Oakland Athletics Beat San Francisco Giants Split Squad On Walkoff Wild Pitch
By Phil Watson
Feb 28, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Oakland Athletics outfielder Jack Goebbert (84), left, celebrates with his teammates after scoring on a wild pitch in the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports. Athletics win 7-6.
Derek Norris tied the game for the Oakland Athletics with a two-run homer in the eighth inning and the A’s won 7-6 it in walkoff fashion in the ninth on a run-scoring wild pitch Friday afternoon at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
It was all Giants (1-2) early and straight A’s (2-1) late as San Francisco led 6-0 after an inning and a half before Oakland chipped away at the big deficit.
Oakland’s Jarrod Parker got off to a shaky start, hitting leadoff hitter Gary Brown. One out later, Brandon Belt reached on an infield single and after a fly out, Hector Sanchez lined a double to right to make it a 2-0 Giants lad.
Javier Herrera then led off the second with a walk and moved up one out later on Guillermo Quiroz’s single to right. Brown grounded a single up the middle to chase home Herrera and it was 3-0. Brandon Crawford followed by a drive off the glove of A’s first baseman Daric Barton that went for a two-run triple and a 5-0 San Francisco lead.
That ended Parker’s day, but Belt cracked a double off Ryan Dull to score Crawford and make it 6-0.
A platoon of Oakland pitchers slammed the door shut after that, with Sean Doolittle, Raul Alcantara, Jeremy McBryde, Michael Ynoa and Zach Neal combining to shut out the Giants on three hits over the final seven innings.
The A’s got on the board in the fourth on a triple by Sam Fuld leading off the frame and a sacrifice fly by Jed Lowrie. Oakland got another run back in the fifth. Barton doubled off Chris Heston, moved to third on a fly ball out and scored on Stephen Vogt’s infield single.
Jake Elmore led off the bottom of the sixth with a single, moved up on a wild pitch by Heston, advanced to third on a groundout and scored when Jose Martinez grounded to third base.
Mason Tobin came on to pitch for the Giants in the eighth and Billy Burns greeted him with an infield single. Burns stole second and advanced to third on a groundout by Elmore. Burns then came home on Addison Russell’s ground ball to shortstop. Martinez singled and manager Bob Melvin sent Norris up to bat for DH Alberto Callaspo.
Norris responded with a drive to left field to tie the game 6-6.
Heath Hembree came on to pitch the ninth for San Francisco and walked Jake Goebbert to start the inning before advancing Goebbert to second base with a balk. Hembree then muffed a grounder by Chris Gimenez and uncorked a wild pitch to allow Goebbert to trot home with the winning run.
Prospect Edwin Escobar struck out one in two hitless innings to start the game for the Giants and Mitch Lively logged a scoreless inning in the seventh.
Brown, Belt and Sanchez had two hits apiece for the Giants, while Vogt had a pair of safeties for the A’s.
Another Giants split squad beat Milwaukee 4-3 in Scottsdale Friday. The Giants play a Chicago Cubs split squad at Cubs Park in Mesa Saturday at 12:05 p.m. Pacific. Oakland hosts the Texas Rangers at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, also at 12:05 p.m. Saturday.