MIAMI—From Opening Day, the Marlins knew their identity. Moments after capping off a late push against the Pirates with a walk-off double, Kyle Stowers and Dane Myers made sure the baseball world knew the “Fightin’ Fish” were never out of a game.
Fast-forward almost ninety games into their 2025 campaign, the youngest team in baseball has been arguably the best team in baseball in the past two weeks, with a major courtesy going to their ability to band together and come back late.
Miami has scored in the seventh inning or later in eight of their past twelve games—ten of which they came out victorious. A two-run eighth capped off by Lake Bachar’s first save as a big leaguer pushed the Fish to another win in Saturday’s middle game against the Brewers, 4-2.
Early signs indicated a potential late fireworks show on the offensive side—both teams combined for four runs in as many innings, leading to Cal Quantrill being pulled before retiring twelve batters—but three and a half scoreless frames later, the Marlins were in a position to strike.
Back-to-back hits from the bottom of the order passed the baton to Xavier Edwards, who followed with a downright magnificent bunt to load the bases. “That was a sweet bunt,” raved his manager, Clayton McCullough. “Great touch, placement.”
With ducks on the pond, pinch-hitting Connor Norby and Otto Lopez faltered with their chances to break the tie. That left rookie Agustín Ramírez in as intense of a situation as one could draw up.
Down in the count and the heart rates of all 11,378 in the crowd up, Ramírez delivered.
“We’ve seen maturity with Gus throughout this season,” said McCullough. “And yes, while he’s a rookie, he’s been in a lot of big spots and chased the first pitch. But to be able to collect yourself, and especially with how the previous couple of at-bats go…Real credit to Gus and his ability just to stay in the moment and control his heartbeat and put together a great at-bat.”
“I’ve been through a lot of those emotions through the minor league level,” said Ramírez through translator Luis Dorante Jr. “I think those are things that really prepare you for this moment, and at a point like that, you have to calm down and just put the pressure on the pitcher instead of you.”
Adding yet another huge swing to his résumé, Ramírez’s RBI total sits at 37, good enough for third among MLB rookies. His OPS of .749 ranks ninth among all qualified first-year players.
As soon as he was called up in late April, Ramírez emerged as an impact bat for his team and must-watch player for any fan in attendance, roles that he embraces.
“It’s amazing,” Ramírez replied when asked what it meant to keep his team’s run intact. “Everybody working hard. It’s amazing and I’m happy for everybody. This is what I want, and everybody wants.”
For the first time since 2017, the Marlins have the opportunity to win five consecutive series. On Sunday at 1:40, the chances look to be in their favor. Coming off possibly the best start of his MLB career, Edward Cabrera takes the mound. While Cabrera’s resurgence has been nothing short of incredible, he may be overshadowed by the Brewers’ projected starter, Brandon Woodruff. The two-time All-Star will be making his return to the majors after nearly two full years of injury trouble. He posted a 2.79 ERA across 10 MiLB rehab starts.