MIAMI (AP) — Major league-innings leader Sandy Alcantara got his third save, Heriberto Hernández and Griffin Conine homered and the Miami Marlins beat the the playoff-bound Atlanta Braves 5-3 in Sunday's regular-season finale.
Alcantara worked around an error in a hitless ninth to remain perfect in three save chances. The Marlins ace finished 13-11 with a 3.87 ERA in 33 starts and three relief appearances.
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Atlanta Braves' Mike Yastrzemski, left, watches his foul ball during the second inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)
Atlanta Braves pitcher JR Ritchie throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)
Miami Marlins Sandy Alcantara hugs Esteury Ruiz after beating the Atlanta Braves in a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)
Miami Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara throws during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)
Miami Marlins Sandy Alcantara, right, celebrates beating the Atlanta Braves with catcher Brian Navarreto after the ninth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)
NL East champion Atlanta, which hosts Philadelphia in a best-of-three Wild Card Series starting Tuesday, finished 94-68 for an 18-win improvement over last year's fourth-place finish.
Miami improved by one win to 80-82 but finished with its third straight losing season and 15th in 17 years.
Braves slugger Matt Olson and infielder Ozzie Albies played in every game this season. Olson has not missed a game with Atlanta since he joined the club in 2022 and his consecutive games streak of 944 began on May 2, 2021, while with the Oakland Athletics.
Miami’s Otto López didn’t play, ending with a major league-best 191 hits.
The Marlins finished 29th in home attendance at 1,221,018.
Miami chased Atlanta starter JR Ritchie (1-5) during a three-run sixth. Esteury Ruiz hit an RBI single that snapped a 1-all tie and Jared Serna added a two-run double.
After DaShawn Keirsey’s RBI groundout and Mauricio Dubón’s run-scoring single narrowed the gap for Atlanta in the seventh, Conine connected with a 110.2 mph solo drive that landed in the upper deck seats.
Michael Petersen (4-4) threw 1 1/3 innings of relief.
Dubón put Atlanta ahead 1-0 with a solo homer in the third before Miami tied it on Hernández’s drive in the fourth.
Marlins starter Janson Junk gave up one run and three hits over 4 2/3 innings.
Probable pitchers for Tuesday had not been announced.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
Atlanta Braves' Mike Yastrzemski, left, watches his foul ball during the second inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)
Atlanta Braves pitcher JR Ritchie throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)
Miami Marlins Sandy Alcantara hugs Esteury Ruiz after beating the Atlanta Braves in a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)
Miami Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara throws during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)
Miami Marlins Sandy Alcantara, right, celebrates beating the Atlanta Braves with catcher Brian Navarreto after the ninth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)
Germany slumped to its first defeat under Jürgen Klopp with Dimitris Kourbelis giving Greece a shock 1-0 away win in the Nations League on Sunday.
The Greek substitute scored with a deflected shot in the 74th minute, somewhat spoiling the mood in Augsburg where Klopp was making his home debut as Germany coach.
It was Germany's first ever loss to Greece, the 2004 European champion.
“It's part of the process, absolutely,” Klopp told broadcaster ARD. "The lineup, the formation, the many changes – that is all 100% down to me.”
Klopp oversaw a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands in his first game in charge on Thursday.
His team dominated the first half against Greece with 77% possession according to Opta, albeit without creating many clear goal-chances.
Karim Adeyemi forced a fine save from Konstantinos Tzolakis in the 32nd minute but the Greek goalkeeper otherwise had little to do.
The visitors became more ambitious in the second half with Fotis Ioannidis missing a big chance, and defender Jonathan Tah preventing another, before Kourbelis stunned the home fans.
“To be honest, we simply didn't perform well enough,” Tah said. "Of course we’re disappointed and angry when we lose a match. But the important thing is that we stick together. That won’t change, the euphoria around the new coach. If we don’t play well and we lose, obviously not everyone is going to be happy. But we can make up for it in the next game.”
Germany next faces Serbia in Munich on Thursday.
Cristiano Ronaldo had to be content with a place on the substitutes bench in a 2-1 away win for Portugal over Norway.
Ronaldo watched João Félix score his second goal in as many games as Portugal opened the scoring in Oslo.
Félix took a touch to control Pedro Neto’s cross before shooting low inside the corner in the 17th.
Erling Haaland missed chances before he finally equalized in the 51st. It was the Norwegian star’s 65th goal in 57 appearances for his country.
But Gonçalo Ramos – playing in Ronaldo’s place – scored three minutes later after intercepting a poor pass by Norway goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland. Ramos thought he'd made it 3-1 before the hour mark after another Nyland mistake only to have the goal ruled out for offside after a VAR check.
Denmark defeated Wales 2-0 for its first win in the other Group A4 game.
Mexx Meerdink scored twice as the Netherlands beat Serbia 2-1 away, giving new coach Xavi Hernándeez his first win in charge.
The 23-year-old Meerdink, who plays for AZ Alkmaar, made his first start for his country and he opened the scoring with a confidently taken penalty in the 30th minute before canceling Luka Jović’s equalizer after the break with what proved to be the winner in the 69th.
It was set up by Ruben van Bommel, who has now created as many goals in as many games for the Dutch after his brilliant cross for Cody Gakpo’s late equalizer in the 1-1 draw with Germany.
Meerdink, who made his second appearance after his debut Thursday, has two goals in as many games.
They gave the Netherlands its first win in Group A2, which Greece leads after two wins.
Ireland defeated Israel 3-0 in a contentious match in Debrecen, Hungary after bitter opposition in Ireland over Israel’s actions in Gaza.
First-half goals from Troy Parrott, Adam Idah and Jack Moylan gave the Irish their first win in Group B3.
Reserve goalkeeper Gavin Bazuno decided Saturday to boycott both of Ireland’s games against Israel because of what he said was his “personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong.”
The Irish players wore black armbands and refrained from handshakes with their opponents.
Austria beat Kosovo 3-1 in the other group game earlier Sunday.
Also, Lithuania and Azerbaijan drew 1-1 in Group D2.
See AP’s full soccer coverage here
Norway's Erling Haaland reacts during a Nations League soccer match between between Norway and Portugal, in Oslo, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (Cornelius Poppe/NTB Scanpix via AP)
Players of Israel, right, and Ireland stand for the anthems before the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Ireland and Israel in Debrecen, Hungary, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (Zsolt Czegledi/MTI via AP)
Greece's Manolis Saliakas, left, and Germany's Yann Bisseck fight for the ball during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Germany and Greece in Augsburg, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Germany's coach Jurgen Klopp walks off the pitch after the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Germany and Greece in Augsburg, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Denmark's Rasmus Hoejlund and Wales' Daniel James, back to camera, embrace during a Nations League soccer match between Denmark and Wales, in Copenhagen, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)
Mexx Meerdink, of the Netherlands, misses during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between the Netherlands and Germany in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Netherlands' Mexx Meerdink scores the opening goal from the penalty spot past Serbia goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic during the Nations League soccer match between Serbia and the Netherlands in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Netherlands' Mexx Meerdink, 3rd left, celebrates with his teammates after scoring the opening goal from the penalty spot during the Nations League soccer match between Serbia and the Netherlands in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Netherlands' Mexx Meerdink celebrates with' Crysencio Summerville, left, after scoring his side's second goal during the Nations League soccer match between Serbia and the Netherlands in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
