Mike Ferguson

During the 1990s and into the early-2000s, one of the most feared home run hitters in baseball was a man named McGwire. On this day 25 years ago, however, a guy named McGuire also showed he could leave the yard. In a pinch-hitting role for the Florida Marlins, Ryan McGuire had the biggest swing of the game. His pinch-hit grand slam capped a five-run seventh and lifted the Marlins to a 5-3 win over the New York Mets. With the Mets leading 3-0 at the seventh-inning stretch on May 31, 2001, Florida had managed just four hits off New York starter Glendon Rusch. Three pitches into the inning, the Marlins’ fortunes began to change as Mike Lowell went deep to left for a solo home run to cut the lead to 3-1. After walking Charles Johnson and giving up a single to Kevin Millar to put the tying run on base, Rusch’s evening had come to an end. The Mets turned to Turk Wendell, who proceeded to walk Álex González on four pitches. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Florida turned to the left-handed hitting McGuire. To that point, McGuire had just four hits for the year. Wendell was able to get ahead in the count 1-2, but his fastball got all of the plate and McGuire launched it to right field for a grand slam. McGuire’s blast turned what had been a two-run deficit into a 5-3 lead. After Armando Almanza and Braden Looper combined for a 1-2-3 eighth for Florida on the mound, Antonio Alfonseca threw a scoreless ninth to pick up the save. Florida starter Ryan Dempster, who allowed three runs on six hits and four walks with eight strikeouts in seven innings, picked up the win. Both teams finished with seven hits in the contest. Cliff Floyd went 3-for-4 for the Marlins while Millar added two hits. Mike Piazza went 2-for-4 with a solo home run for the Mets. Desi Relafordprovided the rest of the New York offense with a two-run single in the fourth. As for McGuire, he would manage just seven home runs in parts of six seasons in the big leagues. The last of those and only blast as a member of the Marlins served as the game-winner and the lone grand slam of McGuire’s career. It came on this day a quarter-century ago. View full article

Outfielder Scott Cousins played in just 135 career games over four seasons in Major League Baseball. He’s most infamously remembered, however, for a play that took place in extra innings on this day 15 years ago. With the contest tied in the top of the 12th, Cousins bulled over San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey at the plate for the winning run as the Florida Marlins pulled out a 7-6 victory. In the process, Posey suffered a season-ending injury, prompting leaguewide discussion about collisions at home plate. After catcher John Buck singled off Giants reliever Guillermo Mota to lead off the top of the 12th inning at AT&T Park on May 25, 2011, Cousins entered the game as a pinch hitter. Attempting to sacrifice, Cousins bunted the first pitch he saw back to the pitcher but Mota was able to get the lead runner at second. One pitch later, Omar Infante singled to right field and Cousins raced over to third, putting runners on the corners with one out. Emilio Bonifácio followed by popping one into shallow right field. Nate Schierholtz made the catch for San Francisco and fired to the plate. Tagging up from third base, Cousins made his way home and went shoulder-first into Posey at the plate. The ball popped away, giving the Marlins the lead, but Posey was unable to get up. After a delay, the San Francisco catcher was carried off the field. Burke Badenhop worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the inning to collect the save and secure the Marlins win. While Posey’s injury sparked controversy, it could have been avoided had it not been for a dismal bottom of the ninth from the Florida bullpen. After Giancarlo Stanton (then known as Mike Stanton) extended the Marlins’ lead to 6-2 with a bases-clearing double in the top of the inning, the Giants scored four runs in the bottom half to force extras. Aubrey Huff’s two-run single off Juan Carlos Oviedo (then known as Leo Núñez) tied the game. Stanton had a big night for Florida, going 4-for-6 with four RBIs. Logan Morris was 3-for-5 with two runs scored in the win. Freddy Sanchez finished with four hits for San Francisco. As for Posey, he would make a full recovery. In 2012, Posey was named National League MVP as the Giants captured their second of three World Series titles over a five-year span. Posey would finish his career as a seven-time All-Star. His injury, however, led to rule changes that disallowed runners from deviating from a direct pathway to the plate. Catchers were also forced to provide a path to the plate for runners. While Posey could one day find himself in Cooperstown, Cousins’ big-league career was relatively short. After hitting .297 in 28 games in 2010, Cousins struggled over his final two seasons with the Marlins, batting just .140 (21-for-150) before appearing in just seven games with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2013. While Cousins maintains that he had no intentions of injuring Posey, he did receive plenty of ire from around the league and in the media. He also reportedly received death threats. Cousins’ controversial slide against the Giants, however, did prompt meaningful rule changes throughout baseball. That slide came in a contest that lasted more than four hours on this day 15 years ago. View full article

The 2006 Florida Marlins didn’t make the postseason, but with a rebuilding team full of rookies, they did exceed all expectations. Things started rough for the Marlins, but by the latter parts of the year, they stood in the thick of the National League Wild Card race. On this day 20 years ago, Florida rallied for a 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs, courtesy of a Mike Jacobs two-run walk-off single. The Marlins trailed 4-3 and were down to their last three outs at Dolphins Stadium on May 23, 2006 as the Cubs turned to a right-hander familiar to baseball fans in South Florida: Ryan Dempster. Needing a jumpstart, Florida found one in pinch hitter Wes Helms, who went back up the middle for a single on Dempster’s first pitch of the evening to get the scoring started. After Hanley Ramírez worked a seven-pitch walk to put two on with nobody out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Dan Uggla’s sacrifice bunt put two runners into scoring position. Miguel Cabrera was intentionally walked to load the bases. Following a forceout at the plate off the bat of Josh Willingham, Dempster was one out away from a save. Standing in Chicago’s way was Jacobs. On a 1-1 pitch from Dempster, Jacobs lined one deep to centerfield, well past former Marlins World Series champion Juan Pierre. His shot one-hopped the wall, allowing Ramírez and Cabrera to score easily for a walk-off win. Prior to Jacobs’ heroics, the Marlins never led. Ronny Cedeño and Cubs starting pitcher Kerry Wood hit back-to-back RBI singles in the second inning to give Chicago an early 2-0 lead. Catcher Michael Barrett extended it to 3-0 with a solo homer off Marlins starter Scott Olsen in the third. After Florida got on the board with a Cabrera sacrifice fly in the third, Matt Murton led off the Chicago fourth with a solo blast to give the Cubs a 4-1 lead. Cabrera’s two-run home run in the fifth inning cut the deficit to 4-3. Following an 11-31 start, the thrilling comeback win gave Florida consecutive wins over the Cubs and clinched the three-game series. The Marlins would go on to become the first team in baseball history to get to .500 after falling 20 games under before a 78-84 finish under manager Joe Girardi. Their first of seven walk-off wins from that campaign came courtesy of Jacobs and on this day two decades ago. View full article

An All-Star for the club in 2022, Garrett Cooper hit 52 home runs over his five-plus seasons as a member of the Miami Marlins. His lone walk-off blast came on this day five years ago. In the middle game of a three-game series against the New York Mets, Cooper played the role of hero. Cooper worked a seven-pitch at-bat before his two-run shot lifted the Marlins to a 3-1 victory. With the score tied 1-1 on May 22, 2021 at loanDepot park, the Mets turned to right-hander Drew Smith in the bottom of the ninth to try to get the game to extra innings. For Smith, the outing couldn’t have started much better. Smith wound up throwing more pitches to Cooper than the three other hitters he faced combined. Smith opened the inning by getting Jesús Aguilar to line out before retiring Adam Duvall on a weak pop-up one pitch later. On the very next pitch, Brian Anderson singled to right field to set the stage for Cooper. After working the count full, Cooper got a fastball up and connected big-time. On a pitch right down the middle, Cooper belted a no-doubter into “AutoNation Alley” in left-center field for the walk-off blast. For six and a half innings, neither team scored. Miami’s Corey Dickerson broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly to score Anderson. The Mets drew even a half-inning later on Dominic Smith’s RBI single. Cooper and Anderson each had three of the Marlins’ seven hits. On the mound, Pablo López allowed just four hits and a walk in seven shutout innings while striking out eight. Yimi García worked a scoreless ninth for Miami to pick up the win. During his time with the Marlins, Cooper had more than his fair share of big hits, including a few timely home runs. His only career walk-off blast, however, came on this day five years ago. View full article

Over his eight years in the big leagues, pitcher Burke Badenhop had just three hits. On this day 15 years ago, however, he had the biggest hit of the night. Also the winning pitcher for the evening, Badenhop came through with the winning hit in the top of the 11th. His single up the middle lifted the Florida Marlins to a 2-1 win over the New York Mets. A solo home run by Giancarlo (then known as Mike) Stanton in the seventh inning had accounted for all the scoring for Florida as the contest at Citi Field went to the 11th on May 16, 2011. Against Ryota Igarashi, Stanton opened the top of the 11th with a single up the middle. Igarashi retired Brett Hayes and Omar Infante but after Emilio Bonifácio singled to put the go-ahead run in scoring position, the Marlins had a decision to make. Without any available position players, Badenhop was left in to hit. After working a scoreless 10th on the mound, the right-hander worked the count full at the plate before lining one up the middle to score Stanton and give Florida its first lead of the night. In the bottom of the 11th, Juan Carlos Oviedo, then known as Leo Núñez, opened the frame by retiring the first two Mets he faced. With New York out of position players, it had to turn to a pitcher to hit. Like Badenhop, Jon Niese worked the count full before belting a triple to centerfield to give the Mets life. Oviedo, however, was able to settle in and strike out All-Star José Reyes to end the game. Both teams finished with nine hits in the contest. Infante had three for Florida while Stanton added two and scored both Marlins runs. Reyes and Justin Turner each had two hits for the Mets. As for Badenhop, the victory would serve as his final road win as a member of the Marlins. His heroics at the plate accounted for the final RBI of his career. It came in the 11th inning on this day 15 years ago. View full article

The Florida/Miami Marlins have won a franchise-record nine straight games on five separate occasions. It was first achieved on this day 30 years ago. Against the St. Louis Cardinals at Joe Robbie Stadium on May 14, 1996, the Florida Marlins used a six-run eighth to break the tie and cruise to victory, 11-5. The Marlins had taken a 5-4 lead with three runs in the bottom of the seventh. In the top of the eighth, however, Ray Lankford drew the Cardinals even with a solo home run off Florida’s Terry Mathews. Jeff Parrett remained on the hill for St. Louis in the bottom of the inning. After getting Jeff Conine to line out to open the inning, Parrett issued three straight walks to load the bases and end his night. The Cardinals turned to Rick Honeycutt, but the left-hander fared no better in getting outs. Joe Orsulak rolled Honeycutt’s second pitch of the night up the middle for a two-run single. Devon White followed with an RBI double on the seventh pitch of the at-bat to extend the lead to 8-5. Alex Arias followed with an RBI single of his own to make it 9-5 before Greg Colbrunn was safe on a fielder’s choice to extend the lead to 10-5. Conine made two of the three outs in the inning for Florida, but his second plated White to cap the scoring. Yorkis Pérez retired the Cardinals in order in the ninth to end the contest and run Florida’s winning streak to nine. White and Arias each finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Colbrunn went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Lankford and Ozzie Smith each had two hits for St. Louis. With the victory, Florida improved to 20-21 but missed the opportunity to get to .500 for the first time that season as it fell to the Cardinals the following day, 6-0. The Marlins would briefly get over .500 in 1996 before finishing 80-82 – their best season ever at the time. Although they’ve never hit double digits, the Marlins also won nine straight games in 2004, twice in 2006 and in 2008. It was first achieved, thanks in part to a six-run eighth inning, on this day three decades ago. View full article

Over his two stints with the Florida Marlins, Charles Johnson won four Gold Gloves and was a two-time All-Star. One of the best in baseball behind the plate, Johnson came through clutch at it on this day 25 years ago. One night after catching A.J. Burnett’s no-hitter, Johnson was given the day off by Marlins manager John Boles. Called on to pinch hit with the bases loaded in the seventh, Johnson turned a three-run deficit into a one-run lead and began a streak of nine unanswered runs in a 10-4 win over the San Diego Padres. A solo home run by Kevin Millar in the first had accounted for all the Florida offense as the Marlins came to bat against Kevin Jarvis in the top of the seventh at Qualcomm Stadium on May 13, 2001. Jarvis got Eric Owens and Millar to fly out to open the frame but after back-to-back singles from Preston Wilson and Derrek Lee, San Diego went to the bullpen. Lefty Kevin Walker came in and walked Florida’s Cliff Floyd on four pitches. As Padres manager Bruce Bochy turned to right-hander Jay Witasick, Florida turned to Johnson. Witasick was able to get ahead in the count, but Johnson turned on his 1-2 offering and deposited it into the left-field stands for the go-ahead pinch-hit grand slam. The Marlins went ahead for good, but the offense wasn’t done. Florida put the contest out of reach with five runs in the eighth. After Preston Wilson singled to extend the lead to 6-4, Floyd came through with a bases-clearing triple. Johnson, who stayed in the game to catch, followed with an RBI single to give the Marlins a 10-4 lead and to cap the scoring. With the win, the Marlins also clinched the three-run series. Wilson finished 4-for-4 in the win with two runs scored and an RBI. Johnson, who had just two plate appearances, had the only other multi-hit game for Florida, finishing with five RBIs. Bubba Trammell finished with a home run and three RBIs for San Diego. Ryan Klesko and Ben Davis each had two hits and a run scored. In parts of seven total seasons with the Marlins, Johnson had 75 home runs for the club. The lone grand slam of his tenure was a pinch-hit blast that put Florida ahead for good in a Sunday afternoon rubber game in San Diego. It came on this day a quarter-century ago. View full article

In nearly three and a half decades as a franchise, the Florida/Miami Marlins have had six different pitchers throw a no-hitter. Perhaps the most bizarre came on this day 25 years ago. For the Florida Marlins at Qualcomm Park on May 12, 2001, pitcher A.J. Burnett walked nine batters, hit another and barely threw more strikes than balls. In the end, however, he became the third pitcher in Marlins history to toss a no-no in a 3-0 win over the San Diego Padres. For the night, Burnett threw 129 pitches—65 strikes and 64 balls. After Burnett pitched around a two-out walk in the first inning, the Padres had perhaps their best scoring chance in the second. Ben Davis and Bubba Trammell drew back-to-back walks to open the frame. A flyout by Damian Jackson moved Davis to third with one out, but two pitches later, Burnett was able to get Donaldo Méndez to ground into a double play to end the threat. In the top of the third, Florida gave Burnett all the offense he would need. Charles Johnson’s two-run double scored Eric Owens and Preston Wilson to give the Marlins a 2-0 lead. In the third, San Diego threatened again. Two walks and a wild pitch put a pair of runners in scoring position with one out, but Burnett again hunkered down. Burnett struck out Ryan Klesko swinging before getting Dave Magadan to fly out to centerfield. The fourth required another Houdini act from Burnett. After a second walk to Trammell and hitting Jackson, Burnett again got out of the inning unscathed following consecutive strikeouts of Méndez and opposing pitcher Wascar Serrano. Florida added to its lead with a run in the top of the fifth. Burnett followed with consecutive 1-2-3 innings. The right-hander worked around a one-out walk in the seventh. After a pair of walks brought the tying run to the plate with one out in the eighth, Burnett inducted consecutive pop-outs from Davis and Trammell. The bottom of the ninth would be one of Burnett’s most economical innings of the evening. After getting Alex Arias to fly out, Burnett fanned pinch hitter Santiago Pérez for his seventh and final strikeout of the night. Three pitches later, Phil Nevin popped out to Florida shortstop Álex González to complete the wild no-hitter. While Burnett kept San Diego without a hit, the Marlins finished with seven. Wilson had three of those knocks. Serrano took the loss for the Padres despite allowing just one earned run in seven innings. Burnett’s no-hitter served as the first for the Marlins since Kevin Brown no-hit the San Francisco Giants in June 1997. In baseball history, only Jim Maloney of the Cincinnati Reds in 1965 had more walks in a no-hitter than Burnett’s nine. Burnett’s lone career no-no came on this day a quarter-century ago. View full article