Month: September 2017

Oakland Raiders are off to Denver to open up divisional play against the Broncos this Sunday

Published on by jhawkes51Leave a comment

Photo credit: Raiders Report (@raiders_fanly)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND — The Raiders travel to Denver to take on fellow AFC West rival, the Broncos, Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High to open divisional play for the Silver and Black.

Both teams are looking to get back into the win column after both losing on the road in Week 3.

Oakland (2-1) was humbled by the Redskins 27-10 in Washington on prime-time in a game that the Redskins held quarterback Derek Carr and the high-power Raiders offense to just 128 yards in 48 plays ran. The offense didn’t hit the 100-yard mark in total offense until the fourth quarter.

Carr had a game to forget, completing just 19-of-31 passes for 118 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions with a 52.9 passer rating. Tight end Jared Cook led all Oakland receivers with 43 yards on four receptions. Cook scored his first touchdown in a Raider uniform on a 21-yard pass from Carr.

Carr was also sacked four times, another rarity for the Silver and Black who only surrendered 16 sacks in 2016.  Oakland’s stout offensive line has already gotten Carr sacked six times this season through three games.

Oakland’s defense was paced by linebacker Cory James, who recorded a team-high 12 tackles and one forced fumble. Defensive end Khalil Mack recorded his second sack of the season while finishing with nine tackles on the night for Oakland, who allowed 472 yards offensively to Washington on Sunday night.

Washington starting quarterback Kirk Cousins torched the Raiders, passing for 365 yards and three touchdowns to zero interceptions. Cousins completed 25-of-30 passes and finished with a blistering 150.7 passer rating against Oakland, who couldn’t keep running back Chris Thompson at bay the entire night.

Thompson hauled in six receptions for 150 yards (74 yards coming on an easy pitch-and-catch

But the lack of production from Oakland’s top receivers was the real eye-popping issue from the game.

Washington’s secondary led by the trash-talking Josh Norman, the Redskins’ top cornerback, were in the faces of Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. Washington held the duo in check, limiting Cooper and Crabtree to just two receptions for 13 yards on eight targets.

Crabtree and Cooper will have their work cut out for them again Sunday when they have Denver’s stellar pair of cornerbacks in Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr., lined up against them, especially when  Crabtree and Talib line up.

Who can forget when Talib ripped off Crabtree’s gold chain following a play in last year’s season finale, a 24-6 victory for the Broncos at home?

The Crabtree/Talib matchup could be the best one-on-one matchup within the game, and could prove to be the difference maker in a win for either team.

Denver (2-1) is coming off a 26-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Western New York last week. The Broncos defense recorded four sacks and held Buffalo to 272 yards of total offense. Linebacker Brandon Marshall recorded a team-high 10 tackles and one sack.

Outside linebacker Von Miller also posted a sack, but his 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty on third-and-six after not helping up Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor, which was an absolute joke, proved to be critical in aiding the Bills to victory.

The Broncos’ defense is one of the best in the league, ranking first in rushing yards per game allowed (59.7), fourth in total yards per game allowed (263), 10th in passing yards per game allowed (203.3) and 16th in points per game allowed (21.3) through three games.

Oakland has the ninth-best offense in the league, averaging 27 points per game.

Offensively, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas led Denver with six receptions for 98 yards, but quarterback Trevor Siemian didn’t pass the ball well, completing 24-for-40 passes for 259 yards and like Carr in Washington, threw two interceptions against the Bills.

Siemian finished with a 58.2 passer rating on the day.

With Kansas City sitting on top of the AFC West at 3-0 and both teams needing to keep pace, Sunday’s game is most certainly a must win.

After the embarrassing showing in Washington where many critics started to question the Raiders’ effort on national television, what team will show up in Denver?

The one that resembled a powerhouse team after vanquishing Tennessee and the New York Jets almost with ease?

Or the team that was hung upside down by their ankles in Washington, watching all of their lunch money spill out?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

San Francisco Giants Podcast with Michael Duca: Will the Giants lose 100 games this season? Club is three games short of the 1985 team

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Francisco Giants Starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner (40) throws a pitch during an MLB game between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 23, 2017 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

By Michael Duca

The San Francisco Giants who need just three more loses to have a 100 loss season they lost their latest game on Wednesday afternoon at Chase Field in Phoenix 4-3 marking their 97th loss for 2017. The Giants return back to San Francisco to end the season at AT&T Park against the San Diego Padres Friday night. the Padres would have to sweep the Giants at home to get them to arrive at exactly 100 loses.

We’ll see, the Giants should be able to win at least one of those three home games. Their shutting down starter Madison Bumgarner to get some rest and starter Jeff Samardijza is shutting it down too. This Giant team will have no ten game winners this year. With Bumgarner he had a great outing in Los Angeles last Saturday night and got the win. While no one is admitting anything the dirt bike injury is always something that’s been brought up as to why Bum will sit this Friday game out. Madison says he feels alright and manager Bruce Bochy said he will skip Bumgarner to start Chris Stratton 3-4. Bumgarner has gone 4-9 but had a respectable ERA of 3.32.

Michael Duca did the Giants podcasts this season for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

San Francisco 49ers Podcast with David Zizmor: “Just Loose Baby” It’s not a phrase the 49ers want to use but if they do they get a high draft pick

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brian Hoyer (2) throws a fourth quarter pass for a gain of 7 yards and a first down while getting blocks from San Francisco 49ers center Daniel Kilgore (67) and San Francisco 49ers offensive guard Laken Tomlinson (75) on Los Angeles Rams rookie defensive tackle Tanzel Smart (92) during the 2017 NFL week 3 regular season football game against the against the Los Angeles Rams, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017 in Santa Clara, Calif. The Rams won the game 41-39. (Paul Spinelli via AP)

By David Zizmor

SANTA CLARA–The San Francisco 49ers would never say this out loud they’re all out there trying to win but as far as the franchise is concern it’s really in the best interest of the team to lose as much as possible to secure a high draft pick. This team is not a playoff team and their not close to being a playoff team. What they really need is additional help. You get better talent each year you have a bad season and if you stink again for the next season you get more better draft picks.

The 49ers who have lost three straight for an 0-3 record if they can keep that going and have a losing record they would be in a really good position to get a good draft pick. If they can get a good draft pick and draft a really good quarterback and this is something that the organization has been looking for. It would be fair to say that the 49ers didn’t have a stellar crop of quarterbacks going into 2017.

There’s much more on the 49ers podcast with David take a listen:

 

 

Diamondbacks walk off Wednesday’s win over Giants 4-3; Cain calls it a career

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Arizona Diamondbacks’ John Ryan Murphy, right, celebrates with teammates, including Jeremy Hazelbaker (41) and Kris Negron (45) as David Peralta, middle, is doused with a liquid after his bases loaded walk scored the winning run against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017, in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks defeated the Giants 4-3. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Arizona added to the San Francisco Giants season-long misery Wednesday afternoon at Chase Field, when David Peralta drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth, giving the NL playoff-bound Diamondbacks a 4-3 victory.

J.D. Martinez kick-started the D-Backs rally by leading off the home ninth with a solo home run, his 49th of the season and 29th as a Diamondback since he was acquired from Detroit on July 18.

Martinez also tied MLB’s September home run record with 16, tying the mark Ralph Kiner set with Pittsburgh in 1949. He also picked up run batted in No. 36 for the month, breaking the D-Backs’ previous mark of 35 set by Luis Gonzalez in June 2001.

In the bottom of the ninth, Martinez’s home run was followed by singles by Jake Lamb and A.J. Pollock. Kristopher Negron, pinch-running for Lamb, was thrown out by Joe Panik when Daniel Descalso reached on a fielder’s choice.

After an intentional walk, Pollock scored when John Ryan Murphy also reached on a fielder’s choice. With the bases still loaded, Giants closer Sam Dyson (3-3) walked Peralta, who got the rare RBI walk to drive in Descalso.

Diamondbacks reliever J.J. Hoover (3-1) got the win.

Earlier, Denard Span tripled, doubled and scored twice for San Francisco. Jeff Samadzija had a strong start, with four strikeouts and a walk while allowing one run.

Pablo Sandoval’s first-inning double drove in Span – who led the game off with a triple – with the game’s first run. Panik scored on a Brandon Crawford groundout to give the Giants a 2-0 lead off D-Backs starter Braden Shipley, who lasted 3 1/3 innings.

CAIN HANGS ‘EM UP
Giants veteran right-hander Matt Cain announced that his Saturday start at AT&T Park will be the last of his 13-year career – all with San Francisco.

Cain, 3-11 this season, informed his teammates of his decision in a closed meeting before Wednesday’s game. He debuted with the Giants in 2005, pitched in two of the team’s three winning World Series appearances, and has a career mark of 104-118 with a 3.69 ERA.

The Giants announced they will honor Cain at Sunday’s regular season finale against San Diego on what is also the right-hander’s 33rd birthday. Cain, a three-time All-Star who threw the Giants’ first perfect game ever in 2012, is completing his contract, which had a team option for one more season.

A’s Mark Canhas walk off home run sends the fans home happy in the final home game of the year in Oakland

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Oakland Athletics’ Mark Canha, right, is embraced after hitting a walk off home run off Seattle Mariners’ Shae Simmons in the ninth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND– Wednesday’s game was the final home game for the A’s this season. The A’s, winners of fourteen of the last nineteen games played, did not want to be swept at home by the Mariners. Both teams played hard, and neither team wanted to lose. The A’s took an early lead, lost it, regained it, lost it again but was able to prevail when Mark Canha homered in the bottom of the ninth to give the A’s a well -deserved 6-5 victory.

Kendall Graveman started for Oakland and left after six innings in position to pick up a win. That didn’t happen as the M’s tied the game in the eighth. The Mariners’ starter Erasmo Ramirez went five innings and allowed five runs and eight hits. Two of the runs were unearned. Liam Hendriks and Blake Treinen pitched well, but Chris Hatcher was not able to keep Seattle off the board. The game summary follows below.

The A’s put one on the board in the bottom of the first. A’s right fielder Matt Joyce lofted a high fly to left that Mariners’ third baseman Kyle Seager lost ion the sun. Left Fielder Ben Gamel made a valiant attempt to catch the ball, but it eluded his grasp and dropped safely for a double. Joyce went to third on a single by Jed Lowrie and scored when Khris Davis hit a sacrifice fly to center field. A’s ahead 1-0 after one inning of play.

The A’s added a run in the third inning. Franklin Barreto, starting at second base on Wednesday, led off the frame with a double to center field. Jacob Hannemann, playing center field for Seattle, bobbled the ball and Barreto motored to third on the miscue. Marcus Semien drove in Barreto with the A’s second run when he hit a sacrifice fly.

The M’s put two on the board in the fourth. With one out, Robinson Cano singled to get things started. Big Nelson Cruz, who loves to torment the A’s, crushed Graveman’s pitch and sent it on a line into the seats in left field near the Barbeque Terrace to knot the score. The tie didn’t last long as the A’s scored three runs in their half of the fourth. Two of the runs were unearned, but they still count. Ryon Healy started the rally with a double. He went to third when Erasmo Ramirez dropped the throw as he was covering first for an error. With Healy on third and Chapman on first, Bruce Maxwell singled to center to drive in Healy and Chapman went to third on the throw home. Mark Canha hit a sac fly to drive in Chapman. Matt Joyce hit his third double of the game to drive in Maxwell with the fifth run of the contest. The A’s lead 5-2 after four complete.

The Mariners, however, refuse to go away. The M’s made it a 5-3 game on the strength of three singles. With one out, M’s catcher Mark Marjama singled to start the rally. It was Marjama’s first big league hit, and the ball was sent back to the M’s dugout. Hannemann hit a force play for the first out. Ben Gamel and Mitch Haniger followed with singles to get the third run home for Seattle.

Liam Hendriks set the M’s down in order in the seventh, but Bob Melvin brought in his eighth-inning setup man, Chris Hatcher, to pitch. Hatcher gave up a single to Mitch Haniger and then the M’s All-Star second baseman, Robinson, Cano, homered to tie the game. It was Cano’s twenty-third of the year. Hatcher retired the next three hitters.

Blake Treinen pitched a scoreless ninth, and that set up the scene for a fantastic finish for the A’s. Bruce Maxwell started the ninth by striking out. The next hitter, Mark Canha, hit his fifth homer of the year to win it in a walk-off for Oakland.  There was no doubt about it when the ball left Canha’s bat. The crowd knew it as did Canha and he was pummeled by his teammates when he crossed the plate. Needless to say, Canha took a pie to the face and got the Gatorade bath, and he absolutely loved it.The A’s win 6-5 and snap the eight-game losing streak to the Mariners.

Game Notes- Kendall Graveman did not get a decision, but he pitched a “quality start.” Graveman went six innings and allowed 7 hits and three runs. Chris Hatcher gave up a two-run dinger to Robinson Cano in the eighth that tied the game. Canha’s blast off M’s reliever Shae Simmons in the bottom of the ninth sent the A’s fans home happy as there will be no more baseball in Oakland until next year.

 

 

 

 

 

San Jose Sharks Podcast with Mary Lisa Walsh: Can Boedker fill the void left by Marleau?

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Jose Sharks’ Mikkel Boedker (89) tries to control the puck in front of Arizona Coyotes’ Marek Langhamer (30) during the third period of a preseason NHL hockey game Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017, in Glendale, Ariz. The Sharks defeated the Coyotes 5-4 in a shootout. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

On the Sharks Podcast with Mary Lisa:

The Sharks seemed to be having a good pre season they’ve won their last three games scoring five times in each of those games although the pre season can be a little misleading. The line ups are kind of a mishmash with prospects and NHLers, NHLers we can expect to see in the lineup when the season starts. It does seem like everybody is following their system pretty well like when I talk with some of the prospects in the defensive zone which seems to be the biggest challenge for the forwards and defensemen.

A lot of the forwards are having trouble getting their defensive game together they were looking pretty organized pretty serious but again it’s hard to tell who’s exactly for sure who’s going to be in the line up. We’ll see how the season starts and how they’ll work together. With Patrick Marleau gone will Mikkel Boedker be able to step in and fill a void?

Boedker who has a similar skill set like Marleau had and is a scoring player, there’s always a challenge when you’ve lost a longtime veteran. The Sharks in particular have seen a number of players they were counting on be gone for a long time things like injuries Logan Couture had injuries in the last few seasons. Tomas Hertl has his share of injuries. The team is used to having someone step in and fill the void now the Sharks are looking to Boedker to help fill the void where Marleau left off.

Mary Lisa Walsh does Sharks podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

San Francisco Giants Tue game wrap: Martinez, D-Backs bomb Giants 11-4

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Arizona Diamondbacks’ J.D. Martinez watch his grand slam take flight against the San Francisco Giants during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Tuesday, September 26, 2017

The San Francisco Giants got a full taste of what J.D. Martinez is bringing to the NL playoff table for Arizona on Tuesday, as the hot-hitting slugger hit a grand slam, driving in six runs as the Diamondbacks won 11-4.

Martinez has 15 home runs, 35 RBIs, seven doubles and a .414 average in September. He’s hit 28 home runs since the D-Backs acquired him from Detroit before the non-waiver trade deadline.

Overall, Martinez has 103 RBIs on the season, a career high.

In the six-run second inning for Arizona, David Peralta and A.J. Pollock also drove in runs. Giants starter Matt More (6-15) was charged with seven earned runs while failing to last through the second inning.

Diamondbacks starter Robbie Ray (15-5) gave up Tim Federowicz’s two-run homer in the fifth, but had more than enough run support. Ray is scheduled to start Sunday, but D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo is expected to possibly change his status with the playoffs coming up.

Ketel Marte hit a double and a two-RBI triple for the D-Backs. Pablo Sandoval and Joe Panik each drove in a run in the San Francisco seventh.

Pinch-hitter Christian Walker hit a home run in the bottom of the seventh for Arizona,

After the game, Bochy told the media the final three starting pitchers in the regular season will be Chris Stratton, Matt Cain and Johnny Cueto. Saturday’s start may be the last for Cain in a Giants uniform, as chances are likely San Francisco will not pick him up for 2018.

Due to a concussion, Giants first baseman Brandon Belt’s season is over. Bochy said Belt is still undergoing testing.

Right-hander Jeff Samardzija will start the Giants’ afternoon game against Arizona on Wednesday, facing the D-Backs’ Brandon Shipley.

Yonder Alonso and Danny Valencia homer to beat their former teammates 6-3

Published on by rxsluggerLeave a comment

Seattle Mariners pitcher Edwin Diaz works against the Oakland Athletics during the ninth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. Seattle won 6-3. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Seattle Mariners rallied in the bottom of the seventh to beat the A’s and Daniel Mengden 6-3 Tuesday night at the Coliseum. The game was the last night game of the season, and the A’s were hoping to get a win for their starter Daniel Mengden. Mengden entered the game with a streak of sixteen consecutive scoreless innings. He increased it to nineteen, but the Mariners broke through in the fourth on a two-run dinger by former A’s favorite Yonder Alonso. The Mariners sent their best pitcher, James Paxton, out to pitch. Paxton gave up a solo homer to Marcus Semien and a two-run blast to Khris Davis. Paxton would have been the losing pitcher had the M’s not rallied. Each team hit two home runs in the contest. However, the Mariners homers produced five runs while the A’s blasts netted them just three. The game summary follows below.

The A’s put one on the board in the bottom of the first when shortstop Marcus Semien led off with his ninth homer of the season to give the A’s a 1-0 advantage.

The Mariners scored two in the fourth to snap Mengden’s nineteen innings of scoreless ball. With one out, Mariners’ DH Nelson Cruz singled. The next hitter, former A’s first baseman Yonder Alonso, blasted his career-high twenty-seventh homer to give the M’s a 2-1 lead. Alonso also homered Monday night against his former team.

The A’s regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Jed Lowrie singled to start the rally. The next hitter, Khris “Khrush” Davis hit a towering fly to deep right-center field that went over the 388-foot marker and landed in the seats about twenty rows back. Mariners’ manager Scott Servais removed Paxton from the game and brought in Emilio Pagan to pitch.

The Mariners plated four runs on four hits to regain the lead. Mengden gave up a single to Yonder Alonso and then walked Mike Zunino to put two men on with no out. A’s manager Bob Melvin removed Mengden from the game. Mengden received a tremendous ovation from the fans as he exited. Ryan Dull was brought in to face another former Athletic, Danny Valencia. Valencia thanked the M’s for trading for him when he slugged his 15th dinger of the year to put his new team in the lead 5-3. The Mariners added another run before the A’s get the final out of the inning.

The Mariners’ bullpen did its job as they allowed just three hits and no runs in the last 3 and  2/3rds innings of the game. The M’s win 6-3.

Game Notes- With the two home runs, the A’s have now hit 228 for the year. The A’s are 14-5 in their last nineteen games. The A’s did not commit an error Tuesday night for the eighth straight game, a season high.

The A’s finish the home season Wednesday afternoon at 12:35 pm.  Kendall Graveman will pitch for the Green and Gold, and he will be opposed by Seattle’s Erasmo Ramirez.

Time of game was two hours and forty-five minutes and 13, 513 fans were on hand to watch the A’s drop their record to 72-85.

Bruce Maxwell explains why he is “Taking a Knee”

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
canha and maxwell
Mark Canha offers support to his teammate Bruce Maxwell

by Charlie O. Mallonee

According to the latest count, there are 64 black players in the Major Leagues. One would think that after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier 70 years ago the number of black players in majors would be much higher, but it is not.

The smaller number of players does not mean that those who play professional baseball have not been affected by the words of the President and the controversy they stirred about athletes being active in social issues “on the job”.

A’s catcher Bruce Maxwell was moved by the events that followed the President’s remarks and decided he needed to take action. Last Saturday evening before the game versus the Seattle Mariners at the Oakland Coliseum, Bruce Maxwell took a knee during the presentation of “The national anthem”.  His actions were reported nationally.

After the game on Sunday, Maxwell spent some time answering questioning from the press about his stance and the reactions to his choice to take a knee.

Maxwell disclosed that he has received support not only from current players but from former players as well. Maxwell appeared to really appreciate that support.

The Athletics catcher also expressed his hope that he would be cleared through the Concussion Protocol in order to return to the playing field. Maxwell took a hard foul tip direct to the mask in Detroit last Wednesday in the bottom of the ninth inning and had to come out of that game.

Maxwell did return to the lineup on Monday going 0-for-3 versus the Seattle Mariners.

No matter how you feel about Bruce Maxwell taking a knee — do not doubt his sincerity. This is no stunt or show. This is a young man who is acting on his conscious to speak out on issues he sees as critical to racial justice. And, he is willing to face the consequences if there are any that come his way.

That’s Amaury’s Podcast, News, & Commentary: A’s rookies and call ups make next season an interesting place for the A’s

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

AP File Photo: Oakland Athletics’ Matt Olson celebrates his solo home run with Ryon Healy (25) against the Detroit Tigers in the second inning of a baseball game in Detroit, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

On That’s Amaury’s Podcast:

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

OAKLAND–The way I see it A’s catcher Bruce Maxwell whose taking a knee during the national anthem each night for the A’s didn’t get a hit in Monday night’s game against the Seattle and if he doesn’t hit after taking an knee he might have to take the bench. The A’s are now without Olson at first base with a hamstring injury. Here’s a kid who hit 24 home runs in his first 15 games and has been a real sensation. Imagine if Olson had started the season how many hone runs he would have ended up with.

Aaron Judge broke the American League record held by a rookie when he hit his 50th home run breaking the A’s Mark McGwire record from 1987 and I remember that year I called some those home runs. McGwire hit 49 that year. On Maxwell the knew thing is fashionable now he gets paid to hit and he gets paid to catch. I like Maxwell a lot he’s got a lot of fire, he’s got a great arm.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does the Podcast, News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com