August 15th, 1990
On this day in baseball history, we take you out to Oakland, CA, where the A’s will take on the Boston Red Sox.
The game goes into the bottom of the 10th inning, tied 2-2, after A’s Pitcher, Dave Stewart pitched all ten innings, something that is unheard in today’s game.
The A’s would go on to load the bases in the bottom half of the 10th inning, setting the stage for Mark McGwire, who was in just his fourth major league season at the time. Big Mac, as he was known, dug in a ripped a pitch over the fence for a walk-off grand slam.
Here's a link to the video of his walk-off:
McGwire's home run not only secured the victory for his team but also set him apart as the first player in major league history to achieve the feat of hitting 30 home runs in each of his first four seasons. Eight years later, McGwire would engage in a memorable summer in Major League Baseball history as he competed with Sammy Sosa for the single-season home run title.
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*Bonus Story*
Now, let's go a bit further back in time to 1916, when Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson engaged in a intense pitching battle.
The game took place at Fenway Park, a venue that has become renowned as one of the most iconic sports stadiums in the country. The Washington Senators were in town to face Babe Ruth's Red Sox.
Walter Johnson is one of the most decorated pitchers in the history of the game, and Babe Ruth is one of the most prominent power hitters the game has ever seen, but on this day, The Great Bambino was taking care of business on the mound.
The Red Sox went on to beat the Senators 1-0 in a thirteen inning affair where the Red Sox recorded seven hits to the Senators nine. Ruth ended the game going 0-4 at the plate while walking 3 batters and striking out two from the mound.
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