By Morris Phillips

One after another–youthful A’s with limited Major League experience, and even less big league success–stepped up and made an impact on Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Ballpark.

The totality of their contributions was a cleanly-executed 4-1 win over the Phillies, the first of the season for the A’s, and the first-ever for new manager Mark Kotsay. With so many player’s imprints on the victory, the immediate attention post-game turned to the manager, doused in beer, and filled with positivity as usual.

“The biggest story here is Kots’ first win,” said veteran Tony Kemp. “I can tell he’s gonna be a great manager. There’s no panic in him.”

With all the notable players leaving Oakland in the previous weeks, followed by two, competitive losses to start the season, Kotsay has stood as the only force to negate the constant stream of dour predictions. All along, Kotsay has maintained that he had a group that would embrace the challenge of proving everyone wrong, and he would be the one to guide them through the darkest moments.

If Sunday’s series finale was the first of those moments, the A’s proved themselves capable of handling them, with starting pitcher Daulton Jeffries stepping up first.

Jeffries, in just his third Major League start, and his first interleague experience, dealt, breezing through five plus innings, allowing two hits, two walks and no runs while expending just 48 pitches. The third youngest Athletic, but scheduled to turn 27 during this season, typifies a team that’s inexperienced, but not rushed. Jeffries benefitted from some well-struck balls being caught, and departed early, against common wisdom, the first of Kotsay’s prudent decisions.

“Early in the season, you try to build pitch count,” Kotsay explained. “But at this point, the opportunity to get Sam (Moll) lined up against Schwarber and the lefties, we felt that gave us the best chance to win.”

Moll was on point, striking out Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper with his unique combo of slower-than-slow sliders and low-90’s sinkers. And the 30-year old Moll’s level of experience entering this big spot? Just 17 innings of low-leverage appearances for the A’s in 2017 and 2021.

Domingo Acevedo, 28 and Kirby Snead, 27 would follow Moll, acing the seventh and eighth innings. Not surprisingly, that pair offered less big league experience than Moll with just 20 appearances between them, but like Moll, they succeeded, getting the A’s to Lou Trivino and the ninth inning with the A’s lead intact.

The A’s established that lead with Elvis Andrus’ double followed by Seth Brown’s run-scoring single in the sixth, and Billy McKinney’s solo shot in the seventh.

The A’s added insurance in the ninth with Kemp’s two-run single that chased home Christian Pache and Austin Allen.

The A’s lengthy season-starting road trip continues in Tampa on Monday with Paul Blackburn getting the start opposite the Rays’ Luis Patino.

NOTES: Manager Joe Girardi elected to sit catcher J.T. Realmuto and shortstop Didi Gregorius in deference to getting backups Johan Camargo and Garrett Stubbs some playing time. Bryson Stott, 24, made his second-ever Major League appearance as the Philadelphia starting shortstop. Jean Segura homered in the ninth to register the Phillies’ only run.

The A’s failed to breakthrough against Zach Elfin, who pitched just four innings. They fared much better against three relievers, who surrendered seven hits and all four A’s runs. The first of those relievers, Bailey Falter took the loss.