Hey, it’s Jesse. I usually don’t first-person these, since it’s Roger and Andrew’s podcast and I just like to do some notes in the space here… but also, today’s note is especially for the 8-year-old in my house, whose reaction to the Mets winning last night on DJ Stewart getting hit by a pitch was, “has that ever happened before?”
“A walkoff hit by pitch?” I replied. “Yeah, it happens sometimes.”
“That exact situation?”
“It’s got to be the bases loaded, so, yes?”
“The Mets against the Rangers?”
“Well, I doubt that. They haven’t played each other too much.”
Indeed, the Mets’ previous three wins on a walkoff HBP came against the Marlins in the 2021 home opener (Michael Conforto by Anthony Bass), the A’s in 2011 (Justin Turner by Brad Ziegler), and the Cardinals on April 23, 1992 (Daryl Boston by Juan Agosto).
Wait just a minute. Daryl Boston hit by Juan Agosto? That was part of Monday’s note, because the runner who scored was Rodney McCray, a pinch-runner.
Conforto is the only batter of the four who was hit in the ninth inning, so McNeil is the first Manfred Man to score a game-winning run on an HBP in Mets history (the others were both in 13th innings, pre-baseball shootout rule). McNeil hit the home run that tied the game against the Marlins two years ago, and pinch-hitter Luis Guillorme singled and eventually scored when Conforto leaned over the plate for the win. Lucas Duda singled and came around on the Turner plunking, so the Mets have had all manner of baserunners bring home wins this way.
All four of these Mets rallies do share in common an intentional walk, and the one that Joe Torre and the Cardinals gave to Charlie O’Brien did show that little bit of strategy that came into play before the automatic free pass: Juan Agosto throwing pitchouts to Tom Pagnozzi, rather than Pagnozzi doing the old stand-and-shuffle move. Tim McCarver went so far as to describe it as an “unintentional intentional walk,” but the official scorer gave it a full IBB. After all, there wasn’t an attempt to throw a strike on ball four, it was purposely outside.
The Mets are now 4-4 in games with a walkoff HBP, and haven’t lost a game this way since 2014, when Jeurys Familia drilled Hank Conger with the bases loaded in the 11th inning in Anaheim — one of three walkoff HBPs in the majors that year, a record set in 1972, and tied in 1997, 2002, 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2021. It’s the first time it happened this year, and it’s now happened at least once each of the last five seasons since a failure to get this shrimp varietal in 2018.
Jonny Gomes is the only batter to be hit by two pitches to end games: August 21, 2011 in Washington, by Phillies closer Brad Lidge; and April 11, 2012, in Oakland, by Jonathan Broxton of Kansas City. Only one pitcher has walked off twice after hitting a batter: Randy Moffitt with the Giants in 1972 (Joe Pepitone at Wrigley Field) and 1978 (Bill Russell at Dodger Stadium).
We Can Pod It Out 179: Two Of Us