Before Willie MacIver's friends and family packed the stands for his MLB debut on Sunday at Sutter Health Park, the Athletics catcher woke up hoping his day would end with a Gatorade shower.
With the A's riding an 11-game losing streak into their series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies, that dream might have seemed unlikely to some -- but it came true after he played a key role in helping his team snap its season-long skid.
"It's everything [I dreamed of] and more," MacIver told Chris Caray and Dallas Braden on "A's Cast" after delivering the game-winning RBI in his team's 5-4 win over the Phillies. "Family here, friends, teammates, ex-teammates. It's a dream come true. I can't even put it into words."
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE MacIver's first hit of his MLB career gave the A's a one-run lead in the eighth inning that they wouldn't surrender, and then he secured the victory in the ninth by throwing out Philadelphia speedster Johan Rojas at second base.
Athletics
Find the latest Athletics news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
And MacIver wasn't alone in recording career milestones during the A's win. First baseman Logan Davidson, who made his big-league debut Saturday night and went 0-for-1 after Nick Kurtz left the A's loss with a hip injury, made an impact Sunday with two hits, two RBI, one run and a walk that jump-started the Green and Gold's eighth-inning comeback.
Davidson and MacIver were part of several A's call-ups earlier this week, a roster shakeup general manager David Forst hoped would help the team find ways to win. While it took a couple of games, it seems the newcomers are beginning to find their footing.
"Part of the talk we had in spring training was it's going to take the whole army that was in the room," A's manager Mark Kotsay, who was ejected from Sunday's game in the seventh inning, told reporters after the win. "These guys coming here ... the energy, or just the change, and for them to contribute to the win today is huge."
There was plenty of celebrating in the locker room after Sunday's win, Kotsay said, pointing out the brotherhood in the clubhouse amid the team's joy. It's just one game, but it's a long season -- and this "army" with some new troops now knows it can overcome even the most daunting of challenges.
"It just shows the group, and the culture," Kotsay said. "And they brought me in there, and they allowed me to be a part of it, right? So that's special for me. There was no real message. It was just continue to focus on a new day, turning the page and being prepared to go out and to play your best baseball, and that's what they did today."