In just his third season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Mike Piazza hit the longest home run at Joe Robbie Stadium with a majestic grand slam to center field that traveled 477 feet.
The grand slam was Piazza’s first of his career and it gave the Dodgers a 4-2 lead over the then-Florida Marlins in the second inning. Piazza finished 4-for-4 with three runs scored and a walk in addition to his second home run in as many games.
Unfortunately for the All-Star catcher, the Dodgers bullpen ultimately couldn’t protect the lead in an 11-10 walk-off loss. It was a second consecutive game Dodgers relief pitchers failed to prevent the Marlins from mounting a comeback.
The Dodgers held a 9-3 lead when the bottom of the seventh inning began and were up by five runs when starter Tom Candiotti was removed with two outs.
Darren Dreifort, Jim Gott and Al Osuna all pitched before the Dodgers could end a six-run seventh inning that suddenly had the game tied. Their offense responded by scoring a run in the eighth, but Osuna exited with two runners on and Roger McDowell proceeded to allow the game-tying run to score.
McDowell also was on the mound when Jesus Tavarez hit a walk-off RBI single in the ninth inning.
Piazza was among several Dodgers to express frustration after the loss. The Dodgers remained in first place of the National League West at the time, but had lost four of the first five games to begin June 1994.
The Dodgers went on to finish 58-56 before the 1994 MLB strike began in August.
Piazza hit .319/.370/.541 with 18 doubles, 24 home runs and 92 RBI while earning the second of what would become six consecutive All-Star Game selections. Piazza additionally won a second career silver Slugger Award that season and finished sixth for NL MVP.
In September 1997, Piazza again put his name in the record books by hitting the longest home run in Coors Field history at 496 feet. That since has been broken by Giancarlo Stanton (2016) and C.J. Cron (2022), who both hit 504-foot home runs at Coors Field.
Dodgers trade Mike Piazza
On May 14, 1998 the Dodgers traded Piazza with Todd Zeile to the Marlins for Manuel Barrios, Bobby Bonilla, Jim Eisenreich, Charles Johnson and Gary Sheffield.
Eight days later, the Marlins traded Piazza to New York Mets for Geoff Goetz, Preston Wilson and Ed Yarnall.
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