Giants 2 - 4 Athletics
Final
  for this game

Matsui sends Oakland past San Francisco

Jun 19, 2011 - 7:26 AM

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Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Hideki Matsui's two-run single to cap off a four-run fifth inning proved to be the difference, as the Oakland Athletics took down the San Francisco Giants, 4-2, in the second test of a three-game interleague series.

Cliff Pennington and Daric Barton both had an RBI and run scored for the A's, who have won four in a row.

Oakland starter Guillermo Moscoso gave up two unearned runs on three hits over 4 2/3 innings. Brad Ziegler (2-0) recorded the final out in the fifth to pick up the win.

Aubrey Huff knocked in a run for the Giants, who have dropped three straight since a three-game winning streak.

Jonathan Sanchez (4-5) allowed four runs on six hits over 4 2/3 frames to take the loss.

The Giants loaded the bases with two outs in the second, but Chris Stewart flied out to keep it a scoreless game.

The fifth inning is when all the action took place. Stewart started the top half of the frame with an infield single, and Andres Torres followed with a walk. Emmanuel Burriss' bunt to Moscoso resulted in a wild throw to third. The error allowed the first run of the game to score. Two batters later, Huff drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

But Oakland responded with four runs in the home fifth. Scott Sizemore singled and scored on Barton's one-out double to right-center field. After Jemile Weeks flied out, Pennington hit an RBI double down the left-field line to make it a 2-2 game. Pennington advanced to third on a wild pitch. Coco Crisp then walked and stole second to put men on second and third. Matsui followed with a single to right to plate both runners for a 4-2 edge.

"He's been getting some of his best swings against left-handers, certainly since I've been here," A's manager Bob Melvin said of Matsui. "I don't even give it a second thought. He's always been able to hit left-handers."

San Francisco stranded men on first and third in the sixth.

Joey Devine, Brian Fuentes, Grant Balfour and Andrew Bailey each pitched a scoreless inning of relief for Oakland. Bailey worked around a one-out single in the ninth to record his fourth save of the season.

"That's been pretty much the case the last few days. We're just having a hard time driving in a run," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "That's what it comes down to, and that's what wins ballgames for you. They got some big hits. We didn't."

Game Notes

San Francisco fell to 2-3 on a six-game road swing. The Giants are still 13-6 in the last 19 meetings with the Athletics. San Francisco swept a three-game series versus Oakland from May 20-22 this season at AT&T Park...The A's were without outfielder Josh Willingham (sore left Achilles)...Oakland improved to 5-11 in the month of June...The A's, who had two errors, have committed at least one error in a season-high nine consecutive games (12 errors total).






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