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Miami Marlins pitcher Jordan Yamamoto had a debut to remember on Wednesday night by tossing seven shutout innings in a 9-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Garrett Cooper had two at-bats to try to double and become the first player in franchise history to hit for the cycle, but had to settle for a 3-for-5 night with a triple and a grand slam.
While Cooper was unable to collect a major Marlins milestone on Wednesday night, one did take place on this day 25 years ago and it happened against St. Louis.
Visiting the Cardinals at Busch Stadium on June 13, 1994 in just their second year as a franchise, the Florida Marlins entered the top of the ninth inning trailing 1-0.
Second baseman Bret Barberie led off the inning, and with the fifth pitch he saw from St. Louis closer Mike Pérez, Barberie hammered the ball to right-center field. Outfielders Mark Whiten and Ray Lankford converged to make the play, but collided. The ball bounced off the wall and rolled into center field.
By the time second baseman Geronimo Peña was able to come up with it, Barberie had made his way all the way around to home plate. Barberie would slide in easily, notching the first inside-the-park home run in Marlins history.
His “solo shot” tied the score at one apiece.
The inside-the-park home run served as Barberie’s only official at-bat of the evening, although he reached base safely in each of his other three plate appearances with two walks and a hit by pitch. The hit also kept Marlins starting pitcher Pat Rapp from taking the loss after allowing just a run on four hits in eight innings of work.
Unfortunately for Barberie, it wasn’t enough to get Florida over the hump. The Cardinals won the game in walk-off fashion when catcher Tom Pagnozzi singled home the winning run off reliever Robb Nen in the bottom half of the inning.
Nevertheless, Barberie will always hold the distinction of being the first member of the Marlins franchise to record an inside-the-park home run. That moment happened on this day a quarter-century ago.