Jurickson Profar, Atlanta Braves crush Marlins to take series

MIAMI, Aug. 27 (UPI) — The Atlanta Braves needed fewer than 60 seconds to secure a lead they never lost, with a Jurickson Profar homer sparking a Wednesday rout of the Miami Marlins.

Profar swatted the third pitch of the day to right field for a 350-foot home run and the Braves never looked back in the 12-1 victory in Miami. He returned to the plate for a second round trip in the seventh inning.

“This team, even though the chances are slim for us to make the playoffs, everybody comes in here every day ready to win, with high energy,” Profar said after the victory, which improved the Braves’ record to 61-72.

“That’s what I love from this team.”

Jurickson Profar, Atlanta Braves crush Marlins to take series — Atlanta Braves left fielder Jurickson Profar is hitting .267 with 12 home runs and 36 RBIs this season. File Photo by Julian Alexander/UPI

First baseman Matt Olson, second baseman Ozzie Albies and center fielder Michael Harris II also homered for the Braves.

Albies went 2 for 5 with five RBI, including three from a 391-foot homer in the third inning of the one-sided slugfest. Olson hit a 426-foot, two-run shot in the same inning.

“It’s been a long time coming, but we’ll take it whenever,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker, who was ejected in the third inning. “It’s good to see that the hard work the guys put in all summer.

“They’ve never stopped. They’ve continued to work. It didn’t go their way a lot of times, but that didn’t change the intensity or work ethic. … It’s good. Hopefully we keep it rolling.”

Profar came to the plate for the first at-bat of the night at about 1:11 p.m. EDT Wednesday at loanDepot park. He watched a 92.8-mph fastball hit the outside of the strike zone to start the exchange. Marlins starter Ryan Gusto then missed the zone with a cutter.

Gusto finished the exchange with an 85.3-mph changeup, which Profar sliced just over the right field fence. Profar also touched the plate for the Braves’ second run when Olson hit a two-run blast in the second at-bat of the third inning.

Albies recorded his three-run shot three at-bats later for a 6-0 Braves lead. Albies returned to the plate in the fourth and swatted a two-run single. Harris brought the second baseman home with another single in the next at-bat for a 9-0 Braves advantage.

Center fielder Derek Hill finally got the Marlins on the scoreboard with an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth, but Harris responded with a 362-foot, two-run homer in the top of the next inning. Profar added his second homer of the night — a 397-foot solo shot — in the seventh.

Starter Joey Wentz allowed four hits and one run over 6 2/3 innings to improve to 3-3 for the Braves and 5-4 overall this season. Gusto allowed seven hits and nine runs over 3 2/3 innings to drop to 7-7.

Profar went 2 for 3 with three walks, two RBIs and four runs scored. Braves outfielder Jake Fraley went 3 for 5 in the victory. Olson, Albies and Harris recorded two hits apiece for the Braves.

Hill and fellow Marlins outfielder Jakob Marsee each went 2 for 3 in the loss.

The Marlins (62-71) still sit in third place in the National League East, one game ahead of the Braves (61-72) and 14.5 games behind the division-leading Philadelphia Phillies (76-56).

They will take on the second-place New York Mets (62-70) at 7:10 p.m. EDT Thursday in Flushing, N.Y.

The Braves will play the Phillies at 6:45 p.m. Thursday in Philadelphia.