Month: June 2024

1974 world champs honored, and Pablo Lopez dominates A’s on bittersweet day at the Coliseum, as Twins take series with 3-0 win

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Minnesota Twins pitcher Pablo Lopez throws to the Oakland A’s line up in the bottom of fifth at the Oakland Coliseum on Sun June 23, 2024 (AP News photo)

Thursday, June 20, 2024

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

Oakland, California

Minnesota Twins 3 (43-35)

Oakland Athletics 0 (29-51)

Win: Pablo Lopez (7-6)

Loss: Hogan Harris (1-1)

Save: Griffin Jax (7)

Time: 2:11

Attendance: 18,491

By Stephen Ruderman

OAKLAND–Pablo Lopez pitched eight shutout innings, and Byron Buxton hit a home run and knocked in two runs, as the Minnesota Twins shut out the A’s 3-0 to take the series.

The A’s scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to pull off an exciting win over the Twins in the series opener Friday night, and the Twins turned around and spanked the A’s a seven-run second inning en route to a 10-2 win yesterday. Sunday, the A’s looked to bounce back and win the series on another beautiful day for baseball at the Coliseum.

Before the game, the A’s honored the 1974 world championship team that won the franchise’s third-straight title in a bittersweet ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of that season. 1974 was just the A’s seventh season in Oakland, and it was truly the golden era of Oakland A’s Baseball.

Despite the inner turmoil the A’s frequently had in their clubhouse, they pulled off back-to-back world championships in 1972 and 1973. Still, even with the two titles, the A’s flamboyant autocratic owner, Charlie O. Finley fired Manager Dick Williams and replaced him with Alvin Dark.

Finley was also at the center of a fashion revolution in baseball. The A’s teams of the early 1970s often wore Kelly green and gold jerseys over white pants with an elastic waistband. Those uniforms were commonplace in Baseball in those days, and Finley was one of the pioneers.

Finley also paid players to grow mustaches. That’s why Rollie Fingers originally grew his famous mustache. Fingers didn’t do it for the style; he did it for the $300 bonus that Charlie O gave him for it.

Former players, Fingers, Dave Hamilton, Darold Knowles, Gene Tenace, Blue Moon Odom, Burt Campaneris, Dick Green, Ted Kubiak, Bill North, Joe Rudi and Herb Washington were on the field for a ceremony that brought 18,491 fans to the Coliseum, which was the largest attendance for an A’s home game this season.

The ceremony brought bittersweet nostalgia for a large and dedicated A’s fan base that is most likely going to lose their team at the end of this season.

Back to 2024. Hogan Harris made the start for Oakland this afternoon, and while he worked his way out of trouble in the top of the first first inning, Byron Buxton got to him for a home run to left-center field in the top of the second.

Pablo Lopez, who came into today’s game 6-6 with an ERA of 5.63 made the start for Minnesota. Plain and simply, he’s having a bad season.

Sunday afternoon, however, was a completely different story. Lopez took a perfect game into the sixth inning, setting down the first 17 men he faced. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Lawrence Butler finally got the A’s in the hit column with a soft line-drive into right field for a base-hit.

As for Harris, he was solid Sunday afternoon. Harris had given up just a run through his first six innings, and he was back out for the top of the seventh. However, Carlos Santana and Will Castro singled to put runners at the corners for Minnesota with nobody out.

Buxton, who homered in the second, doubled to center to make it 2-0, and that did it for Harris. Mark Kotsay summoned Austin Adams, and Castro scored when Buxton was thrown out at third base on a fielder’s choice.

When all said and done, Harris ended up giving up three runs and five hits over six-plus innings.

“The focus for Hogan is throw it in the zone,” said Kotsay. “[He’s] got good life to the heater, [and] you can see a slider that he’s developed here [at] the big league level, which is going to be a solid pitch for him. I think today during the seventh, maybe he could have thrown that slow breaking ball that he got [Carlos] Correa with a little earlier in the game.

Bouncing a couple more breaking balls might have helped him get some outs deeper into the game. Overall the strides he’s made, that’s what we’re talking about for these. We want to see this incremental growth. The success he’s having—maybe not wins [and] losses for him right now—will translate to wins [and] losses if he continues to make these steps in the right direction.”

As for Lopez, he ended up going eight shutout innings, and not only did he only give up just two hits, he struck out 14.

Lucas Erceg struck out two in a 1-2-3 top of the eighth for Oakland, and lefty Scott Alexander pitched a scoreless inning in the top of the ninth.

Lopez ended up throwing 102 pitches, so Twins Manager Rocco Baldelli opted for Griffin Jax in the bottom of the ninth, and Jax pitched a scoreless inning to close it out.

Lopez gets the win; Harris takes the loss; and Jax picks up the save. The A’s fall to 29-51, but they were able to go 3-3 against two strong teams in the Kansas City Royals and the Twins, and they started off this homestand by winning two-straight for the first time since the beginning of May.

“Obviously, we would [have] love[d] a winning homestand,” said Kotsay. “To have a chance over the last two days is where we wanted to put ourselves, but we ran into a couple buzzsaws against some good starting pitching. Overall, I would say we played good baseball.”

Now, the A’s are going back on the road, but they won’t have to go that far for a six-game swing through Anaheim and Phoenix, Arizona. They will have three against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim Monday through Wednesday, followed by a day off Thursday and three against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix Friday through Sunday.

Funny thing: With the new balanced schedule, teams only play the other teams in their division 13 games a year, and the A’s will play all 13 of their games against the Angels this season over the next five weeks.

Anyway, Luis Medina (1-2, 4.71 ERA) will make the start for Oakland at the Big A Monday night, and he will be opposed by right-hander Griffin Canning (2-8, 5.02 ERA). First pitch at Angel Stadium will be at 6:38 p.m PT.

A’s News and Notes:

J.D. Davis, whom the A’s designated for assignment on Tuesday, was traded along with cash considerations to the New York Yankees this morning for infielder Jordan Groshans.

Davis has had a bit of an adventure this season. He came into Spring Training as a member of the San Francisco Giants following an arbitration battle with them. Then they released him, and he ended up with the A’s after that.

Sonny Gray stymies Giants, who lose fifth-straight 5-3 and get swept in St. Louis

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

St Louis starter Sonny Gray pitches into the seventh inning against the San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium in St Louis on Sun Jun 26, 2024 (AP News photo)

Sunday, June 22, 2024

Busch Stadium

St. Louis, Missouri

San Francisco Giants 3 (36-42)

St. Louis Cardinals Cubs 5 (39-37)

Win: Sonny Gray (9-4)

Loss: Logan Webb (6-6)

Save: Ryan Helsley (26)

Time: 2:15

Attendance: 37,492

By Stephen Ruderman

Well, the Cardinals have swept the Giants. After the Giants lost despite a strong offensive performance Saturday, the offense went dead again for the most part Sunday, as Sonny Gray took a perfect game into the seventh inning, and the Cardinals finished off the sweep with a 5-3 win to hand the Giants their fifth-straight loss on another hot and muggy Sunday in St. Louis

Just as the Giants’ offensive has finally come back to life, the starting pitching, which has been mostly reliable this season, has now started to struggle. The normally-reliable Jordan Hicks got rocked for five runs over four innings Saturday, and the Giants would need a better outing from their ace, Logan Webb, this afternoon.

Opposing Webb and the Giants for St. Louis was longtime veteran right-hander Sonny Gray. Gray, who is in his 12th season in the big leagues, is having a really good season. Gray came into Sunday 8-4 with a 2.95 ERA, and the Giants would have their hands full against him Sunday.

Gray promptly pitched a 1-2-3 top of the first inning, but Webb would have the opposite luck in the bottom of the first. In fact, it took Webb only three pitches to give up his first run. Masyn Winn doubled to lead off the inning, and on the very next pitch, Alec Burleson, who went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs Saturday, singled the other way to left field to knock in Winn.

For the Cardinals, they were just getting started. Burelson stole second base, and got to third on a fly out by Nolan Gorman for the second out of the inning. Brendan Donovan, who also homered Saturday, knocked in Burleson with a ground-rule down the left field line, and Matt Carpenter plated Burleson with a base-hit to right.

The Cardinals already had a 3-0 lead as the game went to the second, and Gray was literally unhittable. Gray threw another 1-2-3 inning in the top of the second, and the Cardinals scored another run in the bottom of the second, as Pedro Pages singled, stole second and scored on a base-hit by Burleson.

So, it was now 4-0 Cardinals going to the third, and Gray was in complete control. In fact, he was perfect through six innings. Aa for Webb, he finally settled down somewhat with a 1-2-3 bottom of the third, but he had to wiggle his way out of trouble in the fourth and fifth.

Gray retired the first two men he faced in the top of the seventh to make it 20 up 20 down, but Patrick Bailey finally broke up the perfecto with a two-out home run to right. Jorge Soler struck out swinging to end the inning and the day for Gray, but Gray had a remarkable outing.

Seven innings, a hit, a run, just one base-runner and eight strikeouts, even with the Giants’ struggling offense, not bad.

Webb was also done. He gave up four runs and nine hits over six innings, but he did strike out 80, and he really hung in there after he was on the ropes early in the game.

Randy Rodriguez pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh, and the Giants’ offense would finally wake up against lefty Jojo Romero in the top of the eighth. Matt Chapman and Thairo Estrada both walked, and with one out, Cardinals Manager Oliver Marmol pulled Romero for Andrew Kittredge.

Wilmer Flores hit a ground-rule double down the left field line to make it 4-2, and Austin Slater knocked Estrada in with a sacrifice fly to right. Suddenly, it was a one-run game, and the Giants had the tying run at second. Brett Wisely walked, but Flores was tagged out trying to advance to third on a ground ball to end the inning.

The Giants were unable to tie the game, but their propensity from the end of May to come back late has certainly returned over the last week. All they would need is a quick bottom of the eighth.

At first, it seemed that they would get it. Left-hander Taylor Rogers retired the first two men he faced, but Dylan Carlson doubled to right-center, and Brandon Crawford, the greatest shortstop in Giants History, put the hurt on his lifelong team with a double to right to make it 5-3. Taylor’s brother, Tyler Rogers, then came in to keep the deficit at two.

Cardinals’ closer Ryan Helsley, who came into Sunday with 25 saves in the Cardinals’ first 75 games, was summoned for the top of the ninth. Unfortunately, the comeback energy the Giants had in the top of the eighth was gone, and Helsley pitched a 1-2-3 top of the ninth to end it.

Sonny Gray got the win; Logan Webb took the loss; and Ryan Helsley picked up his 26th save of the season. The Giants have also now lost five in a row, and they have tied their season-high six games under .500, as they fall to 36-42.

The Giants now return to San Francisco for four games against the Cubs, and three over the weekend against the Dodgers. Their four-game series against the Cubs will begin at the Giants’ friendly confines of Oracle Park Monday night, though neither team has announced their pitcher. First pitch will be at 6:45 p.m.

Giants News and Notes:

There is some good news. A trio of Giants will be rehabbing Sunday in the River Cats’ game against the Round Rock Express.

LaMonte Wade Jr. will be playing Sunday; Blake Snell will be making the start; and Robbie will pitch three innings.

Getting those three back healthy as the All-Star Break nears, especially Wade, who was hitting .333 before he went down on Memorial, will provide a tremendous shot in the arm both on the field and in the clubhouse to a Giants team in desperate need of a morale boost.

Final Thoughts:

Giants fans probably disagree with me, but this is a fairly-decent team. However, next week could very well be make or break this season, and time is running out.

The offense has struggled mildly all season, and now the Giants are six games under .500. After the series against the Cubs, the Giants will have three games against the Dodgers, followed by a six-game road trip through Atlanta and Cleveland against two very very strong teams in the Braves and Guardians.

That means the Giants have to win at least three of four from the Cubs. If they don’t, they could easily find themselves anywhere between nine to 13 games under .500 when they leave Cleveland on July 7, and the season will essentially be over.

The one thing that could keep them in contention in the second half is the fact that the National League is absolutely putrid this season, and almost the entire league could be competing for the second and third wild card spots.

They also should be getting Wade, Snell and Ray back soon. They will have some help, but they need to turn things around fast, or else there is a very good chance that their season will be over in the next couple of weeks.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Stephen Ruderman: Giants get roughed up in 3 games with Red Birds

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

St Louis Cardinals Brendon Donavon has been part of the wrecking crew against San Francisco Giants pitching. Donavon (right) is congratulated by teammate Matt Carpenter (13) after hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning in the second game of their three game meetings this one on Sat June 22, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the SF Giants podcast with Stephen:

#1 The San Francisco Giants started this three game series in Birmingham on Thursday for the Negro League/Willie Mays tribute at Rickwood Field in Birmingham. The St Louis Cardinals got a jump on the Giants with three runs in first inning and another two runs in the bottom of the second and Giants starter Keaton Winn pitched 2.2 innings, giving up five hits and five earned runs. The Giants wound up losing the first of three meetings 6-5.

#2 The Giants were playing the Rickwood game on the heels of the passing of legend and all time baseball great Willie Mays who had passed away two days before the Tribute game in Birmingham.

#3 The Giants and Cardinals continued this series this time after a day off on Friday at Busch Stadium on Saturday. The Giants got off to a great start scoring three runs in the top of the first innings off Cardinals starter Mile Mikolas. The Giants offensively wouldn’t make much noise for the rest of the game as the Cards would score runs two in the first, three in the fourth, two in each of the sixth and seventh innings resulting in a 9-4 loss.

#4 Jordan Hicks who started Saturday’s game is familiar with the Cardinals line up having played in St Louis previously just couldn’t figure them out going four innings, six hits, five runs, three walks and one strike out. Tough loss for Hicks who had some pretty good outings this season.

#5 If have to look back on this series with the Cardinals despite the tough loses the Giants took the most memorable thing was the Rickwood game where the discussion of the history of the Negro Leagues and the memories of Willie Mays was the main topic.

Stephen Ruderman is a podcast contributor and is a MLB beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

#1

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O: WNBA’s Clark and Reese pack the house; Oilers can make Stanley Cup Finals history; plus more news

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese (left), Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark (center), and the Los Angeles Sparks Cameron Brink (right) during the WNBA draft on Mon Apr 15, 2024. Reese and Clark have been big draws for the WNBA and Brink is out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. (AP file photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Charlie, this has been the year of the rookie in the WNBA and the league has never seen such coverage of their players starting with the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese who both have everyone even those who don’t follow the league that closely talking.

#2 The NHL Stanley Cup Finals could see it’s first team since the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs come back down 0-3 and win it with four straight win if the Edmonton Oilers can pull it off on Monday night in Florida in game 7 against the Florida Panthers. The task would not only be historic but it’s a tall order if the Oilers can pull it off on Panthers ice.

#3 Charlie, the FBI raid on Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao is just an added sad chapter to what is happening to Oakland as a city. Thao’s last interaction with the relocating Oakland A’s who leave after this season for Sacramento was when she and the Oakland Coliseum Joint Authority wanted $92 million for the A’s to play their remaining three years before they move to Las Vegas and Thao and the Coliseum ran the A’s away with the high rent ticket. When it rains it pours for the A’s and City of Oakland situation.

#4 Their known as the lovable losers the Chicago Cubs who had some success are back on hard times dead last in the National League East eight games back, four games below .500, the Cubs have lost six of their last ten games and open a four game series in San Francisco on Monday night. How has the Cubs demise surprised you?

#5 Three time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer will make his 2024 debut for the Texas Rangers today against the Kansas City Royals. Scherzer hasn’t pitched in a game since game 3 of last year’s World Series. In the off season he had to have lower back surgery, in rehab he had thumb soreness which doctors determined it was nerve issues that extended into his right triceps.

Join Charlie O for Headline Sports podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Tess Boade gets critical goal as Bay FC defeats Angel City 1-0 at Pay Pal

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Angel City FC goalkeeper DiDi Haracic (13) makes a save against Bay FC during the second half at PayPal Park in San Jose Sat June 22, 2024. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

By William Espy

SAN JOSE–Bay FC hosted Angel City FC on Saturday night. Bay’s first-ever victory came against their California rivals in their first game earlier this season, so Angel City looked to avenge that loss at PayPal Park. Following their last outing against the Utah Royals FC, Bay head coach Albertin Montoya made quite a few changes to his starting eleven for this match as he looks to spark his team. Bay FC’s Tess Boade scored the game’s only goal in the 33rd minute for a 1-0 tally.

Bay FC Starting XI: Rowland, King, Menges, Beattie, Malonson, Bailey, Pickett, Kundananji, Oshoala, Castellanos, Boade

Angel City starting XI: Haracic, Vignola, Gorden, Reid, Spencer, Rodriguez, Nabet, Thompson, Emslie, Le Bihan, Leroux

The first half went Bay FC’s way in almost every category except for possession. Tess Boade gave them a 1-0 lead in the 33rd minute off of an assist from Emily Menges. But they also led in shots, shots on target and were earning quite a few set piece opportunities, earning six corner kicks in the first half.

They also were creating quite a few opportunities with crosses, although they weren’t all resulting in scoring chances, getting balls in the box will often be beneficial. At the halfway point, they already had 16 crosses while their opposition only had six. Bay has struggled to play with a lead most of the season though, so now the second half was going to make or break their game.

In stoppage time of the first half Jen Beattie picked up a yellow card, which was Bay’s second of the night. As a result, Bay FC had two defenders on a yellow heading into a key point in the match, as Savy King had picked one up earlier. They needed to be cautious to avoid picking up a red card and spending the rest of the match down a player.

Angel City started the substitutions for the night in the 62nd minute with Hammond, Fuller and Thompson entering the match for Nabet, Vignola, and Le Bihan. Four minutes later, Bay made three of their own bringing on Rachel Hill, Joelle Anderson and Caprice Dydasco for King, Boade, and Deyna Castellanos.

Just a few minutes later, Kayla Sharples would enter the match for Beattie, as Montoya tried to do whatever he could to prevent a late game headache with a red card. In terms of scoring, nothing would change in the second half as Bay FC held on to walk away with their second win against Angel City of the season.

Bay FC has been very clear about their mission to not lose to the same team twice this season, winning against the same team twice is definitely something they’d like to see more often though. This victory also put Bay FC within striking distance of the playoffs as well. They’ve tied Angel City and Louisville in points and only trail North Carolina by a single point. Sixth in the table is undoubtedly within reach for Bay, they just need to string some results together quickly.

They’ll return to action next weekend against Louisville in a very important match, as the winner will move up the standings while the loser can fall down considerably as well. The NWSL is a very tight league, and one result can make a massive difference at this point in the season.

Earthquakes annihilated by LAFC 6-2

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo courtesy of LAFC Twitter.

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)

The Earthquakes looked to pick up their first regular season win since May 11th against their California rivals LAFC.

The starting formation was the same on both sides of the pitch as both teams lined up in a 4-3-3. In goal for San Jose was Jacob Daniel Jackson while for LAFC it was Hugo Lloris.

LAFC’s domination started early in this one as just five minutes into the match Kei Kamara hit the post from the right side of the box.

After ten minutes passed LAFC would strike as Mateusz Bogusz scored a magnificent diving header from the center of the box assisted by Sergi Palencia.

Tacking onto the lead only a little later was Denis Bouanga who easily found himself wide open for a left footed finish from the center of the box.

With the score now 2-0 LAFC only pressed harder and scored yet again this time on a great header from Kamara assisted by Bogusz.

Despite the score the Earthquakes did respond with a flurry of chances but were unable to cash in on four attempts with two of them being on goal.

Right before the half Ryan Hollingshead was fortunate enough to score a lucky one as his shot deflected off an Earthquakes defender and past a helpless Jackson.

The scoring in the first half wasn’t finished as San Jose snuck one in at the third minute mark of stoppage time. The goal came from Antônio Josenildo Rodrigues de Oliveira with the goal being assisted by Cristian Espinoza.

The goal didn’t seem to kill LAFC’s momentum as they would score just three minutes into the second half as once again Bogusz found the score sheet making it 5-1.

San Jose managed to sneak another one past Lloris as the 57 mark as Benjamin Kikanovic headed one in off an assist from Hernán López.

In garbage time LAFC got another one to pad the stat sheet as Tomás Ángel scored assisted from Nathan Ordaz.

With an embarrassing loss tonight the Earthquakes now drop to an abysmal 3-14-2 putting them dead last in the western conference. On the flip side LAFC secures another win moving up to 11-4-4 making them first in the west due to their PPG of 1.95.

San Jose’s next regular season game will be the California Clasico at Stanford Stadium against the LA Galaxy on June 29th at 7:30 p.m.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: A baseball anomaly I do not recall seeing

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Oakland A’s Daz Cameron (28) forearm bashes with Shea Langeliers (23) after Langeliers hit a two run home run against the Minnesota Twins in the bottom of the eighth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Fri Jun 21, 2024 (AP News photo)

A baseball anomaly I do not recall ever seeing

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

OAKLAND– A’s Reliever Sean Newcomb recorded his first win of the year on Friday night with zero batters faced. So, how did he do it?

With the A’s trailing, 5-4, against the Minnesota Twins with two outs in the eighth inning and a man on first, Newcomb entered the game from the bullpen.

After getting to a 1-1 count, the left-hander decided to throw over to first, but the runner got in a rundown.

Eventually, Austin Martin was tagged out, which ended the inning. Statistically speaking, a batter is “faced” if the at-bat itself results in an out, whether it’s the batter or a runner via a fielder’s choice.

However, since Newcomb’s pickoff resulted in the out, no batter was “faced.

Then, in the bottom half of the inning, Shea Langeliers hit a two-run homer off Jhoan Duran to give Oakland a 6-5 lead.

So, with the lead, Oakland brought in their flame-throwing closer Mason Miller, and he recorded the save – thus giving Newcomb the win, despite throwing two pitches.

I do not recall ever seeing this unless my memory is just started to deteriorate.

I think this should be in the TV show Jeopardy.

Listen to Amaury Pi Gonzalez for News and Commentary podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

No Mercy A’s lose in 7 run 2nd inning 10-2 in Twin killing

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Saturday, June 22nd, 2024

By Troy Ewers

The Oakland A’s host the Minnesota Twins on Saturday matinee game. The starting pitchers are Bailey Ober for Minnesota and JP Sears for Oakland. Sears got lit up for nine hits and eight runs as the Twins took out the A’s 10-2.  

The game for the Twins opened up in the top of the first with Ryan Jeffers getting hit by pitch and scoring Manuel Margot, 1-0 Twins. The A’s followed up with JJ Bleday solo homer to even up the score 1-1, but the 2nd inning was where the Twins blew it up. 

Margot hit a three run homer and it was 4-1 Twins. JP Sears seemed visibly rattled after that home run and then gave up a Jose Miranda double to score Lewis and Correa. 6-1 Twins. Byron Buxton would then score Miranda off a double and it initiated a pitching change for the A’s. 7-1 Twins. 

Osvaldo Bido replaced JP Sears, but it didn’t matter in the inning. Kyle Farmer hit an infield single and scored Jeffers for an 8-1 lead in second.Tyler Soderstrom hit a home run to try to get some ground back for Oakland, 8-2.

In the third Miranda doubled and scored Lewis for a 9-2 lead for Minnesota. 

The next score would be in the seventh when Correa doubled to left and scored Margot to make it 10-2 at this point. From here it was a close job for Minnesota. Margot with a three hit game. 

Sunday the A’s face the Twins in the closing game of the series. With Hogan Harris (1-0, 2.37) on the hill for Oakland and Pablo Lopez (6-6, 5.63) on the hill for Minnesota.

Cardinals and heat too much for Hicks, Giants drop fourth-straight in 9-4 loss in St. Louis

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Francisco Giants starter Jordan Hicks delivers against the St Louis Cardinals in the bottom of the first inning at Busch Stadium in St Louis on Sat Jun 22, 2024 (AP News photo)

Saturday, June 22, 2024

Busch Stadium

St. Louis, Missouri

San Francisco Giants 4 (36-41)

St. Louis Cardinals Cubs 9 (38-37)

Win: Mike Mikolas (6-6)

Loss: Jordan Hicks (4-4)

Time: 2:28

Attendance: 41,815

By Stephen Ruderman

The Giants scored three runs in the top of the first inning, but the heat got to Jordan Hicks and the Giants, as the Cardinals clubbed four home runs en route to a 9-4 win on a hot and muggy Saturday afternoon at Busch Stadium to hand the Giants their fourth-straight loss..

The Giants had a big comeback win Monday night against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, but they have since lost three in a row, including a hard-fought 6-5 loss to the Cardinals Thursday night at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. Saturday, the teams came over to St. Louis to continue this three-game series on a hot and muggy afternoon at Busch Stadium.

Despite the losing streak, the Giants’ offense has come to life over the last three games, and with the heat in St. Louis, they looked to keep that going against Cardinals’ starter Miles Mikolas. Brett Wisely led off the ballgame, and singled the other way to left field to get things started.

Heliot Ramos bounced out on a chopper to short, which moved Wisely to second base, and Patrick Bailey struck out looking on a sinker right on the inside corner. That left things up to Jorge Soler, who is finally swinging the bat with runners in scoring position after brutally struggling in these situations until a week and a half ago.

Soler worked a six-pitch at-bat, and shot a base-hit out to left-center to knock in Wisely and put the Giants on the board. Matt Chapman followed that up with a base-hit to right-center to move Soler over to third.

The batter was now Michael Conforto, and after Chapman stole second, Conforto flipped a base-hit out to right-center to knock in a pair and make it 3-0.

The Giants were in a good position. Their offense manufactured three runs in the top of the first inning, and they had the reliable Jordan Hicks going for them on the mound. Hicks, a crafty Farhan Zaidi signing over the off-season, came into Saturday’s game 3-2 with a 2.82 ERA in his first year as a starter.

However, there would be the question of how Hicks would deal with the head and humidity of St. Louis. Hicks got off to a good start, and he got Masyn Winn to fly out to center to start the bottom of the first, but Alec Burleson reached on an infield hit, and longtime Giants killer Paul Goldschmidt golfed out a sinker at the knees and hit a two-run home run that carried out to straightaway center to make it 3-2.

Nolan Gorman then walked, stole second and got to third on a wild pitch, but Hicks was able to settle down and get out of the inning with the Giants still ahead.

Both teams went down scoreless in the second inning, and after a two-out walk to Chapman in the top of the third, Conforto, who had already knocked in a pair with a base-hit in the first, hit a double that hit off the bottom of the wall in right-center to score Chapman and make it 4-2. For Conforto, he had knocked in three runs in the first three innings of this one.

Wynn grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third, but Burelson walked and stole second, and Hicks would be in trouble again.

Hicks was also sweating buckets in his jersey in what was our first real look at how the cheap jerseys that Nike and Major League Baseball introduced this season would hold off in the heat. Players were sweating buckets in these jerseys with temperatures in the 60s, and with the temperature at Busch Stadium at 93 degrees, it had an obvious impact on Hicks.

Goldschmidt flew out to left, but Hicks’ control was going on him, and he hit Gorman with a pitch with two outs. Nolan Arenado walked to load the bases, but Hicks got Brennan Donovan to fly out to center to end the inning with the Giants’ lead still at 4-2.

Mikolas pitched the first 1-2-3 inning for either team in the top of the fourth, and Hicks, who came back out to the mound with a new jersey in the bottom of the fourth, set down the first two men he faced. However, just as it seemed that Hicks was finally going to have an easy inning, things went south.

Dylan Carlson, who was in the game for the injured center-fielder, Michael Siani, singled with two outs, and Winn doubled Siani over to third. That brought up Burelson, who hit a three-run home run out to the Cardinals’ bullpen in right-center to give St. Louis their first lead of the afternoon.

Hicks was done after four, and he really did the best he could considering the climate and the cheap jerseys he had to wear out there. The Cardinals led 5-4 going to the fifth, and Mikolas, who appeared on the ropes earlier, settled down in the middle innings, and threw a 1-2-3 shutdown inning in the top of the fifth.

Sean Hjelle came in for San Francisco in the bottom of the fifth and pitched through some trouble, and Mikolas finished his afternoon with a 1-2-3 top of the sixth, as he set down the final 10 Giants he faced.

Winn singled with one out in the bottom of the sixth, and then Burelson made it 7-4 with his second home run of the game, another ball that was golfed out and carried to straightaway center.

For the Giants, this was not the end of the world. With their offense somewhat awake again and showing their propensity to come back like they did when they won 10 of 12 in mid-to-late May, there was no reason why they couldn’t pull off a comeback Saturday.

However, left-hander Jojo Romero and right-hander Ryan Fernandez combined to throw a scoreless top of the seventh. Brennan Donovan then got in on the home run action with a solo shot to right off Luke Jackson in the bottom of the seventh, which was the fourth of the day for St. Louis.

The Cardinals now led it 8-4, and they were still looking to add on further in the bottom of the seventh. Catcher Pedro Pages—pronounced (pah-HEZZ)—and Dylan Carlson both singled to put runners at first and second with two outs for the top of the order.

Winn then lined a base-hit to right, and Pages chugged around third to score and make it 9-4, but the one piece of good news was that Winn was tagged out in a rundown trying to stretch it into a double.

Soler and Chapman both singled off Fernandez with one out in the top of the eighth to spark some comeback hopes for the Giants, but that was quickly snuffed out when Fernandez retired the next two he faced.

Spencer Bivens came in for his third-career big league outing in the bottom of the eighth. After struggling against the Cubs at Wrigley on Wednesday, he returned to the form he had in his debut, and pitched a 1-2-3 inning.

Kyle Leahy came in for St. Louis and pitched a scoreless top of the ninth to end it, as the Cardinals won it 9-4.

Miles Mikolas got the win; Jordan Hicks got the tough loss; and for the first time in his major league career, Spencer Bivens did not get a decision.

The Giants have now lost four in a row and fall to 36-41. Saturday, they will try to avoid tying a season-high six-games under .500, as they will try to snap their losing streak and salvage a game in this series.

Sunday’s thriller: Logan Webb (6-5, 2.99 ERA) will be on the mound, and he will be opposed by veteran Sonny Gray (8-4, 2.95 ERA). First pitch will be at 1:15 p.m. in St. Louis, and 11:15 a.m. back home in San Francisco.

Stanley Cup Finals podcast with Mary Lisa: Oilers close the gap, stave off elimination, forcing a game 7 Monday against Panthers

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Florida Panther goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) has an eye on the puck as the Panthers Brandon Montour (62) puts a check on the Oilers Mattias Janmark (13) in game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals at Rogers Place in Edmonton (Canadian Press via AP photo)

On the Stanley Cup Finals podcast with Mary Lisa:

#1 There is very little doubt that the Edmonton Oilers not only didn’t want to be eliminated in four straight games but they wanted to get back into these finals with a vengeance and managed to do it coming back from 0-3 to tying the series 3-3.

#2 The Oilers down 3-2 in game six needed the win to stay alive and avoid elimination and tie the series up they pulled it off by scoring three unanswered goals to jump ahead of the Florida Panthers 3-0 at 18:20 of the third period.

#3 The Oilers getting scoring help with their first three goals from Warren Foegele (3), Adam Henrique (4), and Zach Hyman (16).

#4 The Panthers would have been shutout if it had not been for Aleksander Barkov’s third period goal at 1:28 but it wasn’t enough as the Oilers picked a four goal win over the Panthers 5-1 at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

#5 The Oilers force a game 7 as the Finals moves back to Florida. The Panthers will have to use every inch of the Amerant Bank Arena as their home ice advantage. The Oilers could be the first team since the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs to come back down 0-3 and to win four straight games. Can they do it? We’ll find out Monday night Jun 24 in game 7 at Sunrise FL.

Mary Lisa is an NHL analyst for http://www.sportsradioservice.com