Jun. 30--OAKLAND -- That will teach the A's to gloat.
First, the guys with a pachyderm as their mascot ran an ad in Friday's San Francisco Chronicle bragging on their recent dominance in the Bay Bridge series.
"The battle of the Bay is 100 percent baseball," it read. But the word "battle" was crossed out and the braggadocio ensued as the ad also said, "Well, when you've won eight of the last nine it's not exactly a battle."
Then, the A's, who have also won seven consecutive at AT&T Park, won the opener of the series to extend their overall streak to seven against the Giants. Saturday, they showed on McAfee Coliseum's big screens Olmedo Saenz's three-run, game-winning homer against Robb Nen in 1999.
Not only were the A's preparing to take the Giants' San Jose territorial rights by force, some in the press box wondered if A's manager Bob Geren was going to make like Shaq and cut his own freestyle rap, training his sights on Giants manager Bruce Bochy while lording over the A's four gleaming World Series trophies.
Bochy, tell me how my, ahem, contrails taste?
The twisting of the knife continued Sunday when, after three perfect innings by Joe Blanton, the big screen showed the final out of the 1989 World Series. That was when Dennis Eckersley got Brett Butler to ground out, completing the earthquake-delayed sweep of their cross-bay rivals with thunderous aplomb.
The only rumble emanating from Oakland on Sunday, though, was courtesy of the Giants' long-slumbering lumber. The Giants pounded out 13 hits, beginning with a four-run rally immediately after the A's ripped off the 19-year-old scab via the magic of videotape, batted around the order in consecutive innings and thrashed their East Bay tormentors 11-1.
Beyond that, San Francisco also won the series, having ridden Tim Lincecum's magic arm the night before.
"Oh yeah, it's definitely a good day," said rookie John Bowker, the former Rio Americano High School standout who served as the Giants' designated hitter and was 3 for 4 with a double, two RBIs and tied a career high with three runs.
"This year, the A's have definitely had our number so it was good to win."
And shove their elephant snouts in it while dirtying their white cleats in the process?
