On October 3, 1989, the Oakland Athletics defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 7–3 in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
Game Summary
Pitching Matchup: Oakland's ace Dave Stewart faced Toronto's Dave Stieb
Early Scoring: Toronto took a 2–0 lead in the second inning with a sacrifice fly by Ernie Whitt and an RBI single from Nelson Liriano. Whitt added a solo homer in the fourth, extending the lead to 3–1.
Oakland's Response: Dave Henderson hit a solo home run in the second, and Carney Lansford's RBI single in the fifth narrowed the gap to 3–2.
Turning Point: In the sixth, Mark McGwire tied the game with a solo homer. Following a series of events—including a hit-by-pitch and a critical throwing error by Liriano—Oakland scored three runs to take a 5–3 lead.
Late Innings: The Athletics added two insurance runs in the eighth, capitalizing on a wild pitch and a Lansford RBI single, sealing a 7–3 victory.
Dave Stewart: Pitched eight innings, allowing three runs on five hits, earning the win.
Mark McGwire & Dave Henderson: Each contributed solo home runs.
Carney Lansford: Went 2-for-5 with two RBIs.
Rickey Henderson: Reached base three times, stole two bases, and scored a run.
The Athletics' combination of timely hitting, aggressive baserunning, and capitalizing on Toronto's defensive miscues secured their Game 1 victory.
Key Performers
Dave Stewart: Pitched eight innings, allowing three runs on five hits, earning the win.
Mark McGwire & Dave Henderson: Each contributed solo home runs.
Carney Lansford: Went 2-for-5 with two RBIs.
Rickey Henderson: Reached base three times, stole two bases, and scored a run.
