15-year Marliniversary: Nolasco breaks Willis' Marlins career Ks record

Several prominent Florida/Miami Marlins franchise pitching records have changed hands in 2026. On this day 15 years ago, Ricky Nolasco became the club’s all-time leader in strikeouts, a title he held until this past summer when he was eclipsed by Sandy Alcantara.

Nolasco was tied with Dontrelle Willis atop the all-time list as the Marlins began a three-game series with the Cincinnati Reds at Sun Life Stadium on Aug. 23, 2011. It took six outs, but by the middle of the second inning, Nolasco broke the record.

After allowing a home run to Yonder Alonso to open the second, Nolasco fanned Johnny Cueto, his counterpart, to break the mark and end the frame. It served as the 758th strikeout of his Major League Baseball career and Marlins tenure to that point. Then a member of the Reds, Willis was in the building to watch his record go down. 

Nolasco would finish the night with eight strikeouts while allowing four runs in 6 ⅔ innings. He left in line to be the winner, but unfortunately, a late lead wouldn’t hold up as the Marlins allowed four runs in the ninth in an 8-6 loss.

Down 2-0 halfway through, the Marlins took the lead with three runs in the fifth. After Greg Dobbs’ sacrifice fly got Florida on the board, Omar Infante singled home the tying run before scoring on Gaby Sánchez’s RBI double.

A two-run home run by Emilio Bonifácio extended the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the sixth, but Jay Bruce answered with a two-run shot in the top of the seventh for Cincinnati. A sacrifice fly by Bonifácio in the eighth pushed the Florida lead to 6-4, but Juan Carlos Oviedo—then known as Leo Núñez—couldn’t close it out in the top of the ninth.

Two-run doubles by Dave Sappelt and Alonso accounted for the four Reds runs. Francisco Cordero retired the Marlins in order in the bottom of the frame to close the contest.

Sappelt and Alonso each finished with three hits and combined for six RBIs. Buck and Bonifácio each had two hits and two runs scored for Florida in the loss. Bonifácio had three RBIs.

The late loss marred Nolasco’s record-breaking night, but history was made. That record would last nearly 15 years before Sandy Alcantara surpassed the mark earlier this season against the Texas Rangers on June 23. He broke the previous record surpassed on this day 15 years ago.