Chapman homers twice, Bailey strong as A's hold off Giants
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Matt Chapman's first home run set up what looked like a lopsided win. His second provided the Athletics with some breathing room that they unexpectedly needed.
Chapman's drive in the ninth inning followed a late collapse by Oakland's bullpen, and the A's held on to beat the San Francisco Giants 9-5 on Wednesday.
"I was just trying to think small. I didn't expect to go up there and hit two home runs," Chapman said. "I'd been struggling for a little bit. You just want to go up there and take good at-bats and get hits and try to help the team win."
Homer Bailey pitched seven scoreless innings and singled twice. Robbie Grossman also went deep and made a sliding catch in left, and Matt Olson added a two-run double to help the A's earn a split of the two-game series between Bay Area rivals.
Mike Yastrzemski homered for San Francisco, which had won three straight.
Chapman homered off Tyler Beede (3-7) in the first and added another solo shot off Trevor Gott in the ninth after the Giants had trimmed a 7-0 lead to 7-5.
"I knew we needed some insurance runs," Chapman said. "I was trying to drive the ball but I wasn't trying to hit a homer. I was trying to get a ball in the gap, get on base and kind of get the momentum feeling like it was back on our side."
It was the third multi-homer game of Chapman's career. He leads AL third basemen with 27 home runs.
"The power was always there. It was just whether or not he was going to get the command of the strike zone and some walks and hit his pitches," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "He's done that in a short period of time, developed into that."
Joakim Soria and Yusmeiro Petit were tagged for five runs in the eighth. Yastrzemski's three-run homer off Soria made it 7-4. Pinch-hitter Alex Dickerson followed with a groundout that drove in Evan Longoria before Liam Hendriks struck out Kevin Pillar to end the inning.
Hendriks retired four batters for his 13th save.
Bailey (10-8) kept the Giants quiet. The 33-year-old right-hander allowed two hits, struck out seven and walked one in his best outing since being acquired from Kansas City on July 14.
"I thought that was his best stuff of the year," Melvin said. "Had a great split, located his fastball really well. It looks like when his split's on he's a tough customer to deal with because he can throw it for a strike, he can throw it for chase and it keeps guys off his fastball."
Bailey also drove in Oakland's first run with an infield single when Longoria fell forward onto the grass while fielding the ball. Bailey's other hit was a crisp single to right.
Beede allowed four runs and eight hits in four innings. The right-hander is winless since July 14.
"We're just trying to get him over the hump as far as being consistent with executing his pitches," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He's really good at times and then it gets away from him a little bit."
HITTING PITCHERS
Before Bailey's two singles, Oakland's pitchers had only four hits this season. All four were by Brett Anderson. The RBI was Bailey's first since 2014.
MOVE THEM IN
The Giants are contemplating moving their outfield fences in to make room for bullpens. Chapman, who flied out to deep center in the sixth, is all for it. "I think they should. I think they should move Oakland's fences in, too," he said.
ROSTER MOVES
A's second baseman Corban Joseph was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas before the game and singled in the eighth. Outfielder Nick Martini was sent down, and catcher Beau Taylor was designated for assignment.
The Giants activated outfielder Alex Dickerson off the injured list. Dickerson had been out since Aug. 1 with a right oblique strain.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Athletics: LHP Sean Manaea (shoulder surgery) will make another rehab start with Las Vegas. ... RHP Marco Estrada (lumbar strain) will pitch Thursday for Las Vegas.
Giants: INF Pablo Sandoval was placed on the 10-day IL with right elbow inflammation. Sandoval had a cortisone shot and underwent an MRI, but the severity of the injury is unknown. ... RHP Johnny Cueto is expected to throw 45 pitches in a rehab start with Class A San Jose on Thursday.
UP NEXT
Athletics: Mike Fiers (11-3, 3.30 ERA) takes a nine-game winning streak into Thursday's start against Houston. The right-hander had no-decisions in each of his three starts against the Astros this season.
Giants: RHP Dereck Rodríguez (4-6, 5.32) will be called up from the minors to pitch Thursday's game at Arizona. Rodríguez has lost four of his last five starts.
