Jason Grilli closes Atlanta Braves’ win over Miami Marlins

MIAMI — Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez felt a bit odd in the ninth inning.

Something was missing, and that something was closer Craig Kimbrel, who saved an impressive 185 games for Atlanta the past four years before being traded Sunday.

The Braves, however, managed without him.

Newly acquired right fielder Nick Markakis drove in two runs, including the game-winner, and Atlanta defeated the Miami Marlins 2-1 in Monday’s Opening Day game at Marlins Park.

Jason Grilli, Atlanta’s new closer, got the save, his first with the Braves. Grilli struck out Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton and first baseman Michael Morse in a 1-2-3 inning.

“You’re sitting there after Craig gets traded, and you’re thinking: First chance, it’s going to be a one-run game, and sure enough,” Gonzalez said. “It did (seem strange not seeing Kimbrel). It’s just something you have to get used to.”

Atlanta pushed across the winning run in the sixth, breaking a 1-1 tie. Center fielder Eric Young Jr. led off with a double, advanced on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Markakis’ groundout to second baseman Dee Gordon. The speedy Young slid under the tag of catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

The Marlins loaded the bases in the seventh inning on three consecutive singles but failed to score when Saltalamacchia grounded into a double play and shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria popped out.

Braves right-hander Julio Teheran (1-0) allowed one run in six-plus innings. He left the game after allowing the three hits in the seventh. Left-hander Luis Avilan induced the double play, and right-hander Jim Johnson closed out the seventh.

“They had my back,” Teheran said of the Braves’ bullpen.

Marlins starter Henderson Alvarez took the tough-luck loss, allowing just two runs in seven innings.

The game featured a 16-minute rain delay despite Marlins Park having a retractable roof. The sell-out crowd of 36,969 also saw two Air Force fighter jets do a flyover and heard famed boxing announcer Michael Buffer call out the starting lineups.

“I don’t know what my reaction was,” Marlins manager Mike Redmond said of the sudden shower that caused the domed-stadium rain delay. “But, uh, that was a first.”

Ichiro Suzuki made his Marlins debut in the eighth, grounding out weakly as a pinch hitter. The next batter, Gordon, appeared to have a bunt hit, but he tripped over his own feet and was thrown out before he got back up.

Redmond said the rain that fell before the roof was closed may have caused Gordon’s lowlight.

“It gets slick when it gets wet,” Redmond said. “You close that roof, and (the field) doesn’t dry.”

Miami had other issues on the bases. Gordon ended the third inning when he was thrown out trying to steal second base, and Stanton ended the fourth inning when he was thrown out at third in his attempt to take an extra base.

Strong-armed Christian Bethancourt, Atlanta’s young catcher, got credit for nabbing Gordon, who last season led the majors with 64 steals.

“He’s there to run,” Bethancourt said of Gordon. “When he gets to first, you know he is going to run. Thanks to God, I caught him.”

Atlanta opened the scoring in the first inning. Rookie second baseman Jace Peterson got his first big-league hit, advanced on a balk and scored on a single up the middle by Markakis, who signed a four-year, $44 million contract in the offseason as the Braves’ big free agent acquisition.

Miami put together two straight two-strike, two-out hits to tie the score 1-1 in the third. Alvarez doubled, and Gordon got his first RBI as a Marlin with an opposite-field single on an 0-2 pitch.

NOTES: Two-time Grammy winner Jon Secada, a Miami resident, sang the national anthem. … The Marlins began their 23rd season and their fourth since moving to Marlins Park. … The Braves opened their 140th season and their 50th in Atlanta. … The only other time the two teams opened a season against each other was in 2005, when the Marlins beat the Braves 9-0. … Only six players on the current Atlanta roster were with the team on Opening Day 2014. … Following Sunday’s trade in which the Braves sent RHP Craig Kimbrel and OF Melvin Upton to San Diego for OFs Cameron Maybin and Carlos Quentin as well as two prospects and a draft pick, Atlanta made roster moves. Quentin was designated for assignment, LHP Josh Outman (shoulder) was placed on the 60-day disabled list, and RHP Brandon Cunniff was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett. Cunniff is one of five Braves rookies on the roster.