MIAMI -- Not even the defunct Louisville Colonels were able to top what the improbable 2006 Florida Marlins just accomplished.
Powered by Joe Borchard's three-run homer and Dan Uggla's two-run blast, the Marlins rallied past the Diamondbacks, 8-5, on Monday afternoon at Dolphin Stadium.
By erasing a five-run deficit, the Marlins celebrated their biggest comeback victory of the season. In the process, they became the only team in Major League history to rise from 20 games under .500 to pass the .500 mark in the same season. Now 69-68, the Marlins have come full circle since they were 11-31.
"You better keep playing the whole game against us," Uggla said. "We like to think, no matter what the score is, we're not going to go away. Whether we win or not, we're still going to scratch and make you work."
The 1899 Louisville Colonels, a team that featured Hall of Famers Honus Wagner and Fred Clarke, improved from 22 under to reach .500., but that team finished 75-77-3 before disbanding the following year.
"We won that game because guys never stopped playing," Marlins manager Joe Girardi said. "Our guys have come a long way."
In a season were 22 rookies have been called upon, naturally there aren't too many in the Marlins clubhouse even aware there once was a team called the Louisville Colonels.
"I saw that thing on TV today, that's going back a ways," Borchard said. "That's pretty amazing when you look at when something like that has happened."
Reliever Randy Messenger (2-7) worked a scoreless sixth inning and collected the win. Joe Borowski polished off the side in order in the ninth for his 33rd save, matching his personal high previously set in 2003 while he was with the Cubs.
After falling behind by five runs, the Marlins exploded for a six-run sixth inning off Enrique Gonzalez (3-7).
Gonzalez had allowed one hit until the Marlins collected six hits in the sixth inning. Alfredo Amezaga started things off with a single, and he was replaced on the bases on Jeremy Hermida's pinch-hit fielders choice. With two outs, Uggla kept the rally alive with an infield single. Miguel Cabrera delivered an RBI single, and Josh Willingham reached on an infield single. Mike Jacobs collected a two-run single, and Borchard put the Marlins ahead on his 445-foot, three-run blast.
From the bullpen, Borowski said the comeback was pulled off so swiftly that he missed Borchard's homer because he was tying his shoes.
"It just goes to one of those, You-don't-know-how-to-explain-it type things," Borowski said. "Before you know it, we're leading 6-5. I went and tied my shoes and Joe's hitting a three-run homer. I missed his home run, actually."
A heads-up play that shouldn't get overlooked in the inning was Uggla's baserunning on Willingham's single. Willingham chopped a grounder to third, and while advancing Uggla hesitated as the high bouncer approached Chad Tracy at third. That small delay helped keep Tracy from charging, which may have enabled Willingham to leg out the single.
"He hit it right where I was running," Uggla said. "I could have let it go in front of me, or let it go behind me. I made my stutter-step. Whether it affected him, I don't know."
Girardi noted that Uggla is a "gritty player," who made a subtle decision that may have helped lead to the big inning.
"That doesn't show up in the box score, but the people in the stadium see it," Girardi said. "He's a gritty player. He has good instincts."
Monday's rally is the biggest of the season for the Marlins, who came back from four down at Baltimore on June 22. Ironically, on that day, Borchard hit a pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning to help inspire that rally.
A Labor Day crowd of 12,191 was on hand to see the Marlins roll off their 12th win in 14 games. Florida is last in the league in home attendance, and Borowski said some of the players joked about the little bounce at the gate, despite the team being in the Wild Card race.
"You looked out there and we've got 25 to 30 extra people," Borowski said. "You make little jokes of it, to lighten it up a little bit. Of course, you want the support of everybody. You'd hope that everybody notices what you're doing. But you can't worry about that. That's none of your worries. You've got to go out there and perform, whether there is one person or 50,000 people, it doesn't matter."
Uggla's two-run homer in the seventh inning padded the Florida lead. With 81 RBIs, Uggla passed Jeff Conine (79 RBIs in 1993) for the most runs batted in by a rookie.
Starting for the first time since July 1, Brian Moehler was tagged for four runs in the first inning. A leadoff walk to Chris Young and a bunt single by Orlando Hudson put Moehler in trouble immediately. Eric Byrnes' fielder's choice RBI groundout brought in the first run. Johnny Estrada added a run-scoring single and Conor Jackson delivered a two-run double.
Moehler is being used as a spot starter for rookie Ricky Nolasco, who is bothered by a soreness behind his right knee.
Byrnes' homer to open the fifth made it 5-0.
"It's important to remember, we have 25 games left, and these are 25 important games," Borchard said. "We're going to see what we're made out of, and if we can put some good streaks together, when it counts now."
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