In his first start since Aug. 24, Brad Hand turned in one of his best starts of the season, tossing six shutout frames in the Marlins' 4-0 win over the Braves. Hand limited the Braves to five hits and no walks, and he struck out three batters.
Making a spot start in place of Henderson Alvarez, who is nursing an oblique injury, Hand improved his record to 3-6 while lowering his ERA to 4.45. If Alvarez is ready to reclaim his spot when his turn in the rotation comes up again, Hand will likely return to the relief role he had been filling for most of the past three weeks.