Every Post Season series that ended with a walk off hit

In my latest series of entries, I want to record how each and every post season series ended.
I am doing a blog post for each and every team, listing which pitchers clinched the final out.

And I did a post on some of the more unusual endings, such as a series being clinched with a wild pitch or a runner caught stealing.

I felt it was necessary to list all of the series winning hits.
Sure every baseball fan has thought about how cool it would be to get the hit to win the World Series or close out a playoff series. These 24 are the only ones who can claim to have done it.

To be fair, only 23 are walk off hits. One was a sacrifice fly, but I included that as well.
There are a few massive home runs and one bunt.

So here they are. I list the batter, the game, the pitcher, who scored and what the final score was.

Every Post Season series
that ended with a walk off hit

Larry Gardner
Game 8 1912 World Series

RBI Sacrifice Fly with one out in the bottom of the 10th.

Pitcher: Christy Mathewson
Scoring: Steve Yerkes

Final Score:
RED SOX 3, GIANTS 2

Earl McNeely
Game 7 1924 World Series

RBI double with 1 out in the bottom of the 12th inning.

Pitcher: Jack Bentley
Scoring: Muddy Ruel

Final Score:
SENATORS 4, GIANTS 3

Goose Goslin
Game 6 1935 World Series

RBI single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th.

Pitcher: Larry French
Scoring: Mickey Cochrane

Final Score:
TIGERS 4, CUBS 3

Billy Martin
Game 6 1953 World Series

RBI single with one out in the bottom of the 9th.

Pitcher: Clem Lebine
Scoring: Hank Bauer

Final Score:
YANKEES 4, DODGERS 3

Bill Mazeroski
Game 7 1960 World Series

Home run to lead off the bottom of the 9th.

Pitcher: Ralph Terry
Scoring: Bill Mazeroski

Final Score:
PIRATES 10, YANKEES 9

Ken Griffey
Game 3 1976 NLCS

RBI single with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th.

Pitcher: Tom Underwood
Scoring: Dave Concepcion

Final Score:
REDS 7, PHILLIES 6

Chris Chambliss
Game 5 1976 ALCS

Leadoff home run in the bottom of the 9th.

Pitcher: Mark Littell
Scoring: Chris Chambliss

Final Score:
YANKEES 7, ROYALS 6

Bill Russell
Game 4 1978 NLCS

RBI single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 10th.

Pitcher: Tug McGraw
Scoring: Ron Cey

Final Score:
DODGERS 4, PHILLIES 3

Gene Larkin
Game 7 1991 World Series

RBI single with 1 out in the bottom of the 10th.

Pitcher: Alejandro Pena
Scoring: Dan Gladden

Final Score:
TWINS 1, BRAVES 0

Francisco Cabrera
Game 7 1992 NLCS

2 run single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th.

Pitcher: Stan Belinda
Scoring: David Justice and Sid Bream

Final Score:
BRAVES 3, PIRATES 2

Joe Carter
Game 6 1993 World Series

3 run home run with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th.

Pitcher: Mitch Williams.
Scoring: Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor and Joe Carter

Final Score:
BLUE JAYS 8, PHILLIES 6

Edgar Martinez
Game 5 1995 Division Series

2 run double with no outs in the bottom of the 11th.

Pitcher: Jack McDowell
Scoring: Joey Cora and Ken Griffey Jr.

Final Score:
MARINERS 6, YANKEES 5

Edgar Renteria
Game 7 1997 World Series

RBI single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 11th.

Pitcher: Charles Nagy
Scoring: Craig Counsell

Final Score:
MARLINS 3, INDIANS 2

Todd Pratt
Game 4 1999 Division Series

Solo home run in the bottom of the 10th with 1 out.

Pitcher: Matt Mantei
Scoring: Todd Pratt

Final Score:
METS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 3

Carlos Guillen
Game 3 2000 AL Division Series

RBI bunt single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th.

Pitcher: Keith Foulke
Scoring: Rickey Henderson

Final Score:
MARINERS 2, WHITE SOX 1

Tony Womack
Game 5 2001 NL Division Series

RBI single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th.

Pitcher: Steve Kline
Scoring: Danny Bautista

Final Score:
DIAMONDBACKS 2, CARDINALS 1

Luis Gonzalez
Game 7 2001 World Series

RBI single with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th.

Pitcher: Mariano Rivera
Scoring: Jay Bell

Final Score:
DIAMONDBACKS 3, YANKEES 2

Kenny Lofton
Game 5 2002 NLCS

2 out RBI single.

Pitcher: Steve Kline
Scoring: David Bell

Final Score:
GIANTS 2, CARDINALS 1

Aaron Boone
Game 7 2003 ALCS

Solo home run leading off the bottom of the 11th.

Pitcher: Tim Wakefield
Scoring: Aaron Boone

Final Score:
YANKEES 6, RED SOX 5

David Ortiz
Game 4 2004 AL Division Series

2 run home run with 2 outs in the bottom of the 10th.

Pitcher: Jarrod Washburn
Scoring: Pokey Reese and David Ortiz

Final Score:
RED SOX 8, ANGELS 6

Chris Burke
Game 4 2005 Division Series

Solo home run with 1 out in the bottom of the 18th.

Pitcher: Joey Devine
Scoring: Chris Burke

Final Score:
ASTROS 7, BRAVES 6

Magglio Ordonez
Game 4 2006 NLCS

3 run home run with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th

Pitcher: Huston Street
Scoring: Craig Monroe, Placido Polanco and Magglio Ordonez

Final Score:
TIGERS 6, ATHLETICS 3

Jed Lowrie
Game 4 2008 AL Division Series

RBI single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th.

Pitcher: Scot Shields
Scoring: Jason Bay

Final Score:
RED SOX 3, ANGELS 2

Nyjer Morgan
Game 5 2011 NL Division Series

RBI Single with 1 out in the bottom of the 10th.

Pitcher: J. J. Putz
Scoring: Carlos Gomez

Final Score:
BREWERS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 2

Most of the players listed are solid big leaguers but not superstars.
Only Bill Mazeroski and Goose Goslin were Hall of Famers (and Mazeroski’s inclusion in Cooperstown is one of the most controversial votes ever.)

Rickey Henderson crossed the plate twice on a series ending hit, but never as a member of the A’s. Surely when you think of Rickey, you think of him as a Toronto Blue Jay or a Seattle Mariner.

So why did I do this list?
Well in case anyone out there in the vast internet land happens to wonder out loud “I wonder who got a walk off hit to end a post season series” they would land on this post from your pal Sully.

And I will update it the next time there is a walk off hit to end a post season series.

As of now, Nyjer Morgan’s hit against the Diamondbacks is the last one.

Padres pitchers who clinched a post season Series: From Gossage to Hoffman

Ah the pain of the San Diego Padres.

They have had Hall of Famers and Cy Young winners and some of the great closers of all time wear their uniform. But San Diego is as tortured a sports city as Cleveland or Buffalo. The only difference is the weather kicks butt.

They’ve only made five post season appearances since 1969, winning the pennant twice. And both times they faced a juggernaut in the World Series (the 1984 Tigers and the 1998 Yankees.)

Also remember how they blew a spot in the 2007 post season and lost the 2010 NL West title on the last day?

So October glory is NOT part of the Padres tradition.
But they did clinch a few playoff series. And the two names of the pitchers who clinched a playoff or pennant for San Diego are pretty big among all time relievers.

Here are the pitchers, the game they pitched, and how was the last out recorded.

RICH GOSSAGE

1984 National League Championship Series – Game 5
Padres 6, Cubs 3

October 7, 1984
At Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego

2 innings of relief of Eric Show, Andy Hawkins, Dave Dravecky and Craig Lefferts for the save.

LAST OUT: Jody Davis grounded out to Graig Nettles at third base who threw to Alan Wiggins at second base to retire Keith Moreland.

TREVOR HOFFMAN

1998 National League Division Series – Game 4
Padres 6, Astros 1

October 4, 1998
At Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego

1 inning of relief of Sterling Hitchcock, Joey Hamilton and Dan Miceli.

LAST OUT: Bill Spiers grounds out to second baseman Quilvio Veras who threw to first baseman Wally Joyner for the out.

1998 National League Championship Series – Game 6
Padres 5, Braves 0

October 14, 1998
At Turner Field, Atlanta

1 inning of relief of Sterling Hitchcock, Brian Boehringer, Mark Langston and Joey Hamilton.

LAST OUT: Michael Tucker flies out to left fielder Greg Vaughn.

And that’s it.
One of these days the Padres will have a pitcher clinch the World Series.
I can’t imagine a reliever bigger than Gossage, Hoffman or former Padres reliever Rollie Fingers.

Until then, they’ll always have the ball through Durham’s legs.