah Bride's sacrifice fly.

Ramon Laureano and Orlando Arcia homered off Bellozo, with Laureano's 404-foot drive to center cutting Atlanta's deficit to 4-3 in the sixth. Former Marlin Jorge Soler had a sacrifice fly in the third.

Burger was voted the Marlins' most valuable player for the 2024 season by South Florida's chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Right-hander Declan Cronin was voted top rookie.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Braves: INF Cavan Biggio was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett in the corresponding move as Albies was activated.

Marlins: RHP Sandy Alcantara (Tommy John) is playing light catch. ... RHP Eury Pérez (Tommy John surgery) began light throwing at 45 feet.

UP NEXT

LHP Max Fried (9-10, 3.49) will start the second game of the series for the Braves on Saturday against Marlins RHP Adam Oller (1-4, 5.40).

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