walk-off

walk-off \walk"-off`\, a. (Baseball)
   Game-ending and game-winning; such as to end the game
   immediately, and allow the players to walk off the field; --
   of hits, especially home runs, which occur in the last half
   of the ninth or a later inning, which put the home team ahead
   of the visiting team and thereby end the game immediatey.
   This occurs in baseball because, when the last half of the
   ninth inning arrives, if the home team (which bats last) is
   already ahead in the score the last half of that inning is
   not played, the winner of the game having already been
   decided. Likewise, as soon as the home team gets ahead in the
   score after the visiting team has batted in the ninth inning,
   the game is ended. [Baseball jargon]
   [PJC]

         Curtis's homer over the left-center-field fence beat
         the Braves and was the first walk-off homer by a Yankee
         in the World Series since Mickey Mantle slugged one
         against the St. Louis Cardinals in game 3 in 1964.
                                                  --Jack Curry
                                                  (New York
                                                  Times, Oct.
                                                  28, 1999 p.
                                                  D4)
   [PJC]

         There are so many people in here who are happy for
         Chad. We know what he's been through. Those hits could
         make Chad Curtis's whole year. When you hit a walk-off
         homer in the World Series, that's something he's going
         to remember for a long time.             --Paul O'Neill
                                                  (the Yankee
                                                  outfielder,
                                                  quoted by Jack
                                                  Curry in the
                                                  New York
                                                  Times, Oct.
                                                  27, 1999 p.
                                                  D4)
   [PJC]