MIAMI — Michael Harris II hit a two-run homer and a solo shot, Mike Yastrzemski also went deep, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Miami Marlins 9-3 on Thursday night.
Atlanta starting pitcher Spencer Strider (2-0) had a season-high nine strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings as the MLB-leading Braves continued their strong start to the season, taking three of four in Miami for their 14th win in 16 series, which includes a four-game split with the Arizona Diamondbacks in early April.
Three of the four hits the right-hander allowed were a solo homer to Owen Caissie and a pair of solo homers to Kyle Stowers. Strider also walked two batters.
Ronald Acuña Jr. had two hits, including an RBI single that put the Braves ahead 5-2 in the fifth, before exiting in the sixth as a precaution because of left thumb pain. Eli White replaced him in right field.
Dominic Smith, who hit a three-run homer Wednesday, singled and doubled for the Braves. Ha-Seong Kim added a single, walk and steal.
Atlanta went up 2-0 in the first inning against Sandy Alcantara (3-3). Acuña hit a leadoff single and scored when Harris went deep for his 10th home run of the season, a 389-foot shot to right-center field.
Harris homered three times in the series and had six hits. He added a 404-foot drive in the ninth.
Yastrzemski’s one-out, 418-foot home run to center made it 3-0 in the second, and he added an RBI double in the sixth.
Atlanta’s 72 home runs rank second in the majors, one behind the American League’s New York Yankees.
Alcantara gave up six runs on nine hits in six innings and struck out three batters.
The Braves padded their lead in the eighth against Cade Gibson. Ozzie Albies reached after being hit on the leg by a pitch, then came around to score with Smith on pinch-hitter Mauricio Dubón’s two-run single.
Stowers homered in the fourth and seventh.
Atlanta improved to 35-16 and pushed its lead in the National League East Division to 9 1/2 games over the second-place Philadelphia Phillies. Miami (22-29) dropped a half-game behind the New York Mets to fall to the bottom of the NL East, 13 games out of first place.
The Braves were heading home for a three-game set with the Washington Nationals (25-26), who are third in NL East and 10 games back. The scheduled starting pitchers for Friday’s series opener at Truist Park are right-handers Bryce Elder (4-2, 2.01 ERA) for Atlanta and Miles Mikolas (1-3, 6.91) for Washington.
More on Acuña
Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said after the series finale in Miami that Acuña has a bone bruise in his thumb, but he thinks the five-time MLB All-Star will be fine.
“I feel good,” the 28-year-old from Venezuela said in Spanish afterward, adding that he felt tightness in his thumb during the game. “It’s the first time something like that has happened.”
Acuña had his thumb examined in the fifth inning before exiting with the Braves up 6-2.
“He was trying to talk his way into the lineup tomorrow as soon as the game was over,” Weiss said, “so I think he’s going to be all right.”
It was Acuña’s third game back after a being sidelined with a left hamstring strain since May 2. Acuña left in the second inning against the Colorado Rockies that with muscle tightness before an MRI revealed the strain. He was attempting to run out a grounder before he pulled up about halfway down the line and grabbed at his hamstring.
The 2023 NL MVP is batting .252 with two homers and a team-high seven steals this year. He had played in the first 34 games this season after a torn ACL from May 2024 limited him to a combined 144 games over the past two seasons.