Demonpenz
07-29-2009, 08:35 AM
Heroic walk off Home Run by Ross Gload proves doubters wrong
The last time the Marlins played at Land Shark Stadium, they were swept by the Philadelphia Phillies and not expected to be the subject of any playoff talk for the remainder of the season.
The Marlins that returned home Tuesday night have made a complete role reversal.
With a pivotal victory against the Atlanta Braves slipping away, backup first baseman Ross Gload delivered a pinch-hit, walk-off, two-run home run to right field with one out in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Marlins to a 4-3 comeback victory in front of a crowd of 13,128.
It was the second walk-off home run for the Marlins this season and the first of Gload's career. Gload was mobbed at home plate by the members of a team that in less than two weeks has gone from fading fast to being a realistic contender for the postseason.
``You can't really process it,'' Gload said. ``It goes too quick. You wish you could enjoy it a little longer. I've never done it and I may never do it again. It was a good night.''
For the Marlins, it was a productive night in the National League wild-card race.
Coupled with the Colorado Rockies' loss to the New York Mets on Tuesday, the victory put the Marlins two games behind the front-running Rockies. It also kept them at least seven games behind the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies, who played at Arizona late Tuesday night, and moved them a game ahead of the Braves in both races.
The Marlins know if they are to earn their third playoff berth in franchise history, they will need performances like Tuesday's against the Braves, whom they will play 12 more times during their final 62 games -- more than any other team on their schedule.
The victory improved Florida to 4-2 against Atlanta this season, and it was the first time that the home team won.
``It's obviously a big one we needed, and for us to steal it from them like that in the ninth, it's great,'' second baseman Dan Uggla said.
BLEAK OUTLOOK
But in the top of the ninth, it looked like the second-half tussle between the division rivals would start with a loss after Atlanta left fielder Garret Anderson blasted a solo home run over the right-field wall off reliever Leo Nuņez.
Cody Ross led off the bottom of the ninth by drawing a walk off Braves closer Rafael Soriano. John Baker bunted Ross to second, setting up Gload's game-winning blast. Gload connected with a 3-1 pitch from Soriano and seconds later was rounding the bases.
``I don't hit enough homers to stand there and watch them,'' said Gload, who hit his fourth of the season. ``I don't even know how to stand there and watch them. I just hit it and ran.''
TOSCA MANAGES
Marlins bench coach Carlos Tosca managed the game while manager Fredi Gonzalez served a one-game suspension because of the incident involving relief pitcher Burke Badenhop in Sunday's victory against the Dodgers.
Badenhop and Gonzalez were ejected from the game after Badenhop hit the Dodgers' Orlando Hudson with a pitch in retaliation for Jeff Weaver's plunking of Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez one inning earlier.
The game did not count toward the managerial record of Tosca, who managed the Blue Jays from midway through the 2002 season to the latter part of the 2004 campaign, compiling a 191-191 record.
The Marlins put runners in scoring position in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, but were unable to score.
The failed chances nearly squandered a stellar effort by starter Ricky Nolasco, who has only one victory all-time against the Braves. He pitched seven innings, allowing two runs while striking out five batters.
Atlanta's Jair Jurrjens gave up only two runs in six innings and worked his way out of a couple of jams with five well-timed strikeouts. In Jurrjens' only prior outing against the Marlins this season, he threw seven innings and allowed just two runs on three hits.
Nolasco appeared in control until the first pitch of the sixth inning, which Braves third baseman Chipper Jones drove over the right-field bleachers to tie the score at 2.
The last time the Marlins played at Land Shark Stadium, they were swept by the Philadelphia Phillies and not expected to be the subject of any playoff talk for the remainder of the season.
The Marlins that returned home Tuesday night have made a complete role reversal.
With a pivotal victory against the Atlanta Braves slipping away, backup first baseman Ross Gload delivered a pinch-hit, walk-off, two-run home run to right field with one out in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Marlins to a 4-3 comeback victory in front of a crowd of 13,128.
It was the second walk-off home run for the Marlins this season and the first of Gload's career. Gload was mobbed at home plate by the members of a team that in less than two weeks has gone from fading fast to being a realistic contender for the postseason.
``You can't really process it,'' Gload said. ``It goes too quick. You wish you could enjoy it a little longer. I've never done it and I may never do it again. It was a good night.''
For the Marlins, it was a productive night in the National League wild-card race.
Coupled with the Colorado Rockies' loss to the New York Mets on Tuesday, the victory put the Marlins two games behind the front-running Rockies. It also kept them at least seven games behind the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies, who played at Arizona late Tuesday night, and moved them a game ahead of the Braves in both races.
The Marlins know if they are to earn their third playoff berth in franchise history, they will need performances like Tuesday's against the Braves, whom they will play 12 more times during their final 62 games -- more than any other team on their schedule.
The victory improved Florida to 4-2 against Atlanta this season, and it was the first time that the home team won.
``It's obviously a big one we needed, and for us to steal it from them like that in the ninth, it's great,'' second baseman Dan Uggla said.
BLEAK OUTLOOK
But in the top of the ninth, it looked like the second-half tussle between the division rivals would start with a loss after Atlanta left fielder Garret Anderson blasted a solo home run over the right-field wall off reliever Leo Nuņez.
Cody Ross led off the bottom of the ninth by drawing a walk off Braves closer Rafael Soriano. John Baker bunted Ross to second, setting up Gload's game-winning blast. Gload connected with a 3-1 pitch from Soriano and seconds later was rounding the bases.
``I don't hit enough homers to stand there and watch them,'' said Gload, who hit his fourth of the season. ``I don't even know how to stand there and watch them. I just hit it and ran.''
TOSCA MANAGES
Marlins bench coach Carlos Tosca managed the game while manager Fredi Gonzalez served a one-game suspension because of the incident involving relief pitcher Burke Badenhop in Sunday's victory against the Dodgers.
Badenhop and Gonzalez were ejected from the game after Badenhop hit the Dodgers' Orlando Hudson with a pitch in retaliation for Jeff Weaver's plunking of Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez one inning earlier.
The game did not count toward the managerial record of Tosca, who managed the Blue Jays from midway through the 2002 season to the latter part of the 2004 campaign, compiling a 191-191 record.
The Marlins put runners in scoring position in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, but were unable to score.
The failed chances nearly squandered a stellar effort by starter Ricky Nolasco, who has only one victory all-time against the Braves. He pitched seven innings, allowing two runs while striking out five batters.
Atlanta's Jair Jurrjens gave up only two runs in six innings and worked his way out of a couple of jams with five well-timed strikeouts. In Jurrjens' only prior outing against the Marlins this season, he threw seven innings and allowed just two runs on three hits.
Nolasco appeared in control until the first pitch of the sixth inning, which Braves third baseman Chipper Jones drove over the right-field bleachers to tie the score at 2.