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As we told you last night, Jonathan Papelbon offered $5,000 to anyone who could bail him out of his first blown save of the season by walking it off in the bottom of the ninth. Enter Jim Thome, who hit his 13th career walk-off home run, the most ever in the Major Leagues (previously, he was tied with Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Stan Musial, Frank Robinson, and Mickey Mantle, with 12).*

Two items of note: Larry Andersen all but called Thome’s shot just moments before he hit it, saying, “It'd be a nice time for Gentleman Jim to go yard.” 

He did just that. And, as noticed by several Phillies writers, when Thome was greeted by his teammates at home plate, he turned to Papelbon and said, “I want that check!”

Beautiful.

It’s still unclear if Thome received the check or not (we’ll likely hear more about it today), but it was clearly on his mind as he touched home plate.

Listen to LA’s soothsaying after the jump.


*Thanks to our friends from Hardball Talk for that stat.