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Braves rally for 6 runs in the 9th, beat Marlins on Dansby Swanson's walk-off hit

With Sunday's incredible victory, which might have been the Braves' biggest comeback win of the decade, Atlanta extended its NL East lead to 1 1/2 games.

ATLANTA—When Braves fans hearken back to the enormity of Sunday's 10-9 victory over the Marlins, with Atlanta rallying for six runs in the final frame, no one will remember that Dansby Swanson led off the ninth inning with a strikeout.

These are the spoils of a conquering hero. In the course of one full go-round with the Braves lineup, Swanson's arc of redemption included a two-run walk-off single, the result of a line-drive smash down the left-field line, scoring Tyler Flowers and Kurt Suzuki.

The fact that Swanson even had the opportunity to secure Sunday's win defies logic or explanation. At various points of the game, Atlanta trailed by six, six, four and five runs, respectively; and in the fourth inning alone, Braves pitcher Julio Teheran served the Marlins a six-run lead on a silver platter, the byproduct of six consecutive hitters reaching base and subsequently scoring.

Speaking of Teheran ... by giving up six earned runs and seven hits over just five innings, his seasonal ERA at SunTrust Park jumped from 4.29 to 5.53 in one afternoon. His WHIP also ballooned from 1.38 to 1.55.

But that's a worry for another day. On the heels of this Sunday shocker, Teheran's poor outing represents just another meaningless footnote to arguably the greatest comeback in Braves history.

Or, at least this decade, right?

Actually, on this very day in 2010, journeyman Brooks Conrad capped an incredible Braves rally against the Reds (below) with a walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning.

Sounds familiar, huh?

Fast forward to Sunday: Swanson's walk-off hit was merely a single, compared to Conrad's bases-loaded blast. Nevertheless, it was good enough to send the SunTrust Park crowd into a delirious frenzy, knowing the Braves (28-17) had posted their first home series win in a month ... and extended their National League East lead to 1 1/2 games (coupled with the Phillies' Sunday loss).

Who's to say how many fans were still in the building when Swanson led off the final inning with the aforementioned strikeout. But the ones who left were likely full of regret in the aftermath, missing out on a crazy 20-minute half-inning—which felt like two hours of high anxiety.

Here's how it all went down:

Swanson struck out. Pinch-hitter John Flaherty walked. Ozzie Albies singled. Ronald Acuna's sacrifice-fly RBI scored Flaherty, but it also left the Braves just one out from defeat. Freddie Freeman reached base on an infield single. The Marlins then compounded the plight with a throwing error near the bag, enabling Albies to score.

At this point, the Braves still trailed 9-6.

After Nick Markakis' RBI single, Marlins skipper Don Mattingly replaced Brad Ziegler with reliever Tayron Guerrero, who stands at a majestic 6-foot-8 ... but might not even be 200 pounds.

Guerrero has a live and lethal arm but suspect control. As such, the pitcher was wild from the start, walking Flowers and Johan Camargo and yielding a single to Suzuki.

This all set the stage for Swanson's star turn. For the first six pitches, he was fortunate to get around on Guerrero's straight-forward heaters. On the seventh pitch, though, Swanson turned his hips quicker and cracked the game-winning hit down the left-field line, but with no worries of the ball landing in foul territory.

It was a surreal experience to watch, given the tension which preceded Swanson's storybook ending. But he was certainly due for a breakout.

According to Baseball Reference, Swanson had previously been 0 for 14 in situations that involved the bases loaded and two out. Go figure.

Atlanta will hit the road this week with crucial trips to Philadelphia and Boston. For the Phillies series, Mike Foltynewicz (3-2, 2.87 ERA), Brandon McCarthy (4-2, 5.05 ERA) and rookie Luiz Gohara (1.29 ERA in three appearances) are expected to take the mound.

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