PROGRAMMING NOTE: NBC Sports California is looking back at the A's 50 Memorable Moments since the franchise relocated to Oakland in 1968. Below are the next two moments you can vote on. Tune into A's Pregame Live tonight at 4:30pm to watch highlights of the two moments. After the A's and Rangers conclude, tune into A's Postgame Live to see which moment will move on to the next round!
1. Ramon Hernandez's walk-off bunt in 12th inning of Game 1 of 2003 ALDS (Two-time winner -- Defeated Josh Reddick's 'Spider-Man' catch against the Blue Jays in 2012)
Nobody in the entire stadium saw it coming. How could they? With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 12th inning of a 4-4 game, A's catcher Ramon Hernandez laid down a perfect bunt to beat the Red Sox in Game 1 of the 2003 American League Division Series.
"The element of surprise reigns supreme!" longtime A's announcer Bill King exclaimed. The walk-off bunt capped a thrilling comeback victory for Oakland, which tied the game in the bottom of the ninth on a two-out RBI single by Erubiel Durazo.
At 4 hours and 37 minutes, the game became the longest in Oakland's postseason history. The A's would also win Game 2, 5-1, but the Red Sox stormed back with three straight victories to take the series in five games.
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2. Matt Chapman makes catch, jumps over Gatorade jug into A's dugout
It didn't take long to realize that Matt Chapman was special. As a rookie, Chapman made countless breathtaking plays at third base, none better than his incredible running catch and Gatorade jug leap.
With two outs and a runner on second in the 10th inning of a 5-5 game, Minnesota's Zack Granite sent a pop up into foul territory near the A's dugout. Chapman sprinted more than 100 feet from his position at third base to make the catch, and proceeded to jump right over two Gatorade jugs and into the dugout, sticking the landing.
Chapman also came up huge with the bat that afternoon, tying the game with a two-run double in the eighth inning. Yonder Alonso would eventually win it for Oakland with a solo home run in the 12th, and the A's walked off with a thrilling 6-5 victory.
VOTE HERE:
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Which A's 50th Anniversary moment was more memorable?
The winning moment will move on to the next matchup.#RootedInOakland— A's on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) April 24, 2018
