How Miami Marlins pulled off improbable rally for walk-off

Before Jorge Soler could cap off the heroics, before the Miami Marlins’ slugging designated hitter could belt his walk-off home run on Tuesday, two of his teammates had to produce in equally intense moments.

Both stepped up to the plate with two outs in the ninth inning. Both, like Soler, took their at-bats to two strikes.

And both, like Soler, produced in the 11th hour on a night where production to that point was minimal as the Marlins completed their rally for a 5-4 win over the Washington Nationals at loanDepot park that bumped their record back to an even .500 at 24-24.

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“It’s different than in years past,” said first baseman Garrett Cooper, the longest-tenured Marlins player on the roster and the only player remaining who was on the first Opening Day roster of the rebuild in 2017. “In years past, we would have maybe folded early on. This team dynamic is so much different than in years past. There’s so many guys that believe — I’m not saying in years past we didn’t believe, but it’s different. It’s a different mentality.”

Cooper started that final-out rally when he hit a Hunter Harvey splitter low in the zone on an 0-2 count 400 feet to left-center field for a double. Luis Arraez followed by chasing a curveball low in the zone, again with two strikes against him, and making contact for an RBI single to right field to cut Miami’s deficit to 4-3.

And then Soler worked the count full before sending a middle away fastball a projected 405 feet to left-center field for a walk-off, two-run home run — surprisingly the first walk-off home run of Soler’s career.

“Three hits in a matter of five minutes to come away with a win like that,” Cooper said. “You don’t get too many of those.”

The rally came after the Marlins missed several chances to tack on runs, primarily in the seventh. Miami had two runners on base and one out before the same trio that ultimately led the ninth-inning rally came to the plate. Cooper struck out. Arraez was intentionally walked to load the bases. Soler grounded out to shortstop. The Nationals responded with a three-run top of the eighth inning to take a lead.

They got their redemption a couple innings later.

“Just felt like the wind was let out a little bit,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said, “and then you look up and these guys were still playing the game hard. Just really proud of how they went about that ninth inning — not only because of the walk-off. Even if Soler gets out right there, we gave ourselves a good shot to win the game.”

Cooper specifically has come up key since his return from a two-week stint on the injured list with an inner ear infection. He hit the go-ahead double in the seventh inning of the Marlins’ 3-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday and then started the ninth-inning rally on Tuesday.

“It’s great to be myself again,” Cooper said. “Seeing pitches at the plate and not having any residual effects of trying to play through something that’s tough to play through. Just happy to be back and a couple of wins since I’m back.”

Miami will need continued contributions from him, Soler, Arraez and others up and down the lineup. They are without three key run producers for the time being in Jazz Chisholm Jr. (turf toe), Jesus Sanchez (right hamstring strain) and Avisail Garcia (back tightness).

But, Soler said, games like Tuesday are a reminder that as long as the Marlins have an out to play with, they have a chance to pull off a win.

“Games like this are the ones that set us apart,” Soler said. “It brings a good momentum and gives us a lot of hope.”