San Francisco Giants pitcher Alex Wood gets the starting call Fri Aug 20, 2021 at the Oakland Coliseum against the Oakland A’s in game one of the three game series (photo file NY Post)

By Jessica Kwong

The San Francisco Giants lost to the New York Mets but still won the three-game series and had the day off on Thursday before heading into the Bay Bridge Series.

Giants manager Gabe Kapler said Wednesday was a “tough day for the middle of our lineup and some of the core pieces that have carried us.”

“Sometimes you’re going to have those days,” Kapler said. “I thought their pitchers made some good pitches throughout.”

Against their local rivals the Oakland Athletics, the Giants will start with left-handed pitcher Alex Wood, who is looking for his 11th victory of the season. It will be his 22nd start and he has proven to be a great asset to the Giants.

Last time he was on the mound, Wood held the Colorado Rockies to two runs in 6.2 frames, improving his record to 10-3 and giving the Giants a victory. Wood has a 4.14 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in 115.1 innings. 

Meanwhile, the A’s will start with right-handed pitcher James Kaprielian, who seeks to improve his record at home to 5-2. It will be his 16th start of the season and his first time facing the Giants on the mound. 

Kaprielian in his last start gave up three runs in 5.1 innings against the Texas Rangers. The A’s won the no-decision match. The rookie has a 3.33 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP and a 6-4 record in 83.2 innings. 

The Giants still sit at the top of the NL West with a three-game lead over the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. They have the best record in the league.

San Francisco visits the Oakland A’s tomorrow for the first of a three-game series. First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. The Giants won two of the last three games against the A’s in June. 

The Giants will then return to New York to face the Mets for a three-game series.