ATLANTA — Hanley Ramirez, the National League's leading hitter, extended his career-high hitting streak to 16 games with three hits, including a two-run homer, to lead the Florida Marlins to a 5-3 rain-delayed victory over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night.
Anibal Sanchez (2-4), who came off the 60-day disabled list before the game, pitched six-plus innings for Florida. The right-hander, on the disabled list twice this season with a sprained right shoulder, allowed one run and two hits, walked two and struck out seven.
Sanchez threw 82 pitches, 52 strikes, and held the Braves hitless until Atlanta starter Javier Vazquez lined a single to left with one out in the sixth. He left with a 5-0 lead after allowing a leadoff double in the seventh to Ryan Church.
Florida's Leo Nunez picked up his 13th save with a scoreless ninth.
The game was delayed 2 hours, 28 minutes by thunder, lightning and rain with the Marlins batting in the ninth with one out. It resumed at 12:44 a.m.
Atlanta's Adam LaRoche hit a three-run home run off Dan Myers in the seventh to make it 5-3. It was LaRoche's 20th homer and fourth in five games.
Chipper Jones of the Braves had an infield single to end an 0-for-18 drought.
The Marlins broke a scoreless tie in the sixth on an RBI single by Ramirez off Vazquez (10-9).
Florida scored four times in the seventh keyed by the two-run homer by Ramirez, his 19th. It was his third hit in four at-bats, lifting his batting average to .360.
Jeremy Hermida opened the inning with a home run, his 13th. Wes Helms followed with a double and scored on a single by Ross Gload before Ramirez hit his long drive over the left field fence for a 5-0 lead, knocking out Vazquez.
Vazquez went 6 2-3 innings and allowed 10 hits and five runs with one walk and eight strikeouts.
NOTES: Sanchez, making his eighth start of the season, consistently threw his fastball at 93 mph. He last pitched on June 2. He went 2-0 with a 1.92 ERA in five rehab starts (23.1 innings). ... LaRoche has seven homers in 18 games since being acquired from Pittsburgh. ... The Braves were without LF Garret Anderson, who left Thursday night's game at New York with a lower back strain, and INF Martin Prado, who has batted only twice since Saturday. He was diagnosed with "exertional headaches" and will have further tests. He's expected to miss the Florida series. ... The Braves have homered in seven straight games. ... Marlins INF Jorge Cantu missed his second straight game due to a stiff neck. ... Florida 1B Nick Johnson missed his fifth game because a sore right hamstring.