Athletics at Giants
With the four best records in baseball belonging to American League teams, the Oakland Athletics' chances of making the postseason appeared all but dead midway through last month. The Athletics are 19-5 since falling two games below .500 four weeks ago and wrap up a 10-game road trip with the first of three at the San Francisco Giants on Friday night.
Oakland improved to 5-2 on its trek by erasing an early four-run deficit and rallying for a 6-4 victory at Houston on Thursday to take three of four from the reigning World Series champions. “We’re a confident group and we know we’re capable of playing like this,” said Athletics' outfielder Mark Canha, who delivered a tiebreaking two-run single Thursday. “We’re in a mindset where we come to the field expecting to win every day. It’s kind of a thing that snowballs.” The Giants, who are among four teams in contention in the tightly-bunched National League West, took two of three from the Chicago Cubs and are one of three NL teams with 30 home wins. Ace left-hander Madison Bumgarner, who missed more than the first two months with a fractured left hand, will make his eighth start of the season for San Francisco.
TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Oakland), NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Edwin Jackson (1-0, 2.45 ERA) vs. Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (2-3, 3.09)
Jackson has yet to lose in three starts since he was signed by Oakland, turning in another solid outing in a no-decision at Cleveland on Saturday when he gave up three runs (two earned) over 5 2/3 innings. He has allowed five earned runs over 18 1/3 innings and will be going for a milestone as he seeks his 100th career victory. Andrew McCutchen is 15-for-39 with three homers off Jackson.
Bumgarner appeared to be reclaiming his form in his final two starts - both at home - last month, striking out 16 and surrendering only five hits over 15 scoreless innings. He has been touched for seven runs in his last two turns, although he picked up the win despite giving up four runs over 5 1/3 innings versus St. Louis on Sunday. Bumgarner is 3-2 with a 5.18 ERA lifetime against the Athletics.
WALK-OFFS
1. Athletics OF-DH Khris Davis is riding a career-best 14-game hitting streak.
2. Giants SS Brandon Crawford is 4-for-33 (all singles) with zero RBIs in the past 10 games.
3. Oakland has won five of eight meetings in the Bay Bridge Series since the start of the 2016 season.