SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Ty Blach had a pretty good idea he had exceeded his teammates’ wildest expectations of what he could do with a bat. The reaction he got from teammate Denard Span rounding third base sealed it.
“Denard’s look in the on-deck circle, that was pretty funny, he was just kind of like ’Did you just do that?’” Blach said. “That was a great moment.”
Blach pitched eight strong innings and hit a three-run homer and Jarrett Parker had three hits and three RBIs in his first game back from the disabled list as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Oakland Athletics 11-2 on Thursday night.
The win gave the Giants a split of the four-game home-and-home Bay Bridge Series.
Blach (7-7) struck out four and gave up two runs, six hits and one walk. The 26-year-old left-hander threw 104 pitches. He’s pitched at least six innings in six straight starts.
Blach homered off Chris Smith in the fifth. His first career home run cleared the 399-foot sign in center field and extended an 8-1 lead.
“It was the Ty Blach show tonight,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “What a game he had. I think we were all just stunned with what happened there.”
The Giants combined for 13 hits as they spoiled the return of Oakland A’s starter Kendall Graveman (2-3).
Parker, who has been out since breaking his right clavicle crashing into a wall on April 15, was 3 for 5 with two doubles.
His two-run double highlighted a four-run rally in the bottom of the first in which the Giants sent nine batters to the plate.
Brandon Belt hit a two-run homer - his 18th - capping a three-run inning in the second.
Giants third baseman Ryder Jones, promoted earlier in the day from Triple-A Sacramento, had two hits.
Graveman was making his first start since coming off the disabled list for a second time on May 19 with a right shoulder strain.
The 26-year-old right-hander pitched a season-low two innings and gave up a season-high seven runs and seven hits in his ninth start.
“I thought I made some good pitches,” Graveman said. “Thought the ball was coming out good. I didn’t execute some off-speed pitches like I should. Threw a lot of strikes. I don’t think the movement was quite there.”
REPLACING CAIN
RHP Chris Stratton will be called up from Triple-A Sacramento and will take RHP Matt Cain’s turn in the rotation, Bochy said. Cain will likely pitch out of the bullpen.
LEFT OUT
Span will likely move to left field from center at some point in his Giants tenure, Bochy said. Span is signed through next year.
DIVING CHAD
Chad Pinder, a defensive standout who’s already played five positions, made a diving catch on a fly ball near the foul line to rob Hunter Pence of extra bases for the final out in the bottom of the second inning.
“He just continues to really impress,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “The more experience he can get, the more plays he gets, the more comfortable he’s going to be even though he’s looked comfortable since the first time he’s been out there.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: RHP Daniel Gossett was optioned to Triple-A Nashville, a corresponding move with Graveman coming off the DL for Thursday’s start.
Giants: Parker’s reinstatement and Jones’ promotion corresponded with INF Conor Gillaspie being designated for assignment and INF Jae-Gyun Hwang being optioned to Triple-A Sacramento.
UP NEXT
Athletics: RHP Jharel Cotton will pitch Friday’s series opener against the Los Angeles Angels. The 25-year-old rookie is 1-2 with a 7.47 ERA in three career starts against the Angels.
Giants: LHP Madison Bumgarner (1-4, 2.92) will start Friday’s series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Bumgarner is 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA in four starts since coming off the DL (left shoulder AC joint sprain and bruised ribs). He’s 9-7 with a 2.84 ERA in 28 appearances (27 starts) against Arizona.
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