Cespedes Takes Lincecum Deep Again, A’s Cruise to 7-3 Win Over Giants at AT&T Park

It was the first opportunity for fans in the Bay Area to see their baseball teams in person without traveling to Arizona, which is a total drag (not).  Tonight’s matchup saw Tommy Milone (Or Tim as CSN Bay Area’s Amy G expertly referred to him as) take on the actual Tim, Tim Lincecum as he tried to get his bearings.  Ask Yoenis Cespedes about Timmy’s bearings.

Just take this picture, and imagine it happening at night. Cespedes goes yard versus Timmy once again. (Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports)

Milone and Lincecum traded zeroes for the first 2 innings before Buster Posey lined an RBI single to center to get the Giants on the board.  The A’s would answer back though with authority as Yoenis Cespedes yanked a 2 run home run half way up the left field bleachers.  That’s his second home run in a week off of Lincecum, so apparently there’s something Cespedes likes about facing him.

Lincecum would be charged with 5 runs altogether in his 4.2 innings of work, the last of which came when Jeremy Affeldt gave up a 3 run homer to Josh Reddick in the 5th inning.  Reddick has put together a nice spring, and hopefully he can carry over some good habits from spring to the regular season.

Tommy Milone would pitch 4.2 innings himself, allowing 5 hits and 2 ER with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts to get the victory.  Pat Neshek, Jerry Blevins, and Jordan Norberto would follow with 3.1 innings of scoreless relief.  Evan Scribner did allow a run in the bottom of the 9th inning on 2 hits and a walk.

Josh Reddick led the offensive charge with 2 hits, including the 3 run bomb.  Yoenis Cespedes went 1-4 with the aforementioned 2 run homer against Lincecum.  Jed Lowrie, Josh Donaldson, John Jaso, and Eric Sogard each added hits of their own.

Of course it’s only an exhibition, but this one was good for two reasons: it was a victory over the Giants, and it puts us one step closer to Opening Day on Monday versus the Seattle Mariners.  The two teams meet up again tomorrow night at AT&T Park as A.J. Griffin takes the mound against our old friend Barry Zito at 7:15 PM.