The Reds won a game last night on a walk-off homer that came in what had been up to that moment a 0-0 game. That is a rather rare occurrence, and had not previously happened in the majors this season. The last Cincy hitter to do it before Jay Bruce last night was Adam Dunn, in the 11th inning of a 2006 game against the Brewers. Before that Reds fans would have to go back to Paul O’Neill in 1990, and then to Hobie Landrith in 1954. The last 0-0 tie-breaking walk-off homer anywhere in the majors was by Brett Lawrie last September 5 against the Red Sox. The last one by a National League hitter prior to last night was by Matt Kemp more than two years ago, back on June 1, 2010 against the Diamondbacks.
There was also a 3-0 walk off win in the 2004 NLCS, Houston over the Cardinals, in the best playoff game you never saw. It was the night the BoSox and Yankees were in extra innings and ate up all the FOX coverage.
In light of the title, I nominate for your consideration:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CAL/CAL197509220.shtml
Goose Gossage took over for Kaat in the 9th and kept the game scoreless into the 16th, but gave up a 3-run walk-off to Adrian Garrett — the only game-ending HR of Garrett’s career.
That’s the only “goose-egg walk-off” that the Goose was ever involved in.
(Event Finder doesn’t cover Goose Goslin, alas!)
On 7/2/63 Willie Mays hit a walk-off HR in the bottom of the 16th inning to give the Giants a 1-0 win over the Braves. It was probably the longest game with such a HR. Warren Spahn and Juan Marichal pitched complete games.
Altogether there have been over 70 0-0 games that ended with a walk-off solo HR.