Miami, FL – Kyle Stowers continues his strong run at the plate, hitting the game-winning grand slam to walk off the A’s 9-6, snapping the six-game skid. With a powerful swing, the outfielder crushed closer Mason Miller’s first pitch to left-center field for the two-out, bases-loaded clincher to even the weekend series. Stowers’ hit is the sixth walk-off grand slam in franchise history. The previous was by Giancarlo Stanton on April 18, 2014, versus Seattle.
KYLE. STOWERS. #marlinsbeisbol pic.twitter.com/alvy44pOkB
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) May 3, 2025
Trailing 6-4 in the ninth, the Marlins were entering the lower half of the lineup with all those due up hitless at that point. Furthermore, the fish recorded three hits through eight innings. However, fans were reminded that all it takes is a spark. It came in the form of Matt Mervis getting hit by a pitch. Connor Norby and Dane Myers struck out, but Javier Sanoja delivered on a timely double, extending the game. Miller’s full count wild pitch to Ronny Simon allowed Mervis to score. The A’s issued a challenge arguing Simon was grazed by the ball, however, the call was upheld. Down 6-5, Xavier Edwards walked, setting up Stowers’ moment. He ended the day going 2-for-5 with two runs, a pair of homers, and six RBIs.
Max Meyer struggled on the mound, surrendering five earned runs on 10 hits, including three home runs, all on his slider, through five innings without recording any strikeouts. It’s the first in his career, minors included, that Meyer fails to notch a K. The Miami Marlins improve to 13-19 with the win, looking to nab the series dub tomorrow.
Bombs away
Retrowave Stowers Power! pic.twitter.com/QxXjQjDrLU
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) May 3, 2025
The Athletics opened up the scoring with Brent Rooker hitting his ninth dinger of the year during the first inning. It was a sign of things to come. JJ Bleday followed suit with a homer of his own, the fourth of 2025, the following frame. Stowers equalized at the bottom of the third, continuing his hot hitting with his fifth bomb of the year. The visiting A’s countered with yet another round-tripper, this time from Luis Urías in the fourth.
MARLINS WIN!
Kyle Stowers SLAMS his first career grand slam as Miami walks the Athletics off 9-6. Javier Sanoja was with @SStrom_ after the victory! pic.twitter.com/5jroBepjcK
— Marlins Radio Network (@MarlinsRadio) May 3, 2025
Losing 4-2, Miami put up deuces in the fifth. Sanoja doubled down the left-field line, knocking in Myers. He scored thanks to a sacrifice fly by Edwards, tying it up. After Meyer walked Urías to load the bases with nobody out, Clayton McCullough called on Anthony Veneziano, who mitigated the damage to a mere run on the Nick Kurtz sac fly. This proved critical. Gio Urshela’s eighth-inning RBI double ultimately ended in vain. Stowers would hit the contest’s fifth home run of the evening, completing the comeback.
Impressions
Coach Clayton McCullough on Kyle Stowers' performance today and continued success. #MarlinsBeisbol pic.twitter.com/XR5zqR3woD
— Gabriel Garcia (@Gabewritesports) May 3, 2025
A walk-off on opening day, now another for Stowers. As the clear MVP for April, Kyle is making an all-star case. After hitting .186 in 50 games last season and a slow spring, Stowers is the hands-down best hitter on the team right now, racking up a .324 batting average and .944 OPS that includes six home runs and 25 RBIs. We can’t forget Veneziano. Without the reliever’s efforts in the sixth, none of this might’ve happened. Or been enough.
Switching gears, ex-Marlin JJ Bleday is playing with a chip on his shoulder. The former 1st round pick (4th overall) of the 2019 MLB Draft was traded away in the 2023 offseason to Oakland in exchange for former No. 2 prospect A.J. Puk. The Vanderbilt star was promoted to the big show in 2022 but struggled, batting .167 with a .586 OPS. Puk turned out to be a mixed bag. He ended the 2023 season with a 3.97 ERA, striking out 78, complemented by a 1.18 WHIP. The southpaw did not do well in 2024, recording a 4.30 ERA, resulting in a late July trade.
Post game presser with the MVP of the game: Kyle Stowers.#MarlinsBeisbol pic.twitter.com/nBWmzkBPeK
— Gabriel Garcia (@Gabewritesports) May 3, 2025
I was excited when the Marlins chose Bleday. At the time, I figured it was a great pick. Unfortunately, it didn’t pan out. Bleday is slashing .231/.326/.393, however, he’s torched the Marlins through two games, going 4-for-8 with five runs, two dingers, and two RBIs. Sometimes I wonder if it’s a change of scenery or a problem within Miami’s development system. The franchise has been better known for bringing out talented arms instead of bats (Kahlil Watson), although that may be changing with Peter Bendix. Bleday may no longer be a Marlin, but I was happy with his performance and wish him luck the rest of the way.
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