5-year Marliniversary: Ramírez's walk-off blast propels Marlins past Reds in 12

[Mike Ferguson]

On this day five years ago, Harold Ramírez hit his second walk-off extra-innings homer in less than a month. 

A native of Colombia, Harold Ramírez has put together a solid big-league career. Nearly a .290 career hitter, Ramírez has never supplied much power, but showed the knack for the dramatic home run in August 2019.

Ramírez has just two career walk-off home runs to his name, but both came in the same month, both in extra innings, and both as a member of the Miami Marlins. The second of those two came on this day five years ago as Ramírez's 12th-inning blast propelled the Marlins past the Cincinnati Reds, 4-3.

The Marlins hadn't scored since the sixth inning as Ramírez came to the plate to lead off the bottom of the 12th at Marlins Park on Aug. 29, 2019. Facing Cincinnati's Raisel Iglesias, Ramírez saw just three pitches before sending the South Florida crowd home happy.

On a 1-1 fastball left up, Ramírez was able to turn on it and lift a towering shot to left field and into the Cincinnati bullpen for his second walk-off blast of the month. The Miami outfielder opened August with a walk-off shot against the Minnesota Twins' Cody Stashak—also in the 12th inning. 

Although it took 12 innings to end the contest, both teams found offense early. After Aristides Aquino got the Reds on the board with a two-run home run in the top of the first, Jon Berti cut the lead in half with a lead-off shot in the bottom of the inning. Solo home runs from Austin Dean in the fifth and Starlin Castro in the sixth gave Miami a 3-2 lead, but Aquino tied the game with an RBI single in the eighth.

Aquino finished with three of the sixth hits for Cincinnati. Ramírez, Castro, and Jorge Alfaro each finished with two hits for Miami. Tyler Kinley retired all six batters he faced to earn the win for the Marlins.

The win would serve as Miami's lone victory over the Reds in seven meetings during the 2019 season. The victory marked the first time in franchise history that four or more solo home runs had accounted for all the team's offense. It was Ramírez's blast that ultimately ended the contest on this day five years ago. 

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