Miami, FL -- (Sports Network) - Tim Hudson hurled six shutout innings, and Gregor Blanco and Yunel Escobar each drove in three runs apiece as Atlanta bested Florida, 9-4, in the rubber match of a three-game set.

Things weren't all rosy for the Braves, however. Hudson (11-7) was forced to exit the game after six innings with tightness in his right elbow and third baseman Chipper Jones, who leads the major leagues with a .369 batting average, left the contest in the fourth with an apparent left hamstring injury. The All-Star grounded to third base and grabbed the hamstring while grimacing in pain as he passed the bag at first.

Hudson allowed just three Marlins hits and walked one while fanning six. Blaine Boyer and Will Ohman followed with an inning of perfect relief apiece but Buddy Carlyle struggled in the ninth, allowing four runs.

Blanco finished 4-of-5 with three suns scored and the three RBI for the Braves, who were coming off a 4-0 shutout at the hands of the Marlins in which they managed just one hit.

Luis Gonzalez blasted a three-run homer for Florida, which is a game behind both New York and Philadelphia in the NL East.

Ricky Nolasco (10-6) allowed five runs on eight hits in five innings en route to the loss.

The Braves jumped on top with a pair of runs in the third. Hudson helped his own cause by leading off with a single, quickly moved to second on Blanco's bunt single and came around to score when Escobar slapped a double to left. Jones capped the frame with an RBI grounder to first.

Atlanta then pulled away with three more runs in the fourth. Jeff Francoeur and Kelly Johnson started things with consecutive doubles to put a run on the board. After Omar Infante flied out and Hudson bounced back to the box, Blanco came up with a two-out RBI single and Escobar followed with a run-scoring double to make it a 5-0 game.

The Braves added on an insurance run in the seventh on Brian McCann's two-out, RBI single to right.

The rout was on in the eighth inning when Atlanta tacked on three more runs. Infante reached on a infield single and pinch hitter Greg Norton followed with a single up the middle before Blanco laced a two-run triple into the gap in right-center. Escobar then plated Blanco with a ground ball to third.

The Marlins finally got some offense going off Carlyle in the ninth. Jorge Cantu greeted the reliever with a single to right and Mike Jacobs followed by drawing a walk. After Dan Uggla flied out, Gonzalez crushed a three-run homer over the fence in right to break up the shutout. Cody Ross followed by crushing a ground-rule double to center and eventually scored on Alfredo Amezaga's two-out single to left.

Game Notes:

Hudson is now 7-2 in 13 career starts against the Marlins. Meanwhile, Nolasco is just 1-4 against the Braves...After the game, the Marlins optioned pitcher Ryan Tucker to Double-A Carolina and activated pitcher Justin Miller...Atlanta has won seven of its 12 meetings with the Marlins this season.