Fresh off his NLCS MVP performance, Liván Hernández took the mound for the Marlins and quickly gave up a run in the first thanks to a double by leadoff man Bip Roberts and an RBI single by David Justice.

Both teams scored in the first, thanks to RBI singles by David Justice for the Indians after Omar Vizquel doubled with one out and Jeff Conine for the Marlins with two on.

Ogea barely escaped further damage when Moisés Alou got under a hanging curveball, but merely flied out to the warning track, missing his second three-run homer in as many nights by inches.

The three-run lead ballooned to five when Alomar hit a laser into the left field stands for a two-run home run in the sixth.

However, the Indians got a gift in the bottom of the fourth, when they drew four free passes, then a throwing error by third baseman Bobby Bonilla on Manny Ramírez's single allowed two more runs to score.

After a strikeout to Alou (his third of the night) and intentional walk to pinch-hitter Cliff Floyd, an error by first baseman Thome on Plunk's pickoff attempt allowed Daulton to score.

After Charles Johnson singled, Alvin Morman relieved Plunk and an error by second baseman Tony Fernández on Counsell's ground ball allowed Floyd to score.

In the bottom of the inning, the Indians loaded the bases on a walk and two singles with one out off Robb Nen before Tony Fernández's sacrifice fly and Marquis Grissom's single scored a run each, then Bip Roberts' two-run double cut the lead to 14–11, but Omar Vizquel grounded out to end the game.

Next inning, Alomar launched a towering three-run home run after two walks to Thome and Matt Williams to put the Indians up 4–2.

Eric Plunk then walked Craig Counsell with the bases loaded to force in Jeff Conine, with the run charged to Hershiser.

Next inning, Alou's single scored pinch-runner Alex Arias (running for Bonilla) with two on off José Mesa extended the lead to 8–4.

Indians shortstop Omar Vizquel, who won the Gold Glove that year, dove for the ball, grabbed it, sprung to his feet, and hurled a perfect strike to first base just before Johnson arrived.

In the ninth, closer José Mesa wrapped up the win despite allowing a triple to Devon White to tie the Series at 3–3.

[10] For the decisive final matchup of the World Series, the first time since 1991 that a Game 7 would be played, the Marlins sent Al Leiter to the mound to start.

However, Indians manager Mike Hargrove, celebrating his 48th birthday this day, chose to give the start to rookie Jaret Wright on short rest.

Entering the seventh inning, he had only allowed a total of four baserunners; in addition to the Rentería double, he had walked Gary Sheffield in the first and Leiter in the fifth, and Darren Daulton had reached on a three-base error when Ramirez misplayed a line drive.

The Marlins finally broke through in the bottom of the seventh as Bobby Bonilla hit Wright's first pitch over the right-center field wall for a home run to cut the lead to 2–1.

After striking out Charles Johnson and walking Craig Counsell, Wright was removed from the game in favor of Paul Assenmacher who was scheduled to pitch to Cliff Floyd.

Marlins manager Jim Leyland elected to send Kurt Abbott to the plate after the pitching change; Assenmacher retired him on a fly ball, then got Devon White swinging to end the inning.

Nen induced a groundball from Grissom to Rentería at shortstop, who elected to throw Alomar out at home, thanks in part to a great pick and tag by Johnson.

Gregg Zaun, who replaced Johnson after pinch running for him in the bottom the ninth, stepped in for his first at bat and was asked to bunt Bonilla over.

In only their fifth season of existence, the Marlins were the quickest expansion team to reach (and win) the World Series until 2001, when the Arizona Diamondbacks did it in their fourth year.

On October 31, 1997, most of the key contributors of the 1997 Marlins were traded, including Moisés Alou, who was sent to the Houston Astros, and Al Leiter to the New York Mets, in a fire sale so infamous that it has come to synonymize the term in the baseball world.

Midway through the 1998 season, the Marlins would trade Jim Eisenreich, Bobby Bonilla, Gary Sheffield, and Charles Johnson to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Todd Zeile and Mike Piazza.

Jim Leyland, responding to reports that he would retire if the Marlins won the World Series, told NBC during the celebration, "My wife doesn't like me that much.

Henry in turn sold it to former Montreal Expos owner Jeffrey Loria in 2001 as part of a deal to purchase the Boston Red Sox.

The failure of José Mesa to save Game 7 ultimately ignited a heated feud with teammate Omar Vizquel.

The high attendance is due to the fact that the series went the full seven games and the large seating capacity at Pro Player Stadium.

Vin Scully, in what would prove to be his last World Series call before he retired in 2016, was the lead broadcaster for the eleventh time for CBS.

[15] It also marked the final game carried by Indians flagship station WKNR (1220); the broadcast rights would be moved to WTAM for the 1998 season.