WORLD SERIES

GAME 1 AT DODGER STADIUM

Date: Saturday, Oct. 15, 1988

Final score: Dodgers 5, Oakland 4

Starting pitchers: Tim Belcher vs. Dave Stewart

How it unfolded: Oakland swept past Boston and had six days to rest for the World Series. After their seven-game win over the Mets, the Dodgers had Thursday and Friday to regroup, not enough time for a quick turnaround by Orel Hershiser, who pitched a complete-game victory to clinch the NLCS. The Dodgers’ roster had plenty of former Athletics players and vice versa. Kirk Gibson was injured, still getting treatment in the trainer’s room, and didn’t take part in the pregame ceremony. Fernando Valenzuela, with a sore shoulder, was left off the playoff roster for this series.

Key play I: Mickey Hatcher, batting in the No. 3 spot, hit a two-run homer in the first inning that drove in Steve Sax, who was hit on the shoulder by Stewart on the first pitch. Hatcher sprinted around the bases.

Key play II: Jose Canseco’s grand slam in the second inning off Belcher hit and dented the NBC center-field camera for a 4-2 lead.

Key play III: Mike Scioscia’s sixth-inning single to score Mike Marshall brought the Dodgers to within 4-3.

Historic play I: Scioscia popped out to short and Jeff Hamilton struck out against Dennis Eckersley to start the bottom of the ninth. Mike Davis, hitting for Alfredo Griffin, drew a walk. The stage was set for Kirk Gibson’s one and only appearance in the series.

“The bad left hamstring … the swollen right knee … and with two outs, you talk about a roll of the dice, this is it,” Scully said.

On a 2-2 pitch, Davis stole second, taken for ball three by Gibson.

At 8.37 p.m.: on the seventh pitch he saw, Gibson reached out and connected on Eckersley’s back-door slider. He deposited it into the right-field pavilion.

WP: Alejandro Pena (1-0)

LP: Dennis Eckersley (0-1)

HRs: Oakland’s Jose Canseco (1), Dodgers’ Mickey Hatcher (1), Dodgers’ Kirk Gibson (1).

Attendance: 55,983

Quote: “It was a dumb pitch,” Eckersley said. “It was the one pitch he could pull for power. And he hit the dogmeat out of it.”