Sep 2, 2009 11:24 am US/Eastern
Marlins Lose Another To Braves 4-3
Marlins falling farther behind in NL Wild Card Race
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
The Florida Marlins continued to head in the wrong direction as the final month of the baseball season begins. The Marlins had to wait nearly three hours before getting a chance to take on Tim Hudson and the Atlanta Braves. Hudson hadn't pitched in the bigs for more than a year after Tommy John surgery, but still had plenty of juice to help the Braves knock-off the Marlins, 4-3.
"I wasn't sure we were going to get it in," Hudson said. "It took a while to get it going. But it was better late than never."
Brian McCann and Garret Anderson each had an RBI, and the Braves took advantage of a balk by starter Anibal Sanchez (2-6) to beat the Marlins for the second straight night in a series pivotal for both teams' postseason chances. Atlanta is three games behind Colorado for the NL wild card, and Florida fell five back.
Marlins All-Star shortstop Hanley Ramirez left in the top of the fifth with a tight left hamstring, the team said. Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez said the "cramp" likely had a lot to do with the delay, and doesn't think the injury will sideline his star slugger.
Dan Uggla hit his 24th home run in the ninth off Rafael Soriano. But the Braves closer regrouped to get his 21st save in 24 chances.
All that was after a rain delay that seemed as though it would never end. The final out came at 1:02 a.m. Wednesday.
The rain and thunderstorms around the ballpark never let the starters warm up for the original start time. The Marlins were able to begin batting practice about 2 1/2 hours before the game, then the sky quickly blackened, and fast-moving storms forced players to retreat to the dugout and sent the grounds crew scurrying to put the tarp on the field.
About 1,000 fans remained when the game finally started in a light drizzle at exactly 10 p.m., the field soggy but solid. The few left were wrapped in ponchos and damp clothes, a spirited bunch of Marlins and Braves fans who tried to make up for the stadium's orange and aqua seats left wet and empty.
Hudson had last pitched July 23, 2008, when he walked off the same mound in Florida with discomfort in his right arm. He had surgery last August.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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