Major League Baseball

Athletics 4, Cubs 3

Published Mar. 19, 2012 2:06 a.m. ET

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Seth Smith's place on the Oakland Athletics' major league roster is as left-handed bat who can play in the outfield and be plugged in as a designated hitter.

Acquired from Colorado in mid-January, Smith went 3 for 3 with two-run double in the first inning that helped the A's beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 in a split-squad game.

''He's faced so many left-handed pitchers all spring and he's really starting to swing it better and better against them,'' Oakland bench coach Chip Hale said. ''He's got a great approach at the plate. That's the reason why we went out and traded for him.''

Former Oakland outfielder David DeJesus tripled to lead off the game and scored on a groundout off Travis Schlichting, who allowed two hits in three innings during his first start following three relief appearances.

''He's done nothing but impress us every time out,'' Hale said.

Cubs starter Paul Maholm gave up three runs - none of the them earned - and two hits in three innings with three strikeouts and two walks. Manny Ramirez reached on a run-scoring error that tied the score, and Smith followed with his double on a hanging slider.

''It's good to have to battle through an inning,'' Maholm said. ''It's a step in the process, having to get through that stuff and then bouncing back the next two innings and having some pretty quick innings.''

Oakland left fielder Jonny Gomes had a nice throw in the sixth when Geovany Soto doubled with Marlon Byrd on first. Gomes threw to shortstop Cliff Pennington, who relayed to catcher Anthony Recker.

Recker and Byrd collided, but Recker stood up with the ball and took an extended look at Byrd as he headed for the dugout.

''Every day we're doing some kind of fundamental, and when we do it right, it's very nice to see,'' Hale said.

NOTES: Oakland extended its spring training winning streak to eight games, but it ended Saturday with a split squad's loss to San Francisco in Scottsdale. ... Former World Series champions Bert Campaneris and Blue Moon Odom threw out ceremonial first pitches in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Athletics' World Series title ... Cubs reliever Esmailin Caridad came on in the bottom of the eighth inning and struck out the side in order, all looking, in his spring training debut. ... Soto homered on Ryan Cook's first pitch of the fourth

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