In one swing, Marcell Ozuna stuns Marlins and creates perhaps the moment of the season for Braves

In an instant, Ozuna rescued the Braves from that reality.

“He hit that ball out, and the guys that were in here, that were up here (in the clubhouse), were just screaming,” Charlie Morton said. “Just very, very excited. The dugout was really excited. …When you have those moments and the guys are cheering and pulling for each other, it’s a big moment. The Marlins played a good series and to walk away with a win today, that was tough (for them).”

The homer completely shifted the weekend’s mood and outlook.

“It’s big because our objective is to win series,” Snitker said. “This was a tough-fought game, so it’s big. Because we’re going to (face) a team that looks like they’re starting to get hot, too, in the Astros. This will be an interesting next three days, also.”

3. Ozuna relishes the biggest moments in a game. He possesses something that makes him special in these spots.

“I definitely think there’s something about him that gives him some freedom at the plate,” Charlie Morton said.

A year ago, though, he was struggling. He was 5-for-59 when the Braves arrived in Miami – the officially turning point of Ozuna’s season.

From May 2 of last season (when that series began) through play on Sunday, Ozuna has 39 homers – third in baseball over that span. He’s hit .300 over that stretch.

“He’s definitely had to overcome a lot,” Morton said. “I remember at the beginning of last year, he’s grinding and grinding, and he’s coming to the field every day and just staying focused and just staying with the process and moving forward. Since I’ve been here, he’s been a good teammate, he’s been a pro, he’s been someone that cares about his guys. But he keeps moving.

“Seeing him have success, especially the way he turned it on last year – he just completely turned it around – and I think I knew and everybody knew that was going to happen at some point, and it was just a matter of when. Watching him, especially the challenges that he had at the beginning of the year – he was going through some struggles, fans were getting on him, but you knew that he was gonna keep (moving) forward. He’s been doing it a long time, he’s had a really, really good career. So, it’s nice to see him have these moments.”

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