Ex-Yankees Rookie Blasts Walk-Off HR For Brewers: 'You Just Gotta Breathe'

The Milwaukee Brewers have won nine of 11, and Saturday night’s victory belonged to an inspiring rookie.

Locked into a 3-3 tie with the excellent San Diego Padres at American Family Field, the Brewers watched their five-foot-seven rookie third baseman step to the plate to start the bottom of the ninth inning.

Acquired from the New York Yankees in December, Caleb Durbin, a former Division-III player, stepped into the batter’s box with the opportunity to come up huge for his club.

He did just that.

On the first pitch of the at-bat, Durbin ripped a 97 MPH four-seamer from Padres’ David Morgan over the left field wall, ending the game and causing pandemonium inside the stadium. Durbin rounded the bases gloriously, chucked his helmet into the sky coming around third, and met his raucous Brewers teammates at home plate for a joyous, jumping team celebration.

Following the dramatics, Durbin caught up in the locker room with reporters, who asked the 25-year-old what he was thinking about in the moments before the walk-off.

“(I was) just trying to be aggressive to get a pitch to hit, and the first one was there … didn't want to waste an opportunity,” Durbin said, per Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Todd Rosiak. “Saw it well and was able to put a good swing on it … I knew it was pretty good off the bat.”

Durbin was also asked what adjustments he’s made recently at the plate. Durbin is hitting .309 over his last 15 games, overcoming a tough 0-for-24 stretch in mid-May.

“I think it's just dialing in on approach (and focusing on) what I'm really good at the plate and not stemming too far away from that, just based off of what the pitcher's doing,” Durbin said.

“Obviously, (it’s) important to know what the pitcher's got and stuff like that … (but) I definitely want to stick to what I'm (good at) … I think I've been doing that a little bit more as of late.”

What allows Durbin to stay calm in clutch situations?

“You just gotta breathe,” Durbin said. “Just kind of simplify it. And for me, that's just making sure I'm … trusting myself, swinging at a good pitch, and kind of dialing it down to that, and the rest is going to take care of itself.”

Durbin’s walk-off dinger was just the third walk-off home run by a rookie this season (Yankees’ Jasson Dominguez, Tampa Bay Rays’ Kameron Misner).

Durbin is now slashing .218/.298/.331/.629 with two home runs, 31 hits, 22 RBI, and five stolen bases on the season in 142 at-bats.

Durbin and the Brew Crew have an opportunity to win the series against San Diego on Sunday.