April 3, 1989 at the Oakland Coliseum
Athletics 3, Mariners 2 (1-0)
With the A’s 1988 World Series loss to the Dodgers still fresh on their minds, the home team got off to a nice start in front of their home town fans in their 1989 season opener. It was a solid pitcher’s duel with only five runs between the two teams but some early offense by slugger Mark McGwire and some excellent bullpen work helped the A’s win this one.
One thing to note was this was also the very first game that Ken Griffey, Jr. and Omar Vizquel played. He batted number two and he doubled in his first big league at bat. He later drew a walk and scored one of the Mariners two runs. Vizquel went 0 for three in the number eight slot.
The Athletics didn’t waste much time in this one. Tony Phillips led off the bottom of the first with a double before Dave Henderson was hit by a pitch. Carney Lansford flew out to center and that allowed Phillips to advance to third and that set up a one out sac. fly by Mark McGwire to make it 1-0.
The Athletics then struck again in the third. Carney Lansford singled with one out then moved to second on an error by Vizquel. Mark McGwire then followed that up with a two run blast to give the A’s a 3-0 lead.
In the meantime, Dave Stewart was cruising along. He didn’t allow a run until the fifth when Edgar Martinez singled home Jeffrey Leonard. Then in the sixth, Griffey walked and later scored on Darnell Coles single before Tony LaRussa went to the pen. Gene Nelson came into the sixth with one out and two runners on and he salvaged the inning by striking out the final two batters in the frame.
From there, the Mariners never really threatened the A’s pen and they garnered just a single hit in the final three frames. Nelson pitched a shutout seventh and then Rick Honeycutt got the first two batters out in the eighth before the A’s big closer, Dennis Eckersley, came in. He got the final out in the eighth and then didn’t yield a base runner in the ninth to earn his first save of the season.
The A’s never got much more from there offense but the three runs were enough. McGwire was the lone hitter with two hits and the only other extra base hit was the first inning lead off double by Phillips.
