"Ben Sheets did not land a one-year, $10 million contract simply because he offered an experienced presence on Oakland's oh-so-young pitching staff. The A's also hoped he and his surgically repaired right elbow could unleash some howling fastballs along the way.

That's exactly what happened Sunday, as Sheets launched another pitching gem against the run-starved Giants. He and four relievers combined on a three-hit shutout, allowing the A's to sweep their cross-bay rivals with a 3-0 victory before 35,067 spectators at the Coliseum.

It was the second consecutive day on which a sellout crowd in Oakland - yes, it's possible to string together those last four words - watched the A's hold the Giants scoreless. Some of this falls on San Francisco's rampant meekness at the plate, sure, but the gentlemen in green and gold also can pitch a little.

The Giants managed one run in the series and didn't score at all in the last 20 innings."