Mike Ferguson

Big innings and momentum often change the outcomes of baseball games. On this day 20 years ago, the Florida Marlins put a crooked number on the scoreboard that put them ahead to stay. The Marlins had let a 5-1 eighth-inning lead slip away at Dolphins Stadium as they came to bat in the bottom of the inning against the Texas Rangers on June 10, 2005. The Rangers had pushed four runs across in the top of the eighth to draw even. How would Florida respond? With seven runs in the bottom half of the inning and a 12-5 victory. The Rangers had collected five hits in the eighth with Richard Hidalgo and Rod Barajas coming through with RBI singles and a two-run double by Laynce Nix. It was a blown save for Todd Jones, who was brought in to stop the bleeding but not before allowing an inherited runner to score. For new pitcher and Texas right-hander Doug Brocail, the inning actually started promising. Brocail struck out Marlins outfielder Juan Encarnación on just four pitches to start the inning. That would be the only out that he would record. After singles by Álex González and Juan Pierre sandwiched around a walk to Lenny Harris loaded the bases, Brocail was unable to find the plate. The Marlins went back in front on a four-pitch walk to Luis Castillo. With one out, Brocail was able to get ahead in the count to Miguel Cabrera, 0-2, but Cabrera pulled a single to left to chase home an insurance run and end Brocail’s night. Brian Shouse came in for the Rangers and struck out Carlos Delgado, but with two outs, third baseman Mike Lowell would deliver the big blow. On the second pitch he saw from Shouse, Lowell went deep over the left-center field wall for a grand slam. A tie game to start the inning had become an 11-5 lead for Florida. The Marlins still weren’t done. After a double by catcher Paul Lo Duca and a single by Encarnación, González plated another run off Shouse with an infield single. Jeff Conine singled off C.J. Wilson one batter later, but Encarnación was thrown out at the plate by Hidalgo to end the inning. Marlins reliever Jim Mecir worked a scoreless ninth to end the game. Despite his struggles, Jones wound up earning the win for the Marlins. The Marlins finished with 17 hits to 11 for the Rangers. Encarnación and González each had three hits for Florida. Pierre, Castillo, Cabrera and Lo Duca each had two hits and two runs scored. For Texas, Michael Young had three hits. Barajas and Chan Ho Park, the starting pitcher, each added two hits for the Rangers. Florida would clinch the three-game series the next night with a 7-6 comeback victory. At that point in the year, however, the 12 runs scored in the series opener were a season-high. They came on this day two decades ago. View full article

The only player in franchise history to win National League MVP, Giancarlo Stanton is arguably the greatest Florida/Miami Marlin of all-time. The 2017 MVP, Stanton leads the Marlins all-time in home runs, slugging percentage, wins above replacement, RBIs and extra-base hits. It didn’t take long for the team to realize they had something special. Stanton collected three hits in his Major League Baseball debut on this day 15 years ago. The Florida Marlins were 28-30 as they made their way to Citizens Bank Park to face the Philadelphia Phillies on June 8, 2010. The contest turned out to be a heartbreaker for the Marlins as they blew multiple leads in a 10-8 loss, but Stanton created optimism for a bright future. After a first-inning home run by Gaby Sánchez gave Florida a 1-0 lead, Stanton made his first plate appearance in the top of the second and reached on an infield single with two outs. Stanton would come around to score his first big-league run on a double by catcher Ronny Paulino. The Marlins’ lead would double to 4-0 in the top of the third on a two-run homer by Hanley Ramírez. Philadelphia first baseman Ryan Howard cut the lead in half with a two-run home run during a three-run third for the Phillies. With the score now 4-3, Stanton came to the plate with a runner on and no one out in the top of the fourth. Stanton’s second at-bat was not as productive as he was struck out swinging by Philadelphia starter Kyle Kendrick on just three pitches. The Marlins were still able to push two runs across in the inning, thanks a two-run single by Chris Coghlan. With a Shane Victorino home run in the fourth and a pair of runs in the fifth, the contest was tied at six when Stanton came to the plate to lead off the top of the sixth. Stanton worked the count full before flying out to right field. The contest would again be tied when Stanton led off the Florida eighth. After the Phillies took the lead in the sixth, the Marlins drew even on an RBI double in the top of the seventh. Stanton helped Florida retake with a lead-off single to right. Two batters later, he would score his second run of the night to give the Marlins an 8-7 lead on a pinch-hit triple by Wes Helms. Unfortunately for Florida, that lead would not hold. The Phillies pushed three runs across in the bottom of the eighth with a two-run single from Ben Francisco and an RBI single by Wilson Valdez. Down 10-8 in the ninth inning, Stanton came to bat for the fifth time and in a high-pressure situation. With two runners on and two outs, Stanton came through, legging out another infield single to load the bases and keep the Marlins’ hopes alive. Paulino would pop out against Phillies closer Brad Lidge to end the contest. As for Stanton, his debut was a glowing success. Then known as Mike Stanton, the rookie finished the night 3-for-5 with a pair of runs scored. Stanton has more than 400 career home runs, five All-Star Game selections, a Home Run Derby crown and an MVP to his name. Now a member of the New York Yankees, he's projected to be reinstated from the injured list later this month to begin what will be his 16th MLB season. His first appearance in the big leagues came in a right field start on this day 15 years ago. View full article

During his five years with the Miami Marlins, shortstop Adeiny Hechavarría homered just 13 times. There were some big ones along the way, however, including on this day 10 years ago. On June 7, 2015, it came against the Colorado Rockies in the 10th inning at Coors Field. His solo shot lifted the Marlins to a 3-2 victory in the rubber game of a three-game set. Prior to Hechavarría’s heroics, both Miami runs had come in the first inning. Marcell Ozuna laced a two-run single off starter Kyle Kendrick to get the scoring started. Kendrick would allow just the two runs on five hits and a walk in seven innings for Colorado. Miami starter José Ureña yielded a run on three hits and two walks in six innings. Colorado got on the board in the fourth with a sacrifice fly from Nolan Arenado. The Rockies drew even in the bottom of the seventh on Carlos González’s solo home run off Carter Capps. Hechavarría stepped to the plate with two outs and the bases empty in the top of the 10th inning to face Boone Logan. Logan had retired Christian Yelich and J.T. Realmuto, but had fallen behind both batters, hinting that we was not especially sharp. Against Hech, Logan fell behind in the count 2-1 before trying to come inside with the breaking ball. Logan’s pitch hung and got too much of the plate. Hechavarría knew exactly what to do with it as he lifted the pitch out of the deepest part of the ballpark to center field. That would be all that Miami would need. Marlins’ closer AJ Ramos retired the Rockies in order in the bottom of the 10th to earn the save. Sam Dyson worked a scoreless ninth to earn the win. Dee Strange-Gordon was 3-for-4 with a run scored, while star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki had two of the five hits for Colorado in the loss. In 2015, the Marlins went 5-2 in seven games against the Rockies. Among those seven contests, there was only a single one-run game. That had plenty of drama and occurred on this day a decade ago. View full article

Over the years, the Florida/Miami Marlins have had some forgettable years. Bad seasons tend to lead to high draft picks, but only once, however, have the Marlins had the top overall pick. That pick was made on this day 25 years ago. The Florida Marlins selected a power-hitting left-handed first baseman in California native Adrián González on June 5, 2000. The first round featured a fair number of recognizable names to baseball fans, including Rocco Baldelli, Chase Utley and Adam Wainwright. Other notables included future Marlins like Justin Wayne and Joe Borchard. González would go on to have a stellar career, batting .287 with 317 home runs. A five-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner, González, however, never played in the majors for the Marlins. While the organization has been chided for its moves over the years, it can be debated whether the return for González was adequate. The Marlins were in the middle of a pennant race in 2003 when they sent the former No. 1 overall pick to the Texas Rangers along with prospect Will Smith (not the big-league pitcher or catcher) for closer Ugueth Urbina. Urbina joined Braden Looper at the back end of the bullpen and appeared in just 33 regular season games for the Marlins -- all in 2003. The native of the Venezuela, however, was nails, posting a 3-0 record and six saves to go with a 1.41 ERA. Urbina spent 11 seasons in Major League Baseball with six teams and earned trips to the All-Star Game with the Montreal Expos in 1998 and Boston Red Sox in 2002. His only trip to the postseason, however, came with Florida and culminated in a world championship. Urbina appeared in 10 of the Marlins' 16 games that postseason. He posted a 1-0 record, 3.46 ERA and was 4-for-6 in save opportunities. Urbina picked up the saves to close out both the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs in the National League Division and Championship Series, respectively, before picking up two saves in the World Series as Florida took down the New York Yankees in six games. As for González, he would spend time with Texas, the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. He led the league in walks in 2009 for the Padres, hits for Boston in 2011 and RBIs for the Dodgers in 2014. Although he never played for the Marlins at the Major League level, González continues to hold the distinction of being the club's only No. 1 overall pick. He was selected on this day a quarter-century ago. View full article

Ah, the dramatic home run. Like most teams, the Florida/Miami Marlins have seen plenty of those over the years. On this day 25 years ago, the Marlins used not one but two of them to rally past the Toronto Blue Jays, 2-1. The blasts by Mike Lowell and Kevin Millar even came on consecutive pitches. At Pro Player Stadium on June 3, 2000, the Marlins were unable to figure out Toronto starter Chris Carpenter. Luis Castillo was 3-for-4 with a double, but as a team, they had been kept off the scoreboard and had managed just five hits through seven innings. Florida loaded the bases with no one out in the fifth, only to squander that golden opportunity. After starting pitcher Ryan Dempster grounded into a fielder’s choice at the plate, Castillo followed suit. Mark Kotsay ultimately grounded out to end the threat. Until the back-to-back jacks, the only run of the game had come in the second inning on a solo homer by José Cruz Jr. Cruz finished with two of the five Toronto hits in the loss. Like Carpenter, Dempster was outstanding through seven. Dempster yielded just the run on four hits and a walk while striking out five. After 121 pitches, Carpenter gave way to usually dependable closer Billy Koch in the bottom of the eighth. Facing the heart of the order, things started well for Koch, who got Cliff Floyd to fly out on the first pitch before fanning Preston Wilson looking. With two outs, Lowell stepped to the plate. A disciplined hitter, Lowell managed to work the count in his favor at 3-1. Then he got a Koch fastball and knew exactly what to do with it. Lowell evened the game and broke up the shutout with a blast over the left-field wall. It was a tie game, but not for long. On the very next pitch, Millar also turned on a Koch fastball. It landed not far from Lowell’s blast as Millar touched them all to give Florida a 2-1 lead. In the top of the ninth, Marlins’ closer Antonio Alfonseca was able to do what Koch couldn’t. After allowing a two-out single to catcher Darrin Fletcher, Alfonseca struck Cruz out swinging to end the contest. After winning 11-10 the night before, the victory clinched the three-game series for the Marlins. They were unable to complete the sweep the next day as the Blue Jays won 7-2 in the finale. That would be Toronto’s last victory at Pro Player Stadium. It followed a heartbreaking loss that happened on this day a quarter-century ago. View full article

Cameron Maybin was in the middle of one of the greatest rallies in Marlins history. There’s nothing quite like holiday baseball during a three-day weekend. On Memorial Day 15 years ago, the Florida Marlins used a big sixth inning to erase an early deficit and send the South Florida fans home happy. At 25-26, the Marlins were looking to get back to .500 as they opened a four-game series at Sun Life Stadium against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 31, 2010. Through five innings, Florida had been shut out and managed just two hits. When all was said and done, the Marlins were 13-5 winners. In the top of the sixth, Milwaukee had added an insurance run to go up 4-0. To that point, Brewers starting pitcher Chris Narveson had blown away the Florida bats. In the bottom of the sixth, the Marlins broke up the shutout on an RBI ground out by Jorge Cantú, but with two outs, Narveson still seemed in control. Before the inning was over, Milwaukee was down 7-4. After a walk to Dan Uggla brought the tying run to the plate, Cody Ross emptied the bases with a three-run home run to knot the game at four. Narveson proceeded to allow a double to catcher Ronny Paulino and just like that, his day was done. The Marlins’ sixth, however, was just getting started. After reliever Carlos Villanueva walked Cameron Maybin, pinch hitter Mike Lamb’s RBI single to center gave Florida its first lead, 5-4. That brought up Chris Coghlan. The 2009 NL Rookie of the Year, Coghlan had started the inning by singling and scoring Florida’s first run. His second hit of the inning was a two-run triple. Villanueva was able to strike out Gaby Sánchez to prevent any further damage, but in the bottom of the seventh, the Marlins put together another two-out rally. Following a two-out walk to Uggla, Ross again came through with an RBI double before coming home on Paulino’s second double in as many innings. The big blow of the inning and the highlight of the day then came from Cameron Maybin, whose liner got past center fielder Carlos Gómez and to the wall. Maybin came all the way home on a two-run inside-the-park home run. With the lead now 11-4, Florida wasn’t done. The Marlins added a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run single by Cantú. When the day was over, every position player for Florida had at least one hit. Coghlan and Paulino each tallied three hits for the Marlins. Ross recorded two to go with four RBIs. Cantú plated three runs in the win. Coghlan, Uggla, Paulino, Ross and Maybin each scored twice. For Milwaukee, Corey Hart homered and plated two runs. Rickie Weeks had two hits and two RBIs for the Brewers in the loss. Narveson ultimately took the loss for the Brewers, but it was the bullpen that allowed seven runs in just 2 ⅓ innings of relief. Jorge Sosa, who threw just one pitch resulting in a line drive double play, earned the win for the Marlins. Florida would go on to win three of the four games to take the series. The only one of those victories in which the Marlins trailed came on this day 15 years ago. View full article

In 2015, Martín Prado ended a lengthy Marlins losing streak with his clutch hit against the Orioles. The walk-off hit is one of the more exciting moments in baseball. It’s rare, however, that those account for all of a game’s offense. That was the case on this day 10 years ago for the Miami Marlins. Off to an 0-8 start on a 10-game homestand, they hosted the Baltimore Orioles for the second game of a three-game set at Marlins Park on May 23, 2015. The evening would be dominated by pitching, but after 12 1/2 innings of scoreless baseball, Martín Prado finally delivered with a walk-off single in a 1-0 victory. Both starting pitchers were solid, but neither came to close to factoring in the decision. Dan Haren pitched around seven hits in three walks while striking out six in six shutout innings for Miami. Baltimore’s Mike Wright allowed three hits and three walks in seven scoreless frames. The Fish and O’s each left 10 men on base and were a combined 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Throughout the course of the contest, both teams were thrown out at home trying to score the go-ahead run. In the top of the sixth inning, Baltimore’s Travis Snider was gunned out at home by Marcell Ozuna on a Wright single that ultimately ended Haren’s night. In the bottom of the 10th, Adeiny Hechavarria was thrown out trying to advance home on a pitch that scooted slightly past the catcher Caleb Joseph. Miami reliever Carter Capps retired nine of the 10 batters he faced and six by way of strikeout as he kept Baltimore off the scoreboard for three innings heading into the bottom of the 13th. Hechavarría got the inning started on the right foot for Miami as he drew a four-pitch walk from Baltimore’s T.J. McFarland. But McFarland settled in to strike out Capps and Dee Gordon, and a 14th inning seemed inevitable. That was before Ozuna lined a single to right to move Hechavarría to third. With two outs, Giancarlo Stanton was intentionally walked to load the bases. That set the stage for Prado. With the count even 1-1, Prado lined a McFarland pitch into the right-center field gap for the walk-off single. Hechavarría scored to end a contest that lasted nearly four hours. Capps earned the win for Miami while McFarland took the loss for the Orioles. McFarland entered the contest in the 12th after lefty Brian Matusz was ejected for having a substance on his arm. Manny Machado, Jimmy Paredes and Snider all had two hits for the Orioles, who finished with nine as a team. Miami had just seven hits. No player had a multi-hit game for the Marlins, but Hechavarría reached base three times. The victory served as the third walk-off win of the season for the Marlins. Miami won 5-2 the next day to take the series. Prado’s single to break up a scoreless tie was the first Miami walk-off of that nature since May 7, 2014. It happened on this day a decade ago. View full article

After years of excellence in the minor leagues, the recent call-up made an impact in The Show with a game-winning home run. Joe Dillon probably isn’t a name that fans of the Florida/Miami Marlins will remember fondly (if at all). On this day 20 years ago, however, fans from South Florida were happy to learn it. A journeyman in the minor leagues, Dillon appeared in just 137 games over four years at the big-league level. He hit just three home runs and only one as a member of the Marlins. That one served as the game-winner on May 21, 2005. After holding off the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the first game of the “Citrus Series” the night prior, the Florida Marlins aimed to clinch the series at Dolphins Stadium. Tampa Bay raced to a 3-0 lead early against Marlins starter A.J. Burnett. The Devil Rays pushed across two runs in the first inning on an RBI single by Aubrey Huff and an RBI groundout by future Marlin Jorge Cantú. Catcher Toby Hall led off the second inning with a solo home run off Burnett. The 3-0 lead would hold up until the bottom of the sixth when the Marlins used two long balls to draw even against Devil Rays’ starter Mark Hendrickson. Juan Encarnación broke up the shutout with a two-run shot with one out in the inning. Two batters later, Damion Easley’s solo homer to left tied the game. Burnett settled in after the Hall home run and did not allow another hit. Burnett allowed just three hits and three walks while striking out six in six innings for Florida. With the contest knotted at 3-3, Dillon was called on to pinch hit in the bottom of the eighth against right-hander Jesús Colomé. The 29-year-old rookie had gone 1-for-4 with a single in his Major League debut three days earlier in a win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, but had not gotten a chance to swing the bat since. With two outs and the bases empty, Colomé was able to get ahead in the count, 1-2. Looking for the strikeout, Colomé threw inside to Dillon, but got too much of the plate. Dillon was able to pull the pitch over the left-field wall for the go-ahead home run. The shot that put Florida ahead for good in the 4-3 victory. g52gkr_1.mp4 Todd Jones worked a scoreless ninth to earn the save for Florida. It was Matt Perisho, however, who earned the win for the Marlins. Perisho retired both batters he faced in the eighth inning on just five total pitches. At the plate, three of Florida’s eight hits left the yard. Two others belonged to Álex González. Hall finished 3-for-3 for Tampa Bay in the loss. Julio Lugo had two hits for the Devil Rays and scored the game’s second run. Colomé took the loss on the mound. As for the night’s hero, Dillon would tally just four more hits as a member of the Marlins. But in a season of lofty expectations for the team, his first career home run decided a close contest and at the time, kept the Fish in first place. It came on this day two decades ago. View full article

Luis Castillo, Cliff Floyd and Co. ran—and succeeded at—every chance they had. In the early 2000s, the Florida Marlins were known for their speed. In a four-year span from 2000 to 2003, the Marlins led Major League Baseball in stolen bases three times. On this day in 2000, the Marlins did something that had never been done in team history. It’s also something that hasn’t been done in Major League Baseball since: they stole 10 bases without being caught once. The Marlins suffered a 6-2 loss to the San Diego Padres on May 18, 2000, but they made it a memorable night as four different players swiped multiple bases. In the first inning alone, Florida stole four bases. After walking to open the game, Luis Castillo stole second before coming around to score on an RBI single by Cliff Floyd. On the basepaths, Floyd swiped second and third. Preston Wilson walked and stole second in the first inning. He and Floyd were left in scoring position after Brant Brown was struck out swinging to end the frame. There was only one run to show for all that effort, but at least they were able to take an early lead. The Marlins would steal three more bases in the third inning, but again, left a pair of runners in scoring position. After a one-out single, outfielder Mark Kotsay swiped second and third for Florida. Wilson again walked and stole second, but Kevin Millar grounded out to end the frame. The Marlins entered the bottom of the fifth inning, trailing 3-1, following Eric Owens’ two-run single and a Ryan Klesko solo home run. Once again, their legs kept things interesting. After a one-out single by Castillo, the Florida second baseman swiped second and third before scoring his second run of the night on an RBI single from Floyd with two outs. Floyd stole second, but was left at second when Wilson struck out looking. The Padres used a two-run single from Ruben Rivera in the eighth to push the lead to 5-2. Phil Nevin added an RBI triple in the ninth. Castillo and Floyd each swiped three bases for the Marlins in the loss. Kotsay and Wilson each stole two. Floyd drove in Castillo twice for the team’s only runs of the game. Danny Bautista’s double was the lone extra-base hit of the night for Florida. Castillo had set the individual franchise record the night prior—also versus San Diego—with four stolen bases. The big night on the bases made the Marlins the first team to steal 10 bases in a game since the Colorado Rockies four years earlier. It was one shy of the most for a National League team since 1900. It happened on this day a quarter-century ago. View full article

The 2003 World Series MVP turns 45 today! It's been more than a decade since Josh Beckett last took a big-league mound and two decades since he last pitched for the Florida Marlins. Born May 15, 1980, Beckett turns 45 years old today. The second overall pick by the Marlins in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft out of Spring High School in Texas, it didn't take long for Beckett to work his way to the majors. On Sept. 4, 2001, the hard-throwing right-hander shined in his big-league debut, allowing just a hit in six shutout innings to pick up the win in the Marlins' 8-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Beckett spent his first five seasons with the Marlins, compiling a 41-34 record with a 3.46 ERA. For a good portion of his time in South Florida, Beckett battled blisters. Although he never made an All-Star Game as a member of the club, Beckett unquestionably left his mark. Beckett's most memorable moments for Florida came in the 2003 postseason. Beckett went 2-2 in seven postseason games with a hold, a 2.11 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 41.2 innings. The 2003 World Series MVP, Beckett is most remembered for his Game 6 performance as he tossed a five-hit shutout in a 2-0 win over the New York Yankees to clinch the second championship in franchise history. 3gip9m.mp4 Simply getting to the World Series might not have been possible without Beckett's efforts in the National League Championship Series. Trailing three games to one to the Chicago Cubs, he helped the Marlins get the series back to Chicago with a two-hit shutout in Game 5—a 4-0 victory for the Marlins. In Game 7, Beckett allowed just a run in four innings of relief as Florida rallied to win the final three games and the National League pennant. Postseason accolades aside, Beckett's finest season in Marlins teal came in 2005 when he posted a 15-8 record, 3.38 ERA and 166 strikeouts in more than 178 innings. Beckett posted the highest totals for wins, starts (29), innings and strikeouts of his Marlins tenure that year. Packaged in a trade with Mike Lowell to the Boston Red Sox for prospects, including Hanley Ramírez and Aníbal Sánchez, Beckett would go on to be a three-time All-Star as a member of the Red Sox. He won his second World Series and led all of baseball with 20 wins in 2007. Later dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers with Carl Crawford and Adrián González, a No. 1 overall pick by the Marlins, Beckett spent his final two and a half seasons out west. Among qualified players, Beckett is still among the Marlins' all-time leaders in several categories, including third in ERA, ninth in wins, eighth in WAR among pitchers and eighth in strikeouts (607). His 8.97 strikeouts per nine innings average remains a club record. The Marlins have returned to the postseason just twice since the magical run of 2003. Perhaps the most vivid image from that run is Beckett being hoisted while waving his championship cap high above his head following the title-clinching win. Beckett turns 45 today. View full article

On this date in 2010, the winner of a great Mets-Marlins pitchers’ duel was decided by a ball in the dirt. Over the years, Major League Baseball has seen contests end in a variety of strange ways. Our last “Marliniversary” recalled the Florida Marlins beating the Atlanta Braves on a walk-off balk by Atlanta reliever John Rocker. Today’s remembers another miscue from a pitcher that allowed the Florida Marlins to score the winning run on this day 15 years ago. On May 13, 2010, the New York Mets drew first blood on an RBI single by Rod Barajas in the second inning. The Marlins drew even in the third on Chris Coghlan’s RBI single to score Gaby Sanchez. Sanchez was 3-for-3 in the win with a double (the game’s only extra-base hit). The Mets and Marlins were still tied 1-1 as the contest at Sun Life Stadium headed to the bottom of the ninth. The closer then known as Leo Núñez had worked out of trouble in the top of the ninth as the Marlins sought to end the contest against Fernando Nieve. They would do that as Cody Ross came around to score on a Nieve wild pitch in a 2-1 victory. The inning actually started well for Nieve as he got Florida third baseman Jorge Cantú to fly out on a 2-2 pitch. That would be the only out he would record. After Ross drew a six-pitch walk, catcher Ronny Paulino singled through the right side to push Ross to third and put runners on the corners with one out. Dan Uggla came to the plate, needing only a fly ball to end the game. Uggla wouldn’t even have to swing the bat as the first pitch went in the dirt and to the backstop to chase home Ross for the winning run. 59n4sb_1.mp4 Núñez earned the win for Florida while Nieves took the loss for the Mets. Both starters—New York’s Johan Santana and Florida’s Josh Johnson—threw seven stellar innings. Santana allowed just an unearned run on six hits; Johnson yielded just a run on three hits while striking out seven. The victory served as the second walk-off win of the season and started a four-game series on the right foot for Florida. The Marlins would take all four games from the Mets. The most dramatic of those came in the series opener on this day 15 years ago. View full article

On this date in 2000, fearsome Braves closer John Rocker handed the Fish a win with his clumsiness. In more than three decades of baseball, the Florida/Miami Marlins have seen contests end in a number of thrilling ways. That includes walk-off home runs, wild pitches, grand slams, plays at the plate and much more. One of the more bizarre finishes came on this day 25 years ago. The Florida Marlins topped the Atlanta Braves on a walk-off balk by Braves closer John Rocker in the bottom of the ninth. At 16-16, the Marlins were looking to get over .500 when they hosted the National League East-leading Braves on May 8, 2000. Braves starter Greg Maddux allowed eight hits, but struck out 10 in seven innings of work. Florida starter Vladimir Núñez also had a quality start, yielding just two runs on four hits while walking five in six innings of work. The Marlins picked up two unearned runs off Maddux in the first inning. After an error by Rafael Furcal on a ground ball off the bat of Preston Wilson allowed Mark Kotsay to score the game’s first run, Wilson came around to score on an RBI groundout by Mike Lowell. The Braves cut the lead in half in the fifth inning when Maddux helped himself with an RBI single. They drew even in the sixth when Andres Galarraga grounded into a double play with the bases loaded to score Quilvio Veras. With the score tied 2-2 heading to the bottom of the ninth inning, catcher Paul Bako got things started for the Marlins with a solid single to left field off Atlanta’s Rudy Seanez. Danny Bautista—a former member of the Braves—was called on to pinch run and got caught straying too far off first base. Atlanta first baseman Galarraga was unable to make the play on the pick-off throw, however, and Bautista advanced to second. After Dave Berg popped out, Bautista advanced to third base on a groundout by Luis Castillo. With two outs, Atlanta manager Bobby Cox went to the bullpen and the left-handed Rocker. Rocker intentionally walked Mark Smith to get to lefty Cliff Floyd. Smith took second on defensive indifference as Rocker got ahead in the count, 1-2. As Rocker stepped on the rubber, the ball slipped from his hand. A balk was called and Bautista was sent home for the winning run. Rocker was unable to record an out, but it was Seanez who took the loss. Dan Miceli recorded the final four outs for Florida to pick up the win. Bako finished 3-for-4 for the Marlins in the victory and got the ninth-inning rally started. Álex González added two hits as well. It would be four years later before another Major League Baseball game ended on a balk. It marked just the second time that it happened in Marlins history. The first also came against the Braves when Florida was on the losing end, thanks to a balk by Matt Turner. Rocker’s gaffe remains the only walk-off win in Marlins history on a balk. It happened on this day a quarter-century ago. View full article