10-year Marliniversary: Marlins rally past Rockies on Murphy’s pinch-hit, walk-off blast

Appearing in nine different Major League Baseball seasons, Donnie Murphy never played in more than 52 games during any campaign. But for about a month-long period in 2010, Murphy developed a flare for the timely hit as a member of the Florida Marlins.

Murphy hit just three home runs that season and only eight in three seasons as a member of the Marlins. The most notable of those came on this day a decade ago—July 19, 2010—as Murphy’s walk-off two-run home lifted the Marlins past the Colorado Rockies, 9-8.

Down 2-0, the Marlins pushed across three runs in the third inning. After the Rockies regained the lead with two runs in the top of the sixth, Florida went back in front in the bottom of the inning on a three-run home run by Mike Stanton. The Marlins added an insurance run in the seventh on an RBI single by Jorge Cantú.

Florida enjoyed a 7-4 advantage before the Rockies pushed across four runs in the top of the eighth. After a solo shot by Ian Stewart pulled Colorado to within two, Jonathan Herrera’s three-run home run off Florida reliever Jhan Marinez put the Rockies in front, 8-7.

It had been more than two years since Murphy had homered at the big-league level when he was called upon to pinch hit with two outs. With Florida trailing 8-7, Murphy had four plate appearances on the season as he stepped to plate to face Colorado closer Huston Street in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Street had started the inning by inducing a pair of fly outs. After a two-out walk to Dan Uggla put the tying run on base, Street’s first pitch to Murphy was taken for a ball. The next pitch he threw left the yard.

Street’s fastball wasn’t particularly high in the zone, but it was left over the middle. Rather than try to pull the pitch, Murphy was able to drive it the opposite way and into the right field stands for a two-run walk-off shot as the Marlins snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

Seth Smith finished with three hits for Colorado in the loss. Jason Giambi plated a pair of runs for the Rockies.

For the Marlins, Emilio Bonifacio, Cantú and Stanton combined for seven hits, five runs scored and six RBIs. However, the night belonged to Murphy.

One week later, Murphy would deliver a walk-off single to lift the Marlins past the Atlanta Braves, but his blast to beat Colorado served as Florida’s only walk-off home run of the season and the only one of Murphy’s career. It came on this day 10 years ago.