© D. okiess Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
SAN FRANCISCO — The first of six consecutive games in this year’s Battle of the Bay ended in lopsided fashion, as the Giants cruised to a 7-1 win Friday night. Saturday was much more competitive. The game featured three lead changes, none of which eclipsed more than one run, as the contest teetered back and forth with most innings highlighted with scoring opportunities.
Mark Canha’s two-run blast off Giants left-hander Tony Watson in the top of the seventh inning was ultimately the knockout punch. The Athletics took a 4-3 lead they would not relinquish to even the series at 1-1 entering Sunday afternoon.
If a silver lining existed in this Giants loss, it lies within the youth movement that continues to bolster the Giants as they near the All-Star Break. All three scoring plays were yielded by a player who started the season in Triple-A.
After going down 1-0 in the second inning, Alen Hanson singled to score Steven Duggar, who had notched the first of his two doubles on the night one batter prior, to tie the game at one run apiece. The A’s tacked on another run in the top of the third, but the Giants rookies erased the lead when Duggar doubled and Austin Slater singled to plate two more, giving the Giants a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Giants offense produced 10 hits in the opening four innings. They would not produce another thereafter.
Jeff Samardzija made his second start since returning from the disabled list earlier this month. He looked uncomfortable and unpredictable from the start. The 33-year-old threw just 55 pitches, 29 of which resulted in strikes, and was pulled before the fifth inning. He struggled to locate and seemed to luck out on several hittable pitches. His first nine putouts were all flyouts. He produced just one strikeout.
It was a discouraging effort from Samardzija, who now has a 6.25 ERA and 1.63 WHIP. Samardzija (1-5) has not recorded a win since Apr. 30. He has one quality start in nine tries this season.
The Giants found a couple more scoring opportunities in the final innings. In the bottom of the seventh and with one out, Andrew McCutchen walked, then stole second. Buster Posey struck out, Brandon Crawford was intentionally walked, and Gorkys Hernandez flew out to center field to squander San Francisco’s scoring chances.
The final chance came with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. McCutchen drew a walk and Posey walked with Crawford due up. But the Giants shortstop struck out to end the game.
With the series now tied 1-1, the Giants enter Sunday with their 12-consecutive home series win streak on the line. They are 10-0-2 during that span. Their last home series loss came Apr. 11.
