It’s been 25 years since Oracle Park opened its doors and became the new home for Giants baseball. Over the past quarter-century, the waterfront ballpark has witnessed its share of history, including three World Series title runs, three no-hitters and several performances for the record books. Before the Giants kick off their 2025 home slate against the Mariners on Friday, here’s a look back at Oracle Park’s top 10 moments: 1. Aug. 7, 2007: Barry Bonds crowned the Home Run King
Bonds became Major League Baseball’s all-time home run leader when he crushed a fastball from Nationals left-hander Mike Bacsik out to right-center field for his 756th career home run, breaking Hank Aaron’s 33-year-old record. Bonds immediately thrust his arms in the air, inspiring a memorable call from longtime Giants broadcaster Duane Kuiper. “756! Bonds stands alone,” Kuiper declared. |
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2. Oct. 16, 2014: Travis Ishikawa’s pennant-clinching walk-off Ishikawa sent the Giants to their third World Series in five years after launching a three-run home run off Cardinals right-hander Michael Wacha in the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2014 National League Championship Series. Ishikawa crushed a 2-0 fastball from Wacha out to right field to lift San Francisco to a wild 6-3 win, becoming the first Giant to clinch a pennant with a walk-off homer since Bobby Thomson hit his famous “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” off the Dodgers’ Ralph Branca in 1951. 3. June 13, 2012: Matt Cain’s perfect game Cain occupies a singular place in Giants lore, as he’s the only pitcher in franchise history to throw a perfect game in a 10-0 win over the Astros. Buster Posey, who was behind the plate that night, recently cited Cain’s unforgettable performance as his favorite Oracle Park moment. “The electricity in the stands was like nothing else, other than playoff games,” Posey said. |
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4. Oct. 24, 2012: Pablo Sandoval’s three-homer game Sandoval set the tone for the Giants’ four-game sweep of the Tigers with his jaw-dropping three-homer performance in Game 1 of the 2012 World Series. Sandoval crushed three home runs in his first three at-bats -- including two off peak Justin Verlander -- and became only the fourth player to go deep three times in a World Series game. 5. April 12, 2004: Bonds ties the Say Hey Kid Bonds reached plenty of milestones during his historic home run chase, but few were as meaningful as his 660th career homer, which tied him with his godfather, Giants legend Willie Mays, for third on the all-time list. Bonds matched the Say Hey Kid with a go-ahead, three-run shot off Brewers right-hander Matt Kinney that sailed into McCovey Cove. After rounding the bases, Bonds shared a special moment on the field with Mays, who presented his godson with a diamond-encrusted Olympic torch. |
6. Oct. 7, 2010: Tim Lincecum dazzles in 14-strikeout gem Lincecum threw two no-hitters against the Padres (the second of which came at home on June 25, 2014), but the most dominant performance of his career may have actually been his postseason debut in Game 1 of the 2010 NL Division Series against the Braves. The two-time Cy Young winner struck out 14 and allowed only two hits in a 119-pitch shutout, putting the Giants well on their way to their first World Series title in San Francisco history. 7. Oct. 5, 2001: Bonds breaks single-season home run record Bonds capped a year of otherworldly production when he took the Dodgers’ Chan Ho Park deep for his 71st home run of the season, breaking Mark McGwire’s three-year-old single-season record. Bonds, of course, wasn’t done, as he added his 72nd homer off Park two innings later. He finished his historic 2001 campaign with 73 home runs, with the last one coming on the final day of the season against the Dodgers. |
8. Oct. 30, 2012: The Marco Scutaro rain game Down 3-1 to the Cardinals in the 2012 NLCS, the Giants stormed back to win three in a row and advance to the World Series following a 9-0 win in Game 7 in San Francisco. Scutaro, who earned NLCS MVP honors, provided the lasting image of that decisive game when he spread out his arms and looked to the heavens as rain poured down in the ninth inning. 9. Oct. 14, 2002: Kenny Lofton punches World Series ticket with walk-off single The Giants won Game 5 of the 2002 NLCS in dramatic fashion, stunning the Cardinals with an improbable two-out rally in the bottom of the ninth. David Bell and Shawon Dunston reached on back-to-back singles to bring up Lofton, who snapped a 1-1 tie by lining a walk-off single to right field, sending San Francisco to the World Series for the first time since 1989. 10. July 10, 2009: Jonathan Sánchez’s no-hitter Sánchez was an unlikely candidate to throw the first no-hitter by a Giant in 33 years, but he delivered a monumental performance against the Padres, striking out 11 and issuing no walks in the Giants’ 8-0 win at China Basin. |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Which Giants pitcher started the first home opener at Oracle Park (née Pacific Bell Park) on April 11, 2000? A) Liván Hernández B) Russ Ortiz C) Kirk Rueter D) Joe Nathan |
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Here are a few upcoming promotions for the Giants' first homestand of the year: • Saturday: Matt Chapman Gold Glove bobblehead (first 15,000 fans) • Sunday: Youth charm hat (first 7,500 fans ages 14 and under) • April 26: Brandon Crawford T-shirt (first 15,000 fans) • April 27: Patrick Bailey youth headband (first 7,500 fans ages 14 and under) |
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C) Kirk Rueter Rueter was charged with the loss after giving up four runs on eight hits over six innings as the Giants fell, 6-5, to the rival Dodgers. |
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