Giants overpower A’s in Hudson-Zito reunion

OAKLAND, Calif. Tim Hudson waved his cap. Barry Zito doffed his. Then a rookie outfielder really let it fly.

And nostalgia gave way to nuclear power.

Jarrett Parker amplified his out-of-nowhere September, hitting three home runs, including a tiebreaking grand slam in the eighth inning, as the Giants emerged with a memory-making, 14-10 victory over the A’s at the Coliseum on Saturday.

Hudson didn’t escape the second inning. Zito didn’t make it through the third. Parker powered through to the end, following up his solo shot off Zito in the second inning and a two-run homer off Drew Pomeranz in the seventh by stroking the first pitch from Ryan Dull deep over the right-field fence.

Parker became the first Giant to hit at least three homers and drive in at least seven runs since Willie Mays’ memorable four-homer game in 1961. Parker also became the first major league rookie with a three-homer game since the Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen in 2009.

All this from a long-haired outfielder from Virginia who looked totally overmatched in his first foray against big league pitching in June, when he went 0-for-9 with five strikeouts. That stint left such an impression that the Giants didn’t even call up Parker after the Triple-A season ended Sept. 7. They promoted him four days after that only because outfielder Gregor Blanco began to experience concussion symptoms.

Since then? Parker is 9-for-18 with six home runs, a double and 12 RBIs. He now has five homers in his last nine at-bats. The Giants have seen players such as Randy Winn and Hunter Pence get pistol-hot in recent Septembers. But even Barry Bonds seldom had power bursts of this magnitude.

Even when Parker appears to hit the ball off the end of the bat, it’s carrying over the fence.

Parker grabbed the focus away from a nostalgic matchup that turned messy, as Hudson walked in two runs in the second inning and Zito gave up four runs before his last-act curveball walked Buster Posey leading off the third.

After one inning, Hudson looked to be a sure bet to outlast his former A’s Big Three teammate. Hudson threw just eight pitches in a tidy first inning, and the Giants led 4-0 when he took the mound again.

That’s when the 40-year-old right-hander suddenly had trouble throwing a strike. He threw just five of them among 26 pitches in the second inning while walking two runs something he’d never done in 477 career starts and yielded to Ryan Vogelsong in the middle of Josh Reddick’s at-bat.

Vogelsong inherited a 2-0 count and induced a bases-loaded ground ball for a double play, saving Hudson some more runs and allowing the Giants to stay in front 4-3.

It wasn’t the kind of pitchers’ duel a sellout crowd wanted to see, but the fans still were able to pay homage. Hudson gave just a quick wave to the fans seated above the Giants dugout. He was implored back onto the field by stadium announcer Dick Callahan, who instructed fans to “give it up for the current active wins leader” in the major leagues.

Hudson finally stepped into the sunshine, pointed toward Zito on the mound, tapped his chest and did a 360-degree wave.

After one inning, it appeared Hudson might cruise to his 223rd career win. But it’s possible that his troublesome hip locked up on him once he sat down. He started the second inning by walking Stephen Vogt and lost the handle on a breaking ball that struck Billy Butler.

Brett Lawrie followed with a chopper to third base that Matt Duffy fumbled while a step away from the base, ruining a chance at a fairly easy double play. With the bases loaded, Hudson threw just one strike among his next nine pitches. He walked Eric Sogard on five pitches and then walked Sam Fuld on four.

Billy Burns grounded into a forceout at the plate, but Hudson hit Mark Canha with a pitch to plate another run, and then Bruce Bochy intervened after the first two pitches to Reddick were out of the zone.

Hudson was operating with a lead because Marlon Byrd followed two seeing-eye singles with a two-run double off the right field wall in the first inning. Parker hit a home run in the second inning off Zito and Kelby Tomlinson hit an RBI single.

It quickly became and bullpen game, and the box score a plate of spaghetti. Vogelsong got blasted in a five-run third, although Parker tripped while poised to make a fairly routine catch in left field on Canha’s fly ball that turned into an RBI double.

Matt Cain couldn’t follow one clean inning with another, as Butler walloped a two-run home run in the sixth.

But the Giants didn’t go away. Duffy and Posey collected RBI hits in the sixth, Parker drilled Pomeranz’s first pitch for a two-run shot in the seventh and the Giants tied it in the eighth. Tomlinson singled took third on Posey’s double and was fleet enough to score on Byrd’s medium fly out.

Dull intentionally walked Brandon Crawford, and Alejandro De Aza drew a pinch walk to load the bases for the most dangerous No. 8 batter in either league on Saturday. Parker turned anticipation into fulfilled joy, barreling up the first pitch.

(c)2015 San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)

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