Atlanta Braves sweep Miami

MIAMI — Catcher A.J. Pierzynski, making his Atlanta Braves debut, hit a two-run homer to help Atlanta beat the Miami Marlins 2-0 on Wednesday night, capping a three-game sweep at Marlins Park.

It was the opening series of the season for both teams.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman started the seventh-inning rally with a single off of Marlins starter Tom Koehler (0-1). Pierzynski pulled Koehler’s next pitch off the upper-deck facade in right field, snapping a scoreless tie.

Atlanta right-hander Shelby Miller, who pitched five innings, got a no-decision. The Braves got scoreless set-up relief from right-hander Brandon Cunniff (1 2/3 innings), left-hander Luis Avilan (one-third of an inning) and right-hander Jim Johnson (one inning).

Braves closer Jason Grilli got his second save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.

Cunniff, a rookie, got the first win of his career.

In the three games of this series, the Braves allowed a combined total of just three runs. The Braves’ bullpen was even better, allowing no runs in 11 innings.

Some of that had to do with the Marlins’ lack of clutch hitting.

For the third straight game, the Marlins failed to score on a bases-loaded situation. But while the first two happened with no outs, this opportunity came with two outs in the third, when first baseman Michael Morse hit a hard grounder, but Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons picked it clean.

In the fourth, Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton saved a run when he made a diving backhanded catch on what otherwise might have been an RBI double in the gap by Freeman. Stanton then doubled up right fielder Nick Markakis at first.