San Francisco Giants’ Thairo Estrada hits an RBI single on a bunt during the fifth inning against the Oakland A’s at the Oakland Coliseum on Sun Aug 6, 2023 (AP News photo)

Sunday, August 6th, 2023

By Troy Ewers

Oakland, California – On a beautiful Sunday in Oakland Coliseum in front of 27,381 people, the battle of the Bay part 2 took place as the San Francisco Giants faced the Oakland A’s. The final game of this series for the two teams and it’s coming off the heels of an Athletics win 8-6. Alex Cobb took the mound for San Francisco and Luis Medina on the mound for Oakland, this ball game was all about the bats.

From the opening inning, the offense was on display. Giants struck first, after a J.D. Davis single scores Lamonte Wade Jr. 1-0 Giants. The A’s put up one on the board when it was their turn in the 1st as Seth Brown tripled to center and scored Zack Gelof to tie everything up.

Second inning saw more back and forth, this time Wade Jr. singled and Brandon Crawford scored, but in the bottom of the second ‘s took the lead when Nick Allen hit a two run bomb. This home run scored Tyler Soderstrom and the score became 3-2 Oakland.

The third inning was where San Francisco took momentum back in their hands. Patrick Bailey hit a single and Joc Pederson scored the tying run. 3-3. The Giants took the lead in the same inning when Crawford hit into a fielder’s choice which allowed Davis to score, 4-3 Giants.

The Giants kept their foot on the pedal in the fifth inning when Wade Jr. got his second RBI by hitting a single and Michael Conforto scored, 5-3 Giants, but they weren’t done. Estrada dropped a bunt for a single and Patrick Bailey crossed the plate, 6-3 Giants.

The A’s fought back in the fifth and sixth innings to take a one run lead. In the fifth Nick Allen hit his second home run of the day and that got the place riled up. In the sixth inning with bases loaded, Soderstrom was walked and Brown scored, but right after that Shea Langeliers hit a deep double and scored both Diaz and Rooker to take the lead, 7-6 Oakland.

This onslaught of offense didn’t stop for Oakland after the seventh inning stretch when Gelof, who got on base from a single, scored off a Tony Kemp sacrifice fly. 8-6 A’s. The Giants would get out this inning after Ryan Walker would pick off Diaz and this seemed like the sigh of relief San Francisco needed to generate a comeback.

In the eighth the Giants couldn’t get a rally started, because Angel Felipe struck out the side and the A’s had the momentum in their hands. Jakob Junis retired the side when he checked in the eighth inning, but now it was up to the Giants offense to make things pop one last time before they lose the Oakland leg of the battle of the Bay.

A’s closer Trevor May came in and delivered three straight outs to secure the victory for Oakland with the final score being 8-6 Oakland and a series sweep.

The winning pitcher is Kirby Snead, losing pitcher is Luke Jackson, and Trevor May locks in the save. Alex Cobb clocked in 5.1 innings and record seven hits, four runs, and three strikeouts, with two home runs.

The Giants have to flush this series out of their system, because the next day Monday, August 6th, they will be in Anaheim to face the Angels with Patrick Sandoval (6-8, 4.11) on the mound for the halos and Logan Webb (9-9, 3.45) taking the hill for the Giants.