Game Recap: Marlins walk-off Cubs despite Amaya's big night

Sam Navarro - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - 7 hours ago

MIAMI - For whatever reason, the Miami Marlins (19-27) have always given the Chicago Cubs (28-20) fits, and this season is no exception. One week after needing a furious ninth inning rally to avoid losing their series at Wrigley Field, these same two teams met again, with this series coming at Loan Depot Park in Sunny Florida.

What was looking to be another promising Ben Brown start turned ugly quickly as the Marlins jumped on him for four runs in the fifth to take a 6-3 lead. Brown entered the game with a 3.62 ERA over his last seven starts, while he hasn't walked a batter over his last 22 innings pitched. Despite Miguel Amaya's five RBIs, including a game-tying RBI triple in the fifth, it wasn't enough as Jesus Sanchez came through with a walk-off RBI double in the ninth to lift Miami 8-7.

When you evaluate Brown's season thus far, the word inconsistency comes to mind, and tonight that rang through full circle. You saw the ugly Brown early as he opened the game by allowing back-to-back solo homers to Jesus Sanchez and Augustin Ramirez to put the Cubs in an instant 2-0. That was followed by the good version of Brown as he would go on to retire the next 12 hitters he faced before finishing his outing with no walks and eight punchouts.

Inconsistency can also be used to describe Edward Cabrera and the season he has had, and you saw the inconsistencies with him. Unlike Brown, who struggled out of the gate, Cabrera came out firing, striking out the side in the first and racking up six strikeouts through three innings. The fourth inning is when things started to go south for him as Michael Busch led off the fourth with a deep double, while a Nico Hoerner infield single put a pair of runners on with one out.

After Moises Ballesteros went down swinging and putting the Cubs in a situation where they may strand a pair, it was Amaya coming through for what was the beginning of a massive night as his three-run shot to left put the Cubs in front 3-2. Those were the only runs Cabrera would allow as he struck out seven across five innings, which has been his theme for most of his career.

Looking to get through the fifth and put himself in line for the victory, the bad version of Brown returned and came at the worst time possible. What started as a leadoff double from Connor Norby was followed by a Liam Hicks triple and just like that things were tied 3-3. Miami was just getting started as Javier Sanoja, Sanchez, and Otto Lopez all added RBI singles as part of a four-run inning that saw the Marlins take a 6-3 lead and chased Brown after 4 2/3.

Not about to let that inning bother them, the Cubs' offense went right back to work against Jesus Tinoco in the sixth, which is something they did against him in the ninth inning last week. With Tinoco failing to help himself by walking Busch to lead off the inning, the Cubs responded with singles from Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner as the bases were loaded and no outs.

In what was arguably his most significant moment to date, Moises Ballesteros had a chance to be the hero, and despite chopping one to first, he beat it out for an infield single as the bases remained loaded and a run scored. That set the stage for Amaya, and he continued to deliver in those situations as his RBI double tied the game at six and gave the Cubs a 7-6 lead.

Miami wound up challenging the play, and it was ruled that Ballesteros never touched home plate with his foot, as that run was taken off the board and would come back to haunt the Cubs late. All was not lost as Matt Shaw picked up his first hit since his return and used a ground rule double to cap off a four-run frame of their own with the Cubs back in front 7-6.

For them to hold on to this lead, it was going to come down to their bullpen, and for the most part, Caleb Thielbar, Ryan Pressly, and Drew Pomeranz did their jobs as they held the Marlins to no runs over their three innings. It would've been nice for the Cubs to tack on some runs late, especially in the ninth when they had two runners on, but the Marlins' pen was up for the challenge, as this would come down to the bottom of the ninth.

In a surprise move, Daniel Palencia was called on for the save, but it was reported after the game that Porter Hodge was injured in pre-game, which is why Palencia got the call. What made this move such a questionable decision is that he was either throwing or warming up in all three games over the weekend, marking this the fourth time in as many days that he has gotten loose.

You wouldn't have guessed that early on as Palencia made quick work of the first two hitters and even had Derek Hill in an 0-2 hole. Down to his final strike, Hill was able to drive a Palencia pitch the other way just out of the reach of Kyle Tucker as his double extended the inning. A four-pitch walk to Sanoja followed that, and suddenly the pressure was on Palencia to get the job done.

Facing the best hitter of the night for Miami in Sanchez, Palencia once again fell behind early, and this time he wasn't able to recover as Sanchez turned on a 100-mph heater and ripped it past Busch at first to drive home the tying and winning runs in the Marlins' 8-7 walk-off win.

THE MIAMI MARLINS WALK-OFF THE CHICAGO CUBS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 9TH 🤯

(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/TB7xy5jI1e
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 20, 2025

This loss was excruciating for the Cubs for several reasons as the St. Louis Cardinals are now within one game of first.

What makes things worse is knowing that Hodge injured his oblique before the game and will now be going on the IL, thus putting the Cubs' closer situation in flux again. The Cubs also got word that Shota Imanaga will be out longer than expected, as this team will find out what it is made of, real soon.