This week, we go back to October 27, 1989, and Game 3 of the 1989 World Series for win #17 in our "25 Greatest Oakland A's Wins" weekly countdown to opening day. After the tragic events of the Loma Prieta Earthquake, the World Series took a 10-day break in the action. Tony La Russa actually took his team to Arizona to keep steady and according to La Russa’s book, a large crowd greeted them there. La Russa credited this fan reaction to helping keep the A’s focused.
The A’s dominated the Giants in the first two games in Oakland, the Giants had led 1-0 after the top of the first in Game 2 but that would be only time the Giants would lead in the series. Mike Moore and Dave Stewart dominated the Giants lineup, and because of the earthquake, they would get to return to the mound and pitch in Game 3 and 4. Dave Parker and Walt Weiss homered in Game 1, and Terry Steinbach would hit a jack of his own in Game 2.
For Game 3, the Giants starter Scott Garrelts was hoping to fare better than he had in Game 1 where he departed after the 4th inning. Dave Stewart, on the other hand, had thrown a complete game against the Giants in Game 1, so he was looking for more of the same and hoped to put the Giants in an insurmountable 3-0 series deficit.
Like the first two games, the A’s got off to a fast start. Garrelts would get Rickey Henderson to groundout but the guys behind Rickey would get the game rolling. The pesky contact hitting of Carney Lansford would start it with a single. Jose Canseco would follow with a single of his own, McGwire would groundout, but Lansford and Canseco would be able to move up a base because Tony La Russa had called a hit and run to keep out of the double play. Dave Henderson would strike first blood for Oakland in what would be a huge game for him. Henderson hit a ball off the top of the wall in right field over the head of Giants right fielder, Pat Sheridan and incredibly the ball stayed in play. Lansford and Canseco would walk home, and Henderson would end up on second waving his finger around thinking it was a home run, but he’d stay on second.
After a Terry Steinbach groundout, the top half of the inning was over, and the score was 2-0 A’s. The feeling in Candlestick was that the earthquake could turn things around for the Giants, but that feeling quickly evaporated in the top half of that inning. It was clear that the earthquake had not cooled down the A’s and it wasn’t the usual suspects of Canseco, Rickey Henderson, and McGwire, it was the whole lineup! The first inning wasn't just a statement, it was a killer to the Giants.
To add to the Giants sinking feeling, Stewart quickly defused the top of lineup threat of Brett Butler and Robby Thompson. He then made the Giants star Will Clark look silly to end the inning and put an exclamation point on the first inning.
In the second, Garrelts would make quick work of the A’s bottom of the order to bring some order to the game. Then the Giants would show signs of life. After Dave Stewart struck out the NL MVP Kevin Mitchell and forced Oberkfell to fly out, the young rising star Matt Williams took Dave Stewart deep to cut the lead to 2-1 A’s. Beyond that one mistake, through two innings, Dave Stewart already had 4 strikeouts, and it was clear he had his usual swing and miss quality stuff. Scott Garrelts would benefit from one fortunate call and another fortunate bounce which negated a Rickey Henderson leadoff double. Henderson would even steal third in trademark fashion but Garrelts would force a rare strikeout of Carney Lansford. He’d then hold Henderson at third after a ball that appeared to hit Canseco’s foot but was considered in play by the umpires. La Russa went out to argue but it was to no avail. McGwire would then hit a screamer but luckily for Garrelts it hit him in right in the body and Garrelts threw it to Clark to end the threat. The bottom of the third proved to be more of the same for Dave Stewart, as he completed a one-two-three inning and appeared to be cruising.
In the second, Garrelts would make quick work of the A’s bottom of the order to bring some order to the game. Then the Giants would show signs of life. After Dave Stewart struck out the NL MVP Kevin Mitchell and forced Oberkfell to fly out, the young rising star Matt Williams took Dave Stewart deep to cut the lead to 2-1 A’s. Beyond that one mistake, through two innings, Dave Stewart already had 4 strikeouts, and it was clear he had his usual swing and miss quality stuff. Scott Garrelts would benefit from one fortunate call and another fortunate bounce which negated a Rickey Henderson leadoff double. Henderson would even steal third in trademark fashion but Garrelts would force a rare strikeout of Carney Lansford. He’d then hold Henderson at third after a ball that appeared to hit Canseco’s foot but was considered in play by the umpires. La Russa went out to argue but it was to no avail. McGwire would then hit a screamer but luckily for Garrelts it hit him in right in the body and Garrelts threw it to Clark to end the threat. The bottom of the third proved to be more of the same for Dave Stewart, as he completed a one-two-three inning and appeared to be cruising.
Then came the fourth inning. Leading off was the A’s bad boy centerfielder Dave Henderson. And on a 2-0 pitch, Henderson crushed a ball into the gap, everyone in the stadium waited for the swirling Candlestick wind to knock the ball down and keep it in the park, but it wouldn’t happen as the ball died over the fence for a solo home run. Hendu had gone hitless in the World Series going into this game but with his first two at bats, it’s clear he had found his form again. It was now 3-1 A’s, and Garrelts was really getting hit hard by the A’s lineup. He got a cheap groundout from Steinbach but then the nail in the coffin happened. The light hitting, utility man Tony Phillips came to the plate. Phillips wasted no time, on the first pitch he cracked one high into the night sky, and it was a no doubter off the bat, 4-1. The ball clanked off the stairs leading up to the outfield seats in Candlestick and Tony Phillips who had only hit 4 homers during the year had hit one of the biggest ones of his career.
That would be all for Scott Garrelts, his night would end after barely 3 innings and that was it as Giants manager Roger “Humm Baby” Craig came out to replace him with the long man, Kelly Downs. Downs would stop the bleeding but it was clear the Giants were gonna have to figure out Dave Stewart real soon.
And they started to do just that in the bottom half of the fourth, singles from Clark and Mitchell would get the inning going. Then Dave Stewart would walk Oberkfell on four pitches to load the bases with one out. Stewart caught Matt Williams looking to strike him out but the catcher Terry Kennedy would line a single to center, allowing Clark and Mitchell to score and now it was 4-3 A’s. Stewart escaped with no further damages thanks to a tremendous diving play by Mark McGwire. It was clear the Giants weren’t lying down. The Giants however, would not score another run until the ninth inning.
To start the top of the fifth, Kelly Downs struggled with Rickey Henderson’s low to the ground frame and walked him on six pitches. And as was the case every single time Rickey was on base, the man on the mound pressed and started to lose his command and on a 2-0 pitch to Carney Lansford, Henderson stole second base easily. And with that steal, Henderson broke Davey Lopes’ postseason record of 10 steals in the postseason. Downs continued to press as he walked Lansford on 5 pitches to put the Giants in a hole. The next batter was Jose Canseco and he hit a 3-run home run to left-center. Canseco received a trademark bash from Mark McGwire and then gave bashes to Lansford and Rickey Henderson. After which, Canseco took off his helmet and raised it to the crowd to complete the curtain call which received boos from the home crowd but received cheers from the Oakland contingent who now found some breathing room.
McGwire would then be retired next up, but Dave Henderson would continue his big night by launching another ball into the night sky. This one was absolutely crushed and nearly reached the stands far behind the centerfield fence at Candlestick. It was now 8-3 A’s, and only 5 minutes earlier it was 4-3 A’s. Dave Henderson was now 3-3 with 2 HRs, one 2B, and 4 RBIs. As a result, Kelly Downs was pulled by Roger Craig in favor of Jeff Brantley. Brantley would walk Steinbach and then would awkwardly balk to send Steinbach to second, but he’d find a way to get the Giants out of it with no more trouble.
McGwire would then be retired next up, but Dave Henderson would continue his big night by launching another ball into the night sky. This one was absolutely crushed and nearly reached the stands far behind the centerfield fence at Candlestick. It was now 8-3 A’s, and only 5 minutes earlier it was 4-3 A’s. Dave Henderson was now 3-3 with 2 HRs, one 2B, and 4 RBIs. As a result, Kelly Downs was pulled by Roger Craig in favor of Jeff Brantley. Brantley would walk Steinbach and then would awkwardly balk to send Steinbach to second, but he’d find a way to get the Giants out of it with no more trouble.
Dave Stewart would retire the bench player Candy Maldonado, then Brett Butler, and Robby Thompson on all of 5 pitches. The inning before had seemed like a turn for chaos, and yet that quickly Stewart had the game in the palm of his hand.
Jeff Brantley retired Dave Stewart and Rickey Henderson to start the inning, but then Carney Lansford flashed some power as the ball soared over Kevin Mitchell’s head as well as the 365 foot sign in left field and now it was 9-3 A’s. It was starting to turn into a rout.
Jeff Brantley retired Dave Stewart and Rickey Henderson to start the inning, but then Carney Lansford flashed some power as the ball soared over Kevin Mitchell’s head as well as the 365 foot sign in left field and now it was 9-3 A’s. It was starting to turn into a rout.
Stewart would make quick work of the Giants in the 6th and 7th giving up a single hit. Brantley held his own in the 7th, and made way for Atlee Hammaker in the 8th. And this is where it got really lopsided. Walt Weiss would get it started with an infield single, then Lance Blankenship would pinch hit for Dave Stewart and single to make it two on and nobody out. Rickey Henderson would then hit a deep fly ball that allowed Walt Weiss to tag up and advance to third. Carney Lansford would continue his big night by chopping the ball over the head of the third baseman, Ken Oberkfell which allowed Weiss to score, then the left fielder, Kevin Mitchell made a careless error as the ball went right under his glove which allowed Lance Blankenship to come all the way around to score and put Lansford at second. It was now 11-3 and the A’s had done it in a very loud way. Canseco followed with an infield single that allowed Lansford to advance 90 more feet. McGwire would hit a deflected ball up the middle that allowed Lansford to score as it was ruled a groundout. It was now 12-3 A’s. Dave Henderson would then take a pitch on the hand, and Tim McCarver the color commentator alleged that the pitch seemed to be intentional. The blow out would continue as Terry Steinbach deposited a pitch into left field for a single which would bring Canseco home and make the score a whopping 13-3 A’s.
The rout was on, and the muscle of the A’s was on display for the entire nation! I don’t think any Giants fan would’ve told you that this wasn’t the knockout punch. The usual set-up man, Rick Honeycutt would pitch the bottom of the 8th and as usual, Honeycutt was solid. Craig Lefferts would keep the A’s from adding on in the top of the 9th, and from there, Tony La Russa would bring in the “Houdini” known as Gene Nelson. This was more of just an exercise to get Nelson some work in, and unfortunately, Nelson would not pitch well. He’d walk Oberkfell, retire Williams, then Kirt Manwaring would double and then Bill Bathe would hit one out of the yard for a 3-run home run to give the Giants fans something to cheer about. Nelson would get Candy Maldonado to strikeout, now they were one out away from a 3-0 series lead. Donnell Nixon would keep the game alive with a single and as a result, Tony La Russa brought in Todd Burns to get the last out of the game. Greg Litton would double to left, bringing Nixon into score to make it 13-7 A’s. Burns would then walk Will Clark and then get Kevin Mitchell to fly out to end the game.
This game was a tremendous display from one of the greatest teams of all time! Up and down the lineup, the A’s dominated Giants pitching. The A’s had tied a World Series record for most home runs by a single team in one game (5). The two teams had even set a World Series record for most home runs in a single World Series game (7). Dave Stewart had quietly pitched a very good game, going 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO and reaching a game score of 62.
There are many links to this game - click for the FULL GAME. Click for a montage of the A's HOME RUNS of this World Series. And don’t worry, we’ll come back to other games in this series in the next few weeks... Stay Tuned!
-- Wes
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