Oakland @ San Francisco preview
AT&T Park
Last Meeting ( Jul 8, 2014 ) San Francisco 1, Oakland 6
The league-leading Oakland Athletics seek their season-high seventh straight victory when they visit the San Francisco Giants as their home-and-home interleague series continues Wednesday. Oakland swept a four-game set against visiting Toronto and began its string against San Francisco with a pair of home triumphs, outscoring the Giants 11-1. The Athletics received outstanding efforts from their pitching staff on the homestand, allowing a total of five runs during the winning streak.
Oakland improved to 11-1 in its last 12 home games and 9-1 against National League opponents this season with Tuesday's 6-1 triumph. San Francisco has dropped five straight visits to the O.co Coliseum and is 2-13 in its last 15 interleague contests. The Giants have lost 11 of their last 15 overall, scoring a total of 11 runs in the setbacks and three in their last six defeats.
TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, CSN California (Oakland), CSN Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Jason Hammel (8-5, 2.98 ERA) vs. Giants RH Matt Cain (1-7, 4.27)
Hammel will be making his debut for Oakland after being acquired from the Chicago Cubs on Friday. The 31-year-old was traded hours after allowing two runs and five hits over six innings in a victory at Washington. Hammel, who has yielded two runs in each of his last three outings, is 0-2 with a 3.02 ERA in nine career games (eight starts) against San Francisco.
Cain is 0-4 in seven starts since posting his lone victory of the season May 15 versus Miami. The 29-year-old has gone 0-1 over his last two outings despite allowing a total of two runs in 13 1/3 innings. Cain has posted a 2.11 ERA in 10 career starts against the Athletics but owns a 3-5 record.
WALK-OFFS
1. Oakland has lost 12 of its last 14 games in San Francisco.
2. San Francisco RHP Jean Machi became just the second Giants player to be ejected from a game Tuesday. The first was CF Angel Pagan on April 21 at Colorado.
3. Athletics RF Josh Reddick (knee) is on pace to begin a rehab assignment by the end of the week.
PREDICTION: Athletics 4, Giants 2