Marlins' Top 5 Opening Day Moments

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It's Opening Day in Major League Baseball and the Miami Marlins are hoping to start 1-0 as they host their expansion sister Colorado Rockies.

This will be the 27th Opening Day in franchise history. Here's a look back on the top 5 memories for the Florida/Miami franchise to start the season:

5. Marlins Park Opens
St. Louis Cardinals 4, Miami Marlins 1
April 4, 2012
The 2012 season didn't start on the right foot for the Marlins, but it did reign in a new era. Marlins Park opened up as the Marlins transitioned from Florida to Miami. Rafael Furcal and David Freese each had three hits for St. Louis. John Buck plated the first Miami run in the new ballpark with an RBI double in the eighth to score Omar Infante.

4. Buck Hits Grand Slam in Marlins Debut
New York Mets 2, Florida Marlins 6
April 1, 2011
It was a brand new face that ignited the victory for the Florida Marlins in their final season opener at Pro Player Stadium. With the contest scoreless in the fourth inning, newly acquired catcher John Buck unloaded the bases with a grand slam off of New York Mets' starter Mike Pelfrey. Buck and Gaby Sanchez each tallied two hits in the win. Josh Johnson allowed two runs on three hits in 6 2/3 innings to earn the win for Florida.

3. Marlins Shell Hall of Famer Smoltz
Atlanta Braves 0, Florida Marlins 9
April 5, 2005
Few will ever question the greatness of Atlanta Braves legend and 2015 Hall of Fame inductee John Smoltz. Smoltz was an 8-time All-Star and won the 1996 Cy Young Award, but none of that seemed to impress the Florida Marlins on Opening Day in 2005. Smoltz lasted less than two innings and was tagged for seven runs -- six earned -- in a shutout loss to the Marlins. Juan Encarnacion's grand slam highlighted a 5-run first inning for the Marlins before Carlos Delgado's 2-run single an inning later ended Smoltz's day. On the other side of the mound, Josh Beckett allowed just two hits in six shutout innings to earn the win. Delgado finished with three RBIs while Mike Lowell plated two more in the win.

2. Alou, Brown Set Tone for World Series Run
Chicago Cubs 2, Florida Marlins 4
April 1, 1997
There was a different feeling in the air as the Florida Marlins took the field to open the 1997 season. The Marlins had made significant offseason moves with acquisitions of pitcher Alex Fernandez and All-Stars Moises Alou and Bobby Bonilla. Alou wasted no time making his presence felt in a Florida uniform with a solo home run in his first at-bat in the second inning. Alou would drive in a pair of runs while Bonilla, rookie Luis Castillo and club legend Jeff Conine each had two hits. On the mound, ace Kevin Brown was dominant, allowing just one hit in seven shutout innings while striking out eight. Florida would go on to win its first World Series that season.

1. A Franchise is Born
Los Angeles Dodgers 3, Florida Marlins 6
April 5, 1993
It was April 5, 1993 when the Florida Marlins officially became a Major League Baseball franchise. In the process, the Marlins, with 45-year-old Charlie Hough on the mound, defeated 3-time All-Star and former Cy Young Award winner Orel Hershiser. Walt Weiss would plate the franchise's first run with an RBI triple in the second inning. Scott Pose, the first Marlin to ever come to the plate, would add an RBI single later in the inning. Jeff Conine, who would later come to be known as "Mr. Marlin" was 4-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. Pose and Weiss each finished with two RBIs. Hough went six innings to get the win. Bryan Harvey worked a scoreless ninth to record the first save in team history.
 
Mike Ferguson is the founder of Marlins Memories. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson.

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