OAKLAND, Calif. — The Athletics got another strong start from Frankie Montas and took advantage of four unearned runs allowed by the Baltimore Orioles Monday night for a 5-1 win in their home opener.
The A’s improved to 6-5 after a .500 road trip against three playoff contenders before a home crowd of 17,503, the least attended Coliseum home opener in more than 30 years.
Montas (2-1) departed after six innings, giving up one earned run with two walks and five strikeouts. He threw 84 pitches, 54 of them strikes. He was replaced by Domingo Acevedo in the seventh. Acevedo gave up two hits but no runs after Seth Brown’s one-hop strike to Sean Murphy cut down a run at the plate for an inning-ending double play.
Justin Grimm threw a scoreless eighth inning and Dany Jimenez pitched the ninth for the A’s. Baltimore loaded the bases in the ninth to bring the tying run to the plate, but Jimenez struck out pinch-hitter Ryan McKenna to end the game.
The A’s took command with four unearned runs in a sixth inning that included a pair of Baltimore errors as the Orioles fell to 3-7.
Losing pitcher Joey Krehbiel struck out Elvis Andrus and Murphy before Billy McKinney singled. Christian Bethancourt was next, and his bouncer to third was thrown away by Ramon Urias, rolling into the vast expanse of foul territory near the visitor’s bullpen. McKinney came all the way around to score and make it 2-1 before Sheldon Neuse singled to right to bring in another run against Marcos Diplan.
Rougned Odor then kicked a ground ball by Kenny Smith to bring in the third run, and Cristian Pache singled to bring in the fourth run of the inning for a 5-1 lead.
Starting pitcher Spenser Watkins departed after five innings, giving up a run in the first inning and nothing else. He allowed two hits, walked one batter, struck out two and exited after 67 pitches.
The A’s got a run in the first inning when Tony Kemp walked, went to third on a double by Sean Murphy and scored on an infield out by Billy McKinney. The Orioles tied it in the fifth on a run-scoring double by Austin Hays. It brought home Odor, who walked with one out.
The Orioles threatened in the sixth when Jorge Mateo opened with a double and went to third on an infield out. However, when attempting to score on an infield out by Ryan Mountcastle, McKinney, playing first base, cut down Mateo at the plate. Montas then got Anthony Santander on a foul pop to Murphy to end the inning.
REMEMBERING RAY: The A’s honored the memory of former broadcaster and catcher Ray Fosse with a number of tributes before and during the opener against the Orioles. Players wore a patch that said “Ray” in green letters above a broadcast microphone with a catcher’s mask in the background.
Fosse died in October at age 74 after a 16-year battle with cancer, one that many colleagues and team members knew nothing about. He won two World Series rings with the A’s and was an announcer for team from 1986 until his death.
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