Game Thread #19: A’s at Giants

Alright, shake it off, shake it off.

After last night’s blowout loss, the A’s are right back at it looking to split the two-game set against the San Francisco Giants.

Oakland welcomes back Chad Pinder tonight, freshly activated off the COVID IL earlier today. He’ll be thrown right back into the action, batting leadoff and playing left field. To make room, utilityman Christian Lopes was sent back down to Triple-A. The rest of the lineup is pretty similar to yesterday’s. Seth Brown is back in the starting lineup, while Tony Kemp is starting at second base.

San Francisco will be going with a bullpen game today, with lefty Sam Long slated to open followed by righty Jakob Junis, the second time this pair have paired together to start a game. Last week against the Washington Nationals, Long handled two shutout innings before making way for Junis, who threw five more scoreless frames. Let’s hope that’s not the case tonight.

For the A’s, righty Paul Blackburn is set to make his fourth start of the year. Through his first three, Blackburn has turned heads showing off a new breaking ball, with a pristine 1.80 ERA to show for it. He’s thrown exactly five innings in each of his starts, so don’t be surprised if Mark Kotsay turns to the bullpen before Blackburn faces the lineup a third time through.

A’s lineup (away)

1. LF Chad Pinder (R)
2. 3B Sheldon Neuse (R)
3. C Sean Murphy (R)
4. RF Stephen Piscotty (R)
5. DH Christian Bethancourt (R)
6. 1B Seth Brown (L)
7. SS Elvis Andrus (R)
8. CF Cristian Pache (R)
9. 2B Tony Kemp (L)

• RHP Paul Blackburn

Giants lineup (home)

1. RF Joc Pederson (L)
2. 1B Brandon Belt (L)
3. DH Wilmer Flores (R)
4. SS Brandon Crawford (L)
5. LF Darin Ruf (R)
6. CF Luis Gonzalez (L)
7. 2B Thairo Estrada (R)
8. 3B Jason Vosler (L)
9. C Curt Casali (R)

• LHP Sam Long (opener)
• RHP Jakob Junis (expected bulk pitcher)

How to watch/listen

• Date: Wednesday, April 27
• Time: 6:45 p.m. PT
• TV: NBC Sports California
• Radio: 960 AM
• Streaming (listen): A’s Cast