MIAMI_The Miami Marlins survived quite nicely without Dee Gordon.
They went 45-35 during the time the National League's reigning batting and stolen base champion was serving his 80-game drug suspension.
But they far prefer it when Gordon's in the lineup creating havoc, piling up singles and steals, scoring runs, providing Gold Glove defense, and sparking wins. It's the reason they gave him a $50 contract extension last winter.
Saturday, he showed why in the Marlins' 6-4 win over the Braves.
Gordon reached base four times, stole three bases, scored a pair of runs, and helped the Marlins get past a last-place team that's given them migraines.
It was the Gordon the Marlins remember from a year ago, and the player they haven't seen nearly enough of this season. Not only was Gordon absent for two months, but he hasn't been near the spark plug they were envisioning.
Going into Friday's game, Gordon brought an on-base percentage of .290, the lowest figure of any leadoff hitter in the National League. Because he walks so seldom, Gordon value is minimal if he doesn't hit.
Saturday, he did both.
He walked to start the game for the Marlins, stole second, and scored on Derek Dietrich's two-run homer. In the third, he singled, stole third, and scored on Giancarlo Stanton's ground ball out.
He singled and stole second in the fourth, and walked in the sixth.
Despite all that, the Marlins still had to fight their way past the surging Braves who, despite their cellar-dwelling spot in the N.L. East, brought a seven-game winning streak into Saturday and had defeated the Marlins in 11 of their 17 meetings this season.
Wei-Yin Chen, making his second start since returning from the disabled list, gave up a run in each of the first two innings and lasted just four before being removed for a pinch-hitter.
After that, it became a cattle call of relievers for the Marlins.
The Marlins took a 5-2 lead into the sixth when former Brave Hunter Cervenka gave up a leadoff homer to Freddie Freeman, who extended his hitting streak to 28 straight games on Saturday. In the sixth, struggling reliever Fernando Rodney walked the first batter he faced, Mallex Smith, and eventually uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Smith to score, making it 5-4.
But the Marlins got an insurance run in the seventh on a RBI infield hit by J.T. Realmuto, and A.J. Ramos pitched the ninth for the save.
