San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Johnny Cueto reacts after recording the last out of the second inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday, Sept. 1, 2017, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By Matt Harrington

SAN FRANCISCO– The San Francisco Giants used nine different pitchers on Friday night against the St Louis Cardinals, the Giants came out with a three run burst in the bottom of the second and added two more in the bottom of the third and had a 5-2 lead at AT&T Park. Giants starter Johnny (Baseball) Cueto was sailing along until the top of the sixth when he was lifted for Steven Okert. Cueto left the ball game going five plus innings, four runs, two earned runs and a strike out.

The Giants had used including Cueto a total of nine pitchers and seemed like an inflated number as much so as the all time temperature high of 106 degrees in San Francisco history. The Giants also are faced with reliever Mark Melancon having surgery after the season. This was a known fact after Melancon’s last start and Melancon who pitched in Friday night’s game will have surgery regarding his pronator strain but should be ready next spring.

Oakland A’s notes: The A’s continue getting tortured they have now lost every game on this current road trip with two more games left. Friday’s loss wasn’t comforting at all losing to the Seattle Mariners 3-2 behind the effective pitching of Mike Leake who comes over to Seattle from St Louis. Leake held Oakland scoreless over six innings after giving up two runs to start the game.

A’s starter Sean Manaea put in a great effort giving up three runs in the bottom of the third and that was all the M’s were going to get but the A’s bats couldn’t get any production going. For Manaea 6 2/3 innings, seven hits, three runs all earned, walked  and struck out three. Manaea drops his record to 9-9. The A’s continue this current trip at Safeco Field Saturday night Jharel Cotton (7-10) gets the start for Oakland and the Mariners Yovani Gallardo (5-10) will start for Seattle a 6:10PM first pitch.

Matt Harrington does the MLB Podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com