MIAMI -- The Atlanta Braves won't have to worry about a connection with historic futility.

Adonis Garcia drove in three runs and the Braves snapped a nine-game losing streak to start the season with a 6-3 victory over the Miami Marlins on Friday.

The Braves avoided a 0-10 start that would have matched a club record set in 1988.

"It's almost like a playoff win for us," Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said. "You hate to say it was almost a must win, but it was almost a must win."

Atlanta took the lead with a four-run eighth inning against two Miami relievers.

Garcia atoned for a fielding and throwing error on consecutive batters in the third inning after his two-run single with the bases loaded in the eighth off Bryan Morris gave the Braves a 5-3 lead. Gordon Beckham's RBI single increased Atlanta's advantage to 6-3.

"The game didn't start the way I wanted it to but luckily baseball is a game of opportunities and I got more opportunities to help the team," Garcia said. "It's an extra important victory, not just because it was our first one, but because we were able to come from behind."

The Braves began their rally on Nick Markakis' game-tying single to left off Chris Naverson that scored pinch-runner Mallex Smith. Naverson relieved David Phelps (2-1), who allowed two runs in one-plus innings.

Alexi Ogando (1-0) worked two scoreless innings for the win. Arodys Vizcaino pitched the final 1 1/3 innings around two walks and two hits for the save.

"It's a good total team effort -- good feeling," Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "It's not going to be a three-run homer to get us going. It's going to be a little thing to get us going, taking an extra base on a ball to third."

The Braves chased Marlins starter Wei-Yin Chen in the seventh after Garcia's one-out double scored Daniel Castro and advanced Freeman to third. Beckham's groundout against Phelps drove in Freeman and cut Miami's lead to 3-2.

In his second appearance with Miami, Chen allowed two runs and four hits, struck out six and walked one before being lifted with one out in the seventh. Chen missed his last start after a line drive struck his left arm opening day.

Chen kept the Braves hitless until Beckham's one-out single to left in the fifth. He retired 10 straight batters after giving up a leadoff walk to Markakis to start the game.

"Having 10 days of rest might be too long for a starter and sometimes you have doubts whether you have the feel for things," Chen said. "I tried not to overthink and do my job out there."

Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich each had three hits for Miami, which scored in the first, third and fifth.

The Marlins stranded 13 runners, including bases loaded situations in the third and eighth.

"We didn't get the outs; we tried to match (bullpen) guys a little bit," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "They got the hits when they needed and we didn't."

The Marlins chased Braves starter Williams Perez (0-1) after 4 1/3 innings. Perez allowed three runs, eight hits and two walks and struck out one.

Giancarlo Stanton's single to center scored Ozuna for a 1-0 Miami lead in the first. Ozuna had doubled and advanced to third on Yelich's single to left.

Dee Gordon scored from third on Yelich's double play groundout in the third to give the Marlins a 2-0 lead.

The Marlins increased their advantage to 3-0 on Martin Prado's RBI double in the fifth.

NOTES: Braves RHP Jose Ramirez was assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett after clearing waivers Thursday. Before being designated for assignment Monday, the reliever appeared in two games, allowing six runs and five hits in two innings. ... Braves OF Nick Markakis batted leadoff after OF Mallex Smith hit first in the four-game series against the Nationals. Smith went 1-for-14 against Washington. ... LHP Eric Jokisch joined the Marlins and was assigned to Triple-A New Orleans after being claimed off waivers from the Chicago Cubs on Thursday. Jokisch, 26, began the season at the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate in Iowa. To make room for Jokisch, the Marlins designated RHP Scott McGough for assignment. ... Marlins LHP Mike Dunn, on the disabled list since the start of the season, had a second MRI on his strained left forearm Monday. The test found no structural damage, Dunn said.