By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Monday, September 9, 2019
Oakland’s road to an American League Wild Card berth hit a serious pothole on Monday, as Houston rang up A’s pitching for seven home runs in a 15-0 Astros win at Minute Maid Park.
The Astros, who lead the AL West, built an 11-0 lead after two innings, buoyed by a pair of solo homers by Yordan Alvarez, a three-run blast by Alex Bergman, two-run shots by Robinson Chirinos and Jose Altuve, and a solo homer by Michael Brantley.
Despite the loss, the Athletics remain in the second AL Wild Card berth, leading Cleveland by one game and trailing Tampa Bay by 1 ½ games.
The Astros became the first team ever to hit six home runs in the first two innings of a game, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Houston’s seven total homers tied a club record.
Chirinos added a three-run blast in the in the seventh.
All of that offense made life easy for Astros starter Zack Greinke (5-1), who struck out five without a walk and gave up two hits in six innings.
Mike Fiers (14-4) surrendered the first five Astros home runs in one-plus inning. He struck out one, but gave up nine earned runs on nine hits. Paul Blackburn, who worked five innings of long relief, gave up the other two Houston homers.
Game two of the four-game series on Tuesday matches up right-hander Tanner Roark (9-8, 3.86 ERA) for Oakland against Astros left-hander Wade Miley (13-4, 3.35 ERA). Game time set for 5:10 p.m. PST.
yelp.com photo: Dining room section at Ping Yang Grill and Desert at 955 Larkin Street in downtown San Francisco which was formerly Little Henry’s Restaurant.
Cast: Mary Lisa Walsh (SJ Sharks beat writer), Marko Ukalovic (SJ Barracuda beat writer), Jeremy Harness (NFL analyst, PGA Golf reporter), Lewis Rubman (Oakland A’s beat writer), David Zizmor (SF 49ers podcast host), and Lee Leonard (producer).
On the podcast today from Ping Yang Grill and Dessert at 955 Larkin Street downtown San Francisco: Our thanks to your host Bay owner and proprietor at Ping Yang Grill and Dessert. Ping Yang serves some of San Francisco’s favorite Thai food: Pad Thai, Thai Crepe, Chicken Thigh, Tom Yum Soup, Curry Noodle Soup, Tender Pork Shoulder, Beef Short Ribs, Chocolate Crepe, Nutella Banana Crepe, and many more. Bay welcomes you to try many of Ping Yang’s dessert favorites. Located at the corner of Larkin and Sutter Streets in downtown San Francisco, Ping Yang Grill and Dessert.
On today’s podcast: Discussions on the National Hockey League 2019-20 season preparing to start. The San Jose Sharks what they added and how Erik Karlsson will be the face and impact of this year’s team. The Oakland A’s in the hunt for postseason play. The San Francisco 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo and how the progress looks from week one. The Oakland Raiders, who lost Antonio Brown to the New England Patriots, plus much more.
#1 How important is it for the 49ers to take advantage of the four forced turnovers in their 31-17 win on Sunday in Tampa Bay?
#2 Talk about the game ejection of Kwon Alexander and the helmet to helmet hit on Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston. Alexander said it was not intentional.
The Antonio Brown saga is far from over. Brown’s off the field shenanigans and his progress will be marked through every week of the 2019 season. It will only be magnified by the fact that he signed with the most hated team in the National Football League, the New England Patriots. Brown adds to a wide receiver core that already includes Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman and Demaryius Thomas, who won a championship with Denver in Super Bowl 50, and is sure to be a nightmare for defenses all season long. That’s without mentioning Tom Brady, or the abundance of talent New England possesses on both sides of the ball. New England was already one of the favorites to represent the AFC in the Superbowl before acquiring the Brown. Now, they look like primed to repeat as champions.
Brown is just the most recent of a long line of disgruntled players to leave their team and sign with New England. From the moment of his release from Oakland it seemed like it was only a matter of time before Antonio Brown became a Patriot. No two fanbases have more hatred and vitriol for the New England Patriots than Oakland and Pittsburgh fans and the Brown signing has ripped open old wounds.
For the Raiders, it is story of stolen glory. It all goes back to the January of 2002 and the tuck rule that turned Tom Brady’s fumble into an incompletion, propelling New England to their first Super Bowl. It was an officiating call that will live in infamy and one that Raider fans will never forget. The raiders would make it to the Super Bowl the following year, losing to Tampa Bay and haven’t won a playoff game since. Meanwhile, the Patriots have been to eight more Super Bowls and winning five of them. In 2005, Hall of Famer Randy Moss was traded to the Raiders bringing hope to the franchise. But after posting only 553 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2006 the Raiders traded Moss to New England where his career was immediately revived. In his first season as a Patriot, Moss had over 1,500 yards and 23 touchdowns, setting the all-time record to receiving touchdowns in a season. Moss’s effort in New England was a slap in the face to the Raiders who couldn’t get Moss to display any work ethic. In short, much like Antonio Brown, he didn’t want to play for Oakland.
Pittsburgh has also lost significant players to New England and those players have helped the New England win championships. Frustrated with his role, running back LeGarrette Blount walked off the field before the end of game versus the Titans in 2014. Two days later he signed with the Patriots and was instrumental in helping them when the championship three months later. Linebacker James Harrison joined New England only a few days after being waived by Pittsburgh. To make matters worse, the Steelers are arguably the Patriots biggest rival over the past two decades and they are constantly battling New England for the top spot in the AFC. It’s devastating from their perspective to see their former players join their biggest and toughest rivals.
But who could blame the Raiders or the Steelers? Antonio Brown has been a constant headache for both organizations and clearly demonstrated that he didn’t want to play for either team. His actions cost Pittsburgh a playoff berth last season and almost certainly tanked Oaklands chances this season. What choice does a team have with a player who doesn’t want to show up to work. It has been said time and time again, teams only want players who want to be there. Now the Raiders and Steelers must watch New England benefit from their decision to do what was best for their team and let Brown go.
New England’s acquisition of Antonio Brown spells terror for 31 other teams. It’s difficult to see them as anything but a Super Bowl favorites, even at this early point in the season. But for the Raiders and Steelers, two teams who have been victimized so many times by New England on and off the field, this is a recurring trauma.
from sfgate.com photo: San Francisco Giants starter Dereck Rodriguez reacts during a pitching change during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019.
On the SF Giants podcast with Morris:
#1 The Los Angeles Dodgers in Sunday’s game had a breakout fourth and fifth innings when they scored two and three runs in each respective inning. One thing they’re noted for is they can swing the bats.
#2 The Dodgers wound up getting a 5-0 shutout against the San Francisco Giants behind Dodger starter Kenta Maeda, who pitched four innings surrendering just one hit and struck out six.
#3 Meanwhile, Giants starter Derek Rodriguez continues to struggle. He went 4.2 innings, three hits, two earned runs, and four strikeouts. Rodriguez drops his record to 5-9.
#4 No one hits RBIs in this one. Buster Posey just picked up two hits and a hit each for Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Slater simply no offense Sunday for the Giants.
#5 The Giants open a four-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates starting Monday night at Oracle Park at 7:15 pm. Starting for Pittsburgh, Trevor Williams (7-6, 5.16 ERA), and for the Giants, Madison Bumgarner (9-8, 3.81 ERA).
The last time Davis Mills started was in the state title game during his senior year at Greater Atlanta Christian in 2016 when he sustained a knee injury. Rated the top recruit in Georgia by several publications and the No. 1 pro-style quarterback prospect in the country, he threw for 6,290 yards and 66 touchdowns.
On Saturday night, Mills received his first college start under the bright lights on a big stage in front of a national television audience, quarterbacking No. 23 Stanford (1-1, 0-1 Pac-12) against USC (2-0, 1-0 Pac-12). After missing all but one contest the last two seasons due to knee injuries, the junior held his own in the 45-20 defeat to the Trojans.
“It felt great to get back out there,” said Mills. “It has been a long time. I struggled with a couple injuries my first year out here but getting back on the field always feels great … unfortunate result.”
Replacing injured senior K.J. Costello, Mills completed 22-of-36 passes for 237 yards, the most by a Cardinal signal-caller in their first career start since Kevin Hogan in 2012 (254). Composed and comfortable most of the way, despite a crowd of 62,109, Mills was sharp and tossed his first collegiate touchdown on a perfectly executed screen pass to junior wide receiver Connor Wedington in the first quarter.
Mills missed a few throws and was intercepted once, but he showed confidence, command and fight. He’ll grow from the experience.
“I thought we did pretty well at some things,” Mills said. “Definitely some things we can improve on going into the next couple of weeks. It’s a long season and we have a lot to work on.”
Arguably, Mills’ most impressive pass came on the first series of the third quarter, when he avoided the rush, stepped up and alertly shuffled the ball with is right hand to fifth-year senior running back Cameron Scarlett on third-and-long to prolong the drive.
David Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football, saw the positives in Mills’ performance.
“I thought he played well,” Shaw said. “It’s just about not missing those opportunities. But I think he’s going to be outstanding. He’s got a great mind for the game. He’s athletic, has a great arm, he’s accurate. He’s going to be really, really good.”
Costello provided input on the sideline.
“He was in my ear pretty much between every possession,” Mills said. “I could bounce some stuff off him because he has all the experience. He was great helping me out throughout the game.”
WORK TO DO: Leading 20-10 with 7:57 remaining in the second quarter, Stanford surrendered 35 unanswered points.
“Honestly, we didn’t come out there and execute,” said fifth-year senior outside linebacker Casey Toohill. “That hurts to say. You never, ever want to look back and realize it was completely on your own execution, that it was completely in your control, but it was. We just didn’t have a good game, didn’t execute.”
Toohill expects the Cardinal to bounce back.
“We got a lot of games left — a lot of football left to be played after this,” he said. “After this, we’ve got to look hard at the film, look at our performance and improve from there. Next week is a new opportunity, a new week, and that’s what we look forward to.”
Photo credit: gostanford.com
PLAYMAKERS: Wedington, Scarlett and Colby Parkinson had big nights. Wedington produced a career-high 197 all-purpose yards, catching five passes for 67, ran once for 17, and returned three kickoffs for 103 yards, taking one 60 yards.
“At the end of the day, we had the lead, we just need to play like it’s 0-0 and not get complacent,” Wedington said.
Wedington called his touchdown was a group effort.
“It was a quick screen behind a great block by (junior) Foster (Sarell) on the edge,” Wedington said. “Great toss by Davis, too, and I had great blockers out there.”
Parkinson caught seven passes for 89 yards, while Scarlett ran hard for 82 yards on 17 carries.
Photo credit: gostanford.com
SPECIAL TEAMS: Wedington’s long return and a fumble recovery by sophomore outside linebacker Tobe Umerah on a USC kickoff return forced by junior outside linebacker Thunder Keck were highlights.
Senior kicker Jet Toner converted two field goals but missed from 39 yards and another attempt from 47 yards was tipped. The Trojans came close to blocking freshman Ryan Sanborn’s first punt.
DECEIVING STATS: In the third quarter, Stanford possessed the ball for 11 minutes and didn’t score. The Cardinal finished with a nearly seven-minute time of possession advantage and each team recorded 23 first downs.
Using a new Air Raid, no huddle offense, USC piled up 492 yards behind freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis and a host of talented playmakers. Stanford struggled to generate a pass rush and missed a lot of tackles.
“It didn’t have to do with the air raid or anything, it has to do with us rushing the passer,” said Shaw. “We’ve just got to beat guys one-on-one. We got to him a couple times, but not enough.”
Junior cornerback Paulson Adebo led the Cardinal with eight tackles and broke up two passes.
BROTHERLY LOVE: Stanford junior wide receiver Osiris St. Brown played against his brother, USC sophomore receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and both had their moments. Osiris caught two passes for 19 yards and displayed his athletic ability by leaping over a Trojan defender. Amon-Ra had his way with the Cardinal secondary, grabbing eight receptions for 92 yards and two scores.
Photo credit: gostanford.com
UP NEXT: The Cardinal travels to Orlando, Florida next Saturday for a 12:30 p.m. PST game at Spectrum Stadium (44,206) against No. 17 UCF. The Knights (2-0), who play in the American Athletic Conference, have beaten Florida A&A (62-0) and Florida A&M (48-16).
UCF is 27-1 the last three years and lost to LSU, 40-32, last season in the Fiesta Bowl.
True freshman Dillion Gabriel recorded his first start at quarterback on Saturday and threw for two touchdowns and ran for another. The UCF ground attack eclipsed 300 yards for the second straight week.
NOTES: Costello’s status for Saturday will be determined during the week … Freshman Walter Rouse received his first start at left tackle, becoming the second true frosh to earn the distinction since Walker Little in 2017 … Sophomore strong safety Kendall Williamson equaled his career-high with seven tackles … Freshman running back Austin Jones made his first career reception and caught two passes for 19 years … Stanford has not allowed a first quarter touchdown in five games … The Cardinal continues to hurt itself with holding penalties and mistakes. After two games, Stanford leads the Pac-12 in penalties with 16 for 160 yards … USC compiled 10 tackles for loss … Wedington ranks No. 1 in the conference in kickoff returns (32.0), No. 3 in all-purpose yards (140.5) and No. 5 in receptions (12/136) … Adebo ranks first in the Pac-12 with five passes defended … Toohill rates No. 2 in tackles for loss and No. 4 in sacks … Gene T. Sykes, MBA ’84, managing director at Goldman Sachs, served as the honorary captain. He has been a member of the Stanford Board of Trustees since 2014 and is member of the GSB Advisory Council.
Photo credit: gostanford.com
QUOTE: “It’s definitely going to test us. It’s our first loss of the season, not something we expected. We just have to drive it back, watch the film and keep going.” — Connor Wedington
It has not been very long since Dave Dombrowski held the World Series trophy over his head during the parade in Boston. But today, Dombrowski is not the reigning World Champion General Manager anymore. In a town that lives and dies with their beloved Red Sox, there is no mercy. Although I believe, and most sane people also believe there is a whole world outside of baseball; In Boston, the Red Sox are breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday. There is nothing laid back about Boston or New York — you are a great guy, a nice guy, a genius, as long as you will; but when you do not win, Au Revoir!
Dombrowski was also GM of the Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins and Detroit Tigers before taking over the Boston Red Sox. He always has enjoyed the reputation of one of the best baseball executives around. But today, he is Au Revoir!
For now, it will take three executives to replace Dombrowski: Zack Scott, Eddie Romero and Brian O’Halloran, who served as assistants to the fired GM. Also, Raquel Ferreira, a longtime Red Sox senior Vice President of the Sox Minor and Major League operations for the last 21 years. She automatically became the highest-ranking woman in the MLB.
Red Sox Field Manager Alex Cora,was asked if he was surprised. Cora said: “Surprised? I am shocked!”
The way this happened, not waiting until the conclusion of the season, sounds to me like a typical baseball Coup D’état.
I wish Dave Dombroski the best in his future endeavors. He is a real gentleman and an accomplished man in the world of baseball.
Sean Manaea reminded A’s fans of his dominance in his return on Sunday at RingCentral Coliseum. Manaea allowed just one run in seven innings of work.
The A’s (84-59) defeated the Tigers (42-100) by a final of 3-1 and boarded a flight to Houston to open a four-game series against the Astros at Minute Maid Field on Monday at 5:10 p.m. PST.
Before the game, our Prize Patrol winners presented matching $5,000 charitable donations to the Alameda County Community Food Bank, Boys and Girls Club of Oakland, Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area, and the Oakland A's Community Fund. pic.twitter.com/bz9OTkmlFb
The A’s got on the board first. Marcus Semien scored on a Mark Canha ground out for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
The A’s plated two runs for a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Khris Davis doubled on a fly ball, which enabled Canha and Chad Pinder to score, respectively.
The Tigers ended the A’s chances of a potential shutout with a lone run in the top of the fifth inning. Cristin Stewart homered on a fly ball to center field for his ninth home run of the season.
With the win, Oakland went 5-1 on the six-game homestand and also managed to pick up a road win against the Tigers in the middle of it.
The A’s also celebrated Pride in Oakland in their front office and in The Town itself. This was a perfect time for the LGBTQ folks and their allies to celebrate who they are and what they stand for.
The Niners defense forced four turnovers on Sunday, more than half of their 2018 total, as they earned their first victory of the season 31-17 over Tampa Bay. The defense carried the weight in the win, outscoring the offense 2-1 in the touchdown department.
San Francisco’s new-look defense appears to be running on full steam by the time the second half rolled around where they would see two pick-sixes from Richard Sherman and Ahkello Witherspoon. The updated front seven created chaos for Jameis Winston, picking up three sacks on the Bucs’ QB.
Winston struggled, finishing 20 of 36 for 194 yards and one touchdown.
Rookie Joey Bosa picked up his first career sack while getting three QB hits, and three tackles. Bosa was fooled early in the contest by Winston in the pocket but said postgame that it was a great learning experience.
While the defense deserves praise, the offense still has a ways to go. Jimmy Garoppolo was good enough to earn the win, throwing 18 of 27 for 166 yards, a touchdown, and a pick-six. His favorite target was George Kittle who carried the most of the weight with eight catches for 54 yards. He would’ve scored a touchdown early in the first quarter, but it was called back via penalty.
Penalties cost both teams dramatically, taking away a combined five touchdowns. The Niners were whistled 11 times for 87 yards, taking away three touchdowns and killing multiple drives.
The Niners rushing attack was mediocre, fueled by Raheem Mostert, Matt Breida, and Tevin Coleman. Mostert got the blunt of the workload in the second half trying to put the game away. He finished with nine carries for 40 yards, while Breida got 15 carries for 37 yards.
Coleman’s 49ers’ debut was cut short, as he went down with an ankle injury after getting six carries for 23 yards. He’s scheduled for an x-ray on Monday.
Garoppolo’s lone TD came on the opening possession of the second half, finding Richie James Jr. from 39-yards out down the left sideline. It was James’ first career score.
Sherman earned his third career pick-six immediately following James’ score, giving the Niners a 20-7 lead. It also marked his first interception in the red and gold, as the former all-pro was shutout last season.
The unsung hero was backup linebacker Mark Nzeocha, who blocked a punt and had an interception. Nzeocha entered the game when former Bucs’ linebacker Kwon Alexander was ejected for targeting Winston.
Witherspoon’s first career touchdown put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter, making it 30-17 with 2:01 remaining.
The victory is a huge morale boost for San Francisco. Much of the off-season was dedicated towards adding to the pass rush and forcing more turnovers. They did just that in the win. The Niners will now extend their road trip, with a matchup against the 0-1 Bengals next Sunday at 10:00 a.m. PST.
The Aces will get some well needed rest before their first WNBA playoff game.
Las Vegas clinches a first round bye with a 98-89 win over the Mercury in Phoenix.
“The season kind of went how I expected it to,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer. “A lot of ups and downs, trying to understand each other and learn how to win. We had our moments we looked very good, and moments where we looked really bad. All in all, to take the fourth seed and have a bye in the first round and a home game. We will take it.
The Aces were led by Liz Cambage with 21 points and nine rebounds.
“It has been a bit inconsistent, but if we can keep this energy and consistency heading into playoffs, I think we can go really far,” said Cambage. “Got our eyes on the prize but just have to take it each game as they come.”
Forward A’ja Wilson added 20 points going 6 for 6 from the field and 8 for 8 from the free throw line.
“I think we are just where we need to be, but we still have a lot more growth to get together,” said Wilson. “I think this is great momentum heading into playoffs.
With the win, the Aces finished the regular season at 21-13 and 4th in the WNBA standings.
Las Vegas will have a bye in the first round and will play the highest seed coming out of the first round. The game will be played on Sunday, September 15th at 2 pm Pacific at the Thomas and Mack Center.
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