This Day In Dodgers History: Charlie Culberson Clinches NL West With Walk-Off Home Run In Vin Scully’s Final Home Game
Charlie Culberson memorably hit a walk-off home run against the Colorado Rockies to help the Los Angeles Dodgers clinch what was a fourth consecutive National League West title on Sept. 25, 2016, but the game at Dodger Stadium meant much more.
That afternoon represented the final home game Vin Scully would be on the call for. From there the Dodgers were set to finish the regular season with six road games; the curtain on Scully’s illustrious career was closing at then-AT&T Park in San Francisco.
The Dodgers went into their series finale with the Rockies in complete control of their own destiny in the NL West. However, they additionally were in position to clinch if the San Diego Padres defeated the San Francisco Giants.
Colorado took a 2-0 lead in the third inning before L.A. managed to tie the game in the seventh inning on Corey Seager’s RBI triple. Still deadlocked at 2-2, Kenley Jansen entered in the ninth, only to surrender a home run to David Dahl.
Seager then delivered once more for the Dodgers, clubbing a game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. From there the Dodgers were essentially in a race against the Padres, who were nearing a victory that would eliminate the Giants from potentially winning the NL West.
That’s when Culberson’s heroics created for one of the more special moments in Dodger Stadium history. Making all the more improbable was the home run was Culberson’s first — and only — of the 2016 season, and his first since 2014.
He was surrounded by teammates after rounding the bases as the NL West celebration, complete with t-shirts and caps, began. As the players gathered in front of home plate, they all turned up to tip their caps and salute Scully in the broadcast booth.
Scully thanked the Dodgers and the Dodger Stadium crowd, and had an audio recording of him singing “Wind Beneath My Wings” play before walking out of his home booth for a final time. Scully’s call of Culberson’s walk-off home run won an Esurance Award later that winter.
The Dodgers became the first team in NL West history to win four straight division titles, which was also was a franchise record. Dave Roberts additionally joined Tommy Lasorda (1977) as the only rookie managers to lead the Dodgers to a division title.
Roberts has since become the only manager in MLB history to guide his team to a division title in each of his first four seasons at the helm.
