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SF Giants fall to A’s in Bay Bridge Series, set sights on Opening Day

Padres await Giants on Thursday and start of the regular season

San Francisco Giants’ Thairo Estrada (39) throws out Oakland Athletics’ Abrha Toro (31) at first in the second inning of Game 2 of the Bay Bridge series at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, March 26, 2023. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group
San Francisco Giants’ Thairo Estrada (39) throws out Oakland Athletics’ Abrha Toro (31) at first in the second inning of Game 2 of the Bay Bridge series at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, March 26, 2023. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
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SAN FRANCISCO — Next time it’s for real.

The Giants wrapped up spring training Tuesday with a 3-1 loss to the Athletics at Oracle Park, with their cross-bay rivals salvaging a split before a crowd of 27,706.

The team took on a different look during spring training, especially with the late additions of third baseman Matt Chapman and left-handed pitcher Blake Snell in free agency. Other newcomers include center fielder Jung Hoo Lee and designated hitter Jorge Soler.

The Giants were blanked by A’s starter Paul Blackburn for 5 2/3 innings with the biggest cheers coming for Pablo Sandoval, who isn’t expected to be on the 26-man roster when they open the season Thursday in San Diego against the Padres.

After striking out in his first at-bat, Sandoval hit a broken-bat single to right in the ninth. He was removed for pinch-runner Donovan Walton, who went to third on a single by Wilmer Flores and scored on Joey Bart’s single to left center.

The Giants had a rally in the eighth when Austin Slater singled and went to third on a one-out single by Ismael Munguia, but Otto Lopez grounded into a double play against Tyler Ferguson.

The Giants trailed 3-0 in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Nick Allen, whose flyout scored Lawrence Butler, who triple to lead off the inning off Camilo Doval.

A sacrifice fly to shallow right by Esteury Ruiz scored Butler from third to put the A’s up 2-0 in the top of the fourth.

Butler opened the inning with a single, and after a flyout, Allen hit a roller down the line that third baseman Matt Chapman thought would roll foul. It didn’t. A walk to Darell Hernaiz loaded the bases, and Ruiz hit a fly to Yastrzemski in right. Yastrzemski’s throw was on target, but Butler made a nice slide and tagged home with his right hand to score the run.

The A’s scored the first run against Blayne Enlow, the third Giants pitcher, on a run-scoring ground out from designated hitter and former Giants third baseman J.D. Davis.

Carlos Perez opened the inning with a one-out walk and was doubled to third by Ryan Noda, with Davis plating Perez with a ground out to Nick Ahmed at short.

Spencer Howard, a right-hander from their minor league camp who started the game, pitched 1 2/3 innings but departed after he was struck by a line drive off the bat of Allen. Chapman fielded the ball at third and threw Allen out at first.

After a visit from the medical staff, Cody Stashak, another pitcher from the minor league camp, replaced Howard. Howard sustained a right upper arm contusion.