Call to the pen
Fansided

Five best walk-off home runs of the 2019 MLB season

By Clint Manry

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 29: Dominic Smith #22 of the New York Mets celebrates after hitting a walk-off 3-run home run in the bottom of the eleventh inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field on September 29, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 29: Dominic Smith #22 of the New York Mets celebrates after hitting a walk-off 3-run home run in the bottom of the eleventh inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field on September 29, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
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5 best walk-off home runs of the 2019 MLB season

Charlie Blackmon’s first homer is a game-winner – WPA: 0.88

On a cool Friday night in April, the Rockies’ Charlie Blackmon connects for his first home run of the 2019 MLB season, a 2-run blast to win the game versus the Philadelphia Phillies, at Coors Field.

The situation: After the Phillies put a run on the board in the 1st and 5th innings, the Rockies finally got a few of their own in the bottom of the 6th, when Trevor Story connected for a solo-homer and Garret Hampson an RBI double, tying the game at two apiece.

Despite both starting pitchers (Phillies: Vince Velasquez / Rockies: German Marquez) allowing 17 hits combined, neither lineups could muster any more runs, as both teams unleashed their bullpens, starting in the 6th inning. The game stretched into the 12th inning.

In the top half of the 12th with 2 outs, the Phillies’ Bryce Harper roped a line-drive double to left-center off Rockies’ reliever Chad Bettis, scoring Phil Gosselin and giving the Phils a one-run advantage in extras (a hit worth 0.38 WPA). Bettis was able to force a groundout off Rhys Hoskins to get out of the inning, but the damage had been done and the Rockies were up against some pretty tough odds.

Philadelphia sent out Juan Nicasio for the bottom of the 12th after he worked through 17 pitches and didn’t allow a single hit in the previous inning. Nicasio was tasked with facing Hampson, Tony Wolters, and Raimel Tapia, with Blackmon batting fourth in the half-inning.

Hampson grounded out, Wolters walked and Tapia flew out to left, giving the Rockies just one more chance to come back, down 3-2. Blackmon stepped to the plate with the Rockies having just a 12% win expectancy, quite a long shot for a team with one out away from losing.

Blackmon worked the count a bit, forcing Nicasio to throw three pitches. With a 1-2 count, Nicasio came back to the outside corner, but he threw a 94-mph fastball straight as an arrow and waist-high. Blackmon connected and barely sent it over the right-center wall, into the Phillies’ bullpen. The Rockies win 4-3, and Blackmon gets his first homer of the 2019 MLB season, on April 19. The game ended after 4 hours and 26 minutes of play.

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