Today, we’ll switch to the National League
Championship Series and look at the top five most memorable walk-off home runs
in NLCS play. And we’ll start with last year. Enjoy.
5. October 16, 2014: St. Louis Cardinals at
San Francisco Giants, Game 5: Travis Ishikawa
The
Giants held a three games to one lead heading into Game 5 at AT&T Park in
San Francisco, but trailed the Cardinals 3-2 as they came to bat in the bottom
of the eighth. But the Giants’ Michael Morse, hit a game-tying pinch-hit home
run to tie the game, setting the stage for the bottom of the ninth.
With two runners on base,
Ishikawa smoked a three-run home run over the right field fence for a walk-off
series clinching victory, sending the Giants to the World Series for the third
time in five years.
4. October 6, 1984: Chicago Cubs at San Diego
Padres, Game 4: Steve Garvey
The
Cubs had taken the first two games, at Wrigley Field, in the best of five
series. Scores of 13-0 and 4-2 had pushed the Padres to the brink of
elimination and the Cubs a game away from going to the World Series. But the
momentum started to shift as the two teams moved to Jack Murphy Stadium in San
Diego.
The Padres took Game 3 by a
score of 7-1 and looked set to tie the series at two games apiece as they
headed to the top of the eighth inning with a 5-3 lead. But the Cubs rallied in
the inning scoring two runs to tie the game at five.
In the bottom of the ninth,
first baseman Steve Garvey stepped to the plate after centre fielder Tony Gwynn
had singled. Garvey launched a two-run walk-off homer to right-centre field.
The Padres had won the game 7-5 and took the fifth game as well by a score of
6-3 to complete the comeback and win the series.
3. October 11, 1986: Houston Astros at New
York Mets, Game 3: Lenny Dykstra
With
the NLCS tied at one game each, the Mets needed to win Game 3 to avoid having
to face Houston ace, Mike Scott, in the fourth game behind in the series. Scott had
shut out the Mets in Game 1 and was almost unhittable.
The Astros scored two in the
first and two more in the second to take a 4-0 lead. But the Mets stormed back
with a four-run rally in the bottom of the sixth, high-lighted by a three-run
homer by right fielder, Darryl Strawberry. But the Astros took a 5-4 lead on a
Mets’ error in the seventh.
In the bottom of the ninth, with
New York still trailing by a run, Mets’ second baseman, Wally Backman, led off
the inning with a bunt single. One out later, centre fielder, Lenny Dykstra,
smashed a pitch over the right field fence for a 6-5 Mets’ win and a 2-1 lead
in the series.
The Mets would win the series in
six games.
2. October 20, 2004: Houston Astros at St.
Louis Cardinals, Game 6: Jim Edmunds
The
Astros led the series three games to two and had an opportunity to advance to
the first World Series in team history. Through four innings, the teams
combined for seven runs, with the Cards holding a 4-3 lead. Both teams put up
zeros for the next four innings and the Cardinals took their lead to the top of
the ninth.
But with two out in the inning,
Houston slugger Jeff Bagwell singled in Morgan Ensberg to tie the game,
eventually sending it to extras, more specifically the twelfth.
With a man on base, Edmonds hit
a ball over the scoreboard in right field and into the upper deck for a 6-4 St.
Louis win and a tied series. The Cardinals would win the seventh game by a
score of 5-2.
1. October 14, 1985: Los Angeles Dodgers at
St. Louis Cardinals, Game 5: Ozzie Smith
In
the first year the NLCS was a best-of-seven format, the Dodgers took the first
two games in LA. With the series moving to Busch Stadium in St. Louis, the
Cards battled back to win Games 3 and 4, evening the series. For the Cards, it
was a must-win game, not wanting to go back to LA down a game.
St. Louis scored first, with two
in the first, but the Dodgers tied it with two of their own in the fourth. The
game remained tied until the bottom of the ninth.
Cardinal short stop Ozzie Smith
came to the plate. A switch-hitter, Ozzie had played eight years in the big
leagues up to this point and had hit 13 home runs in his career, all from the
right side of the plate. With right-handed pitcher, Tom Niedenfuer pitching for
LA, Smith was batting from the left side. He golfed a Niedenfuer pitch down the
right field line and over the fence for the winning home run.
This prompted Cardinal
broadcaster, Jack Buck, to shout, “Go crazy, folks, go crazy.”
The Cardinals would win Game 6
in LA by a score of 7-5 to win the series.
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