The A’s saw a couple of bright spots before the game got out of hand in the fifth inning. Shortstop Jason Wilson hit the A’s first home run in their new home park, a third-inning solo shot. Wilson plated another run with a groundout in the fourth inning, after rookie second baseman Max Muncy doubled in a run.

Brent Rooker, a Mississippi State grad, said he hopes games at Sutter Health Park take on the feel of an SEC baseball game.

The A's three-year stopover in Sacramento on their way to Las Vegas is unusual in the extreme, and that has meant some uncertain moments.

Did you know West Sacramento has a booming little league scene? The arrival of the A's is expected to propel the league even further.

Sacramento might be a temporary pitstop on the A’s eventual move from Oakland to Las Vegas, but for locals such as Hattfield, whose job as a government scientist brought him from San Diego seven years ago, it’s all upside. Sure, the final score was 18-3. The most runs allowed in a home opener in a century.

The Athletics temporarily moved to California’s capital region, but insisted on avoiding references to Sacramento. Residents, who are thrilled to have M.L.B. games, are used to such slights.

When the announcement came last year that the Athletics would move to the capital region, conversations among local businesses started right away. That included pitching new ideas, increasing staffing, and more than a dozen businesses even took part in West Sacramento's small business accelerator program, which offers funding to expand.

The Athletics’ three-season stint in West Sacramento began Monday night against the Chicago Cubs, much to the delight of fans who spent much of last season in misery and Sacramentans starving for professional baseball.