30-year Marliniversary: Marlins break scoreless tie with 5-run 8th in win over Dodgers

[Mike Ferguson]

It was during the 1996 season that the Florida Marlins hit the 80-win mark for the first time. The season, however, didn't start off great.

Florida went just 4-11 over its first 15 games, but after avoiding the three-game sweep at the hand of the Atlanta Braves, the Marlins started to turn things around with a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers. That series started on this day 30 years ago.

Scoreless through seven and a half innings at Joe Robbie Stadium on April 19, 1996, the Marlin bats finally woke up. Florida scored five times with two outs in the eighth to top the Dodgers, 5-0.

For seven innings, Los Angeles' Ismael Valdez and Florida's Pat Rapp had traded zeroes. After Jay Powell worked around a two-out walk for Florida in the top of the eighth, the Marlins finally got a crack at the Dodgers' bullpen.

Against Darren Hall, Joe Orsulak started the eighth with a single, but the right-hander responded by retiring a couple of big bats. After Gary Sheffield popped out, Hall fanned Jeff Conine. The third out, however, proved to be elusive.

Terry Pendleton followed with a single to right field, but a misplay by Dodgers outfielder Raúl Mondesí allowed the ball to roll all the way to the wall and for pinch runner Jesús Tavárez to score. That's all Florida would need, but not all it would get.

Greg Colbrunn followed with an RBI double to extend the lead to 2-0. After Charles Johnson walked, Kurt Abbott belted Hall's 1-0 pitch over the left-field wall for a three-run home run to turn what had been a scoreless game into a romp. Hall was able to get Powell, the opposing reliever, to fly out but the damage was done.

Robb Nen retired the top of the Dodgers' lineup in order to seal the win as the Marlins' staff hurled a three-hit shutout. Pendleton, Colbrunn and Abbott each finished with two of the 10 Florida hits.

The Marlins went on to complete the three-game sweep and closed April by winning seven of 12. The 5-0 victory over the Dodgers was one of three shutouts from the month. It came on this day three decades ago. 

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