MIAMI _ The mini reunion of the Marlins' 2003 championship team before Saturday's game provided a relatable connection to the mission of the current club.
The 2003 champs rose from a deep deficit in May to secure a wild-card entry into the playoffs. Today's Marlins are trying to do the same.
They continued that climb Saturday in dramatic fashion with a 2-1 walk-off win on Miguel Rojas' sacrifice fly in the 11th inning at Marlins Park.
That scored Derek Dietrich, who led off with a double to right-center off lefty Jose M. Torres.
It was the Marlins' 12th win in the past 15 games and moved them to two games above .500 for the first time since April 22.
Though they struggled for timely hits most of the night, there were some notable efforts along the way.
Marcell Ozuna hit his 31st home run and right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne held the Padres to one run and three hits in six innings in his second start of the season for Miami.
Ichiro Suzuki also set a Marlins season record with his 22nd pinch hit, passing Ross Gload for the Marlins record (2009), The last player with more in one season in the majors was Mark Sweeney in 2007.
Ozuna helped the Marlins get untracked after a listless beginning when he drove Dinelson Lamet's two-strike slider off a palm tree on the home run sculpture, a 453-foot poke to left-center.
Giancarlo Stanton remained one home run away from becoming the first National Leaguer with 50 since Prince Fielder in 2007.
With several of the 2003 gang reunited to pay homage to new Hall of Fame inductee Pudge Rodriguez, their manager, Jack McKeon recalled how that team clawed back from 10 games below .500 on a steady grind to secure the wild card that season.
"My goal was we want to pick up one (game) a week," said McKeon, who charted their progress on a calendar in his office.
The 2017 Marlins have followed a similar blueprint in digging in overcoming early-season struggles that saw them fall as much as 13 games below .500. After topping that plateau for the first time since April in winning the opener of their weekend series against the Padres, Miami went into Saturday 4{ games out of the second wild card in the National League.
"At this point you're just trying to win series," manager Don Mattingly said. "If you can, go out and win two out of three the rest of the way and see what happens."
They have now won five consecutive series.
Although Stanton and Ozuna have provided much of the offensive impetus, vital contributions have come from bit players and an array of pitchers in support of a starting rotation bound together with duct tape.
Every playoff push requires contributions from throughout the roster. Miami got a solid effort from Despaigne. The Cuban-born pitcher has been working in the long-relief role since being recalled from the minors at the end of July, but he had made 10 starts in Triple-A. He began his career with the Padres, going 9-16 in 34 starts for San Diego in 2014-15.
Despaigne is known as known as Mili-Pino for Players Weekend, a combo tribute to his wife, Mili and the nickname his family calls him. He turned in a performance to make them proud.
But his 97-pitch effort was rendered a sidenote after he departed with the score knotted at 1 after Padres starter Lamet completed six inning, allowing only Ozuna's homer among four hits.
The Padres literally stole the only run off Despaigne, pulling off a double steal of second and home.
With two strikes on pitcher Lamet, Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto unwisely threw to second with Jabari Blash running. Realmuto's throw sailed high while Cory Spangenberg ran home uncontested.
Realmuto's lapse in judgment was underscored when Lamet, a .074 hitter, struck out on the next pitch.
Miami left the bases loaded in the seventh when former Marlin Brad Hand struck out Christian Yelich and got Ozuna to fly out after intentionally walking Stanton.
The Marlins stranded runners on third in two previous innings, including the fifth when Stanton was called out on a questionable third strike on a pitch that registered well inside on FoxTrax. Stanton stated his disagreement, to no avail.
The Marlins benefited from a similar call on Padres pinch-hitter Matt Szczur that helped reliever Brian Ellington work around a leadoff double.
Ultimately, the Marlins continued their recent trend of finding a way to win.
"We've had this energy before, periodically," Stanton said after the win in Friday's series opener. "But this is different in the sense of we're all kind of playing our own game. No one is trying to be a different player than what they are, and everyone is mastering their craft, and trying to help the team win, individually."
