Athletics drop the first game of the Bay Bridge series to Giants 2-1 in San Francisco

The Oakland Athletics made the short trip across the Bay Bridge to take on their local rivals the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco tonight. The A’s sent an opener, righty Tayler Scott (0-0 with a 6.94 ERA) to the mound to face 35-year-old righty Alex Cobb (6-3 with a 3.15 ERA). This was Scott’s second start of the season and fourth of his career.

The fans were more hospitable than Cobb who struck out six of the seven batters he faced to start the game. But fans started the game off with chants of “Sell the Team.” Ken Waldichuk took over in the second inning for Scott and tossed a 1-2-3 inning.

At the end of three innings, both teams were scoreless with just one baserunner. The A’s got two base hits in a row in the top of the fifth inning, but Cobb worked his way out of the jam. Wilmer Flores and Patrick Bailey started the bottom of the fifth with singles. Then Brett Wisely attempted a sacrifice bunt that Waldichuk fielded quickly but a wild throw to third base attempting to get the lead runner pulled Peterson off the bag for an E-1. The Giants took a 1-0 lead when Casey Schmidt hit a sacrifice fly to right fielder Cody Thomas. Waldichuk struck out Lamont Wade swinging to end the inning and limit the damage.

With one out in the top of the sixth, Zack Gelof was hit by a pitch, and stole second, his fourth during his brief time in the major leagues. JJ Bleday then walked. But once again Cobb worked his way out of trouble.

With two outs and a runner on first, Mark Kotsay pulled Waldichuk in favor of Austin Pruitt. Two pitches later, he had retired the side. Pruitt tossed a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh to keep the game at 1-0, Giants.

Aledmys Diaz led off the eighth with a base hit into right field. Kemp sacrificed him to second. With two outs, JJ Bleday singled to straight away centerfield to score Diaz from second to tie the score at 1-1.

Lucas Erceg relieved Pruitt in the bottom of the eighth. Lamont Wade Jr. dropped a broken-bat single into short center field for a single. But with two outs, J.D. Davis managed a four-pitch walk to put runners on first and second. Sam Moll came in to face Mike Yastrzemski. Yaz ripped a double down the right field line to score Luis Matos and give the Giants a 2-1 lead at the end of eight.

Giants rock steady closer Camilo Doval entered the game to close out the ninth. Ramon Laureano, fresh off the Injured List (IL) struck out to open the inning. Doval struck out Jace Peterson looking, and then got Shea Langeliers swinging to end the game.

The A’s dropped the first game of this short two game interleague series with another two in August at the Coliseum between the clubs.