25-year Marliniversary: Wilson’s blast caps comeback as Marlins rally to beat Pirates

[Mike Ferguson]

Preston Wilson's eighth-inning blast put the Marlins ahead to stay 25 years ago. 

The end of the 1990s wasn't particularly kind to the Florida Marlins, but with a young roster, there was hope for a bright future. 

On this day 25 years ago, the Marlins showed the type of fight that led former owner Wayne Huizenga to give the club their name. Preston Wilson's pinch-hit two-run home run in the eighth inning put the Marlins ahead to stay as they erased a five-run deficit to down the Pittsburgh Pirates, 8-7.

Through five innings, Florida had managed just three hits off Pittsburgh starting pitcher Pete Schourek at Three Rivers Stadium on July 30, 1999. Trailing 5-0, the bats finally came to life for the Marlins in the sixth.

After breaking up the shutout on a Kevin Millar sacrifice fly, Mark Kotsay cut the deficit to 5-3 with two-run triple that ricocheted off the diving Brian Giles in center field. A play at the plate prevented any further damage for Florida, but the Marlins were right back in it.

Joe Oliver singled home a run in the bottom of the inning to push the Pirates' lead to 6-3, but the Marlins answered with three runs in the top of the seventh to draw even. Álex González, Millar, and Kotsay each came through with RBI singles during a two-out rally in which Florida put together four straight hits.

Again, the Pirates had an answer. Warren Morris was able to draw a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the inning to put Pittsburgh back in front 7-6, but the Marlins' bats weren't done.

Mike Lowell opened the Florida eighth by singling on the first pitch of the night from Pittsburgh reliever Greg Hansell. After Mike Redmond sacrificed Lowell to second with a well-placed bunt, manager John Boles went to his bench.

Usually the starting center fielder, Wilson took advantage of his pinch-hitting opportunity. On the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Wilson took a low breaking ball from Hansell and somehow golfed it over the wall in left-center field to give the Marlins their first lead, 8-7.

Jesús Sánchez worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth for Florida before Antonio Alfonseca struck out the side in the ninth to pick up the save and preserve the win. Brian Edmonson picked up the victory. At the plate, the Marlins finished with 14 hits with González, Aven, Millar, Kotsay and Danny Bautista each recording two. Giles finished 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI for Pittsburgh.

In his first full season in the big leagues, Wilson led the Marlins with 26 home runs and 71 RBIs in 1999, finishing second behind Cincinnati Reds pitcher Scott Williamson for National League Rookie of the Year. Three of Wilson's 26 blasts from that season came as a pinch hitter. The last of those three was a game-winner that took place in Pittsburgh on this day a quarter-century ago. 

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