ATLANTA (AP) - Ender Inciarte took two pitches outside the strike zone and then played the waiting game.
His patience paid off.
Inciarte’s bases-loaded walk from Kyle Barraclough with two outs in the ninth inning lifted the Atlanta Braves to a 6-5 victory over the Miami Marlins on Saturday night.
Barraclough threw four straight balls to Inciarte.
“I was actually swinging until I got to 2-0 and I saw he was really struggling to throw strikes,” Inciarte said.
“It was one of those games you’ve just got to be patient and let them do something because they’re the one in control.”
While Barraclough began his slow walk off the field, Inciarte was swarmed by his teammates in an impromptu celebration near first base.
The Braves rallied from a 4-0 deficit for their second ninth-inning win in the series.
Giancarlo Stanton hit his 54th homer for Miami. Johan Camargo hit a two-run homer for Atlanta.
The loss by Miami reduced the Washington Nationals’ magic number to clinch the NL East to two. The Marlins, who began the night eight games behind Colorado for the second NL wild card, have lost six of seven.
Kurt Suzuki led off the ninth with a single up the middle off Barraclough (5-2). Pinch-runner Micah Johnson moved to second base on Barraclough’s wild pitch to Dansby Swanson, who walked. The runners advanced on Camargo’s sacrifice.
The Marlins’ five-infielder alignment paid off when Johnson was thrown out at the plate on Lane Adams’ grounder to shortstop Miguel Rojas. Barraclough walked Nick Markakis to load the bases, setting up Inciarte’s at-bat.
“Obviously we’re disappointed losing like that, where we get a big out in the ninth and can’t get another one,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.
Arodys Vizcaino (4-3) pitched a scoreless ninth.
The Braves, who trailed 4-0 in the fourth, pulled even at 5-5 in the sixth when Freddie Freeman’s single off Dustin McGowan drove in Jace Peterson, who had a pinch-hit single.
After being given a day off on Friday, the re-charged Stanton hit the homer off rookie left-hander Max Fried in the first inning. The ball would have traveled 456 feet unimpeded, according to MLB Statcast, and landed deep into the left-center seats.
It wasn’t Stanton’s longest homer at the Braves’ new SunTrust Park. MLB Statcast measured his first homer at the park, on Aug. 4, at 477 feet. He has six homers against the Braves this season.
Miami left-hander Adam Conley gave up four runs, nine hits and two walks in 4 2/3 innings.
“It’s been frustrating to go out there and take the ball every fifth day and not do what I know I’m physically capable of doing,” Conley said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins closer Brad Ziegler has lingering tightness in his back and was not available for the second straight game. Ziegler missed 31 games with a back strain earlier this season. He gave up two runs in the ninth inning of the Braves’ 6-5 win on Thursday night for his fourth blown save in 13 chances. Mattingly said “for now, probably” Barraclough would work in saves opportunities.
BIG DOUBLE PLAY
Braves left fielder Matt Kemp made a diving catch of Marcell Ozuna’s liner and then threw to second base to complete a double play in the seventh. Christian Yelich, who led off with a double, was running toward third when it appeared the line drive by Ozuna would fall safely. Yelich was almost at home plate when the double play was completed.
FREE TIX FOR IRMA EVACUEES
The Braves said almost 7,500 evacuees from Hurricane Irma attended the game free of charge after approximately 2,700 free tickets were given to evacuees on Friday night. During the four-game series, the Braves are giving a complementary ticket to anyone showing a valid Florida ID. The offer also is open to residents of Georgia and South Carolina counties under mandatory evacuation orders.
UP NEXT
Marlins: RHP Ordisamer Despaigne (0-3, 3.57) is 0-1 with a 3.18 ERA in two career games, including one start, against the Braves.
Braves: RHP R.A Dickey (9-9, 4.14) will try to join Julio Teheran and Mike Foltynewicz for the team lead by earning his 10th win. Dickey is 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA in his first two starts against Miami this season.
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