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May 22, 2010 - 6:11 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

San Francisco (22-18) at Oakland (20-22), 4:05 p.m. EDT

The San Francisco Giants turned in another inept effort at the plate to open the Bay Bridge Series. That makes it all the more important that one of their key hitters is set to return.

Edgar Renteria is expected to be activated off the disabled list for Saturday's middle game of this road series against the Oakland Athletics.

It's clear that San Francisco (22-19) has missed Renteria, who has recovered from a strained right groin injury. He hit .316 and drove in 10 runs in 20 games before going on the DL on May 7, and believes he's finally ready.

"I'm doing everything that I'm supposed to do - run the bases, conditioning," Renteria told the Giants' official website. "No pain, no tightness."

The Giants scored more than five runs per game with Renteria in the lineup, but that figure has dwindled to an average of 3.52 without him. San Francisco was punchless without him in Friday's 6-1 loss to open this series, going hitless in nine at-bats with runners in scoring position.

"We had opportunities. We've got to get the hit when you need them and we're missing it," manager Bruce Bochy said.

The victory for Oakland (21-22) was highlighted by a strong season debut by Coco Crisp, who had been on the DL with a fractured pinkie. Crisp went 2 for 3 with two RBIs in his first game since signing with the Athletics in the offseason.

"I was grateful to be here," Crisp said. "The results are awesome, to win."

The Athletics could get another player back Saturday since Mark Ellis may return from a strained left hamstring that has sidelined him since April 20. Ellis has been on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento and may be activated.

While Renteria is expected to be in the lineup for the Giants, the player who had replaced him at shortstop had a setback. Juan Uribe left Friday's loss in the bottom of the third with a tight left hamstring.

San Francisco starter Matt Cain (2-3, 3.33 ERA) will face the A's for the seventh time in his career after going 2-4 with a 2.89 ERA in the first six outings. He's got 37 strikeouts in his last four starts against Oakland, and has limited third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff to four hits in 25 at-bats.

The Giants won all three of Cain's interleague starts in 2009, with the right-hander going 2-0 with a 1.04 ERA and two complete games.

Cain has dropped consecutive outings against San Diego, giving up two runs over six innings Monday in a 3-1 road loss Monday.

This will be the second start by Oakland's Gio Gonzalez (4-3, 4.05) against San Francisco. He gave up six runs in 3 2-3 innings in a 6-3 home loss last June in his lone career interleague start.

The left-hander won for the first time in three outings Monday by allowing three runs over seven innings in an 8-4 victory over Seattle.