Ten years on, Jose Fernandez’s final start still reads like a snapshot of everything he meant to the Miami Marlins: electric stuff, easy command, and a presence that filled the ballpark. The Cuban right-hander turned in one of the finest outings of his short career in that game against the Washington Nationals, striking out 12, allowing three hits and no runs over eight innings.
Fernandez was in full control that night. He retired 21 straight batters and gave Miami exactly what it needed from its ace. It stood as one of the defining performances of his four seasons with the club.
Barry Bonds, then the hitting coach, was among the people enjoying the show. His bond with Fernandez was a visible part of the night, and Fernandez talked after the game about what Bonds had been telling him.
"He's telling me how I don't have a complete game, and I can never pass a six or a seven," Hernandez said. "I really tried today to throw more, maybe, but man, just lucky, happy.
I got lucky today, and we came out on top today. There are things he told me about how to throw to the hitters, and everybody's putting in a little bit of work, and at this point in the season we all know what it takes, and we're trying to get there."
"Can't go past 7! Can't go past 7!"In his final postgame interview, José Fernández speaks about the Marlins competing for a playoff spot, staying healthy throughout the 2016 season and his friendship with Barry Bonds. pic.twitter.com/2XYVxuuksN
That final season had already carried its own weight. Fernandez came through 2016 healthy after season-ending Tommy John surgery in 2014, and the thought lingered that without that injury, his résumé would have grown even bigger.
Five days after that outing, everything changed. Fernandez was killed in a boating accident off the coast of Miami Beach, Florida. He was 24, and his death sent shockwaves through baseball.
At the time, the Marlins were not yet close to locking down a playoff berth, but they were in the wild-card race. The roster had real talent, and Fernandez’s death altered the organization’s path.
He and Giancarlo Stanton were the team’s leaders and best players, and Fernandez’s influence on the franchise was enormous. Miami needed years to recover from the loss.
At home, Fernandez was especially dominant. He went 29-2 with a 1.49 ERA in 42 starts.
He finished his career as a two-time All-Star and the 2013 NL Rookie of the Year.
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Jose Fernandez Delivered One Last Marlins Masterpiece Fans Still Feel
On Sept. 20, 2016, Jos Fernndez gave Marlins fans one of those nights that still hangs in the air long after the final out. Against the Washington Nationals, he worked eight scoreless innings, allowed only three hits and struck out 12 without issuing a walk, a dominant performance made just enough by Giancarlo Stantons go-ahead home run in a 1-0 win.
David Phelps finished the job in the ninth, but the memory from that night remains Fernndez in full command, powering through a division opponent with the kind of electricity Miami rarely saw so cleanly. It was the sort of outing that felt bigger than one game at the time, and in hindsight it became one of the last great reminders of what he meant to the Marlins and their fans. [Read more 🡒]
Marlins Keep Running Into The Same Problem This Young Core Must Fix
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That urgency is especially relevant with players like Javier Sanoja and others still adjusting to new positions, a process that brings growing pains even when the talent is there. The Marlins have spent plenty of time trying to sort out those moving pieces, and the challenge now is turning that work into something more reliable before the same breakdowns keep deciding games. [Read more 🡒]
Sandy Alcantara Gets A Tough Shot To Stop A Marlins Sweep
The Marlins are heading into Sunday trying to keep the Padres from completing a sweep after dropping the first two games of the series. Miami will lean on Sandy Alcantara for the finale, with the veteran right-hander getting a tough assignment against a San Diego club that has already handled business through the first two matchups.
Walker Buehler is lined up to start for the Padres, adding another layer to a game that already feels important for Miamis series hopes. First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m. PT, with the game available on Padres.TV, the MLB app and on radio, leaving Alcantara with a familiar kind of pressure: give his team a chance to reset the series before it gets away. [Read more 🡒]