Ozuna's hit streak ends, but impact ongoing

MIAMI -- Marcell Ozuna's pursuit of history came to an end on Saturday afternoon, when he was unable to extend his 16-game hitting streak. Ozuna finished 0-for-3 with a walk in the Marlins' 8-1 win against the Mets.

Ozuna's hitting streak was not only the longest active streak in the Majors before Saturday, but the second-longest hitting streak by a Marlins rookie. Edgar Renteria's 22-game hitting streak in 1996 remains on top.

"I'll try to make another one today," Ozuna said before Sunday's game.

The outfielder did just that, delivering a two-run triple in the first inning off Mets' ace Matt Harvey.

While Ozuna's hitting streak may have ended, his impact on the Marlins in Giancarlo Stanton's absence is ongoing.

Ozuna has been a difference-maker at the plate, batting .321 with 11 RBIs and 50 total bases in 30 games entering Sunday. Since becoming the everyday cleanup hitter on May 12, Ozuna has batted .329 (23-for-70) with seven RBIs in 19 games.

"It's exactly what we want to see," manager Mike Redmond said of the 22-year-old's consistency. "We want guys to take the opportunity and run with it. That's what we've been talking about since Spring Training.

"He's come up. When you've got young guys, you don't really know what you're going to get out of them. For him to come up and do what he's doing, it's been unbelievable. It's been exciting. It's been fun to watch him."

While Ozuna has shined at the plate, he has not shown much of the power he used to hit 69 home runs in the Minors from 2010-12. Ozuna has just one homer, which came in a 2-0 win against the Phillies on May 4.

Redmond believes Ozuna's power will resurface as the 22-year-old becomes more comfortable and more experienced.

"With all of the pressure that surrounds being a young guy trying to stay and trying to contribute, it takes a little while for guys to relax and kind of feel comfortable before they start really trusting their swing," Redmond said. "It's in there. It's definitely in there. I'm happy with his at-bats. The swing is good. The swing is solid. The approach, I love. The power's going to come. I think the message for him is just stick with your approach that's gotten you to this point."