SAN FRANCISCO -- Oakland manager Bob Melvin leaned back in his clubhouse chair and exhaled -- on the winning side of the Bay Bridge Series rivalry 3 hours, 43 minutes of intense baseball later. Tommy Milone won his second straight decision following a five-start skid, pinch-hitter Nate Freiman had a two-run single, and the Athletics beat the San Francisco Giants 9-6 on Wednesday night in a back-and-forth duel for their sixth straight win. "It was exhausting," Melvin said. "They were competing, boy. You get momentum going in the other direction here sometimes and its hard to stem the tide." Yoenis Cespedes hit an RBI triple in the first to extend his career-best hitting streak to 11 games, and Jed Lowrie added an RBI double as the As (31-23) moved a season-best eight games above .500 for the first time since they were 12-4 on April 17. They won for the 11th time in 12 games. "Thats probably the most fun Ive had in a long time outside of the playoffs. People are competing," said As third baseman Josh Donaldson, who had two hits and a couple of defensive gems. "Good, clean fun. It was awesome." Milone (5-5) outpitched Tim Lincecum and got plenty of support, too. He received three or fewer runs of support in each of his previous seven outings. Hunter Pence homered for the second straight game and Brett Pill also connected for San Francisco. The sloppy reigning World Series champion Giants are having their problems -- starting pitching, defence, at the plate, you name it. "I dont know what happened," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "We just didnt play well. Theres no sugarcoating this thing. We pretty much covered all facets of the game tonight as far as not playing well." San Francisco has only two quality starts in the last 15 games and none on the road this month. The Giants are in a stretch with 14 of 18 away from AT&T Park. "This is a tough stretch," Bochy said. "Weve got to get our act together." Lincecum (3-5) lost his third straight start and fourth in five. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner allowed six runs on seven hits in 4 1-3 innings with four strikeouts and four walks. He dropped to 5-3 in 10 career starts against the As. Pence hit a solo shot in the second to highlight his three-hit night, then Pill hit his first longball of the year leading off the sixth. After Cespedes first-inning triple, Oakland added another run when Cespedes scored on second baseman Marco Scutaros error. Scutaro misplayed a popup in shallow right field in which he bumped into Pence, giving San Franciscos second baseman nine errors this year -- tied for most in the majors with Washingtons Ryan Zimmerman. Milone struck out three and walked three in five innings, allowing four runs and eight hits in his first career outing and start against the Giants. Freiman delivered his first career hit as a pinch-hitter with the fifth-inning single. As bench coach Chip Hale was ejected in the bottom of the sixth, when the Giants added three runs. One of those came on Andres Torres double that went over third base, which brought As manager Bob Melvin out twice to argue. A fan interfered with the ball as it bounced near San Franciscos bullpen and was ejected, but baserunner Gregor Blanco was still allowed to score from first base. "I argued everything that I could have argued," Melvin said. "He just said that in his judgment he would have scored (without the interference)." Crew chief and third base umpire Gerry Davis told a pool reporter in that case theres a judgment call and "you award the runners the bases you feel they would have had had there not been interference." As centre fielder Coco Crisp ran down a deep fly by Brandon Crawford to end the seventh, robbing him of an extra-base hit that would have driven in a run. Crisp hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth for insurance. San Francisco lost its third in a row to the As, dropping the Bay Bridge Series for the first time since going 2-4 in 2008. The clubs split their six games in 2010-11, then the Giants went 4-2 last season. "Every time we come here the atmosphere is always awesome," Milone said. Scutaro hit a two-out RBI double in the eighth and Pablo Sandoval followed with a run-scoring single to make it 7-6, snapping an 0-for-15 stretch. Sean Doolittle surrendered a run for the first time in 14 appearances. The As got one back in the ninth on the Giants third error. Grant Balfour pitched the bottom half for his 12th save in as many chances and 30th straight dating to last year. Giants centre fielder and leadoff hitter Angel Pagan received a cortisone shot in his injured left hamstring to alleviate the bursitis that has sidelined him since Sunday. Bochy doesnt expect him to need a stint on the disabled list. "Hes probably down at least a couple more days," Bochy said. "Right now we think he should be ready in St. Louis." Notes: As RF Josh Reddick, on the DL since May 8 with a sprained right wrist, went 1 for 4 with two runs, a walk and a steal -- and a diving catch -- and is scheduled to DH for the River Cats on Thursday with the hope he will be activated by the As ahead of Friday nights series opener at home against the White Sox. ... Milone is 5-2 with a 3.22 ERA in night games. ... Lincecum went 0-1 with a 6.30 ERA in two starts against the As last year. ... RHP A.J. Griffin (5-3) pitches for the As in the series finale Thursday afternoon against LHP Barry Zito (3-3). ... RHP Ramon Ramirez made his Giants season debut with two innings of relief after being promoted from Triple-A Fresno. Matt Irwin Predators Jersey . LOUIS -- Mike Smith is used to facing plenty of shots, so this was nothing new. Pekka Rinne Jersey . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. http://www.authenticpredatorspro.com/Yannick-weber-predators-jersey/ . Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. The second-ranked Norwegian made her season debut after missing the LPGA Tours opening event last month in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury. Kyle Turris Jersey . Rinne played two periods in his first game since left hip surgery in early May. Gabriel Bourque scored 3:07 into the second period and Austin Watson tallied 5:15 later for Nashville. Dante Fabbro Predators Jersey .Y. -- Canadas Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse have another World Cup gold medal after winning the two-women bobsled race on Saturday in Lake Placid, N. Chris Sale?will be pitching for the Sox next season, but in Boston rather than Chicago, after the ace left-hander was traded to the?Red Sox, the teams announced Tuesday.The ability to get a Chris Sale doesnt come along very often, Boston president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said.The?White Sox?will receive highly touted infield prospect?Yoan Moncada, pitching prospect Michael Kopech and minor leaguers Luis Alexander Basabe and Victor Diaz.When you trade a pitcher of Chris Sales ability, it can only be because we were motivated by an impactful return of young talent, and we have more than accomplished that, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said in a statement. We believe each of those players can be part of a quality core of future championship caliber White Sox teams.Dombrowski said that the trade talks between the two sides began in earnest last Friday after baseballs new labor deal was reached, and they heated up from there.I think its a situation where if you have a chance to win you go for every opportunity you can. Dombrowski said in a news conference. Any time you can make the playoffs, you go for it.Sale, 27, is coming off his fifth straight All-Star season in 2016, when he finished 17-10 with 233 strikeouts in 226? innings pitched.I really appreciate the White Sox fans support through the years and cant wait to come back to Chicago and see everyone, Sale wrote in a text to MLB.com. I have a lot of great memories in Chicago, and a piece of me will always be in that city.He joins a talented rotation that includes this years Cy Young winner Rick Porcello, past winner David Price and All-Star knuckleballer Steven Wright.The best thing is that we dont have to face him anymore, Red Sox manager John Farrell said. This is a reminder of how aggressive our ownership and Dave is going to be to try to give us a chance to win every time we take the field.Boston inherits a very team-friendly deal that will pay Sale $12 million in 2017, with club options of $12.5 million for 2018 and $13.5 million for 2019.Sale is 74-50 with a 3.00 ERA and 1,244 strikeouts in 1,110 innings pitched over his seven seasons with the White Sox.ddddddddddddHe pitches with an edge, Farrell said. I think theres a persona he projects when hes on the mound. That edge and competitive nature he has makes him a premium-type player.Newly retired slugger David Ortiz welcomed Sale on Instagram, making a joking reference to returning for Boston next season that read, My god?????? my boy sale to Btown? You guys got me thinking ???This year, the relationship between Sale and the White Sox became extremely strained.Sale was suspended for five days without pay for destroying collared 1976-style uniforms the team was scheduled to wear July 23, saying they were uncomfortable. He lost $250,000 of his $9.15 million salary and also was fined about $12,700 -- the cost of the tattered jerseys. He blamed manager Robin Ventura for not defending his players.During spring training, Sale was quite vocal about the decision to limit the time teammate Adam LaRoches son was allowed in the clubhouse. That flap led to hard feelings all around, along with LaRoches retirement.The White Sox went 78-84, and havent made the playoffs since 2008.Boston went 93-69, then got swept by Cleveland in the AL Division Series and finish out the career of Ortiz.The Red Sox invested heavily in Moncada two years ago, signing him out of Cuba for a record $31.5 million. They moved him to third base this season, and he made his major league debut late in the season. Although he revealed himself to be not yet ready for the big leagues -- he went 4-for-19 with 12 strikeouts -- the Red Sox still believe he has the ability to become an All-Star.The 20-year-old Kopech, meanwhile, wowed scouts in the Arizona Fall League with a fastball that registers in the triple digits. He posted a 2.25 ERA in 11 starts for Class A Salem.Basabe, also 20, hit .264 with 53 RBIs in Class A. Diaz, a 22-year-old righty, went 2-5 with a 3.88 ERA in relief in Class A.ESPN Staff Writer Scott Lauber and The Associated Press contributed to this report. ' ' '