Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully said it best:

“In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened.”

He was, of course, referring to Kirk Gibson‘s historic walk-off home run in Game-1 of the 1988 World Series that turned a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 Dodgers walk-off win. The Dodgers would go on to win the World Series in five games.

They haven’t won one since.

But if what we witnessed this past weekend at Dodger Stadium is any indication, that may very well change.

By now every Dodger fan – and baseball fan – on the planet knows that the Dodgers accomplished something that has never happened before in the 150-year history of Major League Baseball and, in all probability, will never happen again; they hit three consecutive walk-off home runs.

That in and of itself actually has happened before. But was has not happened before is that all three walk-off home runs were by a different Dodgers rookie – the first by Dodgers rookie utility infielder/outfielder Matt Beaty on Friday night, June 21, 2019; the second by Dodgers rookie outfielder Alex Verdugo on Saturday night, June 22, 2019; and the third by pinch-hitting Dodgers rookie catcher Will Smith on Sunday afternoon, June 23, 2019.

Of the three walk-offs, Sunday’s by Smith was unquestionably the most unlikely … sort of. The 24-year-old Louisville, KY native had arrive at Dodger Stadium around 6 am that morning, having received his (second) call-up late Saturday night. He told reporters prior to Sunday’s game that when he arrived at the Dodgers clubhouse, he sacked out for a little while but was up and ready to go by 9 am.

But it’s that ‘sort of’ thing that sent 50,023 home from Dodger Stadium (and countless millions of television viewers and radio listeners) into absolute hysteria. For reasons that only he knows (and must live with for the rest of his life), Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black elected to intentionally walk Dodgers 14-year MLB veteran catcher Russell Martin (and his .260 batting average) and take his chances with Smith, who was on-deck to pinch-hit for Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen. Apparently Black didn’t get the memo from Rockies scouts that Smith was hitting .291 at Triple-A Oklahoma City and had hit six home runs in his last seven games this past week for the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate.

Oops.

Worthy of note is that Beaty led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a single off the glove of Rockies second baseman Ryan McMahon. He then advanced to second base on a wild pitch by Rockies right-hander Scott Oberg. This turned out to be a game-changer. Although Oberg managed to strikeout Dodgers replacement shortstop Chris Taylor for the second out of the inning, it left first base open, which Black decided to have Martin occupy on the intention walk. The rest, as they say, is history.

It was every bit an improbable / impossible win for the Dodgers.

…and a historic one.

Play Ball!

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