Pence, Belt lead Giants to 9-3 victory over A's
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Hunter Pence had four hits and drove in two runs, Brandon Belt had three RBIs and the San Francisco Giants won their third straight, beating the Oakland Athletics 9-3 in an interleague game Friday night.
Jake Peavy (2-4) pitched six strong innings to earn his second straight victory. Buster Posey extended his hitting streak to 10 games with three hits and drove in a run, and Joe Panik and Angel Pagan each also drove in runs for the Giants, who won their ninth in 10 games.
TODAY'S SPONSOR:
Ben Zobrist hit a home run for the A's, who lost their third in four games. Eric Sogard and Billy Burns, who left the game early with an injury, also drove in runs.
Pence is hitting .353 (18-for-51) since returning from the disabled list on July 7 and driven in 14 runs in the last 12 games.
Peavy allowed three runs and five hits in just his sixth start of the year. The former Cy Young Award winner missed two months with a back strain and hip discomfort. Peavy did not walk a batter and struck out two.
Jesse Chavez (5-10), who threw six scoreless innings in his last outing, went a season-low three innings. He gave up four runs and eight hits, walked two and struck out one. Billy Butler added three hits for the A's.
Sogard's single against Giants reliever George Kontos scored Butler in the seventh. It marked the first inherited runner to score against Kontos this season. He stranded 26 runners before the hit.
Pagan was 3-for-4 with a walk after getting three hits in his previous 19 at-bats. He has not hit a home run in his last 635 at-bats, the longest active streak in the majors.
TRAINER'S ROOM:
Athletics: Switch-pitcher Pat Venditte threw exclusively from the right side during his one-inning rehab appearance with the Single-A Stockton Ports on Thursday and will throw exclusively from the left side on Saturday. ... LHP Sean Doolittle (left shoulder strain) will throw on flat ground Saturday and will likely throw a bullpen at the end of the month. ... RHP Taylor Thompson (right shoulder strain) allowed four runs in two-thirds of an inning for the Ports and pitches again Sunday. ... OF Coco Crisp (cervical strain) is expected to begin a rehab assignment soon. "We're mapping something out," A's manager Bob Melvin said.
Giants: RHP Tim Lincecum (right forearm contusion, hip injury) continues to rehab. Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he expected Lincecum to pitch again this season. "He'll start throwing again in the next couple of days." ... OF Nori Aoki (fractured right fibula) will make a couple more rehab starts before returning. He worked out at AT&T Park on Friday.
ANGEL IN THE BULLPEN:
The A's recalled RHP Angel Castro from Triple-A Nashville and optioned RHP Arnold Leon to Nashville before the game. Castro makes his second tour this year. He was 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA in four games in May. Leon was recalled Thursday for his fourth stint with Oakland and tossed 3 1/3 innings against Toronto.
UP NEXT:
Athletics: RHP Chris Bassitt (0-2, 2.93) will be recalled from Triple-A Nashville to start Saturday. He has made three starts for the A's, the last on July 11. "It's a chance for him to get settled in," Melvin said. "He's done all he can and it looks like he'll be here for a while."
Giants: LHP Madison Bumgarner (10-5, 3.27) makes his fourth career start against the A's, his first at home. He's 1-2 with a 6.41 ERA against them.