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Game Thread #2: Oakland A’s vs. Los Angeles Angels

Let’s do it all again, 14 hours later!

By Alex Hall
San Francisco Giants vs. Oakland Athletics Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images

After waiting four extra months for the MLB season to start, we may have just watched the best Opening Day game in Oakland A’s history. It was a thriller from start to finish, ending in the majors’ first Opening Day walk-off grand slam in 34 years (by Matt Olson).

It was everything we hoped baseball could be in this trying summer, and it was many of the things we hoped to see from this contending A’s team. Read the full recap here, plus some extra notes from Nico.

Now, all of 14 hours later, let’s do it all again! One of the beauties of baseball is its nonstop everyday nature, and it’s not wasting any time getting right down to business this weekend. We waited forever for our sport to come back, and sometimes when it rains it pours.

The A’s will look to repeat their winning ways on Saturday, with Sean Manaea going to the mound against Dylan Bundy of the Angels. Manaea showed low velocity in his exhibition start last week, and while he managed to hold his own against the Practice Giants, he’ll see a tougher test in the Halos’ powerful lineup. Meanwhile, Bundy got rocked by the A’s last year in his only start against them (with the Orioles), serving up four homers to the 23 batters he faced over five innings.

Here are the lineups! First pitch is at 1:10 p.m., and the game is on NBC Sports California, or listen online at A’s Cast.

A’s lineup (home)

  1. SS Marcus Semien (R)
  2. CF Ramon Laureano (R)
  3. 3B Matt Chapman (R)
  4. 1B Matt Olson (L)
  5. DH Khris Davis (R)
  6. RF Stephen Piscotty (R)
  7. LF Robbie Grossman (S)
  8. 2B Chad Pinder (R)
  9. C Austin Allen (L)
  • Sean Manaea, LHP

First A’s start for Allen, who played a couple innings last night. Pinder stays in against the righty starter, but Grossman takes over for platoon-mate Mark Canha.

Angels lineup (away)

  1. 3B David Fletcher (R)
  2. CF Mike Trout (R)
  3. DH Justin Upton (R)
  4. 1B Albert Pujols (R)
  5. RF Taylor Ward (R)
  6. 2B Tommy La Stella (L)
  7. LF Michael Hermosillo (R)
  8. C Max Stassi (R)
  9. SS Andrelton Simmons (R)
  • Dylan Bundy, RHP

Platoon swaps in the other direction here, against the lefty Manaea. Ohtani is out (he’s also starting on the mound tomorrow), as is the catcher Jason Castro and outfielder Brian Goodwin, and in are righties Ward, Hermosillo, and former A’s prospect Stassi.

Also, make sure to keep an eye out for Orbit The Grouch in the bleachers!

Let’s Go Oakland!

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