Miami Marlins rally in the ninth, but the Chicago Cubs once again get the walk-off

The Miami Marlins got the run they needed in the top of the ninth on Wednesday night, but it only delayed their demise.

For the second consecutive night, the Chicago Cubs walked off against the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field, this time on a Jason Heyward walkoff home run off Jose Quijada for a 3-2 win in 11 innings. The Marlins drop to 10-26. The Cubs improve to 21-13.

After getting just one baserunner over their previous three innings, Neil Walker led off the Marlins’ rally attempt in the ninth with a single down the first-base line off Kyle Ryan, who replaced Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks after eight quality innings.

After a Jorge Alfaro flyout, Starlin Castro ripped a single through the left side — his third hit of the game — to put runners on first and second. Pinch-runner Isaac Galloway and Castro moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch. Miguel Rojas then drove in Galloway with an RBI groundout to tie the game at 2-2. A scoreless bottom of the ninth by Tayron Guerrero sent the game to extras.

But it was all for naught when Heyward belted the game-winning homer to left field.

“He just missed a spot,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “If [Quijada] gets the ball where he wants to, [Heyward’s] out.”

The Marlins had a potential scoring opportunity in the 10th when Rosell Herrera led off the frame with a single, but a popped up bunt attempt by Jon Berti that fell just in front of the first-base bag resulted in a double play. Anthony Rizzo stepped on the bag for the force out and then caught Herrera in a run down between first and second. Curtis Granderson hit a hard lineout to third base to end the frame.

“My job’s to get the bunt down. I didn’t do it. That’s the first thing,” Berti said. “My initial reaction when the ball was up in the air was to hesitate. Rizzo saw that and made the double play. No excuse. I have to get the bunt down.”

Jose Urena pitched seven innings and got out of a jam in the first before falling victim to a rough fourth inning. Urena walked Kris Bryant to lead off the frame and then gave up back to back singles to Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez, the second of which scored Bryant. A Willson Contreras groundout moved the runners to second and third before a passed ball allowed Rizzo to score what turned out to be the go-ahead run.

Urena scattered just five hits over his outing, walked three and struck out three.

Hendricks, however, had the better night, giving up just one unearned run in the first — an RBI single by Castro that scored Curtis Granderson, who led off the game by reaching on a Hendricks throwing error — and striking out seven.

This story was originally published May 8, 2019 at 10:38 PM.