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ATLANTA -- Jarrod Saltalamacchia knows most teams dont get many chances to beat Atlanta Braves closer Craig Kimbrel. [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] . Saltalamacchia drove in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning, Henderson Alvarez won for the first time in three starts and the Miami Marlins beat the Braves 3-2 on Thursday night. "He threw me a lot of sliders tonight, which is not what hes done in the past, but Id swung over a slider two nights ago and struck out," Saltalamacchia said. "I dont blame him. He made a mistake and I was able to do something with it." In taking three of four games, the Marlins won just their second series in the last 10 against the Braves at Turner Field. Alvarez (7-5) gave up six hits, two runs and one walk with four strikeouts in eight innings. The Marlins are 13-3 in his last 16 starts. Kimbrel (0-2), pitching in a non-save situation with the score tied 2-all to begin the ninth, struck out Garrett Jones and had Marcell Ozuna struck out, too, but the ball a wild pitch rolled a few feet from the plate after bouncing off catcher Evan Gattis shin guards and Ozuna reached safely. With Saltalamacchia batting, Ozuna advanced to second on another wild pitch and scored on the RBI single to centre, easily beating B.J. Uptons throw to the plate. Saltalamacchia went 3 for 4 with two doubles. "I think its my third time facing him," Saltalamacchia said. "Hes an All-Star closer. Hes got great stuff and really has a great idea of what hes doing out there. In that situation, Im just trying to not get too big, put a ball in play." Kimbrel, a four-time NL All-Star, allowed one hit and one run and struck out two. He blamed himself for the wild pitches. "Thats part of baseball," Kimbrel said. "Not everything goes perfect every time you go out there. Youve just got to find a way to get through it and unfortunately we didnt do it tonight." Atlanta dropped 1 1/2 games behind first-place Washington in the NL East. Miami, which is eight games out, moved into a tie with the New York Mets for third. Marlins closer Steve Cishek earned his 24th save in 27 chances, retiring Freddie Freeman, Justin Upton and Jason Heyward on fly balls in the ninth. Alvarez had struggled against the Braves, going 0-2 with a 6.86 ERA in four career starts, and he was coming off an outing that ended after 2 2-3 innings when San Franciscos Joe Panik hit a liner off his left shin. Chris Johnson hit his eighth homer, a two-run shot in the second that gave the Braves a 2-0 lead. "As far as today, that one fastball I just left out over the plate," Alvarez said through an interpreter. "He handled it, but as far as my struggles against the Braves, its just been coincidence." The Marlins tied it 2-all in the fifth on Adeiny Hechavarrias RBI single and Christian Yelichs forceout. Aaron Harang, who was attempting to win his fifth straight decision, gave up seven hits, two runs and two walks and struck out five in seven innings. Marlins manager Mike Redmond successfully challenged that Justin Upton was out to end the sixth. Upton, diving back to first base after Heyward lined out to shortstop, was originally called safe by first base umpire Rob Drake, but the call was overturned. Redmond has successfully challenged 15 of 19 calls this year. NOTES: Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez gave SS Andrelton Simmons the night off and started Ramiro Pena, who went 1 for 3, in his place. ... With a throwing miscue in Miamis 6-1 loss Wednesday to Atlanta, Saltalamacchia has 12 errors and is tied for most by a Marlins catcher in a season (Miguel Olivo 2007). ... When Freeman homered Wednesday, he snapped a stretch of 83 straight at-bats without a homer, the longest stint of his three-year career. .... Ozuna struck out eight times in the series. [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] . In the opener of the World Group first-round series, world No. 18 Kei Nishikori defeated Peter Polansky of Thornhill, Ont. [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] .Y. -- Syracuses streak lives on -- barely. [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] . - A late-game interception by defensive back Malcolm Butler saved the Super Bowl for the New England Patriots. CLEVELAND -- Indians manager Terry Francona likes to talk about grind-it-out wins. Tuesday nights 5-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox fit that category perfectly. Michael Bourns two-run double in the seventh inning snapped a 3-all tie and extended Clevelands winning streak to a season-high five straight games. The Indians scored three runs on five straight hits in the first off Jake Peavy, but couldnt add to the lead and the Red Sox tied the game in the seventh. The deadlock didnt last long. "We played a good game," Francona said. "I thought we had to. We strung together a number of hits (in the first), then youre kind of hanging on for dear life. When they tied it, we came back." Cleveland (29-30) can get back to .500 for the first time since April 24 if it can complete a three-game sweep Wednesday. The Indians have made up six games in the AL Central standings since May 18 and trail first-place Detroit by 4 1-2 games. Francona always stresses to his players to take things one day at a time. "Thats the only way you can dig yourself out of a hole," he said. "It can look so daunting when you look too far in advance, but when you take care of what youre supposed to do that day, all of a sudden things can mount in a good way." The Red Sox have lost two straight after winning seven consecutive games. That streak was preceded by a 10-game losing streak. Nick Hagadone (1-0) struck out three in 1 1-3 innings. Cody Allen recorded the final four outs for his fifth save, striking out former Indians All-Star Grady Sizemore, pinch-hitting for Jonny Gomes, to end the game. Allen also retired Sizemore for the final out in Mondays 3-2 win. "Obviously, they have some very good hitters," Allen said. "Theyre the defending world champions. Thats a veteran group. They have a lot of wins over there." Peavy (1-3) allowed five runs in 6 1-3 innings. The right-hander, who hasnt won since April 25, gave up three runs in the first, but held the Indians scoreless until the seventh. David Murphy walked to start the inning and Yan Gomes singled. Peavy threw out Murphy at third on Mike Aviles sacrifice attempt, leaving runners at first and second. Andrew Miller relieved, but Bourn doubled offf the lefty over the head of Gomes in left field to score both runners. [link widoczny dla zalogowanych]. . "Bournie had a really good at-bat," Francona said. "Thats not a fun lefty to face from the left side." Bourn, who hit a walk-off homer Sunday against Colorado, is 8 for 19 with five RBIs in Clevelands winning streak. The Indians are 20-11 at Progressive Field, the best home record in the AL. The Indians opened the game with five straight singles. Michael Brantley and Lonnie Chisenhall had RBI hits. The third run scored when Ryan Raburn hit into a double play. Peavy, who was 0-2 with a 5.89 ERA in six starts last month, retired 14 in a row at one point, a stretch that ended with Chisenhalls two-out single in the seventh. "This is a tough one to lose," Peavy said. "I dont know if Ive ever started a game with five straight hits. Tonight was a grind." Xander Bogaerts hit a solo homer with one out in the third. Jonathan Herreras sixth-inning single cut the lead to 3-2. Bogaerts started the seventh with a double off Scott Atchison and scored when Dustin Pedroia doubled. Hagadone, called up from Triple-A Columbus on Monday, struck out A.J. Pierzynski and Alex Hassan with two on to end the inning. Cleveland starter T.J. House allowed two runs in 5 2-3 innings. NOTES: Boston pitcher Brandon Workman appealed a six-game suspension imposed by Major League Baseball on Tuesday for throwing near the head of Tampa Bay star Evan Longoria last week. Workman can play until the appeal process is complete, and is expected to make his scheduled start Wednesday night in the series finale. ... Indians 3B/C Carlos Santana (concussion) took batting practice and ran the bases Tuesday. He could be activated Friday. .... Boston C Ryan Lavarnway (fractured left wrist) underwent surgery Tuesday in Cleveland to remove his hamate bone. Manager John Farrell expects a five-to-seven week recovery period before baseball activities take place. ... 1B Nick Swisher (sore left knee) could go on a minor-league rehab assignment next week. He has begun to play catch and is scheduled to start hitting in a couple of days. ... Browns rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel will throw out the first pitch Wednesday. ' ' '