Oakland A’s Jordan Diaz (13) gives thanks to the good Lord after clouting his eighth home run of the year at the Oakland Coliseum against the San Francisco Giants on Sat Aug 5, 2023 (AP News photo)

San Francisco (61-50) 000 000 010. – 1. 3. 0

Oakland (31-80). 000 010 01x. – 2. 6. 1

Time: 2:34.

Attendance: 37,553

Saturday, August 5, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–Saturday was a reverse boycott day, and the action was almost as much in parking lot B and the right field bleachers as it was on the field. There were Sell THE TEAM rally towels in the former, and chants, cheers, and shouts in the latter.

In other off field action, the A’s announced that they had designated Ramón Laureano for assignment and optioned Tayler Scott to the Las Vegas Aviators. The Athletics also reinstated Dany Jiménez and Esteury Ruíz from the injured list.

They also reinstated the injured Kevin Smith, only to option him to Vegas. They outrighted Tyler Wade there and released Manny Piña. Sic transit gloria mundi. On the field of play, the A’s defeated the visiting Giants, 2-1, in a stunning and thrilling nail biter.

Oakland sent what passes for its ace to the mound. Perhaps it’s unfair of me to qualifyPaul Blackburn that way. He came off the injured list on May 29, so you can say that he’s about two months behind where he’d be if he’d been healthy all season. Throw the Athletics’s weak hitting and poor fielding into the mix, and his numbers look somewhat better, but his 2-2, 4.83 game time record was not one to inspire confidence.

At the Coliseum, “confidence” is an adjective that modifies “game” when describing what the ownership has been doing in cahoots with the cardsharps of southern Nevada to the city of Oakland and the county of Alameda.

Blackburn, who went 7-6,4.28 last season, performed well, if not economically today. It took him 78 pitches to get through his first four innings, 26 in the fourth alone. but he shut the Giants out on two hits over that span. At the end of his tenure, he had thrown six scoreless innings and allowed but two hits and three walks while striking out seven.

He had to settle for a no decision. making his record 2-2 ,4.35. His pitch count was 105, 63 of them strikes. Austin Pruitt took over for. him to pitch a scoreless seventh before giving away to Angel Felipe, who pitched to three men in eighth, leaving with runners on the corners and one out. Trevor May was his replacement and retired the two men he faced but not before the Giants had tied the score.

The Giants’ starter, Ross Stripling, also has had problems with injuries this year. San Francisco’s been allowing him to build up his arm strength since his return from the IL June 25 and has enough confidence to entrust a traditional start to the ex-Dodger hurler, who entered the day with a balance sheet of 0-4, 5.52.

He definitely is not the ace of the Giants’ staff; that honor goes to one of the Cobb-Webb combo. The afternoon, Stripling also started out strong, keeping Oakland off the board during four frames, helped out by a spiffy backhanded stab and throw by Brandon Crawford in the third and a spectacular leaping catch at the NBC Sports advertisement jut to the right of the 388 foot sign in center in the fourth.

Stripling ended his day’s work after pitching another inning and a third and allowing a total of one run on three hits (a home run) and no walks. He struck out seven, Of his 74 pitches, 52 were strikes. He escaped with a no decision, and his record now stands at 0-4, 5.21. Sean Manaea relieved him, facing his old teammates and shutting them down on one hit in 1-2/3 innings.

The A’s finally broke the scoreless tie in their half of the fifth with a leadoff home run to left center by Jordan Díaz, his eighth round tripper of the year. It came off an 83.6 mph change up and travelled 402 feet, with an exit velocity of 106.8 mph. The Giants tied things up in the eighth with a walk to Thairo Estrada and a single by Flores, followed, after May relieved Felipe by Joc Pederson’s sac fly to left.

Ryan Walker replaced Manaea for the home eighth. He faced two pinch hitters, Aledmys Díaz, who singled to center, and Tony Kemp, who drew a base on balls, before Esteury Ruíz attempted a sacrifice bunt. Home plate umpire Dan Menzel called it a foul.

The A’s protested that he was hit by the pitch. A replay review ruled that it was, indeed, a foul. (That’s how it looked to me, too). Ruíz attempted another bunt. JD Davis came charging in from third, nabbed the bunt in the air and threw to first to retire Ruíz.

Kemp moved on to second. That’s when Scott Alexander replaced Walker. And that’s when Jonah Bride pinch hit for Bleday and lined out to second. Alexander conceded a walk to Gelof, loading the bases. Seth Brown singled to right, bringing Díaz home with the go-ahead run, but Michael Conforto’s throw home beat Kemp by a mile. The A’s claimed that Bailey had block the plate, but a video review disproved that.

Now May had to get three outs to preserve the Athletics’ precarious lead. He retired Conforto, Bailey, and Crawford, thereby earning the win. He’s now 3-4, 4.30.

Walker, now 4-1, 2.,56 took the loss.

With today’s win , the A’s improved their record to 31-80, .279. Kansas City lost to the Phillies, 9-6, I Philadelphia, falling to 36-76, .321. W 37-75, .330

The 1899 Cleveland Spiders, all time leaders in futility with their record of 20-134, .130, were shut out by the Chicago Orphans, 4-0, at West Side Park in the Windy City. That dropped the Spiders to 16-79, .168.

The 1962 New York Mets, whose mark of 40-120, .250 is the worst seen in the majors since 1901, split a double header against the Reds in Crosley Field on August 5, leaving the Amazin’s at 29-80, .266.

The 2023 Battle of the Bay concludes Sunday with San Francisco’s Alex Cobb (6-3, 3.05) dueling Oakland’s Luis Medina (3-8, 5.35) first pitch 1:07pm PT. Before the game, the Athletics will induct the 2023 cohort into their Hall of Fame. The honorees are Jason Giambi, Carney Lansford, Gene Tenace, Bob Johnson (from the A’s Philadelphia days), and former A’s PA announcer Roy Steele.