Five years ago, the Marlins walked into Nationals Park and left with a comeback that flipped the game in the ninth inning.
Miami was trailing 6-4 entering the final frame on Sept. 15, 2021, after a stretch in which Washington had scored in five straight innings. The Marlins had also scored in three straight, but they still had not gotten in front.
Then Kyle Finnegan ran into a storm.
Isan Díaz opened the inning with a walk, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled on the next pitch. A wild pitch pushed both runners into scoring position, and Miguel Rojas delivered an RBI single to make it a one-run game. After Lewin Díaz grounded out, Bryan De La Cruz brought home the tying run with an RBI fielder’s choice.
That set up Jesús Sánchez, who had already launched a two-run homer earlier in the game. This time, he turned on a high fastball on the outer half and sent it the other way, driving a two-run shot to left-center and into the Washington bullpen for the go-ahead blast.
The Marlins weren’t done with the inning, but the damage was. Dylan Floro finished off the 8-6 win with a 1-2-3 ninth.
Sánchez’s two-run homer capped his big day, while De La Cruz also homered and finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Rojas and Chisholm each had two hits, with Rojas driving in two runs and Chisholm scoring once.
Miami ended the season two games ahead of Washington, finishing 67-95 to the Nationals’ 65-97. Washington took the season series, but the final game between the teams in the nation’s capital went to the Marlins.
In Other News...
Marlins Suddenly Have A Bigger Max Meyer Concern Than This Season
Max Meyers season already had a stop-and-start feel, and now the Marlins are dealing with an even more unsettling update. The right-hander, who has been on the injured list with a neck strain, has discontinued his throwing program and will go through further evaluation after last taking the mound on July 18. Miami had already planned to shut him down for the rest of the year so he could get a proper offseason and so the club could look at other arms for the stretch run.
For the Marlins, the immediate focus remains on sorting out the pitching staff for the final weeks, but Meyers situation is starting to look like it could carry beyond this season. He has missed time with injuries throughout the year, and ending his throwing program before the calendar flips adds a more serious layer to what had been framed as a rest-and-reset move. The next step is evaluation, which leaves the bigger question hanging over both his health and Miamis long-term plans. [Read more 🡒]
Marlins Suddenly Face Another Ninth-Inning Problem At The Worst Time
A late-night loss in Arizona added another layer of unease to a Marlins team already trying to keep its footing in the race. Miami got plenty of offense from Jakob Marsee and Javier Sanoja, who both turned in multi-hit, home-run nights, but the matchup still slipped away after Sandy Alcantara labored through five innings and allowed four runs.
The real concern arrived at the end, where the Marlins were again forced to improvise in the ninth inning. Pete Fairbanks left early because of a recurring nerve irritation, and rookie Jack Ralston ended up taking the ball for the finish before Corbin Carroll ended the game with a walk-off homer, leaving Miami with another bullpen question at the worst possible time. [Read more 🡒]
Jakob Marsee Is Giving The Marlins A New Reason To Believe
Jakob Marsees season has turned into one of the quieter bright spots in Miami, and the shape of it matters as much as the numbers. The Marlins center fielder looked overmatched at times in the first half, but he came back after the break with a far more complete offensive game, driving the ball with more authority and getting on base at a much better clip while giving the lineup a steadier presence in center field.
Marsee has already reached double-digit home runs, and his recent game offered a compact reminder of why the organization has reason to keep watching closely: a homer, a triple and two runs scored in a losing effort. For a team still searching for pillars it can trust moving forward, the encouraging part is not just that Marsee has improved, but that he has done it in a way that looks sustainable enough to make the Marlins future picture a little clearer. [Read more 🡒]