An Ode To All Seven Of The 2013 Dodger Walk-Off Wins

The Dodgers dramatic eleventh inning victory over the Snakes last Tuesday night gave the club a 13 game lead in the NL West, and reduced their magic number to win the division to six. Scott Van Slyke’s pinch-hit two-run home run with Mark Ellis aboard pushed the club to 26 games above .500, as the boys in blue secured their 85th win of the season.

Van Slyke’s eleventh inning bomb was the Dodger’s seventh walk-off win of the 2013 season. Walk-off wins are rare and exciting. They could be the most exciting moment in a Baseball game. A close game that ends with a heroic hit, or home run are some of the greatest moments of a long and tiring season.

The Dodgers had zero walk-offs in the first two months of the season, but have now had seven since June. Of the Dodger’s lucky seven this year, one was on a throwing error, and another on a wild pitch. Two were on home runs, and three more were on base hits.

So in order to honor of all of the walk-offs, here is a collection of the Dodger walk-offs in animated GIF form action. Here’s to many more Dodger walk-offs in 2013! Enjoy!

Walk-off 1- June 7 2013, versus Atlanta.

Skip Schumaker scores on a wild pitch from Anthony Varvaro in the bottom of the tenth inning. Notice the geeky guy in the stands, wearing the yellow shirt. What the hell is he doing?

Walk-off 2- June 29, 2013 versus Philadelphia.

A.J. Ellis’s RBI single to right scores Hanley to break a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the ninth, off of some random Phillie’s reliever. That was at the beginning of the run, and the play ended with Hanley scoring the winning run and roaring with joy after his slide into home. Hanley!!!

Walk-off 3-July 13, 2013 versus Cincinnati.

In a scoreless tie in the bottom of the eleventh inning, the wild horse, Yasiel Puig slams a huge monster home run into the left field pavilion, and then finished it off in style with a unique slide into home. Nobody does that anymore. 1-0 Dodgers win.

Walk-off 4-July 30, 2013 versus Yankees.

In the much anticipated and highly publicized two game interleague set with the Yankees, resulted in another Dodger walk-off win. With the score tied at 2-2 Mark Ellis’s RBI flare single over Derek Jeter’s head scored Andre Ethier to give the Dodgers a 3-2 win. The run scored off of Shawn Kelley, not off of Mariano Rivera, who would come in the next night and close the Dodgers out in the ninth of game two.

Walk-off-5-August 9, 2013 versus Tampa Bay.

This was one of the most thrilling of victories. The Dodgers down 6-0 to the Rays in the seventh inning, were unable to do much of anything against David Price. Until Tampa Bay removed him from the game, and the Dodger bats woke up against the Tampa Bay bullpen. The Dodgers scored once in the seventh, twice in the eighth, and then scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth, to cap a miraculous comeback at the magic castle, also known as Dodger Stadium, according to the great Vin Scully. The final run scoring on a Fernando Rodney errant throw to second base.

Walk-off 6-August 14, 2013 versus Mets.

In this walk-off the Dodgers appeared dead in the water once again. But the boys in blue had other ideas. Down 4-2 in the bottom of the ninth, Ethier’s clutch hail mary opposite field two-run home run, tied the game as Dodger Stadium exploded into excitement. In extras, it was Adrian Gonzalez’s base hit down the third base line to score Puig, that was the deciding blow. Dodgers win 5-4.

Walk-off 7-September 10, 2013 versus Arizona.

Again another clutch RBI double from Andre Ethier tied the game at 3-3. (Yet another clutch hit from Ethier) which is where the score remained until the bottom of the eleventh, when Scott Van Slyke’s pinch-hit two-run home run off of Pedro Feliciano won the game for the Dodgers. Final score 5-3. As Vinny said, Scott’s father, the great Andy Van Slyke would have been proud. Indeed he would.

Viva Los walk-off! Viva Los Dodgers!