Braden Gem Spoiled As Giants Top A's In Final Tuneup
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS/AP) - Dallas Braden is ready to make this season memorable for more than just one start.
The fiery lefty with the big breaking ball pitched 5 2-3 scoreless innings before the San Francisco Giants rallied in the ninth to beat the Oakland Athletics 2-1 on Wednesday in the final tuneup before opening day.
A year after pitching a perfect game and making headlines for his infamous mound confrontation with Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez, Braden is out to prove his often stunning performances were no fluke. He wants to be more consistent this season—and injury free—with hopes of helping the A's to an AL West title and possibly more.
Braden stuck out five and allowed five hits and two walks against the World Series champions, who played mostly reserves in the finale of the annual preseason Bay Bridge Series. The Giants swept the series.
San Francisco starter Madison Bumgarner also had a solid performance, giving up one run in six innings. He stuck out six and walked three.
The Giants begin their title defense Thursday at the rival Los Angeles Dodgers. Oakland opens the regular season at home against the Seattle Mariners on Friday night, and Braden believes the A's are more than ready.
Braden will shore up the back end of a deep and talented rotation at the fourth spot. Along with Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson and Gio Gonzalez, the A's rotation—which led the AL in ERA (3.56) and shutouts (17) last season—could be as good as any in the majors.
"I'm riding around on their coattails," Braden joked. "They're throwing around the 'Fantastic Four' name. I told them, 'Big 3.5, and I'll be the decimal."'
The only run the A's gave Braden came in the third inning when Ryan Sweeney doubled and Mark Ellis drove him in two batters later.
The Giants had a two-out rally in the ninth, with Eli Whiteside and Mark DeRosa hitting RBI singles.
It was a picturesque day in San Francisco's cozy waterfront ballpark, and Braden soaked in every moment.
He grew up a Giants fan—calling AT&T Park "the most hallowed ground in baseball"—and had never pitched in the ballpark across the Bay from the Oakland Coliseum. Braden cherished the opportunity but quickly moved past his performance.
He was only 11-14 last season, had a 3.50 ERA but pitched five complete games, including his Mother's Day's masterpiece against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 9. But he went 0-5 in nine starts and dealt with an elbow injury after his perfect game before finally winning again, and he still has plenty to prove after an otherwise forgettable spring.
Braden allowed more runs than innings pitched in his first four outings this spring but did close strong. He allowed one run in just six innings in his previous start before holding the Giants scoreless.
Braden said he's more than ready for the regular season and relishes his role in the A's rotation.
"At the back end of the rotation, you want to be a surprise," Braden said. "You want them to look up on that Sunday day game and be like, "Dang, that just happened? I'm fully embracing the fourth spot."
(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services may have contributed to this report.)
