SAN FRANCISCO—On Monday, July 13, the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics announced that they would conclude their preseason training for the upcoming 60 game 2020 Major League Baseball (MLB) season by playing a pair of exhibition games against each other.

The two games between the cross-bay rivals will mark the first time that either team has faced another team since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down spring training in March and led to a four-month postponement of the 2020 season. Players for the two teams, as well as well as other teams, have been practicing at their home stadiums in preparation for the upcoming season. The teams have been playing intra-squad scrimmages over the past week of camp to simulate real games.

Each team’s stadium will host one of the games. The game on Monday, July 20 will be at the Oakland Coliseum at 6:40 p.m., while the game the following day will take place at Oracle Park at 6:45 p.m. Due to COVID-19 health risks, no fans will be in attendance for these games. Yet, each team will broadcast the games on their television station and radio networks.

According to Maria Guardado, SF Giants beat writer for MLB.com, Giants manager Gabe Kapler said:

“The one thing that I think we are focused on right now is doing as good a job creating that level of intensity with guys who are wearing Giants uniforms. I think the exhibition games with the A’s are a good, healthy reminder that the season is coming, and it’s coming fast.”