Athletics miss chance to sweep Giants in Bay Bridge Series
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - After ruling the Bay Bridge Series for three days against the big-spending Giants, the Oakland Athletics ran right into Madison Bumgarner.
On the mound, and at the plate.
Bumgarner pitched into the seventh to snap a two-start skid and also batted in an AL ballpark, and the Giants avoided a four-game sweep by beating the A's 12-6 on Thursday night.
Buster Posey hit a towering three-run homer to center in the third and Brandon Crawford followed with a solo shot before adding an RBI single two innings later.
Brandon Belt had four RBIs and hit a go-ahead two-run double in the third ahead of Posey's ninth home run. Bumgarner helped start the rally with a leadoff double.
A's lefty Dillon Overton (1-1) was done after three innings in his second major league start after he won his debut last Saturday at Los Angeles. This time, he surrendered eight runs and eight hits with a strikeout and three walks.
He said he wasn't able to make the adjustments he usually does - and Overton knew Bumgarner had the ability to make him pay with the bat.
"I've watched him on TV for years now. I knew he could hit," Overton said. "I left that one up and Bum made me pay for it."
Marcus Semien hit his career-best 16th home run in the first as the A's took a quick lead against Bumgarner, then Yonder Alonso added a two-run drive in the seventh to chase Bumgarner. Oakland has homered in a season-best nine games in a row.
Bumgarner (9-4) was given the option by manager Bruce Bochy to bat himself rather than the Giants using a designated hitter, and of course the big lefty chose to swing the bat. He had lost two straight starts following seven consecutive winning decisions.
"I'm not trying to prove anything to anybody. We're trying to win ballgames," Bumgarner said. "That's all I care about. I don't care what anybody says or thinks about it. I care about these guys, I care about our fans. ... I want to be as good a baseball player as I can be, not just a pitcher. In this league you've got to hit. You can change the outcome of the game sometimes."
Bumgarner allowed four runs and seven hits, struck out four and didn't walk a batter in 6 1/3 innings. The two home runs allowed matched his most for the season, also done opening day at Milwaukee on April 4. He hasn't lost three straight starts since June 27-July 8, 2014, during his spectacular World Series MVP season.
While San Francisco had given up seven or more runs in four straight games, the Giants helped Oakland score at least six runs in a seventh straight contest when Coco Crisp hit a two-out, two-run double in the ninth.
San Francisco added on late, getting Belt's two-run single. Fernando Rodriguez also walked in a pair of runs among his five free passes in the inning, and the A's had their three-game winning streak snapped with only a second defeat in the last eight games.
DOOLITTLE'S SHOULDER
Lefty reliever Sean Doolittle is on the disabled list with further shoulder issues. He had an MRI exam that showed some labrum inflammation in his strained throwing shoulder. He tried to play catch Wednesday but struggled. The hope is he will be ready to return after the All-Star break.
Doolittle said no injections or procedures are planned.
"It's really scary when you hear you have an issue with you shoulder, your labrum particularly, but the trainers are optimistic once we get it calmed down, get the swelling out, that we'll be back in business," he said. "I'm incredibly frustrated because my shoulder was feeling good throughout the whole season. I felt like we found a maintenance program that was keeping me in a really good spot."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Athletics: OF Khris Davis was out of the lineup a day after being scratched with a bruised left shoulder injured running into the wall Tuesday. He batted in the cage and felt better than a day earlier. ... The A's agreed to terms with No. 6 overall draft pick LHP A.J. Puk out of Florida. He threw a bullpen session for the Oakland brass.
UP NEXT
Giants: RHP Johnny Cueto (11-1) takes the ball on the road looking to improve on his 7-2 record and 2.69 ERA in 10 career starts against Arizona.
Athletics: RHP Sonny Gray (3-6) tries to snap a career-high five-game skid. He is 0-1 with a 3.23 ERA in five starts since coming off the DL on June 5 and he is 0-5 with a 6.19 ERA over his last 10 outings.