Ten years ago, José Fernández walked off the mound at Marlins Park having done exactly what he so often did: leave hitters searching for answers and give the Marlins one more unforgettable night.
That final start came on Sept. 20, 2016, and Fernández was in command from the jump. In eight innings against the Washington Nationals, he gave up only three hits in Miami’s 1-0 victory, striking out 12 without issuing a walk. It was the kind of performance that fit his season, too - he already owned the Marlins’ single-season strikeout record when he took the ball.
The night began with a brief scare, but Fernández shut it down quickly. Washington’s Stephen Drew opened the game with a one-out double in the first, yet Fernández answered by retiring Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon. That started a run of 19 straight batters retired by the Miami right-hander.
The Nationals’ Tanner Roark matched him for most of the game. Roark carried a shutout through 5 2/3 innings and allowed just two hits before making the one mistake that decided everything. In the bottom of the sixth, Giancarlo Stanton got a pitch up in the zone and sent it over the wall in right field for the only run of the game.
With Miami ahead 1-0, Fernández took it from there. Washington’s best push came in the eighth after he struck out Clint Robinson to start the inning, then gave up back-to-back singles to Wilson Ramos and Brian Goodwin. With runners on the corners and one out, Fernández reached back for more, striking out Danny Espinosa swinging and then getting Daniel Murphy to ground out.
That ended Fernández’s night after 111 pitches. David Phelps handled the ninth, allowing a one-out single to Drew before striking out Harper and getting Rendon to ground out for the save.
Fernández’s career lasted four seasons, and in that span he was a two-time All-Star with a 38-17 record and a 2.58 ERA. His final outing was a gem, and it still stands as one of the clearest reminders of what he brought to the mound every time he pitched.
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