The Angels had seven walk-off hits in 2013. That is average. That is not an inspiring number but is not an uninspiring number. The Angels have had 334 walk off hits in their history, averaging 6.3 per season. So while 2013 was above average, it was not an above average season as far as wins.
Four of the walk off hits were home runs. Six came with the score tied. Three came against playoff teams. Texas was not a playoff team by the way. Here is a quick recap of some exciting moments, all of which by definition happened at home. You can only walk off at home...
April 13 versus Houston. Albert Pujols hit a double off of Jose Veras with runners on 2B and 3B. It was a sharp liner hugging the 3B chalk and Luis Jimenez was going to score easily but the Middleton Mercury himself was fast behind, Mike Trout scored all the way from 1B to turn a 4-3 game into a 5-4 Angels victory. MIchael Roth made his debut in the eighth inning and tossed two scoreless frames - called up from AA the night before just ten months after being drafted he got his first major league win courtesy of Albert's bat.
April 21 versus Detroit. Mark Trumbo hit a walk off home run in the bottom of the thirteenth inning to give the Angels a 4-3 win over the Tigers. More importantly, this Sunday afternoon blast capped a three-game sweep of the Motor City Cats. Phil Coke surrendered the blast. He had pitched two scoreless frames before facing Trumbo to lead off the the inning. Jerome Williams got the win in relief, to which he contributed three scoreless frames. It was Trumbo's fourth walk off home run as an Angel.
April 23 versus Texas. Howie Kendrick homered in the bottom of the eleventh off of Joe Ortiz to break a 4-4 tie. Scott Downs had blown a lead relieving Jason Vargas and Dane De La Rosa picked up the win after pitching a scoreless top of the tenth and eleventh. It was Howie's second career walk off home run.
July 4 versus St. Louis. Erick Aybar capped a three-run bottom of the ninth come from way behind rally to turn a 5-3 ballgame into a 6-5 Angels victory. Albert Pujols started off the inning with a base hit against his old team - and sending starter Adam Wainwright to the showers three outs short of a complete game. Josh Hamilton tied the game with a two-run blast off of Edward Mujica two pitches later. After Howie Kendrick and Mark Trumbo singled, Mujica looked like he would get it to extra innings with flyouts from Alberto Callaspo and Hank Conger. But Erick Aybar singled to short LF and Howie scored the game winner. Scott Downs just happened to be the winner with a scoreless ninth.
July 6 versus Boston. Ernesto Frieri need to get some work in and pitched a scoreless top of the ninth in a semi-blowout of the Red Sox stomping the Angels 7-3... but wait, the Angels had a miracle ninth and scored four runs, it was awesome, especially with a Saturday Night crowd comprised mostly of sore-winner Red Sox fans having their noses rubbed in the dogpoop that was Koji Uehara that evening. While it is true that you cannot have a walk off win on the road, you can have it against the road team's fans when there are more of them in your stadium then your own fans, so this was sweet justice. Frieri pitched a scoreless tenth but was not around for the eleventh when Dane De La Rosa had a 1-2-3 inning. Craig Breslow gave up a one-out hit to Brad Hawpe and a monster home run to deep Centerfield to Josh Hamilton - his biggest hit to date as an Angel. The win got the Angels to within three games of .500!
August 17 versus Houston. Ernesto Frieri again pitched two scoreless frames, this time the ninth and tenth innings of a 5-5 game. When Josh Fields returned to the mound to begin his second frame, he got a harmless pop fly off the bat of Erick Aybar but surrendered a deep bomb to the very next batter, Josh Hamilton. Ernasty got the win.
September 20 versus Seattle. Matt Shoemaker started this game - his major league debut, going five scoreless innings. Shoemaker was the 26th pitcher used by the Angels in 2013. Reliever Cory Rasmus pitched a scoreless top of the eleventh in a 2-2 tie. Rasmus had been acquired from Atlanta for Scott Downs and was the sixth reliever to appear in the game for the Halos. Speaking of obscure pitchers, Bobby LaFromboise pitched the bottom of the eleventh for Seattle, yielding a one out single to Kole Calhoun and then a two out mash to the warning track by Chris Iannetta. By all accounts it should have been a two out double. But Iannetta stayed put at 1B in case the throw to 2B to tag him were to arrive ahead of Calhoun touching the plate. A brainy move, it gave Chris a walk off single, the seventh and final walk off hit of 2013 for the Angels.