Month: May 2018

Warriors take Rocket Red brick road to NBA Finals with 101-92 win

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Monday, May 28, 2018

For the fourth consecutive year, the Golden State Warriors are headed to the NBA Finals. The Warriors got there, marching on a newly-laid road of red bricks, courtesy of the Houston Rockets.

As they do so often, the Warriors exploded out of the halftime break. Combined with Houston’s cold streak from behind the arc, Golden State caught fire offensively and defeated the Rockets 102-92 in Game 7 of the NBA Western Conference Finals Monday at the Toyota Center.

And, for the fourth straight season, the Warriors will meet Cleveland in the NBA Finals. Game 1 is Thursday in Oakland at 6 pm PST.

For the second game in a row, the Rockets suffered a second-half collapse, playing without injured guard Chris Paul (hamstring). In Games 6 and 7, the Warriors outscored Houston 122-63 in the second half.

Kevin Durant poured in 34 points for the Warriors, and Stephen Curry sparked yet another third-quarter rally, finishing with 27 points – 14 in the third quarter. Klay Thompson added 19 points, and Draymond Green had 10 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.

The Rockets missed 27 straight 3-point attempts, while Golden State overcame a 15-point deficit in the second quarter, surging ahead to stay with a 21-7 run to open the second half.

Houston wound up 7-of-44 on 3’s; James Harden was 2-of-13, Eric Gordon was 2-of-12, and Trevor Ariza missed all nine 3-point attempts.

Harden led the Rockets with 32 points, Clint Capela added 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Tucker finished with 14 points and 12 boards, as the 1-seed Rockets fell short in their bid to return to the Finals for the first time since 1995.

Game 1
Thursday, May 31
Cleveland at Golden State
6:00 p.m. (PDT) Ana Kieu
Game 2
Sunday, June 3
Cleveland at Golden State
5:00 p.m. (PDT) Jerry Feitelberg
Game 3
Wednesday, June 6
Golden State at Cleveland
6:00 p.m. (PDT) Daniel Dullum
Game 4
Friday, June 8
Golden State at Cleveland
6:00 p.m. (PDT) Pearl Lo
Game 5*
Monday, June 11
Cleveland at Golden State
6:00 p.m. (PDT) Joe Hawkes Beamon
Game 6*
Thursday, June 14
Golden State at Cleveland
6:00 p.m. (PDT) Daniel Dullum
Game 7*
Sunday, June 17
Cleveland at Golden State
5:00 p.m. (PDT) Jerry Feitelberg
*if necessary

Rays shut out A’s 1-0 in 13 innings

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Photo credit: @RaysBaseball

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — It was a sizzling, sun-drenched day in Oakland. The temperature at the start of the game was 78 degrees, and the 10,881 fans in attendance thought they might see a few home runs in the game. The ball usually carries well on hot days, but that did not happen as the A’s, and Rays’ pitchers were sensational. The Rays scored the winning run in the top of the 13th. The A’s had their chances,but could not get a hit with a runner in scoring position.

The A’s starter, Trevor Cahill, had his best game of the year. Cahill went eight innings, allowed just four, didn’t walk a batter, struck out six, and did not allow a run.

The Rays’ starter, Chris Archer pitched six scoreless innings, He kept the A’s scoreless and allowed just 4 hits, too. Both bullpens were terrific. The Rays were a wee bit better as they won the game 1-0.

The Rays scored the only run of the day in the top of the 13th. Chris Hatcher, the A’s fifth pitcher of the day, retired the first two hitters in the 13th. He then gave up singles to John Field, Jesus Sucre, and center fielder Mallex Smith. The Ray’s Ryne Stanek retired Matt Joyce for the first out. Marcus Semien walked. Jed Lowrie fouled out. Rays’ manager Kevin Cash made a pitching change. He brought in the lefty Jonny Venters to pitch to Matt Olson. Venters struck out Olson for the final out.

The A’s had men in scoring position in the fourth, sixth, and ninth innings but could not score. The A’s drop to 28-26 while Tampa Bay improves to 26-26.

The line score for the Rays was 1 run, 7 hits, and 1error. The A’s line was no runs, 7 hits, and no errors.

Chris Hatcher was the losing pitcher, and Ryne Stanek recorded the win.

Game 2 of the four-game series will be played Tuesday night at the Oakland Coliseum. Daniel Gossett (0-2, 6.28 ERA) will pitch for the A’s, and the Rays will send lefty Blake Snell (6-3, 2.78ERA) to the hill. Game time is at 7:05 pm PST.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Crawford has breakout May, hits .446 and defense has been looking Golden Glove-like

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Photo credit: @MLB_News247

On the SF Giants podcast with Morris:

#1 Morris talks about Brandon Crawford he’s been on a roll for the month of May, hitting a MLB best .446.

#2 Crawford was hitting .189 in the month of April. Morris talks about what Crawford is doing differently.

#3 Crawford also did some handy work with his glove in Chicago making an off-balance throw from short to get the Cubs’ Wilson Contreas on Sunday at Wrigley Field.

#4 The Giants starter Madison Bumgarner could be back as soon as Friday night. Bumgarner in rehab has thrown 47 pitches, going 3 2/3 innings and eight strike outs. He said his hand feels good.

#5 The Giants will open a three-game series on Monday night in Colorado to end this current road trip and they’re hoping to get some success at Coors Field.

Morris Phillips does the SF Giants podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

NHL Stanley Cup Finals podcast with Len Shapiro: Can Ovechkin beat the speed of the Knights?; Can Fleury stand on his head against Caps?

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Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin celebrates after scoring a goal against the Lightning during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.(Photo: Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports)

On the NHL Stanley Cup Finals podcast with Len:

#1 How much of a threat is the Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin with his shooting ability against the Vegas Golden Knights?

#2 The Caps open the Finals on the road. Is this a disadvantage or it won’t matter much seeing what they did on the road in the third round against the Tampa Lightning?

#3 The Caps are deep in players, a roster with a team that has players that have been together for awhile.

#4 The Knights have been getting great goaltending from Marc Andre-Fleury and he’s been a crux for this team in the postseason.

#5 The Knights-Caps go at it for Game 1 tonight at T-Mobile Center. Len talks about how he sees this first game.

Len does the NHL Stanley Cup Finals each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Montas’ Moment: A’s Reliever Turned Starter Shuts Down the D-Backs 2-1

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By Morris Phillips

OAKLAND–If this is the path you travel to establish yourself at Major League level, then don’t try this at home.

Frankie Montas’ winding, professional run starting with the Red Sox organization in 2012 as a teenager, followed by trades to three, new clubs, the last a multiplayer deal where the Dominican righthander went from the Dodgers to the A’s isn’t unique, but Montas’ oddysey has rarely provided moments to suggest he could find a role and stick with a big league club.

But Sunday at the Coliseum in the A’s 2-1 win over the Diamondbacks, Montas may have come up with the performance that finally gets him over the hump.

In his first ever start for the A’s after two hands full of forgettable, relief appearances in 2017, Montas was nearly flawless. Throwing his usual smoke–with new and improved, secondary pitches mixed in–he controlled the Diamondbacks, allowing no hits through five innings, before three singles and a run in the sixth. Those three would be the only hits for Arizona the entire game.

“I thought his two-seamer was really good today, which is what he’s been working on. And then his offspeed stuff mixed in to keep them off-balance and make his fastball play that much better,” manager Bob Melvin said in summarizing his pitcher’s appearance.

Montas served up fastballs at 95 plus in the early innings, then liberally mixed in his deceptive stuff, a stew that kept the struggling D’Backs flummoxed. And he worked himself out of a pair of jams: in the fourth, when he allowed both his walks, and the sixth when the three singles lead to Jake Lamb’s run-scoring sacrifice fly and nothing more.

“I feel really comfortable as a starter,” Montas said with the help of interpreter Juan Dorado. “It’s something I’ve done my whole career and it’s something that I want to do. And now that I’m commanding my fastball a little better, it’s something that I’m working hard on.”

Work was demanded of Montas when he was demoted in July, after he allowed 39 hits in 32 innings of work across 23 relief appearances, including 20 walks and 10 home runs. Those ragged numbers placed Montas as arguably the second-worst among Oakland relievers for one season all-time, and created the possibility the then 24-year old might not get a second chance.

But boldly, he pleaded to be groomed for a starter’s role.

Montas went winless in eight starts at Triple-A Nashville, then a oblique injury ended his frustrating 2017 season. Then this season he wasn’t obviously new-and-improved at 1-5 with an 3.24 ERA for Nashville, but he had some, positive stretches and became accustomed to the rhythm and length of starting.

When Oakland’s rotation continued to take hits, the latest injuries to Brett Anderson and Andrew Triggs, Montas–with his signature fastball still creating intrigue–got another shot.

And he delivered.

Jonathan Lucroy homered–his first as an Athletic–in support of Montas. After the Diamondbacks tied it in the sixth, Matt Chapman delivered the game-winning hit in the bottom of the inning.  Chapman’s single scored Matt Olson to put the A’s up 2-1.

Relievers Yusmeiro Petit, Lou Trivino and closer Blake Treinen finished the Diamondbacks in short order. The trio expended just 32 pitches in retiring the final nine Arizona batters consecutively, while striking out four.

The quiet, abrupt end to the game shed light on the depth of Arizona’s woes. After losing Saturday and Sunday, the D’Backs have lost 15 of 17 while scoring just 34 runs total. Amazingly, seven of those 34 came in Friday’s win, vividly illustrating how stark their offense has been since they started the season 24-11, the best 35-game start in the Diamondbacks franchise’s history.

“It’s just not going the way we want it to right now, but we have to keep together,” said Arizona’s David Peralta. “We just have to keep together, we have to keep fighting every day and we have to play with the same mentality–positive–and things are going to turn.”

The A’s have won nine of 13, and gained ground for a second straight day in the AL West. They are now 5 1/2 games behind the first-place Astros.

The A’s open a four-game set with the Rays on Monday with Trevor Cahill facing the Tampa Bay’s Chris Archer at 1:05pm.

 

 

 

Aces drop home opener to Storm 105-98

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20180527 - A'Ja Wilson 04

Photo credit: Shawn McCullough, Sports Radio Service

By Shawn McCullough

The Seattle Storm put a damper on the Aces star-studded inaugural home opener in Las Vegas with a 105-98 win at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

A’ja Wilson scored a career-high 27 points, going 9-17 from the field, along with eight rebounds.

“I really just took what the defense gave me and it just started to work.” said Wilson.  “My teammates really kept feeding me the ball and making me make plays.”

Nia Coffey also scored a career-high 23 points.

“Bill (Laimbeer) is clear and direct with what he saw in me and what he needed me to do,” said Coffey.  “During our offense, I make sure that I’m doing what I need to do.  I take advantage of the moment and take advantage of the match up to really show what I can do for this team.”

The Aces were able to claw back into the game after being down by 19 points early in the third quarter, but they were unable to overcome 18 turnovers.

“Turnovers have been a bugaboo so far this season,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer.  “There were 18 tonight, that’s too many especially in a tight game. We are going to have our growing pains with some young players, but we have to get those (turnovers) down.”

The first regular season game in Las Vegas for the Aces featured a list of celebrity appearances, including Boyz II Men singing the national anthem, Jabbawockeez performing a halftime show, the cast of Michael Jackson ONE greeting fans entering the arena and Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis attending the game.

With the loss, the Aces (formerly the San Antonio Stars) dropped to 0-3 on the season.  The Stars started the 2017 season 0-13 before winning their first game of the season 89-82 over Chicago at home on June 30th.

The Aces will next play the Storm in Seattle on Thursday, May 31st before heading back home to face the Washington Mystics on Friday, June 1st at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

  • 7,662 fans attended the Aces first regular season game in Las Vegas
  • The Aces introduced their new mascot named Bucket$, a fuzzy bunny rabbit

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 12 Nia Coffey
C – 8 Carolyn Swords
G – 21 Kayla McBride
G – 15 Lindsay Allen

Cubs take finale in comeback fashion, down Giants 8-3

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

Things were looking good for the San Francisco Giants at the end of the first inning, but then the Chicago Cubs came to the plate.

Between the two teams, they scored six runs on five infield hits, that included a great play by a first time second baseman and a ball off of the second base umpire.

All things got worse for the Giants in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Jorge Baez hit an opposite field three-run home run and the Cubs defeated the Giants 8-3 at Wrigley Field Sunday night.

Neither starter made it out of the fourth inning, as Ty Blach went just three innings, allowing five runs on seven hits, walking four and striking out three, as he fell to 3-5 on the season.

Cubs starter Tyler Chatwood went only 2.2 innings, as he allowed three runs on six hits, walking five and struck out three. It was the second consecutive horrific start for Chatwood, who also went 2.2 innings in his last start against the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night in a 10-1 Cubs loss.

Pablo Sandoval, who made his first ever start at second base for the Giants got them on the board in the top of the first inning, as he beat out a throw from Addison Russell that scored Brandon Belt.

Mac Williamson then extended the Giants lead up to 3-0, as he an opposite field single that scored Evan Longoria and Brandon Crawford respectively.

Longoria was one of two walks in the inning off of Chatwood, and then Crawford loaded the bases with an infield single just prior to the Sandoval base hit that scored Belt.

The Cubs got right back into the game in the bottom of the inning, as Alex Almora, Jr., reached on an infield single. After an out by Baez, Kris Bryant got the Cubs on the board, when he doubled off the right-center field wall and then came the bizarre play of the game.

Anthony Rizzo hit a comebacker that Blach knocked down, and then ricocheted off of second base umpire Cory Blaser and bounced to Sandoval, who threw too late to Belt and Bryant all the way around from second base to score.

After Wilson Contreras struck out for the second out, Kyle Schwarber singled to send Rizzo to third and then Russell tied up the game.

Things were looking good for the Giants in the top of the second inning, as they loaded the bases with nobody out; however, Chatwood was able to get out of the jam without allowing a run.

Blach got into his own bases loaded nobody out jam in the bottom of the third inning, as he gave up three consecutive walks to Bryant, Rizzo and Contreras, but then he was able to regroup to get Schwarber and Russell to strikeout swinging and then Jason Heyward flew out to left field to end the threat.

Pierce Johnson came on to replace Blach in the bottom of the fourth inning after Blach walked eventual winning pitcher Randy Rosario, and then Almora ended Blach’s day after he doubled to centerfield.

Baez then greeted Johnson by hitting a three-run home run into the right field bleachers to give the Cubs the lead for good.

Tommy La Stella hit for Rosario in the bottom of the fifth inning, and he hit a single that scored Heyward. Almora continued then his hot hitting, as he doubled to right-center field that scored La Stella from first base.

Rosario went 2.1 innings, allowing no runs on one hit, walking two and striking out three, as he won for the first time this season.

NOTES: Andrew Suarez looks for his second win of the season on Monday, as the Giants open a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Chad Bettis looks to improve to 5-1 on the season, as he takes the mound for the Rockies.

Buster Posey, who missed Saturday’s game with a sore right hip also missed Sunday’s game, but could available for the Giants opener in Colorado.

UP NEXT: Giants open a three-game series against the Rockies in Colorado starting Monday at 4:10 pm PST.

MLB The Show podcast with Daniel Dullum: Angels’ Trout goes yard on Yanks; Giants’ Bumgarner near to return; Choo leads MLB’s Asian-born hitters with HRs

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photo from yahoosports.com: Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout went 5-5 on Saturday against the New York Yankees

On the MLB The Show podcast with Daniel Dullum:

1  LA Angels’ Mike Trout (27) has another career day in rout of New York Yankees.

2 Mad about Bum: SF Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner fans eight in first rehab start.

3 Shin-Soo Choo is MLB’s new Asian-born home run king.

4 A’s “Star Wars” themed fireworks show starts fire in Oakland.

5 Cleveland reliever Andrew Miller back on DL.

Daniel does MLB The Show podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Baseball Heroes and Memorial Day

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photo from twitter.com: Philadelphia A’s catcher Harry O’Neill who caught for Philadelphia for only one ballgame July 23, 1939 died in World War II. O’Neill died by sniper fire in Iwo Jima on March 6, 1945

Baseball Heroes and Memorial Day

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

OAKLAND–This Memorial Day, Major League Baseball remembers the heroes who fought in wars defending our nation and made the ultimate sacrifice.

Philadelphia Athletics catcher Harry O’Neill (1917-1945) He enlisted in the US Mariners in 1942 after graduating from OCS School (Officer Candidate School) he died fighting the Japanese in Iwo Jima.

These players (among many others throughout the years) are veterans who served our country and some who actually where in combat situations. many are Hall of Famers: Ted Williams, Joe Dimaggio, Jackie Robinson, Hoyt Wilhelm, Ed Figueroa, Al Bumbry, Garry Maddox, Bobby Doerr, Pee Wee Reese, George Sisler, Ty Cobb, Tommy LaSorda, Gil Hodges,Hank Greenberg, Tris Speaker, Johnny Pesky, Yogi Berra, Christy Matheson, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Warren Spahn, Bob Feller, Don Larsen, Phil Rizzuto, Bill Dickey, Whitey Ford, Eddie Collins, Don Newcome, Stan Musial, Larry Doby, Curt Simmons, Hank Bauer, Ernie Banks and Jerry Coleman.

Teams will wear special uniforms during this Memorial Day weekend as well as Independence Day, including special caps and socks. They will be for sale at Major League ballparks.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio talent for the Oakland A’s and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com