MIAMI -- The Marlins came back home on Monday with a prime chance to make up ground in the National League Wild Card race, but they got behind by dropping two of three to the Mets. They finally got back on track in Sunday's finale with the Braves, as they shut out their NL East rivals, 4-0, at Marlins Park. The series win was Miami's first since taking three of four over the Diamondbacks in mid-August.That offensive outburst gave manager Mike Redmond enough of a reason to take starter Brad Hand out of the game, despite his low pitch count (74) through six innings. 
Hand's second time through Atlanta's order wasn't nearly as perfect as the first go-around, when he used 23 pitches to retire the first nine batters he faced. But he pitched around trouble all afternoon and only allowed one runner past second base.His sixth inning proved to be the difference in the game. The Marlins had just gotten him a one-run lead, but he put it in jeopardy by allowing a pair of hits to lead off the inning. But in spite of the runners on second and third with no outs, he managed to retire the next three batters.The southpaw had faced the minimum through 3 2/3 innings before Freddie Freeman snuck a grounder through the right side for the Braves' first hit of the game, but that was another jam he got out of.Hand, starting in place of the injured Henderson Alvarez, hadn't been pitching often since he made nine straight starts from July 3-Aug. 15.In just his third start at first since Aug. 30, Garrett Jones started a two-out rally in the fifth inning with a double into left field. Jarrod Saltalamacchia drove him in three pitches later on a bloop single hit at Justin Upton in left field.Despite stringing together three straight two-out hits, the Marlins could only coax one run out of Braves starter Julio Teheran in the inning.But they finally got to him in the sixth and tacked on three earned runs. Yelich led off the inning with a single and a stolen base. Then Donovan Solano, after taking a first-pitch strike, worked a six-pitch at-bat for a single deep enough to center to score Yelich from second.With one out and runners on the corners, Marcell Ozuna laced his 25th double of the year, driving in his fifth run of the series. Teheran was removed after the play, but Saltalamacchia added another run on a deep sacrifice fly to center.By salvaging the finale, the Marlins secured their first season series over the Braves since 2009.Maria Torres / MLB.com
Hand's second time through Atlanta's order wasn't nearly as perfect as the first go-around, when he used 23 pitches to retire the first nine batters he faced. But he pitched around trouble all afternoon and only allowed one runner past second base.His sixth inning proved to be the difference in the game. The Marlins had just gotten him a one-run lead, but he put it in jeopardy by allowing a pair of hits to lead off the inning. But in spite of the runners on second and third with no outs, he managed to retire the next three batters.The southpaw had faced the minimum through 3 2/3 innings before Freddie Freeman snuck a grounder through the right side for the Braves' first hit of the game, but that was another jam he got out of.Hand, starting in place of the injured Henderson Alvarez, hadn't been pitching often since he made nine straight starts from July 3-Aug. 15.In just his third start at first since Aug. 30, Garrett Jones started a two-out rally in the fifth inning with a double into left field. Jarrod Saltalamacchia drove him in three pitches later on a bloop single hit at Justin Upton in left field.Despite stringing together three straight two-out hits, the Marlins could only coax one run out of Braves starter Julio Teheran in the inning.But they finally got to him in the sixth and tacked on three earned runs. Yelich led off the inning with a single and a stolen base. Then Donovan Solano, after taking a first-pitch strike, worked a six-pitch at-bat for a single deep enough to center to score Yelich from second.With one out and runners on the corners, Marcell Ozuna laced his 25th double of the year, driving in his fifth run of the series. Teheran was removed after the play, but Saltalamacchia added another run on a deep sacrifice fly to center.By salvaging the finale, the Marlins secured their first season series over the Braves since 2009.Maria Torres / MLB.com
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