If you looked at an older Giants schedule and thought San Francisco was playing Arizona on Sunday, check again before heading to Oracle Park.
The Giants and Diamondbacks are now playing four games in three days, ending with a split doubleheader on Saturday, Aug. 29. There is no Giants game at Oracle Park on Sunday, Aug. 30.
Saturday is unusually busy even by ballpark standards. The afternoon game includes a Jung Hoo Lee bobblehead giveaway, the evening game includes Jeff Kent's No. 21 retirement ceremony, and fans attending both games will have to leave the stadium and enter again between them.
On top of that, BART construction will complicate some trips into San Francisco from the South Bay and Fremont area.
Giants-Diamondbacks schedule at Oracle Park
| Date | First pitch | What is happening |
|---|---|---|
| Thu. Aug. 27 | 6:45 p.m. | Pokémon Worlds Night and postgame drone show |
| Fri. Aug. 28 | 7:15 p.m. | Native American Heritage Night |
| Sat. Aug. 29 — Game 1 | 1:05 p.m. | Jung Hoo Lee bobblehead |
| Sat. Aug. 29 — Game 2 | 7:05 p.m. | Jeff Kent No. 21 retirement / Hall of Fame celebration |
| Sun. Aug. 30 | No game | Giants are off |
Major League Baseball moved the Sunday game to Saturday because the Giants need to travel to Atlanta for a previously postponed Braves game on Monday, Aug. 31. MLB's rescheduling notice is explicit: two games Saturday, none Sunday.
Saturday afternoon: Jung Hoo Lee bobblehead
Game 1 begins at 1:05 p.m.. The promotion that had originally been associated with Sunday's game moved with the schedule: the first 15,000 fans are scheduled to receive a Jung Hoo Lee bobblehead.
Giveaway days create their own little rush hour around Oracle Park because people who normally arrive around first pitch often show up much earlier. If the bobblehead matters to you, arriving at 1:04 p.m. is probably not a particularly good plan.
Yes, you have to leave Oracle Park between games
Fans attending both Saturday games should know one detail that could otherwise become an unpleasant surprise: Oracle Park will be cleared after the afternoon game.
Even with tickets for both games, fans cannot simply remain inside waiting for the evening game. MLB says everyone must exit after Game 1 and then re-enter when gates open for Game 2.
That creates two substantial pedestrian movements around the waterfront on the same day — an afternoon departure crowd and an evening arrival crowd, with some overlap between them.
Saturday night: Jeff Kent's No. 21 will be retired
Game 2 begins at 7:05 p.m.. The Giants will retire Jeff Kent's No. 21 as part of his Hall of Fame celebration.
Kent spent six seasons with San Francisco and won the National League MVP award in 2000. The Giants say the first 21,000 fans at the evening game will receive a Hall of Fame replica ring.
A number-retirement ceremony plus a limited giveaway is another reason the evening crowd may arrive earlier than it would for an ordinary Saturday night game.
Thursday's game has a Pokémon Worlds crossover
Thursday's 6:45 p.m. game is Pokémon Worlds Night, followed by a drone show. The special ticket package that included a Worlds-themed Pikachu jersey is sold out, although that does not mean every ordinary seat for the baseball game is sold out.
The baseball promotion lands immediately before the Pokémon World Championships run Aug. 28–30 around Moscone Center. SF News Today has a separate guide to the Pokémon Worlds street closures and downtown transit impacts.
BART riders from Fremont and the South Bay need extra time Saturday
Saturday's doubleheader coincides with a major BART interruption. On Aug. 29–30, BART is suspending train service between Union City and Warm Springs/South Fremont, replacing the closed section with free buses and suspending the Green Line.
BART warns riders traveling through the work zone to expect 30–40 minutes of additional travel time. South Bay riders heading toward San Francisco will need a more complicated train-bus-train trip and a transfer at Bay Fair.
Our BART Aug. 29–30 guide lays out that route step by step, including the late-night Berryessa cutoff.
Taking Muni to Oracle Park
For people already in San Francisco, transit is usually the simplest way to reach the stadium. The N Judah and game-day Muni service run near 2nd and King, beside Oracle Park, while the T Third Street line and Central Subway serve 4th and King.
Saturday is also the first day of a broader set of Muni schedule changes. Our Aug. 29 Muni guide explains what changes on all 12 affected routes.
Caltrain is straightforward from the Peninsula
Caltrain's San Francisco terminal at 4th and King is within walking distance of Oracle Park. For riders coming from the Peninsula or some parts of the South Bay, it also avoids the BART construction affecting the Fremont corridor.
The Giants say Caltrain normally provides additional postgame local service after weekday evening and weekend games, but fans should check the day's timetable before traveling, particularly if the evening game runs late.
Ferry service can take fans directly to the park
Golden Gate Ferry operates direct service from Larkspur to Oracle Park for selected Giants games. Giants transportation guidance says the ferry generally leaves Larkspur about 90 minutes before first pitch and departs Oracle Park about 30 minutes after the final out.
If you are considering a ferry for Saturday, confirm that your specific game is covered rather than assuming the afternoon and evening halves of the doubleheader follow the same service pattern.
Driving? Reserve parking before leaving
Giants-controlled parking facilities including Lot A/Pier 48 and Lot C use advance reservations, and the club recommends reserving parking before arriving.
Saturday effectively creates two game-day traffic cycles: late-morning arrivals for the bobblehead game, late-afternoon Game 1 departures overlapping with Game 2 arrivals, and then a second large departure crowd late in the evening.
Add ordinary weekend traffic and nearby events, and driving into Mission Bay five minutes before first pitch becomes a fairly ambitious strategy.
What if your ticket still says Aug. 30?
If you bought a ticket for the originally scheduled Sunday game, check the Giants or your authorized ticket provider for the updated ticket information. The rescheduled game is now Saturday, Aug. 29 at 1:05 p.m.
Do not travel to Oracle Park Sunday expecting the Diamondbacks series to continue. The Giants are off that day.