--LHP Dallas Braden credited moving over on the rubber, from all the way over on the first base side to all the way on the third base side, for his fine outing Monday against Boston. Braden said he'd been pitching from the far left side the past three years, but he switched in his most recent bullpen session in order to make his breaking pitches more effective. He gave up six hits and a walk and struck out three in six innings, allowing two runs while getting the victory.
--DH Jason Giambi said before Tuesday's game that it would be "a treat" to meet pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III. Sullenbeger, who landed his US Airways jet on New York's Hudson River on Jan. 15, saving 155 lives, threw out the first pitch before Oakland's game with Boston. Sullenberger lives in Danville, Calif., as does Oakland GM Billy Beane, who told the San Francisco Chronicle, "I can't imagine what you could say to someone who a) has done something like that and b) already heard it all, other than to say it's an honor." Giambi said: "It'll be a treat to meet him. Listening to the tapes, it's amazing how calm he was and how he kept it all together and saved everybody."
BY THE NUMBERS: 1 -- Home run total for Oakland through the first week of the season, the fewest in the majors. The team went homerless in the first three games for the first time since 1966. The A's 125 homers last year were fourth fewest in the league, a major reason the team brought in Matt Holliday and Jason Giambi.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Way too much running for me early in the year. If Jack (Cust) didn't hit that ball out of the ballpark, I would've been like an auto part store out there. My hamstrings would've fallen out. My groins would've fallen out. I would've been done for the year." -- Jason Giambi on beating out an infield single after doing some extensive baserunning the previous night, too. He had to leave the April 11 game with sore legs.
