Mike Ferguson

Throughout the Florida/Miami Marlins’ 30-plus-year history in Major League Baseball, offense hasn’t always come easy. On this day 20 years ago, however, the hits and runs were aplenty. Against the Atlanta Braves, the Florida Marlins put up 20 runs for the first time ever. The Fish did so with a club record 25 hits in a 20-1 victory. Things actually started well for the Braves at Pro Player Stadium on July 1, 2003. Against Florida starter Josh Beckett, Atlanta was able to draw first blood on an RBI groundout from Gary Sheffield in the top of the first. The Braves didn’t score again while Florida never stopped scoring. The Marlins answered with a run in the bottom of the inning on a bases-loaded walk to Derrek Lee. From there, crooked numbers became commonplace. Florida opened things up with six runs in the second inning. After a scoreless third inning, the Marlins added two runs each in the fourth, sixth, and eighth, three runs in the fifth inning, and four in the seventh. As a team, the Marlins finished 11-for-20 with runners in scoring position. In total, 11 different Marlins had a hit. Luis Castillo and Iván Rodríguez each went 4-for-5 with three runs scored. Miguel Cabrera was 4-for-6 with a solo home run off Mike Hampton in the second and a two-run blast off Roberto Hernandez in the eighth to cap the scoring. Mike Lowell finished 3-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs scored in the victory. Ramon Castro, who entered the game in the sixth, added a two-run home run. Lee had just one hit, but it was a two-run triple in the fifth. With the victory, Florida moved to 43-42 – putting it above .500 for the first time since it was 13-12 in late-April. The Braves would bounce back with a 2-1 win the following day, but the Marlins took the rubber game of a three-game series and held a winning record for the remainder of the year en route to their second World Series. The club record of 20 runs would last for more than 14 years before the Marlins put 22 runs in a win over the Texas Rangers on July 26, 2017. The 25 hits, however, remains a franchise record. Those hits came on this day two decades ago. Photo By Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images

Just a .194 career hitter, catcher Jeff Mathis was never known for his bat, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t provide some fireworks with it. That’s what he did on this day 10 years ago. In the rubber game of a three-game set against the San Diego Padres, Mathis played the role of hero for the Miami Marlins. His walk-off grand slam lifted Miami to a thrilling 6-2 victory. With the score tied 2-2 at Marlins Park on June 30, 2013, Miami came to bat against Tyson Ross in the bottom of the ninth. Logan Morrison walked to open the inning before Marcell Ozuna came through with a single. After a flyball from Derek Dietrich moved Morrison to third, an intentional walk to Greg Dobbs loaded the bases. With one out and the bases juiced, Mathis came to the plate. The Miami catcher was 0-for-3 on the day, but needed just a deep flyball to end things. On a 1-0 pitch, a long flyball is just what Mathis would deliver. On an inside fastball, Mathis hammered it over the wall in left field for a grand slam. The blast gave Mathis the first grand slam of his career and the Marlins their fourth walk-off win of the year. It was Dietrich who got the scoring started with a two-run double in the fourth. Carlos Quentin’s two-run home run in the seventh drew San Diego even. Morrison and Ozuna each finished with two hits and two runs scored in the victory. Steve Cishek worked a scoreless ninth to pick up his win. Mathis would spend 17 years in Major League Baseball and hit 53 career home runs, including 11 as a member of the Miami Marlins. Interestingly enough, Mathis’ two career grand slams came as a member of the Marlins and both came against the Padres. His lone career walk-off homer, however, came on this day a decade ago. Photo courtesy of Getty Images

On this day 30 years ago, the New York Mets beat that Florida Marlins 10-9 in a crazy 12-inning contest, but the most memorable part of the contest had little to do with anyone in uniform. As close and competitive as the game was on the field, it paled in comparison to the Marlins’ grounds crew’s battle with the tarp. As the contest went into a rain delay, the crew kept the Joe Robbie Stadium crowd entertained on June 29, 1993—even if only by accident. With the contest tied 1-1 through three innings, the skies opened up. The grounds crew sprung into action, but they started with a critical mistake: they unrolled the tarp deep in right field. As the tarp was unrolled, it became heavy from all the water accumulated. It took multiple tries and 11 total minutes. Laughs were seen from both dugouts as players, coaches, and fans watched in amazement. By the time the tarp finally covered the infield, the rain had stopped. With puddles now all along the infield, the grounds crew spent the rest of the 88-minute delay making the field playable. As for the game, it had its fair share of excitement, too. The Mets led 6-1 before the Marlins pushed across seven runs in the seventh, highlighted by three-run homers from Rick Renteria and Jeff Conine. After Eddie Murphy’s solo home run on the first pitch of the eighth inning cut the Mets’ deficit to 8-7, Jeff Kent put New York back in front with a two-run shot. Florida was down to its last strike in the bottom of the ninth before Greg Briley singled home Benito Santiago to force extra innings. The Mets went ahead for good on a sacrifice fly from Tim Bogar off Matt Turner in the top of the 12th. In addition to shots from Murray and Kent, Jeromy Burnitz and Todd Hundley also homered for the Mets. Santiago had the lone three-hit game while Burnitz did likewise for New York. Renteria finished with a game-high four RBIs. With four hours and 20 minutes of game time and a rain delay totaling nearly an hour and a half, it was nearly 1:30 a.m. before the fans who stayed the duration were finally able to make their way to the exit. Despite 19 runs, 31 hits and 12 innings of baseball, it was the gaffe from the grounds crew that remains in the memories of baseball fans to this day. The infamous incident came three decades ago. Mike Ferguson is a contributor for Fish on First, who covers Miami Marlins history. Follow Mike on Twitter (@MikeWFerguson).

Compared to clubs in the American League and older Major League Baseball franchises, the Florida/Miami Marlins’ history at Fenway Park is minimal. On this day 20 years ago, however, the Marlins made franchise history at the historic venue by erasing a seven-run deficit. The Florida Marlins scored four runs in each of the final two innings to complete the largest comeback in franchise history. The Marlins rallied to top the Boston Red Sox, 10-9. Florida had opened the series with a 25-8 loss to the Red Sox. Through seven innings on June 28, 2003, another drubbing appeared in the cards as the Marlins were on the short end of a 9-2 score. Against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, the Marlins opened the eighth inning with three straight singles from Juan Pierre, Luis Castillo and Iván Rodríguez. After Mike Lowell popped out, Juan Encarnación gave Florida new life with a three-run blast over the “Green Monster” in left field. With the score now 9-6, the Red Sox turned to Mike Timlin, who retired Derrek Lee and Miguel Cabrera to close the top of the eighth. Nate Bump worked a scoreless eighth for Florida. For the ninth, Boston turned to closer Brandon Lyon. Brian Banks and Pierre came through with one-out singles, but after Castillo hit into a fielder’s choice, the Red Sox were one out from victory. On two occasions, Lyon was one strike away, but that strike never came. Following an RBI single from Rodriguez to cut the deficit to 9-7, Lowell took Lyon’s 0-2 pitch to right field. His shot narrowly sailed over the short wall for a three-run homer. For the first time since the fourth inning, Florida had the lead. Braden Looper faced the minimum on eight pitches in the ninth to seal the win. After Jason Varitek’s one-out double, Johnny Damon lined into a double play to end the contest. Pierre made a diving catch in centerfield before doubling off Varitek at second. The Marlins scored runs in each of the first two innings to take an early lead before Nomar Garciaparra’s two-run home run tied the game in the fourth. Two-run doubles from Garciaparra and Gabe Kapler highlighted a seven-run sixth for the Red Sox. Garciaparra finished with four RBIs while Kapler went 4-for-5 with three RBIs on his own in a losing effort. Pierre had four hits and two runs scored for Florida while Rodriguez, Lowell and Encarnacion each plated three runs. In 2009, the Marlins tied a club record for the biggest comeback when they erased a seven-run deficit against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but those are the only instances in which the franchise was able to rally from seven runs down for victory. It was first accomplished at one of baseball’s most iconic venues on this day two decades ago. Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images

A Marlins memory from this day in 1993.The Florida Marlins’ first All-Star as a position player, Gary Sheffield spent five years with the club and left as its all-time leader in home runs. He remains the Marlins’ all-time leader in on-base percentage and OPS. A midseason acquisition from the San Diego Padres, Sheffield made his Marlins debut on this day 30 years ago. Sheffield recorded two hits as the Florida Marlins defeated the Montreal Expos, 3-1. Acquired in a trade that sent Trevor Hoffman, Andres Berumen, and José Martínez to San Diego, Sheffield found himself in the clean-up spot at Joe Robbie Stadium on June 25, 1993. It took little time to make his presence felt. After Darrell Whitmore tripled home Bret Barberie in the bottom of the first to get the scoring started, Sheffield singled home a second run in his Florida at-bat to push the lead to 2-0. It was a welcomed sight for a team that would score the fewest runs in baseball. In the fourth inning, Sheffield led off with another single off Ken Hill. Sheffield would fly and pop out in his final two at-bats, but he gave the Marlins the spark they needed at the plate. On the mound, Jack Armstrong was stellar, allowing just a run on a walk and three hits in seven innings. Bryan Harvey worked two scoreless innings to pick up the save. Up 2-0 in the sixth, Jeff Conine added to the Florida lead with an RBI single to score Whitmore. Whitmore and Sheffield each had two of the five Marlins hits. Montreal broke up the shutout in the eighth as a run scored when Delino DeShields grounded into a double play. Sheffield would be a valuable member of the young Marlins franchise, helping Florida win its first World Series in 1997. Sheffield was a two-time All-Star as a member of the Marlins. His club record of 42 home runs hit in 1996 lasted for more than two decades. He made his debut for the Fish on this day three decades ago. Photo courtesy of Getty Images

A Marlins memory from this day in 1998.The “Citrus Series” between Florida’s two Major League Baseball teams hasn’t evolved into the rivalry of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, but there have been some entertaining contests over the years. On this day 25 years ago, the teams squared off for the first time. It took 12 innings, but the Florida Marlins came out victorious with a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Devils Rays. After four straight scoreless innings, the Marlins came to bat in the top of the 12th at Tropicana Field on June 22, 1998, looking to break the deadlock. Facing Tampa Bay’s Jim Mecir, the Marlins left a pair of runners on in the 11th. They wouldn’t let it happen again. Mecir was able to get Todd Dunwoody to ground out to start the inning, but Edgar Rentería and Mark Kotsay followed with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners with one out. On a 2-2 pitch, Todd Zeile popped one foul behind first base. Tampa Bay’s Fred McGriff was able to make the catch, but with his momentum going away from home plate, Renteria was able to tag up and score to give Florida the lead, 3-2. In his second inning of work, Antonio Alfonseca made things interesting in the bottom of the 12th. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases for the Devil Rays with one out. Alfonseca was able to get Dave Martinez to ground to first baseman Derrek Lee, who fired home to get the lead runner. John Flaherty grounded out to end the game two pitches later. Florida’s Jesús Sánchez and Tampa Bay’s Rolando Arrojo gave quality starts on the mound, but neither factored in the decision. Flaherty finished 3-for-4 for the Devil Rays in the loss. Kotsay finished 5-for-6 at the plate for the Marlins on a night in which they managed just nine hits. Kotsay’s RBI single in the first got the scoring started. Tampa Bay took the lead in the sixth on a two-run home run from shortstop Kevin Stocker. Florida tied the game in the top of the seventh on an RBI groundout from Dunwoody. Over the years, the now Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins have met more than 130 times. The Rays hold the all-time edge. The first-ever meeting, however, went to the team from South Florida in 12 innings. It came on this day a quarter-century ago. Getty Images

A Marlins memory from this day in 2003.Some might argue that Miguel Cabrera is the greatest hitter of his generation. The lone Triple Crown winner since 1967, Cabrera made his debut on this day 20 years ago and it was a memorable one. Then a member of the Florida Marlins, Cabrera’s first career hit was a walk-off two-run home run in the 11th inning. Cabrera’s blast lifted the Marlins to a 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Cabrera was 0-for-4 in his big-league debut as he came to bat against Al Levine in the bottom of the 11th at Pro Player Stadium on June 20, 2003. Álex González doubled with one out in the inning and represented the winning run at second. Cabrera needed just a single to end the contest but ended up with something much more memorable. Levine left a fastball out over the middle of the plate and Cabrera belted it over the wall in centerfield as Florida took the first game of the three-game series. It would go on to sweep the Devil Rays. Tampa Bay’s lone run came on a sacrifice fly from Aubrey Huff in the first inning. The Marlins tied the game in the fourth on an RBI groundout from Andy Fox before winning it in extras. Each team finished with six hits. Gonzalez had two hits for the Marlins. Catcher Toby Hall had two hits for the Devils Rays. Just 20 years old at the time, Cabrera would spend five seasons with the Marlins, winning one World Series and making an All-Star Game in each of his last four seasons with the club. Now a member of the 500-homer club, Cabrera hit 138 home runs for Florida. The first served as a walk-off bomb on this day two decades ago. Photo by Mike Albans/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

A Marlins memory from this day in 2018.From Benito Santiago hitting the club’s first home run to Kevin Brown’s no-hitter to clinching the 1997 National League Division Series, the city of San Francisco holds some memorable moments for the Florida/Miami Marlins. On this day five years ago, the city didn’t provide that level of thrills, but the Fish left the ballpark feeling pretty good. After trailing by as many as four runs, the Miami Marlins rallied past the San Francisco Giants with three runs in the ninth inning in a 5-4 victory. Miami trailed 4-2 as it came to bat in the top of the ninth at AT&T Park on June 18, 2018. Against closer Hunter Strickland, the Marlins battled back with patient at-bats. After Brian Anderson worked an eight-pitch walk to start the inning, catcher J.T. Realmuto took Strickland’s first pitch to the left-center field gap for an RBI double to cut the lead to 4-3. That was followed by a walk to Justin Bour to put the go-ahead run on base. A fielder’s choice at second served as the first out. Strickland was then able to get ahead of Lewis Brinson, but couldn’t put him away as the rookie outfielder lined the game-tying single to right field. Miguel Rojas followed with an RBI single of his own to give Miami its first lead of the night, 5-4. https://coach-video.mlb.com/mlb/2018/06/19/a8188e96/bba697d4/video_1529383926963_1200k.mp4Strickland’s night was over as the Giants turned to Tony Watson. Watson was able to avoid further damage, but what was done was done. Kyle Barraclough worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth to earn the save. Tayron Guerrero pitched a scoreless eighth to earn the win. All of the San Francisco offense came early. Pablo Sandoval’s two-run home run highlighted a three-run second inning for the home team. The Giants extended their lead to 4-0 in the third on Mac Williamson’s RBI single off Miami starter Caleb Smith. Rojas broke up the shutout in the fifth inning with a two-run single. Rojas finished with three RBIs during a two-hit night. Brinson and Yadiel Rivera also added two hits each for the Marlins in the win. San Francisco would take the final two games of the three-game set against Miami as the Marlins went on to finish a nine-game road trip with a 5-4 record. The most dramatic win from that trip came on this day five years ago. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

A Marlins memory from this day in 2013.During his time with the Florida/Miami Marlins, Giancarlo Stanton hit lots of home runs. Stanton holds the franchise record for both career home runs and multi-home run games. On this day 10 years ago, he hit two, including the game-winner in the ninth inning. Stanton’s late blast—the 100th of his career—ultimately lifted the Miami Marlins to a 3-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Through five innings at Chase Field, the Marlins were held without a hit on June 17, 2013. Trailing 2-0, Juan Pierre broke up Arizona starter Patrick Corbin’s no-hitter with a one-out single. Two batters later, Stanton broke up the shutout with a blast to left field to tie the game. The score remained 2-2 until the top of the ninth when Stanton stepped in to hit against a familiar face: Heath Bell. Bell struggled as the closer for Miami the year prior. Stanton was determined to make those struggles continue for the Diamondbacks. Bell was able to get ahead of Stanton in the count, 1-2. Bell’s fifth pitch to the Miami slugger was a letter-high fastball on the outside part of the plate. Stanton stayed back and pelted a line drive over the right-field wall for the go-ahead home run. https://streamable.com/zjq9a2Stanton’s two blasts would account for all the offense as the Marlins finished with just three hits. Steve Cishek worked a 1-2-3 ninth to earn the save. Mike Dunn pitched a scoreless eighth to pick up the win. Over his eight years with the Marlins, Stanton hit 267 home runs, shattering Dan Uggla’s previous record of 154. His 99th and 100th home runs as a member of the club accounted for all the offense. They came on this day a decade ago. Photo courtesy of Getty Images

A Marlins memory from this day in 2003.It’s been 16 years since Dontrelle Willis last pitched for the Florida/Miami Marlins franchise. Willis, however, still holds a number of team records, including career complete games. The first of those came on this day 20 years. The Marlins and Mets were opening a three-game series on June 16, 2003. In just his eighth career start, the rookie left-hander was downright spectacular—and for the Marlins to win, he had to be. He tossed a one-hit shutout as the Florida Marlins edged Tom Glavine and the New York Mets, 1-0. Willis went the distance, allowing just a hit and a walk while striking out eight. The Mets didn’t have a single baserunner reach scoring position. A one-out single from Ty Wigginton in the fourth inning accounted for the lone New York hit. From there, Willis retired the final 17 hitters he faced. The lone Florida run came in the fourth inning as Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez belted a solo home run. Glavine, the New York starter, allowed just four hits and three walks in seven strong innings. Rodriguez and Derrek Lee each had two of the six hits for the Marlins. Willis needed just 109 pitches to complete the contest. After striking out Jay Bell to open the ninth inning, Willis got Tsuyoshi Shinjo to fly out and Vance Wilson to ground out to end the contest. Willis would go on to win National League Rookie of the Year in 2003. He spent five years with the Marlins and left as the franchise’s all-time leader in wins. His eight complete games is still tied with A.J. Burnett for the most in club history. The lone complete game from his rookie year was a 1-0 victory over a fellow southpaw and future Hall of Fame pitcher, Tom Glavine. It came on this day two decades ago. Photo by Jon Soohoo/Getty Images

The 1998 Florida Marlins weren’t very good. In fact, they finished with the worst record in franchise history and the worst record in baseball. Even so, Jim Leyland’s final Florida team didn’t quit. The New York Mets found that out firsthand on this day 25 years ago. The Marlins erased a four-run deficit in the eighth inning to top the Mets in walk-off fashion, 5-4. The Marlins had opened the three-game set with a walk-off win as the teams arrived at Pro Player Stadium for the rubber game on June 14, 1998. After a throwing error allowed Brian McRae to push the New York lead to 4-0 in the top of the eighth, the Florida bats finally came to life in the bottom of the inning. Facing Mel Rojas, Edgar Rentería broke up the shutout with an RBI double. Two batters later, Zeile added an RBI double of his own to cut the deficit to 4-2. The Mets turned to Brian Bohanon to face Cliff Floyd with a runner on. Despite nearly being hit twice, Floyd was able to work a seven-pitch at-bat before lifting a game-tying two-run home run into the first row in right field. The Marlins had new life and weren’t going to lose it. After Matt Mantei struck out Alberto Castillo to strand two in the top of the ninth, Florida put together a two-out rally in the bottom half. Back-to-back infield singles from Renteria and Todd Dunwoody, who had the walk-off hit two nights prior, set the stage for Todd Zeile to be the hero. Less than a week earlier against the Toronto Blue Jays, Zeile had come through with a walk-off hit in the 17th inning. Against New York’s John Hudek, Zeile would deliver again. On a 0-1 pitch, Zeile rolled a hard-hit single up the middle to score Renteria and cap the comeback. Zeile, John Cangelosi, Floyd and Derrek Lee each had two hits for Florida in the win while Renteria had three. Luis Lopez and Edgardo Alfonzo each finished with three hits for the Mets. Lopez scored twice. Alfonzo finished with three RBIs. The 1998 season would end with the Marlins totaling just 54 victories with eight coming on walk-offs. Zeile was at the plate for three of those, including against the Mets on this day a quarter-century ago. Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Dan Uggla ended his five-year tenure with the Florida Marlins as the club’s all-time leader in home runs. As a member of the Marlins, Uggla hit 154 home runs, including two grand slams. His only grand slam at home came on this day and was of the walk-off variety. His blast lifted the Marlins to a 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Florida took a 2-1 lead to the ninth inning at Dolphin Stadium on June 11, 2008. A pair of home runs by Jorge Cantu had accounted for all the Marlins offense, but with closer Kevin Gregg on the hill, it proved to not be enough. A lead-off single by Greg Dobbs followed by a walk and a stolen base allowed for Philadelphia’s Chase Utley to pick up his second RBI with a game-tying groundout in the top of the ninth. Philadelphia would load the bases, but Gregg was able to avoid further damage. Still, the Phillies had new life. In the bottom of the inning, the Phillies turned to Tom “Flash” Gordon with the score knotted at 2-2. A former All-Star for the club, Gordon began the inning with a four-pitch walk to Hanley Ramirez. After Jeremy Hermida popped out, Cantu singled to put the winning run in scoring position. With Wes Helms at the plate, Gordon again struggled with his command as he issued his second four-pitch walk of the inning. With one out and the bases loaded, Uggla took his turn at bat. Struggling to find the strike zone, Gordon fell behind 3-1. His fifth pitch to Uggla was in the second baseman’s wheelhouse. Uggla clobbered the 92-mph fastball for a no-doubter, unloading the bases and falling just shy of the second deck. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifi6FSd9ViMThe blast served as the fourth walk-off homer of the season for the Marlins, the second walk-off hit for Uggla and it gave Florida the series victory over the Phillies. It came on this day 15 years ago. Photo by Joe Rimkus Jr./Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

When it came to the 1998 Florida Marlins, they took wins however they could get them. The team finished just 54-108, the worst record in baseball and in franchise history. On this day 25 years ago, the club may have picked up its most bizarre win of the year. Todd Zeile came up with the walk-off hit in the 17th inning after the Toronto Blue Jays’ go-ahead run was negated in the top half of the inning in a 4-3 victory for Florida to snap an 11-game losing streak. Against Roger Clemens at Pro Player Stadium on June 8, 1998, the Marlins struck first with three runs in the first inning. Zeile singled home a pair of runs before Ryan Jackson added an RBI single of his own. For six innings, the teams traded zeroes before the Blue Jays drew even with three runs in the eighth. Shawn Green doubled home two before scoring on Ed Sprague’s RBI single. That was followed by eight more innings of traded zeroes. In the top of the 17th, it appeared that Toronto had finally taken the lead. After a two-out single from Felipe Crespo, Carlos Delgado doubled him home...or so it seemed. With nothing to lose, the Marlins appealed at third to see whether Crespo had touched the bag on his way to the plate. Umpires ruled he did not and an out call was signaled. The top of the 17th was over and the score remained tied 3-3. Erik Hanson became the seventh Toronto pitcher to throw as he came on for the bottom of the 17th. Todd Dunwoody was able to get the Marlins started with a lead-off double. After a groundout and an intentional walk, Zeile came to the plate with one out. Zeile lined Hanson’s 1-1 pitch to left field, scoring Dunwoody for the game-winning run. The victory served as Florida’s second walk-off win of the year and snapped the club’s second 11-game skid of the year. Although he did not factor in the decision, starting pitcher Brian Meadows outdueled Clemens, allowing just a run on six hits in seven innings. Felix Heredia allowed two runs without recording an out, but Jay Powell, Vic Darensbourg, Matt Mantei, Antonio Alfonseca and Brian Edmondson combined to throw 10 innings of shutout relief. Alfonseca and Edmondson each threw three with the latter picking up the win. The teams combined for 27 hits, but the lone extra-base hit belonged to Dunwoody. His 17th-inning double proved pivotal for the Marlins. At the time, the 17 innings were the most that Florida had ever played in a single game. The Marlins ultimately prevailed in thrilling but controversial fashion. They did so on this day a quarter-century ago. Photo courtesy of Getty Images