Athletics at Giants
The Oakland Athletics are in a battle for the second wild card in the American League and are hoping to end their road trip on a high note by diminishing the San Francisco Giants' wild card chances. The Athletics visit the Giants for the opener of a key two-game series Tuesday with both teams looking up in the wild card race.
Oakland is two games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the second wild card and is staring at seven games against the AL-best Houston Astros and New York Yankees when it returns from an eight-game trip Thursday. The Athletics got stellar pitching over the weekend at the Chicago White Sox - yielding a total of three runs - and came away with a pair of victories as Matt Olson's home run provided just enough offense in Sunday's 2-0 triumph. San Francisco is 3 1/2 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in a much more crowded NL wild card race but pulled out of a slump at the expense of one of the teams it's chasing by taking three of four from the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend. The Giants elected not to trade left-hander Madison Bumgarner at the deadline in order to make a run at a postseason spot and will send him to the mound Tuesday against Oakland veteran Brett Anderson.
TV: 9:45 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Oakland), NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics LH Brett Anderson (10-7, 3.99 ERA) vs. Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (7-7, 3.74)
Anderson is coming off a win at the Chicago Cubs last Tuesday in which he scattered two runs and seven hits across six innings to mark his second consecutive quality start. The Texas native posted a quality start in six of his last seven turns and is 3-2 in that span. Anderson did not fare well in his lone start at San Francisco last season, serving up three runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings without factoring in the decision.
Bumgarner last suffered a loss on June 20 and was masterful against Philadelphia on Thursday, yielding one hit in seven scoreless frames to earn the win. The North Carolina native worked at least seven innings in four of his last five outings and owns 145 strikeouts against 31 walks on the season. Bumgarner faced Oakland twice last season and allowed a total of four runs and five hits in 10 innings while striking out 10 and walking nine.
WALK-OFFS
1. Giants 3B/1B Pablo Sandoval (elbow) was limited to pinch hitting over the weekend and is day-to-day.
2. Oakland closer Liam Hendricks is perfect in his last four appearances with eight strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings.
3. San Francisco 3B Evan Longoria is 5-for-7 with four RBIs in his last two games.