Mike Ferguson

For the Florida Marlins, the 2011 season was a rollercoaster of a year. After a splendid April and May, the Marlins had a horrid June, going from 10 games over .500 to 11 games under in just over a month. On this day 15 years ago, however, the Marlins found a way to even their record with a come-from-behind win. Trailing by a run in the ninth inning, the Marlins took advantage of a throwing error by New York Mets infielder Justin Turner. The errant throw allowed two runs to score as Florida rallied for a 4-3 victory. The Marlins were 54-55 while the Mets were 55-54 as the teams squared off on Aug. 2, 2011. A go-ahead sixth-inning sacrifice fly from Lucas Duda was the difference as the Mets took the lead to the top of the ninth. Closer Jason Isringhausen took the mound, looking for the save. He opened the evening by walking Logan Morrison on five pitches. After getting the ever-dangerous Giancarlo (then known as Mike) Stanton for the first out, Isringhausen gave up a single to Mike Cameron. On the very next pitch, Isringhausen hit John Buck to load the bases with one out. Facing pinch hitter Bryan Petersen, Isringhausen was able to get ahead in the count, 0-2. On the third pitch, Petersen hit a slow roller to Turner at second base. Indecisive on the play, Turner initially ran Buck toward first before throwing wide of the base in an effort to get Petersen. Both Morrison and Cameron scored to give Florida its first lead since the fifth inning. Isringhausen was able to retire the next two batters, but the damage was done. Florida lefty Randy Choate walked former Marlins catcher Ronny Paulino to open the bottom of the ninth, but closer Juan Carlos Oviedo (then known as Leo Núñez) promptly got Daniel Murphy to hit into a double play. Oviedo then struck out Jason Pridie to end the contest. Prior to the ninth, both runs for Florida had come on solo blasts by Omar Infante – one in the first and one in the fifth—off New York starter Chris Capuano. José Reyes tied the game at 1 with a solo shot off Brad Hand in the third. David Wright again drew the Mets even with an RBI groundout in the fifth before Duda gave New York its first lead in the sixth. Infante finished with three of the seven hits for the Marlins. Scott Hairston and Ángel Pagán each had two knocks for the Mets. With the win, the Marlins evened their record at 55-55. It would be the last time that Florida was at or above .500 all season as it proceeded to lose its next seven games. The Marlins' time back at .500 was short, but they got there on this day 15 years ago. View full article

During parts of five seasons with the Florida Marlins, Josh Willingham hit 63 home runs, including three walk-off bombs. The first of those three blasts came on this day 20 years and off a Hall of Fame closer. Against Billy Wagner, Willingham played the role of hero at Dolphins Stadium on Aug. 1, 2006. His walk-off pinch-hit two-run blast lifted Florida to a 6-5 win over the New York Mets. The Marlins had never led as they came to bat in the bottom of the ninth against Wagner. Wagner threw just three pitches, but that’s all Florida needed to complete the comeback. Trailing 5-4, catcher Miguel Olivo started the rally by lining Wagner’s first offering to centerfield for a single. Pinch hitter Wes Helms moved him over to second one pitch later with a successful sacrifice bunt. With lead-off man Alfredo Amézaga 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, the Marlins turned to Willingham to grab a bat. Willingham turned on the first pitch he saw from Wagner over the “teal tower” in left field for the walk-off two-run blast. Prior to Willingham’s shot, Florida had never led but it did draw even twice. After the Mets took an early 1-0 lead on a Carlos Delgardo single in the top of the first, Cody Ross answered with an RBI double in the bottom of the inning. Carlos Beltrán’s two-run home run highlighted a three-run third inning for the Mets to go up 4-1, but a two-run blast from Hanley Ramírez and an RBI double from starting pitcher Scott Olsen drew Florida even in the fourth. The Mets regained the lead, 5-4, on José Reyes’ solo bomb off Randy Messenger to lead off the seventh. While Willingham delivered the Marlins with the lone pitch he saw for the evening, Ramírez and Olivo each finished with two hits. Former Marlins All-Star catcher Paul Lo Duca had three hits, a run scored and an RBI for the Mets. Reyes scored three of the five New York runs. Over parts of 11 seasons in the big leagues, Willingham hit 195 home runs, including five walk-offs. His first came as a member of the Marlins and against a seven-time All-Star on this day two decades ago. View full article

When one thinks about Florida/Miami Marlins firsts, many of those are held by catcher Charles Johnson. The first-ever draft pick of the Florida Marlins, Johnson was also the club’s first Gold Glove winner and first All-Star behind the plate. A native of Fort Piece who played his college baseball at the University of Miami, Johnson was born July 20, 1971. He celebrates his 55th birthday today. Selected with the No. 28 overall pick in the 1992 Major League Baseball Draft, Johnson had two stints with the Marlins. Johnson was a member of the team from 1994 to 1998 and then again in 2001 and 2002. He made All-Star appearances during both stints. Johnson made his big-league debut in 1994 before transitioning to the team’s primary catcher a year later. In 1995, Johnson became the Marlins’ first Gold Glove winner—an award he would receive in four straight seasons. He was also just the fourth catcher to win a Gold Glove as a rookie. Luis Castillo is the only other Marlins player to win three straight Gold Gloves. In 1996, Johnson caught Al Leiter’s no-hitter—the first in Marlins history—as Florida topped the Colorado Rockies. In fact, Johnson caught the Marlins’ first three no-hitters in club history. He was behind the plate for Kevin Brown’s no-no against the San Francisco Giants in 1997 and A.J. Burnett’s wild no-hitter against the San Diego Padres in 2001. A day after Burnett’s no-hitter, Johnson came off the bench to hit a go-ahead pinch-hit grand slam. In 1997, Johnson made his first All-Star appearance, hitting .250 with 19 home runs and 63 RBIs. The 19 bombs would be his highest total as a member of the Marlins. Johnson also posted 4.4 wins above replacement (bWAR), the highest of his Marlins tenure. That season, Johnson helped the Marlins win their first World Series. He set an MLB record for catchers by playing in 123 games without an error. Johnson led baseball by throwing out 56 would-be base stealers. Johnson drove in the first run in Marlins postseason history with a solo blast in the seventh inning of a 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants in Game 1 of the National League Division Series. In Game 1 of the World Series, Johnson followed Moises Alou’s three-run home run with a solo shot of his own to give the Marlins a 5-1 lead in an eventual 7-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians. During the postseason, Johnson hit .264, including .357 in the World Series, with the two homers and 10 RBIs. In Game 7 of the World Series, Johnson’s clutch one-out single in the bottom of the ninth moved Alou from first to third and set up Craig Counsell’s game-tying sacrifice fly. Florida would beat Cleveland in 11 innings to win its first title, 3-2. Johnson played just 31 games for the Marlins in 1998 before being packaged in a big-time trade that sent Gary Sheffield and Bobby Bonilla to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Todd Zeile and Mike Piazza to Florida. After spending the 1999 season with the Baltimore Orioles, Johnson had his best statistical offensive season in 2000 when he hit .304 with 31 home runs and 91 RBIs—all career-highs—for the Orioles and Chicago White Sox. Johnson signed as a free agent to return to the Marlins prior to the 2001 season. In 2001, Johnson would make his second and final All-Star Game, hitting .259 with 18 home runs and 75 RBIs. After batting .217 with six home runs and 36 RBIs in 2002 for Florida, Johnson spent 2003 and 2004 with the Rockies before returning to the Sunshine State to finish his career with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2005. In parts of seven total seasons with the Marlins, Johnson hit .241 with 75 home runs and 277 RBIs—both club records for a catcher. Johnson’s 8.6 defensive wins above replacement (dWAR) remains the highest in team history regardless of position. The standout and two-time All-Star turns 55 today. View full article

Over five seasons as a member of the Miami Marlins, Martín Prado hit just 22 home runs. His lone extra-innings shot came on this day 10 years ago. After the Marlins scored two runs in the ninth to force extra innings, Prado played the role of hero. His solo home run in the top of the 11th propelled Miami past the Philadelphia Phillies, 3-2. Through eight innings at Citizens Bank Park on July 18, 2016, Miami had managed just two hits and was on the short end of a 2-0 score. Looking to close it out, the Phillies turned to right-hander Jeanmar Gómez. Gómez began the night by getting Ichiro Suzuki to ground back to the mound. After a single by J.T. Realmuto, Gómez struck out Prado on just three pitches for the second out. On the very next pitch, Christian Yelich broke up the shutout with an RBI double. Yelich would go to third on a wild pitch as Giancarlo Stanton walked. Marcell Ozuna followed with the game-tying RBI single but pinch runner Yefri Pérez was thrown out at third base to end the threat. With the score now tied 2-2, the contest went to extras. After Fernando Rodney worked a scoreless ninth for the Marlins, both teams left runners in scoring position in the 10th. Lefty Brett Oberholtzer entered the contest for the Phillies in the top of the 11th. Leading off the inning for Miami was Prado. To that point, Prado was 0-for-4. After taking two pitches for balls, Prado took Oberholtzer’s letter-high fastball over the wall in left field for a no-doubter as the Marlins took their first lead, 3-2. AJ Ramos worked a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up the save. Kyle Barraclough, who worked a scoreless 10th, earned the win for Miami. The late collapse for Philadelphia spoiled a stellar start from Aaron Nola, who allowed just two hits in six shutout innings. It also got Miami starter José Fernández off the hook for the loss. Fernández allowed just two runs on four hits in 6 ⅓ innings while tying a career-high with 14 strikeouts. Maikel Franco got the scoring started for the Phillies with an RBI groundout in the first inning. Tommy Joseph took Fernández deep for a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the seventh to cap the Philadelphia scoring. After winning in 11 innings to open the series, the Marlins earned another extra-innings win the following night to clinch the series. As for Prado, only two of his 100 career home runs over 14 years in the big leagues came in extra innings. The last of those came as a member of the Marlins and on this day a decade ago. View full article

Since their inauguration in 1993, the Florida/Miami Marlins have had walk-off wins in just about every way imaginable. Heck, the Marlins even won their first playoff game and first World Series in walk-off fashion. On this day 30 years ago, the Florida Marlins picked up their first-ever win on a walk-off walk. Quilvio Veras drew the free pass to plate in the winning run in a 3-2 win over the Houston Astros. After recording the final out in the eighth inning at Joe Robbie Stadium on July 16, 1996, Todd Jones was sent out to pitch the bottom of the ninth for Houston. Jones started the inning by getting Devon White to fly out. From there on, however, Jones struggled to find the strike zone. Jones walked Greg Colbrunn on four pitches before getting Alex Arias to line out. Charles Johnson followed by drawing a six-pitch walk to put the winning run in scoring position. One pitch later, Jones hit Andre Dawson to load the bases. With Jones struggling to throw strikes, Veras, the Florida lead-off man, was the perfect hitter to come up with the bases loaded. Veras battled by fouling off pitches before taking the seventh pitch of the plate appearance low and inside for ball four, allowing Colbrunn to trot home for the winning run. The Marlins managed just four hits but never trailed in the contest. Veras plated the first run with an RBI single in the third to score Johnson. In the fifth, Johnson’s solo home run extended the lead to 2-0. Houston drew even with a pair of runs in the seventh. After a Ricky Gutiérrez RBI groundout broke up the shutout, Rick Wilkins singled home the tying run. Both starting pitchers allowed just two runs on four hits. Doug Drabek went 7 2/3 innings for the Astros. John Burkett gave the Marlins seven strong innings. Yorkis Pérez worked a scoreless ninth to earn the win. Édgar Rentería had two of the four hits for Florida; Derek Bell had two of the five knocks for the Astros. The Marlins would beat Houston again the following night to complete the three-game series sweep. The 1996 season for Florida would be the best in franchise history to that point with 80 wins. That included seven walk-off wins. The only one that didn’t require a swing came on this day three decades ago. View full article

Over 34 years as a franchise, the Florida/Miami Marlins have had their fair share of high-scoring efforts. The club has also erased some big deficits. Only once, however, have the Marlins turned a five-run deficit into a win by double digits. It happened on this day 30 years ago. After falling behind early to the Houston Astros, the Florida Marlins erupted for 15 unanswered runs in a 15-5 victory. For the early parts of the July 15, 1996 contest at Joe Robbie Stadium, it didn’t appear to be the Marlins’ night. Against Florida starter Pat Rapp, Sean Berry gave the Astros the early lead with a two-run double in the first inning. Orlando Miller led off the second with a solo home run before Craig Biggio added an RBI single later in the frame. Before some fans could sit down, Miller’s sacrifice fly in the third inning extended the Houston lead to 5-0. After three disappointing innings from Rapp on the mound, Florida interim manager John Boles didn’t hesitate to make a change as Kurt Abbott was called upon to hit for the Marlins starting pitcher to lead off the third. Abbott singled before scoring Florida’s first run on a balk. In fact, the Marlins would score four times in the bottom of the third inning to cut the deficit to one. Following a sacrifice fly from Devon White, Joe Orsulak singled home two. In the fourth, Gary Sheffield plated a run with a groundout and just like that, the teams were all square. The Marlins got two scoreless innings from reliever Donn Pall. In the bottom of the fifth, pinch hitter Alex Arias put Florida in front to stay with an RBI single. An errant throw from Derek Bell in right field allowed a second run to score and what had been a 5-0 deficit had become a 7-5 Florida lead. The Marlins, however, were far from done. In the sixth, RBI singles from White and Charles Johnson bookended an RBI triple from Terry Pendleton as the lead ballooned to 10-5. In the seventh, Édgar Rentería left the yard with a two-run home run before Pendleton plated his second run of the night with a single. Jesús Tavárez and White added RBI singles in the eighth to put the exclamation point on the win. As a team, the Marlins finished with a then franchise-record 24 hits. Sheffield and Pendleton each finished the night with four hits. At the top of the order, Quilvio Veras and Rentería each went 3-for-6 with three runs scored. While the Florida offense scored in six straight innings, the bullpen kept the Astros off the board over the final six frames. Pall earned the win while Donne Wall took the loss for Houston. Pall, David Weathers and Robb Nen combined to allow just two hits and one walk for the Marlins in relief. The record 24 hits for Florida would last nearly seven years before being broken by the 2003 World Series-winning team on July 1. It, however, remains the second-highest single-game hit total in team history. It occurred on this day three decades ago. View full article

Although not all good, Wrigley Field has held some dear memories for fans of the Florida/Miami Marlins. It’s the place where the club won its second National League pennant and most recent postseason series. While it didn’t quite bring that level of jubilation, the Florida Marlins picked up a victory worth remembering at the “Friendly Confines” on this day 15 years ago. Shut out for eight innings, the Marlins erupted for six runs in the ninth inning in a 6-3 win over the Chicago Cubs. It didn’t appear as though it would be Florida’s night as the Marlins and Cubs opened a four-game set on July 14, 2011. Matt Garza had given the Cubs seven shutout innings before Sean Marshall worked a 1-2-3 eighth. As the contest shifted to the ninth, Chicago turned to right-hander Carlos Marmól with a 2-0 lead. An All-Star for the Cubs in 2008, Marmól walked the first three batters he faced while mixing in just one total strike. Against pinch hitter Greg Dobbs, the Chicago right-hander was able to finally find the strike zone, but the results were even worse. On the eighth pitch of the at-bat, Dobbs doubled down the right-field line, scoring two. A throwing error by Chicago’s Darwin Barney allowed a third run to score as the Marlins took the lead. Following another four-pitch walk – this one to Emilio Bonifácio – Marmól’s night was done. Florida’s big inning, however, wasn't done. With Florida now leading 3-2, Kerry Wood came in and walked Omar Infante. After Gaby Sánchez’s sacrifice fly extended the lead to 4-2, Hanley Ramírez singled home Bonifácio to push it to 5-2. Lefty James Russell then became the third Cubs pitcher to throw in the inning. Russell started by getting Logan Morrison to ground out. Following an intentional walk to Giancarlo (then known as "Mike") Stanton, Mike Cameron singled in Infante to cap a six-run inning. Now down 6-2, the Cubs did their best to make things interesting in the bottom of the ninth. Tony Campana and Geovany Soto opened with back-to-back singles off Juan Carlos Oviedo (then known as Leo Núñez). Although a run scored on a passed ball, Oviedo retired the next three batters to end the contest. Prior to the ninth, the Cubs’ runs had come courtesy of a Marlon Byrd solo home run in the second and a Barney hit by pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh inning. Soto had four of the eight Chicago hits. Bonifácio and Infante each had two hits for the Marlins. The big ninth inning gave the Marlins the opener of what would be a four-game series at Wrigley. Florida ended up taking three of those contests. To that point in the season, the six runs in the ninth was the most that the Marlins had scored in any inning that season. They came on this day 15 years ago. View full article

An All-Star for the Minnesota Twins in 2023, Pablo López’s potential was evident during his time with the Miami Marlins. That was never more the case than on this day five years ago. On the one-year anniversary of his father’s death, López made history. The right-hander set a Major League Baseball record by striking out the first nine batters he faced in Miami’s 7-4 win over the Atlanta Braves. López threw a minimum number of pitches to record his first two strikeouts at loanDepot Park on July 11, 2021. Ehire Adrianza and Freddie Freeman each went down swinging to open the game. Ozzie Albies worked a seven-pitch at-bat but ultimately struck out swinging to end the top of the first inning. After López struck out the side in the first inning, the Marlins’ offense wasted little time giving him the lead as Jesús Aguilar took Ian Anderson deep for a three-run home run in the bottom of the first. In the top of the second, López missed an immaculate inning by one pitch as Austin Riley, Orlando Arcia and Dansby Swanson each struck out swinging. López needed just 12 pitches to get through the third inning. After striking out the first six batters swinging, Guillermo Heredia and Anderson each went down looking. In between, Kevan Smith fanned swinging for the second out. With the nine straight strikeouts to open the contest, López broke the previous record of eight held by Jim Deshaies (1986), Jacob deGrom (2014) and Germán Márquez (2018). After catcher Sandy León extended the Miami lead to 4-0 with an RBI groundout in the bottom of the third, Adrianza became the first Atlanta hitter to make contact against Lopez as he grounded out to open the fourth. The Braves broke up the shutout later in the inning with RBI singles from Albies and Arcia. Miami, however, had an answer. In the bottom of the fourth, Aguilar followed Garrett Cooper’s RBI double with an RBI single of his own to push the lead back to four at 6-2. López would work six innings, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks. He did not strike out a batter after the third inning. Swanson homered with two outs in the sixth inning before taking Anthony Bender deep in the ninth for a second solo blast to cap the scoring for Atlanta. Miguel Rojas capped the scoring for Miami with an RBI single in the sixth to score Jesús Sánchez. Sánchez and Rojas each finished with three of the 12 Miami hits in the win. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Aguilar added two hits apiece. Aguilar finished with four RBIs. The day, however, belonged to López. He became the first pitcher in baseball history to open a contest with nine straight strikeouts the first time through the order. They came on this day five years ago. View full article