Only 12,562 turned out to watch the stripped-down Athletics open their season with a 7-4 victory over the Twins. Bill North was the lone regular from last year in the A's lineup. Dick Allen and Wayne Gross each batted in two runs and Earl Williams whacked a homer in support of Mike Torrez, who pitched the route and held the Twins to seven hits.

President Jimmy Carter's brother, Billy, threw out the first ball. The A's came from behind three times to tie the score before Williams connected for his homer in the sixth inning to decide the outcome. [The Sporting News]



Oakland Athletics 7, Minnesota Twins 4
Game Played on Saturday, April     9, 1977 (Day game) at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Twins        2  0  1    1  0  0    0  0  0  -   4  7  1
A's          2  0  1    0  1  1    0  2  x  -   7 10  0


Twins                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Wynegar c             3   1   1   1     0   0   .333      North cf              4   1   1   0     0   1   .250
Smalley ss            3   1   2   0     0   0   .667      Scott 2b              2   2   1   1     2   0   .500
Carew 1b              4   1   1   1     0   0   .250      Page lf               3   1   2   0     1   0   .667
Bostock cf            3   0   1   1     0   1   .333      Allen 1b              4   0   2   2     0   0   .500
Hisle lf              3   0   0   1     1   0   .000        Alexander pr        0   1   0   0     0   0   .000
Ford rf               4   0   0   0     0   1   .000        Tabb 1b             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Kusick dh             3   1   1   0     1   0   .333      Sanguillen c          4   0   1   0     0   0   .250
Cubbage 3b            3   0   1   0     1   0   .333        Lintz pr            0   1   0   0     0   0   .000
Randall 2b            3   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Newman c            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  Chiles ph           1   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Gross 3b              4   0   1   2     0   0   .250
Goltz p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      E. Williams dh        3   1   1   1     1   2   .333
  Schueler p          0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Armas rf              3   0   1   0     1   1   .333
  T. Johnson p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Picciolo ss           4   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                          Torrez p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               30   4   7   4     3   2             Totals               31   7  10   6     5   4

Time of Game: 2:37   Attendance: 12,562
Left on Base: Twins 5, A's 5
DP: Twins 2, A's 1
Errors: Smalley
Doubles: Smalley (1), North (1), Scott (1)
Home Runs: E. Williams (1)
Stolen Bases: Carew (1), Hisle (1), Scott (1), Lintz (1)
Caught Stealing: Armas (1), Gross (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Smalley (1)
Sacrifice Flies: Bostock (1), Wynegar (1)
GIDP: Sanguillen (1)


Twins                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Goltz                   4.1   5   4   3   4   3   0  21   6.23
Schueler L(0-1)         2.2   3   3   3   1   0   1  11  10.13
T. Johnson              1     2   0   0   0   1   0   4   0.00
Totals                  8    10   7   6   5   4   1  36

A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Torrez W(1-0)           9     7   4   4   3   2   0  36   4.00
Totals                  9     7   4   4   3   2   0  36

Umpires: HP - Lou DiMuro, 1B - Bill Deegan, 2B - Jim McKean, 3B - Dale Ford


TWINS 1ST: Wynegar singled to center; Smalley out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Wynegar to second]; Carew singled to
center [Wynegar scored]; Carew stole second; Bostock singled
[Carew to third]; Hisle forced Bostock (shortstop to second)
[Carew scored]; Hisle stole second; Ford flied out to right; 2
R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 2, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 1ST: North struck out; Scott walked; Scott stole
second; Debut game for Mitchell Page; Page singled [Scott
to third]; Allen singled to shortstop [Scott scored, Page scored
(error by Smalley) (unearned)]; Sanguillen grounded into a
double play (third to second to first) [Allen out at second]; 2
R (1 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 2, Athletics 2.

TWINS 2ND: Kusick popped to third in foul territory; Cubbage
walked; Randall flied to right in foul territory; Wynegar flied
out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 2, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Gross lined to center; E. Williams struck out;
Armas grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Twins 2, Athletics 2.

TWINS 3RD: Smalley doubled to right; Carew grounded out (second
to first) [Smalley to third]; Bostock hit a sacrifice fly to
left [Smalley scored]; Hisle walked; Ford lined to left; 1 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 3, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 3RD: Picciolo grounded out (third to first); Debut
game for Rob Picciolo; North doubled to right; Scott doubled
to left [North scored]; Page walked; Allen flied out to right
[Scott to third]; Sanguillen forced Page (pitcher to second to
shortstop); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins 3, Athletics 3.

TWINS 4TH: Kusick walked; Cubbage singled to right [Kusick to
second]; Randall grounded out (second to first) [Kusick to
third, Cubbage to second]; Wynegar hit a sacrifice fly to right
[Kusick scored, Cubbage to third]; Smalley popped to second; 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 4, Athletics 3.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Gross popped to third in foul territory; E.
Williams walked; Armas was called out on strikes; Picciolo
forced E. Williams (shortstop to second); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Twins 4, Athletics 3.

TWINS 5TH: Carew grounded out (first unassisted); Bostock was
called out on strikes; Hisle flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Twins 4, Athletics 3.

ATHLETICS 5TH: North grounded out (second to first); Scott
walked; Page singled to left [Scott to third, Page to second (on
throw to 3b)]; SCHUELER REPLACED GOLTZ (PITCHING); Allen reached
on a fielder's choice [Scott scored, Page out at third
(shortstop to third)]; Sanguillen forced Allen (shortstop to
second); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 4, Athletics 4.

TWINS 6TH: Ford popped to second; Kusick singled to shortstop;
Cubbage forced Kusick (second to shortstop); Randall lined to
left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 4, Athletics 4.

ATHLETICS 6TH: Gross grounded out (second to first); E. Williams
homered; Armas walked; Armas was caught stealing second (catcher
to shortstop); Picciolo popped to first; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Twins 4, Athletics 5.

TWINS 7TH: Wynegar flied out to right; Smalley singled; Carew
lined into a double play (third to first) [Smalley out at
first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 4, Athletics 5.

ATHLETICS 7TH: North popped to third in foul territory; Scott
grounded out (second to first); Page grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 4, Athletics 5.

TWINS 8TH: Bostock lined to right; Hisle popped to first in foul
territory; Ford was called out on strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Twins 4, Athletics 5.

ATHLETICS 8TH: Allen singled to left; ALEXANDER RAN FOR ALLEN;
Sanguillen singled to left [Alexander to third]; T. JOHNSON
REPLACED SCHUELER (PITCHING); LINTZ RAN FOR SANGUILLEN; Lintz
stole second; Gross singled to right [Alexander scored, Lintz
scored]; E. Williams struck out while Gross was caught stealing
second (catcher to second); Armas singled to left; Picciolo
popped to second; 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 4, Athletics 7.

TWINS 9TH: TABB REPLACED ALEXANDER (PLAYING 1B); NEWMAN REPLACED
LINTZ (PLAYING C ); Kusick flied out to left; Cubbage flied out
to left; CHILES BATTED FOR RANDALL; Chiles flied out to center;
0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 4, Athletics 7.