MIAMI — Jakob Marsee, hitting .192 on the season, launched a 369-foot walk-off single in the 10th inning to give the Miami Marlins a 6-5 win over the Seattle Mariners at loanDepot Park, extending the hottest streak in Major League Baseball.
The Marlins have gone 24-8 since June 1 and now hold sole possession of the final National League Wild Card spot, sitting one game back of the Phillies for the second spot, 1 1/2 games behind the Cubs for the top spot and just three games back of the first-place Braves in the NL East.
“You have a chance at home to cash one in and we were able to do it,” said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough. “These guys, no matter what, they don’t stop fighting and you can see the amount of confidence and belief they have in each other now.”
Marsee’s hit scored Xavier Edwards from third base to end a game the Marlins nearly let slip away. Miami built a 4-0 lead before the Mariners scored two runs in the fifth and three more in the eighth to take a 5-4 advantage. Heriberto Hernández’s tying home run in the eighth forced extras and set up Marsee’s heroics against right-hander Michael Rucker. Marsee finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs on a knee he injured against the A’s, entering the game with just 22 RBIs and five home runs on the season.
“It’s been tough – this game is really frustrating,” Marsee said. “But when you have a great group, it makes it fun to come to the yard every day. They’ve really had my back the whole time, and we’ve been winning. That’s all I care about. I’m glad we’ve been winning games throughout the process. I’m glad I could help out tonight.”
Asked about the 369-foot blast that stopped just short of second base, Marsee grinned. “Yeah. It doesn’t matter,” he said, adding with a laugh, “I didn’t need to run.”
McCullough praised his center fielder’s persistence. “So good for Marsee,” McCullough said. “We all know how much he’s been grinding this year offensively, and to come through there in that spot … I know that had to feel good for him. And certainly our team. We talk a lot about how much Marsee does within the game, and for him to come through offensively there, I couldn’t be prouder of how he keeps hanging in there.”
Marlins starter Max Meyer, coming off his first loss after opening the season 9-0, pitched five-plus innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out four and walking two on 80 pitches. MLB announced that Meyer, named a first-time All-Star on Saturday, will not pitch in next Tuesday’s All-Star Game because he will start Sunday against the Guardians in the team’s final game before the break. Phillies left-hander Jesús Luzardo was named Meyer’s replacement.