While not quite as dramatic as 2013, this season was still filled with walk-offs, big home runs and other exciting offensive plays. Even though the Indians scored just 636 runs overall, this just made each individual run that much more important. To keep things interesting, plays within the same game are included together and only the most exciting walk-off hits are included at all. Without further ado, here are the top ten offensive plays (plus a couple extras) for the Indians’ 2014 season.
10. June 4th – Walk Off Week – Asdrubal Cabrera
There was no time more indicative of the Indians walk-off prowess than the week from May 30th through June 4th. The Indians won all six of the games that week against the Rockies and Red Sox, each of these games by three or less runs. Cleveland walked off the series against Colorado with this Michael Bourn two run, 9th inning, walk off home run, but that wasn’t even the biggest hit of the week. In the final game against Boston, Asdrubal Cabrera had an even more clutch shot. Tied 4-4 in the 12th inning, Cabrera came to the plate with runners at the corners. When just a deep fly or slow rolling ground ball would have been enough, Cabrera crushed a home run to right, with no right fielder in the game to look up and watch it go.
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9. September 5th – Triumphant Return – David Murphy
Murphy was a top offensive performer, especially during the clutch, for the first few months of the season, but eventually fell into a slump. An injury in the middle of August sent Murphy to the DL for almost a month until he returned in early September. In his first time back on the field, Murphy pinch hit with the bases loaded and one out against Ronald Belisario of the White Sox in a tie game in the tenth. On a 1-2 pitch, Murphy smacked a liner to center that fell right in front of the drawn in outfield, giving the Indians the walk-off win.
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8. April 2nd, Game 2 – Jim Johnson Gets Fired – Michael Brantley
After years of growing closers, then trading them for prospects, the Athletics finally paid one, giving Jim Johnson a $10M deal for the 2014 season. He ended the year with the Tigers and this was largely because of a terrible start against the Indians including two blown games in the first series of the season. In this one, Johnson gave up a bases loaded single to Michael Brantley, ultimately giving up the one run lead after a Josh Reddick error in right. The Indians went on to win the game in Oakland and Johnson was removed from the closers role just a single game later, never to regain that role again with the A’s.
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7. August 3rd – Texas Sized Revenge – David Murphy
The Rangers didn’t even consider re-signing the free agent to be David Murphy last off-season and he certainly made the worst team in the American League pay for their error. In this game, the Indians were down by two runs going into the ninth inning, but Murphy came up with one runner on and one out and hit this two run, game tying home run against Rangers closer Neftali Feliz. While this homer only tied the game, the Indians would ultimately walk off the game and sweep the series thanks to this Michael Brantley home run.
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6. May 22nd – Great Timing – Lonnie Chisenhall
Terry Francona made many mistakes in 2014, but this was not one of them. With one out in the eighth inning against Baltimore, Lonnie Chisenhall pinch hit for Ryan Raburn as the team’s DH and crushed a solo home run to right that tied the game in the eight. This may have been Francona’s top individual move of the season as the Indians went on to win the game with this two run, Carlos Santana double in the 13th inning.
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5. September 11th, Game One – Non-Stop Flights To Souvenir City – Carlos Santana
There have been quite a few monstrous home runs hit this year by Indians, despite the lack of power hitters on the team and the top five will be listed here (click links to view #2 through #5). On June 9th, back-up catcher, George Kottaras blasted his third and final home run as an Indian, sending it 426 feet into the upper deck of Globe Life Stadium in Texas. On August 20th, Zach Walters showed how much power he could have with this solo shot that gave the Indians the lead in the second. His longest home run of the season also had some height as it went to the upper deck in right center in Minnesota. Carlos Santana had two of the top five home runs this year, including this two run shot that shot into the empty upper deck in Toronto, 444 feet from home plate on May 14th. The longest home run of the season for the Tribe was this one from June 17th by Lonnie Chisenhall, that ended up hitting the back wall of the Indians bullpen in center. While it didn’t go into Souvenir City, officially, it went 446 feet from home.
The top home run of the season gave the Indians the lead after being down one in the first, but that is not the important part. The hardest hit home run of the season (116 MPH off the bat according to ESPN’s Hit Tracker) was the only ball hit in 2014 to reach the seats formerly named “Pronkville” seats in the Mezzanine section in right.
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4. May 19th – Dr. Smooth Discharges Tigers – Michael Brantley
This one came against the only pitcher to be featured twice on the top ten this year, Al Albuquerque. This time, the Tribe took a one run lead into the ninth, but Cody Allen blew the save when he gave up a game tying, solo home run to J.D. Martinez. An inning later, Michael Brantley said enough is enough when he blasted this two out, walk-off, solo home run in the tenth. In addition to coming with two outs, this was the lowest home run of the season by an Indians hitter (according to ESPN’s hit tracket) at just 51 feet as the line shot left the field as soon as possible.
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3. June 9th – Lonnie’s Big Day – Lonnie Chisenhall
This was a big breakout season for Chisenhall and while he started the season hot from an average stand point, he didn’t knock in his second run until May 4th and had just nine RBI in his first 37 games. That number is important because on June 9th in Texas, Chisenhall had one of the biggest offensive performances in Indians history. The video below is of his third home run of the night and his seventh, eighth and ninth RBI, but a lot lead up to that point. In his first at bat, he knocked in the second run of the game with a single to right, then added a two run home run in his next at bat for his third RBI. In the fourth, he hit his second consecutive two run shot, scoring Jason Kipnis again and pushing the Indians lead to 12-4. In his fourth at bat, he doubled to deep left center to score Michael Brantley, then in his final at bat, there was this three run home run that scored Brantley and Kipnis that scored the Indians 17th and final run of the game.
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2. May 21st – The Infamous Balk Off – Ryan Raburn
In 2013, the Indians couldn’t beat the Tigers at all, but this year, they were giving wins away. After Josh Tomlin gave up a run in the top of the 13th (he pitched three innings in relief and struck out six with just one run allowed), the Indians looked out of luck down one with little time left. In the bottom of the inning, Phil Coke gave up a single to Mike Aviles, hit Asdrubal Cabrera and allowed an RBI single to Michael Brantley to tie the game. With two outs and runners on second and third in a tie game, Al Albuquerque came in to intentionally walk Yan Gomes and pitch to Ryan Raburn. He never did pitch to Raburn, however as he balked in the winning run to end the game.
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1. June 19th – Walk-Off Redemption – Nick Swisher
There are a few different aspects that go into determining how exciting any individual play is and this one had them all. Swisher took an 0/11 run that included six strike outs into a 10th inning at bat. Down two after Scott Atchison gave up the tie with a two run Albert Pujols single in the top of the inning, the Indians had loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the inning. Needing at least a double, Swisher crushed this ball over the right field wall, finishing the walk-off with a shower at home plate.
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