Braves And Marlins Clear The Benches, Have A Calm, Fruitful Discussion 

The Marlins came back to beat the Braves 7-5, but you know, who really cares about that part. We’re here for the beanball war.

These teams may have had unfinished business dating back to an eight-HBP July series, but things escalated pretty quickly on their own. In the top of the fifth, Julio Teheran dropped Jose Fernandez with a pitch up and in his eyes. In the top of the sixth, Teheran plunked Martin Prado. In the bottom of the sixth, Fernandez drilled Nick Markakis, who had homered in the second and come close in the third.

Somewhere in there, you might have expected a warning from home plate ump Marvin Hudson. But no. So Braves reliever Jose Ramirez threw a fastball at Fernandez’s head.

No punches were thrown, and only Ramirez was ejected. But Fernandez was

“Like everybody knows, I’m not known for hitting people,” Fernandez said. “If you think it’s on purpose, and you want to hit me, go ahead. Hit me. I don’t mind getting hit. That’s part of the game. But you don’t throw at somebody’s head because I have a family.

“Like I told a couple of them, I don’t care. Hit me if you feel like it. Just don’t throw at my head. I have a family, you have a family. How would you feel? [Ramirez] told me, ‘Hey, I understand. I understand. No problem. I have no problem with that.’ That was it.”

Ramirez had left the Braves clubhouse by the time reporters were allowed in. Manager Brian Snitker said of that last pitch, “It just, I guess, got away from him.”

Fernandez said the best revenge was winning the game, and with the victory and the Mets’ loss, the Marlins moved to within four games of the second wild card spot.