San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics Recap

Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants began their Cactus league schedule with a terrible loss against the Oakland Athletics. The Athletics came out in fine form in their first game of spring training, winning 10-5, in front of  6498 spectators in a sunny Scottsdale.

1st: The game got off to a dreadful start for the Giants, Yusmeiro Petit struggled through the first inning, allowing four runs on five hits. Hunter Pence was a little rusty on his first spring training start in right field, as he committed a fielding error allowing Yoenis Cespedes to reach third on what should’ve been a single, and there was nothing doing for the offense in the bottom of the first.

2nd: Petits’ first start was cut short as Juan Gutierrez entered the game in the second inning, with much success too, as he retired three Oakland hitters without any problem. Michael Morse, the offseason acquisition, played his first game for the Giants, and nearly marked it with a home run. He slugged a pitch to deep right field, but was robbed by a spectacular catch by Josh Reddick.

3rd: Gutierrez then got the Giants into a jam, after sitting down the first two batters, he gave up a single to Brandon Moss, hit John Jaso with a pitch and then issued a walk to Michael Taylor. Dan Runzler entered the game with the bases loaded, and impressed as he recorded the out to see the Giants through the inning without any harm. Again, however, the Giants offense failed to compile even a hit, as Josh Lindblom had a one, two, three inning.

4th: Sergio Romo, the closer for the forthcoming season, had a pretty catastrophic first Cactus League inning, giving up six runs on seven hits to extend the Athletics lead to 10-0. The Giants, in the bottom of the fourth, began to chip away at Oaklands lead; Gregor Blanco tagged up from third on Pablo Sandoval‘s fly ball to score their first run in Scottsdale. The rally was cut short, however, as Morse was again robbed of his first home run by Reddick.

5th: Juan Perez, Roger Kieschnick, Gary Brown, Angel Villalona, Andrew Susac and Adam Duvall all came into the game as defensive subs behind new pitcher, Kameron Loe, who signed a minor league deal this offseason. Loe passed through the inning without giving up any runs, largely due to Kieschnick, who had a  magnificent, two out, sliding catch. The Giants disappointing offense continued, as they failed to amount any runs.

6th: Nick Noonan and Ehire Adrianza both came into the game, and contributed defensively as Loe compiled a one, two, three inning. He was to exit the game with two innings pitched, two hits, one strikeout and no runs allowed. Brown, Villalona and Duvall all marked their first Scottsdale ABs with outs as the Giants continued to fail to cut down the massive 10-1 deficit.

7th: Rafael Dolis, signed on a minor league deal this offseason, entered the game in the top of seventh, he worked around a walk to Billy Burns, to retire the side. Despite Kieschnick reaching base on a walk, and Perez hitting a double with no outs, Susac, Noonan and Adrianza all failed to hit their first RBI of the season.

8th: Heath Hembree, one of many relievers fighting for a place in the bullpen, entered the game in the eight, and again retired the side around a walk and a single. Brandon Hicks came in to replace debutant Taylor Colvin, in Designated Hitter, but struck out. The abysmal Giants offense continued to struggle, minor leaguers Brown and Villalona failing to do any damage.

9th: Jean Machi, the right hander, also looking to secure a place in the bullpen, replaced Hembree in the ninth, and had himself a one, two, three inning. Brown robbed Jose Martinez of an extra base hit with beautiful running grab. The Giants rounded off the game, in the bottom of the ninth, with some positives. Duvall, who entered the game in the 5th launched a one run, home run to deep center field, and then Adrianza slugged a three run shot, to reduce the Athletics lead to 10-5.