MIAMI -- The Miami Marlins proved they can win the close ones, too. After scoring 18 runs in their last two wins, the Marlins found that winning a tight game can be just as enjoyable. Giancarlo Stanton and Casey McGehee hit consecutive run-scoring singles off David Carpenter during a two-run rally in the seventh inning that led the Marlins to a 5-4 win over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night and a three-game sweep of the NL East leader. "Honestly, I like wins, I dont care how we get them," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "9-0 is fun, but a game like tonight, 5-4, where youre putting guys in some situations they havent been in and see how they respond, thats fun too." Miami has won six straight home games for the first time at Marlins Park, which opened in 2012. It is the longest home winning streak for the team since the Marlins won eight in a row from June 20 to July 1, 2009. With the Marlins trailing 4-3, pinch-hitter Reed Johnson singled off Ian Thomas (1-1) leading off the seventh and took second on Christian Yelichs single. Derek Dietrich lined out, and Carpenter relieved and gave up the back-to-back hits. "Weve done a really good job in putting ourselves in situations to have a chance late in games," McGehee said. "Fortunately, tonight we were able to get some hits that were big." Mike Dunn (3-3) pitched a hitless seventh, and Steve Cishek got four outs for his sixth save in seven chances to complete the Marlins first series sweep of Atlanta since 2009. Cishek relieved with two on and two outs in the eighth, walked Andrelton Simmons, then struck out pinch-hitter Ramiro Pena and pitched a perfect ninth. The Marlins bullpen allowed one hit in three shutout innings. Cishek admitted being a bit nervous between the eighth and ninth innings. "I was pacing around the dugout," he said. "I wanted the offence to get more runs, of course, but I was just trying to stay focused and stay sharp mentally and make sure I was ready to get back out there and get the job done." The Marlins swept Atlanta at home for the first time since June 13-15, 2006. "Its huge for us," Redmond said. "These guys keep battling and keep pushing forward and moving on and really picking each other up playing with a lot of energy out there." Garrett Jones had a home run for the Marlins. Evan Gattis and B.J. Upton homered for the Braves. Marlins starter Henderson Alvarez allowed four runs and eight hits in six innings, giving up multiple homers in a game for the first time since Sept. 24, 2012. Atlanta starter Ervin Santana gave up three runs and five hits in six innings. The last time the Braves lost three straight was Sept. 15-17, 2013. "The way they scored in the seventh inning, they got a couple balls to drop and they got some ground balls that got through the infield off of Carpenter," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "We had some opportunities. Now we take a flight home and stop this losing streak." Miami led 2-0 in the third when Justin Heyward, batting with one on, grounded softly to Jones at first, who tossed to Alvarez covering the base. Heyward was initially called out by first base umpire Jim Reynolds, but the call was reversed by the review umpire in New York when a replay showed Alvarez missed the bag and the tag. Upton followed with a three-run homer. Adeiny Hechavarria hit an RBI grounder in the fourth, but Gattis homer put Atlanta back ahead in the sixth. NOTES: Upton has hit safely in 15 of the last 18 games in which he has had an at-bat. ... Braves RHP Gavin Floyd is expected to be activated by Sunday and initially pitch out of the bullpen. . McGehee got his 300th RBI in the first inning. ... The Marlins finished April with an 11-4 home record, a 2.40 home ERA and a .307 home batting average. They ranked first in the majors in home wins. ... The Marlins nine-game homestand continues Friday with the opener of a weekend set against the Los Angeles Dodgers. ... Atlanta returns home Friday to play a weekend series against San Francisco. J. T. Realmuto Jersey . Sijsling, ranked 74th in the world, was leading 6-0, 4-1 when his Italian opponent called it quits after just 39 minutes on court. In a match pitting together two qualifiers, Michal Przysiezny of Poland defeated local favourite Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (4) for only his second Tour win of the season. 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So far, hes playing like his picture.TORONTO – Amongst the data gathered by the Maple Leafs coaching staff and available to the team at large after every game is the total number of scoring chances created by each individual player (not to mention those generated by the opposition). And so despite the fact that James van Riemsdyk has scored just once in the past 10 games and has just three goals since the start of December, the 24-year-old believes he is generating opportunities that, for the time being, are going unrewarded. "Im creating a lot of chances," said van Riemsdyk, following a grueling Sunday practice which followed an ugly 7-1 showing at the ACC a night earlier. "As long as thats there I know Im going in the right direction. I know that its going to go in eventually." van Riemsdyk has blossomed into a bona-fide force during his brief tenure in Toronto. In 89 games with the club, hes scored 33 goals, totaled 62 points and was named to the U.S. Olympic team for the first time following Wednesdays Winter Classic in Ann Arbour. He remains on pace this season for career-highs in goals, assists, points, ice-time and just about every other offensive category. But after a torrid start – 12 goals in the first 25 games – he, like a number of Leafs, has cooled off into something of a slumber offensively. van Riemsdyk managed his 15th of the year against the Red Wings during the snowy New Years Day bash. The goal snapped an eight-game drought and was just his third since the outset of December. "Its a long season," he said. "You go through ebbs and flows; youve just got to stick with it." Luck has not been on his side amid the cool spell. A career 11 per cent shooter, van Riemsdyk has been successful on just 5 per cent of his 59 attempts during the 16-game struggle. A flurry of chances opposite Cam Talbot in the opening moments of Saturdays embarrassing showing against the Rangers ultimately went unfulfilled – as they have been in the past month. A confident personality, his swagger doesnt appear rattled. "Obviously its a game of bounces," said van Riemsdyk, who remains second on the team in scoring with 30 points in 41 games. "Its weird how sometimes you can get a lot of grade-A chances and the goalie makes big saves and you cant buy one. And then you maybe throw one at the net from a crazy angle and it hits off something and goes in. Youve just got to stick with, stay positive and go from there." That advice could well be served for 23-year-old Nazem Kadri. Kadri is lumbering through one of the driest spells of his short NHL career.dddddddddddd He has just one point in the past nine games and only four points in the past 14 outings. His growing pains have been notable after a quick start of 13 points in 14 games. "He seems to be in a little bit of a funk," said Randy Carlyle, observing that Kadri had been standing still too often in recent weeks and not moving his feet. "Our advice to him is commit to the time off the ice and when youre on the ice you work extremely hard and then you do extra and thats what hes doing right now." Kadri has seen some of his luck flounder this season - he posted an impressive 44 points in 48 games last year while owning the highest on-ice shooting percentage of any player in the league - while facing a nightly barrage of increased competition. A year ago, he lined up in the Leafs no. 3 centre hole, but with the offseason departure of Mikhail Grabovski and long-term injury to Dave Bolland, has been forced to rise up the depth chart, squaring off with a new level of talent every night. He even saw 12 games on the top line with Tyler Bozak sidelined by an oblique injury. Paired almost exclusively with Phil Kessel since he was traded to the Leafs, van Riemsdyk endured a similar challenge when he landed in Toronto. "Obviously being on [Kessels] line you see a lot of that [increased competition] and its a great challenge," said van Riemsdyk. "[But] its definitely a little bit different. When I was in Philadelphia I was definitely in more of a secondary role where youre expecting to play against probably their third [defence] pairing and not obviously their top checking line; you get a little bit more room out there." Carlyle pulled Kadri aside for a brief word at the end of Sundays practice, preaching persistence and hard work. "When things arent going well for yourself you have to be selfish and take a look in the mirror and say Hey Ive got to work myself out and the old adage was you put your nose to the grindstone and work your way through it," said Carlyle of Kadri, who wasnt available for interview on Sunday. "And I dont think that is too far from the way young players today should approach it." "Youve just got to stick with it I think," added van Riemsdyk, trying to break free from a slump himself. "You cant beat yourself up too much. Its a game of confidence and youve got to try to keep that confidence high throughout the whole year, get to work, and improve upon the things you can improve upon." 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