15-year Marliniversary: Carroll's walk-off single completes Marlins comeback over Phillies

[Mike Ferguson]

On this day 15 years ago, Brett Carroll's pinch-hit walk-off single capped the comeback and a winning season for the Florida Marlins.

Only twice in franchise history have the Florida/Miami Marlins put together back-to-back winning seasons. The first occurrence came in 2003 and 2004.

After finishing 84-77 in 2008, the Florida Marlins clinched a second straight winning season on this day 15 years ago. After trailing by three runs late, Brett Carroll's pinch-hit walk-off single capped a two-run ninth as Florida rallied past the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-6.

Home runs by Raúl Ibañez and Ryan Howard highlighted consecutive two-run innings for the Phillies as Philadelphia led 6-3 at the seventh-inning stretch on Sept. 23, 2009. The Marlins were able to score runs in each of the final three innings.

After Gaby Sánchez homered off Philadelphia starter Cole Hamels in the bottom of the seventh to cut the lead to 6-4, Cody Ross singled home a run off Ryan Madson in the eighth—following a 45-minute rain delay—to trim the deficit to one. Up 6-5, the Phillies turned to closer Brad Lidge in the ninth, but a pair of Florida pinch hitters proved to be pesky.

Ross Gload opened the inning with a pinch-hit double. Gload reached third on a flyout to right by Chris Coghlan. Following a strikeout of John Baker on a 3-2 pitch that appeared to be outside and sparked a lengthy conversation from manager Fredi González, Lidge was one strike away from ending the contest, but his 3-2 pitch to Hanley Ramírez missed and kept the Marlins' hopes alive. Two pitches later, Jorge Cantú lined a game-tying single to center field, which allowed Ramírez to head to third.

With the score now 6-6, Lidge was able to get ahead of the pinch-hitting Carroll, 0-2. His third pitch, however, was a breaking ball that Carroll was able to stay back on. The reserve outfielder was able to roll it into center field to end the contest.

The pinch-hits by Gload and Carroll in the ninth gave Florida 13 knocks for the evening. Cantú finished 4-for-5 with a pair of RBIs. Coghlan and Ross each added two hits, which included a game-tying solo homer from Ross in the fifth. Howard finished with two hits and five RBIs for the Phillies in the loss.

The Marlins would finish the year with 87 wins, their most since winning the 2003 World Series and most since. Florida clinched a second straight winning campaign with a dramatic walk-off win on this day 15 years ago.

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