OAKLAND, Calif. _ Depending on your perspective, the Los Angeles Angels lineup was either half full or half empty on opening night.
Because they lost, 4-2, to the Oakland A's in the season opener on Monday, may as well go with half empty. Almost half, anyway.
Despite the top five hitters getting on base nine times _ including a two-run homer by Mike Trout _ the bottom four came up with just one hit and they struck out eight times in 15 at-bats.
Cameron Maybin, Danny Espinosa and Martin Maldonado _ all making their regular season debuts for the Angels _ combined for seven of the strikeouts and a double play. The only hit and the only walk among the players at the bottom of the order came from Andrelton Simmons, the No. 7 hitter.
The struggles by the players at the bottom of the order left the Angels unable to capitalize on nice performances at the top, including Trout's two-run homer and double.
The Angels couldn't score enough to get a victory for Ricky Nolasco, whose game was also a tale of two distinct parts.
Through four innings, Nolasco had allowed just a solo homer and he was efficiently getting through the lineup, with the help of some nice defense.
But in the fifth, he gave up a run on a couple singles and then in the sixth the A's took the lead on a homer by Khris Davis, who is trying to prove last season's surprising 42-homer outburst wasn't a fluke.
Davis belted a second homer against reliever J.C. Ramirez in the eighth, providing an insurance run.
The offensive highlights for the Angels were not limited to Trout.
His third-inning two-run homer was set up by an impressive plate appearance from Kole Calhoun. Calhoun fell behind 0-2 before battling his way to a walk.
Trout then got a 2-2 fastball over the inner half of the plate and he yanked it over the left-field fence, a rocket leaving his bat at 113 mph.
It marked the third time in Trout's career that he had hit a homer on opening day, tying him with Tim Salmon and Joe Rudi for the Angels record. He also went deep in the Angels' first game in 2014 and 2015.
The players around Trout also had nice nights offensively, with leadoff man Yunel Escobar reaching on two singles, and No. 5 hitter C.J. Cron singling and walking.
Despite the first-night showing from the newcomers at the bottom of the order, the Angels are optimistic that their lineup will be better this year. They also believe their defense could be the best in Mike Scioscia's 18 years, as the manager said again before Monday's game.
Calhoun, a former Gold Glove winner, demonstrated in the fourth inning.
With two outs and a runner at first, Stephen Vogt drilled a shot to right field, not far from where he'd hit a homer to open the scoring in the second. This time, though, the ball didn't have quite as much carry, and Calhoun leapt at the fence and snagged it.
Simmons, the shortstop, also made a nice play charging a slow roller to save at least a run in the eighth.
