Dave Stewart was the first pitcher to win two games in the League Championship and the World Series the same year. It was 1989 and Oakland was looking for their first world championship. But something Jose Canseco did made everyone forget about the American League Championship. Then, something far more serious, and not to far away from baseball, overshadowed the World Series.
Oakland faced my guys, the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS. Stewart got the call in game one in Oakland. The Jays countered with Dave Stieb, the best pitcher in the clubs history. But after this game, there was no doubt who was the better pitcher.
The Jays actually got to Stew early, taking a quick 2-0 lead after 1 1/2. After the Athletics scored a run in the bottom of the second, it was Toronto back with one of their own in the top of the fourth. Stieb pitched a scoreless inning in the bottom of the frame, but Oakland cut the lead to one the next inning. Then, they knocked out Stieb the next inning, taking the lead for good, 5-3. Two more runs later in the game made it 7-3 as Stewart settled down. His next start was game five at the SkyDome, and it was far more competitive, although Stewart had the early lead.
Oakland, leading 3-1, were looking to put the finishing touches on Toronto. Stieb was also back, and at his best. He and the Jays bullpen held Ricky and Dave Henderson, Canseco and Mark McGwire and company to just four hits. The A's, however, scored a run in the top of the first and third. Stieb blanked Oakland for the next three innings, but he must have been getting pretty exasperated at this point. Toronto, you see, were being blanked by Stewart.
And in the top of the seventh, it all came undone for Stieb and the Jays. Two singles and a walk dispatched him to the showers. A sac bunt off new pitcher Jim Acker got a fourth run home. Smooth sailing from here for Dave and Oakland? Only in their dreams.
Bottom of the eighth, one out and Oakland needed only five more retired men to get this thing in the record books. But Lloyd Moseby hit a solo home run. In the bottom of the ninth, it was still 4-1 Oakland, when George Bell got to do the home run trot. That made it 4-2. Steward was also out of the game. Dennis Eckersley came in, and Toronto tacked on another run before the final batter was retired. Stewart had his second win. And Oakland had their second straight pennant!
All this was fine and good, but Stewart's two games pitched are forgotten. When people talk about the 1989 ALCS, they talk about game four and Jose Canseco's tape measured home run off Mike Flanagan. A long one for sure. It ended up in the fifth deck of Skydome!
So Oakland was in the World Series, and favoured against the San Francisco Giants. Game one was in Oakland. As was the case in the ALCS, it was Stewart's turn again. Here, he was even better. Oakland gave him five runs by the bottom of the fourth. But Dave only needed one. He went the distance and finished with a five-hit shutout!
Game three was not going to have Dave Stewart pitching. But as game three was about to begin...
It didn't get off the ground! That's because of The Quake. A huge one. Try 7.1! It was felt all over the area. Devastating. Needless to say, the World Series was postponed.
When it resumed, it was October 27th. Oakland was up 2-0 and looking to go up another game. The delay allowed Stewart back to the hill. And Oakland gave him a quick 2-0 in the top of the first. Oh sure, Matt Williams got one back with a solo home run in the bottom of the second, but the A's scored twice more in the top of the fourth. The Giants weren't done there, and scored twice more in the bottom of the inning to cut it to 4-3. The very next inning, the Athletics put a "4" on the scoreboard as Jose Canseco and Dave Henderson hit home runs. It was now 8-3 and Stewart had more then he needed.
Stewart departed for a pinch hitter in the top of the eighth. By the time San Francisco came to bat in the bottom of the ninth, it was 13-3. The Giants scored four more times in that inning before finally making the last out. However, it mattered little. Oakland was up three games to zero and looking for the sweep.
Oakland got it with a 9-6 win in game four. Stewart obviously did not pitch. But with the sweep, Oakland had it's first Fall Classic win since 1974. Stewart also had an MVP for his performance. True, when I think of the 1989 postseason in baseball, it's the image of Canseco's blast and The Quake, but Dave Stewart helped make it a happy ending for the Oakland A's!
References
http://www.baseball-reference.com/
Oakland faced my guys, the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS. Stewart got the call in game one in Oakland. The Jays countered with Dave Stieb, the best pitcher in the clubs history. But after this game, there was no doubt who was the better pitcher.
The Jays actually got to Stew early, taking a quick 2-0 lead after 1 1/2. After the Athletics scored a run in the bottom of the second, it was Toronto back with one of their own in the top of the fourth. Stieb pitched a scoreless inning in the bottom of the frame, but Oakland cut the lead to one the next inning. Then, they knocked out Stieb the next inning, taking the lead for good, 5-3. Two more runs later in the game made it 7-3 as Stewart settled down. His next start was game five at the SkyDome, and it was far more competitive, although Stewart had the early lead.
Oakland, leading 3-1, were looking to put the finishing touches on Toronto. Stieb was also back, and at his best. He and the Jays bullpen held Ricky and Dave Henderson, Canseco and Mark McGwire and company to just four hits. The A's, however, scored a run in the top of the first and third. Stieb blanked Oakland for the next three innings, but he must have been getting pretty exasperated at this point. Toronto, you see, were being blanked by Stewart.
And in the top of the seventh, it all came undone for Stieb and the Jays. Two singles and a walk dispatched him to the showers. A sac bunt off new pitcher Jim Acker got a fourth run home. Smooth sailing from here for Dave and Oakland? Only in their dreams.
Bottom of the eighth, one out and Oakland needed only five more retired men to get this thing in the record books. But Lloyd Moseby hit a solo home run. In the bottom of the ninth, it was still 4-1 Oakland, when George Bell got to do the home run trot. That made it 4-2. Steward was also out of the game. Dennis Eckersley came in, and Toronto tacked on another run before the final batter was retired. Stewart had his second win. And Oakland had their second straight pennant!
All this was fine and good, but Stewart's two games pitched are forgotten. When people talk about the 1989 ALCS, they talk about game four and Jose Canseco's tape measured home run off Mike Flanagan. A long one for sure. It ended up in the fifth deck of Skydome!
So Oakland was in the World Series, and favoured against the San Francisco Giants. Game one was in Oakland. As was the case in the ALCS, it was Stewart's turn again. Here, he was even better. Oakland gave him five runs by the bottom of the fourth. But Dave only needed one. He went the distance and finished with a five-hit shutout!
Game three was not going to have Dave Stewart pitching. But as game three was about to begin...
It didn't get off the ground! That's because of The Quake. A huge one. Try 7.1! It was felt all over the area. Devastating. Needless to say, the World Series was postponed.
When it resumed, it was October 27th. Oakland was up 2-0 and looking to go up another game. The delay allowed Stewart back to the hill. And Oakland gave him a quick 2-0 in the top of the first. Oh sure, Matt Williams got one back with a solo home run in the bottom of the second, but the A's scored twice more in the top of the fourth. The Giants weren't done there, and scored twice more in the bottom of the inning to cut it to 4-3. The very next inning, the Athletics put a "4" on the scoreboard as Jose Canseco and Dave Henderson hit home runs. It was now 8-3 and Stewart had more then he needed.
Stewart departed for a pinch hitter in the top of the eighth. By the time San Francisco came to bat in the bottom of the ninth, it was 13-3. The Giants scored four more times in that inning before finally making the last out. However, it mattered little. Oakland was up three games to zero and looking for the sweep.
Oakland got it with a 9-6 win in game four. Stewart obviously did not pitch. But with the sweep, Oakland had it's first Fall Classic win since 1974. Stewart also had an MVP for his performance. True, when I think of the 1989 postseason in baseball, it's the image of Canseco's blast and The Quake, but Dave Stewart helped make it a happy ending for the Oakland A's!
References
http://www.baseball-reference.com/
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