10-year Marliniversary: Fish score three in ninth to stun Dodgers

For baseball fans, there are few things more exciting than a walk-off win. The Florida Marlins rallied to pull off that feat on this day 10 years ago against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Both the Marlins and Dodgers were 2-2 when the teams met at Sun Life Stadium for the middle game of a three-game set on April 10, 2010. The Marlins trailed by a pair of runs entering their final at-bat, but scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to win, 7-6.

Florida led 4-3 after seven innings, but the Dodgers pushed two runs across in the eighth inning. With a pair of runners in scoring position, Andre Ethier laced a two-run single up the middle off Marlins reliever Dan Meyer. Up 5-4, Los Angeles would double its lead in the top of the ninth with a solo home run from Matt Kemp.

Down two runs and to their final three outs, the Marlins started the ninth inning off on the right foot with a solid single to center field off the bat of Gaby Sánchez. The Dodgers went to the bullpen as George Sherrill replaced Ramon Troncoso. Command issues would immediately plague Sherrill as he hit pinch hitter Wes Helms before walking Chris Coghlan.

With the bases loaded and no one out, Marlins’ manager Fredi González went to the bench. Catcher Ronny Paulino was called on to hit for outfielder Cameron Maybin. Maybin had been 2-for-4, but the move immediately paid off. On the second pitch he saw from Sherrill, Paulino lined a two-run double to center to tie the game.

After intentionally walking Hanley Ramirez, Sherrill threw just two pitches to Florida’s Jorge Cantu. On the second, Cantu lifted a fly-ball to center field. It was deep enough to score Coghlan as the Marlins won in walk-off fashion with a three-run ninth.

The Florida ninth was the third three-run inning of the game. The Dodgers used four hits in the third inning to take a 3-1 lead off Florida starter Josh Johnson. In the bottom of the fourth, Florida regained the lead on a three-run home run by Sánchez off Vicente Padilla.

Sánchez finished with two hits while Ramirez was 2-for-3 with an RBI double that got the scoring started. Casey Blake was 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI for Los Angeles in the loss. José Veras earned the win for Florida.

The Marlins would win another one-run game the next day to take the series. Throughout the 2010 season, Florida had nine walk-off wins during an 80-82 campaign. The first one of those came on this day 10 years ago.