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June 23, 2017

David Ortiz In Walkoff Situations IV (Career)

The Red Sox will retire David Ortiz's #34 tonight at Fenway Park.

During his fourteen seasons with the Red Sox, David Ortiz built a reputation as the one player the team absolutely wanted at the plate with a chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth or in extra innings.

That was first evident during the 2004 American League Championship Series against the Yankees, when Ortiz had two game-winning hits in less than 24 hours in two must-win games for the Red Sox. A few days earlier, Ortiz had sent the Angels home for the winter with an American League Division Series-clinching home run. In the 2004 post-season, Ortiz bagged three walkoff hits in a span of four home games.

Back in 2005 and 2006, when Ortiz came to the plate at Fenway Park with a chance to win the game, he never made an out. That is barely an exaggeration. When I compiled the data for the first version of this post (August 1, 2006), I noted that from the end of the 2004 regular season through July 2006, Ortiz came to the plate 19 times in a walkoff situation - and made only three outs. He had a .786 batting average (11-for-14) with seven home runs and 20 RBI!

His July 31, 2006 home run off Cleveland rookie Fausto Carmona (later known as Roberto Hernandez) may be my favourite non-playoff Ortiz walkoff hit. Big Papi was on an amazing streak of winning games and had hit an extra-inning game-winner only two days earlier. With Boston down by two runs and two men on in the ninth, I probably would have bet my year's salary on Ortiz winning the game if someone had asked. It felt like everyone in Fenway Park knew it would happen, including Carmona. Maybe especially Carmona. The Cleveland pitcher threw two balls to build a little tension and then - BAM! - Ortiz crushed a three-run homer to center. All I could do is stare at the TV and laugh.

Ortiz - being human - couldn't keep batting almost .800 in walkoff situations. And at times, he was (admittedly) no longer that guy, the slugger who made pitchers quake in their cleats, but his past heroics remained in the back of everyone's mind when he spat in his batting gloves, clapped those big mitts together, and dug in. For years, a game-winning hit always seemed (to me, anyway) extremely likely.

Of course, the walkoff opportunities listed below tell only a small part of Ortiz's story. But it is a huge part of Big Papi's legend, one that led to Ortiz being dubbed, officially, by the team, as The Greatest Clutch Hitter In Red Sox History.

2003-2016
          PA   AB   H  HR  RBI BB  Walkoffs
2003       7    6   2   1   2   1     2
2004      14   13   5   3   8   1     5
2005       5    3   3   2   5   2     3
2006      10    7   5   3  10   3     5
2007       7    5   1   1   2   1     1
2008       9    5   1   0   0   3     0
2009       3    3   1   1   1   0     1
2010       6    5   1   0   3   1     1
2011       7    5   3   0   0   2     0
2012       3    2   0   0   0   1     0
2013       8    7   1   1   3   1     1
2014      14    8   1   0   0   6     0
2015       6    3   0   0   0   3     0
2016       7    7   3   0   2   0     1
TOTALS   106   79  27  12  36  25    20   (.342 batting average) 

Ortiz's Walkoff Opportunities With Boston (Game-Winning Hits in Red)

2003 
Date Opp Inn  MOB Out Score Pitcher     Result
0615 Hou  10  -2-  1   2-2  Dotel       BBI
          12  ---  0   2-2  Bland       3U
0719 Tor   9  -2-  2   4-4  Acevado     4-3
0726 NYY   9  12-  2   4-4  Benitez     Single
0823 Sea  10  1--  1   6-6  Rhodes      P6
0923 Bal  10  ---  0   5-5  Ainsworth   Home Run

ALDS
Date Opp Inn  MOB Out Score Pitcher     Result
1004 Oak  10  12-  2   1-1  Mecir       L6

2004
Date Opp Inn  MOB Out Score Pitcher     Result
0411 Tor   9  -2-  2   4-4  Kershner    F8
          12  1--  0   4-4  Lopez       Home Run
0415 Bal   9  ---  1   7-7  Ryan        F8
0507 KC    9  ---  0   6-6  MacDougal   K
0529 Sea   9  1--  2   4-5  Guardado    F8
0530 Sea  11  ---  1   7-7  Putz        K
0611 LAD   9  -23  0   1-1  Martin      Single
0923 Bal   9  12-  2   7-9  Ryan        F9

ALDS
Date Opp Inn  MOB Out Score Pitcher     Result
1008 Ana  10  1--  2   6-6  Washburn    Home Run

ALCS
Date Opp Inn  MOB Out Score Pitcher     Result
1017 NYY   9  123  2   4-4  Rivera      P4
          12  1--  0   4-4  Quantrill   Home Run
1018 NYY  10  ---  0   4-4  Heredia     K
          12  ---  1   4-4  Loaiza      BB
          14  12-  2   4-4  Loaiza      Single

2005
Date Opp Inn  MOB Out Score Pitcher     Result
0602 Bal   9  12-  2   3-4  Ryan        Home Run
0830 TB    9  ---  1   6-6  Borowski    BB
0906 LAA   9  ---  1   2-2  Shields     Home Run
0916 Oak  10  1-3  1   2-2  Cruz        BBI
0929 Tor   9  12-  1   4-4  Batista     Single

2006
Date Opp Inn  MOB Out Score Pitcher     Result
0611 Tex   9  12-  2   2-4  Otsuka      Home Run
0624 Phi  10  1--  1   3-3  Gordon      Home Run
0626 Phi   9  ---  0   6-6  Cormier     4-1
          11  -2-  1   6-6  Gordon      BBI
          12  12-  2   7-7  Condrey     Single 
0729 LAA   9  -2-  1   6-6  Rodriguez   BBI
          11  12-  1   6-6  Romero      Single
0731 Cle   9  12-  1   6-8  Carmona     Home Run
0812 Bal  10  1--  0   7-7  Chen        BB
0909 KC   10  -2-  1   4-4  Sisco       6-3

2007
Date Opp Inn  MOB Out Score Pitcher     Result
0701 Tex   9  1--  2   1-2  Gagne       P3 
0713 Tor   9  12-  1   5-6  Accardo     F8 
0815 TB    9  -2-  2   5-6  Reyes       BB
0912 TB    9  1--  1   3-4  Reyes       Home Run
0916 NYY   9  123  2   3-4  Rivera      P6 

ALDS
Date Opp Inn  MOB Out Score Pitcher     Result
1005 LAA   9  -2-  2   3-3  Rodriguez   BBI

ALCS
Date Opp Inn  MOB Out Score Pitcher     Result
1013 Cle  10  ---  0   3-3  Mastny      6-3

2008
Date Opp Inn  MOB Out Score Pitcher     Result
0429 Tor   9  ---  2   0-0  Halladay    BB
0430 Tor   9  ---  0   1-1  Downs       Single
0801 Oak  10  ---  1   1-1  Street      P5
          12  ---  0   1-1  Embree      K looking
0909 TB    9  1--  1   4-5  Percival    F9
0910 TB   10  -2-  0   1-1  Bradford    BBI
          12  1--  0   1-1  Howell      1-3 SAC

ALDS
Date Opp Inn  MOB Out Score Pitcher     Result
1005 LAA  10  ---  1   4-4  Rodriguez   BB

ALCS
Date Opp Inn  MOB Out Score Pitcher     Result
1016 TBR   9  ---  1   7-7  Howell      K

2009
Date Opp Inn  MOB Out Score Pitcher     Result
0424 NYY  11  ---  0   4-4  Marte       K
0703 Sea  10  ---  0   5-5  Jakubauskas 6-3
0826 CWS   9  ---  1   2-2  Pena        Home Run

2010
Date Opp Inn  MOB Out Score Pitcher     Result
0416 TB    9  ---  0   1-1  Cormier     3-1
          11  123  0   1-1  Cormier     FC/3-2
0717 Tex   9  -2-  1   1-2  Lee         4-3
          11  -23  0   2-2  Ogando      BBI
0731 Det   9  123  1   2-4  Coke        Double *
0821 Tor   9  1--  1   4-4  Carlson     361 DP

2011
Date Opp Inn  MOB Out Score Pitcher     Result
0504 LAA  10  ---  2   3-3  Bell        Walk
0519 Det   9  1--  0   3-3  AlbuequerqueSingle
0621 SDP   9  1--  0   4-5  Bell        563 DP
0725 KCR   9  1--  1   1-1  Crow        Single
          11  -2-  2   1-1  Holland     BBI
          13  1-3  2   1-1  Coleman     4-3
0807 NYY  10  ---  1   2-2  Hughes      Ground Rule Double

2012
Date Opp Inn  MOB Out Score Pitcher     Result
0416 TB    9  -2-  2   0-1  Rodney      BBI
0504 Bal  10  1--  1   4-4  Ayala       3-1
          12  1--  2   4-4  Patton      3U

2013
Date Opp Inn  MOB Out Score Pitcher     Result
0606 Tex   9  12-  0   3-3  Kirkman     Home Run
0721 NYY  11  ---  1   7-7  Warren      4-3
0729 TB    9  -2-  2   1-2  Rodney      BBI
0731 Sea   9  1--  2   4-4  Furbush     P5
          12  ---  2   4-4  Farquhar    F9
          15  1--  0   4-4  Luetge      3U
0801 Sea   9  12-  0   6-7  Perez       K
0918 Bal  10  1--  0   3-3  Hunter      653 DP

2014
Date Opp Inn  MOB Out Score Pitcher     Result
0405 Mil   9  ---  2   6-6  Smith       6-3
0420 Bal   9  --3  1   5-5  Matusz      BBI
0421 Bal   9  -23  1   5-7  Hunter      BBI
0501 TB    9  -2-  2   1-2  Balfour     1-3 (G1 of DH)
0501 TB    9  -2-  0   5-6  Balfour     3U (G2 of DH)
0506 Cin   9  1--  2   3-3  LeCure      BB
          12  ---  0   3-3  Andrusek    Single
0530 TB   10  ---  0   2-2  Oviedo      4-3
0615 Cle  10  ---  1   2-2  Allen       K
0706 Bal   9  ---  2   6-6  Brach       BB
0710 CWS   9  ---  1   3-3  Surkamp     3U
0819 LAA   9  -2-  2   3-4  Street      BBI
0905 Tor   9  -2-  0   6-6  McGowan     BBI
          10  12-  1   8-8  Janssen     E4

2015
Date Opp Inn  MOB Out Score Pitcher     Result
0503 NYY   9  123  2   5-8  Miller      L8
0520 Tex   9  -2-  2   1-2  Tolleson    BBI
0613 Tor  10  ---  1   4-4  Loup        K
0816 Sea   9  -2-  2   7-8  CSmith      BBI
          11  1--  1   8-8  Rasmussen   K
0908 Tor   9  ---  1   1-1  Sanchez     BB

2016
Date Opp Inn  MOB Out Score Pitcher     Result
0411 Bal   9  12-  0   7-9  Britton     463 DP
0418 Tor   9  1--  2   3-4  Storen      K looking
0514 Hou   9  1--  2   4-5  Gregerson   Triple
          11  -2-  2   5-5  Feliz       Double
0623 CWS   9  ---  0   7-7  Robertson   Double
0722 MIN   9  123  0   1-2  Kintzler    423 DP
0726 DET   9  1--  1   8-9  FRodriguez  463 DP

* Ortiz hit a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth the day before, but the Tigers led 6-1, so the Red Sox still trailed by one run. They lost the game 6-5.

1 comment:

  1. As I noted in the comments to the 2006 post, this doesn't count the many home games in which Ortiz tied the score or gave the Red Sox the lead in the 7th or 8th innings and it doesn't count any road games at all. These are only walkoff situations at home. For example, games he could only tie in the bottom of the 9th (or extra innings) are not included.

    June 23, 2017 at 9:28 AM Delete

    ReplyDelete