Athletics vs Dodgers Rivalry Fried Facts

Athletics Vs Dodgers

Here are some fried facts (fun, crispy, and maybe a little spicy) about the Athletics vs. Dodgers rivalry and history:

⚾ 1. Not a Traditional Rivalry… But Still Spicy

The Oakland Athletics (A’s) and Los Angeles Dodgers don’t share a division or even a league (A’s = AL, Dodgers = NL), but they’ve had some memorable clashes, especially in interleague play and the World Series.

🏆 2. 1988 World Series: The Kirk Gibson Miracle

The most famous meeting was the 1988 World Series, where the underdog Dodgers beat the heavily favored A’s in 5 games.

Kirk Gibson’s iconic walk-off HR in Game 1 (despite two bad legs) off Dennis Eckersley is one of the greatest moments in baseball history.

Orel Hershiser dominated the A’s with a 1.00 ERA, winning MVP honors.

💥 3. The Bash Brothers vs. The Dodgers’ Pitching

The 1988 A’s had Jose Canseco (40 HR, 40 SB) and Mark McGwire (32 HR)—aka the 'Bash Brothers'—but they were mostly silenced by Dodgers pitching.

Canseco even had a grand slam in Game 1… but Gibson’s homer overshadowed it.

🌉 4. Battle of California (But Not Really)

Despite both being California teams, they’ve only met in one World Series (1988).

The Giants-Dodgers rivalry is way bigger, but A’s fans still hold a grudge over ‘88.

🔥 5. Recent Drama: The Trevor Bauer Game (2021)

In a 2021 regular-season game, then-Dodger Trevor Bauer faced the A’s and got into a heated exchange with Oakland’s Elvis Andrus.

Bauer struck out 10 in 6.2 innings, but the A’s won 4-3 in extras.

🎭 6. The 'Moneyball' A’s vs. Big-Spending Dodgers

The A’s are known for low budgets and analytics (thanks, Moneyball), while the Dodgers are one of the richest teams in MLB.

Yet, the A’s have occasionally outsmarted them—like in 2018, when Oakland took 2 of 3 from LA.

😱 7. Fernando Valenzuela’s Near No-Hitter (1990)

In a regular-season interleague game (before official interleague play), Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela took a no-hitter into the 8th inning against the A’s… but lost it and the game (2-1 A’s).

🤯 8. The A’s Almost Moved… to the NL West?

In the 1970s, there were talks of the A’s moving to the NL West, which could’ve made them division rivals with the Dodgers! Instead, the Padres joined in 1969.

💀 9. The Dodgers Own the All-Time Record

Despite the 1988 WS upset, the Dodgers lead the regular-season series (17-12) since interleague play began in 1997.

🔮 10. Future Showdowns? Maybe in Vegas?

With the A’s possibly moving to Las Vegas, we could see more Dodgers vs. A’s matchups as a new regional rivalry—especially if they meet in another World Series.

Final Verdict:

While not a historic rivalry like Yankees-Red Sox or Dodgers-Giants, the A’s-Dodgers have had epic moments (1988 WS) and random drama. Who knows? With the A’s potential move, things might heat up again!

Would you like a deep dive on any of these moments? 🔥

Athletics vs Dodgers Rivalry Fried Facts

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