The A's added four quality hitters to what was the worst offense in the league in 2008, and though the four new players hit together in the order on opening night, Oakland still couldn't put anything together.
Orlando Cabrera, Jason Giambi, Matt Holliday and Nomar Garciaparra batted second through fifth, but they combined to go 2-for-15 in Oakland's 3-0 loss to the Angels. Cabrera doubled and Holliday singled, while Giambi was hit by a pitch. The A's scored the fewest runs in the league last year and had the worst batting average in the majors.
"That was pretty bad, throwing a goose egg out there," Oakland third baseman Eric Chavez said after Monday night's game. "We just never made it a game."
Garciaparra played first base while Giambi DH'd on Monday. That meant a night on the bench for outfielder Travis Buck, because Jack Cust was in right and batting eighth.
ANGELS 3, A'S 0: Dallas Braden worked six innings for Oakland and gave up three runs -- one on an RBI single by Howie Kendrick in the third and another on a solo homer by Kendrick in the fifth. The A's couldn't manage much against Angels left-hander Joe Saunders; they finished with three hits and didn't get a man past second base.
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