MIAMI _ The walks came back to haunt Hector Noesi.
The 32-year-old right-handed pitcher making his second career start for the Miami Marlins _ and second career MLB appearance since 2015 _ nursed a two-run lead against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday when he surrendered back-to-back walks to Freddie Freeman and Josh Donaldson to start the fourth inning. Three batters later, Ender Inciarte belted a home run to right field to give the Braves a lead that would be extended an inning later when Ronald Acuna Jr hit a home run of his own.
A Marlins rally attempt fell short as the Braves won 5-4 to split the four-game series at Marlins Park.
The Marlins (44-73) won the series opener 9-2 on Thursday and clawed back from a four-run deficit in the ninth inning on Saturday to earn a 7-6 walk-off win in extras. The Braves (70-50) won 8-4 on Friday before holding on Sunday to avoid the series loss.
But before those two walks and two game-defining home runs, Noesi held his own against the National League East-leading Braves. Atlanta's first three batters reached base _ Acuna Jr with a single, Ozzie Albies with a walk and Freddie Freeman with an RBI single _ to take a 1-0 lead before Noesi retired eight consecutive batters with five strikeouts mixed in. He struck out two more after giving up the leadoff walks in the fourth before giving up the home run to Inciarte on an 0-1 pitch.
All told, Noesi tied a career high with eight strikeouts but gave up five earned runs _ four of which came on the two home runs.
The Marlins put up three runs in the first on a Starlin Castro RBI single and Harold Ramirez two-run double. Jorge Alfaro's infield single in the sixth scored Castro, who had four hits on Sunday, to bring the Marlins within a run.
