Marlins shut out by Braves for sixth straight loss
ATLANTA (AP) -- Jacob Turner's struggles on the road took a bad turn against the Atlanta Braves.
The Miami Marlins' right-hander was in trouble early, falling behind 4-0 in the first inning and never recovering as he dropped to 0-7 in 11 career road starts.
Turner lacked command of his fastball, and that was a bad omen against an opponent that's won 14 straight games.
"When I did throw the fastball, it was a little bit elevated," Turner said. "It's just frustrating."
Turner allowed homers to Justin Upton, Chris Johnson and Brian McCann, and Miami scratched out just three hits against Atlanta starter Brandon Beachy in a 5-0 loss on Friday night.
Beachy won for the first time in nearly 15 months to help his team move one victory shy of tying the 2000 team for the longest winning streak since the franchise relocated to Atlanta in 1966.
Beachy (1-0) allowed one walk and struck out six in eight innings to win his third start back from elbow ligament replacement surgery on June 21, 2012. He made 67 of 99 pitches for strikes.
With only 15 losses at Turner Field, Atlanta improved its home winning percentage to .722, best in the majors.
Miami, with an NL-worst .377 overall winning percentage, is 27 games back in the NL East.
The Marlins began the night having lost five straight by a total of seven runs, but their sixth consecutive loss unraveled early as Atlanta took a 4-0 lead in the first on Upton's 22nd homer and Johnson's three-run shot.
"Any time you give up a big number like that at any point in the game," Miami manager Mike Redmond said, "it wears you down."
After Johnson hit his eighth homer, Turner hit Dan Uggla in the upper left arm with a pitch, and Uggla yelled at the pitcher and catcher Jeff Mathis as he walked up the first base line.
Home plate umpire Mike Estabrook issued a warning to both dugouts before Turner faced the next batter, and the game ended without another incident.
"I would never try to throw at someone's head like that, and I told him," Turner said. "I think it (Uggla's reaction) was just one of those in the heat of the moment."
McCann led off the third with his 17th homer to make it 5-0.
Turner (3-4) allowed five hits and five runs -- four earned -- with three walks and five strikeouts in five innings. Though he's still seeking his first career road win, Turner has a respectable 3.71 ERA away from Miami.
Beachy, who had gone seven straight starts without a win, allowed a leadoff single to Christian Yelich in the first, but retired the next 11 batters he faced before Logan Morrison's leadoff single in the fifth.
The right-hander snapped a seven-start winless streak, earning a victory for the first time since pitching his first career shutout in a 7-0 victory over Miami on May 17, 2012. At the time of his injury one month later, Beachy had a 2.00 ERA that was tied for the major league lead.
Miami's third hit was a one-out double by pinch-hitter Juan Pierre in the sixth, but Beachy fielded a grounder from the next batter, Yelich, and threw Pierre out at third.
Johnson, who leads the NL with a .338 average, went 1 for 4. Over his last 40 games, the Braves' third baseman is hitting .367.
Upton has six homers and 13 RBIs in his last eight games. He loves how Atlanta keeps putting pressure on opposing pitchers like Turner.
"He's got to make his pitches and knowing the next guy coming up is pretty dangerous, too," Upton said. "There are no holes to give that pitcher a break. I think that wears of them and allows us to settle in and get good pitches."
Dan Jennings relieved Lucas to begin the sixth and allowed two hits over the next two innings.
Scott Downs began the ninth for Atlanta, allowing a leadoff single to pinch-hitter Koyie Hill and striking out Yelich before Luis Ayala needed two pitches to end it on Jake Marisnick's double-play groundout.
Notes: Rob Brantly, the Marlins' opening day catcher, was optioned to Triple-A New Orleans earlier in the day. Hill had his contract purchased from New Orleans to take Brantly's spot on the 25-man roster. Brantly hit .225 with one homer and 18 RBIs in 59 games and allowed seven passed balls. ... The Marlins dropped to 59-106 at Turner Field. ... Braves RHP Tim Hudson said before the game that he hopes to return to full health from ankle surgery and play his 15th season in 2014. The 38-year-old Hudson added that he wants to return for a 10th year with Atlanta.