Sears pitches 7 shutout innings, Athletics hit 4 homers in 5-2 win over Giants
SAN FRANCISCO — JP Sears pitched seven scoreless innings and the Oakland Athletics hit four home runs in a 5-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night.
The A’s have won eight of their last 11 games since the All-Star break and can clinch their fifth straight series for the first time since 2021 with a victory Wednesday.
Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler went on to hit their 11th and 10th home runs of July, respectively. The duo also rank first and second in the major leagues in home runs and RBIs this month. Daz Cameron and JJ Bleday also hit deep. The A’s have hit 45 home runs this month, the most in the major leagues and the second-most in Oakland history in July.
“I think we’re just getting started, and that’s good,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “I don’t want to say they’re validating themselves. We’ve got a long season to play and a long way to go to continue to play good baseball, continue to hit the way we’ve been. But like I said before the game, this group is starting to believe in itself. And it’s powerful when that happens.”
Sears (8-8), the only A’s pitcher who has not missed a start this season, recovered from allowing seven earned runs to the Astros In his last start, Sears had a season-high nine strikeouts and held the Giants to three hits to win his fourth game in a month for the first time in his career.
Kotsay said it was Sears’ best performance of the season. The 28-year-old felt he had good command of his fastball on both sides of the plate.
“After a disappointing end to the season in my last start, I want to get off to a good start for the second half of the season,” Sears said. “I felt really confident.”
Cameron gave the A’s a 1-0 lead in the second with a solo shot, and Butler doubled the lead in the third. Rooker hit a two-run home run to left field in the fifth.
The A’s had seven hits against Giants starter Robbie Ray (1-1), who suffered the loss in his home debut with the Giants. Ray, the 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner, came off the injured list last week and got the win in his first start against the Dodgers.
Giants manager Bob Melvin said the adrenaline rush Ray felt in his first start may have worn off.
“He gave so much effort in that first game, especially at Dodger Stadium, and he’s probably throwing a little harder, too,” Melvin said. “But he’s not going to make excuses for that.”
Ray said his arm felt good before the start.
“I just threw my pitches poorly tonight,” Ray said. “I felt like I let a couple of pitches go over the plate and if I threw them, it would probably be an out. They made me pay for that.”
Patrick Bailey singled for the Giants in the ninth inning. San Francisco finished with five hits.
LIST EVOLUTION
Athletics: The A’s traded right-handed pitcher Lucas Erceg to the Royals for right-handed pitcher Will Klein and two minor leaguers, right-handed pitcher Mason Barnett and outfielder Jared Dickey. … They also traded right-handed pitcher Paul Blackburn to the New York Mets for right-handed pitcher Kade Morris, the Mets’ 2023 third-round pick. … Right-handed pitcher Gerardo Reyes was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas.
Giants: The Giants traded designated hitter Jorge Soler and right-handed pitcher Luke Jackson to the Atlanta Braves for left-handed pitcher Tyler Matzek and right-handed pitcher Sabin Ceballos from the minor leagues. … Right-handed pitcher Alex Cobb was traded to the Cleveland Guardians for left-handed pitcher Jacob Bresnahan and a player to be named later. … The Giants also acquired utility player Mark Canha from the Detroit Tigers for right-handed pitcher Eric Silva. … Right-handed pitcher Marco Luciano and catcher Blake Sabol were recalled from Triple-A Sacramento.
FOLLOWING
Right-handed pitcher Logan Webb (7-8, 3.72 ERA) is scheduled to pitch for the Giants against right-handed pitcher Ross Stripling (2-9, 6.02 ERA) on Wednesday.
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