Dan Uggla's three-run homer, part of a four-run Atlanta first inning, provided Braves starter Tim Hudson with an early cushion that the Braves would not relinquish on their way to a 7-5 win Monday.
Martin Prado opened the scoring with a two-out single to center before Uggla yanked a towering blast to left for a 4-0 Atlanta lead. The Braves would push that lead to 6-0 in the fourth on a run-scoring single from left fielder Jeff Baker and a groundout by pitcher Tim Hudson. With Baker running from first, Hudson tapped a bouncer back to pitcher Wade LeBlanc, whose throw to second base was too late, preventing an inning-ending double play and allowing another run to score.
Hudson has struggled with allowing the big inning at times this season, and Monday's fourth inning was no different. Justin Ruggiano scored on a one-out single by Rob Brantly before Hudson induced a flyout from Gil Velazquez for the inning's second out. Miami was just getting started, though. Back-to-back triples from Bryan Petersen and Gorkys Hernandez plated three more to draw the Marlins within two. The Marlins tacked on another run against Atlanta reliever Cory Gearrin in the seventh on Carlos Lee's RBI single.
Martin Prado capped off his 4-for-4 night in the eighth with a one-out single to center to plate Jason Heyward, and Craig Kimbrel worked around an infield single from Jose Reyes in the ninth to earn his 37th save of the season.
Hudson improved to 15-6 after working five innings, allowing four runs on 10 hits. Wade LeBlanc allowed six runs on seven hits in just four innings of work and took the loss for Miami.