Mike Ferguson

The 2015 Miami Marlins won just 71 games, but eight of those came in walk-off fashion. Two of those walk-off wins came over the Philadelphia Phillies, including one on this day 10 years ago. In a contest in which Miami trailed in the 10th inning, it managed to draw even. In the 11th, Dee Strange-Gordon ended it with a walk-off double as the Marlins prevailed, 4-3. Prior to the 10th at Marlins Park on Sept. 23, 2015, Miami had never trailed. The Marlins drew first blood with a run in the second before pushing the advantage to 2-0 on a solo home run by Justin Bour in the fourth. Philadelphia got on the board in the fifth and tied the game on a wild pitch in the eighth. The Phillies finally took the lead in the top of the 10th when Freddy Galvis singled off Kyle Barraclough to chase home Brian Bogusevic. Up 3-2, Philadelphia turned to Ken Giles in the bottom of the inning, but he was unable to get the job done. Ichiro Suzuki and Strange-Gordon singled to open the inning. After Donovan Solano laid down a bunt, Miami drew even as Philadelphia catcher Carlos Ruiz's errant throw allowed the tying run to score. Miami had two on with nobody out, but could get nothing else as the contest went to the 11th. Brian Ellington needed just eight pitchers to retire the Phillies in order in the top of the inning. After Philadelphia's Jerome Williams induced a pair of flyouts to open the bottom of the frame, a 12th inning appeared inevitable. Instead, it was Miami's Miguel Rojas, who singled to start a two-out rally. After Suzuki walked, Strange-Gordon hammered Williams' 0-1 pitch into the right-center field gap. Rojas scored easily to complete the comeback. Strange-Gordon's walk-off double capped a three-hit night. Rojas and catcher J.T. Realmuto each added a pair of hits. Despite finishing 20 games under .500 in 2015, Miami did manage to place third in the National League East at 71-91. The Phillies finished last at 63-99. Head-to-head, the Marlins won nine of the 16 matchups against Philadelphia in 2015. That included their final walk-off win of the year. It came on this day a decade ago. View full article

Mention those who appeared in All-Star games for the Florida/Miami Marlins and the first name to come to mind probably isn’t Gaby Sanchez. Sanchez was Florida’s lone representative in 2011, but his best statistical season was actually the year prior. During what would be a career year for Sanchez, the rookie and University of Miami product had a number of big hits. One of those came on this day 15 years ago. On what would be the first game of a short two-game set against the New York Mets on Sept. 21, 2010, Sanchez delivered the big blow. His three-run home run in Florida’s final at-bat lifted the Marlins to a 5-2 win at Sun Life Stadium. The Mets had drawn even in the top of the eighth on a solo home run by David Wright with two outs. In the bottom half of the inning, New York reliever Pedro Feliciano retired Cameron Maybin and Logan Morrison for the first two outs of the inning. After that, Mets manager Jerry Manuel, a former Marlins bench coach, went to the bullpen. Against right-hander Elmer Dessens, Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla put together back-to-back singles. With two on and good speed at second, Sanchez needed just a single to put the Marlins back in front. Instead, he did much more. Despite falling behind in the count 1-2, Sanchez was able to get a fastball that he could drive and did just that. Sanchez blasted the Dessens pitch over the left-center field wall for a three-run home run to put the Marlins ahead for good. Although he allowed the tying run in the eighth, José Veras got the win for Florida. Clay Hensley closed things out in the ninth for the save. Dessens took the loss for the Mets. Sanchez finished the night 3-for-4 and a triple shy of the cycle with two runs scored. Sanchez scored on an error in the seventh that gave the Marlins a 2-1 lead. In addition to Wright, Lucas Duda also homered for the Mets. Sanchez would go on to finish the 2010 season with a .273 batting average, 19 home runs and 85 RBIs en route to finishing fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. All of those numbers would serve as career-highs. Sanchez also provided the heroics in what would be the Marlins’ last win in their final at-bat during the 2010 season. It eliminated the Mets from playoff contention on this day 15 years ago. View full article

The Florida Marlins improved upon the previous season in each of their first five years as a franchise. Florida seemed to be turning a corner midway through the 1995 campaign. Thanks largely to an 8-24 record through May, the Marlins were 20 games below .500 through 70 games. Florida would go 42-31 the rest of the way. The last win in their final at-bat of the season came on this day 30 years ago. Florida was looking to even a three-game series as it played its next-to-last road game at Veterans Stadium on Sept. 19, 1995. The Marlins trailed by four after six innings and three entering their final at-bat, but Greg Colbrunn’s blast capped a four-run inning to stun the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-4. The Marlins trailed 4-1 as Philadelphia’s All-Star closer Heathcliff Slocumb took the mound in the top of the ninth. Slocumb retired Jesús Tavarez to open the frame, but that would be the lone out he would record. After a walk to Gary Sheffield, an RBI double by Jeff Conine brought the tying run to the plate. Terry Pendleton singled home Conine and just like that, Slocumb’s day was done. The Phillies turned to Toby Borland to face Greg Colbrunn. Borland was able to get ahead in the count, but uncorked a wild pitch to move Pendleton into scoring position. Colbrunn worked the count full before depositing a Borland pitch into the left-field stands to give Florida a 5-4 lead. In the bottom of the ninth, Marlins closer Robb Nen needed just 10 pitches to seal the deal. After inducing a pair of groundouts, Nen struck out Mark Whiten to end the contest. The comeback stifled what was a splendid outing by Philadelphia starter—and future Marlin—Dennis Springer. Springer allowed just a run on four hits in seven innings. An RBI single by Sheffield in the seventh was all the Marlins could manage off the knuckleballer. All of the Philadelphia offense came in the first three innings. The Phillies drew first blood on an RBI single by Kevin Stocker in the second before getting to Florida starter Ryan Bowen for three unearned runs in the third. An RBI single by Jim Eisenreich, who would go on to be a member of the Marlins’ 1997 world championship team, doubled the lead before catcher Mike Lieberthal added a two-run double. Yorkis Perez worked a perfect eighth to earn the win for Florida. Borland took the loss. The Marlins would collect another one-run victory the next day, winning 2-1, to take their final road series of the year. That wouldn’t have been possible without the thrilling win that took place on this day three decades ago. View full article

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