OAKLAND — Though interleague, the Bay Bridge Series always holds a little extra weight. But the latter half of this year’s six-game series is a little heavier. Not for years have the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants met with both teams vying for a postseason spot, let alone in the heat of late August.
A crowd of 40,133 filled the Coliseum stands to form one of the loudest, engaged crowds of the year in Oakland thus far this year. A crowd that watched the downtrodden A’s beat their cross-town rials 4-1 on Friday night to even out the series.
“My first time playing in this Bay series, it was excited looking up to see the full crowd,” Josh Harrison said. “Had a little more black and orange than I probably would have liked, but it’s always better when you get the last laugh getting the victory.”
Faces newest to the rivalry made the difference
Harrison, Starling Marte and Yan Gomes — the deadline additions — had the biggest hits and plays in Friday’s win.
Harrison entered the game with a few at-bats against Giants starter Alex Wood under his belt during his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates and tips he could share with his teammates on how to best approach the right-hander with a quirky delivery.
“It’s been a couple years, but I told them to get him out over the plate,” Harrison said. “Take your hits, don’t try to do too much. He has a delivery that’s a little unconventional so you have to pick up his release. But once you do pick up his release, stay short and not try to do too much.”
The A’s struggled to generate scoring opportunities against Giants starter Wood. They struck out nine times against him, but Harrison’s shallow single into center field scored two runs in the fourth inning.
It was Harrison’s second hit of the game, scoring Jed Lowrie, who walked, and Yan Gomes, who doubled to the left field wall. Gomes had a two-hit night against Wood.
Marte took care of the insurance runs on his own. When Mark Canha drew a walk in the seventh inning, Marte lined a two-strike double off reliever Zack Littel just fair down the first base line to score Canha easily from first. A perennial threat on the base paths, Marte stole third base thanks, in part, to a shoddy throw from new reliever Jose Alvarez that escaped third baseman Wilmer Flores’ grasp — as Marte slid under his legs — and trickled into foul territory. It provided speedy Marte plenty of time to score the A’s fourth run.
Marte can take runs away, too. In the second inning with two potential scoring runners on, Marte tracked down and caught Flores’ deep line drive to center field with an expected batting average of .470, per Statcast, to end the inning.
Harrison and Marte spent the 2012 through 2018 seasons as teammates with the Pittsburgh Pirates. So Marte’s dynamism is no surprise.
“A lot of has to do with this being the west coast, and he and I playing on the east coast, but what he’s doing I’ve seen for years,” Harrison said. “It’s always exciting to see a new group of guys experience what I’ve experienced him for a couple years. It’s been since 2018 since we played. But that’s Marte, he’s a guy that can change the game offensively, defensively and on the bases. With the team we have here, it’s another element that makes us dangerous.”
James Kaprielian gets it done
Kaprielian didn’t have his best command, but he did enough to get his seventh win of the season and lower his ERA to 3.25.
Mike Yastrzemski’s solo home run was the only mark on a five-inning outing. Kaprielian walked four batters, his bugaboo, but struck out four and held the Giants to three hits.
“Pretty easy to see it wasn’t my best,” the rookie said. “I don’t know if I deserved the win but we got through it. Offense came through and the bullpen did a tremendous job today putting up zero after zero.”
It marked the first Gomes, Kaprielian battery of the season. And Kaprielian credited Gomes with inspiring him grind through the start, hyping him to make a big pitch, slowing him down through the tough spots.
The toughest spot came in the second inning, with two outs down. Kaprielian notched three of his four walks in succession: Tommy La Stella worked a 10-pitch walk, Buster Posey walked on four pitches and Brandon Belt drew a walk to load the bases. Pitching coach Scott Emerson met Kaprielian on the mound to talk through the next at-bat against former MVP Kris Bryant. Gomes added his words, too.
“He was telling me my stuff plays. You’re getting these guys out. Trust and go for it,” Kaprielian said. “Obviously I do, but I wasn’t making pitches and consistently throwing balls. Even when Emo came out, Yan took control and looked me in the eye and said what he needed to say and we were able to get Kris Bryant and put up a zero. I’ve been putting myself in situations like that a little too much this year, but we found a way to get out of it and I credit that to Yan behind the dish.”
Bryant flew out on the first pitch to strand the bases loaded.
“Making me believe in myself when I wasn’t at my best,” the rookie said of Gomes. “I felt his presence behind the dish. When he wanted me to make big pitch, he gave me the ‘let’s go, you got this’ and I felt it and wanted to deliver.”
Bullpen doings
The A’s bullpen kept the team with the best record in baseball down where Kaprielian left off. Jake Diekman struck out one over 1 1/3 hitless innings. Against their former team, Yusmeiro Petit and Sergio Romo collected scoreless outings. Though Romo gave up a hit to his longtime teammate Posey — and threw him a playful wave-off after.
Lou Trivino gave up a hit in a scoreless ninth. He now has a 1.72 ERA with 21 saves.
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