OAKLAND, Calif., June 18 (UPI) -- A third-inning double by Josh Willingham off Tim Lincecum put Oakland in front to stay Friday and the Athletics went on to defeat San Francisco 5-2.
Lincecum (5-6), the defending National League Cy Young Award winner, was coming off his worst outing of the season and has not won in any of his last four starts.
He was outpitched by Graham Godfrey, who earned his first major league victory in his second career start.
Hideki Matsui drew a one-out walk in the third and Willingham broke a 1-1 tie by driving home Matsui with a double. Willingham then stole third and scored on an errant throw by catcher Chris Stewart.
In his previous outing Lincecum gave up seven runs on seven hits in four innings against Cincinnati.
Oakland was protecting a 3-2 lead in the eighth when Scott Sizemore came through with an RBI double and then scored on another double by David DeJesus.
Godfrey (1-0) gave up a run on six hits in seven innings to get the interleague victory. Andrew Bailey retired the side in order in the ninth for his third save.
