Mike Ferguson

Throughout their 33-year history, only four members of the Florida/Miami Marlins have hit three home runs in a single game. Brian Anderson accomplished the feat on this day five years ago. It was a record-tying night for Anderson as the Miami Marlins looked to bounce back against the Washington Nationals in the second game of the doubleheader at Marlins Park on Sept. 18, 2020. Miami managed just two hits in a 5-0 loss in the first seven-inning game. Anderson made sure things went much better in the second seven-inning contest as the Marlins routed Washington, 14-3. Things didn't start particularly well for the Fish as Washington plated two runs in the top of the first. Corey Dickerson was able to cut the early deficit in half with a lead-off home run. In the bottom of the second, Anderson tied things up with a solo shot off Washington's Wil Crowe. Miami never trailed again. The Marlins seized control of the contest with a four-run third inning. After Jesús Aguilar walked with the bases loaded to give Miami its first lead, a fielder's choice on a ball back to the pitcher off the bat of Miguel Rojas extended the lead to 4-2. Lewis Brinson followed with a two-run single. Down 6-2, the Nationals got a run back in the fifth on an RBI single from Juan Soto. Any momentum that Washington may have had, however, was quickly quelled. After walks to Garrett Cooper and Aguilar opened the bottom of the fifth for Miami, Anderson doubled the advantage by depositing James Bourque's 3-2 pitch over the left-field wall for a three-run home run to make it 9-3. Dickerson added an RBI single later in the inning. Up 10-3, the contest was already well in hand as things shifted to the bottom of the sixth, but Anderson made sure to provide the exclamation point. Cooper and Aguilar again set the table after being hit by a pitch and walking, respectively. On a 1-2 pitch from Brock Holt, Anderson belted his second three-run blast in as many innings and third homer of the night. Chad Wallach added an RBI double later in the frame. With Miami chasing a playoff spot during the COVID-shortened 60-game season, the win kept the Marlins over .500 at 26-24. In addition to Anderson's big night, Brinson and Rojas each went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Kyle Stowers has since joined Anderson, Mike Lowell and Cody Ross in the Marlins' three-homer club. Anderson, however, is the only member of the team to homer three times at what's now loanDepot Park and is the only one to do it in a game that went fewer than nine innings. The Marlins would go on to reach the postseason for the first time in 17 years in 2020. In addition to tying the single-game home run record, Anderson also tied the club's single-game RBI record with seven in the rout of Washington. He did so on this day five years ago. View full article

Seeing Miami’s professional team score 17 during the 1990s was no big deal. Of course, that was for Dan Marino, Don Shula and the Miami Dolphins. On the baseball diamond, that was a more significant feat, but that was the threshold that the Florida Marlins reached on this day 30 years ago. The Marlins recorded a then team-record for runs scored in a 17-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies and another memorable first. The Marlins were looking to avoid a three-game sweep as they made their way to Coors Field for an afternoon contest on Sept. 17, 1995. It didn’t take long to realize it was going to be their day. Florida got started quickly as the Marlins pushed across four runs in the top of the first inning. Gary Sheffield’s two-run double was followed by an RBI double later in the inning by Terry Pendleton. In the third, Sheffield extended the lead to 5-0 with a solo home run. The fifth inning is where the Marlins put the contest out of reach as they pushed across eight runs. Jeff Conine’s two-run triple was followed by Pendleton’s two-run home run. RBIs singles by Charles Johnson and Sheffield were followed by an RBI fielder’s choice off the bat of starting pitcher Pat Rapp as the Marlins pushed the lead to 12-0. Pendleton would drive in his third run of the inning with a bases-loaded walk. The Marlins however, weren’t done. Johnson would add a solo home run in the sixth and Chuck Carr provided one of his own in the ninth. In between, in the top of the seventh, Carr followed up an RBI double by scoring on a Kurt Abbott single. In total, Florida finished the day with 17 runs, 21 hits and four home runs. The Marlins were a remarkable 8-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Sheffield finished 5-for-5 with four RBIs and four runs scored. Pendleton also plated four runs in the victory. Johnson and Jesús Tavarez each had three hits in the victory. For all of the Marlins’ offensive success, it was also a memorable day on the mound. Rapp went the distance for Florida, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out seven. The lone hit for Colorado was a bloop single by Dante Bichette in the fourth inning. Rapp became the first member of the Marlins to toss a one-hitter in the victory. It would be eight years later before the club record for runs would be broken. It came in a 20-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on July 1, 2003. The 17-0 win at Coors Field remains the largest margin of victory in a shutout in club history. It happened on this day three decades ago. View full article

With just eight winning seasons in 33 years, the Florida/Miami Marlins' history isn't what most people would refer to as "rich." In a short amount of time, however, the Florida Marlins rose to baseball's pinnacle twice, winning the World Series in 1997 and 2003. In each of those two seasons, the first Marlin to come to the plate was Luis Castillo. Born Sept. 12, 1975, Castillo celebrates his 50th birthday today. A native of the Dominican Republic, Castillo spent parts of 10 seasons with the Marlins. A switch-hitting second baseman with rare speed on the base paths, Castillo remains one of the most accomplished players in team history. Castillo was a three-time All-Star and a three-time Gold Glove winner. Castillo debuted for the Marlins in 1996, but was back and forth from the minors over his first three seasons. Castillo began the 1997 season as the team's everyday second baseman and lead-off hitter, but was sent down after the team traded for Craig Counsell. From 1999 to 2005, Castillo was a mainstay in the Florida lineup. After hitting .302 during the 1999 season, Castillo led baseball with 62 stolen bases in 2000 —a franchise record at the time. His final four seasons in South Florida from 2002 to 2005 would be his most memorable. In 2002, Castillo made his first All-Star Game and set a Marlins record that still stands by hitting in 35 straight games. He was the first foreign-born player to accomplish that feat while leading baseball that season with 48 steals. From 2003 to 2005, Castillo won a Gold Glove each year, joining former catcher Charles Johnson as the only Marlins to do so in three straight seasons. In 2003, Castillo made a second straight All-Star Game while hitting .314. Hitting behind leadoff man Juan Pierre for much of the year, Castillo helped the Marlins win their second World Series. Although Castillo's postseason was relatively quiet, it was his foul ball that led to the infamous Steve Bartman incident during Florida's eight-run eighth in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs. His only RBI of the World Series would plate the final run of the season for the Marlins as his sacrifice fly in the sixth inning capped the scoring in a 2-0 victory over the New York Yankees in series-clinching Game 6. After a solid 2004, Castillo would make his final All-Star Game in his final season with the Marlins in 2005. He hit .301 that year and set a career-high with four home runs. Following the 2005 campaign, the Marlins sent Castillo to the Minnesota Twins as the franchise began a rebuild. Castillo spent parts of two seasons with Minnesota and helped it win the American League Central in 2006 before being dealt to the New York Mets at the trade deadline in 2007. Castillo spent four seasons with the Mets, last appearing in 2010. Although Castillo hit .285 after leaving South Florida, his best years came with the Marlins. It's been two decades since he last played for the Marlins, but he remains the franchise's all-time leader in games played (1,128), runs scored (675), hits (1,273), triples (42), walks (533), stolen bases (281) and sacrifice hits (65). Along with Rick Helling and Jeff Conine, Castillo is one of just three players to play for both of the Marlins' championship teams. The Marlins legend is 50 today. View full article

In a bizarre season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Miami Marlins put together their first winning season in 11 years and made the playoffs for the first time since 2003. Their only walk-off win of the abbreviated 60-game season came on this day five years ago. After scoring three runs to tie the game in the eighth, Jorge Alfaro ended the contest in the ninth. His walk-off single against the Philadelphia Phillies—his former team—completed the comeback in a 7-6 Marlins win. The postseason was within reach for each franchise as the teams met for the Sept. 10, 2020 contest at Marlins Park. The Phillies, at 20-18, sat 1.5 games ahead of the 19-19 Marlins. As the contest hit the halfway point, Philadelphia held a 6-3 lead. Miami had left runners on base in each of the previous three innings as it came to bat in the bottom of the eighth. After walking Garrett Cooper to start the inning, Philadelphia's Tommy Hunter alternated flyouts and singles. Hits by Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Corey Dickerson loaded the bases as the Phillies went to Brandon Workman to face Starling Marte. Marte had doubled in the first Miami run in the first. On the second pitch from Workman, the newly-acquired outfielder cleared the bases with a line drive three-run double down the right-field line. Workman got out the inning without further damage, but after Miami's Yimi García threw a 1-2-3 ninth, the Marlins made Workman the loser. Brian Anderson singled to start the bottom of the ninth inning before pinch runner Monte Harrison advanced to second on a groundout. Harrison stole third, prompting Philadelphia to intentionally walk Miguel Rojas. The Marlins needed just a flyball to end the contest, but Workman buckled down and struck out Chisholm. To avoid extra innings, it was up to Alfaro. On a night in which J.T. Realmuto—Alfaro's Philadelphia counterpart whom he was traded for—homered, the Miami catcher went home a hero. After grounding out to plate a run earlier in the contest, Alfaro was able to roll a 1-0 pitch up the middle and past the diving Didi Gregorius for the walk-off hit. Marte finished with three hits and four RBIs in the win. Dickerson had two hits and scored three runs. Alfaro, Realmuto and Philadelphia's Alec Bohm also each finished with two hits. The thriller kicked off what would be a seven-game series between the teams. Miami took five of those contests to go from 1.5 games back of Philadelphia to 1.5 games up on Philadelphia and went 7-3 against the Phillies for the season. Only two of the 10 meetings were one-run games. The lone walk-off came on this day five years ago. View full article

In more than three decades as a Major League Baseball franchise, the Florida/Miami Marlins have had many individuals accomplish many things. To this point, however, the Marlins have had only one pitcher reach 20 wins in a season. That pitcher hit that mark on this day 20 years ago. Dontrelle Willis became the first hurler in club history to win 20 games in a season when he tossed a gem in a 12-1 victory over the Washington Nationals. Willis was 19-8 when he took the mound for the middle game of a three-game series against the Nationals at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium on Sept. 7, 2005. Willis would mow down Washington not only with his arm, but with his bat as well. On the mound, Willis worked six strong innings, allowing just a run on four hits. Willis threw 97 pitches and struck out three batters while walking as many. A solo home run by Rick Short to lead off the sixth inning was all the damage that would be done against Willis. For the Marlins, the offense started early and never really stopped. On a day where Florida had 17 hits, Juan Encarnación got things started with an RBI double in the first inning. After a two-run home run by Carlos Delgado in the third inning extended the lead to three, Willis spent the next two innings helping himself. Willis led off a two-run fourth inning with a double. He would come around to score on an RBI single by Miguel Cabrera. Delgado then came through with a sacrifice fly. Willis would start a two-out rally in the fifth inning with a single before scoring on an RBI single by Jeff Conine. After an RBI single from Damion Easley in the sixth extended the Florida lead to 7-0, Willis drove in his only run of the day with an RBI groundout. When Willis’ day was done, he had scored more runs than he had allowed. The Marlins added two runs in the top of the seventh and two more in the ninth. In addition to becoming the franchise’s only 20-game winner, Willis was one of six Marlins to tally two hits that evening. Conine, Cabrera, Encarnación, Paul Lo Duca and Easley all tallied a pair of hits. Willis would go on to finish 22-10 during his All-Star campaign of 2005. The 22 wins remains a club record. Willis is still the lone Marlins pitcher to collect 20 wins in a season. No. 20 happened on this day two decades ago. View full article

Florida’s first Major League Baseball franchise got its name because of first owner Wayne Huizenga’s admiration for how marlins fought when they were being reeled in. Huizenga likely envisioned this his team would have similar tenacity on the field. In a game against the Washington Nationals on Sept. 1, 2010 at Sun Life Stadium, both the Nationals and Florida Marlins showed fight, but probably not the kind that Huizenga initially had in mind. Most of the Marlins’ damage came early against a familiar face. They plated nine runs in less than two innings off former Florida starter Scott Olsen. Over the first three innings, Florida scored 14 times. The Marlins led 15-5 in the top of the sixth when Washington lead-off man Nyjer Morgan stepped to the plate with a runner on second and no one out. To that point, Florida starter Chris Volstad had already hit three batters, including Morgan back in the fourth. As Volstad’s first pitch went behind Morgan, the Washington outfielder immediately charged the mound and appeared to land a punch to the Marlins’ right-handed starter. Morgan was soon knocked to the ground by a clothesline from Florida first baseman Gaby Sanchez and the benches cleared. Multiple players had to be restrained as both Volstad and Morgan were ejected. The fireworks, however, weren’t done. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Doug Slaten was ejected after hitting Sanchez with a pitch. Morgan would be suspended for eight games while Volstad served a six-game suspension. The brawl overshadowed a contest where the teams combined for 26 runs and 31 hits. Florida won the contest, 16-10. Giancarlo (then "Mike") Stanton, Brad Davis and Cameron Maybin all homered for the Marlins in the win. Wes Helms finished with a team-high three hits and a game-high five RBIs in the victory. Donnie Murphy finished with three RBIs and two runs scored for Florida. Logan Morrison and Hanley Ramirez each scored three runs in the victory. Ian Desmond was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs for the Nationals. Wil Nieves added a solo home run in the loss. Despite allowing six runs on nine hits and getting ejected, Volstad earned the win. Olsen took the loss. Over the course of nearly three decades of baseball, the Marlins have had their fair share of altercations. One of the more memorable ones came on this day 15 years ago. View full article

For a franchise that didn’t take the field until 1993, there aren’t many Major League Baseball firsts associated with the Miami Marlins franchise. But on this day 20 years ago, outfielder Jeremy Hermida made history for the Florida Marlins. With the contest against the St. Louis Cardinals already well in doubt, Hermida stepped into the box for his first career plate appearance on Aug. 31, 2005. He became the first player in baseball history to hit a pinch-hit grand slam under such circumstances. The Marlins were down 10-0 as Hermida was called upon in the bottom of the seventh at Dolphins Stadium. With the bases loaded and no one out, the 21-year-old stepped in to face Alberto Reyes. With the count 1-1, Hermida deposited a fastball from Reyes into the right-field stands to break up the shutout and make baseball history. The Marlins would add a run an inning later on a solo shot by Juan Encarnación to cap the scoring. St. Louis finished with 15 hits in the victory. David Eckstein and Hector Luna each had three hits, three RBIs and a home run for St. Louis. Albert Pujols was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI for the Cardinals, finishing a homer shy of the cycle. As for Hermida, he would go on to play 23 games for the Marlins in 2005 before becoming an everyday player for the next four seasons. Not only is Hermida the only player to hit a pinch-hit grand slam in his first at-bat, but he’s one of just two to hit a grand slam in his first Major League plate appearance. Hermida would hit 57 home runs as a member of the Marlins. His history-making first came on this day two decades ago. View full article

Mike Lowell had a prosperous career with 12 full seasons at the Major League level. A four-time All-Star and 2005 Gold Glove winner, Lowell’s best seasons came with the Florida Marlins. During his time in South Florida, Lowell was responsible for big hits and great memories. He left Florida after seven seasons with the franchise as the club’s all-time home run leader. Lowell’s first walk-off blast came on this day 25 years and capped the Marlins’ comeback in a 7-6 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. The Marlins were trying to avoid the three-game sweep as they hosted the Reds at Pro Player Stadium on Aug. 27, 2000. Down 1-0, Preston Wilson led off the fourth inning with a solo shot for Florida to tie the game. The Marlins went ahead with two runs in the sixth on an RBI single from Derrek Lee and a sacrifice fly from Mike Redmond. That lead would last just a half-inning. After Sean Casey singled in a run for Cincinnati in the seventh, Dante Bichette put the Reds ahead with a three-run home run. He added another RBI for the game with a sacrifice fly in the eighth. The Fish trailed 6-3 entering the bottom of the eighth, but showed their resiliency. Florida pinch hitter Mark Smith had just doubled home a run to cut the Reds’ lead to 6-4 when Cincinnati’s All-Star closer Danny Graves entered with one out in the bottom of the eighth. After an error on third baseman Chris Stynes allowed the Marlins to draw within one, Graves gave up the tying single to Luis Castillo. After Dan Miceli worked out a jam in the top of the ninth, Graves was left in to work the bottom half. Graves was able to get Wilson to ground out to lead off the inning as Lowell stepped to the plate. Graves fell behind in the count 3-1 before giving in with a fastball. Lowell hammered it over the wall in left field for a walk-off home run, the second long ball of the night for the Marlins. Bichette drove in five of the six runs for Cincinnati. Lee finished 3-for-4 for Florida in the victory, but the heroics belonged to Lowell. It would be four years later before Lowell lifted another walk-off home run in a Marlins win over the New York Mets. That would be the final walk-off blast of his career. The first came on this day a quarter-century ago. View full article

During the 60-game shortened 2020 season, each contest was magnified. The Miami Marlins would go on to make the postseason for the first time in 17 years. One big reason for Miami’s success was the way it played in doubleheaders. During a bizarre COVID-themed season without fans, the Marlins played seven doubleheaders. They swept three and salvaged a split in the other four. One of those sweeps came on this day five years ago. In a pair of pivotal seven-inning contests against the New York Mets, Miami left Citi Field with a pair of shutouts. Just a game and a half separated the Marlins and Mets as the teams met on Aug. 25, 2020. The night started with a 4-0 victory. Although he didn’t factor in the decision, Daniel Castano gave Miami 4 ⅔ strong innings on the mound. Richard Bleier was able to strand two in the fifth before Brad Boxberger and Brandon Kintzler each followed with scoreless innings. For Miami, the offense came early. Batting as the home team, the Marlins got the scoring started with three runs in the second—thanks to a pair of two-out singles. After Lewis Brinson drove home Brian Anderson for the game’s first run, Miguel Rojas capped a brilliant six-pitch at-bat with a two-run single to make it 3-0. Lewin Díaz singled home Anderson in the third to cap the scoring. Anderson and Brinson each finished with two hits of the six hits for the Marlins. Anderson doubled twice. J.D. Davis and Michael Conforto each had two knocks for the Mets. In the second game, the story was Trevor Rogers. In his big-league debut, Rogers allowed just a hit while scattering five walks and striking out six in four innings as Miami won, 3-0. Again batting as the home team as a result of contests scheduled for Miami having to be postponed, the Marlins finally broke the scoreless tie in the fourth on Anderson’s two-run double that scored Jon Berti and Corey Dickerson. Josh A. Smith gave Miami two scoreless innings out of the bullpen to pick up the win. Despite slipping between third base and the plate, Berti capped the scoring in the bottom of the sixth by stealing home. Nick Vincent induced the second double play in as many innings in the top of the seventh to face the minimum and collect the save. The Marlins would go on to finish 31-29 and sweep the Chicago Cubs in the National League Wild Card Series in 2020. Despite Miami finishing five games better than the Mets, New York won six of the 10 regular season meetings between the teams. Three of those four victories for Miami came at Citi Field, including two by way of shutout on this day five years ago. View full article

In today's game, going the full nine innings is almost unheard of in Major League Baseball. During lefty Dontrelle Willis' prime, however, it was far from unusual for the Florida Marlins' ace. Not only could Willis pitch deep into games, but he pitched well in those contests. On this day 20 years ago, Willis tied A.J. Burnett's Marlins record with his fifth shutout of the year in a 6-0 win over the San Diego Padres. Willis had his fair share of strikeouts, but at Dolphins Stadium on Aug. 17, 2005, pitching to contact proved to be a fruitful endeavor. Thanks to three double plays over the first five innings, Willis faced just one batter over the minimum through seven innings. At the plate, the Marlins wasted little time giving their lefty starter the lead. After Jeff Conine drew a two-out walk from San Diego's Woody Williams in the bottom of the first, Carlos Delgado followed with a two-run home run to put Florida ahead to stay. In the bottom of the second, the Marlins tripled their lead to 6-0 by pushing across four runs. Willis helped himself with a two-run double on the first pitch he saw at the plate before scoring on Juan Pierre's RBI triple. Damion Easley followed with a sacrifice fly. That would be all the scoring and all that Willis needed. The Padres didn't put a runner in scoring position until the top of the ninth when Damian Jackson doubled with one out. Willis buckled down to get Joe Randa to ground out. Eric Young Sr. popped out to end the contest and give Willis his sixth complete game and fifth shutout of the year. For the night, Willis allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out three. He completed the game on an economical 109 pitches. Willis didn't throw more than 15 pitches in any inning. For the 2005 season, Willis would lead all of baseball with seven complete games and five shutouts. His final shutout tied the record set by A.J. Burnett in 2002 and came on this day two decades ago. View full article

For even the best offenses in baseball, 10 runs in a game is no small feat. On this day 10 years ago, the Miami Marlins achieved that total in a single inning for just the second time in their history. Against the Boston Red Sox at Marlins Park on Aug. 12, 2015, the Marlins used a monster inning to turn a tie game in a rout. J.T. Realmuto's grand slam highlighted the frame in a 14-6 win over the Boston Red Sox. Once down 4-1, Boston had drawn even with a run in the fourth inning and two in the fifth in the second game of a mini two-game series. After Kyle Barraclough struck out the side for Miami in the top of the sixth, his offense saw to it that he got the win. Eduardo Rodríguez had worked a 1-2-3 fifth for the Red Sox, but the sixth proved to be a different story. Justin Bour and Cole Gillespie opened the frame with consecutive singles before an RBI single from Realmuto capped a seven-pitch at-bat and put Miami ahead for good, 5-4. Ichiro Suzuki followed with a two-run triple and just like that, the score was 7-4 and Rodríguez's night was done. The pitching change did little to quiet the Marlins bats. Adeiny Hechavarría stayed back and lined Ryan Cook's second pitch of the night up the middle to push the lead to 8-4. Cook was able to fan Casey McGehee for the first out, but singles from Dee Strange-Gordon, Martín Prado and Derek Dietrich followed to extend the advantage to 10-4. The damage seemed done after Bour flied out for the second out of the inning, but Gillespie followed with an infield single to load the bases. One pitch later, Realmuto unloaded them with a screamer over the left-field wall for a grand slam. What had been a 4-4 game when the inning started had become a 14-4 Marlins advantage. The Red Sox got a pair of runs back in the seventh on David Ortiz's second home run of the night, but things never got real interesting. Chris Narveson and Brian Ellington combined to strike out five batters over the final two frames. As a team, the Marlins finished with 17 hits. Realmuto was a double short of the cycle, going 3-for-5 with three runs scored and six RBIs. Strange-Gordon, who led off the game with a home run for Miami, and Gillespie each added three hits. Gillespie scored three times while Suzuki finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBIs. Ortiz went 3-for-3 for the Red Sox. The 10-run inning tied a franchise record and served as the club's first run 10-run frame since 2009. The Marlins would eclipse that mark with 11 runs in an inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in 2019. The 10 runs, however, remains a club record at home. It happened on this day a decade ago. View full article

Most football fans love a good trick play. In baseball however, they’re quite rare. On this day 20 years ago, the Florida Marlins absolutely fooled the Arizona Diamondbacks with the old “hidden-ball trick.” On Aug. 10, 2005, the Marlins had a big offensive night in a 10-5 win over Arizona at Dolphins Stadium, but it was a play in the field that had everyone talking after the game. The Marlins were clinging to a 6-5 lead in the top of the eighth inning as Arizona threatened to draw even. The Diamondbacks had runners on the corners with one out as Craig Counsell—a World Series hero with the Marlins in 1997—stepped to the plate. A pinch hit single by Tony Clark had just moved Luis Terrero from second to third. Left fielder Miguel Cabrera threw the ball in quickly to Florida third baseman Mike Lowell to help prevent Terrero from scoring. Rather than tossing the ball to reliever Todd Jones, Lowell held onto the baseball. Jones was wise enough to play along. "I looked over and I saw the baserunner and third base coach were looking down," Lowell would later recall. Terrero took his lead and Lowell tagged him with the ball for the second out of the inning. Jones had walked around the mound, but his foot never touched the rubber (making the play legal instead of a balk). Jones would strike out Counsell to end the threat. The Marlins essentially put the game away in the bottom of the inning with four runs. After a Luis Castillo RBI single doubled the lead, Álex González unloaded the bases a few batters later with a three-run double. For most of the night, the contest looked like it would be a laugher. Florida raced to a 6-1 lead, thanks largely in part to a two-run home run from Cabrera and a two-run double from Lowell. Arizona climbed to within a run during a four-run seventh. Like Gonzalez an inning and a half later, Troy Glaus had a three-run double for the Diamondbacks during the frame. Gonzalez was 3-for-3 on the night for Florida while Juan Pierre scored three runs. Pierre, Cabrera and Lowell all had two hits in the contest. Glaus had two of the eight hits for the Diamondbacks. Starting pitcher Jason Vargas allowed just a run on four hits in five innings to earn the win for the Marlins. Despite a big night at the plate, it was Lowell’s masterful hidden ball trick that stole the show. It happened on this day two decades ago. View full article

For the early parts of their franchises, expansion sisters, the Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies, were good measuring sticks for one another. More than three decades later, the Marlins are the only one of the two to have won the World Series. Colorado, however, was the first to make the postseason in 1995. Although the Rockies won the National League Wild Card, the Marlins won the head-to-head series that year, taking seven of the 12 matchups. The longest of those contests came on this day 30 years ago. After staying alive with three runs in the ninth, Chuck Carr's walk-off double gave Florida a 5-4 victory in 13 innings. A solo home run by Greg Colbrunn in the fourth inning had accounted for all the Florida offense as the Marlins came to bat in the bottom of the ninth at Joe Robbie Stadium on Aug. 8, 1995. Down 4-1, it took the Marlins just eight pitches to put the tying run on base. Terry Pendleton started the rally against Colorado starter Bret Saberhagen with a solid single. After Colbrunn was hit by a pitch, Andre Dawson singled to load the bases and end Saberhagen's night. The Rockies turned to closer Darren Holmes. Holmes allowed just one hit, but was unable to seal the deal. Steve Decker cut the deficit to 4-2 with an RBI single before Colbrunn scored on a wild pitch. A sacrifice fly by Alex Arias to shallow right field scored Carr, the speedy pinch runner, tied the game and forced extra innings. For the 10th and 11th innings, Florida's Yorkis Pérez and Colorado's Curt Leskanic traded zeroes. In the 12th, the Marlins' Alejandro Peña and the Rockies' Steve Reed exchanged scoreless frames. After Buddy Groom threw a 1-2-3 top of the 13th, the Marlins finally ended the contest. Roger Bailey opened the bottom of the 13th by getting Jeff Conine to pop out, but that was the only out he'd record. Pendleton followed with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Colbrunn followed by drawing an intentional walk. One pitch later, Carr played the role of hero. Carr lined Bailey's offering into the right-field corner. Pendleton scored easily as the Marlins won the nearly four-hour contest. Conine, Colbrunn, Pendleton and Decker each finished with two hits as the Marlins finished with 12 knocks to 10 for Colorado. Ellis Burks homered for the Rockies in the first to get the scoring started. Larry Walker went 2-for-5 with a two-run triple in the sixth that capped the scoring for Colorado. The Marlins would go on to sweep the three-game set in South Florida, pulling out three one-run victories. The first of those needed 13 innings to complete. It happened on this day three decades ago. View full article