San Francisco @ Oakland preview
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Last Meeting ( Apr 3, 2010 ) San Francisco 10, Oakland 6
A familiar face will be back on the mound tonight at the Oakland Coliseum – one who is pitching the way he used to when he was employed by the Oakland Athletics.
San Francisco Giants left-hander Barry Zito will be the starting pitcher when the Giants and Athletics renew their interleague rivalry in the opening game of a three-game series.
Zito was a star pitcher for Oakland from 2000-06 until San Francisco enticed him across the bay with a seven-year, $126 million contract as a free agent.
Things didn’t go well at all over Zito’s first three seasons with the Giants – he had a 31-43 record – but he’s now back to having the type of success that made him a popular figure on the east side of the bay for the Athletics.
Zito is 6-1 with a 2.15 ERA this season, a sharp turnaround from the player who battled his stuff, his command and occasionally his confidence the past three years.
Tonight will mark Zito’s fourth career start against Oakland since departing and the results haven’t been kind.
Zito is 0-3 against his former organization with a 9.22 ERA in just 13 2/3 innings.
So it will be interesting to see how the renewed Zito performs. He has pitched seven or more innings in five of his last six starts and has allowed just 39 hits in 54 1/3 innings.
Zito’s lone loss came to the San Diego Padres on May 11 when he walked seven batters in five innings. In his other seven starts, Zito has walked a total of 13 hitters.
He’ll be facing an Oakland team that has lost seven of its last nine games.
The Athletics have scored just eight runs during the seven losses, which included Thursday’s 5-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers.
San Francisco won five of the six games against Oakland last season, but the Athletics hold a 39-35 edge against the Giants in interleague play. Oakland is 20-17 at home against the Giants. The two teams will meet again June 11-13 in San Francisco.
Right-hander Trevor Cahill will be on the mound for Oakland. He pitched well against San Francisco last year in his lone start against the Giants.
He allowed one run and four hits in seven innings in beating San Francisco last June.
Cahill (1-2) pitched seven innings in his most recent outing, a loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Cahill’s season ERA is 4.37.
The struggling A’s are close to getting reinforcements for the offense. Both second baseman Mark Ellis (hamstring) and outfielder Coco Crisp (pinkie) are in the midst of minor-league rehab assignments.
San Francisco will be without outfielder Nate Schierholtz (shoulder) for the series against Oakland.
The Giants recently got second baseman Freddy Sanchez (shoulder) back from an injury and shortstop Edgar Renteria (groin) could rejoin the team within the next few days.