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15-Year Marliniversary: Lowell's Walk-Off Blast in Extras Lifts Fish Past Mets

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Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images Over the last couple weeks, the Miami Marlins have had their fair share of exciting victories. That was also the case for the then-Florida Marlins on this day 15 years ago. The Marlins were 28-20 and in first place in the National League East as they prepared for the middle game of a three-game set against the New York Mets at Pro Player Stadium on May 29, 2004. Florida took the lead in the first as Lenny Harris grounded into a double play to plate a run. The Mets drew even on a Ty Wiggington solo homer in the second inning and took the lead in the fourth on a Karim Garcia RBI single. Álex González’s RBI single in the bottom of that inning scored Jeff Conine and evened the contest. Florida had won in walk-off fashion more than a week before against the Arizona Diamondbacks on a bases-loaded walk to Mike Redmond, but the only walk-off home run of the season for 2004 would come against the Mets off the bat of Mike Lowell. An All-Star, ...
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20-Year Marliniversary: Aven Hits First Grand Slam in Marlins History to Lead Fish Past Dodgers

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Getty Images The 1999 season wasn’t one that the Florida Marlins will remember with any particular fondness, but like any other baseball season, it had its fair share of memories. One of the most thrilling from that particular season took place on this day two decades ago. The Marlins were a league-worst 6-22 as they made their way to Dodger Stadium to begin a three-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 7, 1999. Florida had lost eight straight heading into the contest and had failed to win a series all season. That trend looked to inevitably continue as Florida trailed 3-1 after six innings. To that point, the Marlins had mustered just a run on four hits against Los Angeles starter Darren Dreifort before stringing hits together in the top of the seventh. After an RBI double from Todd Dunwoody cut the Dodgers’ lead in half, Dreifort intentionally walked catcher Jorge Fabregas to load the bases. From there, Los Angeles went to the bullpen and Florida went to the bench...
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10-Year Marliniversary: Fish Score Six in 10th to Stun Cubs

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Getty Images The Miami Marlins made things interesting on Saturday night in Philadelphia as the Fish rallied from a 10-1 deficit to get as close as a single run before ultimately falling to the Phillies, 12-9. On this day a decade ago, the Florida Marlins put together a big extra inning at one of baseball’s most iconic venues. After rallying late to force extras, the Marlins scored six runs in the 10th and left Wrigley Field with an 8-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on April 30, 2009. Through six innings, the Marlins had managed just four hits and trailed 2-0. Back-to-back home runs by Milton Bradley and Mike Fontenot in the fifth inning had accounted for all the scoring until the top of the seventh when Jorge Cantú added a solo home run of his own to get Florida on the board and cut the lead in half. The Marlins would tie the game an inning later on a throwing error by Cubs’ reliever Carlos Marmol on a bunt by Cameron Maybin. The run came after Marmol had walked the first tw...
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5-Year Marliniversary: Fernandez Ks Career-High 14 in 1-0 Win Over Braves

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Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images Former Miami Marlins' pitcher Jose Fernandez was something to see. A native of Cuba, Fernandez wore his emotions on his sleeve and was filled with enthusiasm on the mound before his unexpected death in 2016. On this day five years ago, the young Fernandez, then a second-year pitcher, struck out a career-high 14 Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. Fernandez was flawless in a 1-0 win for the Marlins. An RBI single by Casey McGhee to score Giancarlo Stanton in the fourth inning would provide all the scoring in the contest. That would be all that Fernandez needed. The Marlins were just 8-10 on the season when they arrived at Turner Field on April 22, 2014 to face the 13-6 Atlanta Braves. Throughout the evening, Atlanta managed just three hits. Fernandez struck out one batter in each of the first three innings before striking out the side in the fourth and fifth. Two of the three hits for the Braves off Fernandez came in the eighth inning. With two runn...
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15-Year Maliniversary: Lowell Becomes First Marlin to Homer Three Times in One Game

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Rich Pilling/MLB Photos via Getty Images Third baseman Mike Lowell certainly had his share of postseason heroics with the Florida Marlins and Boston Red Sox, but on this day 15 years ago, the Gold Glove third baseman did something that no Marlin had ever done -- leave the yard three times in one game. The defending world champion Florida Marlins were riding high on April 21, 2004 as they looked to clinch the series by taking the middle game of a 3-game set at Citizens Bank Park against the Philadelphia Phillies. Florida was 9-4 on the young season compared to just 5-7 for Philadelphia. Through five and a half innings, a solo home run by Lowell off Philadelphia starter Eric Milton to lead off the second inning accounted for all the scoring. Then in the bottom of the sixth, the Phillies pushed across five runs with a 2-run homer from Jim Thome putting Philadelphia ahead. Trailing 5-1 entering the seventh, Florida answered back with five runs of its own. After the Marlins pushed...
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5-Year Marliniversary: Stanton's Walk-Off Slam Downs Mariners

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Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images Few things in baseball are mre exciting than a walk-off home run and during his tenure with the Florida/Miami Marlins, Giancarlo Stanton had his fair share of those. One of those came on this day five years ago and it came with the bases loaded. Both the Miami Marlins and Seattle Mariners were below .500 early in the 2014 season when they began a 3-game set at Marlins Park on April 18, 2014. The Marlins never trailed in the contest, but Seattle seemed to always have an answer -- at least that was the case until Stanton came to the plate with the bases filled in the bottom of the ninth. Yoervis Medina came in to pitch for Seattle in a 4-4 game to start the ninth, but never was able to record an out. After Reed Johnson singled to start the inning, Christian Yelich was able to reach on a bunt hit. A misplayed bunt off the bat of Marcell Ozuna loaded the bags and set the stage for Stanton. Medina was able to get ahead in the count before Stanton launched...
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15-Year Marliniversary: Marlins Sweep Expos in San Juan to Set Club Record for Scoreless Innings

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Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images The 2004 season for the Florida Marlins didn't have the memories that the year prior brought, but on this day 15 years, the Fish did something that had not been done in nine years. On April 15, 2004, the Marlins completed a 3-game sweep of the Montreal Expos with 3-0 victory. Each of the three wins in the series for Florida came by way of shutout. That had not been done in Major League Baseball since the 1995 season when the Baltimore Orioles swept the Detroit Tigers without allowing a run. Florida starting pitcher Carl Pavano went seven innings while allowing just three hits to earn the victory for the Marlins. After Chad Fox struck out the side in the eighth inning, Armando Benitez got Orlando Cabrera to ground into a double play to earn the save and end the contest. All the Marlins' offense in the victory came in the fourth inning. After Mike Lowell drove in Luis Castillo with a sacrifice fly, Hee-Seop Choi blasted a 2-run homer off of ...
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