Mike Ferguson

On this day five years ago, Starlin Castro played the role of hero in a 10-inning victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. An All-Star for the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees, infielder Starlin Castro had a solid two-year stint with the Miami Marlins. On this day five years ago, he delivered the Fish with a two-run home run in the 10th inning for a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Miami hadn't scored since the third inning as it came to bat in the top of the 10th at Citizens Bank Park on April 25, 2019. Facing Héctor Neris, things didn't seem to be changing for the Marlins as a Martín Prado strikeout and a Brian Anderson pop-out opened the frame. A two-out double from Neil Walker, however, kept the inning alive. Needing just a base hit to give Miami the lead, Castro fared a little better. On the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Castro saw a pitch up and took Neris deep to left field for the go-ahead two-run shot. Sergio Romo worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the 10th to secure the win and collect the save. Philadelphia managed just four hits but did lead early on a solo home run from Sean Rodríguez in the second inning. Miami drew even a half inning later when Prado singled home Lewis Brinson. 4d7d52c7-b02994c9-fb671ace-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 Miami starting pitcher Caleb Smith allowed just a run on three hits and a walk while striking out eight in six innings of work. The Miami bullpen of Tyler Kinley, José Quijada, Drew Steckenrider, Tayron Guerrero and Romo combined to hold the Phillies to just one hit in four innings of scoreless relief. Walker finished with three of the 12 Miami hits. Castro and catcher Jorge Alfaro each added two hits in the victory. César Hernández finished with two of the four hits for the Phillies. Over his 12 years in the big leagues, Castro finished with 138 career home runs. His only blast in extra innings lifted the Marlins to a win in Philadelphia on this day five years ago. View full article

On this day 10 years ago, José Fernández was near flawless as the Miami Marlins beat the Atlanta Braves, 1-0. During his time with the Miami Marlins, José Fernández was rarely the beneficiary of a lot of run support. That, however, didn't stop the young right-hander from finishing with a winning record in each of his four years. On this day 10 years ago, Fernández was exceptional. In a pitchers' duel, Fernández outdueled Alex Wood as Miami edged the Atlanta Braves, 1-0. The Marlins were looking to even the series as they arrived at Turner Field for the middle game of a three-game set on April 22, 2014. Both pitchers would go eight innings but a fourth-inning run was the difference. After Giancarlo Stanton doubled to open the fourth off Wood, Casey McGehee drove him home with an RBI single one pitch later. That was all Fernández would need. Over his eight innings, Fernández allowed just three hits and no walks while tying a career-high with 14 strikeouts. In the fifth, Fernández struck out the side on just 13 pitches. The Miami starter fanned Justin Upton, Evan Gattis, and Dan Uggla each three times. The Braves were able to place just two runners in scoring position throughout the night. Wood was almost as good, yielding just a run on four hits with no walks while striking out 11. After Fernández finished his day with 109 pitches, closer Steve Cishek was able to seal the deal. Following a pair of groundouts to open the bottom of the ninth, Cishek channeled his inner-Fernández and struck out Freddie Freeman to end the game. It was Freeman's third strikeout of the day. Fernández's 2014 season would be cut short to injury that required Tommy John surgery. He returned in the middle of the 2015 season before putting together a second All-Star campaign in 2016. Fernández died tragically in a 2016 boating incident, but his legacy lives on. Over his four seasons with the Marlins, he posted a 38-17 career record. Two of those wins were 1-0 victories. The first came in Atlanta on this day a decade ago. View full article

20 years ago today, Mike Lowell became the first Marlins player to homer three times in one game as the Fish edged the Phillies in extra innings. Third baseman Mike Lowell certainly had his share of postseason heroics with the Florida Marlins and Boston Red Sox, but on this day 20 years ago, the Gold Glove third baseman did something that no Marlin had ever done -- leave the yard three times in one game. The reigning world champion Florida Marlins were riding high on April 21, 2004 as they looked to clinch the series by taking the middle game of a three-game set at Citizens Bank Park against the Philadelphia Phillies. Florida was 9-4 on the young season compared to just 5-7 for Philadelphia. Through five and a half innings, a solo home run by Lowell off Philadelphia starter Eric Milton to lead off the second inning accounted for all the scoring. Then in the bottom of the sixth, the Phillies pushed across five runs with a two-run homer from Jim Thome putting Philadelphia ahead. Trailing 5-1 entering the seventh, Florida answered back with five runs of its own. After the Marlins pushed across runs on an error and a Miguel Cabrera RBI single, Lowell came to the plate with a runner on and Florida trailing 5-3. On a 2-1 pitch, Lowell hammered a pitch over the left-center wall for a two-run shot to tie the game at five. The Marlins went ahead two pitches later when Wil Cordero homered to make it back-to-back blasts. The 6-5 Florida lead would last until the bottom of the eighth when Ricky Ledee took Florida reliever Chad Fox deep for a two-run shot to put the Phillies back ahead. With Philadelphia leading 7-6, lefty Billy Wagner was brought in to close things out in the ninth. The first batter he would see would be Lowell. With one swing of the bat on a 3-2 pitch, Lowell took Wagner deep to left field, becoming the first Florida Marlin ever to homer three times in one game. The solo shot would also even the game 7-7 and ultimately force extra innings. The contest would go to the 12th before the Marlins plated the next run. Luis Castillo's sacrifice fly ultimately proved to be the game-winner, scoring Juan Pierre. Pierre had reached on a walk before stealing second and advancing to third on a throwing error by Philadelphia catcher Mike Lieberthal. o4y5jp.mp4 Florida reliever Justin Wayne faced the minimum in the 11th and 12th innings to pick up the win. Lowell finished the night 4-for-6 with four RBIs and the three long balls. Florida's Jeff Conine and Philadelphia's Bobby Abreu each had three hits. The contest was played under protest after Philadelphia second baseman Plácido Polanco had a ninth-inning hit get wedged under the outfield wall on what was determined to be a ground-rule double. The protest was ultimately denied as the Marlins improved to 10-4 with the 8-7 extra-inning victory. Lowell remains one of only three Marlins to hit three home runs in a game. Cody Ross would accomplish the feat in 2006 against the New York Mets before Brian Anderson went yards three times in the Miami Marlins' September 2020 victory over the Washington Nationals. The first time it was done for the Fish was on this day two decades ago. View full article

On this day 15 years ago, the Florida Marlins erased a ninth-inning deficit for a third straight game. After opening the 2009 season with a home sweep of the Washington Nationals, the Florida Marlins paid a visit to the nation's capital for a three-game set less than three weeks later. In each of the three games, the Marlins found themselves behind in the ninth inning. In each of those games, the Marlins rallied for victory. Florida completed the three-game sweep on this day 15 years ago. Down a run entering the final frame, the Marlins pushed across four runs to stun the Nationals for a third straight day, 7-4. After the Marlins tied the game on a solo home run by Cody Ross in the top of the eighth inning at Nationals Park on April 19, 2009, Washington went right back in front in the bottom of the inning as Ryan Zimmerman grounded into a fielder's choice, coupled with an error. With a 4-3 lead entering the top of the ninth, the Nationals turned to right-hander Saúl Rivera. Rivera opened his night by walking Emilio Bonifacio. He was able to get ahead of John Baker, but couldn't put him away as the Marlins catcher doubled into the left-center field gap. Bonifacio scored with ease to tie the game but Rivera appeared to have settled himself. Sandwiched around an intentional walk to Ross Gload, Rivera struck out both Hanley Ramírez and Dan Uggla. Needing just an out to keep the score tied, Rivera walked Cameron Maybin, which brought the red-hot Ross to the plate. Ross was 2-for-3 for the night and had already homered twice in the series, including in the previous at-bat. After falling behind 2-0 in the count, Rivera served one up to Ross. The Florida outfielder lined it into the gap in right-center field for a bases-clearing double to give Florida a 7-4 lead. Matt Lindstrom closed the door with a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up the save. Despite giving up the go-ahead run in the eighth, Juan Carlos Oviedo (then known as Leo Núñez) picked up the win. Ross finished with five RBIs and just a triple shy of the cycle. Baker finished with a pair of doubles and two RBIs in the win. Nick Johnson, Adam Dunn and Austin Kearns each had two hits for the Nationals. Prior to the ninth inning, Florida never led. Washington used RBI singles from Elijah Dukes and Kearns to take a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Marlins got on the board in the third when Baker doubled home starting pitcher Chris Volstad. After Washington got a run back in the fifth, Ross singled home Ramirez in the sixth before tying the game with his solo shot in the eighth. The Marlins won their first nine meetings with Washington during the 2009 season and took the season series 12-6. Their third of three straight comeback wins at Nationals Park came on this day 15 years ago. View full article

Giancarlo Stanton hit his second walk-off grand slam 10 years ago today. During his time with the Florida/Miami Marlins, Giancarlo Stanton hit three walk-off home runs, including two walk-off grand slams. The last of those came on this day 10 years ago as the right-handed slugger blasted the Miami Marlins past the Seattle Mariners, 8-4. The Marlins hadn't scored since the third inning as they came to bat in the bottom of the ninth of a 4-4 game at Marlins Park on April 18, 2014. Facing Yoervis Medina, Miami needed to see only three pitches to put the winning run in scoring position. The Marlins opened the inning with singles from Reed Johnson and Christian Yelich. On a bunt attempt by Marcell Ozuna, Seattle appeared to get Johnson, the lead runner, at third but a challenge by Miami proved fruitful as the review determined that Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager bobbled the ball. That set the stage for Stanton. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Stanton needed only a flyball to end the contest. Down 1-2 in the count, Stanton saw a breaking ball that hung over the middle of the plate—and he didn't miss it. His blast to left-center field cleared the wall with ease for his second walk-off grand slam in 23 months. Stanton's bomb capped a 3-for-5 night in which he drove in five and scored twice. It also atoned for a fielding error by Stanton in the second inning that allowed two unearned runs to score and draw Seattle even. The Marlins regained the lead in the bottom of the second on a sacrifice fly from Ozuna before pushing the advantage to 4-2 on a solo blast from catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The Mariners used an RBI groundout from Brad Miller in the fifth and an RBI single from Corey Hart in the seventh to even the score. Yelich also had a three-hit night for Miami in the win. Abraham Almonte, Seager, and Hart each finished with a pair of hits for the Mariners. While Medina took the loss for Seattle, Steve Cishek worked a 1-2-3 ninth to earn the win for Miami. A member of the New York Yankees since 2018, Stanton now has five walk-off home runs to his name. His last as a member of the Marlins came on this day a decade ago. View full article

The Marlins achieved the best 10-game start in franchise history on April 17, 2009. With the exception of the two championship years, the 2009 Florida Marlins won more games than any other team in franchise history. During an 87-75 campaign, the Marlins battled for plenty of exhilarating wins, including one that took place on this day 15 years ago. Trailing in the ninth inning at Nationals Park on April 17, 2009, Cody Ross forced extra innings with a solo home run. In the extra frame, Jeremy Hermida came through with the winning RBI as the Marlins rallied past the Washington Nationals, 3-2. Leading 2-1 entering the top of the ninth, Washington turned to closer Joel Hanrahan to try to slam the door. Hanrahan's night got off to a good start as he opened the inning by getting Hermida to ground out. Enter Ross. 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts to that point, Ross was able to work the count even at 2-2 before lining one down the line and over the left-field wall for the game-tying solo blast. x6jwg7.mp4 After Juan Carlos Oviedo (then known as Leo Núñez) worked a scoreless bottom of the inning, the Marlins mounted a two-out rally to take the lead. John Baker and Hanley Ramirez started the top of the 10th with back-to-back groundouts against Saul Rivera, but three straight singles from Jorge Cantú, Dan Uggla and Hermida followed. Hermida's infield single plated Cantú as Florida took its first lead since the fourth inning. Washington threatened in the 10th as Elijah Dukes led off the frame with a double off Marlins closer Matt Lindstrom. Lindstrom was able to settle in by getting Josh Willingham, a former Marlin, to hit a weak flyball to right before striking out Jesús Flores and Alberto Gonzalez to end the contest. Prior to the ninth, all the scoring came in the fourth inning. Baker's solo home run put the Marlins on the board in the top of the inning but Washington answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame. Gonzalez's RBI double off Ricky Nolasco evened the score. Gonzalez came around to give the Nationals the lead later in the inning on an RBI single from Anderson Hernández. Cantú had two hits for the Marlins while Gonzalez led Washington with three hits. Ryan Zimmerman, Flores and Nick Johnson each had two hits for the Nationals in the loss. Oviedo picked up the win while Rivera took the loss. Lindstrom recorded the save. The come-from-behind victory gave the Marlins a 9-1 record early on during the 2009 season, marking their best 10-game start in franchise history. It came on this day 15 years ago. View full article

Jorge Alfaro was the hero for Miami in Atlanta five years ago. Catcher Jorge Alfaro's three-year tenure with the Miami Marlins was a mixed bag. In 2019, however, the Colombian catcher enjoyed a career year. On this day five years ago, Alfaro had one of his finest moments. His two-run ninth-inning blast, Alfaro's second home run of the night, lifted the Marlins to a thrilling 4-2 win over the Atlanta Braves. The April 6, 2019 contest as SunTrust Park had been tied since the fifth inning as Miami came to bat against Atlanta's A.J. Minter in the top of the ninth. The inning started with a brilliant at-bat from Starlin Castro, who singled the 11th pitch from Minter through the left side for a single. Alfaro had homered in the fifth to get the scoring started for the Marlins. Facing Minter, Alfaro worked the count to 2-2 before getting an outside fastball up and blasting it over the right-field wall for his second opposite-field home run of the evening to put Miami ahead for good. With Miami leading 4-2, the Braves loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth. Adam Conley was able to get Charlie Culberson to pop out to end the contest. Entering the fifth inning, the Marlins were on the short end of a 2-0 score but drew even in the frame with solo home runs from Alfaro and Peter O'Brien. Alfaro finished with three of the eight hits for Miami. Freddie Freeman went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Braves. Sergio Romo worked a 1-2-3 eighth to pick up his first win as a member of the Marlins. For the 2019 season, Alfaro hit .262 with 18 homers and 57 RBIs, both career-highs. His first career multi-homer game included a game-winner on this day five years ago. View full article

Alex Fernandez returned from a rotator cuff injury to throw an Opening Day gem. A key piece to the Florida Marlins' run to the 1997 World Series title, right-hander Alex Fernandez was unable to pitch in the Fall Classic after tearing his rotator cuff during the postseason. On this day 25 years ago, Fernandez showed that he still had something left in the tank. In his first game in about 18 months, the Miami native stole the show. Fernandez shined as the rebuilding Florida Marlins opened the 1999 season with a 6-2 win over the New York Mets. The Marlins finished a league-worst 54-108 the year prior as Fernandez took the Pro Player Stadium mound on April 5, 1999. Matched up against a familiar face in Al Leiter, who happened to be the starting pitcher for Florida in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series, Fernandez stole the show. Things didn't come easy early on as the Mets loaded the bases in the first. Fernandez was able to get Robin Ventura to fly out to end the threat. The Marlins wasted no time giving their starting pitcher the lead as four of the first five hitters singled. Derrek Lee plated Luis Castillo for the first run before Todd Dunwoody drove in Mark Kotsay with a single of his own. Following a passed ball, Preston Wilson's sacrifice fly pushed the Florida lead to 3-0. After Fernandez stranded two more runners in the second, the Mets were able to get to the Florida starter with a run in the third on a Ventura sacrifice fly. Fernandez, however, bounced back to retire eight of the final nine hitters he faced. Fernandez went five innings, allowing just a run on five hits and three walks. He struck out five. With Fernandez's day done, Florida continued to tack on runs. Wilson singled home a run in the bottom of the fifth before coming around to score on an RBI double from Kevin Orie. In the eighth, the Marlins extended their lead to 6-1 on an RBI groundout from Castillo that scored Orie. New York's John Olerud capped the scoring with a solo home run off Florida closer Matt Mantei in the ninth, but for the first time in more than a year, Fernandez was a winner. Castillo, Kotsay, Lee and Orie each had two of the 12 hits for the Marlins. Olerud and Edgardo Alfonzo each finished with two hits for the Mets. Although the Marlins finished just 64-98 in 1999, Fernandez was tied for second on the team with seven wins while posting an ERA of 3.38, the best among Florida starters. In 10 total seasons in Major League Baseball, Fernandez notched 107 career wins. His first of two Opening Day victories—both as a member of the Marlins—came on this day a quarter-century ago. View full article

On this day 10 years ago, José Fernández shined in his lone Opening Day start. The life and Major League Baseball career of José Fernández were sadly very short. Although his death brought pain, his efforts on the mound brought joy to baseball fans in South Florida. On this day 10 years ago, Fernández dazzled in his only Opening Day start. In six innings, the native of Cuba allowed just a run on five hits while striking out nine as the Miami Marlins routed the Colorado Rockies, 10-1. The National League Rookie of the Year the season before, Fernández took the ball for the opener at Marlins Park on March 31, 2014. Just 21 years old at the time, Fernández worked around a pair of singles in the first inning before retiring the next 10 batters he faced. After Fernández struck out the side in the top of the third, Marcell Ozuna got the scoring started for Miami with a solo home run off Colorado's Jorge De La Rosa. Fernández again worked around a pair of baserunners in the fourth before pitching a 1-2-3 fifth. In the bottom of the frame, the Marlins offense erupted with five runs. RBI singles by Adeiny Hechavarria and Giancarlo Stanton pushed the lead to 3-0. Facing Wilton Lopez, Miami's Casey McGehee then unloaded the bases with a three-run double. A solo home run from Carlos Gonzalez in the top of the sixth would account for the only run for the Rockies, but Fernández finished his night with a bang by striking out Justin Morneau swinging. 4kgxya.mp4 Up 6-1, Miami continued to tack on. Jeff Baker's sacrifice fly got the run back in the sixth. In the eighth, Christian Yelich, Stanton, and McGehee each came through with RBI doubles to cap the scoring. While Fernández shined on the mound, Ozuna and Hechavarria combined for six hits and five runs scored at the plate. McGehee finished with four RBIs. Gonzalez and Michael Cuddyer each finished with two of the six hits for Colorado in the loss. Fernández would get off to a splendid start in 2014, but was ultimately forced to have season-ending Tommy John surgery. He finished the year 4-2 with a stellar 2.44 ERA and 70 strikeouts in less than 52 innings of work. Fernández's first victory from the 2014 campaign came on Opening Day one decade ago. View full article

What's in store for Luis Arráez in 2024? Last season, the Miami Marlins were one of the most pleasant surprises in baseball. With a record of 84-78, Miami made the postseason for the first time since 2020 and for the first time during a full 162-game season since 2003. The sparkplug at the top of the order for Miami was second baseman and National League batting champion Luis Arráez. After winning the American League batting title as a member of the Minnesota Twins in 2022, Arráez joined DJ LeMahieu as the only players to win batting titles in both leagues. Arráez batted .354 for the Marlins during an All-Star campaign, becoming the third player in franchise history to claim the NL batting title. Through the first week of 2024 spring training games, he is still finding his form, entering Saturday's game without any hits (0-for-7). Here's a look back at what the previous two did during their title defenses: Hanley Ramírez Batting title season (2009): .342/.410/.543, 24 HR, 106 RBI, 27 SB Following season (2010): .300/.378/.475, 21 HR, 76 RBI, 32 SB Overview: After finishing second in the National League MVP voting while leading the Florida Marlins to 87 wins in 2009, Ramírez and the Marlins took a step back in 2010, finishing with a record of 80-82. In addition to the batting average, Ramírez's power numbers also declined as he finished with three fewer homers and 14 fewer doubles than the year before. Despite the dip in production, Ramírez still earned a third straight All-Star appearance—the last of his career—and batted .300 for the fourth year in a row. Dee Strange-Gordon Batting title season (2015): .333/.359/.418, 4 HR, 46 RBI, 58 SB Following season (2016): .268/.305/.335, HR, 14 RBI, 30 SB Overview: In addition to winning the batting title, Dee Strange-Gordon (then known as Dee Gordon) also led the league in hits (205) and stolen bases in 2015 while winning a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger. Strange-Gordon's numbers dripped in 2016, but the bigger issue was his availability. The two-time All-Star served an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drug use. Strange-Gordon would bounce back with a solid 2017—his final season in Miami—but was never able to return to his 2015 All-Star form. What's in store for Arráez? After finishing with the highest average of any National League batting champion since 2008, it's expected that Arráez will like see some decline in 2024, at least in terms of batting average. What's encouraging is that Arráez became a better all-around hitter in 2023. Although he won't be breaking any home run records, Arráez also set new career-highs with 10 home runs and 69 RBIs last season. What will be interesting to see is how the Miami second baseman fares without Jorge Soler—now with the San Francisco Giants—providing protection behind him in the lineup. View full article

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