Gray Pitches Gem, A's Win First Season Opener In More Than A Decade
OAKLAND (CBS / AP) -- Sonny Gray carried a no-hit bid into the eighth inning before Ryan Rua broke it up with a leadoff single, and the Oakland Athletics snapped their record 10-game losing on opening day by beating the Texas Rangers 8-0 Monday night.
Trying to join Bob Feller (1940) as the only pitchers to throw a no-hitter on opening day, Gray dazzled through seven innings and allowed only two baserunners before Rua's sharp grounder to right. Fans in the sellout crowd of 36,067 chanted "Sonny! Sonny!" and offered a roaring ovation.
Ben Zobrist backed Gray's gem with a two-run homer in the first and also had a double in his Oakland debut. Stephen Vogt added a three-run shot in the seventh.
New designated hitter Billy Butler added an RBI double as Oakland won its opener for the first time since beating Texas on April 5, 2004.
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