OAKLAND ATHLETICS GAME INFORMATION Oakland Athletics Baseball Company • 510-638-4900 • athletics.com • A’s PR @AsMediaAlerts Get the latest A’s notes, full stat packets, clips, press releases, roster, updated media guide and more at pressbox.athletics.com OAKLAND ATHLETICS (0-0) VS. LOS ANGELES ANGELS (0-0) THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018 — OAKLAND COLISEUM — 1:05 P.M. PDT RHP KENDALL GRAVEMAN (6-4, 4.19 IN 2017) VS. RHP GARRETT RICHARDS (0-2, 2.28 IN 2017) NBCSCA — A’S RADIO NETWORK (95.7 FM THE GAME) ABOUT THE A’S: The A’s open their 51st season in Oakland where they have TENURE: Of the 25 players on the A’s Opening Day roster, only two played for won 16 American League West titles, two AL Wild Cards, six AL pennants the A’s prior to the 2015 season (Casilla, Lowrie)…however, both of those have and four World Championships…only the New York Yankees (18) and Atlanta played for other teams since then and neither were with the A’s in 2015… Braves (17) have more division titles than the A’s…since the A’s moved to only two players have been on each of the A’s last four Opening Day rosters Oakland in 1968, only the Yankees (11) and Cardinals (8) have more league (Graveman, Semien)…Bruce Maxwell and Matt Olson, who were drafted in championships and only the Yankees have more world championships (7)… 2012, have the longest interrupted tenure with the A’s organization. have a 4119-3850 (.517) record over the previous 50 seasons in Oakland… ROOKIE AND VETERANS: The A’s have no rookies on the Opening Day roster only four teams have won more games over that span (New York Yankees, for just the second time in the last 12 years (also 2014)…five players have Boston, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis)…this is the Athletics franchise 118th six or more years of service: Casilla (10 years, 148 days), Lowrie (9 years, 111 season in the American League…since 1901, the A’s have 16 AL West titles days), Joyce (8 years, 123 days), Lucroy (7 years, 136 days) and Petit (7 years, plus 15 AL pennants and nine World Championships…only the Yankees (27) 16 days). and Cardinals (11) have won more World Championships…the A’s are 8834- 9322 (.487) in their previous 117 seasons…that includes a 3886-4248 record THE YOUNG AND THE OLD: The average age on the A’s Opening Day roster is from 1901-54 in Philadelphia and 829-1224 from 1955-67 in Kansas City. 28.56 years…Matt Olson, who turns 24 today, is the youngest player…he is followed by Matt Chapman (24 years, 335 days), Daniel Mengden (25 years, DURING THE SPRING: The A’s went 14-16-2 (.469) this spring, which was the 38 days) and Boog Powell (25 years, 74 days)…there are eight players age 30 fifth worst record in the Cactus League…it marks the third consecutive year or older…Santiago Casilla is the oldest at 37 years, 255 days and is the oldest Oakland has finished with a losing record during the spring…this is just the player on an A’s Opening Day roster since Bartolo Colón in 2011 (38 years, third time in Oakland history the A’s have posted a losing record in at least 309 days)…he is followed by Jed Lowrie (33 years, 347 days), Matt Joyce (33 three consecutive springs…also did it in three straight years from 2009-11 years, 238 days), Yusmeiro Petit (33 years, 127 days) and Chris Hatcher (33 and four straight from 1974-77…the A’s defense turned 39 double plays, years, 76 days). which was second most in the majors (Atlanta, 42)…committed 24 errors, which tied for fourth fewest in the CL…the offense ranked third in the CL in THE DISABLED LIST: The A’s begin the season with five players on the disabled fewest strikeouts (25), but were fourth in lowest on-base percentage (.325) list for the third consecutive season (Blackburn, Cotton, Dull, Núñez, Pheg- and fewest doubles (59) and fifth in lowest batting average (.261)…tied with ley)…Oakland used the DL 23 times last year and the players combined to Houston for the Major League lead in sacrifice flies (16) and also tied for the miss 1058 games, an average of 46.0 games per stint…it marked the third fewest hit by pitches (8)…hit 44 home runs, which were the most by an A’s consecutive season and seventh time in the last 11 years the A’s have used team during the spring since 2004 when they had 50…the pitching staff has the DL at least 20 times…have had at least three players on the DL every day compiled a 3.82 ERA (83 er in 195.2 ip) over the last 22 games after posting since July 30, 2011 and have not had fewer than two players on the DL since a 7.45 ERA over the first 10 contests…surrendered 38 home runs, which tied the end of the 2006 season when they had just one. for fourth fewest in the CL, but issued 114 walks, which tied for second most. A’s ON THE RADIO: 95.7 FM The Game is in its eighth season as flagship of the FOR OPENERS: The A’s have won two of their last three openers after a Major A’s Radio Network…due to conflicts with the Warriors, the following games League record 10-game Opening Day losing streak from 2005-14…are now will air in the Bay Area on Q102 (102.1 FM): Sunday vs. Los Angeles (AL), next 6-18 on Opening Day dating back to 1994…this is the third earliest Opening Tuesday and Thursday against Texas, April 7 and 8 at Los Angeles (AL) and Day in Athletics history and the earliest in North America…opened in Japan April 10 at Los Angeles (NL)…additional updates will be announced based on on March 25, 2008 and March 28, 2012…will open in Oakland for the sixth the Warriors postseason schedule. consecutive season and will be the home team for the ninth straight year CONTRACT STATUS: The A’s have two players under contract beyond the 2018 (2012 in Tokyo)…will face the Angels on Opening Day for the second consecu- season…Yusmeiro Petit is signed through 2019 with a club option for 2020 tive season and sixth time in Oakland history…are 3-2 in the previous five and Stephen Piscotty is signed through 2022 with a club option for 2023. meetings, including 2-0 in Oakland (1982, 2017) and 1-2 in Anaheim (1976, 1978, 2009)…since moving to Oakland in 1968, the A’s are 22-28 on Opening WEST COAST: The A’s will play each of their first 22 games on the west coast, Day, including 18-14 in Oakland, 4-11 on the road, 0-2 in Tokyo and 0-1 in Las beginning with this eight-game homestand against Los Angeles (AL) and Vegas…all-time, the Athletics are 54-63 in openers. Texas…the first road trip is an eight-game jaunt to Los Angeles (AL), Los An- geles (NL) and Seattle, which is followed by a six-game homestand against OPENING DAY: The A’s will play a day game for their home opener for just the Chicago (AL) and Boston. second time in the last 41 years…the last time was on April 11, 1994, a 14-5 loss to Toronto…this marks just the seventh day home opener in Oakland A’s vs. ANGELS: The A’s went 7-12 against the Angels last year for the sec- history (1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1994, 2018). ond consecutive season…the 12 losses matched the most in Oakland his- tory against the Angels in a season (2009 and 2016)…have now dropped four OPENING DAY STARTING LINEUPS: Four players return from last year’s Open- consecutive season series and are 31-45 (.408) against Los Angeles over that ing Day starting lineup (Davis, Joyce, Lowrie, Semien)…that does not include span…this marks the first time the Athletics franchise (Kansas City and Oak- Kendall Graveman, who will become just the second A’s pitcher to start back- land) has lost four straight season series to the Angels…went 5-5 in Oakland to-back openers over the last 13 years (Sonny Gray, 2014-15)…Oakland has last year and 2-7 in Anaheim…the seven losses matched Oakland’s most in used 11 different starting pitchers on Opening Day over the last 13 years a season at Anaheim (2010 and 2014)…have lost 10 of the last 12 games at (Zito, Haren, Blanton, Braden, Sheets, Cahill, McCarthy, Anderson, Gray twice, Angel Stadium and 26 of the last 37…since moving to Oakland in 1968, the Hill, Graveman twice)…Matt Olson will be the A’s seventh different Opening A’s are 428-366 against the Angels…that includes 223-172 in Oakland and Day starter at first base in the last seven years, Matt Chapman will be the A’s 205-194 in Anaheim…all-time, the A’s are 477-443 against the Angels. fifth different third baseman in the last five years and Boog Powell will be the A’s fifth different center fielder in the last five years…Marcus Semien will TODAY’S TIDBITS make his fourth consecutive Opening Day start at short.