30-year Marliniversary: Rentería records first walk-off hit as Fish rally past Reds

Some of the biggest walk-off hits in Florida/Miami Marlins history have come courtesy of Édgar Rentería.

On this day 30 years ago, Rentería collected his first walk-off hit. Rentería’s single in the bottom of the ninth completed the comeback as the Florida Marlins rallied past the Cincinnati Reds, 6-5.

The Marlins were on the short end of a 5-2 score as they came to bat in the bottom of the sixth inning at Joe Robbie Stadium on Aug. 25, 1996. Cincinnati starter Mike Remlinger had not allowed a run since the first inning, but that all changed with two swings of the bat.

Greg Colbrunn led off the inning with a solo home run to cut the lead to 5-3. After working the count full, Jeff Conine followed with a solo shot of his own. Just like that, Florida was within one and Remlinger’s night was over.

Reliever Héctor Carrasco retired the first six Marlins he faced, but in the bottom of the eighth, the right-hander had lost command of the strike zone. With Florida still down 5-4, Rentería was able to draw a lead-off walk. Rentería then advanced to second on a wild pitch, to third on a Colbrunn groundout and later scored the tying run on another wild pitch.

A single by Conine would end Carrasco’s evening, but Jeff Shaw promptly inducted a pair of flyouts. After a scoreless top of the ninth from Florida’s Robb Nen, Lee Smith came on to pitch for the Reds in the bottom of the inning.

Joe Orsulak started the inning with a sharp single to centerfield but was quickly erased when Bob Natal grounded into a double play. With extra innings seemingly inevitable, the Marlins made Smith work. Jesús Tavárez worked a seven-pitch at-bat before doubling to right-center. Luis Castillo followed by drawing a six-pitch walk.

The Reds turned to Jeff Brantley to try to get Rentería for the elusive third out. Brantley’s first pitch was a ball. His second was rolled into left field, scoring Tavárez for the winning run.

Despite trailing for most of the night, the Marlins did draw first blood with two runs in the bottom of the first. After Castillo scored the game’s first run on a wild pitch, Devon White singled home Colbrunn to make it 2-0. The Reds took the lead on Willie Greene’s grand slam in the top of the third before adding to it on a Bret Boone

RBI single in the fifth.

Cincinnati may have lost, but it did outhit the Marlins, 12-7. Hal Morris finished with three of those hits. Conine had two of the seven hits for Florida.

As for Rentería, he would famously have the walk-off single in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series that delivered the Marlins their first title. Earlier that postseason, he had the walk-off hit to beat the San Francisco Giants in Game 1 of the National Division Series -- the first playoff game in Marlins history. His first walk-off hit, however, came in a thrilling win over the Reds and on this day three decades ago.