Overview
A walk-off occurs when the home team scores the go-ahead run in the bottom of the ninth inning or later, immediately ending the game. The English term derives from the losing team walking off the field. Walk-offs take many forms: home runs, singles, sacrifice flies, and bases-loaded walks. Japan Series walk-off finishes hold particularly powerful places in NPB memory. Batters hold a statistical advantage in walk-off situations, with ninth-inning tie-game batting averages trending above normal, attributed to the asymmetric pressure on pitchers facing immediate elimination on every pitch.