Catfish stinks up the joint

A's ace allows six runs as Twins take season opener 8-2

You know the old saying -- fish and houseguests start to stink after three days. Well, Jim "Catfish" Hunter showed the effects of poor offseason training during Oakland's season opener at The Coliseum, giving up eight hits and a pair of walks before being knocked out with no outs in the sixth inning after giving up a homerun to Danny Thompson. It was the third homer Catfish allowed in his five innings of work.
Darold Knowles came on in relief, allowing another run through the final four frames and striking out three.
Burt "Be Home" Blylevin threw a complete game for the win, allowing two runs on eight hits while striking out and walking two batters.
Speedy Bill North scored both of Oakland's runs. After leading off the first inning with a single and stealing second base, North came home on Reggie Jackson's two-out single. North scored again in the eighth in much the same fashion -- singling, stealing second, moving to third on a Joe Rudi fielder's choice back to the mound and then trotting home on Jackson's bases-loaded walk.