Hanson over Hand: Braves, 1-0

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

MIAMI - Tommy Hanson pitched six innings and the Atlanta Braves won with only two hits Tuesday night when they sent the Florida Marlins to their sixth consecutive loss, 1-0.

Florida's Brad Hand (0-1) pitched six innings in his major league debut and allowed just one hit - a homer by Alex Gonzalez leading off the fourth.

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That was enough against the Marlins, who stranded 10 and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. In the first five games of their homestand, they've left 49 men on base while batting .152 with runners in scoring position.

Hanson (7-4) allowed five walks but only two hits. He has shut out Florida in 13 innings over two starts this season.

Three relievers completed a four-hitter. Jonny Venters pitched a perfect eighth to lower his ERA to 0.49, and Craig Kimbrel followed with a hitless ninth for his 18th save in 22 chances.

The Braves have thrown eight shutouts, which ties them for the most in the majors.

Gonzalez's homer was his sixth. Martin Prado had Atlanta's only other hit, a single in the ninth.

The Marlins' best scoring chance came in the first, when Chris Coghlan led off with a double, but Hanson retired the next three batters. Florida's only other hits were two singles by John Buck and a single by Greg Dobbs.

Hanson walked the bases loaded in the sixth before Mike Stanton grounded out to end the threat. Stanton is 2-for-17 in the homestand.

The game marked the return to Florida by second baseman Dan Uggla and former Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez. Both left Miami last year.

Uggla went 0-for-3, dropping his average to .170, worst in the majors.

Hand, promoted Monday from Double-A Jacksonville, took the turn of injured ace Josh Johnson. The rookie left-hander struck out six, and the only walk he allowed was to the game's first batter, Jordan Schafer.

Hand pitched before a crowd of 5,126 in his most recent minor league game, and the turnout was similar for his big-league debut, although announced attendance was 13,302.

The Marlins hope shortstop Hanley Ramirez (back) will be able to resume some baseball activities by Friday, manager Edwin Rodriguez said.