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Justin Turner finds redemption in Cubs’ walk-off win over Marlins

1 month agoZoe Grossman

CHICAGO — A Justin Turner walk-off hit once meant something entirely different to the Cubs.

Eight seasons ago, Turner’s three-run ninth-inning homer for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the NLCS effectively crushed Chicago’s dreams of repeating World Series glory. Back then, he perhaps was Public Enemy No. 1 to the Cubs.

[MORE: Cubs takeaways: What we learned as Justin Turner walks off Marlins]

Now, he’s their beloved teammate and leader. And he’s also the ultimate hero who delivered the walk-off double in the Cubs’ wild 5-4 comeback win over the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field.

Turner was hitting just .155 when he came up to pinch-hit in the ninth. Some corners of Cubs fandom even called for him to be designated for assignment Tuesday afternoon when Moises Ballesteros was promoted from Triple-A.

“Obviously, I’ve been going through it, and I’m not going to make any excuses,” Turner said of his struggles at the plate this season. “But at the same time, you’ve just got to show up and put in the work every day. I finally got a good result.”

[MORE: Nico Hoerner visualized Cubs’ walk-off win before it actually happened]

As the Cubs mounted an unprecedented comeback in the ninth, Turner came to the plate with the winning run on first base. He’d only had one hit this month in his sparse at-bats.

But Turner is a veteran — an elite hitter in his 17 MLB seasons — and he knows a thing or two about winning games with his bat. So he ripped a double down the left field line to score Vidal Bruján and Nico Hoerner, injecting life into a game that seemed to be going all the wrong ways for the Cubs.

Turner hardly took credit. He wanted the win to lie on the shoulders of his teammates who started the rally.

“Carson (Kelly) hit a ball on the ground and busted out of the box, putting pressure on the defense; Dansby (Swanson) took a good at-bat,” Turner said. “I was just lucky enough to have the opportunity to take the last swing.”

Turner’s selflessness and leadership have proven invaluable to younger Cubs players such as right-hander Ben Brown, who started Tuesday’s game.

“He’s probably one of the best teammates I’ve ever had,” Brown said. “We’re so thankful for him and every single thing that he does for us as a team off the field.”

Turner’s willingness to help is contagious in the clubhouse, and it comes back around to helping himself in the process.

“I mean, it’s baseball. It doesn’t matter how good or bad you’re feeling,” Turner said.  “You’ve got to show up at work every day. If you take anything for granted, this game will punish you.”