Author: bentleonard18

Ben Leonard is the head writer and Director of Business Development for Bay Area Sports Talk Association. He is also an author for Rule of Tree (SBNation), Sports Radio Service and OutsidePitchMLB, an official affiliate of the MLB. He has a passion for baseball and college football.

Heston Falters As Giants Drop Series to Cardinals

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By: Ben Leonard and Joe Lami


// Four batters into the game, with no outs, George Kontos was in the bullpen, heating up. Not exactly how the Giants drew it up.

The Giants did well to stay alive in the game after a rough first inning from starter Chris Heston, but Marlon Byrd’s big day at the dish on his birthday wasn’t enough to help the Giants beat St. Louis in a 7-5 loss.

Making his first start since August 17th after a short stint in Triple-A Sacramento for maintenance, Heston struggled to keep the ball down — and in the yard. He gave up nine hits in just 3.2 innings, including four in the first four batters of the contest. Heston expressed that he was “excited” and “amped up” to get back out on the hill, and simply “left too many balls up.”

Before Heston knew it (After four batters) and most fans were in their seats, “it was getting ugly,” as the Cardinals had a 3-0 lead behind Matt Carpenter’s fifth leadoff home run of the season and Jason Heyward’s RBI triple that Gregor Blanco misplayed, costing the Giants two runs. Heyward hit a line shot right at Blanco, who didn’t quite pick it up well, flailing fruitlessly at the last moment and letting it sail over his head. Blanco explained that the ball was carrying “pretty well” in the first couple innings, with the flags billowing out towards McCovey Cove.

However, Blanco redeemed himself pretty quickly in the outfield (The first chance he got) ranging back to make a play against the wall in, shall I say in, Willie Mays fashion to rob Brandon Moss of extra bases. Blanco said it felt so good to make such a “hard play” with the challenging wind because he was trying to help Heston and “let him know that he (Blanco) had Heston’s back.”

Heston’s poor outing put the Giants in an early hole, but it wasn’t without positives — he was “back in the strike zone.” He had struggled with command in previous outings, and didn’t walk a batter on Sunday. He had given up just five first-inning runs in his first 24 starts, and three on Sunday.

As deep as the hole was, Byrd was the word at AT&T Park that almost got the team back in it. He energized the crowd with two early RBI doubles and a triple to try to help the Giants get back in it, finishing the day 3 for 4 with 4 RBI’s. Both of those two-baggers clanked off the same archway in right field, driving Brandon Belt in three times and creating rallies in the first, sixth, and eighth.

Byrd now has three more RBI’s in 40 fewer games than Casey McGehee did with the Giants — quite a feat. Now he just needs someone to drive him in — he was stranded all three times despite creating so much offense. When asked if there was a better way to spend his birthday, Byrd was frank: “Yes, with a W.”

Belt, the Giants’ defacto leadoff hitter on Sunday quietly went 4 for 4 with four singles. Belt wasn’t too quick to embrace the role as his new one: “Ultimately, it doesn’t matter because we ended up losing the game. But that’s what you want to do, do your job to get on base if you’re leading off the inning to help guys drive you in.”

Mike Broadway cost the Giants a run after not coming set and balking in the eighth, moving Kolten Wong from first to second, and was eventually driven in on an RBI single. Wong was cut down by Posey, but the balk negated the out and kept the Cardinals’ rally alive. Coupled with Blanco’s gaffe in the first, it was a three-run swing that cost the Giants the win. The little things do make a big difference after all.

Heading into an enormous series with the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers, starting Monday on the road, the Ginats are going to have to do the little things a lot better — they’re down four games in the NL West. Belt spoke about the sense of urgency in the clubhouse:  “We’re going to have to step up our game and take it up just a notch…We’re playing the best team in the division so we’re going to have to go in there, bring our A-game and play with more intensity.”

 

 

Giants vs. Cardinals: Rubber Match News and Notes

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By: Ben Leonard

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The San Francisco Giants (69-60) take on the Major League-best St. Louis Cardinals (83-46) in the rubber match of a three-game series Sunday at AT&T Park.

The Giants will send Chris Heston (11-7, 3.34), back up from a short stint at Triple-A Sacramento, to the hill to try to take the series. The Cardinals will counter with left-hander Jaime Garcia (6-4, 1.77).

Heston is making his first start since August 17th against these same Cardinals, when he pitched just 4.2 innings and gave up one run. Just after that start, he was sent down to keep his arm fresh for September. He had been the Giants’ second-best starting pitcher behind Madison Bumgarner all season long, and figures to be right up there with new acquisition Mike Leake upon his return.

Like Heston, Garcia also spent some time away from his team this season, as he is making just his 14th start and seventh since his second DL stint of the season. He missed 20 games with a groin strain and the first 40 games of the season after offseason surgery.

Garcia pitched well his last time out, earning the win after giving up just one run and four hits against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday. He has pitched well on the road throughout his career, posting a 1.64 ERA on the road since September of 2012. He will make his second start against the Giants this season after a solid effort on August 19th, in which he surrendered three runs in 6.1 innings.

Other than that start, the lefty has owned the Giants throughout his career, giving up just ten runs in 41.2 innings against San Francisco. It’s a strange number given the Giants’ dominance against left-handed starters this season, going 18-12 against left-handed starters this season while hitting .271 in those games, the fourth-highest figure in baseball.

The Giants have been hot at home as of later, winning their 16 of their last 20 home contests, even after Saturday’s loss. They’ve been steady with the glove as well, committing just one error in their last thirteen games despite missing a plethora of starters.

The Giants need to look out for Bay Area native and Stanford alum Stephen Piscotty, who has really felt at home at AT&T park. He went 4-4 with a walk on Saturday while driving a run, bringing his average for the series all the way up to .750 (6-8).

Injury Notes: 

Before the game, manager Bruce Bochy noted that Tim Lincecum “isn’t making the progress we’d like him to” with his degenerative hip problem. The beloved right-hander suffered a setback in Arizona and acknowledge he may not return this season….Joe Panik took batting practice on Sunday and drove the ball well….Bochy said he will stay with the team through the Dodgers series(Aug. 31-Sept. 2) and then begin his rehab stint with Sacramento during the immediately following Colorado series….Brandon Crawford hit in the cage on Sunday and is slated to start against Los Angeles on Monday….

 

Graveman, A’s Ride Big Inning to Avoid Sweep

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By: Ben Leonard

It was Fan Appreciation Day at the O.co Coliseum on Sunday — and the A’s delivered for their fans, unlike they have for most of the season.

Kendall Graveman pitched six brilliant shutout innings and the offense put up a seven-spot in the seventh inning to help the A’s avoid getting swept at the hands (Or fins? Stingers? Wings?!) of the Rays with a 8-2 win. 

There were only 19,425 fans in attendance, but those who came brought it with full force to help fuel the A’s victory. Even before Sunday’s game, Melvin lauded the Oakland fanbase:

“They’re awesome. They really are. They’re so supportive that you want to give each and everyone some time. You see shirts and t-shirts from long long ago and some newer stuff. Really, the theme is that they are A’s fans no matter who is in the uniforms. I am extremely honored to be able to manage this team for these people.. especially after a game like last night, they can really be uplifting and pick you up…They’re one of a kind fans that support the team no matter what.” 

After being stymied by Tampa Bay starter Jake Odorizzi, the A’s were happy to see a bullpen besides their own implode. Once Odorizzi was pulled after 6+ innings of one-run ball, the A’s rode eight hits for seven runs in the seventh inning to come back from a 2-1 deficit. Brett Lawrie tied the game with an RBI single, and then it hit the fan for the Rays. The A’s got the fans roaring after reaching base seven consecutive times, including three extra-base hits, one of them a bases-clearing RBI triple by first baseman Mark Canha. Eric Sogard broke the tie with a two RBI single, and before you knew it, the Rays were sunk back to the bottom of the ocean, or a 8-2 hole.

Reliever Sean Dootlittle praised the team’s ability to come back:

Their numbers might not totally reflect how resilient this team is, because this team has come back a lot this year…Man, they fight… It was awesome to see the way that they bounced back…I didn’t envision being the guy that started the scoring in the seventh, but they picked me up and got me off the hook…I thought it was awesome the way they passed it from one guy to the next…

But it wasn’t all so easy in the early going — Doolittle, freshly off the disabled list, had blown the A’s 1-0 lead that Kendall Graveman had held after six shutout innings. His control was off, walking two hitters and giving up a hit, and was charged with two runs.

Doolittle said he felt good, but noted that the energy and environment at the Coliseum wasn’t something he had been used to after months on the DL.  He hadn’t pitched with runners on base in his rehab stint, and wasn’t back to tip top shape.

Doolittle expressed optimism and after his outing on Sunday: “Obviously when you’re visualizing it for months over the rehab process, you picture it differently. When I came out I was happy with how I felt, but [once I got out there] the adrenaline was going really fast. No matter how much I tried to slow myself down, I was going a little too fast and my location was a little inconsistent. All that stuff is fixable. Already, that feeling that it’s cool to be back is gone and it’s time go get to work.”

Graveman was excellent, bouncing back from a rough patch after the All Star Break, in which posted a 7.00 ERA in six starts since the time off. He gave up just three hits, walking one and striking out three.

However, he was removed after just 84 pitches because of an oblique strain, which is of greater concern to the Athletics. Graveman said he felt it get hurt on the second-to-last pitch he threw. He will receive an MRI at the Coliseum on Monday.

In other news of injury importance, after returning to the lineup after missing a couple games with knee tendinitis, Danny Valencia appeared to tweak the same knee while chasing down a foul ball in the second. Earlier on Sunday, Melvin said he felt good enough to play, and is “willing to DH or do whatever he can to play on a day-to-day basis.” Melvin also didn’t know if he had dealt with this same issue in the past before.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A’s vs. Rays: Lineups, Pre-Game Notes and More

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By: Ben Leonard

The last-place Oakland Athletics (53-71) look to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays (62-61) on Sunday.

They will send Kendall Graveman (6-9, 4.27) out on the hill, who has struggled mightily since the All-Star Break. July and August have not been kind to the A’s rookie pitcher, who has posted a 7.00 ERA in his six starts since the break.

Graveman will pitch on six days rest, which actually hasn’t been a harbinger of success for the rookie right-hander. He’s posted a 5.02 ERA in eight starts with more than five days of rest, while putting up a 3.79 figure with normal rest.

While he has struggled of late, Graveman doesn’t have a five-game personal losing streak solely because he’s been pitching poorly. A scuffling Oakland lineup behind Graveman has also been a factor, giving him just eleven runs of support in his last eight starts.

He’s only faced Tampa Bay once in his short career, stymieing their offense over six innings of three-hit, shutout ball this May. Perhaps the only good omen for Graveman, who has struggled to get hitters out as of late.

The Rays counter with right-hander Jake Odorizzi, who unlike Graveman is coming off a stellar outing (6 IP, 1 ER) against the first place Houston Astros. He has posted a 5.79 ERA in one career start against Oakland, albeit against a very different 2014 Athletics squad.

Odorizzi has dominated AL West squads this season, holding opposing squads to just three runs in 29.2 innings. He’s made five consecutive starts of at least six innings and one walk or less, but hasn’t won a road game since May 31st. Like Graveman, he’s struggled to get support from his team, receiving an AL-low 3.16 runs per game per nine innings.

There’s one thing that’s certain about Odorizzi: he will throw a lot of changeups. Since he picked up teammate Alex Cobb’s grip on the off-speed pitch in the 2013 offseason, 32.4% of his pitches have been changeups, second-most in the majors behind Rockies’ left-hander Jorge De La Rosa.

The A’s have really hit a rut since the All-Star Break, dropping 19 of their last 31 games. A big part of that has been their offense: they’ve averaged 3.20 runs in their last 49 games, not quite an offense dynamo.

LINEUPS:

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UPDATE: 

Manager Bob Melvin fielded questions on Sean Doolittle, who just returned from a minor league rehab stint. Melvin explained that because “there’s a difference in intensity between going through rehab at the minor league level and actually pitching in a big league game,” he will use him “not necessarily a low-leverage situation, but not a closing situation.” Doolittle was the A’s relief ace last season, saving 22 games and posting a 2.73 ERA.

Danny Valencia is back in the lineup, batting fourth and playing third base for Oakland, after an MRI revealed tendinitis in his right knee. Melvin said he feels good enough to play today, and is “willing to DH or do whatever he can to play on a day-to-day basis.” Melvin also didn’t know if he had dealt with this same issue in the past before.

Melvin praised Valencia for solidifying the middle of the lineup, saying he was “pleasantly surprised” about his production  “for a guy we picked up off waivers.”

On Saturday, both Billy Burns and the A’s ballboy, Scott, both made incredible diving plays. When asked which was better Melvin, said that both were “pretty good plays… Certainly Scott doesn’t get the opportunity to do that all the time… It lightened up the mood…But production-wise, Burn’s was probably better.”

 

 

LeBron, Cavaliers Take Win, 2-1 Series Lead Over Warriors

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By: Ben Leonard

My, how things have changed.

After the Warriors were preemptively crowned NBA champions by winning Game 1, LeBron James had another spectacular game, scoring 40 points, Matthew Dellavedova added 20, and the Cleveland Cavaliers took a 96-91 victory and a 2-1 series lead.

Cleveland hasn’t missed a beat without stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, winning their second straight gritty defensive battle against Golden State.

The NBA referee’s favorite James took as many free throws as the Warriors did, making 10 of 12 to Golden State’s 7 of 12. He was just two assists shy of his second straight triple double, grabbing twelve boards in addition to his near 40-point night. A replay review overturned a call that would have given Klay Thompson and the Warriors the ball down 94-91 with 17.8 seconds left, handing James two free throws that sealed the win.

Dellavedova’s big two pointer “and one” swung the momentum of the game with 2:27 left, extending Cleveland’s lead to 84-80 and sapping all of the momentum out of Golden State after Stephen Curry’s big three pointer to cut Cleveland’s lead to 81-80. He did a great job getting in Curry’s face in the first half, holding him to just 3 points on a paltry 1 of 6 effort from the floor. Curry turned it around in the second half, hitting 9 of his 14 shots, but his 24 points just weren’t enough against James’ Cavaliers.

It really hadn’t been close until the fourth, with Cleveland dominating the scoreboard and the feel of the game. They outscored Golden State in every quarter except the final one, finding themselves up 17 at the end of the third.

Golden State finds itself in essentially must-win situation heading into Game 4 on Thursday in Cleveland, even with two more games left at Oracle.

Hold on tight, Warriors fans. It’s going to be a wild ride.

Warriors to NBA Finals For First Time In 40 Years

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By: Ben Leonard

Golden streams and confetti. It’s been a long time coming.

After generations of “what-ifs” and “could haves,” the Golden State Warriors finally reached the promised land, the NBA Finals, for the first time since 1975. Stephen Curry looked strong after his scary moment in Game Four, and his 26 points helped bring the Warriors to basketball’s biggest stage in a 104-90 win over the Houston Rockets.

Curry, his Warriors, and their fans will savor this moment for years to come. They’ll take on LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals, but that didn’t phase the crowd at Oracle Arena. They’ve backed Curry and these Warriors all season long, through thick and through thin, and Wednesday was no exception.

After another sluggish start to the first, in which the Warriors found themselves down as many as eight points, the Warriors found their midseason form and were able to win a tightly contested game. The Rockets gave it their all, with six players in double figures, including James Harden’s 14. However, Harden turned the ball over 13 times, the most in NBA single game playoff history. Harden had received flak from rapper “Lil B” for stealing his dance move, and his attendance in Oakland on Wednesday seemed to rattle him.

The Warriors didn’t win it in the prettiest fashion, leaving Klay Thompson with a bloodied ear and leaving the fans relatively out of the “splash” zone. He left the game and could have been used, but was not needed. Outside of Thompson and his 4 for 6 outing from long range, none of the Warriors found the bottom of the net, making just 9 of 29 three point attempts.

But it didn’t matter in the end. Harden’s turnovers and Harrison Barnes, Curry, and Thompson combining to score 70 points put the nail in the coffin for the overmatched Rockets. If anything, as with the San Francisco Giants, this series showed that heart and chemistry transcends talented individual players.

This is not to say that the Warriors are untalented, but is rather a testament to the fact that the Warriors actually like each other. You won’t see the Rockets with each other outside of the team facilities. This is truly a special team.

Warriors Hold On to Take 1-0 Series Lead

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By: Ben Leonard

Despite what you might have heard, the Houston Rockets are no pushover. Houston was just one loss away from being the number six seed, and the Warriors were expected to rocket past them to the Finals. They might have picked up four emphatic victories over Houston in the regular season, but Tuesday was a whole different story.  Golden State held on to preserve a 110-106 victory over the Rockets, needing MVP Stephen Curry to make two free throws in the waning moments of the game to seal a victory.

The Warriors found themselves in an unfamiliar position on Tuesday, down as many as 16 points in the second quarter. But just as quickly as they fell, they picked themselves back up, riding a 21-4 run to end the half up three points. From then on, it was a tight battle between these the two top-seeded teams in the Western Conference, transcending to the billing of the matchup.

Curry finished with 34 points and won the battle, along with his team, against MVP runner-up James Harden. He also pulled down 6 rebounds and spread around the ball well, dishing out 5 assists to his teammates.

Unlike Curry, his “Splash Brother,” star guard Klay Thompson struggled on Tuesday, with the shooting woes that plagued him early in the series against Memphis resurfacing. Thompson scored just 15 points on a paltry 6-18 showing from the floor, including an uncustomarily low 1 for 7 from long range. Other than Curry’s 6 for 11 effort from three, Golden State struggled to make the three-ball, going 4 for 18 from deep.

Just like Houston with Curry, the Warriors had no answer for Harden, who scored 28 points on 11 of 20 shooting and kept his team in the game. He certainly wasn’t “overrated” as Warriors fans chanted throughout the game, nearly leading his team to an upset victory.

Houston not only lost the game, but one of its biggest contributors on Tuesday. Dwight Howard went down with a left knee injury, but didn’t play well before getting injured. He turned the ball over five times in the first half, scoring just 7 points. Regardless, his presence down low was missed. Given the nature of the injury, it’s unclear at this point whether or not he will be ready for Game 2 Thursday night at Oracle.

It wasn’t pretty, but the Warriors got it done. Now just image what could happen if they are anywhere near at the top of their game.

 

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Warriors Take 3-2 Series Lead, Momentum in Romp of Grizzlies

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By: Ben Leonard

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The Grizzlies’ stout defense had been the Achilles heel of the Warriors so far in this series. Memphis got a taste of its own medicine on Wednesday at Oracle Arena, falling 98-78 to the high-flying Warriors. So when Stephen Curry was in MVP form and Klay Thompson finally found success, it spelled doom for the Grizzlies, who find themselves in a 3-2 hole with the series heading back to Memphis.

It didn’t help that lockdown defender Toney Allen was out with a hamstring injury. Without his presence on the outside, Golden State was able to make 14 of 30 attempts from downtown, including outscoring Memphis 27-3 from long range in the first half. Vince Carter and Jeff Greens simply could not replicate the jolt of energy that Allen brings to the court.With no three point shooters in Memphis’ lineup, the Warriors were able to coast after burying the Grizzlies early. Golden State was up eight at the half, but it felt like much more, especially after being down 13 points early, eventually leading 74-57 at the end of the third quarter.

After finding themselves down 2-1 in the series, the Warriors have rediscovered their regular season mojo, namely strong defense and outside shooting. Curry was a huge part of the Warriors’ resurgence, scoring 18 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, and dishing out 6 assists. He went 6 of 16 from three, and took just three shots from inside the arc, missing all of them. But it’s not like the Warriors need him to drop 50. Klay Thompson, who had struggled in the series’ early going, scored a game high 21 points for Golden State, making 3 of his 4 three point attempts, going 7 of 16 from the floor overall.

Marc Gasol had a solid game in a losing effort, scoring 18 points while pulling down 12 rebounds. However, it wasn’t enough with Draymond Green locking down fellow big man Zach Randolph, who was held to just 13 points by Green’s tight defense. Randolph and the Grizzlies face elimination on Friday night when they return to Memphis. The Warriors have the momentum in this series, and will get another chance to defend their home court even if they lose Friday. Good luck, Memphis.

 

Gray, Sabercats Feast on Outlaws

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By: Ben Leonard

SAN JOSE, CA–

They call Reggie Gray “Big Time” for a reason, and he wasted no time proving that in Sabercats’ 61-28 victory over the Las Vegas Outlaws, scoring a 28-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. The touchdown was just the first of his 3 scores, carrying San Jose’s roaring third-ranked offense. Head coach and owner Darren Arbet praised his team’s focus in practice the previous week, mentioning that their hard work “carried over into the game.”

Las Vegas quickly answered with a big play of their own, a 38-yard strike to Clinto Solomon from quarterback J.J. Raterink, setting up his own one yard quarterback sneak touchdown to tie the game. But Gray and the Sabercats responded in a big way, outscoring the Outlaws 35-7 in the rest of the half, taking control on both sides of the ball. Gray adding two more touchdowns, making that three total in the first quarter alone. Gray would finish with 175 all-purpose yards, but didn’t score any more touchdowns, sitting for all of the second half with an injury. Arbet said that Gray “was tough to cover, because when he gets the ball in his hands, he can go the distance any time.” Go the distance he did, and then some.

The momentum swung decisively in San Jose’s favor with the score at 14-7 with 10:18 to go in the second, when Eric Crocker forced return man Gerald Young to fumble on the runback after Gray’s second touchdown. David Hyland recovered the fumble for San Jose, setting up Odie Armstrong’s one yard touchdown scamper. The Sabercats’ defense was utterly dominant by AFL standards, forcing two fumbles and holding Las Vegas to 305 yards. 

The Outlaws might have outgained the Sabercats 185-175 in the first half, but that was largely due to the disparity in kick return yards, shortening the field for San Jose. Gray had 83 return yards on just three runbacks, keying the Sabercats’ offense.

The Sabercats’ big stop on fourth down with 3:51 to go in the second put the game in the refrigerator. Down 35-14, the Outlaws had driven all the way to San Jose’s six yard-line, but big linebacker Francis Maka stuffed Raternick’s run short on 4th and 2. The Sabercats quickly scored again, on a deep fade to receiver Darius Reynolds, his second score of the game, giving San Jose a commanding 42-14 halftime lead. The formidable duo of Reynolds and Gray combined to total 230 all-purpose yards and 5 scores, propelling San Jose to the victory.

With all of Gray’s success, it might be easy to forget that someone was throwing him the ball. Sabercats’ quarterback Nathan Stanley had a very efficient game under center, completing 18 of his 20 attempts and throwing seven, count ’em seven touchdowns. Maka praised Stanley, who has been in the throws of a quarterback controversy, saying that “he’s not a backup. We rode him throughout the playoffs, and he’s our guy.” With Eric Meyer out, Stanley had to be their guy, as he was the only quarterback on the active roster. Receiver Diondre Borel played some quarterback in college, and would have been available in an emergency.

The barrage of Gray touchdowns stopped in the second half, but the Sabercats’ dominance did not. Defensive end Rodney Fritz added a 32-yard touchdown trod after fellow end Donte Paige-Moss sacked Raternick on fourth down and forced a fumble. The score would end the third quarter, and gave San Jose a 55-21 lead heading into the final period. The big 270 pound lineman’s explained his mentality on the play: “Pick it up and don’t get caught. As long as I don’t, I’ll be alright.” Simple, but true.

 

Warriors Coast Past Grizzlies, Take 1-0 Series Lead

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By: Ben Leonard

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With or without point guard Mike Conley, the Memphis Grizzlies are no pushover. Any team with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph will play you tough, making the Warriors’ 101-86 victory in Game One of the Western Conference Semifinals all the more impressive.

Conley was forced to sit out after undergoing surgery to repair fractures in his face, but still watched from the bench. Conley’s status for the rest of the series is still up in the air at this point. Without Conley, Randolph and Gasol paced Memphis’ attack, scoring 20 and 21 points, respectively, both grabbing nine rebounds.

But not even those efforts were strong enough to beat the surging Warriors at Oracle Arena, who extended their home winning streak to 21 games. Stephen Curry paced the Warriors with 22 points and 7 assists, teaming up with fellow “Splash Brother” Klay Thompson and his 18 points to carry the Dubs over the depleted Grizzlies. As a team, Golden State shot an absurd 50.6% from the field, but were given some competition by Memphis in that department, who made 45.2% of their shots. However, the difference in this game was the Warriors’ ability to knock down threes, hitting 13 of their 28 attempts, as compared to Memphis’ 3 of 12 showing.

The Warriors were off to an auspicious beginning, holding a 16 point lead in the second, but failed to pull away from Memphis, finding themselves up just nine at the half. However, the Warriors outscored the Grizzlies 22-14 in the third, proving to be the difference in the game.

Golden State will look to take a 2-0 series lead on Tuesday, with tipoff at 7:30 PST at Oracle Arena.