This Day in Dodgers History: Andre Ethier Walks it Off Against Atlanta

Throughout 2009, every Andre Ethier walk-off seemed to be more jaw-dropping than the last. Captain Clutch didn’t just come up with the big hit every single time he needed to; he seemed to make that big hit as dramatic as the moment could possibly allow. A single, a double, a home run deep in extra innings…you name it, he made it happen almost as if it were predetermined. 

On August 6, that trend continued against the Atlanta Braves. The Thursday night game seemed like one that would get away from the Dodgers, as starter Randy Wolf was tagged for four runs in seven innings of work. Meanwhile, Braves pitcher Derek Lowe held his former team to just two runs, one each in the third and fourth innings. 

However, the Dodgers wouldn’t plate anything the rest of the way until the bottom of the ninth. Down 4-2, they sparked a rally right away with a lead-off ground ball single by Juan Pierre. Rafael Furcal followed suit with a ground ball single of his own. 

Just like that, the tying runs were on base, and Ethier stepped to the plate as the winning run. After getting ahead 2-0, he sliced a clean blast over the right field wall for a 5-4 win. It had been a frustrating game for eight innings, and just like that, it was yet another walk-off triumph. 

The home run is at 3:50 in the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_K9ljO-ngs&t=5s

This three-run blast was an especially crucial one for Ethier, as it came in the midst of a frustratingly inconsistent spell for the 2009 Dodgers. While they still had a comfy lead in the NL West, they had lost quite a few games recently to inferior opposition like Milwaukee, and would end up losing the next three games against Atlanta. Thus, every win would count as the division race heated up in September, including this one.

Check out Ethier’s postgame interview afterwards right here: