Oscar Gonzalez does not live in a pineapple under the sea, but he does use the SpongeBob Squarepants theme song as his walk-up music. And we’re convinced that somehow gave him the powers to end the longest scoreless postseason game in Major League Baseball history on Saturday.
Game 2 of the series between Gonzalez’s Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays was a real pitcher’s duel. Eight Tampa Bay pitchers combined for 19 strikeouts, and eight Cleveland pitchers fanned 20 batters. And so, the game went to the 15th inning with zero runs between the two sides – disappointing the folks who the bet the over on the 5.5 run total.
After walking up to the plate to the tune of the classic Nickelodeon jingle, the 24-year-old outfielder took a 1-0 pitch – an 85-mile-an-hour cutter – from Corey Kluber and smashed it over the Chick-Fil-A signs in left field.
OSCAR GONZALEZ WALK-OFF HOMER IN THE 15th! #POSTSEASON pic.twitter.com/bVpy55LKXz
— MLB (@MLB) October 8, 2022
Barrel: Oscar Gonzalez (22) [CLE] off Corey Kluber [TB]: 107.5 mph, 29 degrees (Home Run – 410 ft)
— MLBExitVelocity (@MLBExitVelocity) October 8, 2022
Not only did that swing of the bat win the game, but it clinched the series for the Guardians. Gonzalez rightfully pimped his homer too, watching the ball sail into the bleachers before flipping his bat.
In addition to being the longest scoreless postseason game in league history, the game set several other notable marks, including:
- It was the longest postseason game in Cleveland’s franchise history – and, you know, it’s been around since 1901.
- It was Kluber’s first appearance as a reliever in nine years.
- There were 93 at-bats and zero extra base hits before Gonzalez’s dinger.
- Gonzalez’s walk-off homer was the 13th one that clinched a postseason series – and the first for Cleveland.
- The 39 combined strikeouts are the most ever in a single game in MLB postseason history.
#postseason pic.twitter.com/wQJmLYnPM5
— Gwinnett Stripers (@GoStripers) October 8, 2022
SPONGEBOB!
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) October 8, 2022
And if you’re wondering why Gonzalez uses the SpongeBob theme song as his walk-up music, he gave a pretty simple and sensible reasoning to Sports Illustrated, saying, “Because kids love that song and this is a kid’s game after all. I’ve had it since Triple A.”
We love it too. Come on, who doesn’t? Even Joe Burrow is a fan.
Gonzalez hit six home runs in September. His homer was the first of his postseason career, as well as the first run scored and RBI.
The Rays were favored by 1.5 runs in this game. The Guardians will face the Yankees next.
