Baseball truly is a wonderful game.
– Rich Harden, making his first start for the A’s since July 6, 2008, went six innings without walking a batter to defeat the Diamondbacks in his season debut. It’s just the 10th time in 146 career starts that he’s pitched at least six innings and not walked a batter. He walked two batters every three innings for the Rangers last season.
– Hideki Matsui beat Miguel Montero’s errant throw to second base to record his first steal since Sept. 12, 2007.
– Wily Mo Pena, who was playing for the Bridgeport Bluefish a year ago, delivered a line-drive homer for the Diamondbacks, giving him four homers in seven starts and three pinch-hitting appearances since his callup.
– Batting one spot below him was Sean Burroughs, who was even further removed from the majors than Pena a year ago. He was eating out of trash cans in Las Vegas.
OK, so Burroughs went 0-for-3. He might end up back in the minors next week. Pena could join him there a couple of weeks later. Harden will surely return to the DL at some point.
But tonight was cool, and it served as a good reminder to never count anyone out.
