In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. For a home run to end the game, it must be hit in the bottom of the final inning and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will not have an opportunity to score any more runs, there is no need to finish the inning and the teams can walk off the field immediately. The winning runs must still round all three bases and be counted at home plate. A variant of the walk-off home run, the walk-off grand slam, occurs when a grand slam exceeds the opponent's score in the bottom of the final inning and ends the game.
Although the concept of a game-ending home run is as old as baseball, the adjective "walk-off" attained widespread use only in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The first known usage of the word in print appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle on April 21, 1988, Section D, Page 1. Chronicle writer Lowell Cohn wrote an article headlined "What the Eck?" about Oakland reliever Dennis Eckersley's unusual way of speaking: "For a translation, I go in search of Eckersley. I also want to know why he calls short home runs 'street pieces,' and home runs that come in the last at-bat of a game 'walkoff pieces' ..." Although the term originally was coined with a negative connotation, in reference to the pitcher (who must "walk off" the field with his head hung in shame),[1] it has come to acquire a more celebratory connotation, for the batter who circles the bases with pride and with the adulation of the home crowd.
Jim Thome holds the MLB record for most career walk-off home runs with thirteen, the first being hit on June 15, 1994 and the last (which broke the previous record of twelve) on June 23, 2012. Most notably, he hit his 500th career home run for a walk-off home run.[2] [3]
Sportscasters have applied the term "walk-off hit" to any kind of hit that drives in the winning run to end the game. It is an expansion of the term to call a hit a walk-off when what ends the game is not the hit, but the defense's failure to make a play. The terms "walk-off hit by pitch", "walk-off walk" (a base on balls with the bases loaded), "walk-off wild pitch", "walk-off reach-on-error", "walk-off steal of home", "walk-off passed ball", and "walk-off balk" have been also applied, with the latter dubbed a "balk-off".[4] The day after Eric Bruntlett executed a game-ending unassisted triple play for the Philadelphia Phillies against the New York Mets on August 23, 2009, the Philadelphia Daily News used the term "walk-off triple play" in a subheadline describing the moment, although it was not a true walk-off.[5]
A grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners ("bases loaded"), thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. A walk-off home run with the bases loaded is therefore known as a walk-off grand slam. Since 1916 there have been more than 250 walk-off grand slams hit during Major League Baseball's regular season.[6] From 1903 onwards, only one walk-off grand slam has been hit in the postseason, by Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers in Game 2 of the 2011 ALCS.[7]
The most recent walk-off grand slam was hit by Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners on June 10, 2024 against the Chicago White Sox.
Three players have hit two walk-off grand slams in a season, Cy Williams in 1926, Jim Presley in 1986, and Steve Pearce in 2017. Pearce's first was on July 27 (an 8–4 victory over the Oakland Athletics)[8] followed by his second on July 30 (an ultimate grand slam, for an 11–10 win over the Los Angeles Angels), becoming the first player in MLB history to hit multiple walk-off grand slams within the span of a single week.[9] [10]
Only five pitchers in major league history have surrendered two game-ending grand slam home runs in one season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau:
A walk-off grand slam that erases a three-run deficit is also called an ultimate grand slam.[11] [12] [13] There have been 32 such instances documented in major league history – all taking place during the regular season, 16 of those coming with two outs.[14] [15] Of the 32 home runs, only Roberto Clemente's was hit inside the park, at spacious Forbes Field on July 25, 1956. Pirates manager/third base coach Bobby Bragan instructed him to stop at third, but Clemente ran through the stop sign to score the winning run.[16] Alan Trammell's June 21, 1988[17] and Chris Hoiles' May 17, 1996 grand slams occurred under the most dire situation: bases loaded, two outs, full count, bottom of the ninth inning, and down by three runs. The most recent ultimate grand slam was hit by Giancarlo Stanton on September 20, 2022, in the New York Yankees' 9-8 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Walk-off celebrations typically consist of an entire baseball team leaving the dugout to meet a player at home plate after the batter hits a walk-off home run, or at whichever base the hitter happens to reach if a traditional base hit results in a walk-off victory.
A walk-off celebration may involve hitters jumping on home plate before being encircled and caught by their teammates. During a walk-off celebration on May 29, 2010, Kendrys Morales, then a member of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, broke his left leg from jumping on home plate while celebrating a walk-off grand slam off of the Seattle Mariners.[18] As a result of this injury, team manager Mike Scioscia instituted new guidelines for his team that ensured a much tamer response to all subsequent walk-off victories.[19]
The rules of baseball[20] provide that:
The first point above was problematic in the 1976 American League Championship Series between the New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals. The Yankees and Royals entered the bottom of the ninth inning of the decisive fifth game with the score tied, 6–6; Mark Littell was the pitcher for Kansas City, and Chris Chambliss was the first batter for New York. Chambliss hit Littell's first pitch into the right field bleachers to win the game and the American League pennant for the Yankees. However, Yankees fans ran onto the field at Yankee Stadium to celebrate the victory, and prevented Chambliss from rounding the bases and touching home plate. Recognizing the impossibility of Chambliss successfully negotiating the sea of people who had been on the field, umpires later escorted Chambliss back out to home plate and watched as he touched it with his foot, thereby making the Yankees victory "official". (A comment to Rule 5.08(b) permits the umpires to award the run if fans prevent the runner from touching home plate.)
The third point above led to Robin Ventura's "Grand Slam Single" in Game 5 of the 1999 NLCS. In the bottom of the 15th inning, the New York Mets tied the score against the Atlanta Braves at 3–3. Ventura came to bat with the bases loaded, and hit a game-winning grand slam to deep right. Roger Cedeño scored from third and John Olerud appeared to score from second, but Todd Pratt,[21] on first base when Ventura hit the home run, went to second, then turned around and hugged Ventura as the rest of the team rushed onto the field. The official ruling was that because Ventura never advanced past first base, it was not a home run but a single, and thus only Cedeño's run counted, making the official final score 4–3.
The fourth point above was not a rule prior to 1920; instead, the game ended at the moment the winning run scored. This rule affected the scoring of 40 hits, from 1884 to 1918, that would now be scored as game-winning home runs.[22] Babe Ruth would have been credited with 715 career home runs had the modern rule been in effect in 1918; in a 10-inning game Ruth's fence-clearing, walk-off RBI hit was scored a triple because the game was deemed over when the lead baserunner reached home.[23]
In the charts below, home runs that ended a postseason series are denoted by the series standing in bold. Home runs in which the winning team was trailing at the time are denoted by the final score in bold. Grand slams are denoted by the situation in bold.
| Year | Game | Batter | Site | Pitcher | Situation | Final score | Series standing | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Game 1, October 5 | Tommy Henrich, N.Y. Yankees | Yankee Stadium | Don Newcombe, Brooklyn | 0–0, 9th 0 out 0 on | 1–0 | 1–0 NYY | Henrich's blast leading off the ninth was the first game-winning home run in Series history, and provided the game's only run. | |
| 1954 | Game 1, September 29 | Dusty Rhodes, N.Y. Giants | Polo Grounds | Bob Lemon, Cleveland | 2–2, 10th 1 out 2 on | 5–2 | 1–0 NYG | Rhodes' three-run pinch-hit homer with one out in the tenth is not as well remembered as Willie Mays' spectacular over-the-shoulder catch earlier in the game. | |
| 1957 | Game 4, October 6 | Eddie Mathews, Milwaukee | County Stadium | Bob Grim, N.Y. Yankees | 5–5, 10th 1 out 1 on | 7–5 | 2–2 | Mathews hits a two-run shot with one out in the tenth inning to tie the Series. | |
| 1960 | Game 7, October 13 | Bill Mazeroski, Pittsburgh | Forbes Field | Ralph Terry, N.Y. Yankees | 9–9, 9th 0 out 0 on | 10–9 | 4–3 PIT | Leading off the ninth, Mazeroski homers to end the Series, giving the Pirates their first championship since 1925. It is the only Game 7 game-winning home run in World Series history. After Forbes Field was demolished, the section of the left-field wall where the home run left the park was moved to the Pirates' new home of Three Rivers Stadium, and still later was moved to their current home, PNC Park. A line of bricks marks that section of the wall, next to a preserved wall section, and a plaque indicating the spot where Mazeroski's homer left the park is embedded in the current sidewalk. | |
| 1964 | Game 3, October 10 | Mickey Mantle, N.Y. Yankees | Yankee Stadium | Barney Schultz, St. Louis | 1–1, 9th 0 out 0 on | 2–1 | 2–1 NYY | Mantle hits a home run on the first pitch of the ninth for a Yankee victory. | |
| 1975 | Game 6, October 21 | Carlton Fisk, Boston | Fenway Park | Pat Darcy, Cincinnati | 6–6, 12th 0 out 0 on | 7–6 | 3–3 | Fisk's home run to lead off the 12th inning, high off the left-field foul pole above the Green Monster, ties the Series in one of the best remembered moments in the sport's history. The homer arguably changed the way televised sports are covered; because camera operators missed a cue from the producer, the camera lingered on Fisk trying to "wave his home run fair." This image of Fisk proved so dramatic that "reaction shots" became standard fare in sports broadcasting. | |
| 1988 | Game 1, October 15 | Kirk Gibson, Los Angeles | Dodger Stadium | Dennis Eckersley, Oakland | 3–4, 9th 2 out 1 on | 5–4 | 1–0 LAD | The injured and hobbling Gibson, later named the NL MVP, makes his only Series appearance with a pinch-hit, two-run, two-out home run for the underdog Dodgers, marking the first game-winning Series home run by a team that trailed at the time. Oakland's José Canseco had provided all his team's scoring with a second-inning grand slam. Jack Buck, who called the game for CBS Radio, exclaimed "I don't believe what I just saw!" as Gibson circled the bases. | |
| 1988 | Game 3, October 18 | Mark McGwire, Oakland | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | Jay Howell, Los Angeles | 1–1, 9th 1 out 0 on | 2–1 | 2–1 LAD | McGwire's home run with one out gives Oakland its only win in the Series. It is the first time that two game-winning home runs are hit in the same post-season series. | |
| 1991 | Game 6, October 26 | Kirby Puckett, Minnesota | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | Charlie Leibrandt, Atlanta | 3–3, 11th 0 out 0 on | 4–3 | 3–3 | Puckett, who had made a game-saving defensive play earlier in this game, leads off the 11th inning with a homer to tie the Series, as Jack Buck told the nation on CBS, "We'll see you... tomorrow night!" In addition, Puckett falls a double short of hitting for the cycle, getting two singles, a triple, and the homer. | |
| 1993 | Game 6, October 23 | Joe Carter, Toronto | SkyDome | Mitch Williams, Philadelphia | 5–6, 9th 1 out 2 on | 8–6 | 4–2 TOR | Carter hit a three-run homer with one out to give Toronto its second consecutive championship. Radio sportscaster Tom Cheek's call of "Touch 'em all Joe, you'll never hit a bigger home run in your life!" would go down as one of the most iconic moments in Toronto sports history and this was the last time that the World Series title decided on a walk-off home run since Bill Mazeroski's title-winning walk off home run for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Game 7 of the 1960 World Series against the Yankees. It was the last time that championship title decided on a sudden death in the major North American professional sports leagues until Brett Hull scored the title–clinching overtime goal for the Dallas Stars in the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals. | |
| 1999 | Game 3, October 26 | Chad Curtis, N.Y. Yankees | Yankee Stadium | Mike Remlinger, Atlanta | 5–5, 10th 0 out 0 on | 6–5 | 3–0 NYY | Curtis leads off the tenth inning with his second home run of the evening to give the Yankees a commanding Series lead. | |
| 2001 | Game 4, October 31 | Derek Jeter, N.Y. Yankees | Yankee Stadium | Byung-hyun Kim, Arizona | 3–3, 10th 2 out 0 on | 4–3 | 2–2 | Jeter's homer with two out in the tenth ties the Series in the first-ever Series at-bat by any player in the month of November (just after midnight on November 1); the series had been delayed because of the September 11, 2001 attacks. It also gave him the nickname of "Mr. November".[24] [25] | |
| 2003 | Game 4, October 22 | Álex González, Florida | Pro Player Stadium | Jeff Weaver, N.Y. Yankees | 3–3, 12th 0 out 0 on | 4–3 | 2–2 | González, who had five hits in 53 at-bats in the postseason and one hit in 13 at-bats in the World Series, hits a home run on a full count to lead off the 12th inning, tying the Series and shifting momentum to Florida for the remainder of the Series. | |
| 2005 | Game 2, October 23 | Scott Podsednik, Chi. White Sox | U.S. Cellular Field | Brad Lidge, Houston | 6–6, 9th 1 out 0 on | 7–6 | 2–0 CHW | After Paul Konerko hits a grand slam to give Chicago a 6–4 lead in the seventh, and Houston ties it in the ninth, Podsednik, who had not homered in 129 games in the regular season, hits one to right-center with one out to win it. | |
| 2011 | Game 6, October 27 | David Freese, St. Louis | Busch Stadium | Mark Lowe, Texas | 9–9, 11th 0 out 0 on | 10–9 | 3–3 | After Texas had taken the lead in the ninth and tenth innings by two runs each, the Cardinals rallied twice to keep the score tied in the bottom of the tenth. Jake Westbrook pitched a scoreless 11th inning to set up David Freese's solo walk-off home run to tie the series and force Game 7, which the Cardinals won. Fox play-by-play commentator Joe Buck echoed his late father Jack's call of Kirby Puckett's home run from the 1991 World Series, saying, "...we will see you tomorrow night!" Puckett's and Freese's home runs occurred under similar circumstances: 1) both happened during Game 6 of the World Series, and 2) both men were the first batter of the eleventh inning. The home runs were hit twenty years and a day apart from each other. | |
| 2018 | Game 3, October 26 | Max Muncy, L.A. Dodgers | Dodger Stadium | Nathan Eovaldi, Boston | 2–2, 18th 0 out 0 on | 3–2 | 2–1 BOS | After missing a home run by a few feet in the 15th inning, Muncy hit a full count pitch over the left field wall off Eovaldi leading off the bottom of the 18th inning, giving the Dodgers the win and ending the longest World Series game in history in terms of innings (18) and time (7 hours, 20 mins), exactly 30 years after the Kirk Gibson walk-off homered at the opener in the 1988 World Series against the Oakland Athletics when Dennis Eckersley pitched the full count in the bottom of the ninth inning. | |
| 2023 | Game 1, October 27 | Adolis García, Texas | Globe Life Field | Miguel Castro, Arizona | 5-5, 11th 1 out 0 on | 6-5 | 1-0 | After Texas tied at the bottom of the ninth with a two run home run by Corey Seager, the game went into extra innings. At the bottom of the eleventh with one out, Adolis García hit a home run, breaking the single postseason runs batted in record which was previously held by David Freese of the St. Louis Cardinals. This coincidentally happened twelve years to the day after Freese's own walk-off home run against Texas to end Game 6 of the 2011 World Series. García became the first American Leaguer to hit the walk-off home run in the World Series game since Scott Podsednik of the Chicago White Sox in game two of the 2005 World Series and the second Latin American player to do so since the Florida Marlin shortstop, Álex González who homered off Jered Weaver of the New York Yankees in the fourth game of the 2003 World Series. |
| Year | width=115px | Date | Batter | Site | Pitcher | Situation | Final score | Series standing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 ALWC | October 4 | Edwin Encarnación, Toronto | Rogers Centre | Ubaldo Jiménez, Baltimore | 2–2, 11th 1 out 2 on | 5–2 | 1–0 TOR | With two runners on base, Edwin Encarnación drives the first pitch in his at-bat to left field to advance the Blue Jays to the ALDS. | |
| 2021 NLWC | October 7 | Chris Taylor, Los Angeles Dodgers | Dodger Stadium | Alex Reyes, St. Louis | 1–1, 9th 2 out 1 on | 3–1 | 1–0 LAD | With a runner on base, Taylor hit a two-run home run to advance the Dodgers to the NLDS. | |
| 2022 ALWCS | October 8 | Oscar González, Cleveland Guardians | Progressive Field | Corey Kluber, Tampa Bay Rays | 0–0, 15th 0 out 0 on | 1–0 | 2–0 CLE | González hit a 1–0 pitch into the left field bleachers to complete a 2–0 series sweep over the Rays. |
| Year | width=115px | Game | Batter | Site | Pitcher | Situation | Final score | Series Standing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 NLDS | Game 1, October 6 | Alan Ashby, Houston | Astrodome | Dave Stewart, Los Angeles | 1–1, 9th 2 out 1 on | 3–1 | 1–0 HOU | With two out in the ninth, Ashby wins it with a two-run shot after Nolan Ryan pitches a two-hitter. | |
| 1981 NLDS | Game 4, October 10 | George Vukovich, Philadelphia | Veterans Stadium | Jeff Reardon, Montreal | 5–5, 10th 0 out 0 on | 6–5 | 2–2 | Vukovich pinch-hits a 2–0 pitch to right field leading off the tenth inning, tying the series. | |
| 1995 ALDS | Game 1, October 3 | Tony Peña, Cleveland | Jacobs Field | Zane Smith, Boston | 4–4, 13th 2 out 0 on | 5–4 | 1–0 CLE | In a five-hour game delayed twice by rain, Peña hits a two-out shot in the 13th inning at 2:08 AM to win; it is Boston's 11th consecutive postseason loss, and Cleveland's first post-season win since the 1948 World Series. At the time the longest game in post-season history, it held the record for only one day. | |
| 1995 ALDS | Game 2, October 4 | Jim Leyritz, N.Y. Yankees | Yankee Stadium | Tim Belcher, Seattle | 5–5, 15th 1 out 1 on | 7–5 | 2–0 NYY | With one out in the 15th inning, Leyritz hits a two-run homer to right. At five hours 13 minutes, it breaks the record set one day earlier for the longest post-season game. | |
| 1999 NLDS | Game 4, October 9 | Todd Pratt, N.Y. Mets | Shea Stadium | Matt Mantei, Arizona | 3–3, 10th 1 out 0 on | 4–3 | 3–1 NYM | Pratt, substituting for an injured Mike Piazza, hits a home run to center field with one out in the tenth to win the series; Steve Finley nearly makes a leaping catch, but the ball just clears his glove and this became the first walk-off home run to decide the entire series in the divisional play since its inception in the post-strike 1995 season. | |
| 2000 NLDS | Game 3, October 7 | Benny Agbayani, N.Y. Mets | Shea Stadium | Aaron Fultz, San Francisco | 2–2, 13th 1 out 0 on | 3–2 | 2–1 NYM | With one out in the 13th, Agbayani homers to left-center to end a five-hour 22 minute contest. Barry Bonds popped up with two men on in the top of the inning, ending a Giants threat. | |
| 2003 ALDS | Game 3, October 4 | Trot Nixon, Boston | Fenway Park | Rich Harden, Oakland | 1–1, 11th 1 out 1 on | 3–1 | 2–1 OAK | With one out in the 11th, pinch-hitter Nixon slams a 1–1 pitch to center field for a game-winning two-run homer. | |
| 2004 NLDS | Game 2, October 7 | Rafael Furcal, Atlanta | Turner Field | Dan Miceli, Houston | 2–2, 11th 2 out 1 on | 4–2 | 1–1 | With two out in the 11th, Furcal hits a two-run home run to right field on a 1–2 pitch to even the series. | |
| 2004 ALDS | Game 3, October 8 | David Ortiz, Boston | Fenway Park | Jarrod Washburn, Anaheim | 6–6, 10th 2 out 1 on | 8–6 | 3–0 BOS | Washburn enters the game with two out in the tenth and Ortiz smashes his first pitch to left field for a two-run homer to win the series for the Red Sox. Vladimir Guerrero had tied the game for the Angels with a grand slam in the seventh. This home run sent the Red Sox to the ALCS for the potential rematch with the New York Yankees which later pulled the biggest comeback in the history of the baseball by winning 7 games. | |
| 2005 NLDS | Game 4, October 9 | Chris Burke, Houston | Minute Maid Park | Joey Devine, Atlanta | 6–6, 18th 1 out 0 on | 7–6 | 3–1 HOU | Burke homers to left field on a 2–0 pitch with one out in the 18th inning, sending the Astros to the NLCS for the second year in a row. At five hours, 50 minutes long, it was the longest game by both innings and time in postseason history before Game 2 of the 2014 National League Division Series when the Nationals and Giants finished in 18 innings and 6 hours, 23 mins. | |
| 2007 ALDS | Game 2, October 5 | Manny Ramírez, Boston | Fenway Park | Francisco Rodríguez, L.A. Angels | 3–3, 9th 2 out 2 on | 6–3 | 2–0 BOS | With two out in the bottom of the ninth inning and two men on base, Ramírez slams a 1–0 pitch over the Green Monster, over the seats behind it, and onto Lansdowne Street behind Fenway Park. | |
| 2009 ALDS | Game 2, October 9 | Mark Teixeira, N.Y. Yankees | Yankee Stadium | José Mijares, Minnesota | 3–3, 11th 0 out 0 on | 4–3 | 2–0 NYY | With nobody out and nobody on in the bottom of the 11th, Teixeira lined a 2–1 pitch down the left field line that bounced off the top of the wall and landed in the first row of seats to give the Yankees a 4–3 win and a 2–0 series lead. | |
| 2012 ALDS | Game 3, October 10 | Raúl Ibañez, N.Y. Yankees | Yankee Stadium | Brian Matusz, Baltimore | 2–2, 12th 0 out 0 on | 3–2 | 2–1 NYY | In the bottom of the ninth inning with one out and nobody on, Ibañez hit a solo home run to tie the game at 2–2. Then in the 12th, he hit another home run into the second deck to win the game and give the Yankees a 2–1 series lead. | |
| 2012 NLDS | Game 4, October 11 | Jayson Werth, Washington | Nationals Park | Lance Lynn, St. Louis | 1–1, 9th 0 out 0 on | 2–1 | 2–2 | Werth drilled the 13th pitch of the at-bat into the left field bullpen to win the game for the Nationals and force a Game 5. | |
| 2013 ALDS | Game 3, October 7 | José Lobatón, Tampa Bay | Tropicana Field | Koji Uehara, Boston | 4–4, 9th 2 out 0 on | 5–4 | 2–1 BOS | With two outs and nobody on in the ninth inning, Lobatón hit a game-winning home run into the right-center field fish tank to keep the Rays' postseason hopes alive. | |
| 2021 ALDS | Game 3, October 10 | Christian Vazquez, Boston | Fenway Park | Luis Patiño, Tampa Bay | 4–4, 13th 1 out 1 on | 6–4 | 2–1 BOS | Vazquez, who had not hit a home run since September 1, became the 8th catcher in postseason history to hit a walk-off home run when he hammered the first pitch into the left field Green Monster seats, handing Boston a dramatic 6–4 victory and a 2–1 series lead. | |
| 2022 ALDS | Game 1, October 11 | Yordan Alvarez, Houston | Minute Maid Park | Robbie Ray, Seattle | 5–7, 9th 2 out 2 on | 8–7 | 1–0 HOU | Alvarez hit a 3-run home run with 2 outs to give the Astros a 1–0 lead in the series. This was the first postseason walk-off in MLB history in which the winning team was down by multiple runs prior to the walk-off. |
| Year | width=115px | Game | Batter | Site | Pitcher | Situation | Final score | Series standing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 NLCS | Johnny Bench, Cincinnati | Riverfront Stadium | Tom Seaver, N.Y. Mets | 1–1, 9th 1 out 0 on | 2–1 | 1–0 CIN | Seaver sets an NLCS record with 13 strikeouts and drives in the Mets' only run, but makes two costly mistakes in Pete Rose's game-tying homer in the eighth and Bench's winning shot with one out in the ninth. | ||
| 1973 ALCS | Game 3, October 9 | Bert Campaneris, Oakland | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | Mike Cuellar, Baltimore | 1–1, 11th 0 out 0 on | 2–1 | 2–1 OAK | Campaneris hits the second pitch of the 11th inning over the left field wall; it is only the fourth hit allowed by Cuellar. | |
| 1976 ALCS | Game 5, October 14 | Chris Chambliss, N.Y. Yankees | Yankee Stadium | Mark Littell, Kansas City | 6–6, 9th 0 out 0 on | 7–6 | 3–2 NYY | After George Brett ties the game with a three-run shot in the eighth, Chambliss brings the Yankees their first pennant in 12 years with a homer to right on the first pitch of the ninth inning. A flood of fans then storms the field in a virtual riot; Chambliss is surrounded as he rounds first base, and has to reach out to touch second, which has been torn out by a fan. He never reaches third, but teammates later have him return to step in the general area of home plate. Damages are estimated at US$100,000 and the disastrous walk-off dinger to decide the league pennant became the first in the LCS history. | |
| 1979 ALCS | Game 1, October 3 | John Lowenstein, Baltimore | Memorial Stadium | John Montague, California | 3–3, 10th 2 out 2 on | 6–3 | 1–0 BAL | With two out in the tenth, Lowenstein pinch-hits a two-strike pitch to left for a three-run homer. | |
| 1984 NLCS | Game 4, October 6 | Steve Garvey, San Diego | Jack Murphy Stadium | Lee Smith, Chi. Cubs | 5–5, 9th 1 out 1 on | 7–5 | 2–2 | With one out in the ninth, Garvey hits a fastball to right-center for a two-run homer, his fourth hit of the day with five RBI; he has a record 20 career RBI in the league playoffs. | |
| 1985 NLCS | Game 5, October 14 | Ozzie Smith, St. Louis | Busch Memorial Stadium | Tom Niedenfuer, Los Angeles | 2–2, 9th 1 out 0 on | 3–2 | 3–2 STL | Smith shocks the crowd with a one-out homer down the right field line on a 1–2 pitch. He has had 13 career homers in eight seasons, but this is his first ever when batting from the left side. The call, by KMOX and longtime Cardinals announcer Jack Buck, implores the fans to "Go crazy, folks! Go crazy | " |
| 1986 NLCS | Game 3, October 11 | Lenny Dykstra, N.Y. Mets | Shea Stadium | Dave Smith, Houston | 4–5, 9th 1 out 1 on | 6–5 | 2–1 NYM | With one out in the ninth, Dykstra hits an 0–1 pitch for a two-run homer to right field. It is the first time in post-season history that a game winning homer is hit by a team which is trailing. | |
| 1996 ALCS | Game 1, October 9 | Bernie Williams, N.Y. Yankees | Yankee Stadium | Randy Myers, Baltimore | 4–4, 9th 0 out 0 on | 5–4 | 1–0 NYY | In one of the most controversial postseason games in history, Williams leads off the 11th with a game-winning homer. The Yankees had tied the game at 4–4 in the eighth inning when a 12-year-old fan reached over the right field wall and pulled a fly ball hit by Derek Jeter into the stands; umpire Rich Garcia ruled it a home run, but conceded his mistake after seeing a replay. | |
| 1999 ALCS | Game 1, October 13 | Bernie Williams, N.Y. Yankees | Yankee Stadium | Rod Beck, Boston | 3–3, 10th 0 out 0 on | 4–3 | 1–0 NYY | After Beck enters the game to begin the tenth, Williams homers to center on his second pitch, becoming the first player to hit two game-winning home runs in postseason play. | |
| 1999 NLCS | Game 5, October 17 | Robin Ventura, N.Y. Mets | Shea Stadium | Kevin McGlinchy, Atlanta | 3–3, 15th 1 out 3 on | 4–3 | 3–2 ATL | The Mets tie the score at 3–3 with a bases-loaded walk with one out in the 15th, bringing up Ventura, who with 13 career grand slams is tied for the lead among active players with Harold Baines and Mark McGwire. He comes through with the first game winning grand slam—and the first grand slam in extra innings—in post-season history, clearing the center-right field wall and forcing Game 6, but is officially credited with only a one-run single after being mobbed by teammates upon passing first base. | |
| 2001 ALCS | Game 4, October 21 | Alfonso Soriano, N.Y. Yankees | Yankee Stadium | Kazuhiro Sasaki, Seattle | 1–1, 9th 1 out 1 on | 3–1 | 3–1 NYY | With one out in the ninth, Soriano hits a two-run shot to center field to bring the Yankees within a victory of their fourth straight pennant. | |
| 2003 ALCS | Game 7, October 16 | Aaron Boone, N.Y. Yankees | Yankee Stadium | Tim Wakefield, Boston | 5–5, 11th 0 out 0 on | 6–5 | 4–3 NYY | After a managerial decision (subject to much second-guessing both immediately and later) to leave starter Pedro Martínez in the game allows the Yankees to tie it, Boone homers to left on the first pitch of the 11th inning to give the Yankees their sixth pennant in eight years and the second time in the Yankee franchise history since Chris Chambliss' series-ending walkoff dinger in the 1976 ALCS. | |
| 2004 ALCS | Game 4, October 17 | David Ortiz, Boston | Fenway Park | Paul Quantrill, N.Y. Yankees | 4–4, 12th 0 out 1 on | 6–4 | 3–1 NYY | With none out in the 12th, Ortiz hits a two-run shot to right on a 2–1 pitch to keep Boston's hopes alive in the series; coming only ten days after his game winning shot against the Angels, he is the first player to hit two game winning homers in the same postseason. It is the Red Sox's first win in their historic ALCS comeback against the Yankees. Later that day (the game ended after midnight), Ortiz will hit a game-winning single in the 14th, leading him subsequently to be named series MVP. | |
| 2004 NLCS | Game 5, October 18 | Jeff Kent, Houston | Minute Maid Park | Jason Isringhausen, St. Louis | 0–0, 9th 1 out 2 on | 3–0 | 3–2 HOU | With one out in the ninth, Kent hits a three-run homer to left field on the first pitch for the game's only scoring, bringing the Astros within a victory of their first pennant. | |
| 2004 NLCS | Game 6, October 20 | Jim Edmonds, St. Louis | Busch Memorial Stadium | Dan Miceli, Houston | 4–4, 12th 1 out 1 on | 6–4 | 3–3 | In the very next game of the Astros-Cardinals series, Edmonds hits a two-run homer to right field on an 0–1 pitch with one out in the 12th, tying the series. Miceli becomes the first pitcher to surrender two game winning homers in the same post-season. | |
| 2006 ALCS | Game 4, October 14 | Magglio Ordóñez, Detroit | Comerica Park | Huston Street, Oakland | 3–3, 9th 2 out 2 on | 6–3 | 4–0 DET | With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, after back-to-back two-out singles by Craig Monroe and Plácido Polanco, Ordóñez crushes a 1–0 fastball high over the left-field bullpen to complete a Tigers sweep, giving them their first pennant in 22 years since the Tigers won the World Series crown. | |
| 2011 ALCS | Game 2, October 10 | Nelson Cruz, Texas | Globe Life Park in Arlington | Ryan Perry, Detroit | 3–3, 11th 0 out 3 on | 7–3 | 2–0 TEX | With no outs in the bottom of the 11th, after back-to-back-to-back singles by Michael Young, Adrián Beltré, and Mike Napoli, Cruz hit a slider over the left-field wall, putting the Rangers two wins away from back-to-back World Series appearances with MLB's first-ever official postseason walk-off grand slam. | |
| 2014 NLCS | Game 2, October 12 | Kolten Wong, St. Louis | Busch Stadium | Sergio Romo, San Francisco | 4–4, 9th 0 out 0 on | 5–4 | 1–1 | With no outs in the bottom of the ninth and a 1–0 count, Wong hit a lead-off home run over the right-field wall, clinching the Cardinals' NLCS-tying game against the San Francisco Giants. | |
| 2014 NLCS | Game 5, October 16 | Travis Ishikawa, San Francisco | AT&T Park | Michael Wacha, St. Louis | 3–3, 9th 1 out 2 on | 6–3 | 4–1 SF | With one out in the bottom of the ninth, with runners on first and second due to a single by Pablo Sandoval (Joaquin Arias pinch running) and a walk by Brandon Belt, and a 2–0 count, Ishikawa hit a home run over the right-field wall, clinching the Giants' 4–1 NLCS victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. It is the first time in NLCS history that a walk-off home run ended the series and the first time for the Giants franchise since Bobby Thomson hit the series-ending walk-off dinger in 1951. | |
| 2017 NLCS | Game 2, October 15 | Justin Turner, Los Angeles | Dodger Stadium | 1–1, 9th 2 out 2 on | 4–1 | 2–0 LAD | With runners on first and second with two outs after walks by Yasiel Puig and Chris Taylor, Turner crushed a 1–0 fastball over the center-field fence to give the Dodgers a 2–0 series lead, exactly 29 years after Kirk Gibson's 1988 World Series home run. | ||
| 2019 ALCS | Game 2, October 13 | Carlos Correa, Houston | Minute Maid Park | 2–2, 11th 0 out 0 on | 3–2 | 1–1 | On the first pitch he saw in the inning, Correa crushed a fly ball to right field to even the series, which was the second time in three years that Correa delivered the game-winning hit to even a series at one a piece. | ||
| 2019 ALCS | Game 6, October 19 | José Altuve, Houston | Minute Maid Park | 4–4, 9th 2 out 1 on | 6–4 | 4–2 HOU | With a runner on first with two outs after a walk by George Springer, Altuve crushed a 2–1 fastball over the left-field fence to give the Astros a 4–2 series victory. This was also the second time in New York Yankees franchise history which they lost a postseason series on a walk off home run, their first was the home run hit by Bill Mazeroski of the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series and it was the second time to hit the series-clinching dinger in the Houston Astro franchise history since Chris Burke's series-ending walk-off home run at the fourth game of the 2005 NLDS against Atlanta Braves after the 18-inning marathon before moving to the American League in 2013. | ||
| 2020 ALCS | Game 5, October 15 | Carlos Correa, Houston | Petco Park | 3–3, 9th 1 out 0 on | 4–3 | 3–2 TB | On the third pitch he sees, Correa lined a deep shot to center field to force Game 6 for the Astros, who became the fourth team to force a Game 6 after trailing 3–0. |
| Year | Batter | Date and site | Pitcher | Final score | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Ted Williams, AL (Boston) | July 8, Briggs Stadium | Claude Passeau, NL (Chicago) | 7–5 | With two men on and the AL one out away from defeat, Williams hits a 1–1 pitch off the right field press box for the junior circuit's sixth win in nine contests. He later says, "I just shut my eyes and swung." It is the first All-Star game to be decided in the final inning. | |
| 1955 | Stan Musial, NL (St. Louis) | July 12, Milwaukee County Stadium | Frank Sullivan, AL (Boston) | 6–5 | After being down 5–0 in the seventh inning, Musial's home run to right field on the first pitch of the 12th inning completes the NL's comeback; it is their fifth win in six years. | |
| 1964 | Johnny Callison, NL (Philadelphia) | July 7, Shea Stadium | Dick Radatz, AL (Boston) | 7–4 | With two on and two out in the ninth, Callison wins the game with a homer to right field. Willie Mays had tied the score earlier in the inning with a walk, stolen base, and run on Orlando Cepeda's single. It is the NL's sixth win in the last seven decided games. |
| Year | Batter | Event | Date and Site | Pitcher | Situation | Final score | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rich Cominski, Morrisville, Pennsylvania | Little League World Series | August 26, Williamsport, Pennsylvania | Tommy Trotman, Merchantville, New Jersey | 3–3, 7th Leadoff | 4–3 | Cominski leads off the seventh inning of the title game with a home run after the teams are tied following six regulation innings. Both batter and pitcher are regular catchers playing out of position—Cominski in right field due to an injured thumb, and Trotman due to the starter reaching the series limit for pitchers' innings. Cy Young threw out the first pitch of the tournament, two months before his death at age 88.[27] | ||
| Warren Morris, LSU | College World Series | June 8, Rosenblatt Stadium | Robbie Morrison, Miami | 7–8, 9th 1 on, 2 out | 9–8 | Morris hits a two-out, two-run game-winning home run on the last pitch in the championship game, giving the LSU Tigers their 3rd CWS title—it was also Morris' first and only home run of the season—and the only walk-off championship-winning home run in College World Series history. In addition, it is the only two-out, ninth inning, walk-off home run in a championship of any collegiate or professional level.[28] The home run also won Morris the 1997 Showstopper of the Year ESPY Award. | ||
| Hirotoshi Kitagawa, Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes | NPB regular season | September 26, Osaka, Japan | Masanobu Okubo, Orix BlueWave | 2–5, 9th 3 on, 0 out | 6–5 | Kitagawa hits a pinch-hit grand slam that erased a 3-run deficit and won the Pacific League pennant for the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes. | ||
| 2005 | Michael Memea, Ewa Beach, Hawaii | Little League World Series | August 28, Lamade Stadium | Christopher Garia, Willemstad, Curaçao | 6–6, 7th Leadoff | 7–6 | Memea hits a game winning solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning of the championship game, giving Hawaii the title over the defending champions from Curaçao. Hawaii had only been put into position for the dramatic extra-inning win with a furious three-run rally in the bottom of the sixth.[29] | |
| 2007 | Deion Rosalia, Willemstad, Curaçao | Little League World Series | August 23, Volunteer Stadium | Reinaldo Amaro, Maracaibo, Venezuela | 1–2, 7th 2 on, 2 out | 4–2 | In a semifinal of the International bracket, the Curaçao and Venezuela teams were tied 1–1 at the end of the regulation six innings. Venezuela's Bryan Charry led off the top of the seventh with a solo homer, staking them to a 2–1 lead. Curaçao had no one on with two out in their half of the seventh, but a single and walk set the table for Rosalia, who was down to his last strike before hitting his game-ending shot.[30] | |
| 2007 | Ryo Kanekubo, Tokyo, Japan | Little League World Series | August 25, Lamade Stadium | Rudson Pietersz, Willemstad, Curaçao | 3–4, 6th 3 on, 1 out | 7–4 | Two days later, in the championship game of the international bracket, Curaçao becomes the victim of a game-winning shot. They take a 4–3 lead into the bottom of the sixth, but the Japan team responds by loading the bases for Kanekubo's shot, sending them to the title game the next day.[31] | |
| 2007 | Dalton Carriker, Warner Robins, Georgia | Little League World Series | August 26, Lamade Stadium | Junsho Kiuchi, Tokyo, Japan | 2–2, 8th Leadoff | 3–2 | This time, the Japan team becomes a game-winning victim as Carriker hits a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning, giving the state of Georgia its second straight title and the U.S. a third straight title.[32] | |
| Haruki Nishikawa, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters | Japan Series | October 27, Sapporo Dome | Shota Nakazaki, Hiroshima Toyo Carp | 1–1, 9th 3 on, 1 out | align=center | 5–1 | In Game 5 of the 2016 Japan Series, Nishikawa hits the first walk-off grand slam since 1992 when, on a 1–0 count in the bottom of the ninth, he connects on a Nakazaki pitch to right field. The win was the third consecutive win by the Fighters, which would go on to win Game 6 and the series after losing the first two games.News: Late-game heroics propel Fighters to brink of Japan Series title . Coskrey . Jason . The Japan Times . 2016-10-27 . 2016-11-04 . 2016-10-31 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161031210057/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2016/10/27/baseball/japanese-baseball/late-game-heroics-propel-fighters-brink-japan-series-title/ . live . | |
| Bryce Blaum, Texas A&M Aggies | Morgantown Regional, NCAA Division I tournament | June 2, Monongalia County Ballpark | Sam Kessler, West Virginia Mountaineers | 7–10, 9th 3 on, 2 out | align=center | 11–10 | In an elimination game, the top regional seed West Virginia (which was designated the away team for this game despite playing at home) took leads of 6–0 in the middle of the fifth inning and 9–1 in the middle of the seventh, only to see A&M put up 6 runs in the bottom of the seventh. West Virginia took a 3-run lead into the bottom of the ninth, but loaded the bases for Blaum, who eliminated the Mountaineers with a grand slam on a 3–2 count with two outs.[33] | |
| Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners | 2022 MLB Regular season | September 30, T-Mobile Park | Domingo Acevedo, Oakland Athletics | 1–1, 9th 0 on, 2 out | align=center | 2–1 | Cal Raleigh hits a pinch hit, solo walk-off home run to help the Mariners clinch their first postseason berth since 2001, ending their 21 year drought.[34] [35] | |
| 2023 | Louis Lappe, El Segundo, California | Little League World Series | August 27, Lamade Stadium | Jay-Dlynn Wiel, Willemstad, Curaçao | 5–5, 6th Leadoff | 6–5 | After Nasir El-Ossais of Curaçao tied the game 5-5 in the top of the 5th inning with a grand slam, Louis Lappe of El Segundo California sent a 1-0 pitch over the left field wall to clinch the Little League World Series title for the team from California. |
Although the term itself would not be used until over 100 years later, Casey at the Bat, an 1888 poem by Ernest Thayer, features a potential walk-off home run. Although pessimistic at first, the home team's fans become more optimistic when their star, Casey, unexpectedly gets a chance to hit a walk-off three run home run. In the end they go home disappointed, however, when Casey strikes out rather than hitting the home run the fans expect.[36]