Joyce hits second HR in as many games
Rosales draws tiebreaking walk in 8th to lift Oakland
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Adam Rosales drew a bases-loaded, two-out walk from Giants rookie left-hander Andrew Suarez that broke an eighth-inning tie Monday and lifted the Oakland A's past San Francisco, 5-4.
The A's scored twice in each of the first two innings to grab a 4-0 lead. Matt Joyce, who has homered in both games he has played, connected this time with one out off Giants starter Jeff Samardzija. A two-out walk that Samardzija issued to Khris Davis also made a difference, since it set up Stephen Vogt's RBI single.
"Man, I wish it was the regular season," Joyce said. "It's one of those things, both times were 1-2 counts, both were heaters in, and just really trying to shorten things up with the two strikes and kind of dropped the hands, dropped the barrel in there and squared them up pretty good. I feel great right now."
Asked if he was concerned about yielding a home run, Samardzija, who allowed 24 long balls last year, replied, "No."
Ryon Healy's two-run double in the second inning gave the A's a comfortable cushion that two members of their projected starting rotation helped protect. Kendall Graveman walked Buster Posey and allowed Hunter Pence's double with two outs in the first inning but slipped a called third strike past Brandon Belt. Sean Manaea followed with a pair of shutout innings.
Then the Giants gradually pulled even. Belt homered in the fourth before San Francisco surged for three seventh-inning runs against Trey Cochran-Gill on Michael Morse's pinch-hit RBI single and Christian Arroyo's bases-loaded, two-run single. Arroyo is ranked as the Giants' No. 2 prospect by MLBPipeline.com.
Suarez courted trouble in the eighth by issuing three walks, including Rosales', while allowing a pair of hits.
The Giants (3-1) absorbed their initial Cactus League defeat while the A's (1-2) won their first spring game.
WHAT'S NEXT
Athletics: The A's will have several noteworthy names on the mound in a home matchup against the Indians on Tuesday. Right-hander Jharel Cotton, pegged as the club's No. 4 starter, gets the start in the 12:05 p.m. PT affair. Fifth-starter candidate Andrew Triggs is also scheduled to pitch in the game, as is Oakland's 2016 first-round Draft pick, lefty A.J. Puk. Listen to an exclusive audio webcast live at athletics.com.
Giants: San Francisco will oppose its first National League West rival in Cactus League play with Tuesday's 12:10 p.m. PT encounter against San Diego at Peoria. Ace left-hander Madison Bumgarner's scheduled to start for the Giants (watch live on MLB.TV).
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