MIAMI — Max Fried pitched six solid innings and Marcell Ozuna homered to lead the Atlanta Braves to an 8-1 win over the Miami Marlins on Friday night, the opener to a three-game series between the National League East Division rivals.
Fried (1-0) entered with an 18.00 ERA after a pair of surprisingly rough starts to open the season, but the 2022 Cy Young Award runner-up limited the Marlins to four hits on 84 pitches while striking out four batters and walking one. The 30-year old left-hander was replaced by Pierce Johnson after giving up back-to-back hits in the seventh.
"For me, it's been frustrating the last couple (outings), giving it up and not giving us a chance to win" Fried said, "so having a tight game through five, six innings and being able to keep it there for our offense to go off in the way that they did — it was nice to contribute."
Braves manager Brian Snitker said it was only a matter of time until Fried turned things around.
"Max needed that," Snitker said. "He had a rough couple of first starts, and he rebounded and looked like his old self again. That was really good. It was really good stuff."
Ozuna blasted a solo shot 446 feet to center field in the ninth inning for his sixth home run — it tied the Atlanta designated hitter with Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tyler O'Neill of the Boston Red Sox and Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels for the MLB lead with the season in just its second full week — and the second-longest homer hit at Miami's ballpark this year. Ozuna hit a career-high 40 homers last year.
Ozuna finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs on Friday. He played his first five MLB seasons with the Marlins then was with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2018-19 before joining the Braves.
"This is where it started last year, and he's had really good years here," Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. "It might be that he sees the ball really well here. Marcell can swing the bat really well all year, and tonight was no different."
Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia led off a five-run seventh for the visitors with a double off reliever George Soriano, who then walked Ronald Acuña Jr. and hit Ozzie Albies with a pitch to load the bases. Andrew Nardi replaced Soriano and gave up a bases-loaded walk to Matt Olson and a two-run single to Ozuna.
Nardi exited to some boos before Burch Smith gave up a pair of RBI singles to make it 7-0. Smith got Travis d'Arnaud to ground out to end the inning.
Arcia also doubled to start the fifth and scored on Albies' single that put Atlanta up 2-0.
Olson, d'Arnaud and Austin Riley also doubled for the high-powered Braves, who have an MLB-leading 38 doubles. Acuña stole two bases, giving him six this season.
Marlins starter Trevor Rodgers (0-2) allowed eight hits and two runs with five strikeouts and a walk in five innings.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled in the seventh against Fried, then scored Miami's run on a single by Emmanuel Rivera.
The Braves, the six-time reigning NL East champions and first in the division again, improved to 8-4 as they bounced back from dropping two of three at home to the New York Mets. The Marlins fell to 2-12 and remain winless in Miami this year after opening with an 0-7 homestand.
"Unfortunately, we didn't get the W, but I still trust all those guys in there," Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. "We'll turn this around."
Snitker said he was most impressed by Fried's fastball, which reached 96.1 mph. Fried agreed, adding that his goal was to mix up speeds and keep hitters off balance.
"Fried's curveball was working really good," Schumaker said. "He was stealing some early strikes and then was on the attack with the fastball up and the changeup down and away.
"The timing was off. We were back and forth with the fastball, off speed. We couldn't sit on one pitch because he was having all his pitches working."
Fried said he felt more like himself.
"At this point, you kind of use anything as motivation," Fried said. "Not performing to the standard that I hold myself to — it's nice to go out there and have a good one and help this team win, because I really put us in some holes."
The improvement is a welcomed sight for the Braves, who could lose ace right-hander Spencer Strider for the season after an MRI earlier this week revealed damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
Strider was set to be evaluated further by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, at a date to be determined. Snitker did not have an update when asked before Friday's game.
Braves catcher Sean Murphy, out since sustaining an oblique strain in the season opener, threw flat-footed before Friday's game and is increasing his activity, which Snitker called a "good sign."
In roster changes for Atlanta, pitcher Darius Vines was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett and fellow right-hander Allan Winans was optioned to that affiliate in a corresponding move after Thursday's 16-4 loss to Mets.
The series continues Saturday with Atlanta sending left-hander Chris Sale (1-0, 3.38 ERA) to the mound and Miami countering with right-hander Max Meyer (1-0, 2.45).