OAKLAND, Calif. -- Two pitchers coming off injury-plagued 2017 seasons will get a fresh start when Los Angeles Angels right-hander Matt Shoemaker and Oakland Athletics righty Daniel Mengden duel on the third day of a four-game, season-opening series.
The game will serve as the curtain-raiser for Sunday's highly anticipated Major League Baseball pitching debut of Japanese star Shohei Ohtani.
If Ohtani sees action Saturday, chances are it will be as a hitter. He served as the Angels' designated hitter in the opener against A's right-hander Kendall Graveman, going 1-for-5, before yielding that role to Chris Young against a lefty, Sean Manaea, in Friday's 2-1 win.