Month: April 2014

Giants fleeced by Punch and Judy-like Padres’ lineup in 6-4 loss

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By Morris Phillips

Rene Rivera’s been attempting to make a splash at the major league level for more than a decade.

Madison Bumgarner made that same splash as a 20-year old for the Giants.  At 21, he was a world champion and a World Series hero.

Guess which guy beat the other to the punch on Monday night at AT&T Park?

Rivera hit a dart down the line past Pablo Sandoval in the fourth and smashed a homer in the fifth—both off of Bumgarner–and racked up a career-best five runs batted in as the Padres got past the Giants, 6-4.  The 30-year old backup catcher from Puerto Rico had just 19 major-league extra-base hits prior to Monday… in 348 at-bats over fits and starts of six seasons with three different teams.  To say this was the biggest statement Rivera had made at the big league-level would be an understatement.

“It’s been a long time coming,” manager Bud Black said of his team’s surprise star.  “You never know who’s gonna be the guy on a certain night, and tonight it came from Rene Rivera.”

“It’s a good feeling.  It’s a good feeling for the team,” Rivera said.  “We needed this one.”

While Rivera was having his breakout moments in the middle innings, the Giants were too, scoring four times to keep it close.  But the San Diego bullpen—with four relievers—shut down the San Francisco hitters over the final 3 1/3 innings allowing the Padres to snap the Giants’ four-game win streak.

What made the evening rather remarkable was how the Padres overcame numerous absences in their lineup and took advantage of Bumgarner, who lost his third consecutive decision.  The young lefty was taxed all evening, and needed 93 pitches to get through five innings against a lineup missing Chase Headley, Seth Smith and Carlos Quentin due to injury and second baseman Jedd Gyorko due to maternity leave.  Only three guys in the Padres lineup had averages over .200 befitting the team’s status as the baseball’s most tepid offense—averaging just 2.7 runs per game coming in. Still, typical of the Padres under Black, they were extremely competitive and despite the lack of experience and pop in their lineup, well prepared by hitting coach Phil Plantier, who provided plenty of tips to his guys on how to disrupt Bumgarner.

“I wasn’t able to make pitches today,” the pitcher said. “I left a lot of balls over the middle. I felt today was the worst game I had command-wise.”

The Padres appeared to be getting the flawless start they had to have from Berkeley’s Tyson Ross, as he faced the minimum through three.  But then Ross ran into trouble in the fourth and fifth, allowing five hits and four runs, with Michael Morse’s simple but effective two-run single through the box ranking as the key hit in the Giants’ responses to early 2-0 and 5-3 deficits.

The Giants had an opportunity after that, wasting Buster Posey’s double in the sixth as Brandon Hicks flew out to deep left with the bases loaded to end that inning.

After allowing the Indians just five runs in a weekend sweep, the Giants allowed six to the Padres, with reliever Javier Lopez giving up an insurance run in the ninth.

The numbers show that the Giants are a classic frontrunners in 2014 and that continued Monday.  When they score first, they’re 10-1, when they don’t—which was the case on Monday—they’re 5-10.

The Giants remained in first place in the NL West despite the loss, a half-game ahead of the Rockies, who won, and a full-game ahead of the Dodgers, who were idle. On Tuesday, Matt Cain goes for the Giants—he will make his final attempt at an initial win in the month of April, he’s 0-3—while Eric Stultz takes the ball for the Padres at 7:15pm.

Kings reign late to force Game 7

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Photo credit: Juan Ocampo/Getty Images

By Pearl Allison Lo

LOS ANGELES– Los Angeles broke through with three goals in the third to create a 4-1 Game 6 win over the San Jose Sharks Monday.

The game winner was a call that forced a video goal review and controversy. On one side, it looked like Sharks’ goalie Alex Stalock made the save, the puck was frozen and then Stalock got pushed. The official call by the NHL was that the “puck entered the net in a legal fashion” as Justin Williams got the tip-in at 11:56, with Robyn Regehr and Anze Kopitar aiding on the play. Stalock commented, “I don’t think the puck goes in if I don’t get pushed in. It was still so something had to be done for the puck to move into the net.” Kings’ coach Darryl Sutter stated, “The only thing I could see from the bench is the referee pointing and not blowing the whistle, that’s his call and the replay shows the puck’s loose, so that’s all I could see was the replay.” San Jose coach Todd McLellan said, “That was obviously the turning point. Got to move on and overcome it again.”

Los Angeles’ Drew Doughty slid the puck across the ice to Williams, who was right at the corner of the net at 5:31 and made it 1-0. Jake Muzzin got the other assist in the first period.

The Sharks had a 5-on-3 at 6:40 of the second period but could not convert.

San Jose’s Justin Braun got the first assist from the blue line on James Sheppard’s goal to tie the game at 12:26. Raffi Torres helped as the goal was reminiscent of Braun’s goal he made in Game 2 from the point.

On a 3-on-2 in the third, Kopitar scored at 12:27, aided by Williams and Dwight King to make it 3-1.

Kopitar scored his second straight goal on the power play at 14:42. Doughty’s shot went off Stalock through the Sharks’ Scott Hannan’s legs before Kopitar. Alec Martinez helped as well.

Before the three goals, Stalock was playing well, making saves against a 2-on-1, on the power play and with his glove.

9 out of 176 playoff series have been taken to a Game 7 from 3-0.

Game notes: San Jose’s Marc Edouard-Vlasic and Mike Brown were out this game, giving Matt Irwin and Marty Havlat their first playing time of the series. It was Stalock’s first career playoff start.

Gray Dominates, Darvish Scuffles As Oakland Takes AL West Lead

Published on by Matthew HarringtonLeave a comment
Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Monday, April 28, 2014, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade)
Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Monday, April 28, 2014, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade)

By Matthew Harrington

All eyes were focused as two opposing aces took the hill Monday night at Globe Life Park in Arlington, with the visiting Oakland Athletics countering Texas Rangers star Yu Darvish with young phenom Sonny Gray in the battle for first place in the American League West. The A’s (16-10)proved victorious behind their young arm, securing a 4-0 decision to open up the three-game series against the 2010 World Series runner-ups and take their place atop the division standings.

For Darvish, a pattern of struggles against the A’s plagued the Japanese sensation once again in one of his worst starts since exploding on the Major League scene in 2012. His foe in green and gold produced an earmarked performance which, to date, goes down as Gray’s greatest outing in his blossoming career pegged for superstardom.

The Swinging A’s knocked Darvish around early, scoring four runs and knocking the Rangers All-Star out of the game after 3 1/3 innings. Darvish retired seven of the first eight batters he faced, but his lack of command of the strike zone forced him out of the game trailing 4-0 with 83 pitches thrown. Monday marked just the second time in 66 career starts Darvish failed to pitch through five innings, with his loss to Gray being the shortest appearance of his career. Darvish (1-1, 2.59) is now 1-7 against Oakland with a mortal ERA of 4.73 all-time.

Gray took the decision of who pitches the ninth inning out of manager Bob Melvin’s hands, pitching his first ever complete game. Rumors had swirled that Jim Johnson, relegated to middle relief after a pair of rough outings to open the season, may see a return to the closer’s role. The A’s starter ensured the speculation would continue on another day, finishing his masterpiece himself to open the three-game series in Texas. Gray needed 108 pitches, 73 for strikes, to dispatch the Rangers (15-11) handedly Monday night. Gray (4-1, 1.76) picked up six strikeouts with only one walk while allowing only three hits including a generous scoring decision on catcher Robinson Chirinos’ single in the sixth inning.

Athletics third basemen Josh Donaldson delivered the big blow of the day, ripping a two-run single with the bases loaded in the third for a 2-0 lead with one out. Catcher John Jaso greeted Darvish with a single to open the next inning before coming home on Josh Reddick’s line-drive triple to right in the following at-bat. First basemen Daric Barton scored Reddick with a sacrifice fly for the fourth and final A’s run. Darvish faced one more batter, walking Eric Sogard before turning the game over to Aaron Poreda. Poreda finished the inning before starter Nick Martinez came out of the bullpen to pitch the final five scoreless frames.

The Rangers best chance to touch Gray up for a run came in the sixth inning after Chironos reached first with one out on a play scored a hit after shortstop Jed Lowrie deflected the ball to Donaldson at third base. Chironos advanced to second on a wild pitch with Michael Choice at the plate. Choice lined out, but Chironos moved to third on another wild pitch with Elvis Andrus at the dish. Andrus grounded out to third to end the scoring threat.

The Rangers only other at-bat with a man in scoring position came with Leonys Martin at second base after a single and a Chirinos hit-by-pitch with one out in the bottom of the third. Gray induced a grounder from Choice on an 0-1 count that Lowrie scooped up at short, stepping on second base for the force out before firing the ball to first to complete the twin killing and escape unscathed.

The A’s continue game two of the three-game set Tuesday evening, sending Texas native Scott Kazmir to the mound looking to remain undefeated on the season and add to a now one-game division lead over the team in the opposing dugout. The Rangers counter with lefty Martin Perez, author of a three-hit complete game shutout of his own against Gray and the A’s at O.Co Coliseum last Wednesday.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Commissioner can’t force Sterling to sell his team but big announcement coming Tuesday

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by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

LOS ANGELES–There are two things going on here there’s a parallel between the NBA and Major League Baseball when the MLB Commissioner found out that baseball players were using steroids and that certain players were hitting 60-70 home runs a year and that former Clipper General Manager Elgin Baylor took Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling to court and claimed about discrimination by the Clippers and Sterling these were the start of huge investigations to held by each respective league.

People shouldn’t be surprised about this and Sterling who bought the Clippers in 1981 moved them from San Diego to Los Angeles in 1984. When he bought the team and he’s a great businessman he was what they call an ambulance chaser Sterling was a young Jewish attorney and now he’s 80 years old. Sterling made a lot of money and he bought that team for $12 million.

There is also another recording that is expected to be submitted that lasts about an hour long of more racial type ranting by Sterling as he was talking to V.Stiviano Sterling’s girlfriend according to Stiviano attorney Mac E Nehoray. Multi-billionaire Donald Trump said that Sterling was set up by the girlfriend releasing the recordings with another expected recording to be released again.

As a franchise the Clippers are worth over a half a billion dollars and Sterling himself is worth close to $2 billion in real estate. Legally speaking the Commisioner of the NBA Adam Silver can’t force Sterling to sell the team but there is a lot of pressure against Sterling to step down and that might be the case in Silver’s announcement on Tuesday.

In a free enterprise socitey like the United States you can’t legally force Sterling to sell his team because he is seen as a bigot and maybe some of the other owners could be bigots but they don’t go out and say it. Sterling’s girlfriend appears to have set up Sterling and Stiviano has been named in an embezzlement law suit for $1.8 million filed by the Sterling family. Stiviano has said that the cars and other items that she obtained from Sterling in the relationship were gifts and not from embezzling.

This is just the beginning this is going to open up a can of worms here, now Larry Johnson of the New York Knicks said that he’s calling for an all black league. Now that is racism by itself. You mean to say that you have a player from Lithuania who is white and he’s a great player like a Vladi Divak and he can play in the NBA and you can’t let him play. You can’t have an all black league that would be racist.

Your opening racism here too, these ideas are just bad for everybody, what the league is going to do on Tuesday when Silver makes an announcement on Sterling is fine Sterling $1 million. A million dollars to Sterling is like to the average man going to McDonalds and ordering a Big Mac for $6.50. That’s not going to hurt him.

You can not force Sterling to sell the team, he hans’t committed a felony, you can’t put people in jail because their racist, unless they threaten somebody, kill somebody, so the league is going to fine him and he’s 80 years old and he might be very close to being senile if he isn’t already. I hate to be a cynical but the man is one of the richest guys in the country and all they can do is fine him. He’s losing advertising and the fans may stop buying tickets that could hurt him.

One way or the other Donald Sterling will end up having to leave the L.A. Clippers as owner but it will have to be on his own volition.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the former Spanish TV play by play announcer for the L.A. Clippers and does News and Commentary for Sportstalk radio

Warriors blast distracted Clips

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By Jeremy Harness

The Los Angeles Clippers dropped their warm-up jerseys onto the center of the court before the game. The Warriors, on the other hand, dropped jumpers into the net and did not stop until they were 18-97 winners in Game 4 at Oracle Arena Sunday.

The victory evened up the best-of-seven series at two games apiece and sends the series back to Staples Center.

The Clippers found it reasonably difficult to focus on Sunday’s game, given what had transpired with their owner. Donald Sterling, or someone believed to be him, made offensive remarks regarding African-Americans, telling his girlfriend to “not bring them to my games.”

As a sign of protest, the Clipper players came together as a team and shed their warm-up gear at center court in a public display while also turning their shooting T-shirts inside out.

The Warriors, particularly Stephen Curry, jumped on them right away. Curry made his first five 3-point attempts and finished with 33 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

The Warriors opened up a double-digit lead early on and maintained that throughout the entire game.

Feitelberg report: Girls playing softball

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by Jerry Feitelberg

As a writer covering professional and college sports for the last 10 years, I have tended to forget about the young boys and girls playing baseball and softball at the tender ages of seven and eight. I have been on the DL and haven’t returned to covering professional sports but yesterday I was invited to watch my lovely companion’s two granddaughters play “fast pitch” softball at a park in San Jose. Ila’s older granddaughter is eight and is a lefty all the way. Throws and bats from the left side. Her team is known as the Cherry Bombs. Lauren’s younger sister, Megan, is a righty and plays for the Purple Panthers.

Make no mistake about this-this is serious business. Before the start of each game, the coaches round up the team and the girls get themselves psyched for the game by going through a series of warmups and cheers. As it is softball, there are ten players on the field, four outfielders, four infielders, a pitcher and a catcher. The rules are quite simple. Three strikes and you’re out or if you hit the ball and the fielder gets the ball to the right base, you are out. Some deviations do occur. For example, if the pitcher throws four balls to the opposing hitter, the hitter does not take first base automatically. The umpire signals one of the coaches who then comes in and pitches to the hitter until she either strikes out or hits the ball.

The coaches try to get every youngster a turn at bat. They may not get a hit but they at least had a chance. The young girls who were pitching were fun to watch. They wound up just like the women that pitch for UCLA or Berkeley but the ball went on the ground, or over the batter’s head or sometimes over the plate for a strike. The hitters, too, were fun to watch. Many of the girls had great form and some took some great cuts at the ball. It was so cute when the ball was put into play. The kids tried to pick up the ball but the throw was often errant and went in right field or left field or center field. It didn’t matter because the kids were having fun. Just plain old fashioned fun and the parents and friends were loving it. After each game the teams would come together for a big cheer and then the kids would race around the bags and join their proud families and depart for a nice big lunch.

Many times at the park, the sportswriters would talk about baseball being a generational game being passed down from grandfather to father to son. However, things change and the game is now also being passed down from grandmother to mother to daughter and it is a wonderful change and will bode well for the future success of our national pastime.

Astros stop the Athletics 5-1

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
Collin McHugh congratulated by his Houston teammates Photo credit: Mayra Beltran/Houston Chronicle
Collin McHugh congratulated by his Houston teammates Photo credit: Mayra Beltran/Houston Chronicle

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The great baseball adage is that “good pitching beats good hitting”. That was true on Sunday afternoon in Houston as the Astros beat the Athletics 5-1. Houston starter Collin McHugh established control of the game and guided his team to the victory in the fourth and final game of the four-game series.

McHugh pitched 8.2 innings giving up just one-run on two-hits. The A’s only run was scored in the top of the ninth inning with two outs. McHugh struck out seven and walked just three batters. His ERA is now an impressive 0.59 as McHugh improved to 2-0 in two starts this season for the Astros.

McHugh started the season with a career record of 0-8 in the Major Leagues. He was 0-4 in 2013. McHugh won his first start versus Seattle pitching 6.2 scoreless innings while striking out 12. His performance on Sunday makes a strong statement that 2014 is going to be a different kind of season for 27-year old right-hander.

McHugh was helped to victory with good run support by the Astros. Houston scored five-runs on seven-hits. The middle-infielders led the way on offense. Second baseman Jose Altuve went two for four including one homerun, two RBI and one run scored. Shortstop Jonathan Villar went two for three including a double and a triple. Villar posted two RBI and two runs scored.

The A’s only score came in the top the ninth inning. With two out, Brandon Moss was hit by pitch. The home plate umpire did not call the hit by pitch and A’s manager Bob Melvin challenged the call. Replay clearly showed the ball hitting Moss’ left foot. With Alberto Callaspo hitting, Moss stole second base. Callaspo singled to center allowing Moss to score.

Oakland’s only other base hit came in the top of the first inning when Jed Lowrie singled to right field.

A’s starter Tommy Milone gave up four-runs (all earned) on five-hits while striking out two and walking two in 6.2 innings of work. Dan Otero worked one-third of an inning and gave up one run. Jim Johnson worked one scoreless inning of relief.

The loss dropped the A’s record to 15-10 for the season and their road record to 9-4. Oakland leaves Houston with a 2-2 split in the four-game series.

The A’s left after the game for Dallas-Ft. Worth to play a three-game series with the Texas Rangers. Game one of the series on Monday night may prove to be a pitching duel as Oakland sends Sonny Gray (3-1, 2.25) to the mound to face-off with Yu Darvish (1-0, 1.61).

Feitelberg report: Clips fans plan to turn t-shirts inside out at game five

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by Jerry Feitelberg

There have been suggestions of forcing Clippers owner Donald Sterling to sell the team and even have the team move back to San Diego or move to Seattle to at least remove the stigma and reminder of any stain of Sterling once this gets settled. The Clippers who turned their warm up jerseys inside out before the start of game four on Sunday’s loss in Oakland out of protest of what Sterling said during a racist exchange with his girlfriend in a April 9th recording.

Further right after the game against the Warriors there was even talk that the Clippers might have packed it in or were lethargic in their effort in the 21 point 118-97 loss because the weight of the controversy weighed heavily on the team. There is also concern that the Clippers with all the publicity surrounding the Sterling controversy may now have trouble even getting out of this first round with the Warriors.

The distraction has impacted the Clippers play and L.A. couldn’t get off the ground since the opening tip on Sunday afternoon at the Coliseum Arena. The fans were riding the Clips more so than usual according to some fans and media who were at the game. The heckling never ceased and to have a game on the road right after the Sterling recordings couldn’t have been worse timing for a team trying to advance in the playoffs.

The loss now ties Los Angeles with Golden State at two a piece with game five going back to L.A. on Tuesday night. “It’s just us, only us we’re all we got” said the Clippers Chris Paul before the team ran out on the floor for the warm ups. The team also graced black wrist bands and black socks.

Ironically Sterling’s wife Rochelle was sitting courtside across from the Clippers bench and did speak with ESPN’s Lisa Salter and said,”I do not condone those statements that you heard. I do not believe them. I am not a racist. I have never been never will be. The team is the most important thing to my family” Meanwhile on local talk stations in Los Angeles there was talk that Clippers fans were going to make their own statement on Tuesday by wearing their Clippers Playoff t-shirts inside out in solidarity with the players in protest over the Sterling comments.

The latest addition of recordings were released regarding conversations between Sterling and his girlfriend V.Stiviano that were not initially released by TMZ but released by Deadspin on Sunday a transcript of that conversation regarding Stiviano telling Sterling that he owned an NBA team mostly made up of African American players:

Stiviano: “Honey, if it makes you happy I’ll move all the black people from Instgram”

Sterling: You said that before you said, ‘I understand’

Stiviano: “I did remove the people that were independently on my Instagram that are black”

Sterling: “Then why did you say that you didn’t. You just said you didn’t remove them.”

Stiviano: “I didn’t remove Matt Kemp and Magic Johnson, but I thought Matt Kemp is mixed and he was ok just like me, he’s whiter and lighter than me, I met his mother”

Sterling: “you think I’m a racist”

Stiviano: “I don’t think your a racist”

Sterling: “yes you do, yes you do”

Stiviano: “I think you, you”

Sterling: “evil heart”

Stiviano: “I don’t think so I think you have an amazing heart, honey, I think the people around you have a poison mind, and have a way of thinking”

Sterling: “it’s the world, you go to Israel the blacks are treated just like dogs”

Stiviano: “so do you have to treat them like that too?”

Sterling: “the white Jews and the black Jews, there’s white Jews and there’s black Jews do you understand”

Stiviano: “are the white Jews less than the black Jews”

Sterling: “150 percent”

Stiviano: “is that right?”

Sterling: “It isn’t a question, we don’t elevate what’s right and wrong, we live in a society we live in a culture. We have to live in that culture”

Stiviano: “Shouldn’t we take a stand for what’s wrong? And be the change difference?”

Sterling: “I don’t want to change the culture because it’s too big”

Stiviano: “you could change yourself”

Sterling “I don’t want to change the culture,because it’s too big, I don’t want to change, if my girl can’t do what I want, I don’t want the girl. I’ll find a girl that will do what I want! Believe me. I thought you were that girl, because I tried to do what you want, but your not that girl, because I tried to do what you want”

Stiviano: “There’s no need to get upset, no need to get”

Sterling: “I just see what I’m living with, what I’m dealing with”

Stiviano: “I’m sorry I didn’t do anything”

Sterling: “You never do anything and do anything wrong”

Stiviano: “But I didn’t do anything”

Sterling: “You upset me, and made me”

Stiviano: “I upset you? You made yourself upset”

Sterling: “No that’s not true, you didn’t start off by saying ‘honey I understand we’re living in a culture”

Stiviano: “because I don’t see your view, I wasn’t raised the way you were raised”

Sterling: “well then if you don’t feel don’t come to my games, Don’t bring black people, and don’t come”

Stiviano: “do you know you have a whole team that is black, that’s plays for you?”

Sterling: “you just, do I know? I support them I give them food, and clothes and cars, and houses. Who gives it to them? Does someone else give it to them? Do I know that I have, who makes the game? Do I make the game or do they make the game? There are 30 owners who create the league?

Stiviano: “I’m not going to bring any black people to the stadium?”

Sterling: “is it easy to say that”

Stiviano: “It’s very easy for you to say that”

Sterling: “It’s very easy for you to say that”

Stiviano: “I would never ask anyone to not bring someone based on race or color or culture, it’s like saying like ‘let’s just persecute and kill all the Jews’

Sterling: “oh it’s the same thing right”

Stiviano: “oh it’s isn’t wrong, wasn’t it wrong then? With the Holocaust? And your Jewish, you understand discrimination?”

Sterling: “Oh its the same thing right”

Former Clippers special assistant coach Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said he heard the recording and said, “I know him and I know his voice, I’m not surprised by this very much” and Stiviano’s lawyers said earlier Sunday that it is Sterling on the recordings.

The Warriors and Clippers continue this playoff series and there will be more after game five on Tuesday night

Jerry Feitelberg does sports commentary on http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Hicks with the walk-off

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Hicks Walk Off
Hicks Walk Off

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-With one swing of the bat, Brandon Hicks sent the allegiances of the San Francisco Giants fans home with a smile on their faces.

Hicks hit a three-run home run off of Cody Allen in the bottom of the ninth inning, as the Giants defeated the Cleveland Indians 4-1 before a sellout crowd of 41,530, the 258th consecutive sellout at AT&T Park.

With the victory, the Giants completed their first sweep of the season and it was the second consecutive sweep by the Giants over the Indians, after they also swept them from June 24-26, 2011.

Buster Posey got the ninth inning rally started, as he singled off of Allen, was pulled from the game in favor of Edir Adrianza, after a sacrifice bunt by Gregor Blanco that advanced Adrianza to second base, Pablo Sandoval struck out for the second out of the inning.

After the Sandoval strike out, Brandon Crawford, who hit a walk-off home run against the Colorado Rockies on April 13, was walked intentionally by Allen and Hicks then ended with one swing of the bat.

Ryan Vogelsong pitched his best game of the season, as he went seven innings, allowing just two hits, walking two and striking out two; however he did not fare in the decision.

After allowing a leadoff single to Jason Kipnis in the top of the fourth inning, Vogelsong retired the final 12 batters he faced.

Vogelsong’s opposite number, Danny Salazar was just as great, as he also went seven innings, allowing one run on five hits, walking just one and striking out eight and like Vogelsong, Salazar did not fare in the decison.

Santiago Casilla came on to replace Vogelsong in the top of the eighth inning, and promptly gave up a home run to Yan Gomes, who happens to be the son in-law of former Giants pitcher Atlee Hammaker.

The slump continues for Brandon Belt, as he struck out four times on the afternoon and went a staggering 0-for-12 in the series with nine strikeouts.

In his last five games, Belt is 2-for-20 with 11 strikeouts.

Crawford drove in the Giants first run of the afternoon in the bottom of the fourth inning, as he doubled off of Salazar to score Sandoval, who doubled.

NOTES: After playing their first interleague series of the season, the Giants return to play another team from the National League West, as the San Diego Padres make their first visit to AT&T Park this season, beginning on Monday night.

Madison Bumgarner will take to the mound, while Bud Black will counter with former Oakland A’s pitcher Tyson Ross, who starred at both Bishop O’Dowd High in Oakland and then at CAL in the opener.

By selling out for the 258th consecutive game, the Giants broke the Philadelphia Phillies National League record of 257 consecutive sellouts that went from July 7, 2009 until it ended on August 5, 2012.

Next up for the Giants in the longest sellout streak is the Indians, who soldout 455 consecutive games from June 12, 1995 until April 2, 2001.

The Major League record is held by the Boston Red Sox, who soldout a whopping 794 consecutive games May 15, 15, 2003 until it was ended on April 8, 2013.

Small Package Delivers Huge First Win of 2014 for Earthquakes

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By Matthew Harrington

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The man who stands shortest on the Earthquakes squad elevated his game head and shoulders above his competition in San Jose’s first win of the 2014 season. Minute midfielder Yannick Djalo tallied his first MLS goal in a 1-0 triumph over visiting Chivas USA at Buck Shaw Stadium, providing a scoring spark in the 66th minute for the scuffling San Jose side after subbing in to open the second half. San Jose was booked for three yellow cards in a physical tilt, while the visitors were assessed two yellows and a red card, a booking on their goalkeeper for playing a ball outside of the penalty box.

The Quakes (1-2-3) opened play Saturday knotted with Montreal for the fewest points in the MLS standings, but Chivas proved just the opponent to help San Jose turn around its five-game winless streak in 2014. San Jose has not lost to Chivas in any of the encounters over the last two seasons.

The Rojiblancos (1-4-3) took their 2014 season opener 3-2 over visiting Chicago but failed to find the W in six consecutive games to sit just three points ahead of San Jose in the league table. With the win, the Earthquakes tied Chivas with six points earned on the campaign.

“You never want to wait too long for the first one,” said Earthquakes coach Mark Watson. “We’ve waited a little bit. It’s a relief. We still have work to do. It’s three points. We take it, we run with it and we get back to work on Monday.”

Djalo, an import on loan from Sport Lisbon e Benefica of Portugal’s Primeira Liga, received a Shea Salinas cross and tucked a bouncer just inside of the left post for a precision strike out of reach of diving Chivas keeper Dan Kennedy.

“It was a great team play,” said Djalo through an interpreter. “Salinas made a great pass over to me. I was happy to score the goal, but it was the high level of the team that got the goal. The ball made the goal. I just wanted to focus and put it into the corner.”

The winning volley marks the first career MLS goal for the five-foot-six veteran of 166 professional games, all abroad, in only his fourth game in the States.

“The teams are all competitive here,” said Djalo of the MLS. “That makes every game competitive. There’s a lot of hard work to be done. That makes me excited every game.”

For Djalo, the issue hasn’t been adjusting to the league as much as it has been overcoming injury, chiefly tightness in his right hamstring that has limited his availability in the early going. Watson utilized Djalo sparingly in his three previous MLS engagements, coming on in the 79th minute or later in two of three appearances. He entered the game at the half in March 13th’s loss to the Columbus Crew for his longest stint before tonight.

“Last week I wasn’t in the condition to play,” said Djalo. “I was a little sore still and couldn’t get through a game. Thanks to the work of the medical staff here, they did a great job with me all week. I was able to get on the field for 45 minutes. I hope that’s going to be a little bit more.”

“There was an argument to start him,” said Watson. “We felt with the way his hamstring has been the last couple of weeks, it wasn’t the prudent thing to do. He’s getting close. He’s a real dynamic player. He helps us when he’s on the pitch.”

For the second straight game, Quakes keeper Jon Busch collected the clean sheet, blanking the Rojiblancos one week after shutting out the Colorado Rapids in a scoreless draw on the road. Busch handled all three shots labelled for the San Jose net, while his defenders managed a pair of blocked shots and forced 10 Rojiblanco shots off target.

“We’ve got some tremendous defenders on this team,” said Busch. “It’s coming together very nicely defensively. I thought Victor (Bernardez) and Clarence (Goodson) did a beautiful job dealing with some very dangerous crosses. I was very happy with them in front of me. They were tremendous tonight.”

The Quake defense proved especially stout against Chivas striker Erick Torres. Torres took the pitch tied with Clint Dempsey for the MLS in goals atop the chase for the Golden Boot. Though Torres’ loaded foot had already found the back of the net six times previously this season, San Jose kept him off the sheet. Torres managed multiple chances on net by way of kick and header, but none found their mark thanks to his opposition’s containment.

“The defense played strong,” said Watson. “That’s one of the things we’ve been working on, being tougher to break down. Getting two shutouts in a row helps us confidence-wise. There are still little things we need to do.”

Proving defensively stout has been critical for the denizens of Buck Shaw Stadium as they slog through a scoring drought. San Jose owns only one game with more than one goal scored in their favor this season in six attempts. A handful of injuries to start the season have hampered San Jose’s offensive rhythm, especially at the midfield position, but the team appears close to being on the mend.

“We work every day on both sides of the ball,” said Watson. “I don’t think the team is where it needs to be. The group’s getting healthy, which helps. We get more time to work together as a group and we’ll continue to do that.”

Among the wounded rounding into form, Watson put heavy emphasis on what a hampered Djalo has brought, and what the expectations for him will be when he’s at full strength.

“Right from the start of the second half, he gave us that little spark,” said Watson. “The thing with him is, he’s got a good technical base. He can get out of pressure. He’s most dangerous when he can get space, when he runs. He made a great run to the far post and a great finish.

Despite a feeling around the team that the Portuguese player may be called upon to be San Jose’s next potent weapon, the smallish soccer star-in-waiting handles the weight with aplomb.

“Everyone feels the same pressure,” said Djalo. “You have to come into the game, do the best you can, contribute to the team and try to get wins. The pressure is the same for everybody. I play the game to help contribute to my teammates. They go through a lot of hard work every week, every game. I just want to help them succeed.”

Saturday’s score certainly made Djalo a popular man, both with the fans and his new teammates who now know what it feels like to have a mark under the win column in the league standings. The Earthquakes now carry a little less pressure heading into next week’s showdown in Vancouver against the Whitecaps no longer mired in last place in the Western Conference.

“We got the monkey off our back,” said Busch. “Hopefully we can relax and play our game.”