As we hit the All-Star Break, the A’s have nearly overcome their bad start. After winning two out of three against Texas, Oakland picked up another game. After 88 contests, Oakland is now just one win behind pace.
In real life, Dave Stewart, Terry Steinbach and Mark McGwire were All-Star starters, while Mike Moore was a reserve. The fans voted Jose Canseco a starter as well, but since he was injured and hadn’t yet played in a game in 1989, he did not take part.
In the replay, Moore (13-2, 1.19 ERA) and Stewart (12-5, 2.47 ERA) certainly would still make it, but Moore earned the start. The fans may have voted Steinbach (.270) and McGwire (.210, 13 home runs) starters, but they might not have deserved it here based on on-field accomplishments.
Carney Lansford (.382) certainly earned himself a nod, and Dave Parker (.283, 16 home runs) might have done so as well. Rick Honeycutt (5-1, 1.26 ERA) and Todd Burne (1-1, 1.88 ERA) would’ve gotten looks as relievers.
sim 51-37, actual 52-36
July 7 — sim W 9-4 — actual L 3-6
July 8 — sim L 1-4 — actual L 4-5
July 9 — sim W 4-2 — actual W 7-1
July 7: Mark McGwire drove in seven runs in the first three innings, including a grand slam in the first inning. He and Dave Parker had RBI singles in the third inning that made it 9-2, and though the A’s wouldn’t score again, that would be enough.
1989 TEXAS RANGERS (4) AT 1989 OAKLAND ATHLETICS (9)
1989 TEXAS RANGERS AB R H BI 1989 OAKLAND ATHLETI AB R H BI
Cecil Espy 5 0 0 0 Rickey Henderson 3 2 1 0
Jeff Kunkel 5 1 1 0 Carney Lansford 4 3 2 0
Rafael Palmeiro 4 0 1 1 Dave Parker 2 1 2 1
Ruben Sierra 4 2 3 1 Mark McGwire 3 1 2 7
Julio Franco 2 1 1 0 Ron Hassey 4 1 1 0
Rick Leach 2 0 0 0 Dave Henderson 4 0 1 0
Jack Daugherty 4 0 0 0 Tony Phillips 3 0 0 0
Steve Buechele 4 0 0 0 Stan Javier 4 0 1 1
Jim Sundberg 3 0 0 0 Mike Gallego 3 1 0 0
TOTALS 33 4 6 2 TOTALS 30 9 10 9
1989 TEXAS RANGERS 011 002 000 -- 4
1989 OAKLAND ATHLETICS 522 000 00x -- 9
LOB--1989 TEXAS RANGERS 7, 1989 OAKLAND ATHLETICS 5.
ERR--Jim Sundberg, Mike Gallego. 2B--Jeff Kunkel. HR--Ruben
Sierra, Mark McGwire. HBP--Dave Parker. SACF--Mark McGwire.
SB--Dave Henderson, Stan Javier.
1989 TEXAS RANGERS IP H R ER BB SO HR
Bobby Witt DXW [L] 1.00 6 7 7 3 0 1
Gary Mielke BY 3.00 3 2 2 1 1 0
Kenny Rogers BX 3.00 1 0 0 1 2 0
Drew Hall CXW 1.00 0 0 0 1 0 0
1989 OAKLAND ATHLETICS
Storm Davis BY [W] 6.00 5 4 3 5 7 1
Jim Corsi AYZ 2.00 1 0 0 0 1 0
Bill Dawley CRZ 1.00 0 0 0 0 1 0
July 8: All five runs in the game were scored via four home runs. Texas hit three of them, a two-run shot by Steve Buechele in the second inning, and solo homers by Julio Franco and Rafael Palmeiro in the fourth and eighth, respectively. The A’s only managed a solo home run by Mark McGwire in the fourth. They left runners in scoring position in five other innings.
1989 TEXAS RANGERS (4) AT 1989 OAKLAND ATHLETICS (1)
1989 TEXAS RANGERS AB R H BI 1989 OAKLAND ATHLETI AB R H BI
Cecil Espy 5 0 1 0 Rickey Henderson 4 0 1 0
Sammy Sosa 4 0 0 0 Carney Lansford 4 0 0 0
Rafael Palmeiro 4 1 1 1 Dave Parker 4 0 3 0
Ruben Sierra 4 0 1 0 Mark McGwire 3 1 1 1
Julio Franco 3 2 1 1 Terry Steinbach 4 0 0 0
Jack Daugherty 4 0 0 0 Dave Henderson 4 0 0 0
Steve Buechele 4 1 1 2 Tony Phillips 4 0 0 0
Jeff Kunkel 4 0 1 0 Stan Javier 4 0 1 0
Chad Kreuter 3 0 1 0 Mike Gallego 4 0 1 0
TOTALS 35 4 7 4 TOTALS 35 1 7 1
1989 TEXAS RANGERS 020 100 010 -- 4
1989 OAKLAND ATHLETICS 000 100 000 -- 1
LOB--1989 TEXAS RANGERS 6, 1989 OAKLAND ATHLETICS 10.
ERR--Ruben Sierra, Julio Franco, Sammy Sosa, Tony Phillips
(2), Mike Gallego. 2B--Dave Parker, Rickey Henderson.
3B--Ruben Sierra. HR--Rafael Palmeiro, Steve Buechele, Julio
Franco, Mark McGwire. HBP--Carney Lansford.
1989 TEXAS RANGERS IP H R ER BB SO HR
Kevin Brown BY [W] 7.00 5 1 1 0 5 1
Drew Hall CXW 1.00 1 0 0 1 1 0
Jeff Russell AXYZ [S] 1.00 1 0 0 1 0 0
1989 OAKLAND ATHLETICS
Dave Stewart BYZ [L] 7.00 5 3 3 1 5 2
Todd Burns AZ 1.00 1 1 1 0 1 1
Matt Young DYW 1.00 1 0 0 1 1 0
July 9: A Carney Lansford RBI single put the A’s ahead 1-0 in the third inning, and Glenn Hubbard slugged a three-run homer in the sixth to make it 4-0. Texas’ Jeff Kunkel hit a two-run homer in the seventh to cut the deficit in half, but Rick Honeycutt came in and closed out the win.
1989 TEXAS RANGERS (2) AT 1989 OAKLAND ATHLETICS (4)
1989 TEXAS RANGERS AB R H BI 1989 OAKLAND ATHLETI AB R H BI
Cecil Espy 4 0 1 0 Rickey Henderson 3 1 1 0
Jack Daugherty 4 0 1 0 Carney Lansford 4 0 2 1
Rafael Palmeiro 4 0 1 0 Dave Parker 4 0 1 0
Ruben Sierra 4 0 0 0 Mark McGwire 3 1 0 0
Julio Franco 3 0 0 0 Ron Hassey 3 0 0 0
Rick Leach 4 0 1 0 Dave Henderson 4 1 1 0
Steve Buechele 3 1 0 0 Glenn Hubbard 4 1 1 3
Jeff Kunkel 4 1 1 2 Lance Blankenship 4 0 0 0
Chad Kreuter 2 0 0 0 Mike Gallego 3 0 1 0
TOTALS 32 2 5 2 TOTALS 32 4 7 4
1989 TEXAS RANGERS 000 000 200 -- 2
1989 OAKLAND ATHLETICS 001 003 00x -- 4
LOB--1989 TEXAS RANGERS 6, 1989 OAKLAND ATHLETICS 7.
ERR--Cecil Espy (2), Mike Gallego. 2B--Jack Daugherty, Rick
Leach. HR--Jeff Kunkel, Glenn Hubbard. SB--Cecil Espy,
Carney Lansford, Rickey Henderson.
1989 TEXAS RANGERS IP H R ER BB SO HR
Charlie Hough DYW [L] 6.00 4 4 1 3 5 1
Cecelio Guante CXY 2.00 3 0 0 0 1 0
1989 OAKLAND ATHLETICS
Bob Welch BY [W] 6.33 3 2 2 3 4 1
Rick Honeycutt AYZ [S] 2.67 2 0 0 0 2 0
ROGER SPORTS & GAMES 