April 5, 1989 at the Oakland Coliseum
Athletics 11, Mariners 1 (2-0)
The Athletics made it two straight behind a signficant offensive outburst by the A’s bats. Of course lost in all of the offense was an outstanding start by veteran Bob Welch. The right hander gave up just a single run on four hits in eight innings of work and the lone blemish was a solo home run in the fifth inning by Mariners’ catcher Dave Valle.
After stranding two baserunners in the first inning, the Athletics struck in the second. With two outs, Mike Gallego singled and then Walk Weiss went yard to make it 2-0. The A’s actually got a couple more baserunners after the long ball, but like the first inning, they left two runners on base.
The Athletics struck again in the fifth when Mark McGwire belted his second homerun in as many days. He did it with two outs when it looked like the Mariners might get out of the inning unscathed.
After three uneventful innings, the A’s opened things up in the sixth inning. Ron Hassey led off the inning with a ground out to second base before Felix Jose singled to center. Gallego then pushed Jose over to second with a double. Then it looked like the A’s might strand some more runners because Jose was gunned down on a comebacker to the pitcher by Wal Weiss but Gallego scored on an error by Harold Reynolds. Luis Polonia then singled home Weiss to make it 5-1. Polonia stole second before Dave Henderson drew a walk and then Dave Parker doubled them both home to make it 7-1.
The eighth frame was another big inning for the A’s. Gallego led off with a double and then he scored on Walt Weiss’ second home run of the game. Luis Polonia lined out but then Stan Javier singled. Dave Parker then belted his first homerun of the season to make it 11-1.
Overall, Weiss finished three for four with three runs and four RBIs. Dave Parker also drove in four runs while Polonia went one for three with two walks, one run, one RBI and two stolen bases.
