Yastrzemski hits go-ahead double in the 8th, lifting Giants past A's 2-1
Pitcher Ken Waldichuk grew up around Bay Area baseball, so he knows how much fans here stand behind their beloved teams.
On Tuesday night during San Francisco's 2-1 win, supporters of the big-spending Giants rallied around the small-budget Oakland Athletics and both sides stood tall to hold a joint protest and exhibit a rare moment of solidarity between the rivals.
Wearing Oakland green and gold and Giants orange and black, thousands of fans joined together to fight the A's planned move to Las Vegas.
Mike Yastrzemski hit a go-ahead double in the eighth after JJ Bleday tied it on a single in the top half of the inning against Tyler Rogers (4-4). Giants starter Alex Cobb struck out nine over six scoreless innings as the Giants took the Bay Bridge Series opener to snap a six-game losing streak.
The game drew a sellout crowd of 40,014 on a night furious A's fans handed out black "SELL" T-shirts and "Unite The Bay" posters to their San Francisco counterparts to include Giants supporters in their efforts to keep the team from moving to Las Vegas as planned.
Fans for both sides chanted "Sell the team!" in the fifth inning as a message to A's owner John Fisher, then more cheers of "Stay in Oakland!" followed.
"Totally understand the sentiment in the bay and totally understand the sentiment in the ballpark tonight," Giants manager Gabe Kapler said.
Casey Schmitt hit a fifth-inning sacrifice fly as San Francisco opened a season-long nine-game homestand seeking to get back on track from a six-game losing streak during a season-long 11-game road trip in which the Giants won the first five contests.
Cobb allowed three hits to save the bullpen as the Giants played a 12th straight day after the All-Star break. After Rogers struck out two for the victory, Camilo Doval finished for his 31st save.
"For our team to be successful we're going to have to have some more consistently productive at-bats," Kapler said. "So we're not where we want to be but came away with a win tonight. That's all that matters."
Cobb gave up Seth Brown's leadoff double in the second then struck out the next three hitters. The right-hander's 1.80 ERA against Oakland is his lowest against any opponent with a minimum of five starts. He hadn't faced the A's since May 29, 2021, with the Angels.
Tayler Scott struck out two in the first setting up for Waldichuk as the A's used an opener for the 12th time.
OLD PALS
Former A's lefty Sean Manaea, who pitched a no-hitter for Oakland against the Red Sox in 2018, chatted with former teammates Seth Brown and Tony Kemp by the batting cage before the game.
"I miss those guys," Manaea said.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Athletics: OF Esteury Ruiz has been testing his dislocated right shoulder with throwing and was hitting on the field. He will remain with the A's through Wednesday then report to Triple-A Las Vegas to begin a rehab assignment. ... OF Ramón Laureano returned from a fractured right hand after being sidelined since June 22.
Giants: SS Brandon Crawford is expected back Friday when eligible to return from an injured list stint with left knee inflammation. ... 2B Thairo Estrada (fractured left hand) hit for the second time, swinging a regular bat in the cage and will incorporate other baseball activity such as running and throwing. His pain tolerance will be a factor, Kapler said. ... OF Mitch Haniger is expected to travel to Los Angeles on Wednesday for a follow-up X-ray on his fractured right forearm and if it is clear he will immediately begin baseball activities.
FIRST-ROUNDER
Giants first-round pick Bryce Eldridge, an outfielder and right-handed pitcher, signed for $3,997,500.
UP NEXT
Lefty Hogan Harris (2-4, 6.11 ERA) is set to pitch Wednesday night for Oakland, while the Giants were yet to announce a starter.