1989 World Series – Game 3: Oakland Athletics @ San Francisco Giants
October 17, 1989 – Candlestick Park, San Francisco
Game 3 of the ’89 Series was set to be a classic Bay Area matchup, but it will forever be remembered for what happened before the first pitch. At 5:04 PM local time, just minutes before the scheduled start, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the Bay Area. The broadcast from ABC cut out mid-introduction, with commentators Al Michaels, Tim McCarver, and Jim Palmer initially thinking it was just technical difficulties—until the reality set in. The sound of the crowd, the shaking of Candlestick Park, and the stunned silence afterward created one of the most surreal ambiences in baseball history.
The earthquake forced a 10-day postponement of the Series. When play finally resumed on October 27, 1989, the atmosphere was unlike any other World Series game—somber, reflective, but also filled with relief that baseball could provide a sense of normalcy.
Al Michaels’ on-air reaction to the earthquake in Game 3 (“I’ll tell you what, we’re having an earthqua—”) is one of the most famous moments in sports broadcasting history.
On the field:
The Oakland A’s, already up 2–0 in the series, dominated again, winning 13–7.
For Oakland: Dave Stewart gave another strong performance on the mound, and the lineup was relentless. José Canseco doubled in a pair of runs, Carney Lansford added key hits, and Terry Steinbach’s bat helped open the game wide. Dave Henderson made a highlight defensive play in right field, tracking down a deep fly.
For San Francisco: The Giants showed fight with big swings late in the game—Matt Williams and Candy Maldonado both provided RBI hits, and Kevin Mitchell crushed a home run that gave the crowd a reason to roar despite the deficit.
Though the A’s bats overpowered the Giants, the game is remembered less for the scoreboard and more for the unprecedented ambience: the tension of the earthquake’s aftermath, the resiliency of the Bay Area, and the unique commentary of Al Michaels, whose live reaction to the quake became one of sports broadcasting’s defining moments.
Final Score: Oakland 13, San Francisco 7.
The A’s took a commanding 3–0 lead, setting up what would become a Series sweep—forever marked as the “Earthquake Series.”
