MIAMI (AP) - Freddie Freeman’s ongoing hitting streak wasn’t enough to keep the Atlanta Braves’ best stretch this season going.
Freeman had an RBI single in the first inning to extend his string to 28 games and added a home run for Atlanta, but the Braves’ season-best seven-game winning streak ended with a 6-4 loss to the Miami Marlins on Saturday night.
“Another Freeman night, extending his hitting streak,” Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said.
It’s the longest streak of Freeman’s career and one shy of the longest in the majors this season by Boston’s Jackie Bradley Jr.
Freeman has also reached base in 44 straight.
“It feels good,” Freeman said. “Obviously, I’ve worked really hard and things are clicking right now. I’m getting pitches to hit and I’m not missing them.”
The loss ended a season-long seven-game winning streak for the Braves, who are 19-13 in their last 32 after starting 44-79.
“Last two or three months now we’ve been playing real good baseball,” Freeman said. “It doesn’t matter how many runs we’re down, we’re going to fight all the way to the end.”
It was a little bit of everything that fueled the Miami Marlins’ offense with Derek Dietrich hitting a two-run homer and Dee Gordon stealing three bases.
“That’s how we really want it to go most nights,” Gordon said. “We’ve been scuffling a little bit so to have everybody clicking with getting guys over, timely hitting is good for us.”
Gordon had two hits, two walks and his stolen base total was one shy of tying the Marlins’ single-game franchise high, which he has done on two separate occasions.
“When Dee is able to get on and being able to impact it like that - it puts pressure on the pitcher and the defense,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “What I liked about tonight was that he was willing to take his walks. You really want your leadoff guy to get on base and it doesn’t matter how.”
Brian Ellington (4-2) earned the win in relief and A.J. Ramos recorded his 39th save in 42 chances.
The Braves pulled within 5-4 on a wild pitch by Fernando Rodney in the seventh inning.
Miami jumped to an early 2-1 lead on Dietrich’s two-run homer to right field in the first inning.
Both starting pitchers exited before the fifth inning. Miami’s Wei-Yin Chen allowed two runs in four innings and Atlanta’s Aaron Blair (1-7) allowed five runs over 3 1/3 innings.
“I just didn’t have the command that I had five days ago,” Blair said. “I got myself in trouble walking the leadoff hitter two of the four innings. I put myself in bad counts in those situations.”
MARLINS SPEED
The Marlins stole five bases. Yefri Perez and Realmuto also stole a base off catcher Anthony Recker.
The five steals are the most since the Marlins stole five against Pittsburgh on Aug. 25, 2015.
DIETRICH CATCH
Dietrich made a catch falling into the stands down the first-base line on a popup by Recker in the eighth inning.
UP NEXT
Braves: RHP Julio Teheran (6-10, 3.10 ERA) will start Sunday’s series finale. Teheran allowed one run in seven innings in his last start, a 5-4 win at the New York Mets.
Marlins: LHP Adam Conley (8-6, 3.94) will pitch in place of RHP Jose Fernandez on Sunday, with Fernandez bumped to start Monday against the Mets.
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