MIAMI — A sense of relief washed over manager Clayton McCullough as the Marlins finally found their way back to the win column.
On Monday, Miami rallied from a two-run deficit in the final frame to edge past NL East rivals Philadelphia 8-7, putting an end to a franchise-record 12-game slide.
With the comeback, Miami became the first franchise since the 2002 Devil Rays to halt a losing streak of at least 12 games after being down by multiple runs going into the ninth. Additionally, they are the first squad since the 2006 Pirates to break a slump of 12 or more consecutive losses with a walk-off victory.
This marked the team’s first triumph since defeating Seattle at home on July 9, preventing them from being swept for the fifth consecutive series.
“Everyone is thrilled,” McCullough remarked. “There’s no denying that everyone in this clubhouse has been pushing through a very difficult stretch over the past couple of weeks, dealing with plenty of frustration. But securing a victory feels incredible, and given the way we pulled it off, no one can doubt the grit and competitive spirit of this roster.”
Griffin Conine delivered the game-winning single off Phillies closer Jhoan Duran, who took the mound in the ninth protecting a 7-5 lead but loaded the bases without recording an out.
Before Conine’s decisive hit, Heriberto Hernández singled to tie the game, later sprinting home to score the winning run and leaping into a celebratory huddle with his teammates on the field.
“I’ve never experienced a stretch quite like these past two weeks,” noted Conine, who also launched a home run in the opening frame. “I feel we managed it as best as we could. But eventually, it mirrors the feeling of going 0-for-15 at the plate. You start to believe you’ll never get another hit. Deep down, you know that isn’t the case, but emotionally, it truly felt like we would never get another victory.”
Previously, the franchise had endured 11-game losing streaks on three occasions. Two of those stretches occurred during a 108-loss campaign in 1998, and the third came in June of 2011.
Prior to Monday’s contest, McCullough shared that during a recent day off, he watched Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” which immediately made him reflect on his club’s recent hardships.
“I feel somewhat like Odysseus,” the manager remarked. “As if I have been stranded away from home for a decade. Eventually, I will make my return. I have no idea which baseball deity I managed to anger, but this is the situation we are in, and today represents a fresh chance.”
Miami lost no time in seizing that chance.
Though Bryce Harper put the Phillies ahead early with a two-run homer in the first, the Marlins answered back by putting up five unanswered runs against Philadelphia ace Zack Wheeler.
After surrendering their lead in the sixth, the Marlins rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth, capped by Conine’s milestone first career walk-off hit. For Duran, it was his second blown save across 26 chances.
“I feel somewhat like Odysseus. As if I have been stranded away from home for a decade. Eventually, I will make my return. I have no idea which baseball deity I managed to anger, but this is the situation we are in, and today represents a fresh chance.”
Marlins skipper Clayton McCullough speaking before the game, prior to breaking the 12-game slide
“In terms of the impact, the weight is off our shoulders,” Conine stated. “We’ve started a winning streak now, and we’re hungry for more. It’s time to put the past fortnight behind us. We can take some valuable lessons from it, and I am confident we will.”
Before the midsummer classic, Miami had enjoyed plenty of success, holding a 52-42 record and sitting just three games back of Atlanta for the NL East lead, while also occupying the third wild-card spot.
However, the slide commenced during a weekend home series against Cleveland just prior to the break. Aside from a 7-2 defeat to San Diego on July 25, every single one of the remaining 11 losses was decided by three runs or fewer, including a late 5-3 stumble against the Padres on Sunday.
Miami’s bats went ice-cold during the slump, managing only a .208 batting average and a .607 OPS. On Monday, however, seven different players got on base with hits, and six of those contributors turned in multi-hit performances.
“Everyone is leaving the ballpark tonight with a completely different mindset than we’ve had over the past dozen games,” McCullough said. “We’ll show up tomorrow knowing we took the opener. Despite how tough things have been, our focus remains on winning series. Taking the first game of a critical division matchup is a massive step.”
Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.
