Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants Open Cactus League Schedule; A’s Take 10-5 Win
By Phil Watson
Feb 26, 2014; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Oakland Athletics Billy Burns (19) safely slides into second base in front of San Francisco Giants Nick Noonan (21) at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports
The Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants opened their Cactus League scheduled Wednesday at Scottsdale Stadium, with the A’s plating four runs in the top of the first and six mote in the fourth en route to a 10-5 win.
Oakland (1-0) got on the board before Giants starter Yusmeiro Petit could record an out. Sam Fuld grounded a single up the middle to lead off the game and moved to third on a bloop single by Nick Punto. Josh Reddick lofted a soft liner up the middle to score Fuld and advance Punto to third to give the A’s a quick 1-0 edge.
They weren’t done.
Punto scored on a groundout by Yoenis Cespedes, who advanced to second on a groundout by Brandon Moss. Alberto Callaspo followed with a line single to right to score Cespedes. Callaspo wound up at third when the ball got away from Hunter Pence in right field and scored on John Jaso’s solid single to right.
Petit was done after the one inning of work, allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits.
Oakland really broke things open in the fourth when Giants closer Sergio Romo came in to get in some work.
Fuld and Punto led off the inning with back-to-back singles and moved up on a ground ball out by Reddick. Cespedes hit a grounder that shortstop Brandon Crawford was able to flag down, but Crawford couldn’t make a play and Fuld scored to make it 5-0. Romo then allowed Cespedes to advance to second on a wild pitch, although Punto held his ground at third.
No matter. Moss drove both runners in with a single to right to make it 7-0 A’s. After Callaspo singled, Stephen Vogt chased both runners home with a triple into the right-field alley and Michael Taylor smacked an opposite-field single to right to score Vogt and make it 10-0. Romo finally escaped by inducing Eric Sogard to bounce into a double play. Romo’s line was spring-training like—six runs on seven hits in an inning of work.
The Giants (0-1) were able to get a run back in the bottom of the frame off reliever Josh Lindblom. Gregor Blanco led off the inning with a walk and moved up on a wild pitch. Brandon Belt singled to left to advance Blanco to third and Pablo Sandoval lofted a fly ball to right field that was deep enough to get Blanco home.
The inning could have been more productive save for Reddick showing he is already in Gold Glove form.
With runners at first and second, Michael Morse crushed a ball that appeared ticketed to a spot beyond the fence in right field. But Reddick scaled the wall and made a terrific backhand catch to rob Morse of a home run.
The Giants made it a bit closer in the ninth when they hung a four-spot against reliever Deryk Hooker. Adam Duvall led off the inning with a home run to center and Roger Kieschnick followed with a single to right. Juan Perez walked and two outs later, Ehire Adrianza crushed a line-drive homer to right to score a trio.
The A’s used seven pitchers, with starter Jesse Chavez allowing a hit and recording a strikeout in two scoreless innings. Lindblom walked two and gave up a run on one hit in his two innings. Fernando Abad and Evan Scribner worked one perfect inning each in the fifth and sixth, respectively, with each striking out a batter. Andrew Werner gave up a hit and a walk with a strikeout in a scoreless seventh and Fernando Nieve gave up a walk and fanned a batter in the eighth. Hooker was charged with four runs on three hits with a walk and a strikeout while giving up two homers in the ninth.
San Francisco used eight pitchers. Besides Petit and Romo having rough days, Juan Gutierrez worked 1.2 scoreless frames, walking two and allowing a hit, and Dan Runzler got one out in the third inning. Kameron Loe allowed two hits and struck out one in two scoreless innings. Rafael Dolis had a walk and a strikeouts in a scoreless seventh, Heath Hembree gave up a hit and a walk while fanning one in the eighth and Jean Machi worked a perfect ninth.
Oakland banged out 16 hits, two each for Fuld, Punto, Moss and Callaspo. Addison Russell, Reddick, Cespedes, Luke Montz, Jaso, Vogt, Chris Gimenez and Taylor had the other safeties. Sogard went 0-for-3, Billy Burns, Shane Peterson, Nate Freiman and Jose Martinez were 0-for-2, while Andy Parrino and Jake Goebbert were each hitless in one at-bat, with Parrino drawing a walk.
The Giants had six hits. Belt was 2-for-2 on the day, while Duvall, Kieschnick, Perez and Adrianza each had one hit. Angel Villalona, Morse, Hector Sanchez, Andrew Susac, Tony Abreu, Nick Noonan, Crawford, Tyler Colvin and Brandon Hicks were all 0-for-2. Blanco, Gary Brown and Pence each went 0-for-1 with a walk and Sandolval was 0-for-1 with a sacrifice fly.
The Giants don’t play again until Friday, when a split squad till host a Milwaukee Brewers split squad at Scottsdale Stadium at 12:05 p.m. Pacific and another split squad visits the A’s at Phoenix Municipal Stadium at 12:05 p.m. Pacific.
The A’s will be at their spring training home for the first time on Thursday, meanwhile, hosting Milwaukee at Phoenix Municipal Stadium for a 12:05 p.m. Pacific start.