MIAMI -- After producing a game-tying five-run sixth inning at Sun Life Stadium on Sunday afternoon, the Braves saw the Marlins complete a 7-6, 10-inning win with Scott Cousins' walk-off single.

Atlanta missed an opportunity to go two games up on the Phils after Milwaukee defeated Philadelphia Sunday afternoon, 6-2.

After Mike Minor labored through four rough innings, the Braves celebrated this holiday weekend by utilizing a second consecutive Sunday afternoon to erase a five-run deficit against the Marlins.

Unfortunately for the Braves, this conclusion proved to be different than the one they had celebrated at Turner Field seven days earlier.

Cousins was inserted as a pinch-hitter after Emilio Bonafacio appeared to hit Logan Morrison below the left eye with a foul ball. After Morrison was helped off the field under his own power, Bonafacio victimized Eric O'Flaherty with a drive into the left-center-field gap. The ball eluded left fielder Melky Cabrera and was ruled a triple.

Cousins then drove his game-winner to left field to doom the Braves, who have lost six of their past seven road games.

Facing the same 6-1, the Braves returned from a 23-minute fifth-inning rain delay and managed to reverse the frustrations Alex Sanabia had delivered them during the first five innings.

Nate McLouth snapped an 0-for-17 skid with a fifth-inning single that accounted for his first RBI since June 3. The veteran center fielder, who for almost all of August was playing for Triple-A Gwinnett, would tally two more RBIs one inning later when his potential go-ahead home run instead became a rare two-run sacrifice fly that tied the game.

Cameron Maybin jumped and grabbed McLouth's long fly ball above the center-field wall. As McCann jogged toward the plate, an alert and hustling Diory Hernandez, who was pinch-running for Troy Glaus, raced around third base and slid across the plate to cap the productive and sudden sixth-inning charge.

With Omar Infante's leadoff single and consecutive infield singles produced by Jason Heyward and Martin Prado, the Braves loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth. McCann drew a seven-pitch, bases-loaded walk to end Sanabia's once-impressive outing, and Glaus greeted Chris Leroux by lacing a first-pitch fastball to left field for an RBI single.

Cabrera's one-out, bases-loaded walk set the stage for McLouth to produce his first multi-RBI performance since May 20, and make Sanabia's line look far too similar to the one produced by Minor, who was charged with six earned runs and nine hits in four innings -- the shortest of his first five career starts.

With a first-inning triple and second-inning RBI double, Morrison accounted for two of the seven extra-base hits surrendered by Minor. The 22-year-old southpaw had allowed nine extra-base hits in the 23 innings he had completed entering this start.

Gaby Sanchez and Wes Helms began a two-run second inning with consecutive doubles. When Bonafacio and Morrison began the bottom of the third with consecutive doubles off curveballs, Minor made the mistake of trying to sneak a first-pitch fastball by Hanley Ramirez. The All-Star shortstop drilled the offering over the right-field wall to give the Marlins a 6-0 lead.

Freddie Freeman got his first major league hit, a two-out single in the 9th inning.

Box Score

The Braves move on to Pittsburgh where they will meet the Pirates in a Labor Day afternoon game.
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Source: MLB.com

Mike Minor, who has yet to lose a game, had the roughest outing of his young Major League career.
- Photo2 by Tim Evearitt