ATLANTA — Vaughn Grissom didn't have the chance to open the season in Atlanta as he hoped.
Now that he's back in the major leagues, the 22-year-old shortstop is proving he can fit in the Braves' productive lineup.
Grissom had two hits, including a single to drive in the go-ahead run in Atlanta's four-run eighth inning, and the Braves rallied to overcome a strong start by Sandy Alcantara and beat the Miami Marlins 6-4 on Wednesday night.
Marlins reliever Dylan Floro (1-1) blew a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth, which began with Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson's seventh homer of the season. Grissom's single to right field drove in Eddie Rosario, who tripled, for a 5-4 lead. Marcell Ozuna's grounder was fielded by Floro in front of the mound, but Floro's wild throw past catcher Jacob Stallings for an error allowed Ozzie Albies to score.
"You see it all forming in front of you, and you see it all about to happen," Grissom said of his key at-bat. "I just had to have a good plan and try to execute and put the barrel on it. That's all you can do these days."
Grissom's single rolled past second baseman Luis Arraez, who was playing toward the bag.
"Put the ball in play, good things can happen, that's for sure," Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said.
Grissom began the season at Triple-A Gwinnett to work on his defense but was recalled on April 14 when starting shortstop Orlando Arcia was placed on the injured list with a fractured left wrist.
Grissom is hitting .293 to support expectations that his bat was ready for the majors. He hit .291 in 2022, when he appeared in 41 regular-season games and most of his playing time came in a fill-in role at second base with Albies injured.
"Now I feel like I belong," Grissom said. "I was just kind of surviving last year. This year I feel I can do some damage and be part of it."
Alcantara was sharp in his return after missing one start with right biceps tendinitis, allowing two runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings. Alcantara, the 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner, faded in the sixth, when he allowed both runs.
Miami's Jesús Sánchez blasted a 437-foot homer off Bryce Elder over the second-deck restaurant in right field in the second inning. Jazz Chisholm Jr. added a 428-foot homer to the second level of seats in left field in the third, and Avisaíl García homered to open the fourth.
Ronald Acuña Jr. led off the bottom of the sixth with a line-drive homer to left-center for Atlanta's first run off Alcantara, who couldn't make it through the inning. Rosario said the homer "gave us new life, new momentum."
Austin Riley doubled before Alcantara walked Rosario and Albies to load the bases. Grissom's single to left field off Huascar Brazoban drove in Riley, but García threw out Rosario, who was trying to score from second, at the plate.
Michael Tonkin (2-1) threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of Elder. A.J. Minter pitched the ninth for his fifth save in eight chances.
Elder had not allowed a homer in 23 2/3 innings over his first four starts before allowing a season-high four runs on five hits, including three homers, in 5 1/3 innings as his ERA rose to 2.17.
"It's going to happen," Snitker said. "He's still been really, really good. That happens. You're not going to be perfect all the time."
Miami (12-13) has lost four straight games to fall below .500 for the first time since April 12, when it was 6-7.
Atlanta (17-8), the five-time reigning champion in the NL East Division, has a three-game lead over the New York Mets (14-11), while the Marlins are tied for third with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Braves have followed a four-game skid — one loss to the San Diego Padres in California and three to the Houston Astros to start this homestand — by winning three straight against the Marlins. The four-game series concludes Thursday afternoon, with the scheduled starting pitchers left-hander Braxton Garrett (1-0, 2.84 ERA) for Miami and right-hander Kyle Wright (0-1, 5.93) for Atlanta.
Ahead of Wednesday's matchup, Braves right-hander Joe Jiménez was placed on the paternity list and left-hander Danny Young was recalled only two days after being optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Also, Braves center fielder Michael Harris II (strained lower back) had one hit and one walk in three at-bats and stole a base in his first injury rehab game with Gwinnett on Wednesday night. He has been on the injured list since April 7.
For the Marlins, second baseman Luis Arráez (bruised left knee) returned as the cleanup hitter after missing three games. Miami manager Skip Schumaker said he wanted the left-handed hitting Arráez to fit between two righties, Jorge Soler and García, in the lineup.