Marlins gain ground behind Ozuna’s 4 RBIs

ATLANTA — Marcell Ozuna delivered the power, blasting a three-run homer and driving in four runs. But it was Jose Fernandez, who provided some spark and emotion, tossing seven innings and being at the center of a seventh-inning benches-clearing incident.

When tempers settled, the Marlins held off the Braves for a 7-5 win on Wednesday. In their final game ever at Turner Field, the Marlins captured two of three in the series, and moved four games behind the Mets for the National League’s second Wild Card.

Ozuna’s three-run homer off Julio Teheran was the big blast in a four-run sixth. But the Braves built an early lead with four runs in the second off Fernandez. Nick Markakis connected on a two-run homer in the inning. In the sixth, Fernandez hit Markakis with a pitch, and emotions ran high in the seventh when Jose Ramirez brushed Fernandez back with a pitch. Both benches and bullpens cleared, but nothing further materialized.

Fernandez, who entered with a Major League-leading 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings, finished with a season-low three. The hard-throwing right-hander didn’t have a strikeout until he fanned Freddie Freeman to open the sixth. In his previous 27 starts, he didn’t have less than five.

MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDJose gets through seven: It wasn’t vintage Fernandez, but the 24-year-old Miami ace gave his team seven innings. Fernandez was able to settle in the third after Freeman singled to extend his hit streak to 20 games. Matt Kemp blistered a line drive that Dee Gordon snared at second, and he was able to double-up Freeman at first. Fernandez didn’t allow another hit.

“Just pitching,” Mattingly said. “They hit him pretty good the last time around here. I thought he tried to get in there a little bit more and change what he was doing some and keep them off balance a little bit.”

Sixth-inning setback: For the second straight start, Teheran faced little adversity through his first five innings. The right-hander surrendered an RBI single to Martin Prado in the first before he quickly shook off the early damage to retire 13 of the next 15 batters. But like in his start against the Mets on Friday, Teheran struggled in the sixth, giving up two hits and plunking a batter before being chased by Ozuna’s homer. …

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