Marlins Hitters Always Come Through in a 'Pinch'

The Marlins have a knack for success when it comes to pinch-hitting.

The Marlins receive contributions from players that come off the bench to pinch-hit for a batter, and that hitter hits home runs or gets base hits to either tie the game or win the game.

Here are several examples:

Brett Carroll hit a three-run home run that propelled the Marlins to an epic comeback by giving the Marlins an 8-7 lead after trailing 7-0 to the Diamondbacks at Chase Field on July 10.

It happened on Friday night against the Dodgers when Jeremy Hermida's single drove in a go-ahead run to give the Marlins a 4-3 lead, and then Chris Coghlan hit a pinch-hit home run for that all-important insurance run in the eighth inning that gave the Marlins a 5-3 lead.

Last night, it was Ross Gload  hitting a two-run walk-off home run against the Braves, which resulted in a Marlins' 4-3 victory over the Braves at Land Shark Stadium.

The Marlins needed that after Garrett Anderson's home run gave the Braves a 3-2 lead in the ninth inning. They would have been elated just to tie the game, but to end the game with a home run is even better for them.

It was a fitting end to a great game. Jair Jurrjens and Ricky Nolasco pitched well for their respective teams, and both bullpens did a solid job along with the hitters getting key hits for their respective teams.

It's hard to figure out why the Marlins have success when they pick someone to pinch-hit.

Their hitters aren't exactly reliable when they play every day or when they are in the starting lineup at least two or three times a week yet Fredi Gonzalez's hunch on who will step up on a given game is impressive.

Maybe they are better off being utility players.

It works for whatever reason, and that's a credit to Gonzalez and the hitters.

One of Gonzalez's strengths as a manager is finding the right guy to come in and perform late in the game. He has done that a lot with guys like Wes Helms, Carroll, Hermida, Coghlan, Gload, and several other guys this year, and they all come through.

Gonzalez does not get much credit for that from people that follow the Marlins.

Most managers don't have much success when it comes to their bench players.

The only other manager that did well with bench players was former Mets manager Bobby Valentine, who got something out of guys like Matt Franco, Benny Agbayani, Todd Pratt, Craig Paquette, and several others during his successful years from 1997 to 2000.

The hitters should be commended for getting ready to play at any moment's notice. It can't be easy for guys to be mentally prepared if they are not playing.

It says a lot about their professionalism, and it says a lot about how good they are at their role. Pinch-hitter extraordinaire Lenny Harris would be very proud of them for their approach.

Seeing guys coming off the bench and driving in runs is the best part of watching a ball game, especially last night.

If we learned anything from the Marlins this season, it's that good things happen when there is a pinch-hitter in the on-deck circle.