Mike Ferguson

On this day five years ago, a seven-run deficit proved to be small potatoes for the Miami Marlins as they set a Marlins Park record for runs scored. During the 2019 season, the Miami Marlins scored the fewest runs in the National League. On this day five years ago, however, the Miami lineup ran like a well-oiled machine. Wearing all white uniforms as part of Players' Weekend, the Marlins washed away any offensive struggles they had coming in. Miami tied a franchise record for largest comeback and set a Marlins Park record for runs scored as it erased a seven-run deficit to down the Philadelphia Phillies, 19-11. A three-run triple from Scott Kingery and a two-run double from Corey Dickerson helped Philadelphia race to a 7-0 lead in the third inning on Aug. 23, 2019. Before the fourth started, however, the contest was all tied up. Brian Anderson got Miami on the board by "taking one for the team" with the bases loaded in the bottom of the third. Following run-scoring singles from Garrett Cooper and Harold Ramírez, who singled home two, that cut the lead to 7-4, Isan Díaz belted a three-run home run on the seventh pitch of his at-bat to tie things up. That turned out to be short-lived as Philadelphia used RBI singles from Maikel Franco and Adam Haseley to go back in front, 9-7. Beginning with a five-run fifth, the Marlins went ahead for good with 12 unanswered runs. Following an error by Phillies third baseman Brad Miller in the bottom of the fifth that allowed two runs to score, Miami used a two-run double from Neil Walker to go in front to stay. With three runs in the sixth and four more in the eighth, the Marlins turned the contest into a rout. Starlin Castro belted a two-run homer in the sixth before he and Jon Berti went back-to-back with blasts in the eighth. Despite not starting the contest, Castro finished with three runs scored and five RBIs. Berti, Walker, Ramírez and catcher Jorge Alfaro each had three hits in the victory. Miami finished with 19 knocks as a team. Jean Segura finished with three hits and two runs scored for Philadelphia in the loss. The seven-run comeback tied a franchise record, previously done in Boston in 2003 and Arizona in 2009, and served as the largest comeback at home. With a stadium-record 19 Miami runs and 30 total runs, the contest served as the highest-scoring game at Marlins Park (now loanDepot park). It came on this day five years ago. View full article

On this date in 2004, the Marlins beat baseball’s best closer with a ninth-inning rally. A comeback didn’t seem realistic. Eric Gagne had a two-run cushion as the Florida Marlins came to the plate down 4-2 in the top of the ninth at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 18, 2004. Gagne had been virtually unhittable all season. But when all was said and done, on this day 20 years ago, the Marlins would push four runs across in a thrilling 6-4 victory to take the series. From 2002-04, the Los Angeles Dodgers closer set a record that may not be topped in this lifetime. Gagne converted 84 consecutive saves over three seasons. That streak came to an end the month before...and then the Marlins stunned him again. Striking out Florida second baseman Luis Castillo on just three pitches to start the frame, it looked like business as usual for Gagne. The next three Marlins, however, would record hits and force him to have to pitch under pressure. After a double by Miguel Cabrera, Mike Lowell and Jeff Conine put together back-to-back singles to cut the lead to 4-3. Juan Encarnación popped up for the second out before Paul Lo Duca—who had just been acquired from the Dodgers less than a month prior—walked to load the bases. With the bases juiced and two outs, Marlins manager Jack McKeon called on the all-time leader in pinch hits, Lenny Harris, to bat for catcher Mike Redmond. With the count 1-1, Harris delivered a bases-clearing double to center to give the Marlins the lead. What Gagne was unable to do, Florida closer Armando Benitez was. Benitez struck out a pair of Dodgers in a perfect ninth to earn the save. Guillermo Mota, who came from Los Angeles to Miami in the Lo Duca trade, worked a scoreless eighth to pick up the win. The loss was the first for Los Angeles when leading after eight innings in 152 games (Gagne’s streak-busting blown save versus the Arizona Diamondbacks was ultimately a 6-5 Dodgers win). It happened on this day two decades ago. View full article

A Marlins memory from 2004. After winning their second World Series the previous year, the Florida Marlins could sense another postseason run slipping away by the latter parts of August 2004. On this day 20 years ago, the Marlins regained their spark with a thrilling comeback win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Florida had slipped to two games below .500 after dropping the series opener at Miller Park. Following a 11-1 win victory in the middle game, the Marlins were looking to even their record as the clubs met for the rubber game on Aug. 15, 2004. The Brewers led most of the way, but two runs in the ninth and two more in the 10th were the difference as Florida rallied for a 5-3 victory. The Marlins were unable to get anything against Milwaukee starter Doug Davis, who tossed seven shutout innings. Against the Brewers' bullpen, however, it would be a different story. Trailing 3-0, Miguel Cabrera got the Marlins on the board in the eighth inning with a solo home run off Matt Wise. After Nate Bump was able to leave the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning, a fielding error by Brewers second baseman Bill Hall to open the ninth proved to be the break the Marlins needed. With Álex González standing at first, Milwaukee closer Danny Kolb was able to get pinch-hitter Lenny Harris to fly out, but lead-off man Juan Pierre followed with an RBI triple. Two pitches later, Luis Castillo grounded the game-tying single up the middle. Kolb was able to prevent further damage, but Rudy Seánez countered with a 1-2-3 ninth for Florida. Ben Hendrickson opened the 10th by retiring the first two Marlins hitters he faced, but the third out proved to be elusive. Following a four-pitch walk to Juan Encarnación and a single from González, pinch-hitter Damion Easley lined a two-run double down the first-base line to give the Marlins their first lead, 5-3. Florida closer Armando Benítez struck out two during a 1-2-3 bottom of the 10th to record the save. Despite being shut out for seven innings, the Marlins outhit Milwaukee 11-7. Cabrera and catcher Paul Lo Duca each finished with two hits in the win. Russell Branyan finished 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored for the Brewers. With the win, the Marlins got back to .500 at 58-58. They beat the Los Angeles Dodgers the following day to get back over .500 and never fell under again in 2004. The comeback win over Milwaukee came during a stretch in which the Marlins won 16 of 20 games. The latter part of September, however, killed any hope of a return to the postseason. Florida's win in Milwaukee served as its final extra-innings win of the year. It came on this day two decades ago. View full article

On this date in 1999, the Marlins reached the emotional high point of their season by wrapping up a series full of last at-bat wins. In late June, the Miami Marlins found some magic against the St Louis Cardinals and Seattle Mariners, putting together three straight walk-off wins. In mid-August 1999, the Florida Marlins did likewise by completing a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants. The Marlins won all three games in walk-off fashion, with the final of those wins coming on this day 25 years ago. Although it wasn't a season to remember, Florida was feeling good about itself entering the series, coming off a sweep of the Colorado Rockies at home, allowing just one run in each of the three games. They would continue their winning ways against the Giants. In the series opener on Aug. 9, the Marlins overcame a 4-0 deficit in the eighth inning for a 5-4 win. Mike Lowell tied the contest in the eighth with a two-out grand slam off John Johnstone. After Jesús Sánchez worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the ninth for Florida, the Marlins wasted no time threatening in the bottom half. Preston Wilson doubled and Luis Castillo laid down a bunt single off Johnstone, then utility man Dave Berg came through with a walk-off single against former Florida closer Robb Nen. Over the next two days, the Marlins would need extra innings. On Aug. 10, the Giants forced extras by drawing even against Florida closer Antonio Alfonseca on an RBI single by Bill Mueller in the top of the ninth to even the game, 7-7. After a perfect inning from Alfonseca in the 10th and two scoreless frames from Brian Edmondson, Berg again delivered the walk-off single. After Danny Bautista and Castillo came up with back-to-back one-out singles, Berg ended the game with a line drive into the left-center field gap off San Francisco’s Felix Rodriguez as Florida prevailed, 8-7. On Aug. 11, the Marlins needed 10 innings to complete the sweep with a 6-5 victory. Florida trailed 5-1 entering the bottom of the sixth before drawing to within one on a three-run Lowell homer. Down 5-4 in the ninth, Florida forced extras with an unearned run off Nen on a two-out RBI single from outfielder Todd Dunwoody. Lowell would end the game and the series an inning later with a walk-off single down the third-base line against Nen to score Chris Clapinski. The three victories extended Florida’s winning streak to six at the time; it ultimately ended at a season-high-tying seven games with a loss to the San Diego Padres on Aug. 14. The thrilling sweep of the Giants marked the first time in Marlins history that the club had notched walk-off wins in three straight days or in three straight games. That series came to an end on this day a quarter-century ago. View full article

On this day five years ago, the Marlins erased a four-run ninth-inning deficit to top the Braves in 10 innings. Over the last decade or so, the Atlanta Braves have found a way to break the Miami Marlins' hearts late several times. On this day five years ago, however, the roles were reversed. After forcing extra innings with four runs in the ninth, the Marlins used a sacrifice fly from Martín Prado in the 10th inning to complete the comeback. Prado's sacrifice fly lifted Miami to a 7-6 win over its National League East rivals. It looked as though a three-run blast from Atlanta's Johan Camargo in the top of the ninth had put the game out of reach at Marlins Park on Aug. 10, 2019. Camargo's bomb pushed the Braves' lead to 6-2, but the usually reliable Mark Melancon was unable to shut the door in the bottom of the frame. Melancon started his night by striking out Harold Ramírez, but the Marlins followed with four straight singles from Prado, Bryan Holaday, Curtis Granderson and Jon Berti. With the score now 6-3 and the tying run on base, the Braves turned to Shane Greene, but he wouldn't fare much better. After Isan Díaz came through with a fifth straight Miami single, Starlin Castro doubled down the left-field line. Two runs scored, but Díaz was gunned down at home trying to score the winning run. Following a walk to Brian Anderson, Greene was able to get Garrett Cooper, who he had given up a game-winning grand slam to earlier in the season, to ground out to end the threat. With momentum on the Marlins' side, Jeff Brigham worked a 1-2-3 10th to put Miami in position to walk it off. Against Sean Newcomb, that's exactly what it did. Ramírez started the Miami 10th with a sharp single to left before advancing to third on an errant pick-off attempt. On a 2-1 pitch from Newcomb, Prado lined a fly ball to left field. Adam Duvall made a strong throw home, but it was not in time as the Marlins completed the comeback. Despite 13 total runs, the contest was actually scoreless through seven innings. The Braves drew first blood with three runs in the top of the eighth. Miami responded in the bottom of the inning on a solo homer from Granderson and an RBI single from Anderson. During the 2019 season, the Braves took 15 of the 19 matchups against Miami, which included three walk-off wins. The most thrilling Marlins win from that year came on this day five years ago. View full article

On this date in 1994, Marlins speedster Chuck Carr proved to be an unlikely power source with the game on the line. Aug. 9, 1994Chuck Carr was known far more for his speed than his power. On this day 30 years ago, however, Carr did something he would do just once during his Major League Baseball career, and something no Marlin had ever done before him. The Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals met for the second game of a four-game set at Joe Robbie Stadium on Aug. 9, 1994. When all was said and done, Carr would flex his muscles with the only walk-off home run of his career—a two-run blast in the bottom of the ninth—and the first in franchise history. Starting pitchers Allen Watson for St. Louis and Mark Gardner for Florida had each given their teams quality starts. In the battle of the bullpens, it was the Marlins who would have the upper hand. Luis Aquino and Yorkis Perez had combined for three shutout innings of relief to give Florida a chance to walk it off. Against right-hander Vicente Palacios, shortstop Kurt Abbott would get things going with a hustle double to start the bottom of the ninth. After pinch hitter Jerry Browne successfully bunted Abbott to third, Carr came to the plate needing only to lift a fly ball to end the contest against his former team (the Marlins acquired him in the 1992 expansion draft). Lift a fly ball, Carr would. He hammered the 2-2 pitch from Palacios over the right field wall for a two-run walk-off home run to give the Marlins a 5-3 victory. Prior to Carr’s blast, Abbott and catcher Benito Santiago had combined for five of the Marlins’ 10 hits and two of their three RBIs. Tom Pagnozzi, the St. Louis catcher who had a walk-off hit against Florida earlier in the year, homered in the loss. Gregg Jefferies scored two of the three St. Louis runs. Perez worked a scoreless eighth to earn the win. Unfortunately for the Marlins, that would be their final victory of the 1994 season. The Cardinals took the next two games before the infamous work stoppage took effect and the remainder of the season was ultimately canceled. A fan favorite, Carr would homer just eight times in three full seasons with the Marlins and 13 times in his big league career. The Carr blast marked the seventh walk-off win for the Marlins during the 1994 campaign and the 12th in franchise history to that point, but it was the first by way of the long ball. It happened on this day three decades ago. View full article

Paul Lo Duca delivered the Marlins a victory on this day 20 years ago. Over two stints with the club, Paul Lo Duca played in more than 200 games as a member of the Florida Marlins. An All-Star in 2005, Lo Duca was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline in 2004 and it didn't take long for him to make his presence felt. On this day 20 years ago, Lo Duca, in just his fifth game with Florida, played the role of hero. His two-run walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth capped the comeback as the Marlins rallied past the Milwaukee Brewers, 7-6. Through seven innings at Pro Player Stadium on Aug. 6, 2004, the Marlins and Brewers founded themselves in a 4-4 deadlock. Six pitches into the eighth inning, however, that all changed. After Florida reliever Matt Perisho hit Geoff Jenkins to open the inning, Ben Grieve took the very next pitch over the wall in right field for a two-run blast to give the Brewers a 6-4 lead. Rudy Seánez was able to prevent any further damage, but entering the bottom of the inning, the Marlins had work to do. Florida was able to get a run back when Jeff Conine singled home Miguel Cabrera in the eighth. After Billy Koch worked a 1-2-3 ninth for Florida, the Marlins were down to their last three outs. Milwaukee closer Danny Kolb failed to record even one out. After pinch hitter Lenny Harris walked to open the inning, Juan Pierre attempted to sacrifice. Kolb fielded it and threw it away, putting two runners in scoring position with nobody out. Following an intentional walk to Luis Castillo to load the bases, the stage was set for Lo Duca. The Florida catchers worked a terrific bat. After fouling off several pitches, including two off himself, Lo Duca flared Kolb's seventh pitch of the at-bat past the drawn-in infield and into center field for the game-winning two-run single. The Marlins trailed 3-0 early on before finding their offense in the third inning. After Castillo singled home the first Florida run, Lo Duca followed with a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 3-2. A World Series hero for the Marlins in 1997, Craig Counsell got the scoring started for Milwaukee with an RBI single in the first. In the fourth, he doubled home a run to extend the Brewers' lead to 4-2. In the bottom of the inning, Florida took advantage of a fielding error with a pair of unearned runs on a single from Pierre. Counsell and Wes Helms, a future Marlin, each finished with two hits for Milwaukee in the loss. Cabrera led the Marlins with three hits and two runs scored. Lo Duca finished with a game-high three RBIs. Lo Duca's walk-off single continued a torrid start to his tenure as a member of the Marlins, which included a home run in his first at-bat as a member. His heroics came on this day two decades ago. View full article

Harold Ramírez capped the comeback with a 12th-inning walk-off home run on this day five years ago. Victories weren't a common theme for the Miami Marlins in 2019. But after winning five of their last eight games to close July, the club started August in thrilling fashion. On this day five years ago, the Marlins pulled off one of their most exhilarating wins of the season. After rallying from three runs down in the ninth to force extra innings, Harold Ramírez's walk-off home run in the 12th propelled Miami to a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins. As the contest at Marlins Park on Aug. 1, 2019 went to the bottom of the ninth, the Marlins were on the wrong side of a 4-1 score. Minnesota turned to a former Marlin in right-hander Sam Dyson to try to close it out. Facing Dyson, outfielder Curtis Granderson started the inning by drawing a six-pitch walk. One pitch later, Martín Prado singled to bring the tying run to the plate. On an 0-1 pitch, Jon Berti followed with an RBI double into the left-center field gap. Following a walk to Brian Anderson that ended Dyson's day, Neil Walker tied things up 4-4 with a two-run single off new pitcher Taylor Roberts. With the winning run at third and nobody out, Roberts would recover by striking out the side around an intentional walk to Ramírez, but the Marlins had new life. After Miami's José Quijada and Jeff Brigham combined to retire nine straight hitters over the next three innings, Ramírez would deliver the home team. Facing Cody Stashak to lead off the bottom of the 12th, Ramírez saw a 2-2 fastball at the top of the strike zone and tomahawked it for a line-drive home run over the wall in left field to end four-plus-hour contest. Ramírez and Walker each finished with two hits and two RBIs in the win. For Minnesota, Max Kepler and Byron Buxton each finished with two hits. Kepler homered to lead off the game while Buxton gave the Twins the lead with a two-run double in the fourth. Prior to the ninth, an RBI triple from Ramírez in the second had accounted for all of the Miami offense. Of the Marlins' 57 wins in 2019, five were of the walk-off variety. Two of those came on 12th-inning home runs from Ramírez. The first came against the Twins on this day five years ago. View full article

The Miami Marlins were sellers again at this year's trade deadline. Could any of the prospects they received turn into contributors to the franchise's next World Series winner? The current Miami Marlins roster may be unrecognizable from the one that took the field on Opening Day. This team struggled from the onset of the season and behaved as a seller at the MLB trade deadline as expected. Luis Arráez, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Josh Bell, Bryan De La Cruz and Tanner Scott—among others—have all been dealt elsewhere. Looking toward the future, however, there is reason for optimism. With returns that included Connor Norby, Deyvison De Los Santos, Agustín Ramírez and Kyle Stowers, Miami unquestionably ungraded its farm system. The Marlins are historically no strangers to being sellers at the deadline. In fact, much of the foundation of their most recent championship-winning roster was built by flipping veterans for young talent in previous years. Here's a look at five players the then-Florida Marlins acquired as sellers that helped the team win the World Series in 2003: Nate Bump, P Acquired in the 1999 deadline deal that sent former World Series MVP Liván Hernández to the San Francisco Giants, Nate Bump quietly put together a solid 2003 season for the Marlins. Although his 4.71 ERA left something to be desired, he finished with a 4-0 record and was tied for second on the team in wins among relievers. Bump pitched in just two games in the postseason, but could go multiple innings in relief. His first win came in his debut at Fenway Park as the Marlins rallied from seven runs down to beat the Boston Red Sox, 10-9. Bump spent three seasons in the majors—all with Florida. Juan Encarnación, OF Acquired from the Cincinnati Reds in a 2002 deadline trade in exchange for former All-Star pitcher Ryan Dempster, Encarnación spent the majority of the 2003 season as the everyday right fielder for the Marlins. Encarnación had two stints with Florida, appearing in games in four different seasons with the Marlins. In 2003, he hit .270 with 19 home runs and finished second on the team with 94 RBIs. Encarnación hit a pair of postseason homers for Florida that year. Mike Mordecai, INF A reserve and a part of a seven-player deal that sent Cliff Floyd to the Montreal Expos in 2002, Mordecai provided a veteran presence off the bench for the Marlins during their run to a title in 2003. Mordecai spent his final four seasons with the Marlins and had his only career walk-off home run as a member of the club against the Atlanta Braves, his former team, in August 2003. His only postseason hit for the Marlins in 2003 was a bases-clearing double during Florida's eight-run eighth inning in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series. Carl Pavano, P Also part of the Cliff Floyd trade in 2002, Pavano would enjoy the best years of his 14-year career in the majors with the Marlins. In 2003, Pavano went 12-13 with a 4.80 ERA, but shined in the postseason. In eight playoff appearances for the Marlins, Pavano went 2-0 with a 1.40 ERA. His two wins came in the National League Division Series as the Marlins disposed of the San Francisco Giants in four games. Pavano would make his lone All-Star appearance in 2004, going 18-8 with a 3.00 ERA for Florida. He was 33-23 with a 3.64 ERA in three seasons with the Marlins. Brad Penny, P Acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 1999 trade headlined by former Marlins closer Matt Mantei, Penny was a mainstay in the rotation in each of his four full seasons with Florida. Later an All-Star with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Penny's 14 wins in 2003 were the most during his Marlins tenure. During the postseason, the 6-foot-4 right-hander went 3-1. He saved his best work for the World Series when he went 2-0 with a 2.19 ERA. Penny was the winning pitcher in Games 1 and 5. In six total seasons with the Marlins, Penny went 50-43 with a 4.12 ERA. He still ranks fourth in team history in wins. View full article

A controversial rules interpretation robbed Jeff Mathis and the Marlins of a routine double play. It cost them the win on this date in 2014. When Major League Baseball expanded instant replay in 2014, there was sure to be some kinks to work out. Unfortunately for the Miami Marlins on this day 10 years ago, they fell victim to one of the most egregious overturned plays in replay history during what was the longest review. Both the Marlins and Cincinnati Reds were 53-55 and 3.5 games back of the final National League wild card spot as they began a four-game series at Marlins Park on July 31, 2014. Instead of an outstanding pitching duel, it was a controversial call that stole the headlines. The Marlins were clinging to a 1-0 lead in the top of the eighth inning when reliever Bryan Morris had seemingly done a Houdini act to get out of a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam in the frame. Morris struck out Kristopher Negron on four pitches for the first out before getting Todd Frazier to fly out to Giancarlo Stanton in right field. Stanton made the catch and fired a frozen rope to the plate to easily gun down Zack Cozart for what appeared to be an inning-ending double play. “Not so fast,” the umpiring crew said. A new rule put into place prior to the 2014 forbade catchers from blocking the plate on plays at home. According to Rule 7.13, “unless the catcher has possession of the ball, he cannot block the plate without giving a baserunner a path. It is not considered a violation if the catcher blocks the pathway of the runner in order to field a throw.” Miami catcher Jeff Mathis appeared to give Cozart a lane and went into the basepath only to catch the throw from Stanton. The apparent out was made with ease. During the play, Cozart didn’t bother to slide. After more than six minutes of review, however, it was determined that Mathis blocked Cozart’s path and the contest was even, 1-1. Incredulous at what had just transpired, Marlins manager Mike Redmond came out to plead his case and was promptly ejected. One batter later, the Reds went ahead for good on a two-run single by Ryan Ludwick off Morris. That would be all the offense in a 3-1 game. The call ended up spoiling an outstanding outing by Miami starting pitcher Tom Koehler, who ultimately took the loss despite allowing zero earned runs. The lone run for the Marlins came on a solo home run by Stanton in the first. Despite the controversy, Major League Baseball stood by the call the following day. Cincinnati would wind up taking three of four games in South Florida, but the lasting memory from the series unfortunately would be the controversial call at the plate. It happened on this day one decade ago. View full article

Preston Wilson's eighth-inning blast put the Marlins ahead to stay 25 years ago. The end of the 1990s wasn't particularly kind to the Florida Marlins, but with a young roster, there was hope for a bright future. On this day 25 years ago, the Marlins showed the type of fight that led former owner Wayne Huizenga to give the club their name. Preston Wilson's pinch-hit two-run home run in the eighth inning put the Marlins ahead to stay as they erased a five-run deficit to down the Pittsburgh Pirates, 8-7. Through five innings, Florida had managed just three hits off Pittsburgh starting pitcher Pete Schourek at Three Rivers Stadium on July 30, 1999. Trailing 5-0, the bats finally came to life for the Marlins in the sixth. After breaking up the shutout on a Kevin Millar sacrifice fly, Mark Kotsay cut the deficit to 5-3 with two-run triple that ricocheted off the diving Brian Giles in center field. A play at the plate prevented any further damage for Florida, but the Marlins were right back in it. Joe Oliver singled home a run in the bottom of the inning to push the Pirates' lead to 6-3, but the Marlins answered with three runs in the top of the seventh to draw even. Álex González, Millar, and Kotsay each came through with RBI singles during a two-out rally in which Florida put together four straight hits. Again, the Pirates had an answer. Warren Morris was able to draw a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the inning to put Pittsburgh back in front 7-6, but the Marlins' bats weren't done. Mike Lowell opened the Florida eighth by singling on the first pitch of the night from Pittsburgh reliever Greg Hansell. After Mike Redmond sacrificed Lowell to second with a well-placed bunt, manager John Boles went to his bench. Usually the starting center fielder, Wilson took advantage of his pinch-hitting opportunity. On the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Wilson took a low breaking ball from Hansell and somehow golfed it over the wall in left-center field to give the Marlins their first lead, 8-7. v78btf.mp4 Jesús Sánchez worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth for Florida before Antonio Alfonseca struck out the side in the ninth to pick up the save and preserve the win. Brian Edmonson picked up the victory. At the plate, the Marlins finished with 14 hits with González, Aven, Millar, Kotsay and Danny Bautista each recording two. Giles finished 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI for Pittsburgh. In his first full season in the big leagues, Wilson led the Marlins with 26 home runs and 71 RBIs in 1999, finishing second behind Cincinnati Reds pitcher Scott Williamson for National League Rookie of the Year. Three of Wilson's 26 blasts from that season came as a pinch hitter. The last of those three was a game-winner that took place in Pittsburgh on this day a quarter-century ago. View full article

Veteran infielder Jeff Baker came off the bench to deliver the decisive hit and complete the improbable comeback. Although this season has been one to forget for the Miami Marlins, there have been walk-off wins along the way. None, however, were as improbable as the one that took place on this day 10 years ago. On July 28, 2014, the Washington Nationals led 6-0 during the seventh-inning stretch before watching that lead evaporate in a dramatic 7-6 win for the Fish, capped with a four-run ninth. The Marlins were 51-53 when they hosted the first-place Nationals in the first game of a three-game set. For much of the evening at Marlins Park, it was a pitchers’ duel. A sacrifice fly for Adam LaRoche had accounted for the only run through five innings before Washington seemingly blew things open with five runs in the sixth. Four of those runs came off Miami starter Nathan Eovaldi. The Marlins finally got to Washington starter Jordan Zimmermann in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI triple by Garrett Jones and an RBI single from Marcell Ozuna. Miami trailed 6-3 when it came to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning against Washington’s Rafael Soriano. Casey McGehee walked to begin the inning before heading to third on a Jones double one hitter later. Ozuna would plate McGehee on an RBI single before Jones came around to score on a sacrifice fly—the first out of the inning—off the bat of catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia. With the score now 6-5, Ozuna advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Adeiny Hechavarria’s RBI triple to knot the game at six with one out. Soriano’s evening would end just two pitches later with him hitting Miami’s Donovan Solano to put runners on the corners. Left-hander Jerry Blevins struck out Christian Yelich on five pitches. Then, on the first pitch he saw, Jeff Baker would play the role of hero for the Marlins, plating Hechavarría for the winning run on a two-out walk-off single off the base of the left field wall. Soriano took the loss while lefty reliever Mike Dunn worked a scoreless ninth to earn the win for the Marlins. The Marlins would win the series the following night with a 3-0 win behind an outstanding start from Henderson Alvarez. However, that one didn’t quite have the fireworks that the series opener did. They came on this day one decade ago. View full article