Renteria, Hudson pace Braves to 5th win in a row

Braves 6, Marlins 5

MIAMI (AP) -- Tyler Yates didn't think he'd be pitching Saturday night. The Braves are glad he was around to help.

Edgar Renteria hit a tiebreaking double in the eighth and Yates stopped the Marlins' ninth-inning rally, helping Atlanta beat Florida 6-5 and sending the Braves to their fifth straight win.

Atlanta had not won five straight since May 8-12.

"Skip called my name and I went out there I did my job," said Yates, who pitched 1 1/3 innings in the Braves' 12-3 victory Friday night. It was his first save in two chances this season.

"The name of the game is picking each other up," Atlanta manager Bobby Cox said. "Yates saved us."

Renteria's double off reliever Armando Benitez (2-4) drove in Willie Harris, breaking a 1-1 tie and triggering a five-run eighth.

Tim Hudson (8-5) gave up one run and seven hits, striking out six to win consecutive starts for the first time since May 10 and 15. He gave up one run in seven innings in Atlanta's 4-1 victory over the Washington Nationals on Monday, which snapped a five-game skid and started the Braves on their current winning streak.

"They got some guys in scoring position, but I was able to make some pitches and the guys made some nice plays behind me," Hudson said.

The Atlanta bullpen nearly spoiled it. Reliever Rafael Soriano pitched the eighth and allowed Dan Uggla's solo home run, and Joe Borchard's double started a ninth-inning rally off Bob Wickman. Josh Willingham followed with an RBI double, and after Alfredo Amezaga flied out, Miguel Olivo's two-run homer to left made it 6-5.

But Yates came on and calmly set down Hanley Ramirez and Uggla to preserve the win.

"They never give up," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said of his team. "They play hard until the 27th out is made."

After Renteria's double put the Braves ahead in the eighth, Chipper Jones reached on a fielder's choice, sending Renteria to third. Andruw Jones lined out and Benitez walked Brian McCann to load the bases, before Jeff Francoeur's single made it 4-1.

Kelly Johnson followed with an RBI double and pinch hitter Matt Diaz hit a run-scoring single.

Harris reached safely three times and stole three bases.

"We've got our big guys who drive in runs -- that's not my job," Harris said. "My job is to get on base and try to get in scoring position for those guys."

After striking out with a runner at third and one out in the fourth, Chipper Jones responded with an RBI single in the sixth, tying the game at 1.

Florida starter Byung-Hyun Kim allowed one run and four hits, striking out three. He gave way to Renyel Pinto with one out in the seventh.

Miguel Cabrera's run-scoring single gave the Marlins a 1-0 lead in the first. Cabrera drove in Uggla, who had reached on a one-out double.

The Marlins, who have lost six of their last seven, failed on a squeeze play in the fourth. Matt Treanor missed on his bunt attempt and base runner Jeremy Hermida was thrown out between third and home.

Game notes
First baseman Scott Thorman's fielding error in the fourth was Atlanta's first since Jarrod Saltalamacchia's throwing error in the third inning against Washington on Tuesday. ... Matt Tosca, son of Marlins bench coach Carlos Tosca, performed a violin rendition of the national anthem before the game.