Giants Take the Bay: A More Human Look Back at the 2019 Bay Bridge Series

Giants Take the Bay: A More Human Look Back at the 2019 Bay Bridge Series

Ah, the Bay Bridge Series. It’s more than just baseball; it’s a clash of cultures, a battle for bragging rights across the Bay. And in 2019? Well, the Giants walked away with the crown. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and relive that series, shall we?

But first, a little context. This isn’t just some random interleague matchup. The Bay Bridge Series, named after that iconic bridge linking San Francisco and Oakland, is a true rivalry, Giants vs. A’s. Sure, there’s plenty of good-natured ribbing, but underneath it all, you’ve got two fan bases fiercely loyal to their teams. It all really kicked off with interleague play in ’97, though let’s not forget their face-off in the ’89 World Series – a series the A’s snagged. Sadly, the Bay Bridge Series is no more, with the A’s moving to Las Vegas in 2024.

Now, back to 2019. The Giants? They owned it. The clincher? August 25th. A nail-biter of a game, 5-4, Giants. You could practically feel the tension in the air. And who stepped up? None other than Evan Longoria.

Longoria, he was the man that series. That go-ahead, two-run single in the seventh? Classic Longoria. It was like watching the glory days of his Tampa Bay Rays career all over again. And let’s give a shout-out to Logan Webb, who started on the mound that day for the Giants. Of course, Mark Canha of the A’s tried to spoil the party with two solo home runs, but it wasn’t enough.

Of course, the Bay Bridge Series is just a small slice of the season. Neither team made it to the World Series in 2019, but those games? They gave us moments to remember, plays to argue about at the water cooler, and another chapter in the ongoing saga of the Bay. It’s what makes baseball, and this rivalry, so special.