Hernandez Hits Walk-Off Grand Slam, Marlins Sweep Mets

MIAMI — There was no belief in Miami Marlins outfielder Heriberto Hernandez. 

And right up until the final swing, it was warranted. 

With two runners on base at the bottom of the ninth inning, in a 0-0 gridlock, the New York Mets opted to intentionally walk Xavier Edwards, after unintentionally walking Liam Hicks, to load the bases. With one out and their $14M closer on the mound, the Mets chose to take their chances on luring a double play out of an unknown hitter batting below .200 on the season. 

However, Hernandez took an 84mph changeup deep to centerfield for a walk-off grand slam and a 4-0 Marlins win. The last time someone broke a scoreless tie with a walk-off grand slam was Justin Maxwell of Kansas City on Sept. 22, 2013. 

“I wasn’t trying to do too much,” Hernandez said through an interpreter. “I was trying to put the ball in play because I knew if I put the ball in play, we were going to get that run.”

Hernandez made the Opening Day roster while Kyle Stowers and Estuery Ruiz were on the injured list. He was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville and responded by playing the hero in a walk-off win, just before being called back up. 

Since returning to the Marlins, Hernandez is batting .280 with an .816 OPS. 

“I’m trying to help the team,” Hernandez said. “I know I’m not playing every day but in my heart, that’s what I want, just being able to help the team and contribute every time I’m out there.”

Hernandez wasn’t in the lineup entering the game but came in as a pinch hitter for Owen Caissie, to play the matchups.

Christopher Morel led off the ninth inning with a double and scored the winning run on the grand slam. 

“Amazing, super crazy,” Morel said. “[Hernandez] told me, ‘I got to finish this game’.”

Tyler Phillips came from the bullpen and started the game, throwing 3.2 scoreless innings with four strikeouts. The rest of the bullpen continued to shut down a Mets lineup that was without Juan Soto. With Phillips included, the Marlins bullpen entered Sunday leading Major League Baseball in opponents’ batting average (.193). 

The win for the Marlins (25-29) represents their first series sweep since the opening series against the Colorado Rockies. Miami went from a three-game losing streak to a three-game winning streak and the Marlins’ 18 home wins tie with the Chicago Cubs for the most in the National League. 

Meanwhile, the Mets (22-31) went 2-5 on the road with a combined two runs scored against the Marlins. The Mets started their road trip with a 16-7 win over Washington, which was more scoring than their next six games (14) combined. 

When asked on how the Mets will recover from this sweeping loss, New York manager Carlos Mendoza said, “We got no choice.”

“We’re scuffling,” Mendoza said. “We got to figure it out. You got to be able to score runs.”

The Marlins travel north of the border to take on the defending American League champion Toronto Blue Jays on Monday. Janson Junk (2-5, 5.07 ERA) will take the mound against Toronto phenom Trey Yesavage (2-1, 1.07 ERA) on Memorial Day. 

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