This was a great week for exciting games, but not really a great week for walk off wins. At any rate, here’s your list of this week’s most exciting walk offs.
April 8th, Tigers vs Dodgers – taking it back a few years.
Carl Crawford wins the game for the Dodgers by doubling in Chone Figgins. After the past couple of years those guys have had, I don’t think I would have ever imagined this situation taking place in 2014, but here we are. Oh, and Figgins was put on base by Joba Chamberlain, who walked him to lead off the tenth. WE’RE REALLY TAKIN’ IT BACK.
April 11th, Nationals vs Braves – do the hustle.
Seeing a player score from second on a single is a relatively routine occurrence, as is seeing a player score from first on a double. But a player scoring from first on a bloop single? You don’t see that happen very much at all, but sure enough, Jordan Schafer managed to do that on Justin Upton’s blooper in the tenth to give the Braves a victory over the Nationals.
April 11th, Astros vs Rangers – an unlikely hero.
In a lineup featuring Shin-Soo Choo, Alex Rios, and Prince Fielder, who would have imagined that backup catcher Robinson Chirinos would be the hero for the Rangers? Chirinos entered the game in the eighth inning as a defensive replacement for J.P. Arencibia, and came up as the big hero for Texas after striking out in his first two at bats of the night.
April 11th, Angels vs Mets – walk off plunking.
Bases loaded, one out, 2-2 count, tie game…and Jeurys Familiar hits Hank Conger to lose the game for the Mets. The Mets made their bed in this one – before intentionally walking Conger, Familia intentionally walked both Howie Kendrick and J.B. Shuck to load the bases for Conger. What a mess.
April 12th, Marlins vs Phillies – J-Roll puts a stamp on it.
Jimmy Rollins has been unfairly maligned since the beginning of Spring Training, but he’s done a pretty good job at getting fans back on his side with his play this season. I think the moment when everything officially turned in Rollins’ favor was this walk off homer against the Marlins on Saturday that gave the Phillies a 5-4, ten inning win.
April 13th, Indians vs White Sox – Alexei delivers.
Alexei Ramirez is a pretty good player that has seen his stock drop in the past couple of seasons. But on Sunday, it was all forgotten after Ramirez covered for the sins of the awful White Sox bullpen, hitting a walk off homer against John Axford to hand Chicago a nice win that shouldn’t have been this close.
April 13th, Rockies vs Giants – light hitting middle infielder, huh?
Gregor Blanco nearly won this game in the ninth inning for the Giants, getting thrown out at the plate trying to turn a triple into an inside the park home run. Brandon Crawford isn’t one for theatrics – he just decided to launch one into McCovey Cove instead. Game, set, match.
