Major League Baseball Players Union has stated that they will never agree to a salary cap after MLB offered a $245 million firm salary cap to the MLBPA which they refused. (image from the Major League Baseball Players Association)
MLB The Show podcast Charlie O:
#1 Minimum Player Salaries The union sought substantial increases in the minimum salary for younger players. MLB proposed smaller increases. Revenue Sharing and Service Time The union argued that some teams were not spending enough despite receiving revenue-sharing funds.
#2 There were also concerns about “service-time manipulation,” where teams delayed promoting top prospects to gain extra years of team control.
#3 Charlie talk about the hard cap that MLB is proposing at $247 Million that the union is refusing to accept.
#4 San Diego Padres Fernando Tatis Jr got his first home of the season in the fifth inning agianst the Washington Nationals a 450 foot left field dinger. Tatis has five 20 homer seasons and hit 41 in 2021 but had not hit a homer in 240 at bats until Saturday.
#5 Charlie talk about the recent stadium proposal for West Sacramento. The Mayors of West Sacramento Martha Guerrero and Mayor of Sacramento Kevin McCarty both were on had presenting a rendering and a dream of building a park at the Sutter Health Park location to help lure an MLB expansion club. San Francisco Giants executive Dusty Baker a Sacramento native was on had for the presser as well and was pushing for it’s construction.
Mandatory Photo Credit: The Pitch media packet and rendering from Hart Howerton
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The greater Sacramento area officially threw its hat in the unofficial MLB expansion ring on Thursday, announcing a new entity called The Sacramento Pitch to lead the effort in luring MLB to expand to West Sacramento. “We come together to celebrate 175 years of a love affair for baseball and officially launch our campaign to bring a major league baseball expansion team right here to Sacramento,” Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty said at the press conference.
However, does the city have what it takes to make this bid real, and who are the players behind it?
This expansion desire isn’t a recent development or something that was hastily put into existence. The Sacramento area has been working for a while on exploring an expansion opportunity after the Athletics leave for Las Vegas after the 2027 season.
“We spent the last year working quietly behind the scenes to build the partnerships, the investments and the long-term vision in order to compete effectively for an expansion franchise,” Mark Friedman, founder and chairman of the Fulcrum Property Group, said at the event on Thursday.
It’s clear that Sacramento views itself as a real player in the MLB expansion sweepstakes, whenever that actually happens. With MLB facing a potential lockout and work stoppage following this season at the end of the current CBA, who knows when the expansion talks will actually formalize in MLB. However, it has seemed to be the writing on the wall that MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred would like to have the new teams in place by his departure at the end of his term in 2029. So, for the sake of clarity, let’s remove the current uncertainty of MLB from the equation and just evaluate the financial backing, the proposed site and the momentum that Sacramento has appeared to generate.
The Funding, for Now
The Pitch says it has assembled $1.8 billion in public and private financing.
This will be in part from a contribution from the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians in addition to an undisclosed amount from the United Auburn Indian Community. An article from the Sacramento Bee’s Annika Merrilees confirms the commitment and adds that a spokesperson from the tribes says each party will contribute $250 million to the effort.
The Pitch also states that the main contribution from the city of West Sacramento will come in the form of an EIFD.
I asked Friedman in an interview how the deal would work, and he explained the situation to me.
“The formal mechanism is called an EIFD, which is an enhanced infrastructure financing district,” Friedman told me Thursday. “But basically think about it as a property tax rebate. The city will rebate to us the share of property taxes that are created by the new development as a way of facilitating it. The taxes are only generated by the property — it doesn’t affect anybody else in the community, and it only relies on revenue that the project itself generates.”
That sounds like private financing with a city rebate to come later as the project generates revenue. Unlike a lot of projects that rely on county-issued bonds, like the A’s deal in Las Vegas, this deal seems to have a different structure.
The Site
The site itself seems to be the strongest part of the Pitch and its structure to bid for an MLB franchise during expansion. The 50-acre site that is under and adjacent to the current Sutter Health Park is fully entitled and zoned for a stadium project, often the most difficult part of any new stadium deal.
“It’s easier [getting funding/building] than the entitlements,” Friedman told me. “But in this case, we have a site that’s ready to go. It’s fully zoned, it’s entitled, we already have a stadium here — and that is more than half the battle in California. It’s getting the approvals to do a use of a particular area.”
The site would be picturesque. It’s one of the more ideally located spots in all of the city, and the Sacramento skyline would serve as the backdrop, much as it currently does for Sutter Health Park. As for how the actual design and layout of the park would be, we aren’t at that point in the process, but Sutter Health Park would most likely be gone as a result of any such project.
“The stadium takes about 17 acres,” Friedman said to me in my interview with him. “We haven’t gotten to the official design stage, but it could either be on the existing site [Sutter Health Park], next to it, or a combination of the two. We’ve got to go through a full planning effort to figure out what the sightlines look like and where the parking ought to be located before we finally settle on a formal location.”
Sacramento Appetite
At the conclusion of the press conference on Thursday, the crowd in attendance led a Sac-ra-mento chant that lasted for about a minute. There’s a tangible buzz and excitement around the area about a potential expansion opportunity with MLB. Unlike the A’s temporary move here, the idea of ownership is a new thing and a fresh baseball start in the city has garnered a lot of public support, at least at this launch event.
“We’re a bigger market than seven current major league baseball teams,” Barry Broome, CEO of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council, said during the press conference. “What’s going to put this over the finish line is the changing mindset inside our own community — shifting away from the naysayers to the doers. This is the doers’ town now.”
Former MLB player and Sacramento native Derek Lee was also excited about the launch of the bid for an expansion team.
“We’ve [him and Dusty Baker] been in all 30 big league cities, and this is a major league city, no doubt. This is a big deal. Let’s change the mindset. Let’s get it done.”
The city does seem to be a big league town. From solid attendance for the River Cats over the years, along with good attendance for the A’s in their temporary stop in the city, to regularly selling out Golden 1 Center for the Kings, the appetite for professional sports in Sacramento is real.
“Sacramento has always supported professional sports,” Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty said. “For four decades, this community has stood by the Kings — sellout after sellout — building one of the NBA’s most loyal fan bases.”
West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero echoed the sentiments of others in her remarks to the crowd.
“For more than 25 years, baseball has been a part of West Sacramento’s identity,” Guerrero said. “The River Cats became one of the most successful and best-attended franchises in minor league baseball, helping demonstrate the long-term viability of professional baseball in the Sacramento market.”
In my opinion, the viability of MLB expansion is not only viable, it’s likely to be successful if it happens.
The No. 1 obstacle standing in the way of the city achieving its goal is not being able to find a financial ‘whale’ and majority owner with the cash to make it happen and the popularity to win over the other owners’ favor in the inevitable expansion vote.
In the end, that search will define the success of this ambition for the region of Sacramento.
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.
Las Vegas Aces Brianna Turner (21) tries to pass after a rebound defended by Golden State Valkyries’ Veronica Burton (22) and Kiah Stokes (41) in the first half of a WNBA basketball game in San Francisco, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
By Michael Roberson
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — The Golden State Valkyries (5-3) received a second half beatdown, 91-81 from the defending champion Las Vegas Aces (5-3) in the City by the Bay Sunday at Chase Center.
The Aces got on the board first to begin the contest. After that, there were four ties and three lead changes within the first ten minutes of the game. Gabby Williams (8) and Jackie Young (7) led their respective teams to a two point first quarter finish, with the home team up by two, 23-21.
The second stanza produced two additional ties and nine lead changes. However, the margin after two quarters was the same two points, but in the reciprocal form with the visitors in the lead, 43-41.
At the half, Williams (10) was the Golden State player in double-figures, while the Aces had two hoopers. A’ja Wilson scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and teammate Jackie Young added ten points.
The second half would be all Aces, which would be awesome in many card games, but the Sin City team parlayed that into an 18-point lead during the third period, and as much as 24 in the fourth quadrant.
Despite those vast leads, the Valkyries continued to fight back. Williams continued to lead the way for Golden State (12) in the third quarter, but the defending champs were keeping the team by the Bay at bay at that point in time. After 30 minutes of WNBA action, the Valkyries trailed by 18 points, 72-54.
Despite being behind by three touchdowns and a field goal, the Valkyries displayed strong pride and cut the deficit to single digits multiple times late in the game. Even with thal valiant effort, Las Vegas eventually won the game by 10 points, 91-81.
Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 20 points, while Janelle Salaun offered 16 points, and Kayla Thornton put up 12 points. The Ace were led by superstar A’ja Wilson’s 28 points and 15 rebounds. Jackie Young contributed 23 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, while NaLyssa Smith chipped in 15 points and nine rebounds.. Stephanie Talbot also tallied ten points and seven rebounds.
The victory for the Aces evened both teams’ records (5-3) and maybe previewed an eventual playoffs battle in the future.
The Valkyries will next be in action Tuesday, June 2, as they host the expansion Portland Fire at 7 PM PT on KMAX/KPIX+. The Aces will head down to Southern California, on the same date, taking on the Sparks at 7 PM PT on The Spot.
Jacob Lopez #57 of the Athletics pitches against the New York Yankees in the top of the first inning at Sutter Health Park on Sun May 31, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Athletics and Yankees played the rubber game of a three-game series on Sunday afternoon at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento. The Yankees took the series from the A’s with a historic 13-8 victory on Sunday to cap the A’s homestand.
Jacob Lopez got the ball for the A’s to start the game as Mark Kotsay looked to fill his rotation after the injury to Luis Severino. Lopez really struggled on Sunday after getting off to a solid start, retiring the first six batters he faced. In the third inning, it unraveled as Lopez gave up seven runs on five hits while walking two, as he was unable to record an out in the inning.
“Jacob going out in that inning… the two walks became an issue right away,” Kotsay said after the game. “He gets himself in a jam, doesn’t cover first base, it’s a mental lapse there and it cost him, it cost him severely.”
Kotsay went on to describe how the abbreviated start from Lopez left the team in a bad spot, and he didn’t mince words.
“We needed a start from him today after dealing with Friday and an injury where we ran the pen hard,” Kotsay said postgame. “We ran the pen again last night to get a win. We needed five, six innings from Jacob today and we unfortunately weren’t able to get that.”
Kotsay’s frustrations weren’t just words. Jacob Lopez met with the media at his locker after the game and informed reporters that he had been sent down to Triple-A.
“I mean, it’s kind of been a common thing all year,” Lopez said in the clubhouse. “So, I’m going to go to Triple-A and figure it out.”
Aside from his demotion, I asked Lopez if he had ever been part of such a wild inning at any level of his baseball career.
“No, I’ve never been a part of a 13-run inning.”
Having to go to the bullpen early yet again, Mark Kotsay went with Michael Kelly to try and clean up the mess in the third inning. Kelly struggled mightily, and the bleeding continued for the A’s and their pitching staff as he was only able to get two outs in the inning.
Kelly threw 42 pitches to get those two outs while giving up six runs on six hits and walking two Yankees hitters. Lopez, combined with Kelly out of the bullpen, was part of one of the worst innings in MLB history. The Yankees scored 10 runs in the inning before Kelly was able to get the first out, tying the 2003 Boston Red Sox, who did the same thing.
Kotsay had to turn to Jack Perkins, his third pitcher of the third inning, to close out the frame. He got Trent Grisham to fly out and closed the book on the disastrous inning for the A’s pitching staff. All told, Jacob Lopez and Michael Kelly gave up 13 runs, 11 hits, and four walks in the disastrous third inning.
Perkins went on to pitch another two innings for the A’s, trying to provide some length out of the bullpen. Perkins pitched the fourth and fifth innings, going three up, three down in both frames and needing only 30 pitches across his two and one-third innings of work.
Mark Leiter Jr. was the next man up for the A’s as he pitched a scoreless sixth inning while allowing just one walk.
Luis Medina pitched the seventh and eighth innings for the A’s and was on fire, allowing no hits or walks while striking out four Yankees hitters.
Jose Suarez capped the pitching effort for the A’s as he tossed a scoreless ninth inning while striking out one.
On the offensive side of the ball, the A’s battled but ultimately couldn’t overcome the historically bad third inning.
Believe it or not, the A’s actually had a three-run lead in the game as they scored the first three runs in the bottom of the first inning.
Jonah Heim got the A’s on the board first when he reached on a fielding error in center field that allowed two A’s runners to score and gave the A’s a quick 2-0 lead.
One batter later, Lawrence Butler got the A’s their third run of the inning as he lined an RBI single to left field that scored Heim from second base and gave the A’s a 3-0 lead.
The A’s wouldn’t score again until the seventh inning when Brent Rooker homered to left-center field to give the A’s their fourth run of the game, albeit in a 13-4 contest. Rooker’s homer was his eighth of the year and his 26th RBI. The shot left his bat at 109 mph and traveled 404 feet over the wall in left field.
Later in the seventh inning, the A’s got three more runs on a three-run shot from Jonah Heim to right field that brought them back within six runs and made it a 13-7 ballgame. It was Heim’s second home run of the year and increased his RBI total to 11. The home run left the bat at 106 mph and traveled 409 feet.
Nick Kurtz, who reached base four times on Sunday, got the A’s their final run of the game with a booming RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning that left his bat at 107 mph. It was Kurtz’s 12th double of the year and his 41st RBI of the campaign.
The A’s offense tallied eight runs on 12 hits while drawing five walks.
With the loss, the A’s fell to 28-31 on the year while the Yankees improved to 36-23 and took the series, 2-1.
The A’s will travel to Chicago on Sunday night and spend an off day in the Windy City before a three-game series with the Cubs that begins Tuesday at 5:05 p.m. PST. The A’s will send Gage Jump (0-1, 7.20 ERA) to the mound to make his second major league start, while the Cubs are scheduled to counter with Jameson Taillon (2-4, 5.37 ERA) in the series opener.
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.
San Francisco Giant Casey Schmitt (left) congratulates Willy Adames (front right) after hitting a grand slam in the top of the fifth inning at Coors Field in Denver (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
The San Francisco Giants (23-36) bats came to life in a huge offensive effort beating the Colorado Rockies (22-38) in game three of their series 19-6 Sunday at Coors Field.
They did lose the series but hopefully they will take this momentum into their next series that gets underway Monday against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Giants were hitting lights out finishing with 25 hits which included a Willy Adames grand slam. All but one player in today’s lineup had at least a hit.
Game recap: San Francisco was looking to get on top of the Rockies in the first inning and that is exactly how this game got underway. The Giants got an excellent start in game three.
Rafael Devers doubled and Jung Hoo Lee who has had an amazing series singled Devers home for an early 1-0 lead. Starter Robbie Ray gave up two singles in the bottom of the inning but got out of it leaving two Colorado runners stranded.
The bottom of the San Francisco batting order continued to produce with Bryce Eldridge and Daniel Susac hitting back to back doubles in the top of the second inning. The Susac double drove Eldridge home extending their lead to 2-0.
The Rockies cut the Giants lead in half in the bottom of the second inning. Kyle Karros doubled reaching third on a wild pitch from Ray. Karros would score on a Fulford foul and the Rockies trailed 2-1
With the score so very close, San Francisco would be looking for some insurance runs as this game went into the third inning. Neither team was able to score in the third inning so both teams went into the fourth inning with the Giants looking for more runs and the Rockies looking to at the very least tie up this game.
The fourth inning was a busy one for San Francisco. Eldridge doubled followed by Susac getting hit by a pitch. There was a pitching change for the Rockies with Gordon being relieved by Brennan Bernardino.
Gordon had allowed six hits and four runs. Casey Schmitt singled driving Eldridge home and San Francisco was slowly pushing out their lead now with a 3-1 tally. They would add one more run before the top of the inning ended taking a 4-1 lead.
The Rockies got uncomfortably close in the bottom of the fourth inning. Karros led off the bottom of the fourth with a single and a Chad Stevens walk. Both Karros and Stevens scored, Stevens scoring on a Ray throwing error. Ray was very obviously fatigued already with 94 pitches but got out of the inning.
Going into the top of the fifth inning the best was yet to come for the Giants. When the dust had settled, the Giants had seven hits in the fifth inning. Jung Hoo Lee and Matt Chapman had back-to-back doubles. Drew Gilbert tripled driving Chapman home, the Chapman double had driven Lee home and the Giants now had a 6-3 lead.
The Giants pushed the score out with a seventh run when Schmitt singled Gilbert home. Colorado was doing everything they could to get out of the inning with two outs. The Giants continued to put runners on base and with the two outs had the bases loaded with Adames at the plate.
Adames came through with a grand slam pushing the San Francisco lead out to 11-3 and the Giants were rolling. The Rockies were able to score two runs in the bottom of the inning but continued to trail 11-5.
Eldridge led off the top of the 6th inning with a solo homer the team already with 16 hits in the game and a 12-5 lead; some absolutely amazing work at the plate for San Francisco. The score remained 12-5 going into the top of the seventh inning.
There were more hits for the Giants in the top of the seventh. Rafael Devers doubled followed by a Luis Arraez single that brought in another run for the Giants 13-5. Lee continued to tear it up with his fourth hit of this game, another RBI and a 14-5 San Francisco lead.
There was no stopping the offensive attack the Giants were waging. The Rockies were able to score one run in the bottom of the inning but not much else with two innings left in the game.
San Francisco continued their hitting ways into the eighth inning with more hits, more runs leading 17-6. The memorable moment in the inning was Jonah Cox making not only his first hit in the majors but also celebrating his first run. What a breath of fresh air for the Giants. Lee had his fifth hit of the game and this would be a game the Giants would not soon forget.
The Giants Jesus Rodriguez hit the teams’ third home run in the top of the ninth inning capping off one crazy game that saw the team finish with 25 hits.The final was 19-6. Lee had 5 hits, and Devers and Eldridge each had four hits. Schmitt finished with three hits and Adames had the Grand Slam bomb.
Game notes: After struggling through the first two games of their series with the Rockies losing both games on Friday and Saturday the Giants salvaged the series with at least one win to avoid a sweep. The Giants needed to wake up those bats in Sunday’s game.
In Saturday’s game they were trailing 8-0 before they even got on the scoreboard in the eighth inning. In the opening game of the series Friday San Francisco let the Rockies back into the game after taking a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning.
San Francisco scored two runs in the top of the ninth but had total breakdown on the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning allowed five hits and five runs for a Colorado walk-off win taking a 2-0 series lead.
The Giants will now head out to Milwaukee for a tough assignment, a series with the National League Central leaders the Brewers. This series gets underway Monday night with first pitch scheduled for 4:40 PM. The Giants will feature Landon Roupp on the mound. Roupp has a 5-5 win/loss and a 3.30 ERA. The Brewers will start Shane Drohan (2-1). Right now he has a 2.63 ERA.
Hotel Nikko San Francisco offers calm, refined luxury rooted in Japanese-inspired service and a restorative, wellness-focused guest experience in the heart of the city
Indoor pool – Glass enclosed rooftop pool
ANZU Restaurant Only Japanese Breakfast Buffet in San Francisco
Kanpai Sushi Lounge (refined, experiential dining element within the hotel)
Feinstein’s at the Nikko (on-site entertainment venue with live music and cabaret)
Spacious, modern guest rooms (clean design with subtle Japanese influence and tech-enabled comfort)
Summer Movies at the pool- All summer long they will be hosting a “dive in movie theater” on Friday and Saturday nights featuring kids movies for families.
Hotel Nikko 222 Mason Street near Union Square downtown San Francisco call 415-394-1111 for reservations and tell em Sports Radio Service sent you.
San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello (center) lifts starting pitcher Adrian Houser (12) in the bottom of the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver on Sat May 30, 2026 (AP News photo)
Giants: Too late to save
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez
At the eve of the month of June, the San Francisco Giants find themselves in fourth place in the NL Western Division,15 games out of first place.
In the history of Major League Baseball, no team has made the postseason with the numbers the Giants are entering the month of May. The Giants should begin today thinking about next year (if there is one), as it is increasingly likely that, in 2027, the players will be locked out by MLB owners.
In my opinion, this 2026 season is a wash. The team must begin making decisions now for the future. What would they do? They are in Colorado, playing the worst team in the National League, after losing the first two of a three-game series.
The team keeps drawing well because Oracle Park is a great ballpark, and the fans are loyal, paying for the $20 beer and all the other stuff that comes with it. It is a party atmosphere, especially during weekend afternoon games. Although this season doesn’t look like they will win 81 games, as last season, which, although it is not a great record, is exactly a .500 team, they have the dubious possibility of finishing last in the division.
The last time the Giants finished last was in 2017, when they went 84-98 in the Western Division.
The best slogan for the San Francisco Giants at this time during this 2026 season could be described in one very common sentence: in all sports, ” Wait ’till next year.”
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.
J.T. Ginn #35 of the Athletics pitches against the New York Yankees in the top of the second inning at Sutter Health Park on May 30, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Athletics took on the Yankees in game two of a three-game series on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. PST. The A’s looked to bounce back after a tough 8-2 loss on Friday in the opening game of the series.
The A’s got the best of the Yankees on Saturday, defeating New York 6-4.
J.T. Ginn got the ball for the A’s as they looked to get back on track in what has been a tough stretch for them. Ginn, who struggled in his last outing in San Diego after a stretch of three really solid performances, dusted off that outing and performed brilliantly on Saturday. J.T. pitched six innings for the A’s and needed only 80 pitches while giving up just one run (an unearned run) while scattering four hits and three walks over the outing. Ginn struck out four Yankees batters and managed to work his way around two errors from his defense behind him.
It was another strong outing from Ginn, and all the more impressive to see him turn the page on a bad outing and lead the way for the A’s.
“J.T. had a great night,” Mark Kotsay said after the game. “This kid has been throwing the baseball really well. Obviously tonight was a night where they had the lineup stacked with lefties, and in the past that’s been an issue for JT. Tonight he attacked. … This kid’s so mature, he’s maturing so nicely.”
“I think we just stuck with the same process throughout the week,” J.T. Ginn said of his start after the game. “I just flush that last outing and try to get back out there and do what we’ve been doing.”
Ginn also spoke on the more specific ways he’s been able to improve his game, which he attributed to his adjustments against left-handed hitters.
“I think just finding a more consistent pitch mix, especially against left-handed hitters. I think just finding a better mix against them and finding a couple other ways to get them out has been huge for me.”
The A’s bullpen came into the game to start the seventh inning, and they picked up where Ginn left off.
Hogan Harris came in and pitched a scoreless seventh inning, albeit with a bit of drama. Harris gave up a walk and a hit but managed to escape unscathed while striking out two in a 31-pitch frame.
In the eighth inning, Justin Sterner was the second Athletics arm out of the pen. Sterner fired a clean three-up, three-down inning, needing only 16 pitches to get the job done.
Jack Perkins was the next man out of the pen for the A’s as he came on to pitch the top of the ninth inning. It was a rough inning for the A’s staff, as Perkins was only able to get two outs before being lifted. Perkins gave up three runs on one hit and three walks in his outing prior to Mark Kotsay giving the ball to Scott Barlow. Barlow was able to get the final out of the game, but not before surrendering three walks of his own that brought in the three runs charged to Perkins. It was a wild ride in the ninth, but the A’s ultimately were able to get the job done.
On the offensive side of the ball, I wouldn’t say it was an offensive explosion, but it was enough to get the job done.
The A’s tallied six runs on eight hits while drawing three walks.
The first runs for the A’s came in the first inning when Shea Langeliers sent a line drive over the center-field wall that also scored Nick Kurtz from first base. The blast from Langeliers left the bat at 109 mph and landed 426 feet away from home plate, his 14th home run of the year and RBIs 29 and 30.
The A’s didn’t score again until the sixth inning when Tyler Soderstrom hit a solo home run to left-center field. Soderstrom’s rocket home run left the bat at 101 mph and traveled 403 feet as a fan caught it just above the extended wall on the grass. Soderstrom has been beginning to heat up, and it was his seventh home run and 26th RBI of the season.
Soderstrom spoke after the game on his recent surge at the plate and the struggles he faced earlier in the season while not seeing the results he has become accustomed to.
“I’ve felt pretty solid at the plate for a while,” Soderstrom said. “I just didn’t really get much to show for it…. just trying to trust in my process. I know I’ve been in this situation before, kind of just gotta battle, and it’s been going good.”
In the seventh inning, the A’s added two more runs on a Nick Kurtz two-run home run over the center-field wall. It was a 104 mph blast that traveled 410 feet just over the outstretched glove of the Yankees center fielder. It was Kurtz’s 10th home run of the year and RBIs 39 and 40.
In the eighth inning, the A’s scored their final run of the game on a Zack Gelof RBI single that scored Brent Rooker from third base. It was a little poke over the leaping glove of Anthony Volpe, who was playing in at shortstop, to extend the lead for the A’s.
With the win, the A’s improved to 28-30 on the year as the Yankees fell to 35-23.
The A’s and Yankees will play the rubber game of the series on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. PST at Sutter Health Park. Mark Kotsay said after the game that Jacob Lopez (4-2, 5.73 ERA) will start for the A’s, while the Yankees will start Will Warren (6-1, 3.55 ERA) in the matinee affair.
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.
San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames (left) fields a throw as Colorado Rockies Jake McCarthy (31) steals second base in the bottom of the seventh inning at Coors Field in Denver on Sat May 30, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
It had been a nightmare of a series for the San Francisco Giants (22-36) losing game two to the Colorado Rockies (22-37). San Francisco did not get on the scoreboard until the top of the eighth inning. They denied Colorado the shutout but lost the game 8-3. Tomorrow they will be fighting to avoid a second sweep in a row. On top of their struggles at the plate they were not all that great from the mound.
Game recap: It was a quiet first inning for the Giants going three and out. The Rockies made a lot of noise in the bottom of the first. They loaded the bases with one out. San Francisco pitcher Adrian Houser walked Jake McCarthy and Hunter Goodman.
A Willi Castro single drove McCarthy home for the first run of the game. A second run was scored when Ezequiel Tovar hit an infield single again loading the bases. Adrian Houser hit Sterlin Thompson and a second run scored giving the Rockies an early 2-0 lead. San Francisco finally got out of the inning but it had been an awful start in this game for the Giants.
The second inning was another quiet inning for San Francisco. Matt Chapman doubled, but the one hit was all San Francisco could manage. Colorado went three and out and the Giants seemed to have a handle on the game going into the third inning.
The Giants had a hit in the third inning, a single from Eric Haase but other then hitting home runs, one hit per inning will not get the job done. Colorado threatened in the bottom of the third inning but San Francisco held on getting out of the inning with no damage. The Giants were yet to get up on the scoreboard.
The Giants continued to struggle at the plate going three and out in the fourth inning. The Rockies extended their lead in the bottom of the fourth inning scoring two more runs. Jake McCarthy homered with Edouard Julien on base; Colorado now with a 4-0 lead.
The Giants only had three hits through four innings while the Rockies had ten. The Giants were not only falling short at the plate there was also trouble on the mound. Adrian Houser was relieved after 3 2/3 innings. He had allowed eight hits and four earned runs and was relieved by Sam Hentges.
The top of the fifth inning was another one-hit inning for the Giants as they continued to wallow through the game. Not much was going San Francisco’s way. On the other hand the Rockies added another run to their tally in the fifth inning. Colorado had two singles in the inning and two more walks. Edouard Julien scored taking their lead to 5-0.
There was another pitching change for the Giants in the fifth inning. Brubaker relieved Hentges who had allowed two hits, one run and two walks in 1 1/3 innings of work. Brubaker dismissed the Rockies three and out to end the sixth. He had two strikeouts in the inning.
It had been a terrific game for the Rockies Ryan Feltner who pitched six full innings throwing only 63 pitches in what may have been one of his best games this season. He was relieved in the seventh inning by Brennan Bernardino. Feltner had allowed four hits, no runs and no walks.
The bottom of the seventh inning was more good times for the Colorado Rockies. Ryan Borucki relieved San Francisco’s Brubaker only to give up a home run to Kyle Karros and extend the Rockies lead to 6-0. Colorado was relentless scoring two more runs in the seventh pretty much breaking the game wide open leading 8-0 and working towards a shutout. Borucki had allowed four hits and three runs.
With one out in the top of the eighth inning, San Francisco at long last got up on the scoreboard when Drew Gilbert homered to right center with Bryce Eldridge on base. There would be no shutout for the Rockies but the bad news was that the Giants were three outs away from losing game two trailing 8-2.
San Francisco was able to score a third run in the ninth inning when Matt Chapman singled Jung Hoo Lee home. The final was 8-3 in favor of Colorado. The Rockies finished with 14 hits, the Giants had nine hits the majority of them in the later innings. The Giants just couldn’t get the job done from the start of the game.
Game notes: Friday night the Giants dropped a real heartbreaker in the first game of the series with the Rockies. Going into the ninth inning in Friday nights game San Francisco had a slim lead 4-3 but pushed that lead out when Rafael Devers tripled driving in Arraez.
Matt Chapman followed that up with a single that drove in Devers and the Giants took a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth. They were two outs away from winning game one. The Rockies had other plans for the outcome of this game. Colorado tied up the game off a Hunter Goodman home run with two runners on base.
The Rockies finished off San Francisco with yet another home run off the bat of Ezequiel Tovar with Willi Castro on base for the walk-off win 8-6. The Giants offense was good enough finishing with 12 hits. It all came crashing down in the bottom of the ninth inning when Caleb Kilian allowed five hits, five runs in 2/3 of an inning. As the top of the ninth finished, the Giants were in a very good place.
The Giants had played a good game and the returning Jung Hoo Lee had a terrific game with four hits and two runs. When it was looking so good for San Francisco the game turned sideways with a most discouraging finish.
Game three in this series will get underway Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 12:10 PM. Robbie Ray will get the start for the Giants. He has a 3-6 win/loss record and a 4.60 ERA. The Rockies will send Tanner Gordon (0-0 ERA 5.84). San Francisco will be looking for a win Sunday in an effort to avoid another sweep after getting swept in their last series earlier this week against the Diamondbacks.
New York Yankees Paul Goldschmidt (48) slugs a first inning home run off Sacramento A’s starter Luis Severino (not pictured) in the top of the first inning at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Fri May 29, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Tony Harvey:
#1 How much of an advantage do the Yankees gain from facing former Yankee pitcher Luis Severino, given their familiarity with his pitching style?
#2 Which star player is more likely to have the biggest offensive impact: Aaron Judge for New York or Brent Rooker for the Athletics?
#3 Can the Athletics reverse their recent home struggles in Sacramento against one of baseball’s strongest teams, or will the Yankees continue their winning momentum?
#4 What role will the hitter-friendly conditions at Sutter Health Park play in the outcome, and which lineup is better built to take advantage of the ballpark?
#5 The Athletics took a series from the Yankees earlier in April. Will this matchup be a chance for New York to even the score, or can the Athletics prove their earlier success was no fluke?
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
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Carolina Hurricane players congratulate goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) after eliminating the Montreal Canadiens in game 5 of the Stanley Cup Eastern Finals in Raleigh Carolina on Fri May 29, 2026 (AP News photo)
NHL Stanley Cup Finals podcast Mary Lisa:
#1 Can Carolina’s dominant playoff defense slow down Vegas’ balanced attack?
#2 The Hurricanes have lost only one playoff game and have been one of the stingiest defensive teams in the postseason, while Vegas enters the Final on a six-game winning streak after sweeping Colorado. Which goaltender will make the bigger impact in Game 1?
#3 Carolina’s Frederik Andersen has been outstanding throughout the playoffs, while Vegas has received strong play from Carter Hart during its run to the Final. Will Vegas benefit from extra rest, or will the layoff create rust?
#4 The Golden Knights finished their conference final days before Carolina clinched its berth, giving Vegas more recovery time but also a longer break from game action. Can Carolina capitalize on home-ice advantage early in the series?
#5 Because Carolina finished with the better regular-season record, the Hurricanes host Games 1 and 2. Establishing control at home could set the tone for the entire Final. Which star player will seize the spotlight in the Stanley Cup Final opener? Will it be Vegas captain Mark Stone and center Jack Eichel, or Carolina leaders such as Jordan Staal and Taylor Hall who drive their team to an early series lead?
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