Gattis’ homer in 9th leads Braves’ sweep of Marlins

MIAMI — Evan Gattis had never faced Miami Marlins closer Steve Cishek.

But in the ninth inning, Gattis made an impactful first impression.

Gattis hit a tie-breaking, two-run homer off Cishek in the top of the ninth inning to lead the Atlanta Braves to 4-2 win over Miami on Sunday at Marlins Park.

The win gave the Braves (31-25) a three-game sweep of the Marlins (28-28). The two teams started the series tied for first place in the National League East, but the Braves are now alone in the top spot.

“It’s nice to take three games,” said Gattis, who hit a 2-0 pitch. “If he (Cishek) throws those first two pitches for strikes, it might have been a different story. But I got a pitch I could handle.”

Miami, which leads MLB with 20 home wins, has suddenly gone cold at Marlins Park. The Marlins have lost four straight home games and five of their past six.

The win went to Alex Wood (5-5), who pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball in relief of starter Aaron Harang, who allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings.

Rookie Shae Simmons, in just his second career appearance, earned his first save by pitching a scoreless ninth. He pitched around two singles and a walk before getting left fielder Christian Yelich to bounced out to end the game.

Braves Manager Fredi Gonzalez said he was close to taking Simmons out.

“Because he’s pretty darn good,” Gonzalez said when asked why he left him in. “We’ve had good reports. He’s got electric stuff.”

Simmons, who was given the game ball and the lineup card as mementos, said he has already received numerous tongue-in-cheek texts telling him he only needs 153 more saves to tie teammate Craig Kimbrel for the franchise record.

“It’s surreal — it feels like it hasn’t happened, like I wasn’t really out there,” Simmons said of his first save. “I’m not going to say it wasn’t a little bit intimidating. But I got through it, and I can ease my mind.”

Gattis, the Braves’ catcher, hit his 11th homer of the season, driving in first baseman Freddie Freeman, who led off the inning with a single.

Cishek (4-2), one of the game’s top closers was pitching in a non-save situation.

“I fell behind by throwing two sliders (for balls),” Cishek said. “(Gattis) is a dead-red fastball hitter. I was trying to throw it down and away, and it came back over the plate. I gave him the pitch to drive out.”

Up next, the Braves return home for two games against Seattle, starting Tuesday.

The Marlins play host to Tampa on Monday in the start of a four-game set — two in Miami and two at the Rays.

Miami opened the scoring in the second, when center fielder Marcell Ozuna hit a 3-2 pitch for a two-run homer to left. It was Ozuna’s 10th homer of the season, and it also scored first baseman Garrett Jones, who had doubled to right.

Atlanta tied the score 2-2 in the third. Second baseman Tommy La Stella and shortstop Andrelton Simmons started the inning with singles and advanced on Harang’s sacrifice bunt.

Right fielder Jason Heyward extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a run-scoring single. Center fielder B.J. Upton then hit what appeared to be an inning-ending double-play ball, but Marlins second baseman Derek Dietrich bounced a throw to first, allowing Simmons to score from third.

There was no error because you cannot assume a double play, but it was a play that should have been made.

“We didn’t play our best,” Marlins Manager Mike Redmond said. “Everybody in our clubhouse believes we can play with (the Braves). But we have a lot of work to do to get better.”

NOTES: After Sunday’s game, the Marlins sent RHP Arquimedes Caminero to Triple A. … Marlins C Jarrod Saltalamacchia was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list. The injury happened when he took a foul tip off his mask in the seventh inning on Saturday, although he remained in the game. Later, he complained of dizziness, capping a brutal month of May in which he hit .177 with one homer and eight RBIs. … The Marlins replaced him by calling up C J.T. Realmuto from Double A, who is considered their ninth-ranked prospect. … Miami acquired RHP Bryan Morris from the Pittsburgh Pirates for the 39th overall pick in the 2014 MLB draft. Morris, 27, is 4-0 with a 3.80 ERA this season. He is tied for third in the majors in wins by a reliever. … The Braves gave LF Justin Upton a rest and started Ryan Doumit. It was the fourth start of the season in LF for Doumit, who mostly has been a catcher in his career but is third on the depth chart at that position with Atlanta.