Oakland Athletics, Led by Sonny Gray, Dominate Season Opener
In a season where the pitching staff is in a bit of disarray, with Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin both occupying space on the disabled list, the Oakland Athletics got a resounding statement from their ace that the team is in good hands.
Sonny Gray took the ball on Opening Day, the second straight season in which he has been called upon in the first game of the year, and was simply marvelous. Gray did not allow a hit through the first seven innings, completely stifling a less-than-threatening Texas Rangers’ lineup.
Gray flirted with the first no-hitter on Opening Day since Bob Feller did it for the Cleveland Indians way back in 1940, 75 years ago. The only baserunners he allowed came in the third inning, when he plunked Rougned Odor in the third inning, and when Leonys Martin reached on an error by left fielder Ben Zobrist, who may have lost the flyball in the lights, and allowed it to drop right through his arms.
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Gray entered the eighth inning just six outs away from becoming the first Athletics’ pitcher to throw a no-hitter since Dallas Braden in 2010, but on this night, it was just not meant to be for him. Rangers’ left fielder Ryan Rua lined an 0-2 fastball into right field, ending Gray’s bid with history. After the hit, chants of “Sonny, Sonny” rang through O.co Coliseum.
The next batter was Mitch Moreland, who lined out to first baseman Ike Davis, allowing him to double Rua off first. Gray would allow a walk as well in the eighth, but he finished the inning, keeping the shutout and the one-hitter intact.
In his eight innings of work, Gray struck out only three batters, instead pitching to contact, getting 10 groundball outs, and four outs in the air. He threw just 98 pitches over those eight frames, and probably could have finished the game himself. Instead, manager Bob Melvin opted to use his bullpen, rather than potentially overworking his 25-year-old ace on the first night of the year.
Reliever Evan Scribner would pitch the ninth, completing it cleanly with a pair of strikeouts, and securing the 8-0 victory for Oakland. The win snapped a 10-game losing streak on Opening Days for the A’s.
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The offense came early and often for the Athletics, and the team got plenty of contributions from their newcomers. Zobrist blasted a two-run home run in the first inning against Rangers’ pitcher Yovani Gallardo, and that would have been enough with Gray dealing. Marcus Semien, a return piece from the Jeff Samardzija trade, added an RBI single in the fourth inning, extending the lead to 3-0.
Billy Butler, another new face, wouldn’t be left out, as he drove in a run in the eighth inning with a double.
Stephen Vogt, one of the few familiar faces from last season, added a big three-run blast in the seventh inning, providing way more than enough offense for the pitching staff.
Gray’s opening day masterpiece should be no surprise. In his 33 starts in 2014, he won 14 games compared to 10 losses, and posted a very nice 3.08 ERA and 1.192 WHIP. In his first full season, he was fantastic, and Monday’s start proves that he is just scratching the surface of his immense potential.
There were a lot of question marks for Oakland heading into this season, as the rotation is missing two key pieces, and two starting outfielders are on the disabled list as well. On Monday, those questions were put to rest, at least for one day, as Gray was no match for the Rangers’ lineup, and Athletics’ lineup overwhelmed the Rangers’ pitching staff.
Oakland will look to carry the momentum created by this win over to Tuesday, when Jesse Hahn takes the bump in what will be his debut with the Athletics. Texas will counter with Colby Lewis, trying to snag their first win of the season.