Major League Baseball

Bour, Nicolino lead Marlins to 6-2 win

Published Sep. 26, 2015 11:52 p.m. ET

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MIAMI (AP) Justin Bour provided an early spark and Justin Nicolino got into a groove on the mound.

Bour hit a two-run homer, Nicolino pitched seven solid innings and the Miami Marlins beat the Atlanta Braves 6-2 Saturday night.

''Really I have to give all of the credit to Nico. He came out and threw seven innings and did a great job,'' Bour said. ''It all starts with pitching. It gives us a chance to win the game.''

Nicolino (4-4) allowed just two hits and a run in helping Miami beat the Braves for a sixth straight time, its longest winning streak against Atlanta since winning five in a row in 1997.

''Tremendous job by Nico to pitch efficiently and he established his fastball early,'' Marlins manager Dan Jennings said. ''...He's not a strikeout pitcher, but what he can do is he hits his location and he shares the ball. I think it's just a tremendous effort by that young man to give us seven strong like he did.''

Dee Gordon went 1 for 4 for the Marlins to maintain a batting average of .332, which trails NL leader Bryce Harper's .339 clip after the Nationals star went 3 for 5 earlier in the day.

A day after the Marlins won a 12-11 slugfest with 36 combined hits, Nicolino and Julio Teheran were much more stingy. Teheran (10-8) yielded six hits and two runs over six innings for the Braves. Miami outhit Atlanta 9-5 in this one.

The roof was open at Marlins Park for the first time since May 20 against Arizona and for the fifth time overall this season. It was 84 degrees at the time of the first pitch.

The Braves trailed 2-1 when they loaded the bases in the eighth, but Bryan Morris relieved and struck out Adonis Garcia to get out of the jam.

''No out bigger than what B-Mo got,'' Jennings said. ''That was a momentum-stopper.''

The Marlins then scored four in the bottom of the eighth to make it 6-1. Miguel Rojas drew a bases-loaded walk, pinch-hitter Casey McGehee hit a two-run single to left, and Gordon hit a sacrifice fly.

''We can't walk people because sooner or later somebody's going to put the ball in play and put a crooked number up and that's what they did,'' Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

Bour's home run in the first, a drive to right field, was his 21st of the season and fifth in his past 10 games.

''I made one mistake in the game,'' Teheran said. ''I tried to go up and in on him ... he just kind of waited for it. That's just part of the game. You've just got to let it go and concentrate on the next hitter, and that's what I was able to do.''

TRAINER'S ROOM

Braves: C A.J. Pierzynski (right shoulder) was held out of Saturday's game after taking a foul ball off of his right shoulder in Friday's game and exiting in the fifth inning. Pierzynski is expected to be back in the lineup on Sunday. ... C Christian Bethancourt (left thumb) missed his fifth consecutive game and remains day to day.

Marlins: RF Giancarlo Stanton (left hand) has not made a decision on whether he will return this season. Stanton has not played since June 26 and has not taken batting practice the last ''three or four days,'' according to Jennings, who is leaving the decision to Stanton. ''Right now we're getting close to that `yay' or `nay' date and where that is. I don't know when that will be,'' Jennings said. ''I know right now there's still the scar tissue and the strength. It's the same two issues.''

UP NEXT

Braves: RHP Shelby Miller (5-16, 3.00 ERA) will take the mound in Sunday's series finale, looking to end a 23-start winless stretch. Miller is 2-2 with a 1.16 ERA in five starts against the Marlins this season.

Marlins: RHP Tom Koehler (10-14, 3.94) will pitch the Marlins' home finale on Sunday. The Marlins are 39-40 at home.

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