Oakland A’s vs Los Angeles Dodgers
Date: October 15, 1988
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Attendance: ~55,000
Final Score: Dodgers 5, A’s 4
Series: Dodgers lead 1–0

Pre-Game Context

• Oakland entered as heavy favourites: a dominant 104-win team featuring Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, Dave Stewart, Dennis Eckersley.

• The Dodgers were underdogs and had just lost Kirk Gibson to serious leg injuries (both hamstrings), leaving him unavailable to start the game.

• Oakland started Dave Stewart, who had already beaten the Dodgers twice in the regular season.

  
  

  Game Flow Summary

  • Oakland jumped ahead early, capitalising on Dodgers starter Tim Belcher, building a 4–3 lead by the 8th inning.

  • Dave Stewart pitched effectively, and Oakland appeared in control heading into the late innings.

  • In the bottom of the 9th, with Dennis Eckersley (arguably the most dominant closer in baseball) on the mound, the Dodgers trailed 4–3.

  • With two outs and a runner on, an injured Kirk Gibson was sent up to pinch-hit.

  • Gibson could barely run, visibly limping between pitches.

  • After fouling off several Eckersley sliders, Gibson hit a 2-2 backdoor slider into the right-field pavilion.

  Walk-off, two-run home run. Dodgers win 5–4.

  National TV (NBC):

  • Vin Scully – play-by-play

  • Joe Garagiola – colour commentary

  Iconic Vin Scully call:

  “In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened.”

  Scully’s restrained, poetic delivery — followed by extended silence and crowd noise — became one of the most famous moments in sports broadcasting history.

  • Gibson’s home run completely flipped the emotional and psychological tone of the series.

  • The Dodgers, previously written off, gained belief.

  • Oakland never recovered momentum.

  • The Dodgers went on to win the World Series 4–1.

  The Defining MomentCommentary / BroadcastWhy This Game Matters