Category: San Francisco Giants

Sandoval’s infield hit gets the job done in Giants’ 4-3 win over Mariners

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By Jeremy Kahn

After two tough losses to the Oakland A’s over the weekend, the San Francisco Giants wanted to get back in the win column in a hurry in their current series against the Seattle Mariners.

Pablo Sandoval hit an infield single in the top of the ninth inning that Dee Gordon was unable to handle, as his throw went away from Ryon Healy and the Giants defeated the Mariners 4-3 at Safeco Field Monday night.

Steven Duggar scored the winning run, as he was on second base after he advanced an additional 90 feet on a Alen Hanson groundout.

Sandoval was hitting for Chase d’Arnaud, who drove in the first Giants run of the evening in the top of the third inning, as he hit an infield single that scored Kelby Tomlinson, who tripled just prior to the d’Arnaud infield hit.

Guillermo Heredia tied up the game in the bottom of the third inning, as he took an Andrew Suarez offering over the center-field wall.

Tomlinson gave the Giants the lead once again in the top of the fourth inning, as he singled to score Brandon Crawford.

Unfortunately, the lead was short-lived, as former Giants centerfielder Denard Span hit a sacrifice fly to Nelson Cruz from third base.

The Giants took the lead for the third time on the night, as Hunter Pence hit his first home run of the season in the top of the sixth inning, a home run that was measured at 445 feet and went off of the facade of the upper deck in left field.

Suarez got into trouble in the bottom of the sixth inning, as he gave up a leadoff single to Kyle Seager; however, Healy then grounded into a double play and it looked like Suarez might get out of the jam, but it was that man Span again. Span walked, and that was the end of the night for Suarez.

Reyes Moronta came into the game, and the usually solid Moronta then walked Mike Zunino and then pinch-hitter Ben Gamel singled off of Moronta to score Span with the tying run; therefore, within two batters, Suarez went from the win to not getting a decision.

Suarez went 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits, walking two and striking out one on the night.

Despite the walk and the single allowed by Moronta, the bullpen was outstanding, as Moronta, Sam Dyson, Tony Watson and Will Smith combined for 3.1 innings, allowing just one hit, one walk and a strikeout.

Dyson struck out two in his only inning of work, before giving way to Watson and the left-hander, shut down the Mariners in order and then Smith struck out two of the three batters he faced to pick-up his fourth save of the season.

Austin Slater came up with the defensive play of the night, as he threw out Seager at the plate on a Zunino single in the bottom of the fourth inning.

James Paxton, who threw a no-hitter earlier in the season was supposed to start the series opener for the Mariners; however, his back flared up over the weekend and he was unable to go.

Roenis Elias got the start for the Mariners, and he went just 3.2 innings, allowing two runs and threw a season-high 75 pitches on the night.

NOTES: The game will be on Facebook only with Rich Waltz, former Giants pitcher Shawn Estes and Ryan Rowland-Smith on the call.

Evan Longoria’s rehab stint will continue with the Sacramento Rivercats for a few more days, as Longoria was hit by a pitch and suffered a triceps contusion on Sunday. Joe Panik will begin his rehab assignment on Thursday, as he recovers from a groin strain he suffered on July 7 against the St. Louis Cardinals.

UP NEXT: The Giants and Mariners will conclude their series Wednesday afternoon at 1:10 pm PDT.

Derek Holland will start the finale for the Giants, as Jeff Samardzija is on the disabled list for the third time this season with a sore right shoulder.

Mariners manager Scott Servais will send former Giants pitcher Mike Leake to the hill, as he looks to improve to 9-6 on the season.

Giants (51-50) need a hot streak: How hot? Extremely hot like the 2004 Astros

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By Morris Phillips

Still think the 51-50 Giants have what it takes to make a run to the postseason? Okay, you’re thinking big obviously, so I offer a big comparison. Unfortunately, comparing the Giants to the 2004 Astros may be too big, as in bigger than real life.

That season the veteran-laden Astros started fast only to stall mid-season. With a 44-44 record, ownership grew impatient, firing Jimy Williams and hiring Phil Garner. But an even bigger move loomed, with the Royals, Padres and A’s pulling off a three-team deal that would bring Carlos Beltran to Houston. The hopless Royals had no chance to retain the 27-year old, five-tool outfielder as a free agent after the season so they dealt him. Astros GM Gerry Hunsicker not only did well to craft a favorable deal that would cost him reliever Octavio Dotel, but he did so a month prior to the July trade deadline.

While the trade would eventually prove to be brilliant, the initial effect would see the first-place Cardinals increase their five-game lead in the NL Central while the Astros continued to be average, first reaching the 101-game mark 51-50, then slumping to 56-60.

The Cardinals wouldn’t look back, winning the division with 105 wins, the best regular season record in baseball that year. The Astros–at least, in the short run–appeared to be an epic failure, languishing below .500, despite a roster featuring Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Beltran (future HOFs), Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Jeff Kent (considered for the HOF), along with Lance Berkman, Roy Oswalt and reliever Brad Lidge at the height of their powers.

But the light switch turned on, and the Astros blasted off, winning 36 of their final 46 games to capture the NL wild card with a 92-70 record. They would leapfrog four teams including the Giants, while taking full advantage of a schedule heavy on the downtrodden Reds, Brewers, Pirates and Rockies, an opponent in the season’s final week.

To recap, the Astros played that season’s first 116 games at a .483 clip, and in the final 46 games, their win percentage jumped to .783.

The 2018 Giants need to catch the division-leading Dodgers or one of either the Brewers or Braves, the current wild card leaders, to hypothetically qualify for the postseason. Without attempting to find a specific number of wins for each of the three clubs the Giants are chasing, we settle on 91 wins, as the projected win total for all three since that number is most likely for all three without trying to factor in the Dodgers’ acquisition of Manny Machado, the Brewers’ recent slide or the Braves’ relative inexperience.

Attempting to reach that number of wins, the Giants–currently winning at a .505 clip–would have to see their win percentage jump to .656 over this season’s final 61 games.

Needless to say that’s a difficult leap for any ballclub to make, and especially for a Giants’ ballclub that hasn’t won at that rate for an extended period of time in more than two years, since the first half of the 2016 season, the last time they strung together consecutive winning months.

So how did the Astros do it? Given the age of their stars that season, and their individual histories in regards to performance enhancers, that would be a good place to start.

Roger Clemens, the surefure Hall of Famer were it not for his close association with PED’s, was 41 years old that season. Clemens started 5-0, and finished 18-4 with a 2.98 ERA. His win percentage that year was tops in baseball and he won his seventh and final Cy Young award.

Again, he was 41.

Jeff Bagwell would extend his streak of hitting at least 20 home runs in a season that year to 12. He also would surpass 400 home runs and 200 stolen bases in his career. Bagwell was 36 in 2004.

Craig Biggio was 38, Jeff Kent was 36, Jose Vizcaino, who played in 138 games in 2004, was 36.

Andy Pettitte was 32. Dan Miceli was 33 that season in which he pitched in 72 games prior to his faltering in the NLCS against St. Louis.

Some of these players–not all–at some point in their careers were associated to PEDs. Needless to say, a 41-year-old winning the Cy Young may never happen again.

And the Giants might not have the juice for such a torrid, frantic finish.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: A’s Chapman the hero in taking two out three from the Giants again

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On the SF Giants podcast with Morris:

The Oakland A’s Matt Chapman helped getting the gamer in extra innings Sunday at the Oakland Coliseum in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the A’s a one-run win, 6-5, over the San Francisco Giants. Chapman hit a ball that went off Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford’s foot and allowed the game-winning run to score.

With the loss to the A’s, the Giants are now five games back behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers. How much of a setback is it for the Giants to lose two series to the A’s in two weeks in the month of July?

A’s starter Sean Manaea had a quality start–not allowing a base runner until the Giants’ Nick Hundley singled with two outs in the top of the fifth inning. Giants starter Johnny Cueto threw for seven innings, four runs, six hits, walked two and struck out three.

A’s Khris Davis continues to rake hitting a two-run home run that was the first of three homers of Cueto.

Morris Phillips does the Giants podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

Bay Bridge Series: A’s and Giants–Two Teams Going in Different Directions

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By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland A’s took four out the six games from the San Francisco Giants these past two weekends and the A’s won the first ever Bay Bridge Series trophy. The A’s won two out of three at AT&T Park and did the same at the Oakland Coliseum. The two Bay Area teams crossed path like two ships in the open sea with one full steam ahead and the other one just trying to stay afloat.

The A’s acquired Mets closer Jeurys Familia, and on his first day with the A’s on Sunday, the Dominican native saw action as he pitched two effective innings in relief and won the game. Now, Familia is 5-4 and comes from the Mets–a team going nowhere with perhaps a seize of taking the cellar-dweller status away from the Marlins–with 17 saves in 21 opportunities. The A’s are contenders and still looking to land a starter.

On Saturday, a new attendance record was set at the Oakland Coliseum since 1968–a record-setting 56,318 in attendance as Mount Davis was opened to the public for the first time in 13 years. On Friday, 45,606 followed by Sunday’s 44,379. A grand total of 146,303 attended for part two of the Bay Bridge Series.

It is good to see this great rivalry. Also, the Bay Area Champion Trophy was a great idea. At the Coliseum this weekend, a lot of families were in attendance–many of whom had different loyalties. So it was not rare to see,some A’s fans and some Giants fans in the same family. As I walked around for an hour before game time, I noticed nothing but joy among the fans during this great series, the first in Oakland since the All-Star Break, with good weather.

Right now, the Giants have a much different look. Right now, the A’s are young, aggressive and exciting as they’re hitting home runs in bunches, while the Giants are pretty much a veteran ball club trying to hold on and return to the form of their most recent odd-year dynasty.

The Giants have a superb fan base and likely do not want to mention the word “rebuild” and they are hoping against hope that their team have enough to make a comeback. They’re playing in a division, where it looks like the Dodgers (now with Manny Machado) are the favorites to win for a six straight time and maybe earn themselves another trip to another World Series. Duggar, Slater, Moronta and Suárez are some of the young blood on the Giants’ roster trying to make an impression compared to the veterans. Only time will tell, but if the Giants continue to hover around the .500 mark, the powers-to-be might have to star selling players before July 31. In a way, they are very lucky to be playing in the NL West, where nobody has gotten really hot, taken first place and opened a big lead.

But I notice that these two teams are going in different directions. The A’s are playing four games starting tomorrow at Arlington, Texas, against the last-place Texas Rangers, three at Denver against the contending Colorado Rockies, and then return home on July 30 for a eight-game homestand over 10 days–three versus the Toronto Blue Jays, three versus the Detroit Tigers, and finally, a two-game set versus the Dodgers.

The Giants head to Seattle for a couple of games at Safeco Field against the Mariners next Tuesday and Wednesday, travel back to San Francisco to host the contending Milwaukee Brewers for four games and then fly to San Diego to close out July against the Padres for a brief two-game series.

Will the Giants ‘back up the truck’ if by then? If they have not made a run? Only the shadow knows. Stay tuned.

Obviously, the Giants want to continue with this cast and hope that Joe Panik and Evan Longoria get back to play and roll the dice! It’s interesting enough that the Giants’ No. 1 pitcher Madison Bumgarner and No. 2 pitcher Johnny Cueto have not fared that well after coming out of the DL. This Sunday, Cueto gave up four home runs–two to Khris Davis and two to Matt Olson. When Cueto was pitching this week, he doesn’t give the long-ball with that frequency, but the A’s continue to hit home runs with the best of teams in baseball this season.

The Giants have a lot of big contracts locked to players like Cueto, Samardzija and Melancon, while they will have to make a decision with Bumgarner…to extend his contract or even trade him in the current market where everybody is looking for pitchers. We will also find out if other guys like veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen will say ‘adios’ to San Francisco.

Amaury Pi-González is on his 41st season of broadcasting the MLB. He’s currently broadcasting for the A’s (his first team in 1977) and has also broadcasted the Giants, Angels and Mariners. In 2010, the Cuban-born broadcaster was inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame (BARHOD) alongside Jon Miller and Gary Radnich. As far as baseball in Spanish, Pi-Gonzalez is only the second broadcaster in the country as the longtime Spanish voice of the Dodgers, trailing Jaime Jarrin, who has been broadcasting for over 50 years.

Chapman’s walk-off single wins it for the A’s 6-5 over the Giants in extras

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jeremy Kahn

OAKLAND — Matt Chapman ended the weekend with one swing of the bat, and gave the Bay Bridge Series to the Oakland A’s.

Chapman hit a single off of Brandon Crawford’s foot and bounced into the outfield, to give the A’s a thrilling 6-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants in 10 innings before a sellout crowd of 44,374 at the Coliseum on Sunday.

Marcus Semien led off the bottom of the 10th with a walk off of eventual losing pitcher Ty Blach, Semien stole second with Stephen Piscotty at the plate. Piscotty then flew out for the first out and then Blach intentionally walked Khris Davis to get to Matt Olson, who flew out for the second out and then Chapman ended it with his single.

With the loss, the Giants are now just one game over .500 at 51-50, and are now five games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West.

This game went back and forth in the later innings, as Andrew McCutchen hit a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning that gave the Giants a 5-4 lead. However, that lead was short-lived, as Davis hit his second home run of the afternoon in the bottom half of the inning to tie up the game.

Sean Manaea was outstanding for the A’s, as he did not allow a base runner until Nick Hundley singled with one out in the top of the fifth inning and then two batters later, Austin Slater broke up the shutout for Manaea, as he doubled off the right-center field wall.

Manaea went 6.2 innings, allowing just two run, while scattering four hits, not walking a batter and striking out five, but he did not fare in the decision.

Johnny Cueto went seven innings, allowing four runs, on six hits, walking two and striking out three, but did not fare in the decision.

Cueto struggled to get to seven innings pitched, as he gave up three home runs, before giving way to Melancon in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Davis hit a home run, a two-run blast and that was the first of three home runs allowed by Cueto on the afternoon, as he gave up two home runs to Matt Olson in the bottom of the fourth and sixth innings, respectively.

Nick Martini got the A’s first inning going, as he legged out an infield single and then three batters later, Davis hit the first pitch he saw from Cueto into the left field seats to give the A’s an early 2-0 lead.

Olson extended the lead up to 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning, as he took a Cueto offering and put it into the right field seats for his 20th home run of the season.

After the Slater double that scored Hundley in the top of the fifth inning, Olson launched his second home run of the game and 21st of the season in the bottom of the sixth inning.

It was the second two-homer game of the season for Olson, and the fourth of his career.

The Giants put together a rally in the top of the seventh inning, as Hundley picked up his second hit of the afternoon, and then two batters later, Slater followed up his second hit of the afternoon.

After Brandon Crawford made the second out of the inning, Manaea was replaced by Emilio, who immediately gave up a single to Slater and that was all for Pagan, as Leo Trivino came on to face pinch hitter Pablo Sandoval, who then cut the A’s lead down to 4-3, as he doubled off the right-center field wall.

The Giants were not done, as pinch-hitter Alen Hanson then singled to score pinch runner Steven Duggar to tie up the game.

NOTES: This is the second meeting of the season between the two teams, as they split a two-game series at AT&T Park on April 3 and 4.

UP NEXT: After an off day on Monday, the Giants continue to play the American League West on the road, as they travel to Seattle and open a brief two-game series against the Mariners on Tuesday night at 7:10 pm PDT. Andrew Suarez will take the ball in the opener, while the Mariners will send James Paxton to the mound.

Lucroy’s walk-off single lifts A’s past Giants 4-3 in extras

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jeremy Kahn

OAKLAND — Jonathan Lucroy ended the game with one swing of the bat when the Oakland A’s needed it the most.

Lucroy hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th inning, helping the A’s to a 4-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants before a sellout crowd of 56,310 at the Coliseum on Saturday night.

“Hard fought game,” said manager Bruce Bochy.

It was the second walk-off of the season for Lucroy, with his first coming on June 17 against the Los Angeles Angels and it was the seventh game-ending RBI of Lucroy’s career.

Things looked bleak for the Giants in the top of the ninth inning, as A’s closer Blake Treinen came to close it out; however, a funny thing happened on the way to the game ending.

Treinen was able to retire Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval, but then Alen Hanson reached on a wild pitch after he struck out with the game on the line.

Hunter Pence then tied up the game with a double down the right field line that easily scored the speedy Hanson from first base.

A’s manager Bob Melvin came out to argue that the Pence ball was interfered with in the bullpen area; however, after a 1:18 review, the play stood and the game was tied.

“It is a ground-rule, and Hanson scored easily,” said Bochy.

The A’s loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth inning, as Tony Watson gave up back-to-back singles to Matt Olson and Matt Chapman and then Reyes Moronta came on to replace Watson.

Moronta then got Chad Pinder to sacrifice Olson and Chapman to second and third, and then after an intentional walk to pinch hitter Nick Martini, Moronta then got Marcus Semien to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Andrew McCutchen drew walk against Treinen in the top of the 10th inning with one out, but Treinen struck out both Brandon Crawford and Buster Posey to end the inning.

Madison Bumgarner gave up four walks and a base hit in the bottom of the fifth inning that gave the A’s a 3-1 lead on the Giants.

Olson led off the fifth with a single, then Chapman, Chad Pinder, Josh Phegley and Marcus Siemen all walked against Bumgarner and that was the end of the night for the left-hander.

“First four innings, I was cruising and then in the fifth, I could not find the corner,” said Bumgarner.

Phegley’s walk tied up the game, then Semien’s walk gave the A’s lead for the first time and after Bumgarner was lifted for Sam Dyson, Mark Canha grounded into a double play that scored Pinder with the final run of the inning.

“Dyson kept it close for us,” said Bochy, as the reliever went two innings, and allowed a walk and a strikeout before being replaced by Ray Black in the top of the seventh inning.

The combined five walks in the fifth inning are the most in an inning for the Giants since they walked five in the bottom of the fourth inning against the Cincinnati Reds on July 3, 2007 at Great American Ballpark. Barry Zito allowed the five walks in that fourth inning, a game that the Giants would lose 7-3 to the Reds.

Bumgarner went just four innings, allowing three runs on two hits, walking six and striking out and he did not fare in the decision. The streak of 89 consecutive starts that Bumgarner went at least five innings came to an end, the 89 consecutive starts were a major league high.

The six walks by Bumgarner were a career-high, as he gave up five walks four times in his career, with the last time coming against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 4, 2016 at Miller Park.

Brandon Belt returned from the paternity list after the birth of his son August (Augie), and hit his 14th home run of the season in the top of the fourth inning to give the Giants a 1-0 lead.

The Belt home run was the first hit that the Giants got off of Trevor Cahill on the evening, and was just the second runner that Cahill allowed to reach prior to the sixth inning, which was the end of the line for Cahill.

In all, Cahill went 5.2 innings, allowing just one run on two hits, but he did not fare in the decision.

Cahill got into a jam in the top of the sixth inning, as he gave up a leadoff single to Hunter Pence, then Cahill regrouped to strikeout both Gorkys Hernandez and Steven Duggar consecutively. Unfortunately, Cahill then walked to load the bases and Cahill’s night was done and Ryan Buchter came on to replace Cahill.

Buchter then was able to get Crawford to strikeout to end the inning and the threat for the Giants.

Crawford made the defensive play of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning, as he ran from his position at shortstop to make a running catch off of foul ball from Olson. Pablo Sandoval was in the shift, and nowhere near third base and Crawford reached out to make the running catch in the Coliseum’s very deep foul territory.

In the bottom of the 11thinning, Crawford made another great defensive play, as he slid to catch an Olson fly ball that would have easily fallen in for an easy double for Olson with one out.

As fate would have it, Will Smith then gave up back-to-back singles to Chapman and Pinder and then Lucroy ended it with a single.

Pence got the Giants within one in the top of the seventh inning, as he singled up the middle to score Posey easily from third base.

The Pence single came off of Leo Trivino, after he replaced Buchter with one out in the inning after Hanson hit a single that sent Posey to third base.

All in all, Pence went 3-for-5 at the plate, including that double in the top of the ninth inning that tied up the game.

“Nice game by Hunter,” said Bochy.

Trivino was able to get out of the jam, as he struck out Hernandez and then was able to get Duggar to ground out to Jed Lowrie at second base to end the inning.

Treinen came on in the top of the ninth inning, and was unable to pick-up his 25thsave in 28 opportunities. In all, Treinen threw 44 pitches, the most by the reliever since April 18 against the Chicago White Sox and it was the sixth time in his career that he threw 40 or more pitches in a game in his career that spans 254 games.

NOTES: Ryder Jones was optioned back to Sacramento after Belt was activated from the Paternity List to the game.

Belt’s newborn’s full name is August “Augie” Kyle Belt, and he joins older brother Grayson, who will be four years old in August.

The baby is named after Belt’s former head coach at the University of Texas, the late Augie Garrido, whom Belt played for in 2008 and 2009.

Garrido, who passed away in March of 2018 was the winningest coach in NCAA Baseball history until current Florida State Head Coach Mike Martin passed him. The veteran coach led both Cal State Fullerton and Texas to the College World Series 15 times, winning five of them for the Titans and Longhorns.

The 56,310 in attendance broke the record of 55,989 that packed the Coliseum on June 26, 2004, when the A’s’ defeated the Giants 8-7 in 10 innings, when Marco Scutaro singled in Bobby Kielty. Octavio Dotel picked the win for the A’s, while Jim Brower took the loss for the Giants. This was also the largest crowd in the Major Leagues during the 2018 season.

UP NEXT: The Giants and A’s will meet again Sunday afternoon at 1:05 pm PDT.

Johnny Cueto looks for his fourth win on Sunday afternoon, as he takes the mound for the Giants in the last regular season meeting against the A’s this year. Sean Manaea will go for the A’s, as he looks for his 10th win of the season.

MLB The Show podcast with Matt Harrington: Giants’ Rodriguez dominates A’s; Manfred ready for the universal DH; Red Sox red-hot blank Tigers; plus more

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On the MLB The Show podcast with Matt:

#1 San Francisco Giants starter Dereck Rodriguez went 6.1 innings Friday night against the Oakland A’s and held the A’s to just one run in the Giants’ 5-1 win at AT&T Park.

#2 MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has talked about the universal designated hitter, while there are a good number of players in the National League who do not like the DH Manfred said momentum is gaining that the DH will be enacted sooner than later.

#3 The Boston Red Sox got a 1-0 shutout over the Detroit Tigers on Friday. The Red Sox Steve Pearce hit an RBI double and David Price pitched a four hitter past the Bengals.

#4 The Seattle Mariners gained a full game on the Oakland A’s with a 3-1 win over the Chicago White Sox. Mariners starter Wade LeBlanc and two relievers helped stop the Sox for five hits in the win.

#5 Cleveland keeps rolling now–8.5 on top of the Minnesota Twins. The Twins who were defeated by Cleveland on Friday night 6-5 need these games to knock down some of  Cleveland’s lead.

Matt Harrington does the MLB podcasts each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

A’s Offense Still on Break in 5-1 Loss to Giants

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By Matthew Harrington

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland A’s offense still thinks the All-Star break is ongoing. That’d be the only explanation for the A’s 5-1 loss to the Giants at home in round two of the Bay Bridge Series.

Rookie Dereck Rodriguez (5-1, 2.72 ERA) stymied the A’s hitters to just one run on three hits over 6 1/3 innings, while home runs from fellow rookie Ryder Jones and Pablo Sandoval handed starter Edwin Jackson (1-2, 2.93) the loss. Mark Canha, the hero of Saturday’s tilt at AT&T Park, knocked in the lone run for the Green and Gold.

Two of the three A’s hits of Pudge’s kid came in the top of the second. Khris Davis hit a double and scored on Canha’s sacrifice and Dustin Fowler also singled in the inning. Rodriguez struck out five batters and walked none to tie the season series at two games apiece.

Jackson pitched well, and on most nights the potent A’s offense would back his outing. He held a 1-0 lead into the fourth, and was no-hitting the Giants before Andrew McCutchen broke up the no-no with a one-out double. After Brandon Crawford pushed McCutchen to third, Buster Posey singled him in for the two-out RBI and a tie game.

San Francisco took the lead in the next inning after Ryder Jones took a Jackson offering off the foul pole in right field for a solo homer. Sandoval tagged Jackson with another solo blast in the top of the seventh to send the righty to the showers down 3-1.

The Giants tacked a pair of runs off the A’s bullpen in the top of the eighth after former Giant Yusmeiro Petit allowed back-to-back singles to open the inning. He would the game with a runner on third, two out and a run in on a sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly. Ryan Butcher would yield an RBI single to Brandon Crawford to close the book on Petit with two earned runs. The bullpen struggles further stoke the fire of a rumored trade between the A’s and Mets for closer Jeurys Familia.

The Giants’ bullpen, minus a comeback liner that bounced off Mark Melancon’s foot, cruised with relatively little incident. Reyes Moronta, Melancon and Tony Watson combined for one hit on 2 2/3 innings of work to finish out the game.

The Bridge Trophy will now come down to the winner of Sunday’s game, thanks to a bizarre tie-breaking criterium. Both teams are tied at two wins apiece, meaning regardless of who wins Saturday’s contest, Sunday’s winner would take home the hardware. In the event of a series split, the winner of the final game gets the trophy.

Oakland feels confident for Saturday’s matchup, a showdown between Johnny Cueto and Sean Manaea, but may be trailing the series 3-2 with Saturday’s Madison Bumgarner and Brett Anderson match-up at 6:05 pm PDT.

Rodriguez helps Giants even Bay Bridge Series en route to 5-1 rout of A’s

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By Jeremy Kahn

OAKLAND — In his first ever appearance against the Oakland A’s, Dereck Rodriguez showed one of the hottest teams in baseball that he is for real.

Ryder Jones hit a solo home run off of Edwin Jackson leading off the top of the fifth inning, helping the San Francisco Giants to a 5-1 victory over the Oakland A’s before a sellout crowd of 45,606 at the Coliseum on Friday night.

Jones, called up from Sacramento to take the place of Brandon Belt, who was placed on the paternity list, as his wife Haylee gave birth to their second child, a boy named August Kyle. It is the second boy, as Haylee gave birth to a baby boy during the 2014 World Series Championship season.

Andrew McCutchen came up huge for the Giants both offensively and defensively, as he broke up Jackson’s no-hit bid by doubling in the top of the fourth inning with one out. McCutchen then scored the tying run, as Buster Posey singled into shallow center field, two batters later.

McCutchen made two great catches in the outfield, as he robbed Matt Chapman of potential extra bases to end the fourth inning and did it again in the bottom of the fifth inning, as he robbed Jonathan Lucroy of an extra base hit.

Pablo Sandoval extended the Giants lead up to 3-1 in the top of the seventh inning as he took a Jackson offering and put it into the right field seats to extend the Giants lead.

Rodriguez pitched a great game for the Giants, as he went 6.1 innings, allowing one run, on three hits, walking no one and striking out five.

“It started with Rodríguez, what another nice job he did,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “A nice job pitching, got us into the seventh there and really had all of his pitches going again.”

After hitting his second batter of the night, Rodriguez was able to Matt Chapman to fly out to McCutchen in right field and that was the end of the night for Rodriguez.

Reyes Moronta came on to replace Rodriguez, and he got Mark Canha to pop out to Sandoval and then Dustin Fowler grounded out to Alen Hanson to end the inning and the threat.

“We know, it’s a group of guys that have been around for a while and we’ve got to get these guys some run support,” Posey said.

The bullpen trio of Moronta, Mark Melancon and Tony Watson allowed no runs, one hit, one walk and no strikeouts in 2.2 innings of work.

The A’s got to Rodriguez in the bottom of the second inning, as Khris Davis doubled to lead off the inning, after Olson flew out for the first out of the inning to send Davis to third base, then Chapman was hit by a pitch. Canha then hit a sacrifice fly to Gorkys Hernandez in left field to score Davis with the A’s first run of the evening.

“After I signed with the Giants in the offseason, I felt like it was a fresh start and I wanted to make a good impression,” Rodríguez said.

Jackson also went 6.1 innings, allowing three runs on four hits, walking one and striking out six.

McCutchen drove in the fourth run of the evening for the Giants, as he hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth inning off of former Giants reliever Yusmeiro Petit.

The Giants got the eighth inning rally started in the top of the inning, as Gorkys Hernandez led off the inning with a single, then Steven Duggar singled for the first time tonight, following a Alen Hanson sacrifice bunt back to Petit, McCutchen’s sacrifice fly to Fowler, easily scored Hernandez.

Brandon Crawford got in on the act, as he singled to right field to score Duggar from third base to put the game away.

Sandoval just missed his second home run in the top of the ninth inning, as he hit a double high off the wall in the left-center field.

NOTES: The two home runs by the Giants tonight bring their total for the month up to eight. It was the third home run of the month for Sandoval, two for Chase d’Arnaud, and for Hernandez, Hanson and Jones.

This was the A’s first sellout of the season, as they drew a season-high in the opener of the three-game series.

Evan Longoria began his rehab assignment with the Sacramento Rivercats, as they traveled to El Paso to face the Chihuahuas. Longoria went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a RBI before being replaced by Myles Schroder at third base.

McCutchen ended the game with eight putouts, the most in a nine-inning game by a Giants right fielder since Randy Winn ended with eight on April 7, 2006 against the Atlanta Braves.

It was the sixth time in McCutchen’s career that he ended a game with eight-or-more putouts in the same game. McCutchen’s career high is nine, that he did twice with the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 19, 2014 versus the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park and on May 11, 2015 on the road versus the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

With his run-scoring single in the top of the third inning that scored McCutchen, Posey extended his hitting streak at the Coliseum up to seven games.

Jeff Samardzija, currently on the disabled list underwent an MRI on Monday and also received a PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) injection on Monday as well.

“We’re just trying to avoid those flare ups that we’ve had all year,” Samardzija said. “I guess there’s good news and bad news and the bad news is that we’re back here where we’re at. But the good news is after doing this once or twice, we’ve got a really good plan moving forward.”

Samardzija is on the disabled list for the third time this season with inflammation in his pitching shoulder.

“This team has put me in the situation to have the ability to come back and wait until I’m 100 percent with how great the young kids have been pitching,” Samardzija said.

UP NEXT: The Giants and A’s will continue the Bay Bridge Series Saturday night at 6:05 pm PT.

Madison Bumgarner will make his ninth start of the season, on Saturday evening, as he looks for his fourth win of the season. Trevor Cahill will take the mound for the A’s, as he looks for his second win of the season.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Jeremy Kahn and Michael Duca: He’s not vintage MadBum, but he’s been throwing pretty darn good of late

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nbcsports.com file photo: San Francisco Giants starter Madison Bumgarner is working on getting back to being vintage Mad Bum for the Giants

On the SF Giants podcast with Michael and Jeremy:

What the San Francisco Giants need to do to win this upcoming series in Oakland is to sweep, and to win it, you have to win the series and they’ve cleverly figured it out after they found out it’s a crooked number of games to do it. Maybe if it was at AT&T Park, we’ll have a quick rugby game afterwards.

Madison Bumgarner is not vintage Madison Bumgarner, but he’s been pretty darn good. He’s still not commanding of pitches in the strike zone and his breaking ball looks a little weaselly. Bum tries to shave the corner, as he was missing by two or three inches. Three quarters of a Bumgarner is equal to one of anybody else you can find from the National League’s pitching rotation.

Michael Duca does the SF Giants podcast each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com