5-year Marliniversary: Alfaro's walk-off double in 10th caps comeback win over Giants

During the 2021 season, the Miami Marlins were involved in 20 games that ended in walk-off fashion. The Fish were 8-12 in those contests. The first win came on this day five years ago.

In a contest in which the Marlins trailed in both the ninth and 10th innings, catcher Jorge Alfaro played the role of hero. His two-run double capped the comeback as Miami rallied for a 7-6 win over the San Francisco Giants.

Through six innings at loanDepot Park on April 17, 2021, the Marlins led 3-0. In the seventh, San Francisco was able to get to the Miami pitching staff for five runs.

After Brandon Belt led off the top of the seventh with a solo home run off Miami starter Sandy Alcántara, Brandon Crawford singled home Evan Longoria to cut the deficit to 3-2 later in the inning. The Giants took their first lead two batters later when Austin Slater took lefty Richard Bleier deep for a three-run home run.

Down 5-3, Miami right-hander Zach Pop was able to keep the deficit at two by striking out the side in the top of the ninth. As the contest shifted to the bottom of the ninth, the Giants turned to closer Jake McGee.

Miami opened the inning with three straight singles from Jazz Chisholm Jr., Miguel Rojas and Alfaro to cut the deficit to 5-4. McGee was able to settle in and induce consecutive popouts off the bats of Jon Berti and Corey Dickerson. With the Marlins down to their last out, Starling Marte ripped the first pitch he saw from McGee into left field for the game-tying single.

A walk loaded the bases, but McGee was able to get the game to extra innings. In the top of the 10th, San Francisco regained the lead on an RBI double by Belt off Yimi García.

With a placed runner at second base to begin the bottom of the 10th inning, former Marlins lefty Jarlín García was able to strike out Brian Anderson to start the frame. Chisholm followed by drawing a walk, but after Chad Wallach flied out, the game was left in the hands of Alfaro with two on.

After taking the first pitch for a ball, Alfaro ripped García’s breaking pitch to left field. It rolled all the way to the wall as both runners scored standing up for a walk-off two-run double to complete the comeback.

On a night where the Marlins had 15 hits, Alfaro was one of five Miami players to finish with multi-hit games, going 2-for-6 with three RBIs. Dickerson finished 4-for-6 with a run scored. Chisholm and Marte each scored twice. Belt, Crawford and former Marlins infielder Donovan Solano each had two of the 10 hits for the Giants.

During his Major League Baseball career, Alfaro would record walk-off hits both for and against the Marlins. Two of those came during his final season with the club in 2021. The first of the two and the first walk-off win of Miami’s 2021 campaign came on this day five years ago.