By Kahlil Najar

OAKLAND – Back in August Eric Sogard said in an interview with the Sacramento Bee, “I can’t even remember what it was like not being in. Obviously, you want to be in it. But I think the young guys here are going to continue to come out and play every day. It’s a good opportunity for them. And I think we can still win some games and be a bit of a spoiler.”

Tonight the A’s brought Sogards premonition to fruition as Oakland was able to eliminate the San Francisco Giants with a 5-4 victory and eliminating the Giants from any Wild Card hopes. The Giants elimination number now stands at two.

The Giants jumped out to an early 2-0 lead when Matt Duffy hit a deep fly ball homer to center field and bring in Kelby Tomlinson who made it to first bas on a fielders choice. The A’s scored the next three runs behind the strength of Danny Valencia’s twenty-second double of the year and Billy Burns fifth home run of the year with Sam Fuld aboard to make it a 3-2 Oakland lead. In the sixth inning Billy Butler hit his fourteenth home run of the year to give the A’s a 4-2 lead going into the top of the seventh.

In the top of the seventh Jarret Parker hit only his third homer of the year and brought the lead back down to one but in the bottom of the inning Josh Reddick singled to bring in Fuld across the plate and give the A’s back their two run lead 5-3.

Sean Doolittle came in the top of the eigth and surrendered a run to Marlon Byrd and make it a one run game again but he was able to shut it down for the rest of the eighth and ninth inning to seal the victory for Oakland.

Tomorrow is going to be a special day for the A’s. San Francisco will be sending Tim Hudson (8-8) to the mound where he will face Oakland’s Barry Zito (0-0) in what could be the final start for both pitchers. To celebrate this occasion the A’s are welcoming Mark Mulder to throw out the first pitch with his former teammates and thus reuniting the A’s Big Three for the first time in years.