The Oakland Athletics were shut down by San Francisco Giants starter Jordan Hicks in the first half of this year’s Bay Bridge series. The Giants’ righty threw 5 scoreless innings, didn’t allow a hit, and struck out 10 Athletics batters, leading the Giants to a 4-1 victory.

Athletics’ lefty JP Sears had a decent night, going just 3.2 innings and giving up 2 runs on 2 hits and 3 walks. Sears notched 3 strikeouts on the day but he did give up 2 home runs, both to Giants catcher Tom Murphy.

The Athletics managed just 4 hits total, all of them singles. Their lone run came in the bottom of the 6th inning on an Abraham Toro ground ball that got through the left side of the infield and scored Lawrence Butler.

The Toro single left men on 1st and 2nd with just one out. They loaded the bases on a Brent Rooker walk with 2 outs but Esteury Ruiz couldn’t come through, ending the inning on a soft ground ball to Giants’ second baseman Thairo Estrada.

The only other real threat the A’s managed was in the bottom of the 8th, when they got men on 1st and 2nd with one down. Giants’ reliever RJ Dabovich got Athletics’ utilityman Hoy Park to ground into a double play to get out of the jam, and the A’s went quietly in the 9th.

The two teams will line up again on Tuesday evening for the second of two games in the series. Tuesday’s matchup will take place at Oracle Park in San Francisco, with Athletics’ righty Paul Blackburn set to take the mound. The Giants have yet to announce a starter.

Blackburn will look to impress in his final spring training start. He’s been solid during his first few outings and the biggest obstacle for him in 2024 will be avoiding injuries and making a full slate of starts.

If Blackburn can stay healthy and in the rotation for a full season, he should prove to be one of the more valuable pieces on the A’s roster. With so many question marks on the pitching staff at the moment, the A’s could really use the help.