OAKLAND, Calif. — A two-game sweep of the A’s was just what the Giants needed to regain a little grip on their postseason hopes.
Their playoff viability was thrown further into question after suffering a four-game sweep series to the juggernaut Dodgers at Oracle Park earlier this week, extending their losing streak against Los Angeles to eight for the first time since 1979. They’re still technically in reach of a wild card spot, and a little momentum created with a 6-4 win on Sunday afternoon in front of a crowd of around 31,000 in Oakland doesn’t hurt.
Starter Logan Webb was strong in his outing against an A’s team in complete rebuild mode. He held Oakland hitless until the fifth inning, when Vimael Machín laced a double down just inside of the third base line. It led to a run scored on Skye Bolt’s RBI single up the middle, a rally aided by Brandon Crawford’s 12th error of the year on Nick Allen’s ground ball.
But Webb’s stuff was crisp in his seven innings. He generated plenty of ground balls, but the Giants’ iffy defense couldn’t guarantee those grounders would get him out of innings. The A’s scored their second run in the seventh inning on a series of ground balls that could have been turned for double plays. He gave up just four hits and struck out five with three walks.
The Giants’ bats had his back.
In the third inning, Mike Yastrzemski hit a solo home run, his 10th, off an 0-2 sinker from A’s starter Adrian Martinez. He hit his second home run in the eighth inning to extend a Giants’ lead, a two-run home run off Austin Pruitt.
Hits from Yastrzemski and Joey Bart got Martinez out of the game for left-handed reliever Sam Moll, who gave up an RBI double to pinch-hitter Austin Slater on a misplay by left fielder Tony Kemp to make it 2-0 before the A’s answered. Bart has been on a roll over his last eight games, as he went 1-for-3 and entered Sunday’s game batting .346 with 3 home runs and a 1.039 OPS since July 28.
In his first game back from the concussion injured list, Thairo Estrada hit a two-run home run off A.J. Puk to make it 4-1 in the fifth.
But the A’s fought back after Yastrzemski’s second home run. Seth Brown’s two-run home run off Dominic Leone in the eighth closed the Giants’ lead to two. They had the game-winning run at the plate in the ninth inning against Camilo Doval, who worked out of the self-made jam to secure the win.
