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Braves fall in ten innings
Drop rain-delayed game two against Marlins
Braves 5 col BW
Florida Marlins' Josh Willingham, center left of pile, is mobbed by teammates in the 10th inning against the Atlanta Braves after Willingham singled to left scoring Brett Carroll to defeat the Braves 6-5, Sunday in Miami.
MIAMI — Josh Willingham had a career-best five hits, including a game-ending single in the 10th inning that gave the Florida Marlins a 6-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. Miguel Olivo tied it with a leadoff homer against Braves closer Bob Wickman in the bottom of the ninth. Yunel Escobar’s two-run single off Kevin Gregg with two outs in the top half gave Atlanta a 5-4 lead. Jeremy Hermida hit a long homer and drove in three runs for Florida, which avoided a three-game sweep. The Braves trailed 4-0 after six, but Andruw Jones homered in the seventh and Edgar Renteria hit a two-run single in the eighth to start the comeback. Atlanta had won five straight, matching a season high. Miguel Cabrera singled to start the 10th and advanced when Rafael Soriano (2-1) threw wildly to second for an error after fielding Jason Wood’s bunt. Brett Carroll then ran for Cabrera. Willingham lined Soriano’s 1-0 pitch down the left-field line to score Carroll from second. Lee Gardner (2-2) pitched a scoreless inning for the win. Renteria’s two-run single off Armando Benitez in the eighth pulled Atlanta to 4-3. Gregg walked Chipper Jones, but Andruw Jones grounded into a double play. Jeff Francoeur flied out, stranding Renteria at third. With two outs and none on in the ninth, Gregg walked Scott Thorman. Pinch-runner Willie Harris moved to second on a wild pitch before pinch-hitter Brian McCann was intentionally walked. Another wild pitch advanced both runners, and Escobar lined the 10th pitch he saw to right for a two-run single. Pinch-runner Pete Orr slid home with the go-ahead run, beating the throw from Hermida. It was Gregg’s first blown save in 16 chances. Hermida’s two-run shot highlighted Florida’s three-run fourth, which followed an 89-minute rain delay. Willingham singled in Mike Jacobs before Hermida sent an 0-2 pitch 442 feet to the right-center seats. Neither starter returned following the rain delay in the middle of the fourth. Dontrelle Willis gave up two hits, a walk and struck out one in four shutout innings. He has lost his past four decisions. Atlanta’s Buddy Carlyle allowed one hit in three scoreless innings. He struck out two and walked none. Andruw Jones opened the seventh with a homer to left off reliever Matt Lindstrom, his 13th of the season. Hermida’s run-scoring single in the sixth off Wil Ledezma gave Florida a 4-1 lead. Ledezma had replaced Oscar Villareal. Notes: Following the game, both teams flew to the West Coast for road trips that will lead up to the All-Star break. The Braves play at Los Angeles and San Diego; the Marlins visit the Padres and then the Dodgers. ... Hanley Ramirez’s stolen base in the seventh made him the fifth Marlins player to steal at least 25 bases in consecutive seasons. He joined Chuck Carr, Edgar Renteria, Luis Castillo and Juan Pierre.