San Francisco Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval ends his active baseball career with a broken bat flare to right against the Oakland A’s at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Tue Mar 26, 2024 (San Francisco Giants X account)
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Athletics. 001 101 000. 3. 6. 0
San Francisco. 000 000 001. 1. 8. 0
Time: 2:24
Attendance: 27,706
By Lewis Rubman
SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants advertised this evening’s exhibition against the Utopian A’s as, perhaps, a last chance to see Pablo Sandoval play in a San Francisco uniform. Then they saluted him in their opening announcement.
The fans cheered the portly veteran, and they cheered JD Davis in his first at bat as an A in his old Oracle home. Sandoval got another ovation, a standing one, when he entered the game to play third in the top of the sixth. .But those of us who remember Brandon Crawflord’s long farewell say “maybe.” We shall see what we shall see.
Personally, I’d like to see the Panda suit up in an Oakland Ballers uni. And, by the way, I call the A’s “Utopian,” because the word is derived from the Greek for “nowhere.” Perhaps “peripatetic” would be a better choice. I’m open for suggestions; feel free to send them to me at lrubman@sportsradioservice.com.
Looking at the starting pitchers for the encounter between the San Franciscans and the team that once was their trans bay rivals, you’d want to run to Las Vegas and put your money on the A’s. Manager Mark Kotsay gave the nod to staff ace Paul Blackburn; Bob Melvin called Spencer Howard over from the minor league camp to open for the Giants. The result was a thrilling win for the visitors.
Blackburn went 5-2/3 innings, shutting San Francisco down on only a pair of singles without allowing anyone else to reach base. He struck. out six, and 48 of his 74 offerings were counted as strikes, while Howard was removed after Nick Allen’s hard line drive in the second bounced off him, forcing Matt Chapman to make a spectacular grab and throw for the inning’s second. out.
That cost the right handed hurler a contusion on his pitching arm. The young pitcher gave up one hit and struck 0ut two in his brief, 25 pitch outing. As could be expected in 21st century baseball, especially in spring training, there was a lot of relief pitching.
The A’s used four relief pitchers, Austin Adams, who closed out the sixth with a strikeout; Kyle Muller(one inning, one hit, one strikeout); Tyler Ferguson 9 (one inning, two hits, no runs); and Vinny Nittoli, who was on the bump. in the bottom or the ninth when Pablo lifted a 1-2 cut fastball over Abraham Toro’s head into right for a single, which was greeted by thunderous applause.
The Panda was lifted for a pinch runner Dalton Walton, who scored on Joey Bart’s single to center, closing the gap to 3-1. But Nitoli. buckled down to strike out Luciano and Slater, to earn the save.
The Giants’ list was composed of Cody Stashak, who retired the only batter he faced. Blayne Enlow, another minor league righty, came on to pitch the top of the third. He allowed a run on a walk to Carlos Pérez and Ryan Nola’s double down the right field line, and was the victim of some bad luck (although not as bad as Howard’s).
Lawrence Butler led off with a single to left and advanced to second on a one out weak infield grounder to Chapman, Butler came home on Esteury Ruíz’s shallow sac fly to right. Butler was just, but clearly, safe at home, and the A’s were up, 2-0.
Enlow gave way to Taylor Rogers after going 2-1/3 frames and yielding two runs, both earned but not fully deserved, on three hits and two walks, Taylor, the left handed, Rogers took over for him with the bases empty and one down in the fifth and got his two batters.
The next Giant on the mound, Camilo Duval, was greeted by Butler with a resounding triple to left. He scored on Nick Allen’s sacrifice fly to left, making it 3-0 in favor of the green and gold Duval hung on to give up another hit, a single, and get four more outs before making room for Tyler, the right handed submarining, Rogers. in the eighth. Nick Avila set the Athletics down to a conga beat, 1-2-3, in the top of the ninth.
Blackburn got the win; Enlow, the loss, and Nittoli, the save.
The Giants will embark on a brief tour of southernCalifornia to open the National League season, visiting San Diego andLos Angeles. The will begin on Thursday the 28th against the Padres, where they’ll send LogannWebb to the mound. He’s expected to be opposed by Yu Darvish. The orange and black will return home to face the Padres at Oracle Park on Saturday, April 6, at 1:05 in the afternoon.
