Davis belts two homers to lift A's past Angels
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Khris Davis hit two home runs, and Kendall Graveman threw six strong innings, leading the Oakland Athletics to a 4-2 season-opening victory against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night at the Oakland Coliseum.
Stephen Vogt also homered for the A's, who won on Opening Day for just the second time in the past 13 seasons.
Graveman (1-0), making his first career Opening Day start, allowed two runs on six hits. He struck out seven and walked two.
Davis broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning with a home run to left off Angels starter Ricky Nolasco (0-1). The right-hander hung a first-pitch curve, and Davis, who hit a career-high 42 home runs last season, crushed it.
Davis led off the eighth with a home run to deep left-center off JC Ramirez, increasing Oakland's lead to 4-2.
Mike Trout hit a two-run homer in the third inning and doubled in the eighth for the Angels.
Nolasco gave up three runs on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings in his fourth career Opening Day start and first with the Angels. He struck out four and walked two.
A's right-hander Ryan Dull pitched a perfect seventh, striking out the side. Left-hander Sean Doolittle retired both batters he faced in the eighth. Ryan Madson gave up a double to Trout. But after Albert Pujols was issued an intentional walk, C.J. Cron grounded into a force out.
Right-hander Santiago Casilla pitched a scoreless ninth for the save.
NOTES: The A's named their field at the Oakland Coliseum "Rickey Henderson Field" and honored the Hall of Fame outfielder and native of Oakland in a pregame ceremony. "It's a great honor," Henderson said. "Growing up in Oakland as a kid, playing in the parks around the ball park, I had no idea this chance would ever come. The first thing was me getting an opportunity to play for the Oakland A's and being from Oakland, and now this has happened. So this is just a special moment." ... Albert Pujols, who underwent offseason foot surgery, served as the Angels' designated hitter and went 0-for-3 with a walk. He won't play in the field this series. ... 3B Trevor Plouffe went 1-for-3 with a walk in his A's debut.