Month: July 2020

Aces bounce back with blowout win over Atlanta, 100-70

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14027670_web1_WEB-Aces-July2920

Photo credit: Phelan M. Ebenhack (Associated Press)

By Shawn McCullough

A superstar is emerging in the WNBA.

Forward A’ja Wilson dropped 21 points and pulled down 11 rebounds as the Las Vegas Aces rolled over the Atlanta Dream, 100-70.

“She makes other players better,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer of Wilson.  “She is really coming into her own right now and she knows that this is her time to help lead this ball club.”

Wilson has scored over 20 points in her first two games of the season, scoring 22 points against Chicago on Sunday.

“I embrace it,” said Wilson on being the team leader.  “I don’t see it as pressure and I am taking it all in stride and having fun with it.”

Dearica Hamby came off the bench and scored 20 points, while Angel McCoughtry dropped 12 against her former team of 10 years.

“It was different,” said McCoughtry.  “It was a little weird after being on that team for so long, but I am where I belong with the Aces.”

With the win, the Aces improved to 1-1 heading into their next game on Friday against the 0-2 Phoenix Mercury.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

  • After shooting 0-5 from 3 point range on Sunday against Chicago, the Aces went 6 for 9 from beyond the arc tonight.
  • Las Vegas dominated on the boards, out-rebounding Atlanta 47-25.
  • A’ja Wilson registered a double-double in back to back games.

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 35 Angel McCoughtry
C – 4 Carolyn Swords
G – 15 Lindsey Allen
G – 21 Kayla McBride

San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Quakes roll to quarterfinals this Saturday with a perfect 3-0-1 record

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The San Jose Earthquakes Carlos Fierro has a lot to be happy about as he’s been a big offensive contributor in the MLS is Back Tournament as the Quakes defeated Real Salt Lake in a come back match on Monday night in Orlando (@SJEarthquakes photo)

On the San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Marko:

#1 The San Jose Earthquakes once again played another come back from behind contest at the MLS is Back tournament scoring four goals in the second half to turn it around on Real Salt Lake for a three goal 5-2 win last Monday in Orlando.

#2 Marko talk about the point you had brought up in your column on Monday night San Jose had five different players tally either a goal or an assist and two players that recorded both a goal and an assist.

#3 The Earthquakes have now scored 11 goals in their last three matches of the MLS is Back Tournament, including at least four in two of the last three games.

#4 San Jose controlled the majority of play in the first half. They won the possession battle 66%-34% against Real Salt Lake.

#5 Marko talk about the upcoming game against  Minnesota FC the Quakes have this Saturday Aug 1st as they head to the quarterfinals.

Join Marko as he takes you through the excitement of San Jose Earthquakes soccer from ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando.

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: There is No Social Distancing in Football

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(lineups.com image) The Houston Texans are scheduled to open the season against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday September 10th

There is No Social Distancing in Football

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

In football the purpose is to move the ball towards the opposition’s end zone ultimately into their end zone to score a touchdown. This is achieved by 1-Running with the ball until you are tacked. 2-Throwing the ball down field to score. And of course, there is a field goal kicker. That is the NFL-type of football we know.

Even when you play “touch football” in a park with friends, we still make contact with each other, that is why we call it “touch football’. Football is antithetical to baseball, where one team on the field is well separated by bases 90 feet apart, and even more of a distance among the three outfielders.

The catcher, the hitter and the umpire are the ones that are closer to each other during most of the game. But, how can you have social distancing in football, when the core of the sport is a brutal confrontation with the purpose of hitting your opponent hard until you beat his brains out.

The NFL is planning to have their season. If it all goes well as the NFL hopes, their season opener will have the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Houston Texans in their season opener Thursday, September 10. To be followed by a complete 17-week season, then playoffs and eventually Super Bowl 55 in Tampa on February 7, 2021. The league also has contingency plans to start the season later, if necessary. Just like in baseball, although for different reasons, in the case of baseball a labor disagreement between owners and players, the NFL seems to be committed to play a full 2020–21 season.

For the NFL their biggest opponent this season is #19, Covid-19 to be exact. Controversy has followed the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell is not a very popular man. Goodell is like “Captain Obvious” he said (quote) “The NFL in 2020 will not look like other years”.

Special helmets. Sports manufacturing Oakley, who already build face shields for the players have send some NFL teams their new helmets equipped with a Mouth Shield they hope will protect players from Covid-19 for their approval. The biggest challenge for the league is probably not on the playing field, but in the traveling, hotels and especially when players have some free time available.

My favorite quote about football. “Football has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealously, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence: in other words it is war minus the shooting”

-George Orwell.

Stay well and stay tuned.

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

NHL Stanley Cup Qualifiers podcast with Joe Lami: Rangers and Canes could be a deadlock match up; Hawks and Oilers on Edmonton ice; plus more

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On the NHL Stanley Cup Qualifiers podcast with Joe Lami:

#1 Joe were going to name off each game per question in the NHL qualifiers and just go ahead and give us your analysis of each match up all games are on Sat Aug 1st the first match up is the Carolina Hurricanes (38-25-5) and the New York Rangers (37-28-5).

#2 The next match up are the Chicago Blackhawks (32-30-8) and the Edmonton Oilers (37-25-9).

#3 The third match up the Florida Panthers (35-26-8) and the New York Islanders (35-23-10)

#4 The fourth match up the Montreal Canadiens (31-31-9) vs Pittsburgh Penguins (40-23-6)

#5 And for our fifth and final match up for this Saturday’s qualifiers the Winnipeg Jets (37-28-6) and the Calgary Flames (36-27-7).

Joe takes a look at the Stanley Cup post season each Wednesday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Broadcasting Road Games from Home

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(@JessieSanchezMLB file photo 2012)  Oakland A’s Spanish broadcaster and author of That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary Amaury Pi Gonzalez (left) and Manolo Hernandez Douen bring you live A’s action from the Oakland Coliseum on 1010 KIQI San Francisco

Broadcasting Road Games from Home

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–This season the major league teams will not travel, all 30 of them. The road games will be broadcasted from the city where the visiting team resides, i.e. if the A’s are playing in Seattle, the A’s radio and television announcers are calling the game from Oakland. It could be from the park, or from the radio or television studios. Maybe a new experience for some of my younger colleagues.

Through the years I have done many games from home when my team was on the road. Sometimes at the baseball park inside the booth where the home games are done, many other times, (years ago) from the main radio studios.

Nowadays, it is probably easier, because of social media, you can have the lineups and all the stats you need to call a game in the palm of your hands on your smart-phone. But that was not the case before social media.

I remember if the team was away and I was at home (and I do not mean my house) but the park where my team played or at the radio station of my team. I would have to call the city where the team was playing and talk to a team media-relations person who would dictate to me the lineups, and some of the information I needed. Later when FAX machines ‘came about’, it became easier for me, since I would call the media person and request he/she fax me the game’s lineups as well as the team notes.

Imagine yourself sitting in front of your television, with a microphone that goes directly to the radio and it is live. This is what announcers do when they are “recreating” from the studio when they are not traveling with a team.

Here is a memory from years ago….a broadcast of the Oakland A’s from the Oakland Coliseum when the club was playing the Tampa Bay Rays in Florida. I remember that there was a delay during that game, due to a lighting strike that hit Tropicana Field. The lights went out. I was doing the game from our regular broadcast booth at the Oakland Coliseum. The television went black, my partner and I keep talking baseball explaining to the radio audience what had happened.

It was a coincidence that during that game Carl Stewart from the Bay Area News Group was writing a story about our production, and he was in awe as Manolo Hernández-Douen and yours truly, who kept talking baseball during blackout in Tampa. Many minutes later, the game was back on our screen and we continued the regular play by play and commentary coverage of the game.

Today, when the Athletics are at home and the game is on local television, you can go to the SAP channel and watch the game while you listen to our broadcast in Spanish. Today we have all the technology, but I understand what my colleagues, who used to travel all the time, will be going through, by calling these road games from the city where the team is from a television screen. It is not easy, even for the most experienced broadcasters, because there is nothing, like calling the game where the game is taking place, in the same stadium, the normal way.

Stay well and stay tuned.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the radio play by play Spanish voice for Oakland A’s baseball on 1010 KIQI San Francisco and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Rockies’ pitchers keep A’s bats quiet 5-1; A’s swept in two-game series

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Rocked out: The Colorado Rockies form a congratulatory conga line after taking the two game set from the Oakland A’s at the Oakland Coliseum on Wednesday afternoon (sfgate.com photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland-The Colorado Rockies’ pitcher held the A’s to just five hits to win 5-1 and sweep the short two-game series. Matt Chapman had the A’s only extra-base hit as he hit a solo dinger in the first inning. The A’s managed just four hits in the next eight innings.

As mentioned above, the A’s grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the first when Chapman took Rockies’ starter, German Marquez, deep. The Rockies tied the game in the top of the second. A’s starter, Frankie Montas, walked Daniel Murphy, gave up a single to Ryan McMahon, and walked Garrett Hampson to load the bases. Tony Walters singled off the right-field wall to drive in Murphy. Montas retired the next two hitters to get out of the jam.

The Rockies added a run in the fourth. McMahon and Sam Hilliard singled to put men on at first and third with no out. Garrett Hanson drove in McMahon with a sacrifice fly to left. Wolters hit into a double play to end the inning.

In the bottom of the fourth, the A’s had men on at second and third with two out. Stephen Piscotty hit a sharp ground ball to the third baseman, Nolan Arenado. All Arenado had to do was throw to first, and the inning would be over.

Arenado, a seven-time Gold Glove winner, made a rare mental error. Instead of throwing to first, he threw home to get Matt Olson at the plate. The play was close. The umpire called Olson out. The A’s asked for a review. The replay showed that Olson appeared to have reached home safely. However, the call was upheld, and the inning ended with the Rockies still leading 2-1.

The Rockies added a run in the eighth. Rockies’ shortstop singled and then scored on Charlie Blackmon’s double into the left-field corner. The A’s had an opportunity to put some runs on the board in their half of the frame.

Marcus Semien led off with a single. Rockies’ reliever, Jairo Diaz, walked Ramon Laureano. Diaz retired Chapman and Olson. He hit Mark Canha with a pitch to load the bases. The next hitter, Robbie Grossman, who had a single and a double, struck out to end the threat.

The Rockies scored two unearned runs in the ninth to make it a 5-1 game. The A’s went down 1-2-3, and the game ended.

Game Notes- With the loss, the A’s are now 3-3 for the year. The Rockies improved to 4-1. German Marquez was the winner, and the loss went to Frankie Montas. Montas was the first A’s pitcher to go at least five innings this year. He allowed two runs and five hits in his five innings of work. He threw 77 pitches. Jesus Luzardo replaced him to start the sixth inning. The young leftie went three and 2/3rds innings. He gave up four hits and three runs. Only one run was earned. He threw 67 pitches.

The A’s managed just five hits. The big blow was Chappie’s dinger in the first. Robbie Grossman had a single and a double. The A’s were o-for- 14 with men in scoring position. The A’s need to get their offense going. They are off on Thursday. They travel to Seattle for a four-game series with the Mariners beginning Friday night.

Rockies pound out 13 hits to down A’s 8-3

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Colorado Rockies’ Nolan Arenado, left, scores against Oakland Athletics catcher Austin Allen in the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 28, 2020, in Oakland, Calif. (AP photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

 The visiting Colorado Rockies pounded out 13 hits to defeat the A’s 8-3. The Rockies’ manager, Bud Black, loaded his lineup with seven left-handed hitters. The A’s starter, Daniel Mengden, had trouble last year with the lefties. The lefties hit over .300 against him. Mengden went just four innings. He threw 87 pitches and allowed five hits and three runs.

The Rockies put the first run of the game on the board in the top of the third. With one out, Trevor Story singled. Charlie Blackmon followed with a single to send Story to third. Nolan Arenado hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Story.

The A’s tied the game in their half of the third. With one out, Ramon Laureano singled. Rockies’ starter Anthony Senzatela walked Matt Chapman and Matt Olson to load the bases. Mark Canha hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Laureano with the tying run. Khris Davis struck out to end the inning.

In the fourth, the Rockies scored twice to take the lead 3-1. Designated hitter Ramiel Tapia singled with one out. Left-fielder Sam Hilliard hit a hanging curve into the seats in rightfield.

Jordan Weems made his Major League and A’s debut when he took the mound to start the fifth. He struck out the first hitter, Trevor Story, that he faced. Things did not go well for him after that. He gave up four straight singles and a sacrifice fly.

The Rockies own a 5-1 lead. The A’s got one back in the bottom of the fifth inning. Laureano singled. Matt Olson singled to send him to third. Laureano scored on Nolan Arenado’s error to make it a 5-2 game.

The Rockies plated three more in the eighth to put the game out of reach. A’s reliever Lou Trivino did not have a good outing. Hoping to regain the magic he had in 2018, Trivino allowed three runs, a walk, and three hits. The A’s plated their third run of the night in the bottom half of the eighth. The A’s lose 8-3.

Game Notes- With the loss, the A’s are now 3-2 for the season. The Rockies improved to 3-1. The winning pitcher was Anthony Senzatela. He threw 40 pitches in the first inning, but settled down and finished five innings of work. Tyler Kinley, Daniel Bard, and Carlos Estevez ended the game for the Rockies. The story of the night was Daniel Bard. Bard had not pitched in the Majors since 2013.

He left due to a severe case of the “yips.” Baseball is a mental game. He had lost his confidence and couldn’t get his pitches over the plate. He regained his confidence and pitched and allowed just one run in two innings of work Tuesday night.

The A’s designated hitter, Khris Davis, had opportunities to do some damage but failed. Davis has not had a hit so far this year. The fans know that he is a streaky hitter. Tonight would have been an excellent time to get it going. He left nine men stranded. In the first inning with the bases loaded, he popped out. In the third with two men on, he struck out. In the fifth with two men on, he hit into an inning-ending double play. In the eighth, with a man on third, he struck out.

The teams meet again to complete the short two-game series. Frankie Montas goes for Oakland, and German Marquez will take the hill for Colorado.

Tatis, Jr., and Myers go deep in Padres 5-3 win

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Fernando Tatis Jr (23) of the San Diego Padres hits a three run bomb in the top of the third inning as San Francisco Giants catcher Tyler Heineman (43) watches the flight of the ball on Tuesday Jul 28th at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-In what will most likely be the norm in this shortened 60-game season, the starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants did not last four innings.

Jeff Samardzija went four innings, allowing five runs on four hits, walking one and striking out two; however, the two mistake pitches were long home runs and the San Diego Padres defeated the Giants 5-3 spoiling the 2020 home opener.

“We didn’t have the game we wanted tonight,” said Samardzija.

Fernando Tatis, Jr., launched an opposite three-run home run onto the arcade in right field that gave the Padres the lead for good in the top of the third inning.

“He’s an impressive hitter,” said Samardzjia.

The Tatis, Jr., home run after Samardzija gave up a leadoff hit to Wil Myers that nearly was a fantastic diving catch by Jaylin Davis in right field; however, Padres manager Jayce Tingler challenged the call and after a brief 42 second review, Myers was on first base with a single.

Following a Francisco Mejia walk, and after Josh Naylor popped out for the first out of the inning, Tatis, Jr., hit his first home run of the season.

Myers, who loves hitting at Oracle Park, became the first player to hit a home into the new Giants bullpen over the left-center wall that increased the Padres up to 5-1 in the top of the fourth inning. Eric Hosmer scored just in front of Myers, as he singled with one out to center field.

“Wil Myers has tremendous power to all parts of the ballpark,” said Giants manager Gabe Kapler.

The Giants got on the board in the bottom of the first inning, as Yastrzemski singled to right field to lead-off the inning and went to second on a Pablo Sandoval ground out to Padres starter Zach Davies. Wilmer Flores then singled to left field, and when Tommy Pham could not field the ball for an error, Flores went to second and Yastrzemski scored from second.

Davies went five innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits, did not walk a batter and struck out five to pick up his first win of the season.

Conor Menez continues to impress early on this season, as he went three innings, striking out three and nothing else.

The Giants attempted to get back in the game in the bottom of the sixth inning, as they scored two runs, when Flores hit into a force play that allowed Mauricio Dubon to score and then Tyler Heineman singled to centerfield to score Yastrzemski.

Former Giants pitcher Drew Pomeranz struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth inning to pick-up his first save of the 2020 season.

NOTES: Chadwick Tromp was selected to the Major League roster, and to make room for Tromp, Rob Brantly was designated for assignment.

In this, the 21st season of Oracle Park, the Giants are now 14-7 in home openers since the opening of the ballpark on April 11, 2000.

UP NEXT: Johnny Cueto will make his second start of the season for the Giants, while Chris Paddack will look for his second straight win to open the season for the Padres.

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason: Reds reported outbreak has Tigers concerned; Will individual teams decide to shut it down?; plus more

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Cincinnati Reds second baseman Mike Moustakas throws a runner out in the fourth inning of Fri Jul 24th’s game against the Detroit Tigers at Citizens Bank Ball Park. Moustakas reportedly is sick no confirmation if he is positive with Covid-19 (USA Today photo)

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Cincinnati Reds third baseman Mike Moustakas has reportedly come up sick  and after the breaking story on Monday morning regarding the Miami Marlins having at least 17 players and two coaches that came down with Covid-19 will this outbreak force MLB to shut down the season?

#2 How irresponsible will it be if MLB was to continue playing on after all these reports of new outbreaks.

#3  The Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend hosted the Marlins and now are very concerned about playing on and the New York Yankees worried are in Philadelphia as they take on the Phillies a series which was schedule to start on Monday night.

#4 Detroit Tigers manager Rob Gardenhire says he’s become nervous about the Reds situation since the Tigers are in the same division as the Reds and have to face them with Moustakas out and now Reds outfielder Nick Senzel sick, Gardenhire says he knew it was going to happen sooner or later.

#5 Although the idea of shutting down the season would be a practical one from the stand point of safety do you see MLB teams independently deciding for the common good just like two MLS teams did in soccer by just shutting it down.

Barbara Mason does Headline Sports podcasting each Tuesday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: How much of the blame will MLB Commish Manfred take on crisis?; plus more

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Washington Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle was one of the first players to speak out against the idea of playing a season in a pandemic and in the last 24 hours MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has been catching a lot of the blame (photo from Yahoo!)

On That’s Amaury’s Podcast:

#1 MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is in a real spot here he pushed for baseball to go ahead with this 60 game schedule and players like the Washington Nationals Sean Doolittle and the Cincinnati Reds Trevor Bauer said they should just shelve this season and now MLB has a huge outbreak of Covid.

#2 The Miami Marlins have half their team out positive with Coronavirus held up in a hotel room in Philadelphia quarantined and two MLB games were canceled that pretty much has other clubs in fear and also pretty much puts the season in danger of being canceled.

#3 The Detroit Tigers manager Rob Gardenhire said that he’s nervous to play the Cincinnati Reds since second baseman Mike Moustakas and Reds outfielder Nick Senzel are reported to being sick while a unnamed teammate has tested positive for Covid 19.

#4 Amaury from the famous Utah Jazz Rudy Gobert incident when he rubbed his hands all over the microphones and laughing about the Covid threat later got Corona now fast forward to baseball some of the players, talk show hosts and those who work in the game say this should have never launched from day one.

#5 Amaury do you think the NHL and the NBA got it right and have a bubble in Orlando for the NBA and in Canada for the NHL will the NFL be next because of the nature of the game being a sweat swapping contact sport?

Join Amaury is the Oakland A’s Spanish announcer on 1010 KIQI San Francisco and join Amaury each Tuesday for That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com