OAKLAND, Calif. -- Freddy Garcia had one of those games. It was bad, yes, but it could have been worse.

“I couldn’t find my stuff today,” the Yankees’ right-hander said after Thursday night’s 4-3 loss to the A’s. “I was not able to find any pitch. I was in trouble the whole game, but I was able to keep the game close.”

Garcia gave up nine hits, but only four runs, in 5 2/3 innings. Still, it was his worst start out of four since he returned to the rotation three weeks ago.

“It’s difficult because I couldn’t hit my spots,” Garcia said. “I need to find my spots and most of the game I couldn’t make a pitch where I wanted to.”

Ironically, one of the pitches that hurt Garcia the most was one that was exactly where he wanted it. He threw a curveball to A’s cleanup hitter Yoenis Cespedes in the first inning. He got the ball down where he intended it, but the free-swinging Cuban defector still hammered it over the left-field fence for a two-run homer.

“It was right off the top of the ground,” catcher Chris Stewart said. “He went out and golfed it. I knew the kid was strong, but even then I didn’t think he got enough to get out of the park, and he hit it way out. It shows how much power he has.”