Defense wins ballgames.
That truth was on full display Monday at the Coliseum, as the Oakland A’s defeated the Baltimore Orioles to win their 2022 home opener. The final score was 5-1 and the defense made all the difference, with the A’s lineup benefiting from four unearned runs while their fielders threw out two Orioles runners at the plate.
Oakland’s big rally came in the 6th inning. With two outs and a runner on first in a 1-1 ballgame, Baltimore flubbed a grounder, which scored the runner and extended the inning. A walk, another error, and two singles led to three more runs, and the A’s never let go of the lead.