OAKLAND, Calif. _ The A's did their part to potentially clinch the American League West, beating the San Francisco Giants, 6-0, Saturday afternoon. They'll need a Houston Astros loss later Saturday to seal it.
Jesus Luzardo hasn't had much trouble showing off his talent. He's spun opposing lineups into a tizzy with that high-90s mph fastball that twists into a two-seamer, a lively change-up and slider that also registers as a curveball.
Where he's found trouble is a third time through the lineup, often his toughest innings occur when the rookie doesn't make the sequencing adjustments needed against opponents that have grown familiar. He got a shot at half the Giants' lineup a third time through, and did it in an efficient nine pitches despite giving up a leadoff single on Donovan Solano's swinging bunt.
He finished with six scoreless innings and seven strikeouts on five hits and no walks on 90 pitches.
The A's couldn't give Luzardo much run support against Giants right-hand starter Kevin Gausman, who had the A's offense tied up with a mystifying breaking ball and fastball with movement. They A's didn't get a base runner until Mark Canha's walk in the fourth inning _ no one on second until a wild pitch sent Canha into scoring position. Their first hit off Gausman was also their first run with Matt Olson knocking a single into shallow center field.
The A's could grind through enough tough at-bats to force the Giants into a pitching change. There, the A's broke it open with a lot of help from a shoddy Giants outfield.
Jake Lamb got his second home run in five games with the A's _ a two-run shot off right-hander Sam Selman. Tommy La Stella knocked a two-run triple when Mauricio Dubon couldn't track down his high fly in center field, and La Stella scored on Marcus Semien's shallow fly ball in left field that Darin Ruf dropped.
Ruf dropped another ball, hit by Ramon Laureano, following Lamb's home run. Robbie Grossman had reached base on a walk, and ran about 250 feet in the wrong direction to second, then back to first, then to second where the Giants managed a 7-3-4 putout.
