Athletics at Giants
The Oakland Athletics attempt to secure bragging rights when they visit the San Francisco Giants on Thursday for the finale of this year's Bay Bridge Series. Oakland has won two of the first three contests in the home-and-home matchup, including a 6-1 triumph on Wednesday that gave the club four wins in its last five overall games.
Ryon Healy belted his career-high 20th home run in the victory to join Khris Davis (28) and Yonder Alonso (22) as the only members of the Athletics to reach the plateau this season. While Oakland halted its four-game slide on the road, San Francisco suffered its fifth loss in six overall contests on Wednesday. The Giants managed only five hits in the setback after collecting 14 in a 10-4 victory one night earlier. Gorkys Hernandez drove in the lone run for San Francisco but saw his six-game hitting streak - during which he went 9-for-22 - come to an end.
TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, NBCSN California (Oakland), NBCSN Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Kendall Graveman (2-2, 3.83 ERA) vs. Giants LH Ty Blach (6-7, 4.38)
Graveman returns from a lengthy absence due to right shoulder inflammation to make his first start since May 19. The 26-year-old native of Alabama has gone six starts without a victory after winning his first two turns of the season despite allowing fewer than three runs in four of the outings. Graveman has yet to defeat San Francisco, going 0-1 with an ugly 11.37 ERA in two career starts.
Blach has worked seven innings in each of his last three outings but is 0-2 during that span, even though he gave up fewer than three runs on two occasions. The 26-year-old from Colorado was tagged for five runs and eight hits in a loss to San Diego in his last home start on July 23. Blach, who will be facing Oakland for the first time, has served up just one home run in 33 1/3 frames over his last five turns.
WALK-OFFS
1. Athletics 2B Jed Lowrie bounced back from Tuesday's 0-for-4 performance with two hits, making him 8-for-21 over his last five contests.
2. San Francisco C Buster Posey was hitless in four at-bats Wednesday after going 5-for-8 with three RBIs over the first two games of the series.
3. Oakland recalled 1B Marck Canha from Triple-A Nashville and optioned RHP Michael Brady to the Sounds.