25-year Marliniversary: Marlins rally in 9th, 12th before topping Dodgers in 13

[Mike Ferguson]

On this day 25 years ago, the Marlins tied the game in the ninth and 12th before walking off the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 13th inning.

For the 1999 Florida Marlins, highlights were few and far between. One of the those few was a home sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers in early September.

On this day 25 years ago, the Marlins twice had their backs against the wall. After drawing even in the ninth and 12th innings, Mark Kotsay delivered the walk-off single in the 13th to top the Dodgers, 5-4.

After Dave Hansen's sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth gave Los Angeles a 3-2 lead, the Marlins came to the plate in the bottom of the inning, needing a run to stay alive at Pro Player Stadium on Sept. 8, 1999. Dodgers closer Jeff Shaw got Florida's Danny Bautista to fly out to begin the inning, but Todd Dunwoody followed with a single and advanced to second on a misplay in left field by Todd Hollandsworth.

One pitch later, Álex González singled up the middle to score Dunwoody and tie things up again. Florida's Jesús Sánchez and Brian Edmonson traded zeroes with Los Angeles' Mike Maddux over the next two innings, but the Dodgers regained the lead in the top of the 12th.

After José Vizcaíno put Los Angeles back in front 4-3, Preston Wilson led off the bottom of the inning with a solo blast off Alan Mills on a 3-2 pitch, the seventh of the at-bat. The Marlins loaded the bases with one out, but Onan Masaoka was able to fan Dunwoody and González to end the inning.

Rafael Medina faced the minimum in the 13th by getting former Marlins World Series hero Devon White to roll into a double play. That set the stage for Florida to walk it off in the bottom of the inning.

Dave Berg opened the frame by drawing a walk. After Chris Clapinski's bunt single and a throwing error put runners on the corners with nobody out, Masaoka was forced to walk Wilson to load the bases with nobody out.

Masaoka was able to strike out Kevin Orie and get ahead of Kotsay, but getting the Florida right fielder out proved too tall of a task. On a 1-2 pitch, Kotsay belted one to the warning track, well over the heads of a drawn-in infield and outfield. The hit served as a single and ended a four-plus-hour contest that began with a rain delay.

 

Prior to the ninth, all of the offense came in the first two innings. After Kotsay singled home the first run in the first, Paul Lo Duca singled in two for Los Angeles in the top of the second. Cliff Floyd drew the Marlins even with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning.

Kotsay and Wilson each finished with three hits for the Marlins in the win. Hollandsworth and Adrián Beltré each had three hits and two runs scored for the Dodgers.

The victory gave the Marlins their final series sweep and last extra-innings win of the year. Kotsay ended it in the 13th on this day a quarter-century ago. 

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[THOMAS JOSEPH]

I don't care when and I don't care how - beating the Dodgers makes a great day. I know LA will be a big favorite in the upcoming series. Let's bring out the pride displayed in the last two games with the Phillies. Beat LA, and establish some more bona fides for the new, young Marlins going into the offseason.