The Marlins needed every bit of a wild finish Monday night, and they got it.
Miami erased a late deficit and snapped its 12-game skid with an 8-7 walk-off win over the Phillies at loanDepot park, rallying for three runs in the ninth after letting a three-run lead slip away in the sixth. The comeback also kept the Marlins from becoming the first Major League team to lose 13 straight since the 2024 White Sox, who dropped 21 in a row on their way to the Modern Era record of 121 losses.
The night started with Miami doing something few teams have managed against Zack Wheeler. Entering the series opener, Wheeler had been unbeaten in his last 10 starts against the Marlins dating back to 2022, going 5-0 with a 2.87 ERA. This season, Miami had produced just one run in 12 innings across two of his starts.
That script got flipped fast. Wheeler was knocked out after three innings, his shortest start in four years, and the Marlins tagged him for five runs, the most he had allowed since May 29, 2025.
Heriberto Hernández set the tone early by taking Wheeler deep in the first inning for his team-leading 15th home run. Later, with Miami trailing 7-5 in the ninth, the rally came together in a hurry. Jakob Marsee and Otto Lopez singled, and Kyle Stowers was hit by a pitch from closer Jhoan Duran to load the bases with nobody out.
Hernández came through again, lining a game-tying single up the middle. Xavier Edwards followed with a bunt hit that reloaded the bases, and Liam Hicks then grounded into a forceout at home.
In Other News...
Cubs May Be Eyeing Another Marlins Arm For A Familiar Reason
The Cubs have already gone down this road once with a Marlins starter, and the fit never quite settled the way they hoped. After dealing for Edward Cabrera, Chicago ran into the familiar mix of injuries and uneven performance that can make pitching trades feel more like a bet than a solution, which is why any fresh look at Miamis rotation naturally draws attention around the deadline.
Sandy Alcantara is now the name surfacing in that conversation, and it makes sense from the Cubs side even before any deal gets close. He has put together a solid season and would give Chicago a proven arm for a rotation that could use one, but the larger question is whether the Marlins are willing to move him at all and what kind of price a contender would have to pay to find out. [Read more 🡒]
Owen Caissie Just Gave Marlins Fans A Reason To Hope Again
Owen Caissie gave the Marlins a tidy little jolt to start his rehab assignment at Triple-A Jacksonville, and it came in the form of a home run. The rookie outfielder also worked the kind of patient line a club wants to see from a player getting his timing back, finishing 1-for-1 with a hit-by-pitch and two walks as Miami keeps one eye on the present and another on what he can add once he is back in the mix.
Clayton McCullough laid out a careful ramp-up for Caissie over the next few days, with the Marlins planning to stack enough plate appearances without giving him much downtime. For a team trying to piece together offense wherever it can find it, the early signs from Caissie matter because they suggest both health and rhythm are moving in the right direction, even if the final step back to Miami still has to be earned. [Read more 🡒]
Marlins Set Thank You Tommy Day For Franchise Icon Tommy Hutton
The Marlins are planning a fitting salute for one of the most familiar voices in franchise history, announcing Thank You Tommy Day for Aug. 23 to honor Tommy Huttons long run in the broadcast booth. Hutton has spent 28 seasons with Miami, becoming part of the daily rhythm for generations of fans while helping narrate the clubs ups and downs from the TV side.
The pregame ceremony will include a video tribute and a ceremonial first pitch from Huttons granddaughters, a family touch that should make the afternoon feel especially personal. Hutton has already said he plans to retire after the 2026 season, so this celebration lands as both a thank-you and a reminder that the end of an era is drawing closer. [Read more 🡒]