NEWS » the Grizzlies, who can apply for a hardship waive

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Bay Bridge series has brought out the best of the Oakland Athletics and the worst of the San Francisco Giants.Jed Lowrie and Yonder Alonso each hit two-run homers and the As took advantage of sloppy play from the Giants to win their third straight game in the series, 7-1 on Wednesday night.We always have this series marked on the calendar, Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. Theres always a different intensity to it so you can kind of throw things out when these two teams play.Sean Manaea (3-4) came off the disabled list to throw pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings and Billy Burns drove in two runs for the As, who have won six of seven and will go for a sweep in the two-city series against their cross-bay rivals on Thursday night.The Giants committed three errors that led to four unearned runs and botched a few other plays in the field that left starting pitcher Jake Peavy (4-7) fuming on the mound. Peavy allowed seven runs -- three earned -- and five hits in 3 1/3 innings, but could have had a better fate with more support from his fielders.We just have to clean it up, manager Bruce Bochy said. Thats the one thing we were doing very well, is catching the ball. You deal with the streaks where you have trouble scoring runs but the one thing we should be consistent at is catching the ball.The problems started early for the Giants, who have three starters on the disabled list with second baseman Joe Panik (concussion) joining right fielder Hunter Pence and third baseman Matt Duffy there earlier in the day.Marcus Semiens popup in the third inning turned into a three-base error on second baseman Ramiro Pena, who collided with right fielder Mac Williamson on the play. Pena ended up leaving the game with an ankle injury that will sideline him for up to a week.Semien then scored on Billy Burns bunt. After Coco Crisp tripled, Lowrie hit a high fly to right field that Williamson tried to catch at the wall. But the ball hit his glove and fell over the fence for a two-run homer that put Oakland up 3-0.They certainly didnt play a very tight defensive game today and we took advantage of it, Lowrie said.That was part of a rough night for Williamson. He was called for interference when he slid past second base in the second inning, turning a potential rally into an inning-ending double play. Williamson then hit into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the fourth and Manaea cruised from there.Its the best weve seen him, catcher Stephen Vogt said. He was hitting 96, throwing change-ups for strikes, bouncing them. Same with his slider. I thought he was very, very, very good, especially coming back from a DL stint. He stepped up for us big.Things unraveled for the Giants in the bottom half after Alonsos homer made it 5-0. Semien hit a drive to left-center that Angel Pagan dropped at the wall for another three-base error. Burns followed with an RBI hit that Pagan misplayed into a double, leading Peavy to curse on the mound.Coco Crisp followed with an RBI single that made it 7-0 and ended Peavys night.It was certainly a frustrating night just on all fronts, Peavy said. We didnt play our best. Just one of those nights. Not fun to endure.BATTING BUMGARNERBochy said he plans to bat Madison Bumgarner instead of a designated hitter Thursday night at the Oakland Coliseum. It will be the first time a team intentionally used a pitcher to hit instead of a DH since the Chicago White Sox allowed Ken Brett to do it in 1976 -- the Rays were forced to bat pitcher Andy Sonnanstine in 2009 because of a lineup card mix-up.Bumgarner is batting .175 this season with two homers and five RBI in 40 at-bats. He has nine homers in 183 at-bats the past three seasons, a rate that would lead to about 36 home runs if he had a full season as a hitter. Bumgarner has even made a public plea to enter into the All-Star Home Run Derby.TRAINERS ROOMGiants: RHP Sergio Romo will (flexor strain) will make rehab appearances Thursday and Friday at Sacramento and then would be scheduled to be activated Sunday.Athletics: OF Khris Davis was scratched from the lineup with a bruised left shoulder after running into the wall Tuesday.SLUGGING ASOakland has scored at least six runs in six straight games and homered in a season-high eight straight.UP NEXTGiants: After winning 10 straight games started by Bumgarner (8-4), San Francisco has dropped the last two. Bumgarner gave up three last Saturday to the Phillies, marking the first time since April 15 he allowed more than two earned runs in a start.Athletics: Dillon Overton (1-0) is looking to follow up a win in his major league debut when he pitches the series finale. Wholesale Jordan 11 NZ . After taking two big hits this week -- losing at home and dropping back-to-back games for the first time all season -- Indiana struck back by playing its most complete game of the year. Air Jordan 11 Sale NZ . The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrators decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season. http://www.cheapairjordan11nz.com/ . By having more great seasons. Manning was the only unanimous choice for the 2013 Associated Press NFL All-Pro team Friday. Cheap Jordan 11 NZ .J. Jefferson has been charged with assaulting his girlfriend. Air Jordan 11 Retro NZ . But Bourque, who has missed three games with a lower-body injury, wont be in the lineup when the Habs travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Wednesday. Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley will miss an extended period with transverse fractures in the vertebrae in his lower back, the team announced.The Grizzlies said Conley is expected to miss six weeks and will be re-evaluated in four weeks. Conleys injury is expected to resolve itself with rest, the team said.Conley himself expressed optimism, tweeting:Conley sustained the injury during the third quarter of Mondays loss to the Charlotte Hornets.The Grizzlies are now missing Chandler Parsons (knee), Zach Randolph (personal leave), James Ennis (calf) and Brandan Wright (ankle).Conley was off to the best start of his career fresh off signing a five-year, $153 million maximum contract, the biggest overall deal in NBA history. He is averaging a career-high 19.2 points to go with 5.7 assists per game, leading the injury-riddled Grizzlies to an 11-7 record.Without Conley, Memphis will be forced to rely on a pair of rookie point guards. Andrew Harrison, who spent last season in the D-League, is averaging 5.9 points and 3.4 assistts but is shooting only 27.dddddddddddd.1 percent from the floor. First-round pick Wade Baldwin is averaging 3.5 points and 2.3 assists, shooting only 33.3 percent from the floor, and had fallen out of the rotation.A source said point guards Kendall Marshall, Toney Douglas and Will Bynum are expected to work out for the Grizzlies, who can apply for a hardship waiver this weekend to receive an extra roster spot.Mario Chalmers, who ruptured his Achilles tendon while playing for the Grizzlies last season, will not be among the guards Memphis works out. Chalmers is not physically ready, according to a source.Center Marc Gasol (18.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists per game) is the only one of Memphis three max players who is currently healthy. Parsons?will miss at least another week due to a bone bruise in his left knee, which is not the knee that he had surgeries on in each of the two previous seasons. ' ' '