SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Mark Canha is one of four outfielders in the mix for two spots on the Oakland Athletics roster.
He’s capping a strong spring with a powerful closing argument.
Canha went 4 for 4 with a solo homer and a go-ahead single, Matt Chapman also went deep and Oakland beat the San Francisco Giants 9-2 in 10 innings Monday night in the Bay Bridge exhibition series.
A’s manager Bob Melvin won’t decide on his final cuts until after Tuesday’s game. But he acknowledged that leaving Canha off the team would be very difficult at this point.
“Man, he had a great game. He’s hitting what, .360 this spring?” Melvin said. “He’s versatile; you can play him at first and in the outfield.”
Canha is actually batting .362 (17 for 47) after his big night Monday.
“We’ve seen when he gets lots of at-bats, he’s productive,” Melvin said.
Canha’s hit off D.J. Snelten highlighted a seven-run outburst in the 10th.
Chapman reached safely on a wild pitch after striking out leading off the inning and went to second when Chad Pinder followed with a single. Chapman scored the go-ahead run.
J.B. Wendelken pitched a scoreless ninth for Oakland and was among seven pitchers the A’s used in relief of Daniel Mengden, who was pulled after three innings on a limited pitch count.
Mengden struck out three and gave up one run, three hits and a walk. He threw 54 pitches.
The Giants trailed 2-1 when Andrew McCutchen doubled with one out off A’s reliever Blake Treinen. Pinch-runner Gorkys Hernandez scored on two wild pitches by Treinen.
Canha doubled in the third and hit his fourth home run of the spring off Derek Holland in the fifth.
The A’s trailed 1-0 when Chapman hit his second homer of the spring in the second inning.
Holland struck out five, walked one and gave up two runs in five innings of four-hit ball.
The Giants earlier announced that Holland will be the team’s No. 3 starter at the beginning of the season, a move precipitated by injuries to staff ace Madison Bumgarner (broken pinkie) and Jeff Samardzija (pectoral strain).
Holland, a 31-year-old left-hander, entered camp as a non-roster invitee. He was added to the 40-man roster and gets a one-year contract with a $1.5 million salary while in the major leagues.
Holland also can earn $1.5 million in performance bonuses for starts: $250,000 each for 10, 15, 20 and 25, and $500,000 for 30. He also can earn $1.05 million based on games pitcher: $50,000 each for 25 and 30; $75,000 apiece for 35 and 40; $100,000 each for 45, 50 and 60; and $25,000 apiece for 60 and 65.
“It’s huge. To get this opportunity was what I was trying to do,” Holland said. “I wanted to show people I’m not done and I’m still able to do things.
“Obviously the injuries are the worst part. That’s something that I’ve been through myself and you don’t ever want to see.”
BAKER BACK
Former Giants manager Dusty Baker will rejoin the team in an advisory role. The three-time NL Manager of the Year will serve as a special adviser to CEO Larry Baer.
NO ROOM FOR PARKER
The Giants designated outfielder Jarrett Parker for assignment, manager Bruce Bochy said. Bochy said the team needed to clear a roster spot for Holland, who will begin the season in the starting rotation. Parker was out of options.
TROPHY UNVEILED
A trophy made of steel salvaged from the original east span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge will be awarded to the winner of the annual regular-season Bay Bridge Series, the teams announced. Since the inception of interleague play in 1997, the A’s lead the series 59-55.
UP NEXT
RHP Andrew Triggs pitches for the A’s in the finale of the three-game exhibition series Tuesday night. RHP Chris Stratton goes for the Giants in the final tuneup before opening day on Thursday.
___
More AP baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
Please read our comment policy before commenting.