Bader’s wind-aided grand slam helps Giants breeze to 10-1 victory over Athletics
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Harrison Bader hit a grand slam that capped an eight-run eighth inning and the San Francisco Giants beat the sloppy Athletics 10-1 on Sunday in 25-35 mph winds.
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Luis Arraez also homered and finished with three hits for the Giants, who took two of three games in the first series this season between the Northern California rivals.
Adrian Houser (2-4) allowed one run in six innings, pitching around five walks.
Athletics reliever Luis Medina loaded the bases with nobody out in the eighth and the Giants leading 2-1. Bader started the rally when he was safe on an error by Zack Gelof at third base — his second of the game.
Rafael Devers hit an RBI single, and another run scored on the play when center fielder Lawrence Butler committed a fielding error. Daniel Susac had an RBI groundout and Jung Hoo Lee singled in a run before Bader’s wind-aided slam to right.
The wind cost Bader a potential grand slam Saturday when his drive was blown in a couple of feet and pushed 20 feet to the right, according to @WeatherApplied. His 346-foot shot Sunday carried 7 feet farther and 18 feet to the right thanks to the stiff breeze, turning it into a home run.
Arraez also took advantage of wind blowing out to right field when he homered for the second time in the series — and this season — for a 1-0 lead against Jeffrey Springs in the third.
Willy Adames reached on a throwing error by Gelof, advanced on a balk and scored on a two-out double by Matt Chapman to make it 2-0 in the fourth.
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The Athletics cut it to 2-1 in the fifth on a pop-fly RBI double by Carlos Cortes that Adames lost in the sun at shortstop before it bounced off a diving Chapman’s glove.
Nick Kurtz walked three times and extended his on-base streak to 40 games, tied for the third-longest in A’s history behind Mark McGwire (62) and Rickey Henderson (46).
Sam Hentges, Keaton Winn and Joel Peguero closed it out for the Giants.
Springs (3-4) allowed two runs — one earned — and five hits in six innings.
Up next
Giants LHP Robbie Ray (3-5, 3.04 ERA) starts Monday’s series opener in Arizona against RHP Zac Gallen (1-4, 5.02).
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Athletics RHP J.T. Ginn (2-1, 3.12 ERA) starts Monday on the road opposite Angels RHP Walbert Ureña (1-4, 3.29).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
