Giambi hittin' it off well as an Athletic

Giambi plunked 3 times in Athletics’ win
Mar 6, 7:00 pm EST

PHOENIX (AP)—Jason Giambi hoped to get a few hits. Instead, he got hit a few times.

Giambi was plunked by a pitch three times Friday, prompting the plate umpire to issue a warning in the Oakland Athletics’ 12-1 win over the Seattle Mariners.

“I got that out of the way,” Giambi said. “I was wondering when I would be able to swing the bat. I don’t sweat it, I know it was nothing on purpose.”

Giambi was hit in the forearm, the back and the triceps.

“I spread them out,” he said.

Giambi was twice plunked by Jarrod Washburn and brushed it off both times. When Giambi was hit by David Aardsma in the fifth inning, umpire Ed Montague warned the teams.

“I hit him twice with the same pitch,” Washburn said after allowing four runs and seven hits in 1 1-3 innings. “I get along with Jason and I feel bad but maybe it will plant a seed.”

Matt Holliday had two hits and drove in two runs, Kurt Suzuki had two hits and an RBI and Eric Chavez also drove in a run against Washburn.

Rajai Davis was 4-for-4 with two doubles and scored three runs for the A’s.

“We threw 175 pitches in eight innings,” Seattle manager Don Wakamatsu said. “That wasn’t good but that’s what exhibition baseball is. You take the bad with the good.”

Giambi was glad to see his boyhood pal and former Olympic teammate Nomar Garciaparra running around the clubhouse in an A’s shirt. Garciaparra and shortstop Orlando Cabrera joined the Athletics this week.

“He can play first, third, anywhere,” Giambi said of Garciaparra. “I gave him input on why we could use him. It will be fun this year. I know Orlando, too. Everywhere he’s been, he’s won. He can do it all.”

A’s manager Bob Geren said he met with A’s incumbent shortstop Bobby Crosby about a new role.

“He will have to learn how to play other positions, similar to Nomar,” Geren said. “He understands the situation.”

Washburn allowed one hit in his first three innings using nothing but fastballs. He started mixing in his other pitches and the results were a little different.

“I don’t think it was as bad as it looked,” Washburn said. “It still wasn’t one of my better games. Things like this get you ready for the season when you have to make adjustments on the fly and figure out what is wrong. It gets your mind working again.”

The A’s have not set a timetable to get Cabrera and Garciaparra into the lineup. … Mariners DH Mike Sweeney is expected to play in his first game Saturday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. … Ken Griffey Jr. and Adrian Beltre took part in a simulated game. … A’s RHP Justin Duchscherer will rest his sore elbow until next week. … A’s IF Javier Herrera had two hits and scored twice. Aardsma and RHP Tyler Walker each threw a scoreless inning for the Mariners. … A’s RHP Vin Mazzaro extended his scoreless inning streak to five. He has seven strikeouts.

Ouch