Errors Cost A’s On Opening Night

So much for starting the season on the right foot. The A’s lost yet another Opening Day game, their 7th-consecutive Opening Day loss, as they fell to the visiting Seattle Mariners, 6 to 2 on Friday night. It may be only one game, but Opening Night was a night to forget for all A’s fans and players. Oakland committed five errors during the game, and the team as a whole just looked terrible. There are no excuses for the way Oakland played. Period.

A’s starter Trevor Cahill, the 18-game winner of last season, only made it through 4.2 innings. He struck out eight, but he also walked four. His defense, however, didn’t help his cause. After Cahill’s quick exit, the A’s went through five relievers to finish the game. Craig Breslow was charged with the loss, as he allowed three runs (two earned) to cross the plate in his 0.2 innings of work.

The A’s came into this season built largely around their strong pitching and defense, but Friday night seemed to suggest otherwise.

Offensively, the A’s weren’t much better.

New addition Josh Willingham got things started with his two-run homer in the first inning, but after that Oakland’s bat fell victim to Seattle’s ace Felix Hernandez. New designated-hitter Hideki Matsui went 0-for-3 in his Oakland debut, and the Oakland as a team mustered only five hits collectively against Hernandez, who threw a complete game.

It’s just one game, but let’s hope Oakland learns from this embarrassing Opening Night loss at home. Bob Geren had better have the troops ready for tomorrow’s game.