In Game 7 that began on October 26, 1997, the Florida Marlins turned their first World Series appearance into a championship. Edgar Rentería singled in the bottom of the 11th to score Craig Counsell and beat Cleveland 3–2 at Pro Player Stadium. Florida became the first wild-card team to win the title.
Cleveland controlled much of the deciding game. Tony Fernández's two-run single put the Indians ahead in the third inning, and starter Jaret Wright limited Florida's opportunities. Bobby Bonilla's seventh-inning home run cut the deficit to one, leaving the Marlins close enough for a final attempt without giving them the lead.
The championship nearly ended in the ninth. Cleveland led 2–1 when closer José Mesa entered, needing three outs. Moisés Alou singled, and Charles Johnson's hit moved him to third. Counsell's sacrifice fly brought Alou home, tying the score and sending the deciding game beyond nine innings.
The 11th created Florida's last opportunity. Bonilla reached on a single, and an error helped the Marlins develop a bases-loaded chance. Cleveland forced out a runner at home before Rentería came to bat with two outs. His single into center allowed Counsell to score, ending the game with a one-run margin.
The result gave an expansion franchise that began play in 1993 a title in its fifth season. It also established a new postseason possibility: a team could enter as a wild card and finish as champion. The event's historical importance is that breakthrough, delivered through a ninth-inning escape and an extra-inning finish. Rentería's single supplied the final answer after Cleveland had come within three outs of winning the title.