ANAHEIM - The A's were certainly hoping to host the New York Yankees Wednesday's American League Wild Card Game, but now that they know they're heading to Yankee Stadium, they are up to the task.
"The place is going to be electric," reliever Lou Trivino said. "I think it's going to be a fun game. We're very confident in the guys we have on offense, pitching, and defense. I think we have a really good shot and I'm really excited."
Added fellow reliever Cory Gearrin: "It's going to be loud. It's going to be fun though. ... Two great teams. It's going to be exciting."
The A's have been one of the best road teams in baseball all season long. Their 47-33 record is tied for third-best in the majors and they lead the league with 134 home runs away from home.
"We've played well on the road this year," said manager Bob Melvin. "We're a power-hitting team and that's a home-run ballpark. Obviously you'd like to play at home, but we're not afraid to play in different venues, especially ballparks that are good hitters' parks."
"It's fun to be a part of," added Khris Davis, who leads MLB with 48 homers this season. "I'm just going to embrace whatever comes my way and accept the challenges that are out in front of us."
As for the Yankees, they have been terrific at home this season, going 53-28, second behind only the rival Boston Red Sox. The Bronx Bombers have lived up to their name, leading the league with 144 home runs at home and setting an MLB record with 266 total homers.
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"I'm glad they got that out of the way," Melvin laughed. "They have a really deep lineup. You look at [their] eight and nine [hitters], they have potential 20-home-run guys down there. (Yankees general manager) Brian Cashman has done a great job building that team to that ballpark."
But the A's are a confident bunch. Perhaps Davis summed it up best when asked for his thoughts on the matchup: "My thoughts are win no matter what. That's about it."
