MIAMI _ The Florida Panthers had the "Year of the Rat" in 1996 when they reached the Stanley Cup Finals.
Could this become the "Year of the Cat" for the Marlins?
On a night when a gray cat somehow found its way onto the field, climbed the outfield wall and hopped into the Home Run Sculpture, the Marlins came out an 8-4 winner over Atlanta in their home opener.
Marcell Ozuna belted two homers and drove in six runs.
But Ozuna, nicknamed "Oso" (bear), had to share the spotlight with the cat.
Ozuna connected on a three-run homer in the third off Braves starter Bartolo Colon. Just after he launched his second homer, a two-run shot to left in the fifth, the feline entered stage right on the warning track in front of the Marlins bullpen.
A stadium worker and Giancarlo Stanton tried to cajole the cat out of its hiding spot, but it scampered off to center, climbed the wall, jumped into the base of the sculpture, and remained there.
The motorized sculpture was turned off to protect the cat.
It was all in a night's fun for the announced crowd of 35,619, which saw the Marlins improve to 4-3 _ with some cat escapades thrown in for extra measure.
Dan Straily picked up his first win as a Marlin.
He received plenty of run support.
The Marlins struck for three runs in the first off Colon, then tacked on three more in the third on Ozuna's first home run.
The Braves' Nick Markakis hit a solo shot off Straily in the fourth and the Braves added two more runs in the fifth when the Marlins' pitcher struggled with his command, hitting a batter (former Reds teammate Brandon Phillips) and walking two more.
But Ozuna gave the Marlins some breathing room with his second homer. Ozuna also drove in a run in the first with a sacrifice fly. His six RBI marked a new career high.
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