The Miami Marlins scored a walk-off victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday (box score), in the process becoming the first MLB team in more than two decades to record their first three victories via walk-offs. Sunday’s walk-off saw the Marlins enter the bottom of the ninth inning tied with the Pirates. Outfielder Derek Hill hit a lead-off single before stealing second base and advancing to third on a throwing error. Hill then crossed the plate when Pirates closer David Bednar uncorked a wild pitch against catcher Nick Fortes. Take a look:
The Marlins had already enjoyed one feel-good moment earlier in the game, when outfielder Griffin Conine tied the game in the seventh on a solo home run. It was a fitting moment for Griffin’s family, as father Jeff was inducted into the Marlins Hall of Fame ahead of Sunday’s contest. (Jeff Conine, of course, earned the nickname “Mr. Marlin” during his playing days and has remained connected to the organization in a variety of roles since retiring from the game back in 2007.)
The Marlins’ first walk-off win took place on Opening Day, when they overcame a 4-1 deficit to enter the bottom of the ninth tied. Kyle Stowers, acquired in last summer’s Trevor Rogers trade, supplied the game-winning knock. After losing Friday’s game, the Marlins were back at it on Saturday night: first with the aforementioned Stowers tying the game in the bottom of the 11th to force more action, and then with Dane Myers recording a game-winning single in the 12th.
The last team to pull off the Marlins’ feat was the 2003 Tampa Bay (then-Devil) Rays. Carl Crawford hit a walk-off home run on Opening Day against the Boston Red Sox. The Rays then lost four in a row before scoring a walk-off victory versus the New York Yankees — this time on an Al Martin home run. The Rays completed the hat trick a few nights later against yet another American League East foe, the Baltimore Orioles, when Travis Lee notched a bases-loaded single to end the game in 10 innings.
The Marlins are now 3-1 after their opening series. For reference, the 2024 Marlins began the season 0-9 and had already lost 13 contests by the time they tallied win No. 3 on the year.
Read the full article here
