The 2020 season was unlike any other in baseball history. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the shortened 60-game season didn’t begin until July.
On this day five years ago, the Miami Marlins guaranteed that they would be playing baseball in October. The Marlins clinched their first postseason berth in 17 years and third ever at an empty Yankee Stadium with a 4-3 win over the New York Yankees in 10 innings.
Fittingly, New York was the place and the Yankees were the opponent that the Marlins had played their previous postseason game as they arrived on Sept. 25, 2020. Then the Florida Marlins famously closed out the 2003 World Series with a 2-0 win in Game 6 at the historic Yankee Stadium behind a stellar pitching performance from Josh Beckett.
Coming in, the Marlins needed to win and have the Philadelphia Phillies fall to the Tampa Bay Rays to earn a postseason trip. For Miami, the offense came early as Garrett Cooper followed two-out walks to Jesús Aguilar and Brian Anderson by sending J.A. Happ‘s first pitch into the right-field stands for a three-run blast.
The Marlins got a quality start on the mound from Sandy Alcantara, but unfortunately, the early 3-0 lead would not hold up. The Yankees got on the board in the fourth with a two-run double from Aaron Hicks. After an errant pickoff attempt by Miami reliever Yimi GarcÃa, New York drew even in the eighth on an RBI single from Aaron Judge.
The contest ultimately went to extra innings. After a sacrifice bunt and an error put runners on the corners in the top of the 10th, the Marlins regained the lead on a sacrifice fly Aguilar.
The Yankees made things interesting in the bottom of the 10th when a pair of walks loaded the bases with one out. With the tying run at third and the winning run in scoring position, Miami closer Brandon Kintzler was able to get New York’s DJ LeMahieu to bounce one toward the bag at second. Shortstop Miguel Rojas fielded it in stride, touched second base and threw on to first for the playoff-clinching out.
The Marlins won despite just three hits. The Yankees finished with four errors in the loss. Brad Boxberger threw a scoreless ninth to earn the win for Miami. Judge and Gary Sánchez each had two hits for the Yankees in the loss.
The win coupled with Tampa Bay’s 6-4 victory over the Phillies put Miami in the playoffs for the first time since 2003. The Marlins would win the rubber game of the series at Yankee Stadium two days later to finish 31-29 — their first winning season in 11 years.
The franchise won World Series in 1997 and 2003 as the Florida Marlins. The Marlins returned to the playoffs in 2023. Their first postseason trip as the Miami Marlins was clinched on this day five years ago.Â