MIAMI - It was only right that "Mr. Marlin" Jeff Conine's Legends Hall Fame induction ended with a Marlins walk-off.
And even better, his son Griffin Conine launched a game-tying homer in the seventh inning before Miami walked it off two innings later for the 3-2 series-clinching win over Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon at loanDepot park.
The walk-off, which came via Derek Hill's sprint home on a passed ball, was the team¡¯s third in its first four games, marking the first time in 22 years that a team has claimed its first three wins of the season via walk-off (2003 Rays).
Miami also became the first team with three walk-off wins in their first series of the season since the 1901 Detroit Tigers.
¡°It speaks to their tenacity,¡± manager Clayton McCullough said, ¡°and just their will to hang in there and trust that process of putting a plan together each at-bat. You just hang in there.
¡°I think a lot of today was set up from the previous few days, like our ability to grind through and have a lot of real high quality at-bats, especially in a four-game series, where now you're seeing some relievers for the third time in a four-game series. Not only the extra look at them, but also the tax they potentially have to pay and those things. Starters, relievers, grinding through at-bats and just trying to create traffic and innings.¡±
McCullough didn¡¯t need much from his own bullpen Sunday after deploying six relief arms in their 12-inning marathon the day prior, thanks to starter Max Meyer¡¯s 5 2/3-inning output. Meyer, who matched a career high with seven strikeouts -- all via his slider -- had the longest outing of any Marlins starter so far this season.
It was a needed happenstance for McCullough¡¯s pitching staff. The Marlins have seven pitchers on the injured list (four starters, three bullpen) after adding right-hander Jesus Tinoco to the 15-day IL with a left low back strain pregame. They also optioned Saturday's starter, righty Valente Bellozo, to Triple-A Jacksonville on Sunday and selected the contract of right-hander Xzavion Curry, who recorded four outs in the finale win.
¡°[The slider] was sharp today to the lefties, for sure when I got on the back foot, so I kept throwing it," Meyer said. "It might not be the case every day, but I felt good throwing it. It allowed me to open up my mix, too. I was throwing the sinker, throwing the sweeper. So it all just clicked.¡±
Meyer had just one costly mistake -- a fastball up in the zone that Andrew McCutchen belted over the left-field fence in the second. But he recovered well, fanning six batters afterwards (including McCutchen twice) before being pulled in the sixth.
Conine¡¯s solo homer, which traveled a Statcast-projected 404 feet to left-center, tied the game at 2 in the seventh and put a bow on what was an incredibly special day for the Conine family.
¡°The whole stadium was pretty loud, which was awesome,¡± Conine said, brimming from ear-to-ear. ¡°I think that's what brings out emotion in me. I've never been one to really be vocal or be that guy, but it's hard not to when it's a big moment and you kind of feel the energy of everyone. And I think the extra layer of my dad getting inducted today was awesome.¡±
Then in the ninth, Hill reached base on a soft grounder to third. He was aggressive on the basepaths, stealing second and advancing to third on a wayward throw from the catcher. When Pirates two-time All-Star closer David Bednar spiked his fourth pitch to Nick Fortes in the dirt, Hill took home easily.
On came the dog piles and water baths. The dramatic ending etched Miami in the record books, making this year¡¯s Marlins the fifth team in AL/NL history to win its first three games via walk-off, joining the Rays (2003), the Mets (1998) the Kansas City Packers (1914) and the Reds (1900), according to Elias Sports Bureau.
For McCullough, it¡¯s a dream start to his managerial career. But he knows the celebrations will have to be short-lived with the Mets coming to town Monday.
¡°You flip the page [with] how quickly things turn here in this league,¡± the first-year manager said. ¡°And it's a new series, new opponent.
¡°I think the mentality is still going to be the same. Let's build out a solid game plan offensively. ¡ These guys hopefully feed off of that ¡®you're never out of a game¡¯ [mentality], and know what it takes on both sides to win some of these close games. ¡ The ability to make plays, be opportunistic on the bases, and to let one at-bat build off the other.¡±