ATLANTA — Justin Upton, Chris Johnson and Brian McCann homered, Brandon Beachy pitched eight strong innings and the Atlanta Braves beat the Miami Marlins 5-0 Friday night for their 14th straight victory.
The Braves are one victory shy of tying their 2000 team for the longest winning streak since the franchise relocated to Atlanta in 1966.
Beachy (1-0) scattered three hits, allowed one walk and struck out six in eight innings to win his third start back from elbow ligament replacement surgery on June 21, 2012. He made 67 of 99 pitches for strikes.
With only 15 losses at Turner Field, Atlanta improved its home winning percentage to .722, best in the majors.
The Braves were eight games ahead of second-place Washington in the NL East after losing their last game, July 24 at the New York, but now lead the division by 15 1/2 games.
The Marlins began the game having lost five straight by a total of seven runs, but their sixth consecutive loss unraveled early as Atlanta took a 4-0 lead in the first on Upton’s 22nd homer and Johnson’s three-run shot.
After Johnson hit his eighth homer, Marlins starter Jacob Turner hit Dan Uggla in the upper left arm with a pitch, and Uggla yelled at the pitcher and catcher Jeff Mathis as he walked up the first base line.
Home plate umpire Mike Estabrook issued a warning to both dugouts before Turner faced the next batter, and the game ended without another incident.
One of the four runs was unearned because McCann reached on shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria’s fielding error.
McCann led off the third with his 17th homer to make it 5-0.
Turner (3-4) allowed five hits and five runs — four earned — with three walks and five strikeouts in five innings. The right-hander dropped to 0-7 with a 3.71 ERA in 11 career road starts.
Beachy, who had gone seven straight starts without a win, allowed a leadoff single to Christian Yelich in the first, but retired the next 11 batters he faced before Logan Morrison’s leadoff single in the fifth.
The right-hander snapped a seven-start winless streak, earning a victory for the first time since pitching his first career shutout in a 7-0 victory over Miami on May 17, 2012.
Miami’s third hit, a one-out double by pinch-hitter Juan Pierre in the sixth, but Beachy fielded a grounder from Yelich, the next batter, and threw Pierre out at third.
Johnson, who leads the NL with a .338 average, went 1 for 4. Over his last 40 games, the Braves’ third baseman is hitting .367.
Upton has six homers and 13 RBIs in his last eight games.
Dan Jennings relieved Lucas to begin the sixth and allowed two hits over the next two innings.
Scott Downs began the ninth for Atlanta, allowing a leadoff single to pinch-hitter Koyie Hill and striking out Yelich before Luis Ayala needed two pitches to end it on Jake Marisnick’s double-play groundout.
Notes
Braves RHP Tim Hudson said before the game that he hopes to return from full health from ankle surgery and play his 15th season in 2014. The 38-year-old Hudson added that he wants to return for a 10th season with Atlanta. ... Rob Brantly, the Marlins’ opening day catcher, was optioned to Triple-A New Orleans earlier in the day. Hill had his contract purchased from New Orleans to take Brantly’s spot on the 25-man roster. Brantly hit .225 with one homer and 18 RBIs in 59 games and allowed seven passed balls. ... Through Thursday, Atlanta CF Jordan Schafer had gone 2 for 28 in a rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett. Schafer is on the disabled list with a bruised right ankle.