OAKLAND — This was an exhibition game, but it looked a bit realer than previous Spring Training contests. After spending the past month in Scottsdale and Mesa, the Giants and Athletics returned to the Bay Area on Sunday afternoon, resuming a good-natured rivalry with the onset of the 2018 season coming Thursday.
Prior to the game, A’s president Dave Kaval used some playful prodding to emphasize the rivalry, which lacks the passion of Red Sox-Yankees or Giants-Dodgers. Kaval announced that Giants fans would be charged $50 for parking outside of Oakland Alameda Coliseum, while A’s fans only paid $30. Giants fans could pay the $30 fare, however, if they yelled ‘Go A’s.’
The game itself was much less bizarre than Kaval’s parking policy. The Giants won 5-1.
Johnny Cueto pitched well in his final appearance of the offseason. Cueto allowed one run, five hits, and produced six strikeouts in more than five innings of work. He commanded his pitches effectively while operating in the 91-93 mph range on the radar gun.
Everything changed last week when Giants ace Madison Bumgarner suffered a broken left pinky, an injury that could sideline him for as many as eight weeks. Without a clear No. 1 starter, the need for Cueto and the rest of the rotation to perform becomes amplified.
Among Sunday’s encouraging sights was the San Francisco lineup’s power, its most glaring deficiency last season. In 2017, the Giants produced only 128 home runs, 23 fewer than the next lowest total.
Giants catcher Buster Posey got the scoring started in the third inning with a two-run double to deep right-center field. Later in the inning, third baseman Pablo Sandoval hit a sacrifice fly to extend the San Francisco lead to 3-0.
After the A’s got on the board, Giants designated hitter Nick Hundley produced an RBI single in the fourth inning to make the Giants lead 4-1. Sandoval struck again in the 8th inning, this time with a solo home run over the right field fence, which concluded the game’s scoring.
With only a few days remaining until the regular season, it’s unclear whom Giants manager Bruce Bochy will deploy as the team’s starting center fielder. Steven Duggar may have augmented his chances on Sunday. In the bottom of the third inning, he robbed Matt Joyce’s home run, prompting a tip of the cap from Joyce as he trotted back to the dugout.
Steven Duggar would like to be the opening day center fielder. pic.twitter.com/pNhxS3pv09
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) March 25, 2018
Sunday’s game precedes two more in the Bay Bridge Series on Monday and Tuesday. The Giants will have Wednesday off as they travel to Los Angeles for Opening Day on Thursday.