“I come in here trying to learn as much as I can,” said Suzuki. “We have great coaches and a good group of guys willing to teach. I’m getting stronger as the spring goes on.”

After replacing starting catcher Jason Kendall in the sixth inning, Suzuki had two at-bats. His first trip to the plate came against Erick Threets in the seventh. The hard-throwing lefty struck him out after checking his swing on a nasty breaking ball.

“It wasn’t a wasted at-bat,” said Suzuki after the game. “I had some good cuts on his fastball. He threw me a good slider down and in and there was nothing I could do with it.”

Suzuki failed to record a hit in a game for the first time this year. But he hasn’t let his offensive off-day keep him from losing his confidence.

“I feel good up there,” he said. “I feel balanced. I’m seeing the ball. It’s all good.”

With his spot currently occupied by Kendall, the catcher from Wailuku, Hawaii will most likely start the year with the A’s AAA affiliate in Sacramento.

Before Suzuki’s clutch ninth inning, Oakland had to play catch-up. San Francisco took the early lead after back-to-back doubles by Eugenio
Valez and Lewis in the third inning. But with Lewis at third and one out, A’s starter Joe Blanton struck out Todd Linden looking and got Pedro Feliz to swing through a cut fastball to end the inning. The Giants added another run the next inning, chasing Blanton from the game.

Giants’ starter Brad Hennessey pitched well but did not figure in the decision. He had one walk and one strikeout through four innings of work,
allowing one run on three hits.

Oakland got a run in the fourth when Marco Scutaro scored Travis Buck from second on a flare to left field. Donnie Murphy, who had three hits on the day, would later tie the game in the fifth, scoring on a sacrifice fly.

Reliever Kiko Calero got his second win of the spring after pitching a perfect ninth. He has yet to allow an earned run this year.