Derek Lowe took a no-hitter into the seventh, Craig Kimbrel blew a save, and Freddie Freeman delivered a one out game winning single in the tenth as the Braves defeated the Marlins by a score of 3-2. Kimbrel gets his second win of the season for Atlanta while Scott Linebrink gets his first save of the year. Former Braves reliever Mike Dunn takes the loss for Florida.
Atlanta got on the board early as Jordan Schafer led off the game with a single to right. Schafer then stole second and scored on a Brian McCann single to center giving the Braves an early 1-0 lead.
Schafer would ignite the offense yet again in the fifth when with two outs, he drove the ball into the right center field gap for a triple. Alex Gonzalez followed with a single to center scoring Schafer and extending the Atlanta lead to 2-0.
For six innings Derek Lowe was on point allowing no hits and just a walk. He began to tire in the seventh thanks in part to a muggy and hot south Florida night. In the seventh, Omar Infante flew out to center to start the inning. Greg Dobbs then broke up the no hitter with a lined shot back through the mound. Gaby Sanchez followed with a solid single to left and Florida was in business with two on and one out. After a Logan Morrison ground out, John Buck walked to load the bases and that would be the end of the night for Lowe.
Fredi Gonzalez called for the lefty Eric O'Flaherty who struck out pinch hitter Mike Stanton with the bases loaded to end the threat. Jonny Venters pitched a scoreless eighth to set up Craig Kimbrel in the ninth.
Kimbrel got off to a good start in the ninth by striking out both Dobbs and Sanchez before walking Logan Morrison. John Buck then doubled to deep right center giving the Marlins runners at second and third with two outs for Mike Stanton. Stanton followed with a single to right that scored both Morrison and Buck tying the game at 2-2. Kimbrel then struck out Ozzie Martinez to end the inning.
Alex Gonzalez struck out to lead off the tenth before Chipper Jones coaxed a walk from former Braves reliever Mike Dunn. Brian McCann followed with a single which brought rookie Freddie Freeman to the plate with one out and runners at first and second. Freeman calmly stroked a single to center that scored Jones and gave the Braves back the lead at 3-2.
Florida wasn't going to go away easily though. Scott Proctor relieved Kimbrel and promptly got Brett Hayes to ground to third to start the inning. Chris Coghlan followed with a double and Omar Infante walked to put runners at first and second. George Sherrill came on to face the left handed swinging Dobbs who struck out. Fredi Gonzalez then went to the bullpen one last time bringing in Scott Linebrink who struck out Gaby Sanchez looking to end the game.
Lowe lasted 6.2 innings surrendering two hits and no runs. He struck out five, walked two, and deserved better than a no decision for his efforts. Ricky Nolasco pitched 7.1 innings, allowed eight hits and two runs while also receiving a no decision. Nolasco stuck out five and walked one.