#1 The Oakland Raiders start the first of six out of town games on Sunday. They’ll be in Minnesota this Sunday followed by trips to Indianapolis, London vs. Chicago, Green Bay, and Houston. Do the Raiders get the sense they got the short end of the stick by the schedule makers?
#2 After what happened against the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday at home, the Raiders certainly would like to regroup and get at least one win at the Oakland Coliseum, but that’ll be some eight weeks before they get to do that.
#3 For the Raiders last Sunday, they jumped to a 10-0 lead, but in the second quarter, the Raider secondary broke down and the Chiefs scored four touchdowns, which would be enough for the 28-10 win as both teams went scoreless in the second half.
#4 Joe talks about the Raiders acquiring wide receiver Trevor Davis from the Green Bay Packers. Davis played only two games last season suffering from hamstring injuries. Davis has nine catches for 122 yards and has averaged 22.6 yards.
#5 The Raiders open up their road trip against the Minnesota Vikings. The Raiders head coach Jon Gruden said this week that while he’s not happy about the schedule and called it unrealistic, uncommon, and unprecedented. Yet, he’s confident the Raiders can handle the long road swing and overcome adversity.
#1 Dee Ford, a Pro Bowl pass rusher who missed the second half of Sunday’s game in Cincinnati due to knee tendinitis and also the early part of training camp, suffered from a healing knee injury. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that Ford is day-to-day and has a chance to get in against the Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday.
#2 Safety Jaquiski Tartt is suffering a toe injury. Shanahan said that Tartt’s injury is not a turf toe injury.
#3 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo said the 49ers have seen the worst of the worst in past years and said with that in mind, the team is this year will not take it’s foot off the pedal and said it’s what’s pushing them.
#4 A 2-0 start both wins on the road the 49ers really look forward to this week’s game with the Steelers. The Steelers are spending their first week without injured quarterback Ben Roethisberger and adjusting to life without former Steeler receiver Antonio Brown.
#5 The Steelers are 0-2. It’s early, but is it a reflection of who they are or do they have a quarterback and a receiver who can give them their confidence back?
The Aces went down two games to none in the best of five playoff series after a 103-91 loss to the Mystics in Washington, D.C.
“Washington did what they are supposed to do, win their home games,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer. “Now it’s our turn to go back to Las Vegas and now it’s our turn to go back to our home court and then come back here [Washington, D.C.] and go at it again.”
The Aces trailed at halftime 50-49, but the Mystics pulled away in the third quarter outscoring the Aces 30-20.
Liz Cambage recorded back to back double-doubles, scoring 23 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.
“We aren’t done, we are just getting started,” said Cambage. “This is serious for a reason. We get to go home and go back to the house and play in front of our fans who lift us up every game.”
Kelsey Plum added 19, going 9 for 15 from the field.
“They [Mystics] capitalize on every mistake that you make and they are such a good team in terms of how they execute,” said Plum.
The two teams will next play game 3 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Sunday.
Game 1 – Mystics 97, Aces 95
Game 2 – Mystics 103, Aces 91
Game 3 – Sunday, September 22 – Mystics at Aces
Game 4 – Tuesday, September 24 – Mystics at Aces (if needed)
Game 5 – Thursday, September 26 – Aces at Mystics (if needed)
Game Notes:
The Mystics shot 52.1% from the field, while the Aces shot 49.3%
Las Vegas out-rebounded Washington again 35-28.
The Aces turned the ball over 12 times to the Mystics six.
Game Starters:
F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 21 Kayla McBride
C – 8 Liz Cambage
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
Mark Canha’s walk off double, following Homer Bailey and the bullpen’s (yes, you read that right) 11-inning shutout win over the Royals has faded into recent history, and so has the euphoria it brought. The A’s have a day off, and we have a chance to take a dispassionate look, if baseball fans are allowed to use that adjective, at how things stand for the team.
First of all, no one now has even unspoken illusions about catching up with Houston in the regular season. The Astros hold an eight-game lead over Oakland with nine games to go for each team. Even if the A’s won all their remaining games, all Houston would need is one win to finish the season with a tie for the best record in the AL West. All that would get the A’s would be the chance to play the tie-breaker at the Coliseum.
The A’s outlook is brighter in the wild card race. Boston will be eliminated unless it wins every game left on its schedule and the team it trails loses all of its. Cleveland is on the ropes, which means that there’s a good chance that what’s left for Oakland is a battle by proxy with Tampa Bay for the right to be the home team in the one and done play-in round to determine the wild card team that will get the chance to battle Houston in the ALDS. The one-shot nature of the wild card game and the brevity of the best three out of five format for the ALDS accentuate the craps shoot nature of the whole process. The closest thing to a sure bet is that, if you care enough to read this column, your blood pressure will rise between now and at least October 2, when we’ll finally know–weather permitting–whether Oakland, Cleveland, or Tampa Bay will be on its way to Minute Maid Park to open the Division Series.
Let’s look first at the Indians, if only to take a guess at their chances of displacing the Rays as the A’s play-in opponent, although we shouldn’t forget that there is a possibility, however unlikely this morning, that Cleveland will overtake both Oakland and Tampa Bay and make one of those teams an also ran.
FanGraphs’ probability ratings make no claim to be infallible; their very name indicates that. But they are an extremely valuable tool for assessing a ball club’s chances. They give the Indians a mere 44% chance of making the play offs, which is our immediate concern, and, incidentally, a 42.8% of winning the division title, which would mean defeating Houston in the ALDS. The same source offers a probable season’s won-lost record of 94.5-67.5 for the Tribe. (That half a win points to the difference between a real season and a statistically analyzed one).
Still on the Indians’ schedule are a game against Detroit and a two game inter-league series against the Phillies, both at Progressive Park, né The Jake. Daniel Norris, who pitched well as an opener in the Bengals’ 3-1 September 8 loss, which was charged against him, will start for Detroit. Although the Tigers haven’t announced it, he most likely will be used in the same role today. His opponent, Mike Clevenger, is 11-3, 2.68 ERA, so don’t count on Cleveland’s elimination number dropping today.
Philadelphia, like Cleveland, is hanging on to the chance of a wild card spot, having an elimination number of eight in its division at this writing. Looking at the pitching match ups and the teams’ batting records, I think the Indians have the edge in the series, so Oakland shouldn’t count on getting help from the Phillies.
Like the A’s, the Tribe will finish its season on the road. They’ll start with a three game set on the south side of Chicago. Cleveland’s current 89-63 record is three games off from being a mirror images of the ChiSox’ 66-86, but that doesn’t mean that the Sox are a push over. The Indians are hitting only .239 against their pitching, albeit with a more respectible OPS of .711, and trail them 7-9 in the season series.
Washington will be Cleveland’s last opponent in the regular season. The Nats currently occupy second place in the NL East, where they have been eliminated from the division race and are in the first wild card position by a game and a half.
In short, it would be foolish to predict which series the Indians will win in what’s left to them in 2019 and which they’ll lose. But it seems more than reasonable to expect that they’ll lose at least as many as the A’s need them to, unless the green and gold has an unlikely melt down and need Cleveland to do the same.
That leaves the thorny problem of the Tampa Bay Rays. FanGraphs computes their probable record at the end of the season as 95-67, two games behind the A’s 97-65. If not a razor thin margin, it’s still a well-sharpened scissors thin one, one close enough for FanGraphs to give the Rays a 60% chance of a play off spot. They give the A’s a 96.3% shot at that, and they calculate each team’s chance of winning the wild card game as the same as their getting into it, that is, 60% and 96.3%, respectively. The team from St. Petersburg has the most challenging schedule of the three contenders for the two wild card berths. They’ll battle the Red Sox, the Green Monster, and Peskey’s Pole tomorrow through Sunday. That’s tough, but what’s awaiting them is tougher. They go to the Bronx, where the Yankees will be fighting for home field advantage, not just in the Division Series, which they already have qualified for, but in the rest of the postseason. A strong opponent with something worth fighting for is a formidable obstacle to fulfilling FanGraph’s computerized forecast, and the Bombers just might keep Tampa Bay from reaching the 95-win mark.
So there are grounds for reasonable, but guarded, optimism about the A’s chances as they take on , with Fiers, Manea, and Roark on the mound, the Rangers this weekend in Oakland.
Fiers has gotten rid of the nerve irritation that cut short his last start and also has gotten rid of his number six, lying on its back beard by cutting it off entirely, thereby restoring his facial equilibrium. He didn’t pitch well in his two starts at Texas this summer, but he’s been having an excellent season overall, including a no-hitter and a near record streak of starts without losing. Like most of the A’s rotation, he’s bullpen reliant. Manaea has looked great since coming off the IL, and Roark’s 3.83 ERA over 47 innings since joining the A’s at the trade deadline was inflated by two of the runners he’d left on base in his last start scoring after he’d been relieved. The Rangers haven’t yet announced their Sunday starter. Of the two they have announced, the choice for Friday, Mike Minor, is the one more likely to give the A’s trouble. He’s 13-9, 3.33 ERA, but only 5-4, 4.22 ERA at home.
Then it’s on to Anaheim for a pair of games against the Angels. The Halos are having an awful season and have been further weaken by the loss of Shohei Ohtani, but they’re always a menace when they play the A’s.
The A’s will close out the season with a four-game series against Seattle at T-Mobile Park, booking ending their opening and closing games of the 2019 season against the same team but in a different domed facility. My guess is that it will be then that they decide (or learn) if there’s life after game 162 for them. I think there will be, in spite of the problems that still hover over them. The bull pen remains is unpredictable. Khris Davis isn’t going to carry the team on his shoulders. (I suspect that he’s been playing hurt). Jurickson Profar isn’t throwing wildly, but he still looks awkward with his throws, and, though he has power batting left, it’s from the right side that his batting average is good. Since most pitchers are right-handed, this combination makes Profar’s somewhat of a weak spot in the batting order. Laureano’s legs aren’t 100% yet, and Piscotty’s on the IL. Chapman’s BA is slipping, but he’s still a joy to watch in the field. And Oakland counts with (if not yet on) some definite assets that were missing before September. Luzardo and Puk, though still relatively untested, have been all you could hope for. Manea has been (knock wood) lights out. Brown and Murphy are looking good and might find their way on to a post season roster, if there is one, with some judicious juggling of the injured list.
Another plus is Mark Canha’s stepping up to the role of every day center fielder. From high power, low average utility player, he has become a well-rounded batter whose defense has improved from good to excellent thanks to his playing consistently in one position. Not to mention Semien and Olson, both of whom, in addition to their prowess at the plate and their virtues in the field, help compensate for Profar’s throwing problems. Let’s hear it, too, for Liam Hendriks and Yusmeiro Petit.
The great comedy team of Bob and Ray, the voices of Harry and Bert Piels in a classic series of beer advertisements from the 1950s, used to sign off their radio show by saying, “Write if you get work and hang by your thumbs.” We’ll have to settle for hanging by our thumbs for a while.
The Giants lost in heart-sinking fashion on Thursday, 5-4, to the Boston Red Sox, after a ninth-inning rally that fell just shy that will almost certainly make the plane ride to Atlanta a little less pleasant.
But before sulking in that any deeper, let’s all take a moment to look back on all the good, legendary stuff that went down in these past three games.
First of all, the Giants took two of the three games at historic Fenway Park, a place where the Giants had not won since 1915.
Do the math. That’s 104 years, people!
Mike Yastrzemski, the grandson of Hall of Famer and Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski, made his Fenway debut Tuesday night and was given a standing ovation by the Boston faithful, and the magnitude was ramped up when young Yaz blasted one out of the ballpark later in the game.
To cap it all off, Bruce Bochy got the 2,000th win of his managerial career Wednesday night, a career that will land him into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
As we let that sink in for a little bit, fast-forward to Thursday afternoon.
Trailing by a pair in the ninth, the Giants began a rally against Red Sox closer Brandon Workman, which started when Brandon Belt reached base on a throwing error by second baseman Marco Hernandez, who made a nice sliding stop but watched as his routine throw to first pulled Brock Holt off the bag.
The Giants loaded the bases with nobody out, but Brandon Crawford struck out looking, a situation where simply making contact would likely bring in a run. Yastrzemski was then blown away by a Workman fastball, and the rally was suddenly in jeopardy.
Kevin Pillar kept the rally alive by drawing a walk and bringing in a run, and Evan Longoria was able to work a full count. However, Workman then threw perhaps his best pitch of the afternoon, a breaking ball that dove out of the strike zone and enticed Longoria to swing at air, ending the rally and the hope for a sweep.
“(Workman) found a way to get through it,” manager Bruce Bochy said. It’s a tough pitch to lay off for (Longoria), especially after seeing a couple of pretty good fastballs before that.
“We were close to getting a nice sweep here, but we just came up a little short.”
Although the numbers won’t necessarily reflect it, but Madison Bumgarner threw well on Thursday and gave his team a chance to win.
He went five innings and gave up five runs on nine hits, walking two and striking out seven. However, many of the decisive hits were not hit especially hard at all, but rather were bloopers off good pitches that found open spots in the Giants’ defense.
“It’s just unfortunate that that many fell in,” Bumgarner said. “In this case, I just keep making my pitches and trust that that’s not going to continue to happen. I felt that I threw the ball pretty good.”
photo file from nytimes.com: Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez admitted to Pennsylvania Police that he had sexual relations with a 13 year girl. Vazquez’ admissions has sent shockwaves through the Pirates organization and MLB.
On Headline Sports with Tony Renteria:
Breaking: Antonio Brown will not be prosecuted for rape allegations from Florida ex-trainer Britney Taylor
#1 Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez admitted that he did have sexual relations with a 13 year old minor. The mother of the minor said she contacted police after finding photos that Vazquez sent to her daughter’s phone. Vazquez reportedly admitted to contacting the minor, who he met at a Pirates game when he was in the bullpen and got her contact information at the time.
#2 Houston Astros right-hander Gerrit Cole struck out 300 batters becoming the 18th pitcher in MLB history to do so. Cole is 18-5 with an ERA of 2.61. The Astros are having a great year and having pitching like this from Cole certainly has complimented the ball club.
#3 Just looking ahead to the postseason, the Oakland A’s are in first place in the AL wild card. They have dominated some of baseball’s best teams winning series from teams like the New York Yankees and Houston Astros. If the A’s can get past the wild card, the road to the World Series is past teams like the Astros and Yankees.
#4 After Sunday’s second quarter drubbing by the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oakland Raiders are regrouping and taking a look at their secondary, who took a bath when the Chiefs scored four touchdowns all the scoring they needed to upend Oakland 28-10.
#5 After the tough loss last Sunday at home, the Raiders have four away games in their next five games, which schedule wise can be considered their toughest challenge of the season.
Obviously, it’s no surprise that true freshmen are getting to contribute for the Stanford football team. Last year, the NCAA adopted a new redshirt rule that allows them to play in four games without losing a year of eligibility.
Typically, freshmen are spoon-fed and sprinkled into the lineup. Due to injuries, the process has been ramped up. At UCF last Saturday, 13 played in the game.
“It’s very exciting,” said frosh running back Austin Jones, who scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 35-yard run. “The fact that we can go in there and make plays and have fun, that’s what I want everyone on this team to do.”
Walter Rouse, a top offensive line recruit, figured he would receive playing time this season, but not this quickly. When starting left tackle Walker Little was lost for the season late in the game against Northwestern, Rouse got the call and has started the last two games.
“I was the next man up and you have to take it head on,” Rouse said.
Rouse’s first start came at USC under the lights in a nationally televised game.
“I’ve just been taking it day by day,” said Rouse. “My teammates and coach (Kevin) Carberry have been helping me along and each day I’m trying to learn and get better. I’m getting more comfortable being out there and I’m starting to play more instead of just thinking.”
Jonathan McGill, a safety, made a big play last week, scooping up a fumble and returning it 28 yards for his first collegiate touchdown.
“It was just a freaky accident,” McGill said. “I was really supposed to be closer to the line of scrimmage. Right before the quarterback snapped the ball, I came into the box and the ball started bouncing. I just sprinted to it and the ball tipped my way, so I picked it up and ran to the end zone. That was a pretty fun moment and I wish it would have come sooner.”
McGill attended the same high school (Coppell) as former Cardinal standout Solomon Thomas, now a San Francisco 49er. As a group, McGill said the freshmen are embracing their early playing time.
“Coming in this summer, we had a group chat and were talking about potentially playing with the redshirt rule, so we knew we were probably seeing the field once or twice,” said McGill. “Injuries happen and it’s the next up mentality.”
“The upperclassmen did a really great job of introducing us to the system and we had player-led meetings that helped us grasp the system. They really helped us out and gave us the confidence to get on the field.”
The first time McGill stepped on campus and met his future teammates, he felt something special.
“The vets took us under their wing and set the standard,” McGill said. “We really came in just wanting to learn. I think what really separates Stanford from a lot of schools is that the upperclassmen don’t distance themselves from the younger guys. They’ve done a great job helping us out.”
Photo credit: gostanford.com
The freshman class is tight and took pride in seeing Jones score last Saturday.
“Everybody on the sideline was going crazy,” McGill said. “But it meant a little more to us seeing one of our guys make a huge play.”
Although Stanford (1-2, 0-1 Pac-12) hoped for a better start against a challenging schedule, veteran players are appreciative of what the freshmen have done and expect more good things on Saturday against No. 16 Oregon (2-1, 0-0 Pac-12).
“I’ve been really impressed how they have stepped up, some in pretty big roles,” said junior tight end Colby Parkinson. “I think it’s a testament to how hard they worked during the summer. I know the older guys wanted to bring them up to speed as fast as we could. It’s cool to see.”
Added junior center Drew Dalman: “The whole mentality this offseason was getting everybody ready, not just the freshmen. We know these seasons take everybody, especially on the offensive line, which is a position where sometimes people get dinged up so guys have to be ready to play. They’ve been awesome.”
Jones has leaned on fifth-year senior Cameron Scarlett and senior Dorian Maddox for advice.
“Austin and Nate (Peat) have been like sponges trying to soak up as much as they can,” Scarlett said. “We’ve just tried to instill some of the things Coach G (running backs coach, Ron Gould) teaches us like being physical, running with a purpose, breaking tackles, being great with our eyes and being calm in the chaos.
“I told them you’re going to get your opportunity. When you do, capitalize and make the most of it.”
Jones did against UCF. He gained a team-high 65 yards on seven carries. The touchdown is still a blur.
“Surreal moment,” said Jones. “When I came off the field, I celebrated with my teammates, but I didn’t really realize I had scored. It didn’t really sink in until I walked out to kick off and I was like, ‘Man, I just scored my first college touchdown.’ It was like a dream come true for me.”
The moment wasn’t too big, thanks to mentoring from Scarlett and Maddox.
“Cam and Dorian have been a big help,” Jones said. “They’ve been telling me everything I need to read on the plays and to just be yourself and play your game. Once you get on the field, be you.”
In Dalman’s mind, they are no longer freshmen.
“The people on the field are the guys we trust, regardless of age or experience,” said Dalman. “If you’re in a Stanford jersey, we’ve got to trust you and we will.”
INJURY UPDATE: Help could be forthcoming for the Cardinal. Following Wednesday’s practice, David Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football, said junior starting right tackle Foster Sarell is “probable,” senior offensive guard Dylan Powell is “doubtful,” and senior starting inside linebacker Andrew Pryts is “really close” for Saturday against the Ducks. He previously announced that freshman Branson Bragg is out indefinitely.
TIGHTEN UP: In three games, Stanford has surrendered 18 plays of 20 yards or more.
“That’s not us,” Shaw said. “We’re built to be better than that.”
The defense will be tested by Oregon, sparked by senior quarterback Justin Herbert and a list of playmakers.
“He’s got pure talent,” said Shaw. “He’s a great college quarterback and will be a great quarterback at the next level.”
Stanford must make Herbert uncomfortable and limit big plays. He has thrown for 11 touchdowns and hasn’t been intercepted in his last 150 attempts, dating back to last season.
“Our job is to keep them out of the end zone,” Shaw said.
Photo credit: gostanford.com
NEAR MISSES: The Cardinal offense has had chances to make big plays in every game and looks to cash in Saturday.
“It is definitely frustrating,” said junior wide receiver Connor Wedington. “It is also a part of the game. Practice makes perfect. At the end of the day, getting more reps before practice and after practice is what is going to make things click.”
Added senior quarterback K.J. Costello, “Nobody knows what we can do on offense because we haven’t done it yet.”
OVERTIME SHOCKER: Parkinson caught the game-winning touchdown from Costello in overtime last year in Eugene to lift Stanford to an improbable 38-31 comeback victory against Oregon. The Cardinal trailed 24-7 at halftime and was down by 10 points with 90 seconds left in regulation.
“Not necessarily the game itself but more the atmosphere and how we felt as a team in the second half,” Parkinson said, when asked what he recalled most. “The belief and no-doubt feeling that we were going to come back. It’s something that we draw on a lot. The feeling of unity in the second half was second to none.”
Photo credit: gostanford.com
Dream realized that Costello is still smiling after meeting Tiger Woods last Saturday at the UCF game.
“It was so cool,” said Costello, who competed in junior golf and is a scratch player. “I’ve been a fan my entire life. He was probably the first athlete that I adored. Just the way he walked around. I remember going to junior tournaments wearing the same (Sunday) red.”
SET THE EXPECTATION: Saturday’s theme is Sexual and Relationship Violence Awareness. Additional themes include New Student Orientation, Hall of Fame recognition and presentation of the Capital One Cup.
Photo credit: gostanford.com
EXTRA POINTS: Shaw described the Tuesday and Wednesday practices as “spirited” … Under Shaw, the Cardinal is 20-7 coming off a loss and 5-0 after consecutive losses … Stanford has won the last three meetings against Oregon … The Cardinal hasn’t allowed a first quarter touchdown in five of the last six games … Parkinson leads Stanford with 17 receptions, followed by Wedington with 15 … The Cardinal has been outscored, 31-14, in the first quarter … Former Stanford head coach John Ralston, who guided the program to Rose Bowl wins in 1971 and 1972, will be recognized. He passed away last week.
QUOTE: “We’ve got to do what we do and play our style of football.” — Senior outside linebacker Jordan Fox
Young San Jose State University alumni and Spartan fans now have an exclusive new way to connect and engage with San Jose State Athletics through the launch of the New Spartan Club.
Alumni and fans ages 32 and under who give $50.00 or more to the Spartan Athletics Fund will be enrolled in the New Spartan Club.
Join the New Spartan Club and check your email for invitations to exclusive events and game day experiences. When signing up online, please include “New Spartan Club” in the Special Instructions field.
The New Spartan Club will open doors to some of San Jose State’s best game day experiences while supporting Spartan student-athletes.
Join now and register for the New Spartan Club’s launch event — a watch-party for the September 27 San Jose State at Air Force football game — at Fourth Street Pizza in downtown San Jose located at the corner of Fourth & San Carlos Streets. Kickoff and the watch party starts at 5:00 p.m. PT.
In addition to the upcoming watch-party, hospitality benefits of the New Spartan Club include: An exclusive 2019 Homecoming football experience on October 19, New Spartan Club night at the Hardwood Lounge during basketball season, and networking events in downtown San Jose.
The New Spartan Club benefits the Spartan Athletics Fund, which provides resources for student-athletes and coaches in San Jose State’s 22 NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics programs. For questions regarding the New Spartan Club or the Spartan Athletics Fund, dial (408) 924-1450 or email spartanathleticsfund@sjsu.edu.
The Giants’ playoff hopes may be over, but they are still playing hard and playing good baseball in spurts, and that still makes them interested to watch, even with only a couple of weeks left in the 2019 season.
For the past two nights, they have given it to the Boston Red Sox, a team that is in the thick of the American League playoff race, the latest installment being an 11-3 rout of the Red Sox at Fenway Park Wednesday night.
The Giants jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first three innings, a surge that was spearheaded by Stephen Vogt’s two-run homer in the first inning that sailed over the short wall in right field.
In the sixth and seventh, the Red sox mounted a comeback and cut the lead in half. However, the Giants used the next two innings to blow the game wide open.
They got a pair of runs in the eighth and then erupted for a five-run ninth, during which Mike Yastrzemski, who got a standing ovation from the Boston faithful in his first game at Fenway Park Tuesday night, singled in a run to start the burst.
Vogt had four RBI on Wednesday for the Giants, while Mauricio Dubon knocked in a pair of runs himself, courtesy of a two-run single in the ninth.
Meanwhile, Jeff Samardzija had a solid outing, giving up only a run on two hits, walking only one and striking out a pair of batters, lowering his ERA to 3.64. His Red Sox counterpart, Jhoulys Chacin, however, was not so fortunate. He was chased from the game after only 2 2/3 innings after surrendering four runs on five hits.
The San Jose Sharks played their second preseason game in as many days as they took on the Calgary Flames after traveling Wednesday.
The Flames played their third match in three days thanks to a traveling doubleheader.
None of that mattered though as both teams combined for 10 goals and their most goals apiece of the preseason, even though their previous contests were multi-goal games as well.
20 different players had their first preseason points. The Sharks’ Manuel Wiederer had two goals, Calgary’s Dillon Dube had his second goal in as many games and an assist, San Jose’s Ivan Chekhovich had a goal and an assist, the Sharks’ Jayden Halbgewachs and Tony Sund had two assists and the Flames’ Tobias Rieder had his second assist in as many games.
All the first period action happened in the opening half.
San Jose went first with Lean Bergmann scoring solo at 4:01.
Sean Monahan tied the contest up at 7:06 and teammate Alan Quine followed with a close-up goal that went between Antoine Bibeau’s knees at 8:32.
The Sharks had a 3-on-1 in the waning seconds of the first but the net went off its moorings.
Both teams went on a scoring exhibition in the second.
At first, it started off the same way as the first with both teams combining for three goals before the 10-minute mark in the same order.
The puck touched the tape of several players, but San Jose used a faceoff win and a tip to tie up the game a second time. Chekhovich scored at 6:44.
Adam Ruzicka gave Calgary back the 3-2 lead at 8:51, as he took the pass from Martin Pospisil at the boards and at 9:21, Derek Ryan’s pass turned into a scoring shot as the puck hopped off the Sharks’ Tomas Hertl’s stick in between.
Then the teams started trading off goals in the closing part of the period.
Sund took the hard shot and Wiederer shoved it in at 11:39.
Dube used handy stickwork to re-establish a two-goal lead at 13:35.
Wiederer moved around his defender at 17:54 to make sure his team did not end the period worse than it started.
Rieder started off the third with a clang in the form of a crossbar shot.
He also drew another penalty from Mario Ferraro around the same time as the second period, at 1:11.
The Flames had their only power play at 8:48.
Up Next: San Jose will host the Vegas Golden Knights Saturday at 5 pm.
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