15-year Marliniversary: Andino’s walk-off blast gives Fish first win of season

Apr 1, 2023 - 11:00 AM

In two stints and 92 games with the Florida/Miami Marlins, infielder Robert Andino homered just twice. One of those blasts, however, was of the walk-off variety.

That shot came on this day 15 years ago. His 10th-inning shot gave the Florida Marlins their first win of the season in a 5-4 victory over the New York Mets.

Neither team had scored since the fifth inning as the contest at Dolphin Stadium went to extras on April 1, 2008. After Justin Miller worked a scoreless inning in the top of the 10th for the Marlins, Matt Wise was on the verge of doing likewise for the Mets.

Wise opened the bottom of the 10th by striking out both Josh Willingham and Jorge Cantu. Pinch hitting, Andino sent Wise back to the dugout, but not the way the New York hurler had envisioned.

Up 2-1 in the count, Andino got a pitch he could handle and belted it over the left-field wall for the walk-off blast. The home run was the first of Andino’s career and just the seventh extra-base hit.

Prior to the 10th, all the Florida offense had come early. The Marlins pushed across two runs in the first on a two-run homer from Dan Uggla. They extended the lead to 4-0 with two runs in the second, thanks to a solo home run from Luis Gonzalez and an RBI triple from Hanley Ramirez.

The Mets got back in it with three runs in the fourth inning before drawing even on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Angel Pagan in the fifth. Brian Schneider finished 3-for-4 with an RBI for New York. Uggla and Alfredo Amezaga each had two hits for the Marlins.

Andino played games for the Marlins in five different seasons, but his best years came as a member of the Baltimore Orioles. In 10 big-league seasons, Andino hit just 18 career home runs. His first was a walk-off that came on this day 15 years ago.