5-Year Marliniversary: Stanton's Walk-Off Slam Downs Mariners

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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 a 1-2 pitch well over the left-center field wall for a walk-off grand slam and the victory. Miami would go on to sweep the series.

It was Stanton who would get the Marlins started that night with an RBI single in the first inning that scored Ozuna. Stanton would come around to score the second run of the inning on an RBI single from Casey McGehee.

The Mariners were able to even things up with a 2-run single by Dustin Ackley in the top of the second before Ozuna's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning put Miami back in front, 3-2. Jarrod Saltalamacchia's solo home run in the third inning doubled the Miami lead to 4-2.

Seattle was able to scratch back with runs in the fifth and seventh to tie the game before Stanton ultimately won it. Stanton and Yelich each had three hits with the slugger finishing the evening with five total runs batted in. Abraham Almonte was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored for the Mariners. Steve Cishek worked a scoreless ninth to pick up the win for Miami.

The only player in franchise history to earn National League MVP, Stanton would have a number of big moments for the Marlins. The grand slam to beat Seattle however, served as his final walk-off home run as a member of the Marlins and it came on this day five years ago.

Mike Ferguson is the founder of Marlins Memories. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson.

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