OAKLAND -- Giants manager Felipe Alou has seen a lot of losses this season -- 43 all told -- but Saturday's error-filled, 6-3 defeat to the Oakland A's was the low ebb.

"I gotta say it's the worst," Alou said. "I feel sick today."

Not physically. But after witnessing five miscues, erratic efforts by new right fielder Alex Sanchez -- who didn't wear sunglasses despite a brilliant sky -- and timely hitting by Oakland, well, it's enough to make anyone feel slightly nauseous.

The five errors were the most by San Francisco since committing six boo-boos on April 29, 1999, at Montreal, and it shocked Alou, whose club is fourth in the National League with a .986 fielding percentage.

The defeat also was the Giants' third consecutive, and the sixth in their last eight contests.

There was the proverbial "high sky" -- presuming a sky's height can be measured -- with puffy clouds, a pale blue hue and that huge gleaming light in the daytime heavens: the sun.

"Bad sun? I read about the sun -- it's been one billion years in existence," laughed Alou. "So it's the same sun. There's a lot of ways to look at it, but when I took this job three years ago and people said, 'Felipe is sick and ill,' well, I feel sick today.

"In one way about the game," he said. "In broad daylight with the sun shining -- it's the same sun when I played ... unless they changed suns."

The errors this day were by third baseman Pedro Feliz, first baseman Lance Niekro, and outfielders Todd Linden, Jason Ellison and Sanchez.

"The kids had a rough time today," said Alou. "It wasn't like the veterans were kicking the ball around."

Linden had a "tough" error when he had Mark Ellis' ball in his sights in the fifth inning, only to see the ball pop out of his glove when he backed into the wall. On the flip side, he also made a flying, one-handed grab of Nick Swisher's liner in the sixth.

Sanchez, not known for his fielding, had trouble in right all day, although he made a great diving attempt at one ball that shot past him. But his real problem was communication with center fielder Ellison.

Jason Ellison  /   CF
		Born: 04/04/78 Height: 5'10" Weight: 180 lbs Bats: R / Throws: R More info: Player page Stats | Splits Gallery Team Site | Shop

In the seventh, Ellison made a grab of Mark Kotsay's ball in right-center despite some interference from Sanchez, then he misplayed a ball in the eighth when Sanchez bumped him slightly.

"I'm the center fielder and he said he didn't hear me," said Ellison of the two routine plays. "That's the gist of it. The sun is always tough here, but I didn't happen to lose any [balls] today. Just a little miscommunication, that's all. I guess I'll have to start waving people off."

That miscue cost the Giants another run.

"I don't think I'm going to [use] that excuse," said Sanchez of the bad sky. "In that kind of situation there, you have to catch the ball. No excuse. If you see the sun like that, you have to wear sunglasses. That's it. I wasn't wearing them because I don't like to make an excuse."

On the play Ellison bobbled, Sanchez said, "Everybody saw me call for the ball. ... I was right there and he was coming from center field. I don't know. I tried to make the play but he dropped the ball -- I had nothing to do with that."

The errors, however, might not have mattered if Swisher hadn't cracked a three-run homer off losing pitcher Noah Lowry (4-7) in the second inning or if Oakland starter Dan Haren (6-7) hadn't won his fifth straight game with a complete-game seven-hitter.

The Giants had solo homers from Mike Matheny -- whose eighth blow of the season matched his career high -- and Moises Alou, who went 3-for-4 with a single, double and his 12th homer.

Noah Lowry  /   P
		Born: 10/10/80 Height: 6'2" Weight: 190 lbs Bats: R / Throws: L More info: Player page Stats | Splits Gallery Team Site | Shop

Lowry said he concentrated on shutting down the A's.

"You have to stay focused on the hitters, getting ahead of guys," he said. "I tried to minimize the damage but you have to tip your cap to Haren. He pitched an incredible game."

And those bobbles?

"Any time I see a fly ball go up, in my mind, it's going to get caught," said Lowry. "We had a couple of errors today but today was just a bad day."

Oakland manager Ken Macha has seen such games in his career, too, and knows how "sick" Alou was witnesssing it.

"You're hoping there's only one game a year like that," Macha said. "It's not a good feeling."