bottom of the ninth

English

Etymology

Bottom, from the home team's location below visitors on the scoreboard; ninth from the number of innings in a baseball game.

Noun

bottom of the ninth

1. In baseball, the second part of the ninth and final inning. The end of the game.

   Hitting a home_run with the bases_loaded in the bottom of the ninth let the home team finish ahead of the visitors.

2. (idiomatic) By extension, any last chance or final opportunity.

See also

• Wikipedia article on baseball.
• Wikipedia article on innings.