Mike Ferguson

In 34 years as a franchise, no pitcher threw more shutouts for the Florida/Miami Marlins than A.J. Burnett. Dontrelle Willis, however, did throw as many. On this day 20 years ago, Willis tied Burnett’s club record with his eighth career shutout. Willis allowed just three hits and tied a career-high with 12 strikeouts in the Florida Marlins’ 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Willis was looking for his fifth straight quality start as he took the Dolphins Stadium mound on Sept. 10, 2006. The Florida lefty struck out both Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley during a 1-2-3 first inning. By the time Willis returned to the hill, he had a 2-0 lead. The Marlins drew first blood in the bottom of the first on an RBI single from Miguel Cabrera that scored Hanley Ramírez. Dan Uggla scored to make it 2-0 on a sacrifice fly from Wes Helms later in the inning. Helms added a second sacrifice fly in the seventh. The biggest threat for Philadelphia came in the top of the second as Ryan Howard singled and Jeff Conine walked to open the inning. Willis responded by striking out Pat Burrell and Chris Coste before getting Abraham Núñez to line out to end the inning. After hitting Shane Victorino with two outs in the third, Willis faced the minimum over the final six innings, utilizing double plays in the fourth and fifth innings. Willis retired the final 13 batters he faced. For the day, Willis threw 122 pitches. He was ultra efficient during the middle innings, throwing just nine pitches in the fourth inning, five in the fifth and 10 in the sixth. Willis struck out Utley for the third time to end the contest. He also fanned Chris Coste three times in the win. Despite just the three runs, Florida finished with 10 hits and chased Phillies starter Cole Hamels after just four innings. Ramírez led the Marlins with three hits. Cabrera and catcher Matt Treanor each added a pair of knocks. Howard had two of the three hits for Philadelphia. After leading the National League with five shutouts in 2005, Willis’ gem against the Phillies would be his lone shutout of 2006. No one knew it at the time, but it would also be his final home victory as a member of the Marlins. It came on this day two decades ago. View full article

During his MVP season of 2017, Giancarlo Stanton set Miami Marlins records with 59 home runs and 132 RBIs. Prior to that, however, only one player in franchise history had ever hit 40 home runs in a season. The first member of the Fish to do it hit the 40-homer mark on this day 30 years ago. In the Florida Marlins’ 2-1 loss to the Montreal Expos, Gary Sheffield’s solo blast provided all the team’s offense. Sheffield hadn’t yet had a chance to swing the bat as he came to the plate in the bottom of the eighth to face Ugueth Urbina, a future World Series champion with the Marlins, at Pro Player Stadium on Sept. 7, 1996. After walking in his first three plate appearances, Sheffield fell behind 0-2 in the count, but the third pitch would be one he wouldn’t miss. Sheffield’s blast to left cleared the wall, broke up the shutout and cut the lead in half. It also ended Urbina’s night. Mel Rojas would come in and collect the final four outs for Montreal despite surrendering a walk in each inning. Despite allowing just an earned run in five innings, Marc Valdes took the loss for Florida. Mark Leiter tossed 6.2 shutout innings for Montreal to earn the win. Mark Lansing had three hits and an RBI for the Expos. Kurt Abbott had two of the five hits for Florida. Joe Osulak finished with three outfield assists for the Marlins. Sheffield would finish the 1996 season with 42 home runs—a club record that would last for 21 years. He remains one of just two Marlins to hit 40 homers in a season. He got there on this day three decades ago. View full article

In nearly three and a half decades as a franchise, six pitchers for the Florida/Miami Marlins have thrown no-hitters. The last to do so at the club’s original home stadium tossed his no-no on this day 20 years ago. In the rubber game of a three-game series at Dolphins Stadium on Sept. 6, 2006, Aníbal Sánchez worked around four walks to become the fourth Marlins pitcher to throw a no-hitter. Sánchez needed 103 pitches to no-hit the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 2-0 victory. Sánchez was perfect the first time through the Arizona order. For Diamondbacks starter Édgar González, however, that was not the case. Florida squandered a lead-off triple by Hanley Ramírez in the first, but went ahead for good in the second. Joe Borchard, who hit the go-ahead home run in the first game of the series against Arizona, put the Marlins in front in the second inning with a solo shot. That’s all Sánchez would need. Sánchez worked around a pair of one-out walks in the fourth by retiring Eric Byrnes and Chad Tracy on flyouts to left field. Miguel Cabrera extended the lead to 2-0 with a solo home run on the very first pitch from González in the bottom of the fourth. The Diamondbacks would bring the tying run to the plate in each of the next two innings, but Sánchez had answers. After working around an error to lead off the fifth, Sánchez needed just one pitch to get Byrnes to line out following a two-out walk to Luis Gonzalez in the sixth. The Marlins had just one hit after the fourth inning, but that was one more than Sánchez would allow for the evening. The right-hander worked a 1-2-3 seventh on just nine pitches before neutralizing a walk to former Marlins World Series hero Craig Counsell by getting the speedy Orlando Hudson to hit into an inning-ending double play in the eighth. Sánchez didn’t need to throw more than 10 pitches in any of his final three innings. Sánchez struck out Conor Jackson to open the ninth and then got Gonzalez to pop out. On an 0-1 pitch, Byrnes rolled a routine grounder to short. Ramírez took his time and fired a strike to first, getting Byrnes by half a step to complete the no-hitter. Sánchez finished with six strikeouts in the win. While Arizona had no hits, Borchard finished with two of the five hits for the Marlins. Sánchez flirted with no-hitters on other occasions throughout his career and even completed multiple one-hitters. His lone no-no, however, came for the Marlins on this day two decades ago. View full article

One of just 10 players to hit 100 home runs as a member of the Florida/Miami Marlins, Preston Wilson’s power was undeniable. In four full seasons with the Florida Marlins, Wilson hit at least 23 home runs every season. His only career walk-off blast, however, came on this day 25 years ago. Wilson worked a six-pitch at-bat before going the other way for a walk-off three-run home run as Florida rallied past the Chicago Cubs, 7-6. The Marlins had trailed by as many as four runs as they came to bat in the bottom of the ninth at Pro Player Stadium on Sept. 5, 2001. With Florida trailing 6-4, the Cubs turned to right-hander Tom Gordon, a former All-Star for the Boston Red Sox, to try to close it out. Pinch hitter John Mabry singled to open the inning and give the Marlins hope. After Luis Castillo hit into a fielder’s choice, Derrek Lee was hit by a pitch to put the tying run on base. Following a Cliff Floyd flyout, it was all up to Wilson. Regularly among baseball’s leaders in strikeouts, it wasn’t like Wilson to work long at-bats, but against Gordon, that’s what he did. Wilson fouled off a pair of two-strike pitches before getting a fastball up and on the outer half of the plate. Wilson was able to stay back and line it the other way and into the fifth row in right field for the walk-off blast. It was Gordon’s first blown save in nearly three months. For much of the night, late-game drama seemed unlikely. A two-run single by Ricky Gutiérrez and a two-run home run by Ron Coomer in the second inning gave Chicago an early 4-0 lead. The Marlins finally broke up the shutout on Kevin Millar’s RBI double in the sixth but the Cubs went back up by four with a run in the top of the eighth on Gutiérrez’s third RBI of the night. Florida got back into it with three runs in the bottom of the eighth. After Wilson reached on an error to score Floyd, Millar’s two-run homer made it 5-4. Eric Young’s RBI double in the top of the ninth looked to provide some insurance as it extended the Cubs’ lead to 6-4. With 104 home runs as a member of the club, Wilson ranks 10th on the Marlins’ all-time home run list. His only walk-off shot came against a three-time All-Star and on this day a quarter-century ago. View full article

With a three-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers to open the month of September 2006, the Florida Marlins became the first team in Major League Baseball history to get back to .500 after falling 20 games below earlier in the season. The very next night, they became the first team to get over .500 after falling 20 games below. They did so on this day 20 years ago and in improbable fashion. Down five runs in the sixth, the Marlins scored eight unanswered runs to stun the Arizona Diamondbacks in a Labor Day matinee, 8-5. As the Marlins came to bat in the bottom of the sixth at Dolphins Stadium on Sept. 4, 2006, they had managed just one hit off Arizona starter Enrique González. Trailing 5-0, Florida would take the lead with six runs in the inning. Each of them scored with two outs. Alfredo Amézaga singled to open the inning but after Jeremy Hermida hit into a fielder’s choice and Hanley Ramírez flied out, it looked to be another quiet inning. Instead, Florida responded with five straight hits. One pitch after Dan Uggla singled, Miguel Cabrera broke up the shutout with an RBI single to cut the lead to 5-1. Not known for his speed, Josh Willingham followed by legging out an infield hit to load the bases. Mike Jacobs then cut the lead to 5-3 with a two-run single. Arizona stuck with González, which proved to be a mistake. Ahead in the count of Joe Borchard, González left one out over the plate and the Florida right fielder crushed it to right-center field for the go-ahead three-run home run. What had been a 5-0 deficit when the inning started had become a 6-5 lead for the Marlins. After Renyel Pinto stranded the tying run at third in the top of the seventh, Uggla put the exclamation point on the comeback with a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame. Taylor Tankersley and Joe Borowski each worked 1-2-3 innings to slam the door on the Diamondbacks. For Arizona, most of the offense came early. The Diamondbacks plated four runs in the first against Florida starter Brian Moehler with two coming on a double by Conor Jackson. The Diamondbacks extended the lead to 5-0 on Eric Byrnes’ solo home run to lead off the fifth. Despite having just one hit through six innings, Amézaga, Uggla and Jacobs each finished the night with two. Byrnes and Orlando Hudson each had two hits for Arizona. While Borowski picked up the save for the Marlins, Randy Messenger worked a 1-2-3 sixth to earn the win. In addition to getting over .500 for the first time, the five-run comeback served as the biggest of the season for the Marlins. It came on this day two decades ago. View full article

With a team full of rookies and a first-year manager in Joe Girardi, the 2006 Florida Marlins were expected to be one of the worst teams in baseball. With less than a month left in the season, however, the Marlins found themselves squarely in the postseason race. On this day 20 years ago, the Fish made history. Once 11-31, the Marlins became the first team in baseball history to get back to .500 after falling 20 games below. They evened their record with a 10-3 road win over the Milwaukee Brewers. With a record of 67-68, the Marlins were looking to complete the three-game sweep of the Brewers as they arrived at Miller Park on Sept. 3, 2006. For the early parts of the contest, pitching dominated. After Hanley Ramírez led off the game with a double and scored the first run on a Miguel Cabrera’s RBI single, Florida’s Scott Olsen and Milwaukee’s Tomo Ohka traded zeroes for the next 5 ½ innings. Still 1-0 in the top of the seventh, Olsen created some breathing room for himself by singling home Miguel Olivo to double the lead. Olsen scored on the very next pitch, coming all the way around from first on an RBI double by Ramírez. Up 3-0, Olsen finished his day by working out of trouble in the seventh. In seven shutout innings, the Florida lefty allowed just one hit and two walks while fanning seven. Following a quality start from Ohka, the Marlins blew things open against the Milwaukee bullpen with seven runs in the eighth. After a Cabrera double and a walk to Josh Willingham to open the inning, an error at second with one out served as the catalyst for the big inning. Olivo singled in Cabrera on the very next pitch before Alfredo Amézaga made it 6-0 with a two-run single. Ramírez and Cabrera would each add two-run doubles later in the inning to extend the lead to 10-0. Milwaukee was able to break up the shutout with three runs in the bottom of the eighth, but the damage had been done. Ramírez finished 4-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Cabrera added three hits and three RBIs. Olivo and Amézaga each finished with two hits. Jeff Cirillo had two of the five hits and an RBI for the Brewers. After moving to 68-68, the Marlins would get as many as two games over .500 but a dismal stretch in which they lost 11 of 14 ended their postseason hopes. Despite that, Florida remains the only team in Major League Baseball history to even its record after falling 20 games below .500. It did so on this day two decades ago. View full article

Throughout the 34-year history of the Florida/Miami Marlins, the 2006 team had some of the lowest expectations entering the season. The club, however, was fun to watch. After a dismal start, the Florida Marlins put together stellar months of June and August. One of the highlights of August was a thrilling comeback win that culminated in a walk-off pinch-hit double by Mike Jacobs in a 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers—on this day 20 years ago. Through 6 1/2 innings at Dolphins Stadium on Aug. 27, 2006, Florida, riding a six-game winning streak, had managed just two hits off Milwaukee starter Chris Capuano. It took just two swings in the bottom of the seventh for the Marlins to double their hit total, tie the game and end Capuano’s afternoon. Trailing 2-0, thanks to a two-run single by Milwaukee’s Bill Hall in the fifth, Miguel Cabrera and Josh Willingham led off the bottom of the inning with back-to-back home runs. Just like that, it was tied, but it didn’t stay that way for too much longer. José Capellán was able to prevent any further damage in the seventh, but after Sergio Mitre worked a 1-2-3 eighth for Florida, Hanley Ramírez lined Danny Kolb’s second pitch down the right-field line for a lead-off triple in the bottom of the eighth. Two pitches later, Dan Uggla singled Ramírez home to give the Marlins their first lead of the game, 3-2. Closer Joe Borowski, however, was unable to lock down the win in the ninth. David Bell’s solo home run to lead off the inning knotted the score. Borowski was able to work around two walks later in the inning to keep the score tied at 3 apiece. Extra innings seemed inevitable as Alfredo Amézaga and Miguel Olivo each grounded out against Brian Shouse to open the bottom of the ninth, but Jeremy Hermida was able to draw a seven-pitch walk. That set the stage for Jacobs. In as a pinch-hitter, Jacobs saw just three pitches on the day. The last of those was lined into the left-field corner. Hermida came all the way around from first, sliding home for the winning run. After taking the first two games of the four-game series, the thrilling victory clinched the set for Florida and ran its winning streak to seven. Both teams finished with eight hits. Bell and Willingham each had three for their respective teams. With a 78-84 final record, the 2006 Marlins exceeded all expectations. Against Milwaukee that season, the Marlins were a perfect 7-0. The only win over the Brewers that ended in a walk-off came on this day two decades ago. View full article

The 2016 season didn’t close the way that the Miami Marlins would have hoped, but toward the end of August, the team was unquestionably in the playoff hunt. On this day 10 years ago, the Marlins opened a three-game series against the San Diego Padres with an improbable rally. Down 6-2 through six and a half innings, the Marlins rallied with five unanswered runs. Chris Johnson’s walk-off ground-rule double completed the comeback in a 7-6 win. San Diego had scored six straight runs as Miami came to bat in the bottom of the seventh at Marlins Park on Aug. 26, 2016. After driving in the game’s first run in the first, Marcell Ozuna cut the deficit to 6-3 with an RBI single to score J.T. Realmuto in the seventh. The Marlins then drew even with three runs in the eighth. Against former Marlins lefty Brad Hand, Jeff Francouer and Robert Andino opened the inning with consecutive singles. After getting the forceout at third and striking out Johnson, however, Hand was one out away from keeping Miami off the board. That out never came as Hand walked Realmuto to load the bases. San Diego turned to Brandon Maurer, who got ahead of both Martín Prado and Christian Yelich, but both came through with singles to centerfield on 1-2 pitches. Prado’s liner brought home two before Yelich’s second RBI of the game knotted the score at 6 apiece. Fernando Rodney worked a 1-2-3 top of the ninth for the Marlins before Francouer’s third hit of the night – an infield single with one out – started the Miami rally in the bottom of the inning. After yielding a seven-pitch walk to pinch hitter Ichiro Suzuki, Maurer was able to strike out Miguel Rojas. With two on and two outs, Johnson took Maurer’s 2-1 fastball to the gap in right-centerfield. Johnson’s shot landed just past the outstretched arm of San Diego’s Travis Jankowski, off the warning track and over the wall for the walk-off double. Despite being forced to rally, the Marlins nearly doubled the Padres in the hit category, finishing with 13 to seven for San Diego. In addition to Francouer’s three knocks, Prado, Andino and Ozuna each had two hits for the Marlins. Ryan Schimpf and Luis Sardiñas each homered for the Padres. Sardiñas finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and four RBIs. With the win, the Marlins improved to 67-61, but that’s as far over .500 as they would get for the remainder of the year. San Diego bounced back to take the next two games, which began a five-game losing streak for Miami to close August. The final victory of August, however, was an absolute thriller. It featured the final win of Rodney’s short Marlins tenure and ended on the final extra-base hit of Johnson’s career. It happened on this day a decade ago. View full article

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. View full article

As most know, the life and Major League Baseball career of José Fernández was cut tragically short as the right-handed pitcher for the Miami Marlins died while operating a boat in September 2016. Although Fernández has become a tale of “what could have been,” his impact on the mound was undeniable over just four big-league seasons. On this day 10 years ago, Fernández made Marlins history. In a 3-0 win over the Kansas City Royals, Fernández tossed a gem and broke the club’s single-season strikeout record. Fernández was five strikeouts shy of tying Ryan Dempster’s 16-year-old record of 209 punchouts, set in 2000, as he took the mound at Marlins Park on Aug. 24, 2016. Fernández stole the show by scattering six hits and two walks in seven shutout innings while striking out nine. After stranding runners in scoring position in each of the two innings, Fernández eventually settled in, allowing three hits over his final five innings. Fernández struck out a batter in each of the first three innings before tying Dempster’s record by fanning Paulo Orlando and Christian Colón to open the fifth. In the sixth, Fernández was again able to pitch out of trouble after allowing consecutive singles to Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez to open the inning. Fernandez made Marlins history by striking on Alex Gordon on three pitches, using his devastating curveball to surpass Dempster atop the club’s single-season strikeout list. Three pitches later, Fernández got Alcides Escobar to ground into a double play to end the threat. Despite the outstanding pitching effort from Fernández, the Marlins were still in a scoreless tie as the contest went to the bottom of the sixth. There to jumpstart the offense was Fernández. With one out, Fernández started the rally with a single. Dee Strange-Gordon and Martín Prado followed with singles of their own to load the bases before another single—this one from Christian Yelich—plated two and broke the 0-0 tie. Marcell Ozuna capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly three pitches later. Now leading 3-0, Fernández put the exclamation point on his record-breaking night by striking ot the side in the top of the seventh. After AJ Ramos worked a 1-2-3 eighth, Fernando Rodney was able to leave the bases loaded in the ninth to seal the win. In addition to his stellar night on the mound, Fernández had two of the seven hits for Miami. Escobar finished with two of the eight hits for Kansas City. An All-Star for the second time in 2016, Fernández finished the year with a Miami record of 253 strikeouts – a mark that may last awhile. He first moved into first place on the single-season list on this day a decade ago. View full article

In seven seasons with the club, Ricky Nolasco set the Florida/Miami Marlins franchise records for wins and innings pitched. On this day 15 years ago, he became the club’s all-time leader in strikeouts. Nolasco was tied with Dontrelle Willis atop the all-time list as the Florida 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 2/3 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. View full article

For the Florida Marlins, the 1996 season ushered in a handful of franchise-firsts, including the first no-hitter in franchise history, which was completed against Al Leiter against the Colorado Rockies. That, however, wasn’t the only memorable moment against Colorado from that campaign. On this day 30 years ago, the Marlins beat the Rockies in their final at-bat for the second day in a row. After Joe Orsulak’s solo home run in the eighth inning gave Florida a 2-1 clinched the series win the night before, the Marlins rallied to complete the three-game sweep with three runs in the eighth in the series finale. Édgar Rentería’s two-run single in the Florida seventh had tied the game 4-4 at Joe Robbie Stadium on Aug. 15, 1996, but the Rockies had an answered in the top of the eighth. A sacrifice fly from Jayhawk Owens put the Rockies back in front 5-4 before a Walt Weiss RBI triple on the very next pitch extended the lead two. Down 6-4, the Marlins had work to do against Colorado reliever Curt Leskanic in the bottom of the inning. Florida centerfielder Devon White started the rally with a double to start the frame. Leskanic bounced back to strike out Jesús Tavárez but a walk to Kurt Abbott led to a pitching change. Closer Bruce Ruffin was called upon with two on and one out. Ruffin would surrender the lead in just two pitches. Ruffin’s first pitch of the night was pulled down the third base line by Alex Arias for a game-tying two-run double. Arias was able to take third on the throw to the plate. One pitch later, he scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Jeff Conine. In the bottom of the ninth, Robb Nen used a pair of ground balls back to the mound – one for a double play – to face the minimum and complete the save. Despite allowing the go-ahead Colorado hits in the top of the eighth, Jay Powell picked up the win for the Marlins. Prior to the eighth, Florida had never led. After the Rockies scored in the top of the first inning, the Marlins drew even in the bottom on a Gary Sheffield solo home run. Colorado went back in front with three runs in the third. Orsulak singled home Abbott in the fifth to cut the lead to 4-2. Ellis Burks, Weiss and Andrés Galarraga each finished with two hits and an RBI for the Rockies. Abbott scored two of the seven runs for Florida. For the 1996 season, the Marlins would finish with a then-franchise-best record of 80-82. Against Colorado, Florida went 8-5, including a perfect 7-0 at home. That included thrilling wins in each of the final two meetings, capped by a thriller on this day three decades ago. View full article

A member of the franchise’s Hall of Fame, Luis Castillo was never the biggest or the strongest guy for the Florida Marlins. Castillo, however, was one of the best defensively and certainly one of the fastest. The only player to make the opening day start for each of the Marlins’ two World Series-winning teams, Castillo recorded his first career hit on this day 30 years ago. Later in the game, he recorded his second career hit, which served as the walk-off winner in a 2-1 victory over the New York Mets. Hitting lead-off for the Marlins at Joe Robbie Stadium on Aug. 9, 1996, Castillo used his blazing speed to give the Marlins an early lead with an infield single to lead off the fourth – his first big-league hit – against New York’s Robert Person. On a dribbler back to the pitcher, Person was forced to hurry his throw, which got away and allowed Castillo to advance to second. He’d score the first run on a Jeff Conine sacrifice fly later in the inning. The Mets drew even on Álvaro Espinoza’s solo home run off Mark Hutton in the top of the sixth inning. After six strong innings from Hutton and seven from Person, it became a battle of the bullpens. Jay Powell, Félix Heredia and Robb Nen combined for four scoreless frames for the Marlins, yielding just two hits. In the bottom of the 10th, the Mets turned to Doug Henry. Alex Arias started the rally for Florida by working a nine-pitch walk. After a sacrifice bunt from Terry Pendleton, Henry struck out Joe Siddall before intentionally walking pinch hitter Joe Orsulak. That put the game in the hands of Castillo. The speedy switch hitter fell behind 1-2 in the count, but Castillo rolled one up the middle. The grounder slipped just past the glove of a diving Rey Ordóñez, allowing Arias to score easily for the winning run. At the top of the order, Castillo and Édgar Rentería each had two of the five hits for Florida. Bernard Gilkey finished with two hits for the Mets. A member of the Marlins for parts of 10 seasons, Castillo is the club’s all-time leader in games, runs, hits, walks, triples and stolen bases. His first career hit and his first career walk-off hit came in the same game on this day three decades ago. View full article