Edward Cabrera pitched five strong innings with eight strikeouts, and Jonah Bride hit a three-run homer as the Miami Marlins defeated the Atlanta Braves 7-0 on Sunday, evening their four-game series.
Cabrera (2-3) gave up just three hits and two walks, and it was the first time this season that he held a team scoreless in his 11 starts. Three relievers completed the six-hit shutout.
“My mentality is always to attack the zone and today it was working,” Cabrera said through a translator. “All of my pitches were synchronized and working together.”
Emmanuel Rivera went 2 for 4 with a walk, a run, and a steal. Xavier Edwards also went 2 for 5 with an RBI and a run, extending his on-base streak to 21 games.
Max Fried (7-6), an All-Star lefty, had a tough return from the injured list for the Braves. He gave up five runs and four hits in 3 1/3 innings, walking a season-high five batters and striking out six. It was Fried’s first start since July 11.
He felt discomfort in his forearm before his one-inning appearance in the All-Star Game on July 16 and was placed on the injured list on July 21.
The last-place Marlins improved to 3-2 since their major trade at the July 30 deadline. This was their sixth shutout of the season and their first since May 24.
“A lot of these guys are meeting each other for the first time, including myself,” manager Skip Schumaker said. “For them to put forth this type of effort since that tough day in Tampa Bay just shows you what type of leadership is in that clubhouse. I’m proud of our staff to keep this thing together.”
Austin Riley had three hits for the Braves, and catcher Sean Murphy reached base three times with two walks and a single.
“We’re only 5 1/2 back (in the NL East) with a lot of games to play. A lot can happen before now and when it ends,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “Today was ugly, but there’s a lot of time to do a lot of good.”