Author: rxslugger

Retired pharmacist who now has a career as a sports writer and broadcaster

A’s offense comes alive six run rally in 7th helps beat Mariners 12-6

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Oakland A’s Matt Olson makes contact for a two run RBI single in the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at T Mobile Field in Seattle on Tue Jun 1, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s downed the Seattle Mariners 12-6 Tuesday night to snap a three-game losing streak. The way the game went for the first six innings seemed to be a replay of Monday afternoon’s game. Seattle won that game 6-5 in ten innings.

The A’s drew first blood when Matt Olson connected on his 14th big fly of the season to put the A’s ahead 1-0 in the third. Seattle rocked A’s starter Chris Bassitt for three runs in the third and one in the fourth. In the bottom of the third, with two out, M’s shortstop, J.P. Crawford singled. Doubles by Mitch Haniger, Kyle Seager, and Ty France put the three runs on the board for Seattle. In the fourth, left fielder Taylor Trammell took Bassitt deep to give the M’s the lead 4-1 after four.

The A’s inched closer as they scored their second run of the night in the fifth. With one out, Elvis Andrus walked. Second baseman Tony Kemp doubled to drive in Andrus. The A’s trailed 4-2 after five complete.

The A’s put the game away as they scored six runs in the seventh, two in the eight, and two in the night. In the seventh, the A’s sent ten men to the plate. They put together three singles, two doubles, two walks, and a sacrifice fly to put the runs across the plate.

Tony Kemp blasted a two-run dinger in the eighth to make it 10-6. The Mariners catcher, Tom Murphy, homered off lefty reliever Jake Diekman to close within four 10-6. The A’s responded with two more in the ninth to put the game out of reach. Oakland wins 12-6.

Game notes and stats- With the win, the A’s are 32-25 for the year. They remain 1/2 game ahead of the Houston Astros, who beat the Boston Red Sox for the second night in a row.

The Mariners are now 28-28.
Bob Melvin passed former A’s manager Tony LaRussa for most wins as an Oakland A’s skipper. Melvin recorded his 799th win. The Most wins by any A’s manager is Connie Mack, who managed the club for 50 years in Philadelphia.

Tony Kemp was the A’s hitting star Tuesday night. Kemp hit his second homer of the year and tied a career-high with five RBIs. Matt Olson hit his 14th of the season and had three RBIs. Sean Murphy knocked in two with a double in the seventh. Mariners’ first baseman, Ty France, had two doubles and a single. Their catcher, Joe Murphy, homered off Diekman to drive in two.


A’s starter, Chris Bassitt, worked four innings. He was charged with four runs and six hits. He walked one and struck out six. Lefty Jesus Luzardo, coming off the 10-day IL, pitched well in his three innings of work. He allowed two hits and no runs.

He struck out six and allowed one walk. Luzardo received credit for the win. The Mariners’ starter, Marco Gonzales, out since April 27th, went four innings and left the game after reaching his limit of fifty pitches. He gave up one run and two hits.


The A’s line was 12 runs, 13 hits, and no errors. Seattle’s line was six runs, 11 hits, and no errors.

The A’s and the M’s will play the rubber match Wednesday night at T-Mobile park in Seattle. The game will start at 7:10 pm. Seam Manaea will go for Oakland, and the A’s will face the M’s Chris Flexen.

Mariners score two in tenth to down A’s 6-5; Oakland’s third straight loss

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The Seattle Mariners Donavon Walton takes the Oakland A’s deep in the eighth inning as he hits one into the right field bleachers with A’s right fielder Seth Brown (15) watching it go at T Mobile Park in Seattle on Mon May 31, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (31-25) started a six-game road trip in Seattle Monday afternoon at the T-Mobile Stadium. The A’s were hoping to snap a two-game losing streak but it was not to be as the A’s lost in extra innings at T Mobile Park in Seattle 6-5.

The Seattle Mariners (28-27) had taken two out of three from the A’s last week. Oakland’s starter, James Kaprielian, earned his second big-league win downing the M’s at the Coliseum. The M’s sent righty Logan Gilbert to the hill. Gilbert had not yet recorded his first win in the Majors.

The A’s scored the first run of the game in the top of the third inning. Chad Pinder, sporting a new haircut and playing shortstop, doubled to lead off the inning. With two out, Gilbert issued a free pass to Matt Olson. Jed Lowrie followed with a ground-rule double. Pinder scored, Olson stopped at third. Gibert struck out Seth Brown for the third out. The A’s were ahead 1-0 in the third.

The M’s plated four runs in the bottom of the fourth. M’s shortstop, J.P.Crawford led off with a single. Rightfielder Jake Fraley singled to put men on at first and second with no out. Jose Godoy hit into a 3-6-1 double play.

Crawford went to third. Kaprielian had a chance to get out of the inning with no damage if he could retire the M’s DH, Jacob Nottingham. Kaprielian, who had hit Kyle Seager with a pitch in the third, hit Nottingham to put two men on with two out.

The next hitter was Donovan Walton. Walton was hitting way under the Mendoza line for the season. However, as baseball fans know, even guys with low batting averages can hit the ball out of the park. Walton sent Kaprielian’s fastball into the seats into the right-field seats make it 3-1.

Kaprielian then walked Jarred Kelenic and gave up a double to Kyle Lewis. Kelenic scored, and A’s manager Bob Melvin brought in Deolis Guerra to pitch. Guerra retired Seager for the third out. The M’s led 4-1 after four.

The A’s bullpen did a stellar job keeping the M’s off the board. Oakland plated a run in the sixth. Pinder led off the frame with his second double of the game. Matt Olson doubled to drive in Pinder to make it a 4-2 game. Guerra retired all seven batters he faced. Sergio Romo set the M’s down in order in the seventh.

Oakland tied the game in the top of the eighth. Lefty Anthony Misiewicz was on the hill for Seattle. Mark Canha reached on a walk. Matt Olson followed with a single. Canha went to third when Kelenic could not field the ball properly. Misiewicz struck out Lowrie and Brown.

M’s manager Scott Servais brought in righty J.T. Chargois to face Sean Murphy. The home plate umpire called a balk on Chargois that allowed Canha to score. Olson went to second. Murphy doubled to drive in Olson with the A’s fourth run of the game. The A’s bullpen kept the Mariners off the board the next two innings. The game ended tied at 4-4 after nine innings of play.

With the new extra-innings rules in effect in the tenth, Matt Olson was at second with no out. M’s reliever Daniel Zamora retired Lowrie and Stephen Piscotty, who was pinch-hitting for Brown. Aramis Garcia singled to drive in Olson with the A’s fifth run of the day.

The A’s brought in Lou Trivino to pitch the tenth. Jack Mayfield was on second base to start the inning. Trivino retired Kyle Seager for the first out. M’s first baseman. Ty France singled to tie the game at 5-5. J.P. Crawford hit a screamer that somehow bounced over Matt Olson’s glove to went down the right-field line for a double. France advanced to third on the play. M’s catcher Tom Murphy drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly. Seattle wins 6-5.

Game Notes and Stats- With the loss, the A’s drop to 31-25 for the season. It was their third loss in a row. The Houston Astros beat the Boston Red Sox in Houston and moved with 1/2 game of the lead in the American League West. The Mariners won their fifth game in a row to extend their winning streak to five. They are 28-27 for the year.

The hitting star for the A’s was Chad Pinder. Pinder had two doubles and a single Monday afternoon. Each team used six pitchers. Lou Trivino was the losing pitcher. Daniel Zamora picked up the win.

Kaprielian, who went seven innings against the M’s last week in Oakland, lasted three and 2/3rds innings Monday afternoon. He allowed four runs and five hits. He had control issues as he walked three batters and hit two. He recorded three strikeouts. M’s starter Logan Gilbert gave the M’s a quality start. He pitched six innings and gave up two runs, and allowed five hits. He struck out five and walked one.

The A’s will send Chris Bassitt to the hill Tuesday night. Bassitt shut out the Angels last week in Oakland. He had his first complete game ever. Bassitt is 5-2 with an ERA of 3.21. Lefty Marco Gonzales will be making his first start since April 27th. The game will start at 7:1- pm.

The time of the game was three hours and thirty-four minutes. Eleven thousand one hundred twelve fans were in attendance.

Warriors’ season ends lose heartbreaker in overtime to Grizzlies 117-112

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Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors looks down at the floor as the Warriors were eliminated by the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Western Conference Play In game at Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday May 21, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (0-2) lost a heartbreaker Friday night to the Memphis Grizzlies (2-0) 117-112. The Warriors lost by three to the Lakers Wednesday night. Had they won the game, they would have been the eighth seed and play the Utah Jazz this Sunday. Could the Warriors rebound?

Did they have enough gas left in the tank to take down the young and hungry Memphis team? The Warriors beat the Grizzlies last Sunday 113-101, and the team was confident they could beat Memphis again. Unfortunately for Golden State, Memphis figured out a way to beat them.

The Grizzlies’ young stars Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks led Memphis to the playoffs. They gave the Warriors all they could handle. Golden State didn’t quit as a late surge in the fourth quarter forced the game into overtime.

The Grizzlies got off to a great start. They were leading 24-14 when Steph Curry went on a personal 10-2 run to bring the Warriors within two, 26-24. Jordan Poole hit a three to give the Warriors a short-lived lead 27-26. Memphis regained the lead to finish the first quarter leading 30-29. 

Things did not go well for the Warriors in the second quarter. Memphis started the quarter on a 15-9 run. They increased the lead to 15, 57-42. The Warriors Stephen Curry made a three, and Jordan Poole made a two-point basket to close within ten, 59-49.

The Grizzlies answered with a three to finish the first half leading 62-49. The Grizzlies outscored the Warriors 32-20 in the period. The Warriors continued to have problems handling the ball. They turned the ball over nine times in the first half to give the Grizzlies 13 points. Curry led the Warriors with 17. No other Warrior were in double figures. The Grizzlies’ bench outscored the Warriors bench 25-11. 

The Warriors’ defense came to life in the third quarter. The Warriors held the Grizzlies to 16 points while scoring 24. The Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks hounded Curry all night long. Curry and Andrew Wiggins helped the Warriors fightback to finish the third quarter trailing by five, 78-73.

The fourth quarter would be a nailbiter. Memphis upped the lead to nine 97-88 with less than three minutes left in the game. The Warriors went on a 9-0 run tie the game 97-97. Draymond Green, Jordan Poole, and Curry all made key plays on the 9-0 run. Memphis went ahead by two 99-97 with 55 seconds left.

Andrew Wiggins made a bucket to the game 99-99. Memphis had the ball with 33.2 seconds left. The Warriors defense came up with the stop. The Warriors had 9.2 seconds left to make a basket and win the game. They could not score, and the game went into overtime.

Memphis scored the first bucket in OT. Wiggins tied it with a two-pointer to tie the game at 101-101. Curry scored a basket to put the Warriors in the lead 102-101. The Grizzlies’ Grayson Allen connected on two three-point shots to make it 107-103.

Green and Poole made baskets from downtown to give the s the Warriors advantage, 109-107. The Grizzlies’ Xavier Tillman made a three. Ja Morant made two more buckets to put the Grizzlies in the driver’s seat 114-109 with four seconds left. Poole hit a three to cut the lead to two, 114-112. With two seconds left in the game and Memphis had the ball. Desmond Bane scored the final three points of the game. Memphis wins 117-112.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors’ season ended Friday night. The Warriors lost key players to injuries. Klay Thompson will return to action next season. He suffered an Achilles tendon injury in November and worked hard to get back into playing shape.

Rookie center James Wiseman suffered a knee injury, Kelly Oubre, Jr wrist, Eric Paschall hip flexor. The Warriors were down to eight players. Curry had an amazing season and is now a candidate for the NBA’s MVP award. Jordan Poole showed that he could be an offensive threat coming off the bench. Poole was sent down to the G-League. He found his game.

Andrew Wiggins played well on both ends of the court this year. Green, a finalist for Defensive Player of the year, excelled as a point guard. He was third in the league with assists, averaging about nine per game. 

Curry led the Warriors with 39 points. He was 13-for-28 from the floor and connected on six threes. Andrew Wiggins had a double-double with 22 points and ten boards. Green did everything he could to help the Warriors effort. He finished the night with a triple-double.

The Warriors usually never lose when Green has a triple-double. It was the second time in his career that the team lost when he achieved his goal. His line was 11 points, 16 rebounds, and ten assists. Poole had 19, Kent Bazemore ten.

As a team, the W’s shot 44.7% from the floor. They made 12 threes.

Ja Morant led Memphis with 35 points. Dillon Brooks had 13, Jarret Jackson 10. The Memphis bench outscored the Warriors bench 40-27. 

The Warriors committed 21 turnovers. Memphis scored 22 points off those turnovers. 

So, the season ends for Golden State. The team played well down the stretch. Curry was amazing. The team may not be going to the playoffs this year, but there is great anticipation for next season when Thompson, Wiseman, Paschall, and Oubre return. They were fun to watch.

Lakers outlast Warriors win thriller 103-100; Play in with Grizzlies on Friday night

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Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James forward (23) tries to take a shot against the Golden State Warriors forward (95) Juan Toscano-Anderson during the first half of the NBA Western Conference Play In game on Wed May 19, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers met to decide the seventh seed in the NBA’s Western Conference. The defending NBA champions had a rough season as two of the superstar players, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, missed significant playing time due to injuries.

The injury bug also affected the Warriors. Golden State lost Klay Thompson for the season, and Kelly Oubre, Jr. is sidelined with a wrist injury. Rookie James Wiseman went down with a knee injury and was done for the year. The Warriors were down to using eight players. The task was monumental. The Lakers blew out the Warriors in two of three games played in the regular season.

Steph Curry has a history of not shooting well in Staples Arena. Was it possible the Warriors could find a way to beat the Lakers and become the seventh seed? The Warriors pulled out all the stops, but it was not enough as they fell to the Lakers 103-100 Wednesday night.

The Lakers will face the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs. The Warriors return home to play the Memphis Grizzlies Friday night at the Chase Center. The winner will be playing the Utah Jazz in the first round of the tournament. 

The Warriors raced out to an early 15-4 lead in the first quarter. The Lakers, as so many teams in the NBA have done, put two players on Stephen Curry. The Lakers wanted the other four players on the court to beat them. The Lakers were much bigger than the Warriors. Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond, and LeBron James had the height advantage over Kevon Looney, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins. The Warriors were excellent on defense, and they finished the first quarter leading 28-22.

In the second quarter, Curry hit three threes. They held the Lakers to 32% from the floor. Jordan Poole and Juan Toscan-Anderson knocked down threes to propel the Warriorss to a ten-point lead 52-42 with seconds left to play in the first half.

Curry knocked down his third three when he connected as the buzzer sounded to end the first 24 minutes of play. The Warriors led 55-42. Curry led the Warriors with 15. Wiggins had nine, Juan Toscano-Anderson eight. The Lakers’ Alex Caruso paced LA with 12. The Warriors held the Lakers’ big three scorers, James, Davis, and Dennis Schroder, to 13 points total.

After the halftime intermission, the Lakers came out determined to change the outcome of the game. LA went on a 14-2 run to start the third quarter to close with a single point 57-56. The Warriors regrouped as Curry, Kent Bazemore, and Kevon Looney made crucial buckets to put the ‘s ahead by nine 73-62.

The Lakers fought back. LeBron James hit a three to make it 76-73. Anthony Davis threw down a deuce to close within one, 76-75. Curry countered with a three. The Warriors finished the quarter with a two-point lead 79-77. The Lakers outscored the Warriors 35-24 in the third period. The Laker defense forced eight Warrior turnovers that led to 12 points for LA. The Warriors knew they had to play better in the fourth quarter if they hoped to be the seventh seed. 

Things did not go well for the Warriors at the start of the final stanza. The Lakers rolled off an 8-0 run to lead for the first time in the game 85-79. The Warriors fought back to tie the game 91-91. The Warriors regained the lead 96-95 when Jordan Poole connected on a three. The teams tied again 100-100 with 1:21 left to play. LeBron James hit a three-pointer just before the 24-second clock went off the put LA in the driver’s seat. The Lakers’ defense stopped the Warriors to win 103-100.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors will face the Memphis Grizzlies Friday night at the Chase Center. The Warriors beat the Grizzlies 113-101 last Sunday night. The winner of Friday Night’s game will face the number one seed, the Utah Jazz, in the playoffs. The loser is done for the year. 

Curry finished the night with 37 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. He was 12-for-23 from the floor, and he connected on six threes in nine tries. Andrew Wiggins finished with 21. Kent Bazemore and Jordan Poole each had ten. Draymond Green finished with two points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. Kevon Looney pulled down 13 boards. 

The Warriors shot 44% from the floor, and LA shot 40%. The Warriors made 15 threes, and LA knocked down ten. The Lakers’ defense helped LA win the game. They had 15 steals, seven blocked shots, and forced 20 Warrior turnovers. The Warriors committed five in the first half. The Lakers earned 29 points off the turnovers. The Lakers also had the advantage from the free-throw line. They outscored the Warriors 19-11 in that department. 

Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 25 points. He had five in the first half. Davis also had a double-double with 12 rebounds. LeBron James finished the night with a triple-double. He scored 22 points to go along with 11 boards and ten assists. Other Lakers in double-figures were Alex Caruso, 14, Dennis Schroder, 12, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ten.

The battle for the right to play Utah will start at 6 pm at the Chase Center in San Francisco. 

Astros and A’s open three game series Tuesday night; Rivalry baseball at it’s best at the Coliseum

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Oakland A’s starter Sean Manaea gets the call on Tue May 18, 2021 against the Houston Astros who will try to rebound after his last rough outing against the Boston Red Sox (AP File Photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND- The Oakland A’s returned home to the Bay Area after finishing a six-game road trip to Boston and Minnesota. The A’s won four and lost two on the trip. The A’s are in first place in the AL West with a record of 25-17. Their opponent for the next three games will be the Houston Astros (24-17) starting Tuesday night at the Oakland Coliseum.

The Astros trail the A’s by 1/2 game in the race for the division crown. The Astros and A’s have met seven times so far in 2021. The Astros won the first five games between the two teams, but the A’s won the last two.

The Astros have a lineup loaded with power hitters. As a team, the Astros have sent 48 balls out of the park in their first 41 games. The A’s are no slouch hitting balls into the stratosphere either. The A’s have played 42 games, and they have hit 53 round-trippers.

The Astros are 8-2 in their last ten games. The lineup features second baseman Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman, Yuli Guriel, Yordan Alvarez, Michael Brantley, and Kyle Turner. Jason Castro and Martin Maldonado share the catching chores. The Astros went to the World Series in 2017 and 2019. They won the championship in 2017. They eliminated the A’s in the 2020 AL Divison Series. A’s manager Bob Melvin has to figure out a way to beat these guys.

Here is a look at the starting pitchers for the series starting Tuesday night at the Oakland Coliseum. Lefty Sean Manaea will go for Oakland. Manaea had a rough outing in Boston last week. The Red Sox roughed him up for seven runs and ten hits in two-plus innings of work.

Manaea will be looking to get back on track against the Astros’ big boppers. Manaea’s last against Houston was on April 9th. He went six innings and allowed one run. Righty Cristian Javier goes for Houston. Javier is 3-1 with an ERA of 3.08.

However, his performances in May have not been that great. In his three starts this month, he has allowed 11 runs in 17 and 1.3rd innings of work for an ERA of 5.71. In his last outing against the Texas Rangers, Javier went seven innings and allowed three runs.

On Wednesday, the veteran righty, Zack Greinke, will face the A’s. Greinke is 3-1 with an ERA of 4.18. In his last start, Greinke went seven innings and allowed three runs. In his three previous starts, the Astros limited him to four innings of work.

The A’s will counter with Frankie Montas. Frankie is 5-2 for the year and has an ERA of 4.93. However, in his last three starts, Montas is 3-0, and his ERA is a respectable 3.12. Frankie beat the Astros in Houston on April 10th. In that game, he went six innings and allowed one run.

In the series finale on Thursday, Luis Garcia will be on the mound for Houston. Garcia had his first career win last week when he beat the Texas Rangers. Garcia is 1-3 for the year and has an ERA of 3.34. The A’s will send lefty Cole Irvin to handle the pitching chores. Irvin is 3-4 for the year and has an ERA of 3.02. In his last start against the Twins last week, Irvin went 6.2/3 innings and allowed one run. His ERA over the last six starts is 1.89.

The series will be a battle for first place in the Western division. The Astros know they will hear many boos from the A’s fans for being caught stealing signs. The Astros complained about the fans being too rough on them. That’s the price they have to pay for cheating.

The A’s pitchers have to be on top of their game to hold down the Houston hitters. The Astros do not have an easy out in the lineup. The A’s have to put runs on the board if they hope to beat the Astros. The A’s have been very successful in winning games by one or two runs. The A’s as a team are hitting about .222. Their hitters can put the ball out of the park, but it would be nice to see them get more hits. The three-game set should be fun.

The teams have finished the first quarter of the season. The Astros and A’s appear to be in the race for the division crown. The Seattle Mariners have rebuilt their team and are not too far behind the A’s and the Astros. The Angels and Rangers have been struggling so far this year. The A’s haven’t played them yet, but they will be seeing them soon.

Curry pours in 46 points leads W’s to sixth win in a row 113-101

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The Golden State Warriors forward Kent Bazemore offers guard Stephen Curry a drink to cool off from his 46 point night against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sun May 16, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (39-33) played the final game of the regular season Sunday afternoon at the Chase Center in San Francisco against the Memphis Grizzlies (38-34). The teams were tied with identical season records 38-33. The winner of the game would be the eighth team in the Western Conference.

The loser would be the ninth. In the new NBA play-in format, the eighth team plays the number seven. The winner of that game becomes the number seven seed and will face the second-best team in the conference in the first round of the playoffs.

The loser will face the winner of the game between number nine and number ten. The loser of that game is done for the season. The winner meets the loser of number eight or number seven. The winner then becomes the eighth seed and faces the team with the best record. The whole play-in formula sounds confusing, but after Sunday’s game, things are a bit clearer. The Warriors helped explain what will happen as they beat the Grizzlies 113-101.

The Warriors, led by Stephen Curry, had to find a way to slow down the Grizzlies in the fourth quarter. The Warriors ended the third quarter leading by 17, 86-69. The Grizzlies had bottled up Curry in the first half. They held him to 13 points, and they trailed at the end of the first half, 55-49. Curry came to life in the third quarter when he put 17 points on the board. The Warriors seemed to be on their way to an easy victory.

However, the Warriors have to be wary of a fourth-quarter letdown. The Grizzlies’ young star, Dillon Brooks, went on a personal 8-0 run to make it 86-77 game. Curry made a three and a deuce to put the W up 91-79. The Grizzlies put their offense into overdrive as they continued to put points on the board while stopping the Warriors on defense.

They tied the game at 91-91, finishing a 22-5 run. The question at this point was this: can the Warriors regroup and find a way to win? The question was answered when Dillon Brooks fouled Draymond Green. Brooks, who covered Curry like a blanket, was gone.

Green made the two free throws to make it 93-91. Memphis responded by going ahead 97-95. The Warriors’ Jordan Poole started a 14-0 run with a three. Andrew Wiggins scored to give the Warriors the lead 100-97. Curry showed the Grizzlies why he is the best shooter in the game. Curry made three consecutive threes to give Golden State a 12-point lead 109-97. The Grizzlies were toast. They could not catch Golden State. The Warriors win 113-101.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors will face either the Portland Trailblazers or the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night. A Laker loss and a Portland win will send the Warriors to Portland. If the Lakers win, the Warriors will face the Lakers at the Staples Center. If the Warriors win the play-in game, they will be the seventh seed. If they lose, they will host the winner of the game between Memphis and San Antonio for the eighth seed.

Curry joined Michael Jordan as the only two players 33 years or older to win the NBA scoring title. Curry finished the season with an average of 31.8 points per game. Curry finished the night with 46 points. It was the 11th game this season with 40 or more points. It was the 38th game with 30 or more points. 

Curry had help from Green, Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, and Juan Toscano-Anderson. Green’s line was 14 points, nine boards, and nine assists. He almost had a triple-double. Wiggins had a double-double- with 21 points and ten rebounds. Wiggins continued to be consistent on both ends of the court.

Poole had 15. The Warriors shot almost 50% from the floor. They connected on 15 threes. Curry knocked down nine of the 15 threes. Quite a performance for the two-time NBA MVP. The Warriors outrebounded the taller Grizzlies 52-48. The Warriors recorded 26 assists on 41 made field goals. The only ugly stat was the 19 turnovers.

The Grizzlies’ Jonas Valenciunas paced his club with 29 points and 16 rebounds. Dillon Brooks had 18, Ja Morant 16, Kyle Anderson 10, and Jaren Jackson 14. The Grizzlies shot 43% from the floor, and they made six threes in 25 attempts.

The Warriors won their sixth game in a row to finish the season 39-33. The Grizzlies are 38-34. The Warriors’ next game is Wednesday night, either in Portland or Los Angeles.

Warriors hang on to slip by Pelicans 125-122; Poole leads with 38 points for W’s

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The Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) shoots against the New Orleans Pelicans guard Eric Bledsoe (right) and center Willy Hermangomez bottom at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri May 14, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors (38-33) won their fifth straight game, downing the New Orleans Pelicans (31-40) 125-122 Friday night at the Chase Center. The Warriors currently reside in eighth place in the Western Conference. The Memphis Grizzlies, with the same record as the Warriors, meet on Sunday to determine which team will be the number eight team.

A loss to the Pelicans and a Grizzlie win Friday night would not have changed the importance of Sunday’s game. The Warriors’ head coach, Steve Kerr, decided to rest his three best players Friday night. Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins watched the game from the bench.

The Pelicans, in 11th place in the conference, were eliminated from the playoffs last week. Their head coach, Stan Van Gundy, rested Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Steve Adams. Zion Williamson broke his finger last week in the second game against the Warriors, and he is done for the year.

Jordan Poole and Mychal Mulder were in the starting lineup at the guard position. Juan Toscano-Anderson was the other bench player getting a starting assignment. The teams played a very fast-paced and entertaining first quarter. Mychal Mulder was channeling Curry as he knocked down five threes in the first quarter. Jordan Poole paced the Warrior offense with 14 points. The Warriors outscored the Pelicans 41-32 at the end of the first 12 minutes of action.

The Warriors continued to shoot well from the floor. Kent Bazemore, along with Nico Mannion, helped keep the pressure on the Pelican defense. The Warriors outscored the Pelicans 34-25 in the quarter to finish the first half leading 75-57. Mychal Mulder made his sixth three of the game in the quarter and finished the first half with 20 points. Jordan Poole led the team with 24.

Kent Bazemore had 13, and Nico Mannion added nine. The Warriors shot 60% from the floor. Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the Pelicans with 11. Willy Herangomez had 10, Eric Bledsoe 9, and Jaxson Hayes 7. The Pelicans shot 45% from the floor.

The Pelicans coach, Stan Van Gundy, must have had a heart-to-heart talk with his team about playing defense during the halftime break. The Pelicans turned the tables on the Warriors in the third quarter. Their offense came alive as they put 33 points on the board while holding Golden State to 24. Jordan Poole injured his ankle midway in the quarter. He went to the locker room and had his ankle iced. The Warriors finished the third quarter leading 99-90.

The Warriors were able to maintain the lead for most of the fourth quarter. In his first game in over a month, Eric Paschall was a catalyst keeping the Pelicans at bay. Mulder hit a two-pointer to put the Warriors ahead 112-101. They led by eleven 119-108. It was at this point that the Warrior offense went ice cold.

The Pelicans made stop after stop and were able to go on a 12-0 run to take the lead 120-119. The Warriors went three minutes and 39 seconds without scoring. Eric Paschall broke the spell with a basket to put the Warriors ahead 121-120.

The Pelicans answered with a basket of their own to lead 122-121, with 25.9 seconds left. Jordan Poole hit a basket that took just four seconds of the clock. New Orleans has 21 seconds to find a way to beat the Warriors. They tried, but the Warrior defense held. The Warriors had control of the ball. The Pelicans fouled Poole with 0.1 seconds left. Poole made both free throws, and the game was over. The Warriors win 125-122.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 39-33 for the year. The Pelicans are 31-40. The Memphis Grizzlies beat the Sacramento Kings in Memphis 107-106 to remain in the ninth spot. The winner of Sunday’s game will play the Number seven team in the conference. The Number nine team will play the Number ten team.

Jordan Poole and Mychal Mulder had career-highs in scoring Friday night. Poole finished with 38 points, four rebounds, and six assists. Jordan knocked down four threes. Mulder’s line was 28 points, two rebounds, one assist, and was seven-for 13 from downtown.

Other Warriors in double figures were Kent Bazemore with 14, Eric Paschall had 12 points and four rebounds, Nico Mannion 11 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Juan Toscano-Anderson almost had a triple-double. His numbers were nine points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. The Warrior shot 49% from the floor. They made 17 threes in 39 tries. 

The Pelicans’ Nickeil Alexander-Walker had quite a night with 30 points. He connected on four threes. Naji Marshall had a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Willy Hernangomez had 10. Wenyen Garland had 14, and Jaxson Hayes had 19.

The Warriors meet the Memphis Grizzlies Sunday afternoon at the Chase Center. The game will start at 12:30 pm.

Red Sox rout A’s 8-1; A’s Manaea shelled in first two innings for six runs

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Oakland A’s starter Sean Manaea gets a new ball after surrendering a two run homer to the Boston Red Sox Bobby Dalbec as Hunter Renfroe (left) runs the bases to score ahead of Dalbec at Fenway Park in Boston on Thu May 13, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (23-16) were going for a sweep of the three-game series against the Boston Red Sox (23-16). The A’s pitching kept the potent Boston lineup quiet in the first two games of the series. The Sox scored two runs in the first game and just one run Wednesday night.

Oakland sent out lefty Sean Manaea to handle the pitching chores Thursday night. Manaea was brilliant in his last outing as he held Baltimore to one run and two hits in seven and 1/3rd innings of work. As baseball fans know, left-handed pitchers have to have pinpoint control when pitching in Fenway Park.

Lefties have to keep the ball down and away to prevent the right-handed hitters from pulling the ball and keeping in the park. Manaea was not up to the task as three of the first four Red Sox hitters pounded him for three runs. Manaea was tagged for three more in the second and could not get anyone out in the third. The Red Sox went on to win 8-1.

The Red Sox put three on the board in the first inning. Red Sox second baseman, Michael Chavis, led off with a double. Manaea retired Alex Verdugo for the first out. J.D. Martinez, usually Boston’s DH, was playing in left field. Martinez singled to drive in Chavis with the first run of the game. Xander Bogaerts was the DH. Bogaerts homered to left to put the Sox up 3-0 after one inning.

The Red sox plated three more runs in the second inning. Right-fielder Hunter Renfroe led off with a single. First baseman Bobby Dalbec homered to make it 5-0. The Sox weren’t done. Manaea walked Jonathan Arauz. Manaea retired Chavis and Verdugo. J.D.Martinez singled, sending Arauz to second. Bogaerts doubled to drive in Arauz with Boston’s sixth run. 

The Red Sox sent Manaea to the showers in the top of the third. The first three hitters, Christian Vasquez, Renfroe, and Dalbec, all singled to load the bases. A’s manager Bob Melvin had seen enough. He pulled Manaea from the game and brought in Deolis Guerra to pitch. Guerra got Arauz to hit into a double play. Vasquez scored to put the Sox in the driver’s seat 7-0 after three innings.

The Red Sox scored once in the sixth to lead 8-0. The A’s were able to put one on the board in the top of the eighth. The night belonged to Boston as they won 8-1.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the A’s are now 23-16 for the year. Boston now has the same record as Oakland 23-16.

Sean Manaea’s line was two-plus innings of work. He allowed seven runs and ten hits. Sean’s record for the season is 3-2. The A’s bullpen went six innings and allowed one run. Deolis Guerra worked three innings and did allow a run. The Sox scored a run off Adam Kolarek. Reymin Guduan pitched two scoreless innings for the A’s

Garrett Richards’ line was six innings, five hits, and no runs. Richards won his third game of the year. He has two losses so far this season. Garrett Whitlock went three innings to earn his first save of the year.

The time of the game was two hours and fifty-five minutes. There were about 9300 fans in attendance on a chilly night in Boston.

The A’s are on their way to Minnesota to face the Twins for three games starting Friday night. Frankie Montas will go for Oakland. The Twins will send righty Matt Shoemaker out to handle the pitching chores. The game will start at 5:10 pm.

A’s beat Red Sox 4-1 gives James Kaprielian his first Major League victory

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Oakland A’s starter James Kaprielian pitches to the Boston Red Sox line up in the first inning at Fenway Park in Boston Wed May 12, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (23-15) sent James Kaprielian to the Hill Wednesday night to face the Boston Red Sox (22-16). Kaprielian was making his first Major League start. The young man from Southern California had his family in attendance, and he had to have some butterflies in his stomach at the start of the game.

The Red Sox welcomed him by scoring a run in the first inning. Kaprielian worked his way out of a jam and threw about 30 pitches in the frame. He settled down and kept the Red Sox off the board the next four innings. The A’s offense put four unanswered runs on the board, and James won his first game in the big leagues. 

The Red Sox drew first blood in the bottom of the first. Marwyn Gonzalez, who loves to hit against the A’s, got things going with a double to right field. Kaprielian walked Alex Verdugo and gave up a single to J.D. Martinez. The Red Sox had the bases loaded with no out and the chance for a big inning. Kaprielian retired the next two hitters. He walked Christian Vasquez to force in a run. Hunter Renfroe struck out to end the inning. Boston led 1-0 after one inning of play.

The A’s tied the game in the top of the fourth. With two out, Stephen Piscotty singled. Sean Murphy doubled to drive in Piscotty. The A’s scored two more in the top of the fifth. Mitch Moreland singled to start the rally. A’s shortstop Elvis Andrus doubled to center to send Moreland to third.

Jed Lowrie grounded out 6-3. Moreland scored on the play, Andrus advanced to third. Andrus scored when Eduardo Rodriguez committed a balk. The A’s led 3-1 midway through the fifth inning. Oakland added a run in the top of the seventh when Matt Olson blasted his eighth of the year. 

A’s manager Bob Melvin turned the pitching chores over to his bullpen after the fifth inning. Burch Smith pitched two perfect innings. With Lou Trivino pitching in the eighth, the Red Sox mounted a threat. With one out and men on at second and third, Red Sox catcher Christian Vasquez grounded out to Lowrie who threw to Olson.

Xander Bogaerts committed a baserunning blunder as he tried to score from third on the play. A’s first baseman, Matt Olson, threw home to nail Bogaerts trying to score. The A’s led 4-1 after eight complete.

The A’s summoned lefty Jake Diekman from the bullpen to close out the game in the ninth. Jake retired the Red Sox 1-2-3 to preserve the win for Kaprielian.

Game Notes: With the win, the A’s are now 23-15 for the year. The Red Sox are 22-16. 

Kaprielian worked five innings and allowed one run and four hits. He struck out six and walked three. Kaprielian’s father was in attendance to watch his son start his first game in the Majors. The A’s acquired James in a trade with the Yankees in 2017. The trade sent Sonny Gray to New York. The Yankees picked Kaprielian in the first round of the 2016 draft. Kaprielian missed two years of playing time due to arm injuries. 

The A’s will be attempting to sweep the Red Sox on Thursday. The A’s pitching shut down the vaunted Boston offense allowing them three runs in the first two games of the series.

The A’s will send Sean Manaea to the hill on Thursday. Manaea was outstanding in his last performance. Garrett Richards will pitch for Boston. 

The game will start at 4:10 pm on Thursday.

Warriors fourth quarter rally stuns Suns 122-116; Wiggins top scorer with 38 points for Golden State

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The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) takes a shot against the Phoenix Suns Devin Booker at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue May 11, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

For the second night in a row, the Golden State Warriors (37-33) faced one of the top teams in the NBA, the Phoenix Suns (48-21). The Suns entered the game, still smarting from a 123-110 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday night. If the Suns were to win, they would be just one game behind the Utah Jazz in the race for first place in the Western Conference.

If Utah and Phoenix finish with identical records, Phoenix would be Division champs as they won the season series from the Jazz. The Warriors needed a win to remain in eighth place in the Western Conference. The eighth-place would give the Warriors two chances to make the final eight teams for the Western Conference title. If the Warriors finish in ninth or tenth, one loss will send them home.

Things did not go well for the Warriors in the first half. Phoenix, as so many teams have done, had two men defending Stephen Curry. The Warriors needed someone to step up and fill the void if Curry was shackled. Andrew Wiggins was the man. Wiggins finished the night with 38 points to lead the Warriors to an exciting 122-116 win.

 In the first quarter, the teams played a very face-paced, competitive game. The Warriors led 21-20 when Phoenix went on a 16-2 run to lea 36-23. The Suns were making threes, and the Warriors were not. The Suns connected on six threes. Phoenix led 38-29 after the first 12 minutes of action.

Things didn’t get better for Golden State in the second period. The Suns led by 15 points, 55-40, about halfway through the period. Kent Bazemore, Andrew Wiggins, and Juan Toscano-Anderson helped the Warriors close the gap to a eight-point deficit, 66-58 at the end of the first half.

The Suns Jae Crowder led his team with 17 points. Crowder knocked down five shots from behind the three-point arc. The 36-year-old veteran point guard, Chris Paul, had 11. Devin Booker had nine. Andrew Wiggins kept the Warriors in the game with 21. Kent Bazemore pitched in with 14. Curry finished with four points. He was 0-for-5 from downtown.

The Warriors knew they had to make adjustments to get Curry open so that he could attempt three-point shots. The Suns knew that the Warriors love to put their opponents away in the third quarter. Neither team would wilt in the quarter.

Curry made his only three-pointer of the night to bring the Dubs within six, 70-64. The Suns Devin Booker held to nine points in the first half, took over the Phoenix offense. Booker poured in 22 points while the rest of the Suns tallied just ten. The Warriors won the quarter 34-32 but still trailed by six, 98-92 heading into the final 12 minutes of play. 

The Warriors had to find a way to stop the Phoenix offense in the fourth quarter. Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, and Juan Toscano-Anderson were the players that held Phoenix to 18 points. The Warriors started the final 12 minutes with their second unit.

Wiggins and Jordan Poole each made a three to tie the game 103-103. Curry made a bucket to tie the game at 105-105. Phoenix went ahead 110-107 with three minutes left. Wiggins connected on a three to tie the game again. Chris Paul responded with a three to put Phoenix ahead 113-110.

Toscano-Anderson made his only three of the night to tie the game at 113-113. Jordan Poole gave the Warriors their first lead since they led 21-20 in the first period. Wiggins made a two-point bucket to give the Warriors a five-point lead 118-113 with 1:21 left.

The Suns Jae Crowder made his sixth three of the night to close within two, 118-116 with 1:10 left. Curry made a floater. Curry made a floater. Golden State led 120-116. The Suns, running out of time, fouled Jordan Poole. Poole made both free throws to seal the win for the Warriors 122-116.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 37-33 for the year. They have two games left on the schedule. They meet the New Orleans Pelicans Friday night and finish the season against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies trail the Warriors by 1/2 game in the race for the eighth spot in the conference. Sunday’s game should be a barnburner.

Andrew Wiggins was the player of the game for Golden State. Wiggins finished with 38 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Wiggins was 17-for-24 from the floor, and he connected on two threes. Green finished with a triple-double.

His numbers were 11 points, ten rebounds, and 11 assists. The Warriors rarely lose when Green has a triple-double. Poole had 20 points. Poole made three threes. Kent Bazemore had another solid game on both ends of the court.

Bazemore finished with 17 points. For most players scoring 21 points in a game would be a big night. For Curry, it was an off night. Curry tallied 21 points, three rebounds, and six assists. He was seven-for 22 from the floor, and he made one three in 11 tries. Toscano-Anderson finished with seven points, five rebounds, and six assists. He made one three, but it was huge when it happened in the fourth quarter. 

As a team, the Warriors made 47 field goals in 95 attempts. They were 11-for-40 from behind the three-point arc. They outrebounded the Suns 51-40. The Warriors recorded 33 assists on 47 field goals. 

Devin Booker led the Suns with 34 points. Chris Paul had 24, and Jae Crowder finished with 20.

The Warriors play the New Orleans Pelicans Friday night at the Chase Center. Zion Williamson will not play. The Pelicans’ star forward due to an injury he suffered last week against the Warriors in Crescent City. The game will start at 6:30 pm