How Matt Olson, Matt Chapman were prepared for new MLB extra-inning rule

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An actual baseball game was played in Oakland on Friday night, and the A’s ended it in historic fashion.

Matt Olson hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning, giving the A’s a 7-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels in the season opener.

It wasn’t like the normal Opening Day, but the baseball at the Coliseum was very real.

Here’s what you need to know and what you might have missed … 

Matt Chapman convinces Khris Davis

Before the game began, both teams were introduced to the “crowd.” Khris Davis took it a step further by paying his respects and tipping his cap to the cardboard cutouts in the otherwise empty stands.

What a guy.

It appeared Matt Chapman was poking fun at Davis trying to convince him to wave toward the crowd. Whatever the exchange was, it worked.

No surprise there, the two have a special bond.

The bullpen is chef’s kiss

Frankie Montas got the start and gave up three hits over four innings, but when it was his turn to come out, the bullpen more than stepped up and got the job done.

Yusmeiro Petit gave up just one hit in his outing with a strikeout in the fifth, and T.J. McFarland did a great job in his A’s debut with a 1-2-3 inning.

Lefty Jake Diekman was an overlooked re-signing in the offseason but also had an easy inning in the seventh.

The performance lent more credence to FanGraphs recently ranking the A’s sixth overall in their bullpen power rankings.

The A’s haven’t forgotten about the Astros

Pitcher Mike Fiers was the guy who blew the whistle on the Houston Astros’ cheating ways when he said in an interview with The Athletic that the team would electronically steal signs.

With the delays provided by the coronavirus pandemic and the owners and MLBPA bickering, many were worried the world would forget about the scandal.

Clearly, that hasn’t happened.

The outfield bleachers had a guest cutout appearance by the Astros’ mascot, Orbit, who was sitting inside of a garbage can.

Chappy isn’t perfect

In the top of the seventh inning, Andrelton Simmons reached first on a throwing error by Chapman. 

Chappy had only three errors last season. 

But he more than made up for it:

Extras

That was weird.

[RELATED: Watch Olson hit historic grand slam in A’s extra-inning win]

Per the new MLB rules, teams must begin extra innings with a runner on second base.

Shohei Ohtani made history by becoming the first player ever to do so.

And his reaction was perfect:

We’re still getting used to it too, Ohtani — we get it.