This Date in A's History, April 18

After opening up their inaugural season before 50,000 fans, the A’s treated a more modest crowd to their first-ever win at the Oakland Coliseum.

It didn’t take long for the novelty to wear off as only 5,304 paying customers were on hand to see the A’s take on the Orioles for the second straight night. Those who didn’t bother to show missed a good game, as Oakland won in 13 innings, 4-3.

The Orioles – American League representatives in the World Series four times from 1966-71 – scored two unearned runs in the first, only to see the A’s cut the lead in half in the bottom frame, and tie things up in the sixth.

Both teams scored a run in the eleventh inning.

Reggie Jackson, who drove in the tying run in the sixth, and scored the tying run in the eleventh, started off the bottom of the thirteenth with a single, and eventually came around to score the game-winner on a sacrifice fly by second baseman John Donaldson.

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