How many walk-off hits do the St. Louis Cardinals have in their playoff history?

The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the most storied franchises in the history of sports, and they have plenty of big moments when it matters most in the postseason, moments Cardinal fans will never forget.

Even though the Cardinals aren't participating in the playoffs in 2023, it is still entertaining to watch the Postseason and watch history be made. Cardinal fans have been spoiled in that regard by seeing some of the greatest moments in baseball history in St.Louis, ones that come to mind are Bob Gibson's 17-strikeout game in the World Series, Bruce Sutter striking out Gorman Thomas to end the 1982 World Series, Jack Clarks go-ahead home run at Dodger Stadium, Yadier Molina with the 9th inning home run at Shea Stadium in 2006, Albert Pujols and his 3 home run game in 2011 I could go on and on.

But the first one that comes to mind for most Cardinal fans is David Freese putting the team on his back not once, but twice in game 6 of the 2011 World Series. But there have been many other walk-off hits in Cardinal postseason history that were memorable and should be appreciated. Let's look back at the long successful history of the Cardinals and see who else has enjoyed coming through in the clutch and walking off for the Cardinals in October.

Curt Welch 1886 World Series Game 6

The first walk-off in the postseason in the history of the Browns/Cardinals actually did not come from a hit. The Browns defeated the Chicago White Stockings in Game 6 of the World Series 4-3 in 10 innings as Curt Welch scored from 3rd on a ball that got past the catcher (there is dispute on whether it was a wild pitch or a passed ball).

That year the Browns won Games 4 and 5 to overcome a 2-1 series deficit which gave them a chance to win the World Series at home for Game 6. The game began with a brief rain delay and some great pitching by White Stockings pitcher John Clarkson who held the Browns hitless through 6 innings ( Clarkson started 4 of the 6 World Series games).

After finally breaking through with a hit in the 7th, the Browns went to the bottom of the 8th down 3-0. The eventual hero of this game Curt Welch was attempting to sacrifice the future founder of the White Sox Charlie Comiskey to third with a bunt, but the White Stockings threw the ball away and it led to the Browns' first run. The Browns would tie the game in the 8th and ultimately went to extra innings.

In the bottom of the 10th with the game tied, Welch led off the inning with a single, he was bunted over after an error got him into scoring position, then while at 3rd base a pitch got away from catcher King Kelly and Welch dashed on home. It is famously known as the " $15,000 slide " because at the time the reward for winning the World Series was money that both teams agreed to place the series on. As I mentioned earlier there is some dispute on whether it was called a wild pitch or passed ball, and some also believe that Welch didn't even slide when he scored, but regardless him scoring on the ball that got away won the World Series for the Browns and was the first postseason walk-off in Browns/Cardinals history.

Tip O'Neill 1888 World Series Game 9

The Browns played 10 games against the New York Giants in the World Series in 1888, the Giants won 6 of the first 8 games before they played Game 9.

This game was one of the highest-scoring games in World Series history, it was a see-saw back-and-forth game as well. The Browns led 5-3 after 2 innings, then the Giants led 8-5 after 4 innings. The game was tied at 9 after 7 innings, the Giants scored 2 in the 8th, then the Browns scored two in the 9th to force extra innings, with the score of 11-11.

After the Giants failed to score in the top half of the 10th, the Browns got 2 runners on in the bottom half for the 2-time defending batting champion that season and triple-crown winner the year before that, Tip O'Neill. Known by some as " Canada's Babe Ruth", O'Neill came through with a 3-run home run off Giants pitcher Bill George to win the game 14-11 in 10 innings. Unlike World Series games today, this game technically had no meaning, as the Giants already won 6 of the first 8 games and they only played one more game after this one. The Browns won the last game 18-7, but the Giants won the series, six games to four.

Ken O'Dea 1944 World Series Game 2

1944 was one of the most memorable World Series because it was a matchup between both St. Louis teams, as it was the St. Louis Browns of the American League versus the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League. All 7 games in this series were played at Sportsman Park as both teams used Sportsman as their home ballpark and the Cardinals were the designated "home team" for games 1-2 and 6-7 (the series ended in 6 games).

The Browns took game one of the series in a low-scoring affair and that became the theme for this series, Game 2 was tied at 2 after 9 and it went to extra innings. In the bottom of the 11th with the score still even at 2, A 10 year veteran by the name of Ken O'Dea came in to pinch hit and he drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 11th to even the series.

O'Dea was a very successful pinch hitter in the World Series during his career, across 5 different years in the World Series (2 with the Cubs and 3 with the Cardinals), he went 6 for 13 (.462 AVG) with a home run and 6 runs batted in.

Ken Oberkfell 1982 NLCS Game 2

This was the first time the Cardinals played in the Championship Series since it was added in 1969 and they faced the Atlanta Braves. At the time the Championship Series was a best-of-5 series, and the Cardinals had home-field advantage because they won three more games than Atlanta did in '82.

After a 7-0 blowout win in Game 1 for the Redbirds, Game 2 was much closer, as the Cardinals found themselves trailing 3-2 in the 8th inning. Whitey Herzog brought in his closer/fireman Bruce Sutter in the top half of that inning to keep the deficit at one and he did so with some help from his catcher Darrell Porter throwing out Dale Murphy, the MVP that season, trying to steal 3rd base.

The aforementioned Porter started the 8th-inning rally with a one-out walk, and later on, in the inning, Willie McGee beat out what would've been an inning-ending double play to bring home Porter and tie the game. In the bottom of the 9th, David Green led off the inning with a single, Tom Herr bunted Green into scoring position, then Ken Oberkfell hit the game-winning single off Gene Garber to give the Cardinals a commanding 2-0 series lead. They would go on to sweep the Braves and beat the Brewers in 7 games in the World Series.

Ozzie Smith 1985 NLCS Game 5

Everybody remembers this one, it was arguably "The Wizard's" signature moment in his Hall of Fame career. Despite the Cardinals winning 6 more games than the Los Angeles Dodgers in '85, the Dodgers hosted the first two games of the NLCS and they won both games. The Cardinals won the next two which made Game 5 at Busch Stadium the most pivotal game of the series.

The Cardinals scored 2 runs off Fernando Valenzuela before recording an out in the 1st inning but those were the only 2 runs they were able to score off of Valenzuela. The Dodgers tied the game in the 4th and the game stayed at 2-2 going into the 9th inning. After a 1-2-3 top of the 9th from Cardinals reliever Jeff Lahti, the Dodgers brought in Tom Niedenfuer to replace Valenzuela in the bottom of the 9th.

After retiring Willie McGee to lead off the inning, Ozzie Smith came to the plate. Behind in the count with one ball and two strikes, he hit a line drive down the right field line that just snuck over the wall for a walk-off home run. The home run was one of Jack Buck's most memorable calls, "Go crazy folks, go crazy! " will forever be remembered in Cardinals history. What made this home run even more remarkable was Ozzie Smith wasn't even close to being considered a power hitter. 1985 was his 8th season in the MLB and he had 13 career home runs at that time, and this walk-off home run was the only home run he ever hit in the postseason.

Jim Edmonds 2004 NLCS Game 6

Edmonds' walk-off home run in the NLCS against the Astros was one of the most clutch hits in Cardinal history, as this home run kept the Cardinals' season alive and forced a Game 7.

With the 2-3-2 format the MLB has for the Championship Series and World Series, Games 6 and 7 in this series were in St.Louis, as the Cardinals beat out the Houston Astros for the NL Central title that year. The home team won each of the first 5 games which had the Cardinals facing elimination and had the Astros one win away from their first-ever World Series appearance.

The Astros struck right away with a run in the first but the Cardinals answered with 2 of their own behind a 2 run homer by Albert Pujols. The Cardinals got 4 runs in less than 3 innings off of Astros starter Peter Munro and they had a 4-3 lead heading into the 9th inning. They were 1 out away from forcing a Game 7, but Jason Isringhausen gave up a game-tying single to Jeff Bagwell that made it 4-4. After a double steal, "Izzy" got Lance Berkman to strike out with 2 runners in scoring position to keep the game tied.

Game 6 went into extra innings, both teams went 1-2-3 in every half-inning until the bottom of the 12th, when Pujols drew a lead-off walk against Houston reliever Dan Miceli. After retiring Scott Rolen, Edmonds had his signature moment as a Cardinal, hitting a towering home run in the right center bullpen to force a Game 7. The pitch appeared to be above a strike zone but Edmonds was somehow able to get on top of the ball and drive it out for the walk-off win. The Cardinals would go on to win Game 7 as well and advance to the World Series.

David Freese 2011 World Series Game 6

The greatest game in Cardinals history? What about in baseball history? If not the best it is definitely up there as one of the best, this game was special in so many ways, and one we will never forget.

After splitting the first 2 games in St. Louis, the Cards lost 2 of the 3 games in Arlington which meant they would have to win 2 straight games at home to win the World Series. This game got off to an inauspicious start as starter Jaime Garcia gave up 2 hits, a walk, and a run before getting an out in the first, but a 2 run homer by Lance Berkman in the bottom half gave the Cardinals an early lead.

There were several moments in this game where the Cardinals made some unforgivable mistakes. In the top of the 5th with the game tied at 3, David Freese dropped an easy pop-up to lead off the inning and that error came around to score 2 pitches later. Right after Yadier Molina tied the game in the bottom of the 6th on a bases-loaded walk, Matt Holliday was picked off at 3rd base by catcher Mike Napoli, which on top of making an out at 3rd base, also caused an injury to Holliday that left him unable to play for the rest of the series. The Cardinals left the bases loaded in that inning.

Right after that inning, Lance Lynn allowed back-to-back home runs to Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz leading off the inning to give Texas the lead, they would add one more to make it 7-4 in the 7th. Allen Craig (Matt Holliday's defensive replacement) would homer in his first AB which cut the deficit to 2 going to the bottom of the 9th. David Freese was able to redeem himself and then some with the Cards down to their final strike, he hit a fly ball to right just out of the reach of Nelson Cruz to bring home Pujols and Berkman and tie the game at 7. Freese was stranded at 3rd so the game went to extra innings.

Josh Hamilton hit a 2-run homer in the 10th off Jason Motte to give Texas another lead, but yet again the Cards down to their last strike came through again. This time, it was Lance Berkman singling bringing in Jon Jay to make it 9-9. Again however they could only tie the game, they couldn't win it, but after the Cards finally got a scoreless inning in the 11th, Freese came up to lead off the bottom of the 11th. On a full-count pitch from Mark Lowe, Freese hit a home run to dead center field to stave off elimination.

This home run again gave us another great call, this one by Jack Buck's son, Joe, who echoed his father with the call "We will see you, tomorrow night." The call his dad made back in 1991 when Minnesota Twins Kirby Puckett hit a walk-off home run also in Game 6 of the World Series to force a Game 7. The perfect ending to one of the most intense and dramatic baseball games ever played.

Jon Jay 2013 World Series Game 3

Jay didn't walk this game off but he was the hitter at the plate when total craziness ensued in this classic World Series game.

The series was tied 1-1 heading back to St. Louis for game 3 against two clubs who were evenly matched. Jake Peavy struggled early for Boston allowing 2 in the first inning before settling in, including getting out of a bases-loaded nobody-out jam in the 4th unscathed. Boston would tie the game at 2 in the 6th before a two-run double by Matt Holliday gave St. Louis their 2-run lead back. In the 8th rookie Carlos Martinez could only retire one of the four hitters he faced, inheriting a tough situation for Trevor Rosenthal. He allowed 2 inherited runners which allowed Boston to tie the game.

After Yadier Molina got a one-out hit in the bottom of the 9th, the Red Sox brought in the reigning ALCS MVP Koji Uehara to face pinch hitter Allen Craig. Craig smoked a double on the first pitch to put two runners in scoring position for Jay. Chaos would ensue when Jay put the ball in play to Dustin Pedroia, who made an outstanding diving play to rob Jay of a hit, he then proceeded to throw out Molina at home. On the throw home, Craig tried to advance to third, and the throw from catcher Jarrod Salatalamacchia went into the outfield. When Craig noticed the ball get away he tried to score but was tripped up by the legs of Will Middlebrooks trying to get the ball. Craig, who shouldn't have been on the bases as he was nursing an ankle injury, was going to be out at home but 3rd base umpire Jim Joyce called obstruction on Middlebrooks so Craig was granted home plate ending the game.

Understandably the Red Sox argued but the call stood and the game was over, surely one of the craziest, most controversial (depending on who you ask) endings to a baseball game anyone has ever witnessed.

Kolten Wong 2014 NLCS Game 2

Wong got to experience the thrill of hitting a postseason walk-off in his rookie season against the San Francisco Giants. After the Cardinals were shut down by Madison Bumgarner in Game 1 at home, Game 2 was crucial, and the rookie came through.

The Cardinals blew a 2-0 lead as the Giants took a 3-2 lead in the 7th inning, then the Cardinals started relying on something they hardly did in the regular season in 2014, and that was hitting home runs. In the bottom of the 7th, Oscar Taveras hit a pinch-hit home run to tie the game, then Matt Adams hit a go-ahead blast in the 8th, but it wouldn't stand as Trevor Rosenthal struggled with the strike zone in the 9th, allowing the tying run to score on a wild pitch that also resulted in a ball four to the hitter, Rosenthal was pulled from the game

Pat Neshek came in and got Pablo Sandoval to ground out with the bases loaded which set the stage for Kolten Wong who was leading off the bottom of the 9th. The Giants brought in closer Sergio Romo to face Wong, and on the second pitch he threw Wong hit a line drive home run to right to win the game, it was the Cardinals 4th solo home run of the game and it evened the series at a game a piece. Sadly this was the only game the Cardinals won in this series as they would go on to lose all 3 games in San Francisco.

Yadier Molina 2019 NLDS Game 4

This is so far the last playoff walk-off for the Cardinals, and like with the walk-offs from Edmonds and Freese, this one kept the Cardinals' postseason hopes alive.

After Adam Wainwright's gem in Game 3 against his hometown team, the Atlanta Braves, was spoiled, the Cardinals were facing elimination down 2-1 to Atlanta with an afternoon game at Busch. The Cardinals got to Dallas Keuchel early in the first as he was pitching on short rest, with back-to-back home runs by Paul Goldschmidt and Marcell Ozuna. A second Ozuna home run made it 3-1 after 4 innings, but rookie Dakota Hudson gave up a 2 run home run to Ozzie Albies which gave the Braves a 4-3 lead (the 2 runs were unearned because of a fielding error by Matt Carpenter).

The Cardinal bullpen kept the team in it while they were trailing, as John Brebbia and Andrew Miller got out of bases-loaded jams without allowing a run, and the offense finally came through again in the 8th inning as Yadier Molina blooped a ball just over the glove of Freddie Freeman to tie the game.

The game went into the 10th inning as both teams went with pitchers who started for them for the majority or all of the season, Miles Mikolas for the Cardinals, and Julio Teheran for the Braves. Mikolas got a 1-2-3 inning and Kolten Wong led off the bottom of the 10th with a ground rule double. An intentional walk to Goldschmidt and an Ozuna ground out moved Wong to 3rd with 1 out. Molina didn't waste any time as he swung at the first pitch despite the pitch being way inside he was still able to pull it in the air to deep left, like always with Yadi he understood the situation and knew what his team needed from him to win the game, and in this case, it was to hit the ball in the air. Adam Duvall caught the ball but never had a chance to throw out Wong at home and the Cardinals forced a Game 5 in Atlanta, which they dominated thanks to a historic 10 run in 1st inning to advance to the NLCS.