Marlins walk off Pirates for the third time in four days to continue strong start
Derek Hill legged out a grounder down the third-base line, stole second, advanced to third on the bad throw to nab him, and raced home on a wild pitch.
With a blur around the basepaths, the Miami Marlins on Sunday seized their third walk-off triumph in four games to kick off this 2025 season. Quite the opening series for a team that didn’t notch its third win last year until April 13 and lost 100 games.
“It’s been unbelievable,” Griffin Conine said after the 3-2 comeback against the Pittsburgh Pirates at loanDepot park.
Conine’s crushing solo home run to left center field in the eighth inning tied the score and set the stage for the Marlins’ 13th walk-off win since the start of 2024 — most in the majors.
“Gosh, if they’re all like this, it’s going to be quite exciting,” said first-year Marlins’ manager Clayton McCullough. “I’m not even sure how to describe it. I don’t know if I’ve seen how things transpire like that over four games — for all of them to be so close, back and forth.”
The Marlins have scored 14 of their 16 runs this season in the fifth inning or later, with 10 of those coming in the seventh or later.
“It speaks to their tenacity,” McCullough said. A few minutes later, he added, “My big takeaway is the group we have in there, they just continue to hang in, pull for each other and find a way to scratch out wins late. It’s a good feather in our cap this early in the season.”
The final two games of this four-game series were particularly special for Conine, who robbed Jack Suwinski of a home run Saturday with a leaping grab over the wall and then whacked a 404-foot shot off reliever Colin Holderman on Sunday.
That came after a pregame ceremony behind home plate honoring his dad, Jeff, as the first inductee into the Marlins Legends Hall of Fame.
“[Saturday’s] game was cool, just that moment of the catch and us going on to fight back and win that game, and my phone just going crazy with tons of people texting me,” Griffin Conine said. “And we had the ceremony today, which was super special. … He choked up a little bit, which is pretty rare for him, but I completely understand why.”
Where does Sunday rank among the most memorable days of his baseball career?
“Debuts are up there,” Griffin Conine said. “This is right next to it. … It’s awesome. We’re in a great spot to start off the year.”
Right-hander Max Meyer helped set up the win with a solid start on the mound, allowing one earned run — a solo homer from Andrew McCutchen in the second inning — and five hits, while striking out seven, in 5 2/3 innings.
Xzavion Curry, selected from Triple-A Jacksonville on Sunday, Calvin Faucher, and Anthony Bender provided another solid performance by the Marlins’ bullpen, with Bender earning the win.
“In the middle innings I was able to get early contact and my goal is to throw strikes all day,” Meyer said. “They just kept swinging at it.”
Of the team’s victory, Meyer said, “Our team is so gritty right now and you always feel we’re in it.”
Sunday marked the Marlins’ first walk-off win on a wild pitch since July 13, 2022, also against the Pirates, and their first opening-series win since 2020, when they took two of three games against the Philadelphia Phillies.
▪ Before Jeff Conine, wearing a teal blazer and with his plaque displayed next to him, addressed fans, Marlins chairman and principal owner Bruce Sherman cut a teal ribbon with giant shears to mark the Marlins Hall of Fame’s official opening on the Level 5 concourse.
“As it’s built up and come to this day, I can’t even describe my feelings inside and how special this day really is for me,” said Conine, who played for the Marlins eight of his 17 MLB seasons and was part of the team’s 1997 and 2003 World Series-winning teams.
The Marlins will hold ceremonies for the other members of the inaugural class — managers Jim Leyland (July 6) and Jack McKeon (Aug. 3) and infielder Luis Castillo (Aug. 24) — this summer.
▪ RHP Jesús Tinoco, who pitched one scoreless inning to earn the win on Opening Day, was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to March 28, due to a lower back strain. McCullough described it as a “prudent” move.
▪ RHP Luarbert Arias was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville and RHP Valente Bellozo was optioned to the Jumbo Shrimp. RHP Brett De Geus was designated for assignment.
▪ Eric Wagaman singled to lead off the fourth inning, ending his 0-for-8 drought to start the season.
▪ Cal Quantrill will make his Marlins debut Monday against the Mets. The right-hander was the team’s biggest offseason acquisition, signing a one-year, $3.5 deal.
“I want to be a leader on the team. I want to be someone that shows up consistently,” Quantrill said. “And I want to do what I think I’m capable of, which is throwing a ton of innings and getting a lot of wins. Outside of that, sky’s the limit.”
This story was originally published March 30, 2025 at 8:53 PM.