SF Giants fall to A’s in Bay Bridge Series, set sights on Opening Day

 



The Giants wrapped up spring training Tuesday with a 3-1 loss to the Athletics at Oracle Park, with their cross-bay rivals salvaging a split before a crowd of 27,706.

The team took on a different look during spring training, especially with the late additions of third baseman Matt Chapman and left-handed pitcher Blake Snell in free agency. Other newcomers include center fielder Jung Hoo Lee and designated hitter Jorge Soler.

The Giants were blanked by A’s starter Paul Blackburn for 5 2/3 innings with the biggest cheers coming for Pablo Sandoval, who isn’t expected to be on the 26-man roster when they open the season Thursday in San Diego against the Padres.

After striking out in his first at-bat, Sandoval hit a broken-bat single to right in the ninth. He was removed for pinch-runner Donovan Walton, who went to third on a single by Wilmer Flores and scored on Joey Bart’s single to left center.

The Giants had a rally in the eighth when Austin Slater singled and went to third on a one-out single by Ismael Munguia, but Otto Lopez grounded into a double play against Tyler Ferguson.

The Giants trailed 3-0 in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Nick Allen, whose flyout scored Lawrence Butler, who triple to lead off the inning off Camilo Doval.

A sacrifice fly to shallow right by Esteury Ruiz scored Butler from third to put the A’s up 2-0 in the top of the fourth.

Butler opened the inning with a single, and after a flyout, Allen hit a roller down the line that third baseman Matt Chapman thought would roll foul. It didn’t. A walk to Darell Hernaiz loaded the bases, and Ruiz hit a fly to Yastrzemski in right. Yastrzemski’s throw was on target, but Butler made a nice slide and tagged home with his right hand to score the run.

The A’s scored the first run against Blayne Enlow, the third Giants pitcher, on a run-scoring ground out from designated hitter and former Giants third baseman J.D. Davis.

Carlos Perez opened the inning with a one-out walk and was doubled to third by Ryan Noda, with Davis plating Perez with a ground out to Nick Ahmed at short.

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