Bruján finds redemption in Marlins' 6th walk-off victory

MIAMI – There was a moment during Tuesday afternoon’s batting practice when Skip Schumaker and Vidal Bruján spoke near the infield lip around second base. The exchange ended with the Marlins’ manager putting an arm around his utility player’s shoulder.

Bruján, a former top prospect with the Rays trying to establish himself in the big leagues with the Marlins, was beating himself up about not coming through as a pinch-hitter with the winning run on third in an eventual 12-inning loss on Monday night.

“We were just talking there, [a] baseball conversation, and he was telling me that I'm a good player,” Bruján said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “I'm also a player that sometimes puts his head down. I get down if I fail. Baseball is a game of failure. You've got one, two, three, four, five games of failing, but you've got to keep going and get back to it.

“So he was pretty much that engine. He turned that engine on today, and he gave me that energy that is very, very important for all of us. And I'm very thankful for Skip. I'm not a guy that will go and talk to my coaches. I'm very shy and quiet, so I was grateful that he came to me and he spoke.”

It seemed to do the trick, as Bruján came off the bench in the 10th inning and redeemed himself with the walk-off hit in the Marlins’ 9-8 victory over the Cardinals on Tuesday night at loanDepot park. Miami’s MLB-high-tying sixth walk-off win of the season also snapped a six-game skid.

After St. Louis scored a run in the top half of the 10th, Miami rallied with two runs in the bottom half of the frame.

Nick Gordon and Tim Anderson reached on one-out infield singles against righty Chris Roycroft, with Anderson’s hit tying the game at 8. Both runners then advanced a base on Otto Lopez’s groundout before Bruján sent a 2-1 four-seamer into center for an RBI single for his first career walk-off hit.

So what was the difference within the 24-hour period? Bruján stopped being so anxious. He felt relaxed at the dish being at home and listening to his music.

“It's a sign of a professional, and I'm proud that he had the confidence to slow the game down, see the ball deeper this time, use the big part of the field,” Schumaker said. “He had the chance yesterday, and a pro flips the script or turns the page quick. And he did. He learned from that at-bat. He's not in trouble, the pitcher's in trouble, the old school of thought. And he was kind of rushed a little bit yesterday in talking with him. He made an adjustment, and that's what this game is.”

When Anderson was sidelined with lower back tightness in mid-May, Bruján started nine straight games at shortstop in his place. When Anderson landed on the bereavement list earlier this month, however, Miami gave Xavier Edwards a shot at the position to see what he would look like there.

Between Anderson’s return and Lopez’s emergence, the switch-hitting Bruján has been the odd man out, only getting eight plate appearances since June 10.

“The message they gave me since the beginning of the season is that you're not going to see that many games that often, but you're going to get the opportunity, and any time you get the opportunity, you've got to take advantage,” Bruján said. “So that's what I'm doing right now, and I'm just trying to build that routine so I can take advantage of each opportunity.”

Even still, the 26-year-old Bruján is seeing more playing time than ever. He entered 2024 with 99 games and 272 plate appearances in parts of three seasons with Tampa Bay from ‘21-23. Bruján already has 53 games and 140 plate appearances in ‘24.

“It is hard,” said Schumaker, who served in a similar role during his 11-year playing career. “I've been a bench player. [First-base coach] Jon Jay has been a bench player. [Hitting coach John] Mabry's been a bench player. So there's a lot of conversations on how to get ready for games. It's not easy to do if you've never done it before, though. You can talk to someone all the time, but until you're in there and getting one pinch-hit against a guy throwing 98 mph sinkers, and you're supposed to produce, that's hard.

“And then you go in defensively [and] you're supposed to make every play. It's not easy. So it's a little bit of an adjustment, but he's having a really nice year for the role that he's in.”