Atlanta @ Miami preview

Last Meeting ( May 15, 2015 ) Atlanta 5, Miami 3

Giancarlo Stanton can hit a baseball as far as anybody in the majors, but the Miami Marlins’ slugger needs more help to get his team out of an early-season funk. Stanton and the Marlins host the Atlanta Braves on Saturday after losing Friday’s series opener 5-3, a contest in which the Marlins’ superstar blasted a pair of homers – including a 474-foot blast in the seventh inning.

Stanton has belted 25 homers traveling at least 450 feet since 2010, but while Dee Gordon continues to set the table at the top of the lineup, Miami needs Christian Yelich (.186) and Michael Morse (.214) to heat up. The Braves benefited from the addition of Todd Cunningham in Friday's lineup, the Triple-A call-up experiencing a career night with three hits, two runs scored and a stolen base. Atlanta is 2-5 through seven games of a nine-game road swing and trails first-place New York by 3 1/2 games in the National League East. Miami has dropped eight of its past 12 and sits four games behind the Mets.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves LH Alex Wood (1-2, 4.28 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Mat Latos (1-3, 4.72)

Wood continues to search for the success that led to 11 victories a year ago, giving up eight hits or more in four of his past six starts. He struck out seven while allowing three runs on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings May 10 at Washington. Wood opened his season at Miami by beating the Marlins for his only victory of 2015, giving up two runs on four hits in five innings.

Latos has pitched much better in May after a rough first month in a Miami uniform, earning his first Marlins victory May 5 at Washington and allowing one run on seven hits in seven innings five days later at San Francisco. In May, Latos has surrendered two earned runs in 13 1/3 innings after posting a 6.86 ERA in five April starts. Latos was bombed by the Braves in his Miami debut for seven runs in 2/3 inning April 7, and gave up three runs (two earned) in four innings at Atlanta six days later.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cunningham’s only other major-league experience came with the Braves in 2013, going 2-for-8 in eight games.

2. Stanton recorded the 14th two-homer game of his career and has hit 12 of his 164 career longballs against the Braves.

3. The Marlins are 8-8 at home this season, with four of the defeats coming to Atlanta.

PREDICTION: Braves 5, Marlins 4