5-year Marliniversary: Ramírez's walk-off homer in 12th caps comeback win over Twins

[Mike Ferguson]

Harold Ramírez capped the comeback with a 12th-inning walk-off home run on this day five years ago.

Victories weren't a common theme for the Miami Marlins in 2019. But after winning five of their last eight games to close July, the club started August in thrilling fashion.

On this day five years ago, the Marlins pulled off one of their most exhilarating wins of the season. After rallying from three runs down in the ninth to force extra innings, Harold Ramírez's walk-off home run in the 12th propelled Miami to a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

As the contest at Marlins Park on Aug. 1, 2019 went to the bottom of the ninth, the Marlins were on the wrong side of a 4-1 score. Minnesota turned to a former Marlin in right-hander Sam Dyson to try to close it out.

Facing Dyson, outfielder Curtis Granderson started the inning by drawing a six-pitch walk. One pitch later, Martín Prado singled to bring the tying run to the plate.

On an 0-1 pitch, Jon Berti followed with an RBI double into the left-center field gap. Following a walk to Brian Anderson that ended Dyson's day, Neil Walker tied things up 4-4 with a two-run single off new pitcher Taylor Roberts. With the winning run at third and nobody out, Roberts would recover by striking out the side around an intentional walk to Ramírez, but the Marlins had new life.

After Miami's José Quijada and Jeff Brigham combined to retire nine straight hitters over the next three innings, Ramírez would deliver the home team. Facing Cody Stashak to lead off the bottom of the 12th, Ramírez saw a 2-2 fastball at the top of the strike zone and tomahawked it for a line-drive home run over the wall in left field to end four-plus-hour contest.

Ramírez and Walker each finished with two hits and two RBIs in the win. For Minnesota, Max Kepler and Byron Buxton each finished with two hits. Kepler homered to lead off the game while Buxton gave the Twins the lead with a two-run double in the fourth. Prior to the ninth, an RBI triple from Ramírez in the second had accounted for all of the Miami offense. 

Of the Marlins' 57 wins in 2019, five were of the walk-off variety. Two of those came on 12th-inning home runs from Ramírez. The first came against the Twins on this day five years ago. 

View full article