Walk-off home run

Scott Hairston about to celebrate with teammates at home plate after hitting a game-winning home run for the San Diego Padres in 2007.

In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead (and consequently, the win) in the bottom of the final inning of the game—either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning. It is called a "walk-off" home run because both teams walk off the field immediately afterward, rather than finishing the inning, though it originally was directed to the pitcher, who had to "walk off" the field alone as the other team celebrated.

History and usage of the term

Although the concept of a game-ending home run is as old as baseball, the adjective "walk-off" only attained widespread use 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), it has come to acquire a more celebratory connotation, for the batter who circles the bases with pride with the adulation of the home crowd.

Sportscasters also use the term "walk-off hit" if any kind of hit drives in the winning run to end the game. 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", and "walk-off balk" have been also applied, and the latter has been dubbed a "balk-off"; though some people^[who?] say that winning a game on such technicalities doesn't merit a term normally used to describe a clutch hit. It is a separate stretch 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 (as in a single with a possible out at the plate). The day after Eric Bruntlett pulled off 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.

As of September 27, 2011, on 27 occasions in major league history – all during the regular season – a player has hit a game-winning grand slam for a 1-run victory; 15 of those occasions came with two outs. Roberto Clemente hit the only walk-off inside-the-park grand slam in baseball history. Clemente's 3rd base coach instructed him to stop at 3rd, but Clemente ran through to score the winning run. Chris Hoiles' grand slam occurred with the cliché situation: bases loaded, two outs, full count, bottom of the ninth inning, and down by three runs. This was later referred to as the ultimate, ultimate grand slam. The most recent "ultimate grand slam" was by Ryan Roberts, who performed the feat in the 10th inning as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-6 on September 27, 2011. This was the third ultimate slam of the 2011 season, the most ever in a single season.

In a rare occurrence, only four pitchers in major league history have surrendered two game-ending grand slam home runs in one season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau:

• Satchel Paige of the St. Louis Browns, in 1952, to Sammy White of the Boston Red Sox on June 30, and Eddie Joost of the Philadelphia Athletics on July 15.
• Lindy McDaniel of the Chicago Cubs, in 1963, to Bob Aspromonte of the Houston Colt .45s on June 11, and Jim Hickman of the New York Mets on August 9.
• Lee Smith of the California Angels, in 1995, to Mark McGwire of the Oakland Athletics, on June 30, and Albert Belle of the Cleveland Indians on July 18.
• Francisco Rodríguez of the New York Mets, in 2009, to rookies Everth Cabrera of the San Diego Padres, on August 7, and Justin Maxwell of the Washington Nationals on September 30. Rodríguez is the only pitcher to surrender two game winning grand slams to two rookies.

Relevant rules

The rules of baseball provide that:

• A batter is entitled to a home run only "when he shall have touched all bases legally." (Rule 6.09(d); also 7.05(a))
• A batter is out, on appeal, for failing to touch each base in order or for passing a preceding runner. In some cases, all runs that score are negated. (Rule 7.10 and 7.12)
• On a game-winning hit, a batter is credited for the full number of bases only if "the batter runs out his hit." (Rule 10.06(f))
• A game-winning home run is allowed to complete before the game ends, even if it puts the home team ahead by more than one run. (Rule 4.11(c), Exception; also 10.06(g))

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 4.09(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 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, 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.

Playoff Tiebreakers, Postseason, and All-Star Game

World Series

In the charts below, home runs that ended a postseason series are denoted by the player's name in bold. Home runs in which the winning team was trailing at the time are denoted by the final score in bold.

Follow the linked year on the far left for detailed information on that series.

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 9th 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' 3-run pinch-hit homer with 1 out in the 10th 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 2-run shot with 1 out in the 10th 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 9th, Mazeroski homers to end the Series, giving the Pirates their first championship since 1925. It is still 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 slugs the first pitch in the 9th out of the park 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 thrilling 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 LA	The injured and hobbling Gibson, later named the NL MVP, makes his only Series appearance with a pinch-hit, 2-run, 2-out shot for the underdog Dodgers, marking the first game winning Series homer by a team that trailed at the time. Oakland's José Canseco had provided all his team's scoring with a 2nd-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 LA	McGwire's home run with 1 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 postseason 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 hits a 3-run homer with 1 out to give Toronto its second consecutive championship; unlike the Pirates in 1960, the Blue Jays were trailing at the time but were not facing elimination.
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 10th 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 2 out in the 10th 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".
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 5 hits in 53 at-bats in the postseason and 1 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 7th, and Houston ties it in the 9th, Podsednik, who had not homered in 129 games in the regular season, hits one to right-center with 1 out to win it.
2011	Game 6, October 27	David Freese, St. Louis Cardinals	Busch Stadium	Mark Lowe, Texas Rangers	9–9, 11th 0 out 0 on	10–9	3–3	After Texas had taken the lead in the 9th and 10th innings by 2 runs each, the Cardinals rallied twice to keep the score tied in the bottom of the 10th. 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.

Playoff Tiebreakers

Year	Game	Batter	Site	Pitcher	Situation	Final score	Series standing	Notes
1951 NL tiebreaker	Game 3, October 3	Bobby Thomson, N.Y. Giants	Polo Grounds	Ralph Branca, Brooklyn	2–4, 9th 1 out 2 on	5–4	2–1 NYG	The Giants trailed 4-1 entering the 9th. Alvin Dark and Don Mueller started the inning with singles. After an out, Whitey Lockman doubled to score Dark and send Mueller to third. Dodgers starting pitching Don Newcombe was then replaced by Branca. With a count of no balls and one strike, Thomson homered down the left field line to send the Giants to the World Series. The home run came to be known as the "Shot Heard 'Round the World".

Other postseason series

Division Series

Year	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 9th, Ashby wins it with a two-run shot after Nolan Ryan pitches a 2-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 10th 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 5-hour game delayed twice by rain, Peña hits a 2-out shot in the 13th inning at 2:08 AM to win; it is Boston's 11th consecutive postseason loss, and Cleveland's first postseason win since the 1948 World Series. The longest game to date in postseason history, it holds 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 2-run homer to right. At 5 hours 13 minutes, it breaks the record set one day earlier for the longest postseason 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 10th to win the series; Steve Finley nearly makes a leaping catch, but the ball just clears his glove.
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 5 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 2-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 2-run HR 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 10th, and Ortiz smashes his first pitch to left field for a 2-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 7th.
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 5 hrs., 50 mins. long, it is the longest game by both innings and time in postseason history, surpassing the 16-inning Game 6 (the final game) of the 1986 NLCS and the 5:49 14-inning game 4 of the previous year's ALCS noted above.
2007 ALDS	Game 2, October 5	Manny Ramírez, Boston	Fenway Park	Francisco Rodriguez, L.A. Angels	3–3, 9th 2 out 2 on	6–3	2–0 Bos	With two out in the bottom of the 9th 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	Jose 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.

League Championship Series

Year	Game	Batter	Site	Pitcher	Situation	Final score	Series standing	Notes
1973 NLCS	Game 1, October 6	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 8th and Bench's winning shot with one out in the 9th.
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 3-run shot in the 8th, Chambliss brings the Yankees their first pennant in 12 years with a homer to right on the first pitch of the 9th 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 $100,000.
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 10th, Lowenstein pinch-hits a 2-strike pitch to left for a 3-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 9th, Garvey hits a fastball to right-center for a 2-run homer, his fourth hit of the day with 5 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 1-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 9th, Dykstra hits an 0–1 pitch for a 2-run homer to right field. It is the first time in postseason 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 8th 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 10th, 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 postseason history, clearing the center-right field wall and forcing Game 6, but is officially credited with only a 1-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 9th, Soriano hits a 2-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.
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 2-run shot to right on a 2–1 pitch to keep Boston's hopes alive in the series; coming only 10 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 9th, Kent hits a 3-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 2-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 postseason.
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.
2011 ALCS	Game 2, October 10	Nelson Cruz, Texas	Rangers Ballpark 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.

All-Star Game

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 7th 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 2 on and 2 out in the 9th, 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.

Other leagues

Year	Batter	Event	Date and Site	Pitcher	Situation	Final score	Notes
1955	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 7th inning of the title game with a home run after the teams are tied following 6 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.
1996	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; this is the only time the CWS has ended with a home run. It was also Morris' first and only home run of the season.
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.
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 6 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.
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.
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.

See also

• Game-winning RBI
• Career record for walk-off home runs

External links

• Baseball-Reference.com Play Index - game-winning home runs which ended a postseason series
• YankeeNumbers.com - A list of all walk-off home runs in New York Yankee history...regular and post-season.