15-year Marliniversary: Gload's pinch-hit walk-off blast pushes Fish past Braves

[Mike Ferguson]

Ross Gload was the hero on this day 15 years ago. 

Primarily a reserve, Ross Gload managed just 60 hits and six home runs in his lone season as a member of the Florida Marlins. His biggest hit while with the club came on this day 15 years ago.

Trailing by one in the bottom of the ninth to the Atlanta Braves, Gload got the call to pinch hit. He delivered with a two-run walk-off home run to propel Florida to a thrilling 4-3 victory.

Garret Anderson led off the top of the ninth with a solo home run on the eighth pitch of his at-bat to give the Braves a 3-2 lead at Pro Player Stadium on July 28, 2009. Juan Carlos Oviedo—then known as Leo Núñez—was able to get the final three outs on just five pitches, but the Florida offense had work to do.

Facing Atlanta closer Rafael Soriano, Cody Ross opened the bottom of the ninth by drawing a four-pitch walk for the Marlins. One pitch later, he was standing at second following a successful sacrifice bunt from John Baker.

Gload had not homered in 47 days and it'd been 11 days since his last hit as he stepped to the plate with one out. Soriano's inability to throw strikes put Gload in a hitter's count at 3-1. Soriano's next pitch got too much of the plate and Gload took advantage by belting a 96 mph fastball into the left-field seats for the walk-off blast.

Prior to the ninth, both of Florida's runs came in the third inning on a two-run double by Hanley Ramírez. The Braves drew even in the sixth on a solo home run by Chipper Jones.

Anderson and Yunel Escobar each finished with two hits for Atlanta. Chris Coghlan and Emilio Bonifácio did likewise at the top of the Marlins' order.

As for Gload, he would spent 10 total seasons in Major League Baseball with six different clubs. Gload hit 34 home runs throughout the course of his career. His lone walk-off came as a member of the Marlins on this day 15 years ago. 

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