5-year Marliniversary: Prado’s walk-off single breaks scoreless tie in 13th, lifts Fish past Orioles

The walk-off hit is one of the more exciting moments in baseball. It’s rare, however, that those account for all of a game’s offense.

That was the case on this day five years ago for the Miami Marlins. Off to an 0-8 start on a 10-game homestand, they hosted the Baltimore Orioles for the second game of a three-game set at Marlins Park on May 23, 2015. The evening would be dominated by pitching, but after 12 ½ innings of scoreless baseball, Martín Prado finally delivered with a walk-off single in a 1-0 victory.

Both starting pitchers were solid, but neither came to close to factoring in the decision. Dan Haren pitched around seven hits in three walks while striking out six in six shutout innings for Miami. Baltimore’s Mike Wright allowed three hits and three walks in seven scoreless frames.

The Fish and O’s each left 10 men on base and were a combined 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Throughout the course of the contest, both teams were thrown out at home trying to score the go-ahead run.

In the top of the sixth inning, Baltimore’s Travis Snider was gunned out at home by Marcell Ozuna on a Wright single that ultimately ended Haren’s night. In the bottom of the 10^th, Hechavarria was thrown out trying to advance home on a pitch that scooted slightly past the catcher Caleb Joseph.

Miami reliever Carter Capps retired nine of the 10 batters he faced and six by way of strikeout as he kept Baltimore off the scoreboard for three innings heading into the bottom of the 13^th.

Adeiny Hechavarría got the inning started on the right foot for Miami as he drew a four-pitch walk from Baltimore’s T.J. McFarland. But McFarland settled in to strike out Capps and Dee Gordon, and a 14^th inning seemed inevitable. That was before Ozuna lined a single to right to move Hechavarría to third. With two outs, Giancarlo Stanton was intentionally walked to load the bases.

That set the stage for Prado.

With the count even 1-1, Prado lined a McFarland pitch into the right-center field gap for the walk-off single. Hechavarría scored to end a contest that lasted nearly four hours.

Capps earned the win for Miami while McFarland took the loss for the Orioles. McFarland entered the contest in the 12^th after lefty Brian Matusz was ejected for having a substance on his arm.

Manny Machado, Jimmy Paredes and Snider all had two hits for the Orioles, who finished with nine as a team. Miami had just seven hits. No player had a multi-hit game for the Marlins, but Hechavarría reached base three times.

The victory served as the third walk-off win of the season for the Marlins. Miami won 5-2 the next day to take the series.

Prado’s single to break up a scoreless tie was the first Miami walk-off of that nature since May 7, 2014. It happened on this day five years ago.