Athletics cruise past Giants 11-2 with six scoreless innings from Sears

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — JP Sears pitched six scoreless innings, Nick Kurtz and Denzel Clarke hit home runs, and the Athletics cruised past the San Francisco Giants 11-2 on Friday night.

Jacob Wilson and Brent Rooker both drove in two of six early runs off Justin Verlander as the Athletics took a 6-0 lead after three innings.

Sears (7-7) allowed three hits and two walks, striking out six. Rookie Jack Perkins gave up two runs — one earned — in three innings for his second save in his third appearance.

Verlander (0-6) was tagged for six runs on seven hits in three innings but fanned five.

After Lawrence Butler singled in the first and scored on Rooker’s single, the Athletics used four doubles in the second to score four times.

Tyler Soderstrom and Max Muncy had two straight leading off for the first run. Wilson followed with a two-out, two-run double before scoring on a double by Rooker for a 5-0 lead.

Zack Gelof — on the injured list since spring training — hit a sacrifice fly in the third.

The game was delayed in the middle of the sixth when home plate umpire Andy Fletcher left after taking an earlier foul tip off his mask. Tripp Gibson finished behind the plate.

Clarke tripled when play resumed and scored on Butler’s single. Two outs later rookie Kurtz hit his 13th home run for a 9-0 lead. Clarke’s two-run shot in the seventh capped the A’s scoring.

Brett Wisely homered in the eighth and the Giants got an unearned run in the ninth.

Key moment

Wilson’s two-out double to left in the four-run second came on a 0-2 pitch from Verlander.

Key stat

Verlander is 262-152 in his career but winless in his first 14 starts with the Giants. He hasn’t won since his final start for the Astros last season, beating the Guardians 4-3 on Sept. 28.

Up next

Giants RHP Logan Webb (7-6, 2.61 ERA) starts Saturday opposite Athletics RHP Luis Severino (2-9, 5.09).

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