By DANIEL DULLUM
Sports Radio Service
Saturday, March 14, 2015

MESA, Arizona – The road to recovery for San Francisco pitcher Matt Cain may have hit a speedbump in Saturday’s 5-2 win by Oakland over the Giants split squad at Hohokam Stadium, but the Giants’ ace righthander isn’t letting one rough outing define his recovery from last year’s elbow surgery.

“It felt all right,” Cain said of his right elbow, which had bone chips surgically removed last August. His last game on the mound, prior to spring training, was last July 9.

So far, Cain said his range of motion is nearly back to normal.

“I don’t think it’s that big of an adjustment,” Cain said. “You’re just not used to being able to do it, being pretty much off for the whole offseason. Now, it’s just making sure the arm is used to doing it. “I felt fine with what I was throwing. It’s something I just need to keep repeating.”

Cain (0-1) took the loss after the Athletics roughed him up for four earned runs on six hits in 1 2/3 innings, with one strikeout and no walks. Cain left after throwing 44 pitches, but said he didn’t think he was on a strict pitch count.

“The biggest thing is to eventually get to the sixth inning,” Cain said. “That’s always a goal. You just want to get there.”

“I got the pitch count up a little more, got to work pretty much every scenario, I just have to make better pitches in certain situations, and I have to have better location.”

Cain’s first spring start was a two-inning no-decision outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 9. That day, Cain tossed a pair of scoreless, hitless innings. Saturday’s 1 2/3-inning stint didn’t go quite as well, but the veteran right-hander is more concerned with staying on course as his recovery process continues.

“It was good to go out there and try some different things,” Cain said, adding that in the A’s three-run second, “I didn’t make some pitches that I wanted to.”

Asked about how soon he’ll return to the mound, Cain said, “I’m sure it’ll be the normal five days rest, and go from there.”

A’s split-squad downs Giants

Center fielder Billy Burns continued his hot-hitting for the Athletics with a two singles and a triple. Burns leads the Cactus League in base hits with 12, to go with a .419 average, three stolen bases and three triples. He also scored three of Oakland’s five runs on Saturday.

Ben Zobrist, who is hitting .368 this spring, had a double and two runs batted in. A’s shortstop Niuman Romero, a non-roster invitee, was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.

Jesse Chavez (2-0) went the first 4 1/3 innings to get the win. Chavez struck out four without a walk, and gave up two earned runs on five hits. Brock Huntzinger, another non-roster invitee, struck out one and walked one in a scoreless ninth to earn his first CL save.

San Francisco third baseman Casey McGehee was 2-for-3 and drove in both of the Giants’ runs with a pair of doubles. Five Giants relievers – Braulia Lara, Jake Dunning, Jeremy Affeldt, Sergio Casilla and Brett Bochy – combined to give up one run on six hits over the last 6 1/3 innings.

Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, the Chicago Cubs defeated the other Oakland squad 3-1. Kris Bryant, a Las Vegas native, homered twice for the Cubs. Max Muncy drove in the only A’s run, his sixth Cactus League RBI.

CACTUS NEEDLES: Al Rosen, former president and general manager of the Giants and standout third baseman for the Cleveland Indians, died Friday at 91. Rosen, a four-time All-Star, is the last Cleveland Indian to win the American League MVP award (1953). He also served as an executive with the Yankees and Houston, and, while running the Giants, was Executive of the Year in 1987. … Former Cy Young Award winner Barry Zito is trying to make the A’s as a non-roster invitee. Zito, who sat out last season, has made two appearances with Oakland with no decisions (one start), and a 7.71 ERA in 4 2/3 innings. Zito has struck out three and walked one. … Going into Saturday’s games, San Francisco pitchers have posted a 6.26 ERA and surrendered 17 home runs, most of any team in either the Cactus or Grapefruit Leagues. … Oakland INF Rangel Ravelo underwent successful surgery on a partial ECU tendon tear in his right wrist. He will be recovering for the next six to eight weeks.