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December 30, 2011

David Ortiz In Walkoff Situations (v. 3)

During his nine 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 ALCS 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 ALDS-clinching home run. In that post-season, he had three walk-off hits in a span of four home games.

In 2005 and 2006, when Ortiz came to the plate at Fenway 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 since the end of the 2004 regular season through July 2006, Ortiz came to the plate 19 times in a walk-off situation - and made only three outs. He had a .786 average (11-for-14) with seven home runs and 20 RBI!

His July 31, 2006 home run off Fausto Carmona may be my favourite non-playoff walk-off hit. Ortiz was on an amazing streak of winning games and had hit a game-winner only two days earlier. With Boston down by two and two on, I probably would have bet my year's salary on Ortiz winning the game if someone had asked. It felt like everyone in the park knew it would happen (and had played it out in their minds), including Carmona. Especially Carmona. He threw two balls to build a little tension and then - BAM! - Ortiz crushed a three-run homer. As I recall, I did not cheer. I just stared at the TV and laughed.

Ortiz may no longer be that guy, the slugger who makes pitchers quake in their cleats, but his past heroics remain in the back of everyone's mind when he comes to the plate, claps those big hands together, and digs in. A game-winning hit always seems (to me, anyway) extremely likely. Even with a drop-off in success in recent seasons, Ortiz's slash line of .404/.541/1.128 (1.669 OPS) is pretty damn impressive.

2003-2011
          PA   AB   H  HR  RBI BB
2003       7    6   2   1   2   1
2004      14   13   5   3   8   1
2005       5    3   3   2   5   2
2006      10    7   5   3  10   3
2007       7    5   1   1   2   1
2008       9    5   1   0   0   3
2009       3    3   1   1   1   0
2010       6    5   1   0   3   1
2011       1    0   0   0   0   1
TOTALS    62   47  19  11  31  14

Ortiz Walk-Off Opportunities (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

ALCS
None

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

WS
None

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

ALDS
None

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

WS
None

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

ALDS
None

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, 3 RBI*
0821 Tor   9  1--  1   4-4  Carlson     GIDP/3-6-1

2011
Date Opp Inn  MOB Out Score Pitcher     Result
0504 LAA  10  ---  2   3-3  Bell        BB
* 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, and they lost the game 6-5.

8 comments:

  1. Although you mention he made those 3 outs in 04-06 looking at them the way you laid it out - he still ended up hitting the walk-off in each of those games! And with that the legend was born!

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  2. We were sitting in the outfield stands for the 7/29/06 single against LAA! Extra innings fun.

    Thanks for the comprehensive analysis, Allan. An amazing stretch: 11 for 14 with 7 HR and 20 RBI.

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  3. Kathryn, I was there too. It's funny, I posted a bunch of video stills at the time, so I should go back and find that old Hi-8 tape and post some video on YouTube. (I originally posted my video of Papi's walkoff hit but that account was taken down due to other stuff, so at the very least I should re-post that hit.) Anyway, look for your tiny little self in my crowd shots....

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  4. his 19 hits

    7 singles
    1 double
    11 home runs

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  5. Jere, didn't we do this in Balitmore too?

    ReplyDelete
  6. "Jere, didn't we do this in Balitmore too?"

    Yeah, the Flutie game!

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  7. This is great to see it spelled out like this. It's fun to look over the list and realize how many of them I was present for. That 7/31/06 game is one of my favorites. I still get chills thinking about that 9th inning and how I knew Papi would take care of things.

    ReplyDelete