Two newcomers to the Athletics' regular lineup, Billy Williams and Phil Garner, helped the defending world champions open their season with a 3-2 victory over the White Sox before a crowd of 17,477. In the second inning, after Joe Rudi singled, Williams came to bat for the first time in the A. L. after 15 seasons with the Cubs and doubled, Rudi stopping at third. Two outs later, Garner singled to drive in both runners.

The White Sox picked up a tally in the seventh on singles by Ken Henderson and Bucky Dent around a walk to Bill Melton before the A's added what proved to be their winning run in the eighth on a pass to Sal Bando, stolen base by pinch-runner Herb Washington and double by Rudi. Melton doubled Henderson home for the White Sox in the ninth, but Rollie Fingers, pitching his second inning in relief of Vida Blue, retired the side to get credit for the save. [The Sporting News]



Oakland Athletics 3, Chicago White Sox 2
Game Played on Tuesday, April     8, 1975 (Night game) at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
White Sox    0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  1  -   2  8  0
A's          0  2  0    0  0  0    0  1  x  -   3  6  0


White Sox            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Nyman lf              3   0   1   0     0   0   .333      North cf              4   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Orta 2b               4   0   1   0     0   1   .250      Campaneris ss         4   0   1   0     0   1   .250
Bradford rf           3   0   0   0     0   2   .000      Bando 3b              1   0   0   0     3   0   .000
  Sharp ph,rf         1   0   0   0     0   1   .000        H. Washington pr    0   1   0   0     0   0   .000
D. Johnson dh         4   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Holt 1b             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Henderson cf          4   2   3   0     0   0   .750      Jackson rf            4   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Melton 3b             3   0   1   1     1   1   .333      Rudi 1b               4   1   2   1     0   0   .500
  Richard pr          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Hopkins pr          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Dent ss               3   0   1   1     0   2   .333        Kubiak 3b           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Kelly ph            1   0   1   0     0   0  1.000      Williams dh           2   1   1   0     2   0   .500
May 1b                4   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Grabarkewitz pr,dh  0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Downing c             2   0   0   0     1   0   .000      Tenace c              3   0   0   0     1   0   .000
Wood p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      C. Washington lf      4   0   1   0     0   0   .250
  Forster p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Garner 2b             3   0   1   2     0   0   .333
                                                          Blue p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Fingers p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               32   2   8   2     2   8             Totals               29   3   6   3     6   1

Time of Game: 2:12   Attendance: 17,477
Left on Base: White Sox 6, A's 8
DP: White Sox 0, A's 1
Doubles: Melton (1), Williams (1), Rudi (1)
Stolen Bases: Campaneris 2 (2), H. Washington (1)
Caught Stealing: Garner (1)
GIDP: May (1)
Hit by Pitch: Nyman (1,by Fingers)


White Sox              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Wood L(0-1)             7.2   6   3   3   4   1   0  32   3.52
Forster                 0.1   0   0   0   2   0   0   3   0.00
Totals                  8     6   3   3   6   1   0  35

A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Blue W(1-0)             7     4   1   1   2   7   0  26   1.29
Fingers SV(1)           2     4   1   1   0   1   0   9   4.50
Totals                  9     8   2   2   2   8   0  35

Hit by Pitch: Fingers (1)

Umpires: HP - Lou DiMuro, 1B - Bill Kunkel, 2B - Dave Phillips, 3B - Jim Evans


WHITE SOX 1ST: Nyman grounded out (third to first); Orta
grounded out (second to first); Bradford struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  White Sox 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 1ST: North grounded out (shortstop to first);
Campaneris struck out; Bando walked; Jackson grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  White Sox 0, Athletics
0.

WHITE SOX 2ND: D. Johnson flied out to right; Henderson grounded
out (pitcher to first); Melton struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 White Sox 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Rudi singled to center; Williams doubled to right
[Rudi to third]; Tenace popped to catcher in foul territory; C.
Washington grounded out (second to first); Garner singled to
right [Rudi scored, Williams scored]; Garner was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  White Sox 0,
Athletics 2.

WHITE SOX 3RD: Dent struck out (catcher to first); May grounded
out (second to first); Downing walked; Nyman grounded out
(second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  White Sox 0, Athletics
2.

ATHLETICS 3RD: North grounded out (second to first); Campaneris
grounded out (third to first); Bando walked; Jackson grounded
out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  White Sox 0,
Athletics 2.

WHITE SOX 4TH: Orta was called out on strikes; Bradford struck
out; D. Johnson grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  White Sox 0, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Rudi lined to shortstop; Williams walked; Tenace
popped to catcher in foul territory; C. Washington singled to
center [Williams to second]; Garner forced Williams (third
unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  White Sox 0, Athletics 2.

WHITE SOX 5TH: Henderson singled to center; Melton flied out to
right; Dent struck out; May grounded out (first unassisted); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  White Sox 0, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 5TH: North grounded out (third to first); Campaneris
singled to center; Campaneris stole second; Campaneris stole
third; Bando made an out to second; Jackson grounded out (first
to pitcher); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  White Sox 0, Athletics 2.

WHITE SOX 6TH: Downing flied out to right; Nyman singled to
shortstop; Orta popped to catcher in foul territory; Bradford
popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  White
Sox 0, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 6TH: Rudi flied out to left; Williams grounded out
(first unassisted); Tenace grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  White Sox 0, Athletics 2.

WHITE SOX 7TH: D. Johnson struck out; Henderson singled to left;
Melton walked [Henderson to second]; Dent singled to left
[Henderson scored, Melton to second]; May grounded into a double
play (shortstop to first) [Dent out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  White Sox 1, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 7TH: C. Washington flied out to left; Garner grounded
out (shortstop to first); North grounded out (shortstop to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  White Sox 1, Athletics 2.

WHITE SOX 8TH: FINGERS REPLACED BLUE (PITCHING); Downing flied
out to center; Nyman was hit by a pitch; Orta singled to left
[Nyman out at third (left to third)]; SHARP BATTED FOR BRADFORD;
Sharp struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  White Sox 1, Athletics
2.

ATHLETICS 8TH: SHARP STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Campaneris
grounded out (catcher to first); Bando walked; H. WASHINGTON RAN
FOR BANDO; H. Washington stole second; Jackson flied out to
center; Rudi doubled to center [H. Washington scored]; FORSTER
REPLACED WOOD (PITCHING); HOPKINS RAN FOR RUDI; Williams was
walked intentionally; Debut game for Don Hopkins;
GRABARKEWITZ RAN FOR WILLIAMS; Tenace walked [Hopkins to third,
Grabarkewitz to second]; C. Washington forced Hopkins (pitcher
to catcher); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  White Sox 1, Athletics 3.

WHITE SOX 9TH: GRABARKEWITZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); HOLT
REPLACED H. WASHINGTON (PLAYING 1B); KUBIAK REPLACED HOPKINS
(PLAYING 3B); D. Johnson popped to catcher in foul territory;
Henderson singled to center; Melton doubled to left [Henderson
scored]; RICHARD RAN FOR MELTON; KELLY BATTED FOR DENT; Kelly
singled to center [Richard out at home (center to catcher),
Kelly to second (on throw to home)]; May flied out to left; 1 R,
3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  White Sox 2, Athletics 3.