1989 World Series, Game 3: Athletics @ Giants

Oakland Athletics 13 at San Francisco Giants 7, F — The first-ever all-Bay Area World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland A’s, known as “The Battle of the Bay,” was ultimately upstaged by the first-ever nationally-televised earthquake. With the A’s taking the first two games at home, the Series shifted across the bay to San Francisco, as the venerable Candlestick Park readied itself to host its first World Series game in 27 years. The pre-game festivities began at 5pm, and four minutes later, while ABC’s Al Michaels and Tim McCarver were in the middle of their pre-game show, a violent 6.9 earthquake rocked the entire Bay Area. Those watching on TV saw the video flicker, then Michaels can be heard saying, “I’ll tell you what — we just had an earth—” before both sound and picture were lost. Candlestick Park held up admirably — no damage or injuries were sustained — and the crowd filed out peacefully upon the news that acting Commissioner Fay Vincent (A. Bartlett Giamatti had died in office just a month weeks before) postponed the game. Outside the park was another matter, as the Bay Area suffered miles of crumbled buildings, collapsed roads and 67 deaths. When the Series resumed 10 days later, the A’s and Giants turned to their well-rested Game 1 starters, Dave Stewart and Scott Garrelts. Stewart held the Giants to three runs and five hits for the 13-7 triumph, and the victory made Stewart, (winner of sixty-two regular-season games in the last three years) the first man in history to record two victories in the same season in both the League Championship Series and the Fall Classic.