Month: April 2026

Sharks Recovered Form and Sealed a 3-2 Win Over Chicago

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Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith before puck drop on April 6, 2026 at SAP Center (Sharks Media)

By: Fernando Abarca

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Sharks overcame a slow start and a highlight-reel play from Connor Bedard to rally past the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Monday night, keeping their postseason hopes alive in the final stretch of the regular season.

Chicago struck first in the opening period after Bedard dazzled through the neutral zone, weaving past defenders and circling behind the net before sending a pass into the slot. Ryan Donato capitalized on the rebound at the right circle, finding himself in the right place at the right time to give the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead against a Sharks team that struggled defensively early.

San Jose responded in the second period with a much more aggressive and composed effort. William Eklund ignited the comeback with a strong defensive play, stripping the puck and racing in alone before finishing on a breakaway to tie the game 1-1.

The momentum continued to swing in favor of San Jose as their forecheck intensified. Kiefer Sherwood added to the surge, converting on a sequence created by sustained pressure, with assists credited to Henry Thrun (or Graf if applicable) and Macklin Celebrini. The Sharks’ ability to dictate pace and win puck battles led to another tally later in the period, turning a once-flat performance into a multi-goal response that gave them control heading into the third.

Early in the final frame, Will Smith extended the lead, scoring just over three minutes into the period to make it 3-1 and further cement San Jose’s turnaround. Chicago had an opportunity to respond on the power play, but despite generating chances, they were unable to break through consistently. While the Blackhawks managed to apply pressure, the Sharks held firm enough to prevent any meaningful comeback.

Goaltending and improved defensive structure in the final two periods proved decisive for San Jose, who limited second-chance opportunities after a shaky opening 20 minutes.

With the victory, the San Jose Sharks remain in the hunt for a Western Conference wild-card spot as the regular season winds down. The race remains tight, with the Los Angeles Kings currently holding the second wild-card position.

San Jose now turns its attention to a crucial matchup against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night, a game that could significantly impact their playoff chances with just a week remaining in the season.

Ryan Borucki

Giants bullpen blows another late-inning lead in 6-4 loss to the Phillies

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Photo: Giants relief pitcher Ryan Borucki exits the mound in the 7th inning after giving up two runs (Jay Choi/SF Bay News Lab)

By Vince Cestone

SAN FRANCISCO–For the second day in a row, the San Francisco Giants blew a late-inning lead as the Philadelphia Phillies rally from 4-0 down to win 6-4 at Oracle Park.

After starting pitcher Adrian Houser gave up back-to-back singles to start the seventh inning, Giants manager Tony Vitello brought in lefty Ryan Borucki to try and get through Phillies sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. That did not go well, as Schwarber walked and Harper hit the game-tying single. The next batter Alec Bohm hit a ground-ball single that gave the Phillies a 5-4 lead, one they would not give back. The Phillies tacked on another run later in the inning on a sacrifice fly by Brandon Marsh.

Some may question Vitello’s decision to bring in Borucki in a leverage spot against two of the best hitters in the game. Borucki is a journeyman pitcher who had a 4.63 ERA in 35 innings with both the Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays. Fellow lefty Matt Gage, who has yet to give up an earned run this season, was not used in the high leverage spot and the Giants paid for it. Gage would go on to pitch a scoreless eighth inning, with the Giants down 6-4.

This latest bullpen blow up comes after Keaton Winn and Erik Miller gave up four runs combined in the eighth inning on Sunday against the New York Mets, giving the Mets a 5-2 come-from-behind victory. The Giants were up 2-1 at the start of the eighth inning on Sunday afternoon.

On Monday night, the Giants finally showed some offense in the third inning, where they scored three runs against Phillies starter Andrew Painter. Painter came into the year 1-0, with a 1.69 ERA. After Willy Adames starting the inning with a double, Luis Arraez followed with an RBI double of his own to give the Giants an early 1-0 lead. Giants third baseman Matt Chapman then tripled in another run. Two batters later, Giants left fielder Heliot Ramos singled in Chapman to give the Giants a 3-0 lead.

The Giants tacked on another run in the fourth inning on a Luis Arraez sacrifice fly. The Giants were up 4-0 and feeling good, but the Phillies got on the board in the fifth inning with two runs of their own. Two singles from the eighth and ninth spots in the batting order ended up scoring in that inning off of Houser.

The Giants did not score another run after the fourth inning. In fact, they only had 2 hits after the fourth inning–a single by Jung Hoo Lee in the eighth and a double by Adames in the ninth.

Houser ended up pitching well, better than his line score indicated. He ended up going six innings, giving up four runs on nine hits and two walks. He struck out three batters.

The Giants are now 3-8 on the year, not the start that Vitello wanted to begin his Giants career. In 2000, the Giants did start the year 3-9 and ended up winning the National League West with 97 wins, but that team had Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent in the middle of their order and Felix Rodriguez and Robb Nen on the back end of the bullpen. The Giants will hope to turn things around quickly, or they can find themselves buried quite early in the season.

Up next, the Giants will try again on Tuesday to get right as they take on the Phillies again in Game 2 of the series. Robbie Ray (1-1, 3.38 ERA) will take the mound for the Giants against lefty Cristopher Sanchez (1-0, 0.79 ERA). Game time is at 6:45 p.m.

San Jose Barracuda podcast Marko Ukalovic: Barracuda face off with Gulls at Tech CU on Tuesday

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Colorado Eagles center TJ Tynan (9) and San Jose Barracuda forward Filip Bystedt (18) face off at Tech CU in San Jose on Sun Apr 5, 2026 (San Jose Barracuda photo)

San Jose Barracuda podcast Marko Ukalovic:

#1 Will Colin White and Jimmy Huntington provide secondary scoring depth?

#2 Can Filip Bystedt continue to drive the Barracuda offense?

#3 How impactful will Luca Cagnoni be from the blue line?

#4 Which Barracuda goalie steps up—Jakub Skarek, Gabriel Carriere or Laurent Brossoit?

#5 Can young forwards like Quentin Musty and Kasper Halttunen make an impact?

San Diego Gulls and San Jose Barracuda face off at 1pm Tue Apr 7 at Tech CU in San Jose

Marko Ukalovic is a San Jose Barracuda beat reporter at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast Barbara Mason: Kings to face Warriors twice Tuesday and Friday

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Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (2) is guarded by the Sacramento Kings Killian Hayes (3) in the first half at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Apr 5, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast Barbara Mason:

  1. On March 14 the Sacramento Kings pulled an upset over the Los Angeles Clippers beating them 118-109 but Apr 5 Sunday night was a whole new ball game as the Clippers dominated in a must win for Los Angeles 138-109. The Clippers are currently in ninth place a half game behind the Trailblazers so the win Sunday night was critical for Los Angeles.

2. A number of Kings remained out for this game. Russell Westbrook remain out with a toe issue and they have listed the return of Keegan Murray as April 7 but will that happen? The Kings will see if either of them will be on the court as the season winds down.

3. The Kings did not get a whole lot from either starters nor their bench Sunday. In contrast, the Clippers Kawhi Leonard was on fire as was bench player John Collins.

4. Sacramento struggled for most of the game, they fell behind early and got blindsided in the third quarter as the Clippers really turned it on in the second half blowing the Kings out of the water. Three Kings players barely got into double figures struggling offensively.

5. With only three games left in the season the Kings will now face the Golden State Warriors Tuesday Apr 7 in San Francisco and again on Fri Apr 10 in Sacramento.

Barbara Mason covered the Sacramento Kings podcasts for the 2025-26 season Mondays for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: From My Notebook– Yoenis Céspedes Great Escape from Cuba

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Former MLB player Yoenis Cespedes takes a cut at the plate for Team Cuba during the World Baseball Classic on Mar 8, 2023 at Taichung International Baseball Stadium in Taichung, Taiwan (AP file photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

From My Notebook: Yoenis Céspedes Great Escape from Cuba

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

In 2011, Yoenis Céspedes was leading the Cuban league in home runs, after being assigned to the “C team”, considered the worst in the roster, then he decided to defect in the summer of that year. He took a 23-hour speedboat ride to the Dominican Republic, accompanied by six other people (including family members), where he established residency and became a free agent. Why the Dominican Republic?

Unlike Cuba, which is a communist system with no real freedom for its citizens and repression (including imprisonment), the Dominican Republic is a democracy, and just like Cuba, its national sport is baseball. The Cuban players are welcomed and respected. Céspedes lived in the Dominican Republic for approximately seven to eight months before signing his first major league contract with the Oakland A’s in March 2012, just after he gained free agent status and obtained his dream of playing in the Major Leagues, the best baseball league in the world.

As a rookie in the major leagues with the A’s, I met him for the first time in A’s Spring Training in Arizona. In 2012, he was next to Bartolo Colón, the veteran pitcher who was acquired by the A’s and, at the time, was in his 15th season in the majors. They developed a good relationship; Colón was “schooling” Céspedes about what he could expect in the major leagues.

Also, Yoenis told me Colón was his interpreter. This was four years before Commissioner Manfred sent a directive to all 30 MLB teams to hire an interpreter for their Spanish-speaking players. Covering the A’s as their radio play-by-play broadcaster, I developed a very good relationship with Yoenis Céspedes, and on one occasion, I was asked by the team to be his interpreter during A’s fans reunion, especially with A’s season ticket owners.

Yoenis truly liked Oakland; he told me many times he was comfortable with the people of Oakland, and he developed a good relationship with the fan base. He told me this, “Estaría contento de pasar toda mi carrera aqui en Oakland,” which translates to “I would be happy to spend my whole career here in Oakland.” But it was not meant to be, I believe the organization never really appreciated the Cuban player, he was a total package, he hit, hit for power, played great left field with a good, accurate arm.

Nevertheless, he did not stay much longer in Oakland and was traded to the Boston Red Sox on July 31, 2014, in exchange for pitcher Jon Lester. The team wanted an experienced pitcher for a postseason run. I was not surprised he was traded because the A’s anticipated they would lose him to free agency anyway. I think the A’s did not want to pay him the money his agent would be asking.

Yoenis Céspedes was a very popular Cuban player with the A’s, just like another Cuban, José Canseco, many years before. The A’s history with Cuban players is plenty; among others, there was also an excellent shortstop, three-time World Champion, Dagoberto Blanco (Campy) Campaneris, one of owner Charlie Finley’s favorite players. In my opinion, the best ever shortstop in Oakland A’s history.

Yoenis Céspedes today: Retired, Living in Port St.Lucie, Florida, listing his 380-acre ranch for a cool $30 million, with a 12-stall horse stable, a professional batting cage, a private barber shop, a game processing facility for hunting, and a 40X20 foot heated pool. I mean…what else do you need? just for $30 Million, that’s a bargain!.

Yoenis Céspedes MLB career: 8 Years, Played for Oakland, Boston, Detroit, NY(Mets) — .273 average—165 home runs–528 RBI — Two-time All Star 2014 and 2016— Homerun Derby Champion 2013-2014—2015 AL Gold Glove—2026 NL; Silver Slugger

Quote from Cuban-born pitcher Luis Tiant: “If we lose today, it will be over my dead body. They’ll have to leave me face down on the mound”.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame

LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874

From the second you step in the front door, the sounds of Latin America will gently seduce your ears and continue as you relax outdoors with your favorite cocktail enjoying the view. The wonderful flavors and aromas of our cuisine will not disappoint.

We use only the finest, freshest, local ingredients in every dish and every dish is prepared to order. Enjoy live mariachi music weekly and on special occasions, catch balet folklorico dance performances among other live entertainment. Come visit us and have a great time! Enjoy fast, friendly service, fantastic food & cocktails, music and allow us to share our beautiful Mexican heritage with you.

LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant at 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874.

Clippers Dominate Kings From Start to Finish in 138-109 Blowout

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Kris Dunn #8 of the Los Angeles Clippers and Dylan Cardwell #32 of the Sacramento Kings fight for the loose ball during the first half at Golden 1 Center on April 05, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Don Collier/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings were back in action at the Golden 1 Center on Sunday night. The Kings played a rare nighttime Sunday game that started at 6 p.m. PST as they welcomed the Los Angeles Clippers to town.

The Kings, who are well outside of the NBA’s playoff picture, attempted to play spoiler to the Clippers, who entered the game a half-game back of the eighth play-in spot.

The Clippers definitively defeated the Kings 138-109 on Sunday night.

In the first quarter, the Clippers jumped all over the Kings to open the game. The Clippers put up a massive 42 points in the quarter as Kawhi Leonard led the way with 13 points. The Kings managed 32 points of their own in the quarter, aided by nine points from DeMar DeRozan, but it wasn’t enough to keep up with the Clippers’ pace and shot-making early in the game.

In the second quarter, the Clippers took their 10-point lead and expanded it to 12 points. The Clippers outscored the Kings 29-27 in the second quarter of action to take a 71-59 lead into halftime. The Clippers were led in first-half scoring by Kawhi Leonard, who had 15 points, and Darius Garland, who was close behind with 13 first-half points. The Kings’ best scoring came from Daeqwon Plowden, who scored 10 first-half points, as DeMar DeRozan and Nique Clifford each added nine of their own.

In the third quarter, the Kings trailed by 12 points and desperately needed a spark to mount a comeback.

The third quarter was unkind to the Kings as the Clippers outscored them 36-20 to blow the game open and expand their lead to 107-79, with a 28-point cushion heading into the fourth quarter. Devin Carter led the Kings’ minimal scoring efforts in the third quarter as he put up seven points for the Kings. The Clippers continued their offensive push with 11 more points from Kawhi Leonard, who finished the third quarter with 26 points to lead the Clippers.

The fourth quarter was more of an afterthought as the Kings were squarely out of the game.

In the fourth quarter, the Clippers outscored the Kings 31-30 to win all four quarters against the Kings and finish the game with a 138-109 victory. The Kings didn’t lead at any point in the game as the Clippers took the lead on the first basket and didn’t look back. Devin Carter, Nique Clifford, and Dylan Cardwell each scored seven points in the final quarter of the game to lead the Kings, while Kobe Sanders scored 14 fourth-quarter points for the Clippers as the game wound down.

The Kings were led in scoring by Devin Carter, who scored 21 points in the game, while Nique Clifford added 18 points in the contest. Big man Maxime Raynaud had an 11-point, 16-rebound performance, while Dylan Cardwell added 15 points.

The Kings will head on the road to take on the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday at 7 p.m. PST at Chase Center.

NCAA Championship Final podcast Daniel Dullum: Michigan-UConn battle it out in the NCAA Championship Monday

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Michigan Wolverines forward Will Tschetter (42) after defeating the Arizona Wildcats in the Final Four in Indianopolis on Sat Apr 4, 2026 (AP News photo)

Final Four NCAA podcast Daniel Dullum:

#1 What key factors led to Michigan’s dominant 91–73 victory over Arizona in the Final Four?

#2 How did Michigan’s three-point shooting and defense impact Arizona’s ability to stay competitive in the game?

#3 How did UConn’s defensive strategy affect Illinois’ offensive rhythm throughout the game?

#4 What UConn players had the biggest impact on the outcome, and how did their performances shape the final result?

#5 So Daniel it all boils down to UConn and Michigan for the NCAA Championship game Mon Apr 6 at 5:50pm PDT.

Daniel Dullum covered NCAA basketball for the 2025-26 season at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Rooker’s Blow Sends Sacramento Fans Into a Frenzy; A’s walk off on Astros in 12-10 win

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Sacramento A’s Brook Rooker rounds the bases after hitting a three run home run in the bottom of the tenth against the Houston Astros at Sutter Health Park in Houston on Sun Apr 5, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Mauricio Segura

WEST SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Athletics are determined to remind the baseball world of their potential. Coming into Sunday’s game they were 2-6, had been steamrolled 11-0 by the Houston Astros the day before, and had stumbled through the season’s first week with a .201 team batting average and the lowest on-base percentage in the majors. The A’s delivered on Sunday in ten innings with a 12-10 win on a walk off three run home run in the tenth by Brent Rooker.

Still, there were a few signs this matchup might not stay gloomy for long. The A’s had split the first two games of the series. They showed moments of brilliance both at the plate with Max Muncy being a thorn in Houston’s side, and defensively with Jacob Wilson and Denzel Clarke robbing some key extra base hits. Sunday’s performance did not disappoint.

For four innings, Jacob Lopez gave the Green and Gold exactly what they needed. The left-hander looked keyed-in, calm, and far more dangerous than he had in his previous outing at Atlanta, when he failed to record a strikeout. This time he punched out Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and Christian Walker in the first inning alone, then kept Houston off the board through four scoreless frames. Lopez had handled the Astros well in two starts against them last season, and for most of this afternoon he looked like he had picked up right where he left off.

The Athletics had chances early but kept tripping over their own shoelaces. In the first inning, Kurtz walked and Shea Langeliers followed with a single, only for Tyler Soderstrom to bounce into a double play that killed the threat. In the third, Kurtz singled, stole second after a successful challenge, and later advanced on a pickoff error, but the A’s still could not score.

Then came the fifth, and the game finally woke up snarling. After a brief delay, Jose Altuve singled and Yordan Alvarez hammered a two-run shot to right-center to give Houston a 2-0 lead. Correa later walked, stole second, and scored on Cam Smith’s single to make it 3-0. At that point, Sutter Health Park had every reason to brace for another rotten afternoon. Instead, the Athletics flipped the table.

Max Muncy continued his punishment by starting the bottom of the fifth with a single, Jeff McNeil walked, and Carlos Cortes drove in the first run with a double to right. Then the inning turned into a full-on stampede. Kurtz walked to load the bases, Langeliers hit a fly ball that was not deep enough to score a run, and Soderstrom answered by lashing a sharp fly ball into right for a bases-clearing triple. Just like that, a 3-1 deficit became a 4-3 lead. Brent Rooker followed with a sacrifice fly to score Soderstrom and push the Athletics ahead 5-3. One inning earlier the game felt like a slog. By the inning’s end, it felt like a brawl that was just getting started.

This game had no interest of behaving like a normal lazy Sunday afternoon at the ballpak. In the seventh, Correa singled and Walker crushed a two-run homer to left-center, tying the score at 5-5. The Athletics answered again in the bottom half. Soderstrom walked, and Rooker finally uncorked the kind of swing Sacramento had been waiting for all season, blasting a two-run homer to left for a 7-5 lead. That swing carried extra weight. Rooker entered the day sitting on 99 home runs as an Athletic, and that shot made him the 30th player in franchise history to reach 100. He was not done.

The A’s kept piling on in the seventh. Lawrence Butler doubled, Muncy again, singled, McNeil dropped in a run-scoring hit, and Cortes followed with another RBI single to stretch the lead to 9-5. It should have been enough, but the baseball God’s refused to call it a day. In the eighth, Jake Meyers led off with a homer, Altuve later doubled home another run, and with two outs Cam Smith lined a single to center that scored both Altuve and Nick Allen, tying the game at 9-9. Just like that, four runs were gone and the bullpen had turned a likely win into a fresh headache.

The Athletics nearly escaped in the ninth, but Altuve made sure the Astros stayed alive by throwing out McNeil at the plate after Langeliers chopped a single through the infield. Houston then grabbed a 10-9 lead in the 10th when Correa grounded a single to left, scoring the automatic runner. Sacramento’s answer came quickly. Langeliers began the bottom half at second, moved to third on a wild pitch, and watched Soderstrom draw a walk. Then Rooker strode up again and ended the whole circus with one violent swing, launching a three-run walk-off homer to left.

It was messy, loud, uplifting, and probably bad for the blood pressure of every die-hard fan in the building. It was also exactly the kind of win the Athletics needed. They got punch from Soderstrom, spark from Kurtz, continued attack from Muncy, and a star turn from Rooker, who turned 99 franchise home runs into 101 in a single afternoon. On a day that looked ready to slide off the rails three different times, the Athletics kept climbing back on and finally rode the whole thing home.

The A’s now head east for three games beginning Tuesday the 7th against the Yankees and then a weekend series against the Mets, before returning back to West Sacramento on Monday the 13th to host the Texas Rangers for four games.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

SF Giants game wrap: Mets four run eighth damages Giant 2-1 lead in SF’s third straight loss 5-2

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New York Mets Luis Torens slugs a two run double next to San Francisco Giant catcher Patrick Bailey in the top of the eighth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sun Apr 5, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sunday, April 5, 2026

Oracle Park

San Francisco, California

New York Mets 5 (6-4)

San Francisco Giants 2 (3-7)

Win: Huascar Brazoban (1-0)

Loss: Keaton Winn (0-1)

Save: Devin Williams (2)

Time: 2:37

Attendance: 37,079

By Stephen Ruderman

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants’ bullpen blew a great seven-inning performance by Logan Webb, as the Mets scored four runs in the top of the eighth to beat the Giants 5-2 and take the series Sunday.

After the Giants’ offense finally came to life in San Diego, and continued hitting in the opener of this four-game series against the Mets on Thursday, the bats have gone quiet again over the last two days. With Logan Webb going up against Kodai Senga, you figured that this was going to be a pitcher’s duel.

It was another beautiful day for baseball at Oracle Park, where there has been nothing but great weather to start the season. The game? Well, it would prove to be quite a bit less beautiful.

Webb was torched for six earned runs against the Yankees in the season opener on March 25. However, he bounced back for a nice quality outing on Tuesday in San Diego, giving up three hits over six innings.

Webb started day with a 1-2-3 top of the first, but the Mets got to him for a run in the top of the second on a bloop hit the other way to right by Mark Vientos. It could have been worse. Fortunately, Marcus Semien grounded into a double play, and Webb was able to get out of it, giving up just the run.

Meanwhile, the Giants offense predictably couldn’t do a thing against Senga, who struck out six of the first eight men he faced. The Giants finally got their first hit of the day when Luis Arraez led off the bottom of the fourth with a base-hit. It was the very kind of at-bat Buster Posey brought him in to take.

Arraez fouled off three two-strike pitches to work the count full, and then flipped the ninth pitch to right-center for a base-hit. Unfortunately, Matt Chapman grounded into a grounded into a double play right afterwards, so, so much for that.

Webb settled down after the second, and remained solid through the middle innings. As has been the case for so many years, the Giants’ offense couldn’t back him up.

Patrick Bailey has been off to a horrendous start this season, and came into this game hitting .083. In his first at-bat in the bottom of the third, Bailey made solid contact in a line out the other way to left. He then led off the bottom of the sixth with a bloop single to left.

Willy Adames and Arraez were retired, but Chapman lined a double down the left field line to tie the game. Rafael Devers then hit a fly ball that fell in there in front of the diving center-fielder, Luis Robert, and the Giants had their first lead of the game.

The Mets loaded the bases against Webb in the top of the seventh, and it happened in the worst possible way, as Francisco Alvarez reached on catcher’s interference with two outs. It was assumed Tony Vitello would bring in Erik Miller, who was warming up in the Giants’ bullpen, to face Francisco Lindor. However, Tony stuck with his ace, who got Lindor to ground out to second.

That finished off another solid start by Webb. He gave up seven hits, but he gave up just the run in the top of the season. He also walked just one, and struck out three.

Huasar Brazoban pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the seventh. 1-2-3 innings are generally uneventful, but this one was quite the opposite. Home Plate Umpire Edwin Jimenez called Jerar Encarnacion out on runner’s lane interference for the second out of the inning.

Jimenez nailed the call, but Tony, who let’s just say had a history with umpires in the SEC, came out anyway. Tony said his piece to Jimenez, but on his way back to the dugout, he was tossed by Third Base Umpire and Crew Chief David Rackley.

When Tony got back to the dugout, Arraez, Devers and Heliot Ramos all gave their skipper a pat on the behind, which really showed how much these guys really enjoy playing for Tony, and how much they really appreciate it.

You would have thought that with Tony putting on a show, it would really motivate the club to get the job done. Unfortunately, the exact opposite happened.

Despite how weak the Giants’ bullpen was coming into the season, they got off to a solid start. Sunday, Keaton Winn was the guy for the eighth, and he got off to a nice start by getting Bo Bichette to ground out to third. However, Jorge Polanco doubled, and Robert singled pinch-runner Tyrone Taylor over to third.

Erik Miller was brought in, and Luis Torrens hit a pinch-hit double to put the Mets back ahead. It only got worse from there. Mark Vientos hit a ground ball to third, but Devers was unable to come up with Chapman’s one-hop throw from third, which skipped away and went out of play. It was now 4-2. Marcus Semien tacked on another run with a double to make it 5-2.

We all dreaded the Giants’ bullpen collapsing in the late innings, and today, they did. It of course figures that Luke Weaver threw a 1-2-3 shutdown bottom of the eighth for the Metropolitans.

JT Brubaker was able to work out of a jam in the top of the ninth to keep the deficit at three. The Giants had one last shot against Mets’ closer Devin Williams in the bottom of the ninth. Matt Chapman took a nice two-strike emergency hack—something he especially needed to do since the Giants were out of ABS challenges—and lined a leadoff base-hit to left.

It certainly gave me a jolt of hope and adrenaline. Unfortunately, Chapman was thrown out trying to steal second. Ramos singled to left with two outs, and Jung Hoo Lee worked the count full, but Lee went up the ladder on a high fastball to end it.

This was a tough loss for the Giants, who are now off to a 3-7 start on the young season. Unfortunately, things will not get any easier with the Phillies coming in for three starting Monday night.

Adrian Houser (0-1, 1.69 ERA), who had a solid Giants’ debut on Wednesday in San Diego, in which he gave up an earned run in five a third innings, will take the ball Monday. Andrew Painter (1-0, 1.69 ERA) will go for the Phillies.

First pitch will be at 6:45 p.m.

Bay FC match wrap: That’s the Spirit, Bay gets shutuout by Washington 2-0 at Pay Pal Park Sunday

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Bay FC worked hard to get a ball in the back of the net but the Washington Spirit were just too much on defense at Pay Pal Park in San Jose on Sun Apr 5, 2026 in NWSL action. (Bay FC photo)

By William Espy

SAN JOSE–Bay FC was back at PayPal Park on Easter Sunday to face off against Trinity Rodman and the Washington Spirit for the first time this season. Bay suffered a 2-0 shutout.

Washington was dominating the run of play and possession early on.

Just before the half-hour point, two players collided heads shortly after a corner causing a slight delay. Brooklyn Courtnall and Lucia Di Guglielmo both went down, but quickly got back to their feet. After both were back up, the game went into a short hydration break due to the high temperatures.

Two Washington defenders, Di Guglielmo and Tara Rudd collided with one another. Both went down and got medical attention. Di Guglielmo, who was covered in blood, was the first to walk off the field, while Rudd continued getting medical attention on field. Rudd eventually continued to play.

The game remained a 0-0 tie heading into halftime.

Washington took a 1-0 lead and broke the deadlock in the 57th minute when Jordan Silkowitz attempted to clear the ball and it took a wild deflection off of Brooklyn Courtnall for an own goal.

There was another collision in the 64th minute, this time it was Bay FC defender Sydney Collins who went down following a collision with Silkowitz and a Spirit attacker. Collins remained in the game.

Gift Monday added Washington’s second goal of the night in the 86th minute, making it 2-0 and seemingly putting the game away for Washington.

The Spirit would maintain the shutout, and walk away victorious.