Matt Olson hit a walk-off grand slam in the 10th to give the A’s a 7-3 win over the Angels in the first major league game with the new, unpopular extra-inning rule.
OAKLAND, Calif. — The first big league game with an automatic runner in extra innings was decided with a blast rather than a bunt.
Marcus Semien began the bottom of the 10th on second base under the new, unpopular rule and scored on Matt Olson’s grand slam, sending the Oakland Athletics over the Los Angeles Angels 7-3 on Friday night.
Olson, whose alert throw from first base nailed Angels free runner Shohei Ohtani in the top of the 10th, connected with one out. The A’s gathered around home plate to greet him on opening night.
« It definitely is interesting. There’s going to be more excitement, » Olson said. « I think it would be a lot tougher to go to 17- or 18-inning games with a guy on second. You’d think at some point somebody’s probably going to get a knock. »
Major League Baseball instituted the controversial extra-inning runner rule for this season to keep games from dragging on amid a compressed, 60-game schedule that started following a months-long delay because of the virus outbreak.
