In a bizarre season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Miami Marlins put together their first winning season in 11 years and made the playoffs for the first time since 2003. Their only walk-off win of the abbreviated 60-game season came on this day five years ago.
After scoring three runs to tie the game in the eighth, Jorge Alfaro ended the contest in the ninth. His walk-off single against the Philadelphia Phillies—his former team—completed the comeback in a 7-6 Marlins win.
The postseason was within reach for each franchise as the teams met for the Sept. 10, 2020 contest at Marlins Park. The Phillies, at 20-18, sat 1.5 games ahead of the 19-19 Marlins. As the contest hit the halfway point, Philadelphia held a 6-3 lead.
Miami had left runners on base in each of the previous three innings as it came to bat in the bottom of the eighth. After walking Garrett Cooper to start the inning, Philadelphia’s Tommy Hunter alternated flyouts and singles. Hits by Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Corey Dickerson loaded the bases as the Phillies went to Brandon Workman to face Starling Marte.
Marte had doubled in the first Miami run in the first. On the second pitch from Workman, the newly-acquired outfielder cleared the bases with a line drive three-run double down the right-field line. Workman got out the inning without further damage, but after Miami’s Yimi GarcÃa threw a 1-2-3 ninth, the Marlins made Workman the loser.
Brian Anderson singled to start the bottom of the ninth inning before pinch runner Monte Harrison advanced to second on a groundout. Harrison stole third, prompting Philadelphia to intentionally walk Miguel Rojas. The Marlins needed just a flyball to end the contest, but Workman buckled down and struck out Chisholm. To avoid extra innings, it was up to Alfaro.
On a night in which J.T. Realmuto—Alfaro’s Philadelphia counterpart whom he was traded for—homered, the Miami catcher went home a hero. After grounding out to plate a run earlier in the contest, Alfaro was able to roll a 1-0 pitch up the middle and past the diving Didi Gregorius for the walk-off hit.
Marte finished with three hits and four RBIs in the win. Dickerson had two hits and scored three runs. Alfaro, Realmuto and Philadelphia’s Alec Bohm also each finished with two hits.
The thriller kicked off what would be a seven-game series between the teams. Miami took five of those contests to go from 1.5 games back of Philadelphia to 1.5 games up on Philadelphia and went 7-3 against the Phillies for the season. Only two of the 10 meetings were one-run games. The lone walk-off came on this day five years ago.Â