15-year Marliniversary: Uggla’s walk-off double in 10th completes comeback vs. Mets

The 2007 Florida Marlins didn’t have a whole lot to play for in September. One thing that it could play was spoiler and against the New York Mets, they played it well.

On this day 15 years ago, the Marlins rallied from a three-run ninth-inning deficit to top the Mets in 10 innings. Dan Uggla played the role of hero with a walk-off double in an 8-7 victory.

The Marlins actually took a 4-3 lead to the ninth inning at Dolphin Stadium on Sept. 20, 2007. With one out and the bases loaded, New York’s Marlon Anderson unloaded them with a three-run double.

The bases-clearing hit gave the Mets a 6-4 lead, but they weren’t done. Carlos Beltran singled home a run to push the lead to three. Now down 7-4, the Marlins refused to roll over.

A single from Jeremy Hermida off Pedro Feliciano and a double from Miguel Cabrera off Jorge Sosa brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth. Those two would score on an RBI groundout from Alfredo Amezaga and an RBI infield single from Mike Jacobs. After a single from Cody Ross loaded the bases, a slow roller to short off the bat of Matt Treanor brought home pinch runner Reggie Abercrombie to tie the game, 7-7.

Taylor Tankersley worked around a lead-off walk to Jeff Conine to work a scoreless 10th. Despite allowing three hits and two earned runs in the ninth, Sosa remained in to pitch for the Mets. In extra innings, he failed to record an out.

Hanley Ramirez led off the frame with an infield single. Uggla worked a six-pitch at-bat before hammering one off the wall in the left-centerfield gap. Ramirez came around to score the winning run as Uggla completed a four-hit night and Florida completed the comeback.

The ninth-inning lead would not be the only three-run advantage that the Mets would let slip away. A two-run double from Moises Alou in the first and an RBI double from David Wright in the third got the Mets out to a 3-0 lead.

In the fifth, Florida pushed four runs across. After Ramirez doubled home starting pitcher Dontrelle Willis, Cabrera’s three-run blast later in the frame gave the Marlins their first lead, 4-3. Ramirez, Hermida and Wright all finished with three hits in the contest.

The comeback win was a thrill for the Marlins but probably a bigger loss for the Mets. The Mets entered the contest leading the National League East by 1.5 games. New York dropped seven of its final 11 games to finish a game behind the Philadelphia Phillies.

Three of those seven losses came to the Marlins. The only walk-off took place on this day 15 years ago.