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Giants-Athletics Preview

May 23, 2010 - 12:39 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

San Francisco (22-19) at Oakland (21-22), 4:05 p.m. EDT

Stellar pitching has the Oakland Athletics on the verge of sweeping the rival San Francisco Giants at home for the first time in almost five years.

Ben Sheets tries to give the A's another strong effort from a starter while looking to help extend the Giants' losing streak to a season-high five games Sunday.

After losing seven of eight to its Bay Area rival, Oakland (22-22) has held San Francisco to one run in the first two games of this year's series. Though the A's swept the Giants at San Francisco in 2007 and 2008, they haven't done so at home since June 24-26, 2005.

Less than 24 hours after Trevor Cahill and two relievers helped the A's to a 6-1 win in the opener, Gio Gonzalez allowed two of the Giants' three hits over eight innings of a 1-0 victory Saturday.

"No other way to sum it up than just plain fun," said closer Andrew Bailey, who recorded his seventh save Saturday.

San Francisco (22-20), which is 1-5 on a seven-game road trip, has hit .202 while being outscored 28-9 during its second four-game losing streak of the season.

After Cahill and Gonzalez each stymied the Giants, Sheets (2-3, 5.66 ERA) looks to continue that trend Sunday.

The veteran right-hander is 6-6 with a 3.55 ERA in 16 interleague starts, but he has won four in a row over the Giants to post a 4-2 record and 2.36 ERA in eight starts against San Francisco.

Sheets, who has not factored in the decision of his last two starts overall, allowed four runs and four walks in 6 2-3 innings of a 6-5, 10-inning win over Seattle on Tuesday. Sheets, who missed the 2009 season after undergoing elbow surgery, had given up three runs total in his previous two outings.

"He's throwing the ball with a lot more conviction," catcher Kurt Suzuki told the Athletics' official website. "You can see he's getting more comfortable as the year goes on."

San Francisco's Edgar Renteria, who's 9 for 38 (.238) against Sheets, singled in the ninth inning Saturday in his return from the disabled list due to a groin strain.

An error by first baseman Aubrey Huff set up Coco Crisp's sacrifice fly in the third inning for the lone run of the game.

"It was definitely a tough loss," losing pitcher Matt Cain said.

Jonathan Sanchez (2-3, 3.06) looks to help the Giants avoid the sweep while trying to prevent his third straight loss. The left-hander, who's 0-2 with a 4.21 ERA in his last four outings, allowed four runs and struck out seven in six innings of a 7-6, 12-inning win at San Diego on Tuesday.

Sanchez, 2-4 with a 4.10 ERA in six interleague starts, is 1-1 with a 3.65 ERA as a starter against the A's.

Crisp, 6 for 13 in his last five games against the Giants, has three RBIs in his first two with the A's this weekend after opening the season on the DL with a broken finger.