The Oakland Athletics took the first game of this weekend's Bay Bridge Series, dropping the Giants 5-2 on Friday night. Starter Graham Godfrey earned his first career win and Andrew Bailey earned his third save as the A's won their third straight game. The A's received rare timely hitting throughout the lineup, gaining two key insurance runs in the eighth to set up an easy ninth inning for Bailey.
The victory followed the formula the A's were planning to follow entering the season. The only difference was the players involved. Graham Godfrey went seven innings, holding the Giants to two runs on six hits. Conor Jackson and Josh Willingham got big hits to give the A's their leads, but it was recent additions Scott Sizemore and Jemile Weeks who added the key insurance runs in the eighth.
The one constant from day one was the dominant bullpen. The A's won't get seven innings from their starter every night, but when they do get seven innings and a lead, they expect the bullpen to lock it up. Friday night saw Grant Balfour and Andrew Bailey each pitch 1-2-3 innings to slam the door on the Giants.
The victory gives the A's their first three game winning streak since they won four straight in late May. The A's lost 13 of 14 following that and subsequently made numerous changes, adding a new manager and several new bats to the lineup. Jemile Weeks and Scott Sizemore do not bring the big bombing bats, but they do spring speed, energy and timely hitting to a lineup that was devoid of all that. In 17 combined games, Weeks and Sizemore are hitting a combined .375 (21-for-56). It's a small sample size, but for now the A's will take the positives.
The teams meet Saturday night in game two of the series at 7:05pm. Jonathan Sanchez will face Guillermo Moscoso with the Giants broadcast available on NBC and the A's broadcast available on CSN California.
We'll be here all weekend long following the 2011 Bay Bridge Series. For more on the Giants and the A's, head over to McCovey Chronicles and Athletics Nation to get in on the action.