Chad Pinder’s solo home run came two minutes into the game. Neither team crossed home for the next 180 minutes.
Pinder, fresh off the COVID injured list, lofted a Sam Long changeup into Oracle Park’s left field seats for the deciding run of Wednesday night’s game.
The Giants couldn’t get to Oakland starter Paul Blackburn or its bullpen. They hit into three double plays and mustered only three hits in the 1-0 loss. San Francisco failed to capitalize on a night when Jakob Junis shut down the Athletics for five innings, ending its winning streak at five.
It wasn’t like the Giants were completely helpless against Blackburn, the A’s starter. The first time through the order, only Wilmer Flores — up to third in the batting order — struck out.
In the bottom of the third, the Giants even lucked into a major scoring chance. A walk, Sheldon Neuse’s second error of the game, and a swinging bunt that traveled one foot in front of the plate loaded the bases with one out for Brandon Belt.
Belt, arguably San Francisco’s best all-around hitter, took ball one. He fouled off a sinker down the middle of the plate, then watched another ball high and outside to earn a favorable 2-1 count. But Belt hit a dribbler down the first base line that ended in a 3-6-1, inning-ending, opportunity-killing double play.
It was the third double play the Giants hit into in as many innings.
Blackburn, an Antioch native, used a diverse five-pitch mix to limit hard contact. Through four innings, the Giants’ only hit out of the infield was a Brandon Crawford line drive up the middle.
Opposite Blackburn, Jakob Junis kept the Giants in the game. He threw his slider 56% of the time in his five scoreless innings. His approach is particularly sabermetric-friendly; fastball usage has declined over the years as metrics show even average offspeed pitches can be as effective as elite fastballs.
Junis’ second appearance of the season was as impressive an audition as any to remain on the active roster. Alex Cobb is expected to return from the injured list soon, but Anthony DeSclafani (ankle) is likely weeks away from filling a hole in the rotation. Junis’ 10 scoreless innings to start the year represent a convincing case.
But his efforts Wednesday were for naught.
The Giants had another chance in the fifth inning when Luis González led off with a double into the right field corner. But Thairo Estrada, Jason Vosler and Curt Casali — SF’s 7-8-9 hitters — left him there by going down in order.
Vosler walked to start the eighth inning, but again the Giants couldn’t get going. Their last hit had come three innings prior, and Oakland used their bullpen to create a favorable lefty-lefty matchup against Belt, who flew out.
Flores nearly started a ninth-inning rally when Oakland closer Dany Jiménez neglected to cover first on an infield chopper, but replay review showed the heavy-footed third baseman barely out. Then Brandon Crawford and Darin Ruf went down quietly.
In front of a split crowd in a split Bay Bridge Series, a win was within reach all night. San Francisco just never grabbed it.
