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Clutch 2-Out Game Ending Post-Season RBI

Posted by Steve Lombardi on October 29, 2010

Some fun with Play Index's Post-Season Event Finder - 57 batters with "High Leverage" 2-out game-ending RBI in post-season games.

Here's the list:

Cr# Gm# Date 6 Series Gm# Batter Tm Opp Pitcher Score   Inn RoB Out Pit(cnt) RBI WPA RE24 LI Play Description
57 2 2009-10-19 NLCS 4 Jimmy Rollins PHI LAD Jonathan Broxton down 4-3 2B b9 12- 2 3 (1-1) 2 0.83   6.67 *ENDED GAME*:Double to RF (Line Drive); Bruntlett Scores; Ruiz Scores
55 1 2009-10-19 ALCS 3 Jeff Mathis LAA NYY Alfredo Aceves tied 4-4 2B b11 1-- 2 2 (1-0) 1 0.43   2.37 *ENDED GAME*:Double to CF (Fly Ball); Kendrick Scores
54 1 2009-10-08 NLDS 2 Mark Loretta LAD STL Ryan Franklin tied 2-2 1B b9 123 2 2 (0-1) 1 0.34   6.38 *ENDED GAME*:Single to CF (Line Drive); Blake Scores/unER; Belliard to 3B; Martin to 2B
53 1 2008-10-16 ALCS 5 J.D. Drew BOS TBR J.P. Howell tied 7-7 1B b9 12- 2 5 (3-1) 1 0.38   4.46 *ENDED GAME*:Single to RF (Line Drive); Youkilis Scores; Bay to 3B
52 1 2008-10-06 ALDS 4 Jed Lowrie BOS LAA Scot Shields tied 2-2 1B b9 -2- 2 1 (0-0) 1 0.39   3.90 *ENDED GAME*:Single to RF (Ground Ball thru 2B-1B); Bay Scores
50 3 2007-10-05 ALDS 2 Manny Ramirez BOS LAA Francisco Rodriguez tied 3-3 HR b9 12- 2 2 (1-0) 3 0.38   4.47 *ENDED GAME*:Home Run (Fly Ball); Lugo Scores; Ortiz Scores
51 1 2007-10-05 ALDS 2 Travis Hafner CLE NYY Luis Vizcaino tied 1-1 1B b11 123 2 6 (3-2) 1 0.34   6.39 *ENDED GAME*:Single to RF (Line Drive); Lofton Scores; Gutierrez to 3B; Sizemore to 2B
47 3 2006-10-14 ALCS 4 Magglio Ordonez DET OAK Huston Street tied 3-3 HR b9 12- 2 2 (1-0) 3 0.38   4.44 *ENDED GAME*:Home Run (Fly Ball); Monroe Scores; Polanco Scores
44 1 2005-10-12 ALCS 2 Joe Crede CHW LAA Kelvim Escobar tied 1-1 2B b9 -2- 2 3 (0-2) 1 0.39   3.87 *ENDED GAME*:Double to LF (Line Drive); Ozuna Scores/unER
43 1 2004-10-18 ALCS 5 David Ortiz BOS NYY Esteban Loaiza tied 4-4 1B b14 12- 2 10 (2-2) 1 0.38   4.48 *ENDED GAME*:Single to CF (Line Drive); Damon Scores; Ramirez to 2B
42 2 2004-10-08 ALDS 3 David Ortiz BOS ANA Jarrod Washburn tied 6-6 HR b10 1-- 2 1 (0-0) 2 0.43   2.44 *ENDED GAME*:Home Run (Fly Ball); Reese Scores
40 2 2004-10-07 NLDS 2 Rafael Furcal ATL HOU Dan Miceli tied 2-2 HR b11 -2- 2 4 (1-2) 2 0.39   3.85 *ENDED GAME*:Home Run (Fly Ball); Thomas Scores
38 2 2003-10-03 NLDS 3 Ivan Rodriguez FLA SFG Tim Worrell down 3-2 1B b11 123 2 5 (1-2) 2 0.73   10.84 *ENDED GAME*:Single to RF (Line Drive); Gonzalez Scores/unER; Pierre Scores/unER; Castillo to 2B
36 1 2003-10-01 ALDS 1 Ramon Hernandez OAK BOS Derek Lowe tied 4-4 1B b12 123 2 2 (0-1) 1 0.34   6.39 *ENDED GAME*:Single to 3B/Bunt; Chavez Scores; Hatteberg to 3B; Long to 2B
35 1 2002-10-14 NLCS 5 Kenny Lofton SFG STL Steve Kline tied 1-1 1B b9 12- 2 1 (0-0) 1 0.39   4.32 *ENDED GAME*:Single to RF; Bell Scores; Dunston to 2B
34 1 2001-10-14 NLDS 5 Tony Womack ARI STL Steve Kline tied 1-1 1B b9 -2- 2 7 (2-2) 1 0.39   3.89 *ENDED GAME*:Single to LF; Bautista Scores
33 1 2000-10-21 WS 1 Jose Vizcaino NYY NYM Turk Wendell tied 3-3 1B b12 123 2 1 (0-0) 1 0.33   6.39 *ENDED GAME*:Single to LF (Line Drive to Short LF Line); Martinez Scores; Posada to 3B; O'Neill to 2B
32 1 1997-10-26 WS 7 Edgar Renteria FLA CLE Charles Nagy tied 2-2 1B b11 123 2 2 (0-1) 1 0.34   6.39 *ENDED GAME*:Single to CF (Ground Ball thru SS-2B); Counsell Scores/unER; Eisenreich to 3B; White to 2B
31 1 1997-10-12 ALCS 4 Sandy Alomar CLE BAL Armando Benitez tied 7-7 1B b9 12- 2   1 0.38   4.46 *ENDED GAME*:Single (LF-CF); Ramirez Scores; Williams to 2B
30 1 1997-09-30 NLDS 1 Edgar Renteria FLA SFG Roberto Hernandez tied 1-1 1B b9 123 2 4 (2-1) 1 0.34   6.39 *ENDED GAME*:Single to RF (Line Drive to 2B-1B); Johnson Scores; Eisenreich to 3B; White to 2B
29 1 1995-10-03 ALDS 1 Tony Pena CLE BOS Zane Smith tied 4-4 HR b13 --- 2 4 (3-0) 1 0.46   1.51 *ENDED GAME*:Home Run (Fly Ball to Deep LF)
28 2 1992-10-14 NLCS 7 Francisco Cabrera ATL PIT Stan Belinda down 2-1 1B b9 123 2 4 (2-1) 2 0.74   10.75 *ENDED GAME*:Single to LF (Line Drive to Short LF); Justice Scores/unER; Bream Scores/unER; Berryhill to 2B
26 1 1991-10-22 WS 3 Mark Lemke ATL MIN Rick Aguilera tied 4-4 1B b12 12- 2 3 (1-1) 1 0.39   4.35 *ENDED GAME*:Single to LF (Line Drive to Deep SS-3B Hole); Justice Scores; Olson to 2B
25 2 1988-10-15 WS 1 Kirk Gibson LAD OAK Dennis Eckersley down 4-3 HR b9 -2- 2 7 (3-2) 2 0.87   4.83 *ENDED GAME*:Home Run (Line Drive to Deep RF); Davis Scores
23 1 1985-10-09 ALCS 2 Al Oliver TOR KCR Dan Quisenberry tied 5-5 1B b10 -2- 2   1 0.39   3.86 *ENDED GAME*:Single to LF; Moseby Scores/unER
22 1 1981-10-07 NLDS 2 Denny Walling HOU LAD Tom Niedenfuer tied 0-0 1B b11 123 2   1 0.35   6.40 *ENDED GAME*:Single to RF; Garner Scores; Scott to 3B; Cedeno to 2B
21 2 1981-10-06 NLDS 1 Alan Ashby HOU LAD Dave Stewart tied 1-1 HR b9 1-- 2   2 0.44   2.12 *ENDED GAME*:Home Run; Reynolds Scores
19 1 1980-10-17 WS 3 Willie Aikens KCR PHI Tug McGraw tied 3-3 1B b10 12- 2 4 (2-1) 1 0.39   4.37 *ENDED GAME*:Single (LF-CF); Wilson Scores; Brett to 2B
18 3 1979-10-03 ALCS 1 John Lowenstein BAL CAL John Montague tied 3-3 HR b10 12- 2 3 (0-2) 3 0.39   4.38 *ENDED GAME*:Home Run; DeCinces Scores; Bumbry Scores
15 1 1978-10-14 WS 4 Lou Piniella NYY LAD Bob Welch tied 3-3 1B b10 12- 2 2 (0-1) 1 0.39   4.30 *ENDED GAME*:Single to CF; White Scores; Jackson to 2B
14 1 1978-10-07 NLCS 4 Bill Russell LAD PHI Tug McGraw tied 3-3 1B b10 12- 2 2 (1-0) 1 0.39   4.28 *ENDED GAME*:Single to CF; Cey Scores/unER; Baker to 2B
13 1 1976-10-17 WS 2 Tony Perez CIN NYY Catfish Hunter tied 3-3 1B b9 12- 2 1 (0-0) 1 0.39   4.29 *ENDED GAME*:Single to LF (Line Drive); Griffey Scores/unER; Morgan to 2B
12 1 1969-10-05 ALCS 2 Curt Motton BAL MIN Ron Perranoski tied 0-0 1B b11 12- 2   1 0.39   4.30 *ENDED GAME*:Single to RF; Powell Scores; Johnson to 3B
11 1 1969-10-04 ALCS 1 Paul Blair BAL MIN Ron Perranoski tied 3-3 1B b12 --3 2   1 0.38   4.58 *ENDED GAME*:Single/Bunt; Belanger Scores
10 1 1958-10-01 WS 1 Bill Bruton MLN NYY Ryne Duren tied 3-3 1B b10 12- 2   1 0.39   4.29 *ENDED GAME*:Single (Line Drive to CF-RF); Adcock Scores; Crandall to 2B
9 1 1956-10-09 WS 6 Jackie Robinson BRO NYY Bob Turley tied 0-0 1B b10 12- 2   1 0.39   4.40 *ENDED GAME*:Single to LF (Line Drive); Gilliam Scores; Snider to 2B
8 1 1950-10-06 WS 3 Jerry Coleman NYY PHI Russ Meyer tied 2-2 1B b9 12- 2   1 0.38   4.42 *ENDED GAME*:Single (LF-CF); Woodling Scores; Rizzuto to 2B
7 2 1947-10-03 WS 4 Cookie Lavagetto BRO NYY Bill Bevens down 2-1 2B b9 12- 2   2 0.82   6.73 *ENDED GAME*:Double to RF; Gionfriddo Scores; Miksis Scores
5 1 1945-10-08 WS 6 Stan Hack CHC DET Dizzy Trout tied 7-7 2B b12 1-- 2   1 0.44   2.27 *ENDED GAME*:Double to LF; Schuster Scores
4 1 1935-10-07 WS 6 Goose Goslin DET CHC Larry French tied 3-3 1B b9 -2- 2   1 0.39   3.87 *ENDED GAME*:Single to RF; Cochrane Scores
3 1 1929-10-14 WS 5 Bing Miller PHA CHC Pat Malone tied 2-2 2B b9 12- 2   1 0.38   4.47 *ENDED GAME*:Double; Simmons Scores; Foxx to 3B
2 1 1915-10-11 WS 3 Duffy Lewis BOS PHI Pete Alexander tied 1-1 1B b9 -23 2   1 0.37   4.63 *ENDED GAME*:Single to RF; Hooper Scores; Speaker to 3B
1 1 1910-10-22 WS 4 Jimmy Sheckard CHC PHA Chief Bender tied 3-3 1B b10 --3 2   1 0.38   4.56 *ENDED GAME*:Single to CF; Archer Scores
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/29/2010.

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The Boston Red Sox have 6 of the 57 hitters on this list. No one else is close to that mark. And, it's happened against the Yankees 7 times here. (Not Boston doing it to New York seven times. Just it happening against the Yankees, in general, seven times.)

Moving on, note that only 5 of these batters did when their team was behind in the game. Now, those are moments that stay with you for a long time...especially if you're a fan of the team who won the game.

Related posts:

    Post-season game-winning RBIs when behind
    Post-Season Game 6 Or Later, Home Team RBI In 8th & 9th Inning
    Post-Season Game 1 Grand Slams
    2-Out Game-Ending HBP Since 1954
    Leading off a post-season game with a homer

This entry was posted on Friday, October 29th, 2010 at 11:10 am and is filed under Event Finders. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

25 Responses to “Clutch 2-Out Game Ending Post-Season RBI”

  1. Johnny Twisto Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 11:42 am

    I take it I should have some recollection of that Rollins hit last year. Oh well.

  2. Derek Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 12:16 pm

    The game with Rollins is still very fresh in my memory as a Phils fan. Absolutely one of the most exciting endings to a baseball game I have ever seen.

  3. Mark Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 12:18 pm

    Hasn't happened in the World Series in 10 years. Maybe we'll get lucky this year.

  4. ralf Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 1:00 pm

    I'm pretty strongly against expanding the playoffs, but this list makes a decent argument in its favor: it's not just more likely that your favorite team will get in, we'll also see more exciting moments like these. It's not a good enough reason for me- the moments get a little less special the more the pool expands- but those who are for expanding the playoffs would be wise to point this out.

  5. Mike Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 1:24 pm

    Your list left off October 17, 2004. David Ortiz and his walkoff 2-run HR off Paul Quantrill in the bottom of the 12th inning.

  6. Mike Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 1:25 pm

    My apologies!!!! You did say 2 out game enders!!!!!! So sorry!

  7. Tmckelv Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 1:35 pm

    With all of the post season games the Yankees have played, I would think there would be more than 3...The Marlins have that many (and somehow none against the Yanks).

    But the Yankees do have their share of losses of this type.

  8. DavidRF Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 1:38 pm

    It happened in games 1 and 2 of both the 1969 ALCS (BAL/MIN) and the 1981 NLDS (HOU/LAD). Ouch.

    The Dodgers actually game back to win, though.

  9. John Autin Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 1:43 pm

    Only 3 pitchers have authored 2 such defeats:

    -- Steve Kline, 2001 NLDS Game 5 and 2002 NLCS Game 5. Both games were played on Oct. 14, and both were series-enders. In 2001, Kline entered a tie game with a runner on 3rd and 1 out. He intentionally walked PH Greg Colbrunn. With Tony Womack at bat, pinch-runner Midre Cummings was "caught stealing" home (missed squeeze, as I recall), with the other runner taking 2nd; Womack then singled home the winning run. In 2002, Kline relieved SP Matt Morris in the 9th inning of a tie game after Morris allowed a pair of 2-out singles; Kenny Lofton's single won the game and sent the Giants to the WS.

    -- Tug McGraw, 1978 NLCS Game 4 and 1980 WS Game 3: In '78, McGraw was pitching his 2nd inning of the game (and 6th of the 4-game series) when he walked Ron Cey with 2 out in the 10th. Dusty Baker reached on a rare error by CF Garry Maddox ("The Minister of Defense"). Bill Russell's single to CF scored Cey with the game-winner. In 1980, McGraw intentionally walked George Brett with 2 out in the 10th to bring up Willie Aikens, who hit just .219 against lefties in his career. But Aikens lined one into the left-center gap for the winning run. McGraw got the last laugh in the WS finale, though, retiring Frank White and Willie Wilson with the bases loaded to preserve a 4-1 lead. (P.S. Aikens hit .400 in the WS, with 4 HRs, 8 RBI and a 1.638 OPS, but the Royals lost in 6 games.)

    -- Ron Perranoski, 1969 ALCS, Games 1 and 2. In Game 1, 12th inning, with Perranoski in his 4th inning of work, Paul Blair's 2-out bunt single (!) scored Mark Belanger. In Game 2, 11th inning, Perranoski relieved SP Dave Boswell with 2 out and 2 on and allowed PH Curt Motton's game-winning single.

  10. John Autin Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 1:53 pm

    And only 2 hitters have struck 2 such game-winners:

    -- David Ortiz, 2004 ALDS Game 3 (10th-inning 2-run HR off Jarrod Washburn, who relieved Frankie Rodriguez for one batter; Vlad Guerrero's grand slam had tied the game in the 7th); and 2004 ALCS Game 5 (14th-inning single off Esteban Loaiza).

    -- Edgar Renteria, 1997 NLDS Game 1 (bases-loaded single in the 10th off Roberto Hernandez to win Florida's first postseason game); and 1997 WS Game 7 (11th-inning bases-loaded single off Charles Nagy in relief of Jose Mesa, who blew the save in the 9th -- sorry for the reminder, Cleveland fans).

  11. John Autin Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 2:12 pm

    One of the coolest plays in WS history doesn't make this list, because it happened in the top of the 9th: Casey Stengel's 2-out, go-ahead, inside-the-park HR off Bullet Joe Bush in the 1923 WS opener.

    Stengel also plated the only run in Game 3 with a conventional HR off Sad Sam Jones; those were the only 2 wins for the Giants in the Series, the first one ever won by the Yankees.

  12. dodgerdave Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 2:37 pm

    What isn't Luis Gonzalez up there?

  13. Kahuna Tuna Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 2:51 pm

    Dodgerdave, there was one out at the time.

  14. Walewanderer Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 3:44 pm

    Goose Goslin comes full circle in ten years, having struck out to end the 1925 World Series, and hitting the walk-off single which ended the 1935 Series.

    Any other batters to have been at bat to end two (or more) playoff series?

  15. Okbenji Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 3:49 pm

    What about 2001 World Series Game 4--Jeter's two-out walkoff home run in the bottom of the 10th?

  16. John Autin Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 4:30 pm

    @15, Okbenji -- Good point -- 2001 WS G4 should be up there.

  17. John Autin Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 4:32 pm

    @14, Walewanderer -- I think I heard on the radio that Renteria ended the WS in 1997 and 2004, but I haven't checked that.

  18. Johnny Twisto Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 5:17 pm

    Seeing as Cabrera's hit was in game 7, looks like that would have the highest Series-Win Probability Added ever. But perhaps less World Series-Winning Probability Added than Lavagetto or Gibson? Hard to say.

  19. Thomas Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 6:28 pm

    @17, I just took a look and Renteria did get the last out in 04.

  20. DavidRF Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 6:38 pm

    I agree others that Jeter 2001 should be there. Perhaps the leverage index check eliminated it? You'd think a tie game in extra innings would always be high leverage.

    How do you check the LI for individual plate appearances? I see the aLI for each player but I don't see each PA's LI in the game log.

  21. Ian W. Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 7:55 pm

    It appears that 57 is the number of RBI accounted for in these situations, not the number of batters who've accomplished this particular feat.

  22. Alan Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 7:59 pm

    I pulled up a list without the leverage index. Jeter barely, barely falls below the threshold. High leverage is 1.5 and Jeter's situation scored 1.49. The only other game ending RBI left out was Billy Martin getting thrown out at home plate in a 7-2 game. It seems to me using the leverage index in this case was a bit redundant.

  23. John Q Says:
    October 29th, 2010 at 9:37 pm

    Interesting list.

  24. Anonymous Says:
    October 30th, 2010 at 8:31 am

    To try to make ping article....

    I think my post is similar yours...

  25. BSK Says:
    October 31st, 2010 at 11:02 am

    Alan-

    I was wondering the same thing... how can the leverage index be anything but high in these scenarios?

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