San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Keaton Winn is bewildered after giving up two hits and two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver on Fri May 29, 2026 (AP News photo)
San Francisco Giants podcast Lincoln Juarez:
#1 Tough loss for the San Francisco Giants dropping an 8-6 decision to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field San Francisco dropping their fourth straight Friday night.
#2 Colorado snapped a five game losing streak including getting swept in three games to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Giants started out the contest with a 4-1 lead but that disappeared quickly when the Rockies scored twice in the bottom of the eighth and five times in the bottom of the ninth to come away with a 8-6 win.
#3 Earlier the Giants reassigned their third base coach Hector Borg to a Player development staff. The Giants special assistant to baseball operations Ron Wotus will be the Giants third base coach. Wotus had been a coach with the Giant previously and has experience as a third base coach.
#4 The Giants while they got the hitting the relief pitcher got caught up in the Rockies rally when reliever Keaton Winn pitched 1.1 innings allowed two hits and two runs in the eighth and ninth reliever Caleb Winn pitched 0.2 and got clobbered allowing five hits and five runs for the loss.
#5 It’s back to the drawing board for San Francisco matching up with Colorado on Saturday. Starting pitcher for the Giants RHP Adrian Houser (2-4 ERA 5.30) for the Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-1 ERA 6.30) first 6:10pm PDT.
Luis Severino #40 of the Athletics is taken out of the game by manager Mark Kotsay with an injury in the second inning of their game against the New York Yankees at Sutter Health Park on May 29, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The A’s had a rough week coming into the Friday night series opener against the New York Yankees.
Prior to their day off on Thursday, the A’s were swept by the division-rival Seattle Mariners. The Mariners swept the A’s in their three-game series, outscoring them 22-4. It was a perfect storm, with the A’s pitching and hitting floundering at the same time.
On Friday, the A’s continued to scuffle as they dropped game one of the three-game series, 8-2.
The A’s were hoping to get back on track behind their most expensive player by far this season, Luis Severino, who is making $25 million. Yet, the 32-year-old veteran could not deliver, as he was pulled after just one inning of work. Severino left the game after giving up four runs on three hits in the first inning while striking out one batter. It was a rough first inning, and he went straight to the pitchers’ room flexing his arm after coming off the field. Luis ended up leaving the field with an Athletics trainer, and the A’s announced shortly afterward that he departed with what they described as “right arm soreness.” Severino threw only 26 pitches.
“Tuesday when he threw his side, I was there for it. Everything looked great,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said of Severino after the game. “He said he felt good. Wednesday felt good. Obviously when you ramp it up and you go into competition, you just don’t know how it’s going to respond. And after the first inning, when he went out to warm up, he just felt like it was still tight. He just couldn’t get loose and we made a decision to just shut him down.”
After the game, Severino spoke with the media about his injury and the specifics of the issue that caused him to leave the game.
“I felt like if I kept throwing, something even worse was gonna happen,” Severino said after the game. “So that’s why I stopped.”
Severino continued and addressed the specific spot where he felt pain during the start, saying, “It’s like, kinda tricep.”
The A’s have stopped short of calling it anything other than arm soreness, but it appears the tricep will be worth watching moving forward.
Severino’s abbreviated start left Mark Kotsay and the A’s bullpen in a tough spot, needing to cover eight innings of the game.
First out of the bullpen for the A’s was Jose Suarez, who tossed the second inning, giving up one run on three hits with one strikeout.
In the third inning, the A’s went with Joel Kuhnel. Kuhnel pitched the third inning and recorded two outs in the fourth inning while allowing two runs on three hits and recording a strikeout. The A’s bullpen couldn’t seem to find any momentum to this point as the game continued to slip away.
Hogan Harris came on to get the final out of the fourth inning and pitched the fifth inning in a scoreless outing. Harris added a strikeout in his appearance while needing only 15 pitches.
Justin Sterner came in next for the A’s and pitched a perfect sixth inning on just 11 pitches.
Scott Barlow came on to pitch the seventh inning for the A’s. Barlow gave up a run on a solo home run to Ben Rice, but other than that worked a solid inning in relief.
In the eighth inning, the A’s turned to veteran Mark Leiter Jr. Leiter Jr. tossed a scoreless inning while allowing one hit and striking out one batter.
In the ninth inning, it was Luis Medina who came on to close out the pitching side of things for the A’s. Medina pitched a scoreless ninth and allowed just a walk, albeit while the defense made an error for the second baserunner of the inning. Medina struck out one of the five Yankees he faced.
All in, the A’s used eight pitchers in a game that wasn’t particularly competitive while surrendering eight runs.
On offense, the A’s picked up right where they left off against the Mariners and struggled mightily to get anything going. The A’s managed eight hits and only two runs in the game while walking only three times. The A’s also hit into two twin killings, as the production wasn’t enough to get much going or sustain many scoring opportunities.
After the game, I asked A’s manager Mark Kotsay about his team’s recent offensive struggles, even while compiling some hits.
“You look at some at-bats tonight, we hit the ball hard,” Kotsay said. “… We’ve definitely squared some balls up and haven’t had any results, but we’re mixing in some unquality at-bats and we need to continue to try to build quality at-bats and get some more momentum going offensively.”
The A’s first run came by way of a Nick Kurtz solo home run in the bottom of the first inning to pull the A’s within three runs at the time. The blast off Kurtz’s bat traveled over the wall in left-center field, leaving his bat at 107 mph and ending its journey 408 feet from home plate. It was Nick’s ninth homer of the year and 38th RBI.
The A’s second run came in the ninth inning on an RBI single from Zack Gelof that scored Brent Rooker from third. It was Gelof’s 18th RBI of the season.
The A’s fell to 27-30 on the year with the loss as the Yankees improved to 35-22.
The A’s and Yankees will engage in game two of the three-game weekend series on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. PST. J.T. Ginn (2-3, 3.19 ERA) is scheduled to start for the A’s, while the Yankees will counter with Ryan Weathers (2-2, 3.14 ERA).
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.
Former San Francisco Giants third base coach Hector Borg (80) greets Casey Schmitt at third base after hitting a home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wed May 20, 2026. Borg was been replaced and reassigned by the Giants on Fri May 29, 2026. (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
San Francisco (22-34) was sitting pretty going into the bottom of the ninth leading the Colorado Rockies (20-37) 6-3. A couple of home runs later, the Rockies waltzed away with the walk off win 8-6 Friday night. It was a heartbreaker for the Giants, and a tough outing for closer Caleb Kilian who gave up five hits and five runs.
Game recap: Each team had a runner on base in a scoreless first inning. Colorado took the first lead of the game in the bottom of the second inning 1-0. Throwing errors resulted in the Rockies run. Ezequiel Tovar stole home and Edouard Julien stole second reaching third base on a San Francisco error. This was not the start that the Giants wanted to see.
San Francisco rallied in the third and fourth innings. Willy Adames sacrificed Bryce Eldridge home to tie up the game at one apiece. The fourth inning yielded two runs for the Giants taking a 3-1 lead. Daniel Susac sacrificed Matt Chapman home in the third inning. Going into the fourth inning another run for San Francisco. Harrison Bader singled Jung Hoo Lee home and the Giants had the 3-1 lead.
The Rockies starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen went 3 2/3 innings giving up five hits, three runs and two walks. He had two strikeouts and was relieved by Jaden Hill. San Francisco also had a pitching change in the fifth inning. Logan Webb pitched 4 1/3 innings giving up three hits, one run, three walks with five strikeouts. He was relieved by Matt Gage.
Jung Hoo Lee made the catch of the game in the outfield in the fifth inning robbing the Rockies of a certain run. With two outs and two runners on base, Troy Johnston slugged a ball into right field, but Lee made a miraculous catch sprawled out on the field ending the inning, the score remaining 3-1 in favor of the Giants. Lee upon his return had been doing it all night already with two two hits and one run.
The Giants had a great opportunity in the top of the sixth inning with two runners on base but two outs. Willy Adames struck out for the third out and San Francisco squandered the chance to extend their lead.
San Francisco took the 3-1 lead into the top of the eighth inning. The Giants had Chung Hoo Lee on third with one out. Bryce Eldridge drove Lee home on a sacrifice fly and San Francisco was getting the job done leading 4-1 and Lee had his second run of the game.
Colorado put the Giants on alert in the bottom of the eighth inning. They were not finished by a long shot. With two outs Ezequiel Tovar sent a Keaton Winn pitch out of the park with Troy Johnston on base and just like that the score was 4-3 in favor of San Francisco. The game had become uncomfortably close with a single inning left to play.
The Giants got an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning when Rafael Devers tripled driving in Luis Arraez and it was then that San Francisco went on a hitting frenzy. After the Devers triple, Matt Chapman singled followed by a Jung Hoo Lee single his fourth of the game.
The Chapman single drove in Devers and it was looking oh so good for San Francisco. The Rockies finally got out of the inning but were three outs away from losing the first game of the series.
The Giants Caleb Kilian came in to close out the ninth inning. The Rockies were trailing by three runs and put two runners on base with no outs. When it was looking so promising for the Giants two outs away from the win it all went sideways.
Hunter Goodman hit a home run with Jake McCarthy and Tyler Freeman on base and this game was tied 6-6. Now the Giants would need to fight to survive and see the tenth inning. There would be no tenth inning for San Francisco. Ezequiel Tovar hit his second home run of the game with Willi Castro on base and that was the ball game, a walk off and a 8-6 win for Colorado.
Game notes: It has sure been an interesting couple of days for San Francisco. In the news right now Hector Borg is out as third base coach being re-assigned to another role with the team. Ron Wotus will return to the coaching box until further notice. That coaching position has been shaky at best for the past two seasons.
Some of Borg’s decisions cost the Giants runs and right now they need all the runs that they can get. There was some good news for San Francisco as they completed the first game of a three-game series with the Colorado on Friday night.
The positive news for San Francisco was the reinstatement of pitcher Logan Webb and right fielder Jung Hoo Lee. Webb started Friday’s game had a good outing pitching 4.1 allowed three hits and one earned run. Lee had a great night against the Rockies with four hits and two runs scored.The Giants can really use both of these guys right now.
Over the weekend the Giants were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks and with Friday’s loss are now 13 games below .500. They will be looking to get back on track as they take on Colorado again on Saturday at Coors Field.
The Giants suffered a devastating loss in game one Friday when it looked like they would come away with a win only to lose in a walk off. Saturday they will be looking to even up this series. Adrian Houser will take the mound for the Giants. His win/loss record is 2-4 with a 5.30 ERA. The Rockies probable starter will be Ryan Feltner. He has a 1-1 win/loss record and a 6.30 ERA. First pitch for this game is scheduled for 6:10 PM.
Rendering of the proposed Sacramento Major League Baseball ballpark to be built in West Sacramento that was presented by The Barn in West Sacramento Group during a press conference on Fri May 29, 2026 (Renderings presented by The Barn West Sacramento Group)
By Mauricio Seguura
WEST SACRAMENTO–West Sacramento did not just raise its hand for Major League Baseball on Thursday. It walked to the plate with renderings, money, political muscle, tribal investment, real estate, baseball names, and a message that was hard to miss: this region does not want to be a temporary stopover. It wants a permanent franchise.
The press conference at The Barn in West Sacramento launched the “Sacramento Pitch,” a formal regional campaign to land an MLB expansion team after the Athletics leave for Las Vegas. The speakers included Fulcrum Property founder and Greater Sacramento Economic Council board chair Mark Friedman, Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty, West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero, Greater Sacramento Economic Council President and CEO Barry Broome, former MLB manager Dusty Baker, former MLB player Derek Lee, and other civic and baseball voices tied to the effort.
Friedman framed the day as the beginning of a long campaign, saying Sacramento had quietly spent the past year building partnerships, investments, and a stadium vision so it would be ready when MLB opens the expansion door. McCarty leaned into the urgency of the moment, saying the region had announced a local ownership group, laid out financing, and begun making its case.
Guerrero’s message was rooted in West Sacramento’s readiness, arguing that MLB is already seeing the area’s energy, civic pride, and capacity through its current role as host to the Athletics. Baker, a Sacramento-area native and one of baseball’s most respected voices, gave the effort its emotional spine, saying he has long believed Sacramento is a major-league city and pointing to the region’s baseball roots, loyal fans, and growing footprint.
The proposal itself is not a napkin sketch, which is what makes this worth taking seriously. The plan centers on a 35,000-to-40,000-seat ballpark in West Sacramento’s Bridge District, adjacent to the current Sutter Health Park site, paired with a larger mixed-use development of housing, hotels, retail, office space, restaurants, and entertainment.
The broader Bridge District covers 180 acres and is already zoned and entitled for millions of square feet of development, with part of that vision already built. Friedman controls roughly 50 acres, giving Sacramento something several rival markets still have to chase: a site that is not theoretical.
The money stack is also unusually specific for an expansion bid. Local leaders say they have assembled about $1.8 billion in public and private commitments. West Sacramento is expected to provide up to $1 billion through tax increment financing, hotel taxes, and related tools, with officials saying the plan would not affect the city’s general fund or require a taxpayer vote.
The private side includes $250 million each from the United Auburn Indian Community and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, plus land and equity commitments from Friedman and the Sacramento Kings/River Cats side, each valued around $150 million. The campaign is also seeking additional limited partners.
But there is still one enormous empty chair at the table: a lead investor. That is the difference between a strong civic pitch and a real MLB franchise bid. Expansion fees are expected to land somewhere above $2 billion, possibly $2.5 billion or more, and MLB will want an ownership group with the financial strength to build, operate, absorb early losses, and still look stable on league letterhead.
Sacramento’s current pitch sets the ball neatly on the batting tee. Now it needs someone wealthy enough to take the swing and hit the ball.
So what are the chances? Better than they were a week ago, but there are still too many obstacles to give a solid assesment. Sacramento has a real case because it has land, public financing, tribal investment, a proven minor-league history with the River Cats, a top-20 media market, a metro population around 2.7 million, and only one existing major pro franchise in the Kings.
The Athletics’ temporary stay also gives Sacramento a live audition no other contender has. The problem is that Nashville, Salt Lake City, Portland, Charlotte, Raleigh, Orlando, Vancouver, and Montreal are not standing around holding bake sales. Some have stronger corporate bases, louder national buzz, or years of expansion groundwork.
Sacramento’s path improves dramatically if attendance for the Athletics strengthens, if a billionaire lead investor emerges, if the city keeps proving it can execute infrastructure without drama, and if MLB truly wants one Western expansion partner.
Two questions that have never been fully addressed, or even seriously considered, are what happens to the River Cats, who have played at Sutter Health Park for the past 25 years, and what Vivek Ranadivé makes of all this. Ranadivé owns both the River Cats and the Sacramento Kings, and the renderings of the proposed new stadium appear to show condominiums on the site where the current ballpark stands, also controlled by him.
For now, Ranadivé has not publicly laid out his position. But it is not hard to imagine that he would be reluctant to give up his ballpark, his team, or a valuable piece of downtown Sacramento real estate without a fight or a significant payout.
The other unanswered question involves the Giants. Let’s be honest: San Francisco has long wanted to maintain control over the Northern California baseball market. Three years of A’s baseball in Sacramento may be tolerable. But what would the Giants say about a permanent MLB team playing just 80 miles east of Oracle Park? And would they really remain passive if that possibility started to look real? Only time will tell, but if anyone can be an effective middleman in those negotiations, it’s Dusty Baker.
The bid is no longer a pipe dream. It is credible.
But credibility only gets Sacramento into the batter’s box. To hit the home run, the city still needs three things: a major investor, strong crowd support, and the kind of polished financial certainty that makes MLB owners stop nodding politely and start paying serious attention.
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.
Carolina Hurricanes Logan Stankoven (22) scores on Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) in the first period during game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals at the Bell Centre in Montreal (photo by Canadien Press via AP)
NHL Stanley Cup Playoff podcast Len Shapiro:
#1 Len before we begin the Stanley Cup Playoff podcast between the Canadiens and Hurricane could you just talk about the sad suicide of former San Jose Shark and NHL great Claude LeMieux. Hockey is a very physical game and LeMieux who not only delivered some big hit himself was no doubt hit as well. Concussions have been suspected as a cause of suicides by NHL players?
#2 How did the Hurricanes manage to score three first-period goals in under three minutes against the Canadiens?
#3 What impact did Frederik Andersen’s shutout performance have on Game 4 and the series overall?
#4 Which Canadiens players struggled the most during the 4–0 loss at Bell Centre?
#5 How important was Sebastian Aho’s power-play goal in setting the tone for Carolina’s victory?
#6 What adjustments do the Canadiens need to make before Game 5 to avoid elimination from the Eastern Conference Final?
May 28, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles past Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton (22) and is defended by center Kiah Stokes (41) in the first quarter at Chase Center. (Photo Credits to David Gonzales-Imagn Images)
By Michael Villanueva
SAN FRANCISCO – After just six days ago, in Indiana, the Indiana Fever would take the win against the Valkyries in their first matchup against each other of the season. Indiana’s guard Caitlin Clark would drop 22 points on the Valkyrie, as she now saw herself playing against the Valkyries, but this time in “Ballhalla”.
Thursday night was meaningful for Golden State, as they celebrated another sell out, their 28th out of 28 games at Chase Center. That means every game the Valkyries played at home, was a sell out. So it was right the Valkyries showed out for their fans, and they did as they got the win, 90-88. Golden State is now 5-2, through their first seven games of the season.
The Golden State Valkyries went with Kayla Thornton, Gabby Williams, Kiah Stokes, Kaila Charles, and Veronica Burton as their starting five for this game. Gabby Williams in the last home game would lead the team with 15 points, on 3-of-5 from three point shooting. Overall, that win was a confidence booster for Golden State as they were preparing for their rematch with Indiana Thursday night.
Indiana hoping to make this their fourth straight win. They sent out Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Caitlin Clark, Lexie Hull, and former Valkyrie Monique Billings. With both teams holding a 4-2 record at the moment, this win could be their fifth win of the season through the first seven games. This is the second game held at Chase Center in the week, after on Mondays win for Valkyries, who took down the Connecticut Sun, 97-70.
Golden States Veronica Burton would get the game going, and the home crowd energy as well on a tough and-1 layup she made to get herself a three point play. She would give the Valkyries a quick, 5-2 lead at the start. Burton was just feeling herself and loving the home court energy, as she was knocking down deep three pointers and increasing the lead to seven points, 14-7.
However, the Indiana Fever were quick to reestablish themselves out there, and get back in the game. With her third assist in the second quarter, Indiana Caitlin Clark becomes the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 1,000 points and 500+ assists, in just 59 games. So with that, at halftime we would have ourselves a tied game at 44-44 in San Francisco. Caitlin Clark and Veronica Burton both reach double-digit scoring points for their teams.
At the start of the third quarter, Indiana’s Aliyah Boston would get the third quarter going with a quick floater in the paint, and also give the Fever the lead, 46-44. The second half intensity would pick up drastically, after both teams would lock in and do their best to score and get the lead. Golden State Valkyries Veronica Burton impact would be crucial for Golden State’s success. Burton would also have herself a career high in blocks this game (5).
Heading into the final quarter, Indiana would hold on to the lead by just four points. However with eight minutes and 45 seconds left in the game. Valkyries Gabby Williams ties the ball game at 69-69 with a fast drive into the paint for a layup. Then, again, Golden States Veronica Burton would get another tuff and one play and lead her team with 23, and now at 25 points.
16.3 seconds left on the clock, Indiana is down two points, 90-88. Golden State Valkyries are rushing back down the court to play defense as they held their own and stop the Fever. With 1.9 seconds left, they call a jump ball, however Indiana isn’t done as they win the jump ball and get one more chance. Although, they now have 0.6 seconds left, but the Valkyries defense comes up big and stops the Fever from scoring. The Valkyries would take the win on this thrilling, Thursday evening, 90-88.
Golden State would get the next couple of days to rest before their next matchup. They will stay at home and host the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday, May 31st, at 12:30 p.m. on NBC/Peacock right back here in Chase Center. The Valkyries are hoping to continue their winning streak now and make it to three straight wins on Sunday.
Seattle Mariners Juilo Rodriguez (44) hits a home run in the top of the eighth inning against the Sacramento A’s at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Wed May 27, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Jeremiah Salmonson:
#1 How did Seattle Mariners capitalize on early scoring opportunities against Sacramento Athletics starter Jeffrey Springs in the May 27, 2026 game?
#2 What impact did Logan Gilbert’s pitching performance have on the Mariners’ 9–1 victory over the Athletics at Sutter Health Park?
#3 Which offensive players were key contributors for the Mariners during their series-clinching win over the Athletics on Wednesday, May 27, 2026?
#4 How did the result of the Mariners vs. Athletics game affect the American League West standings and momentum for both teams?
#5 What concerns did Athletics fans express after the team was swept by the Mariners in 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.
Oakland Ballers Cam Buford tunes up before a game at Raimondi Park in West Oakland (photo by Oakland Ballers X)
Monday, May 25, 2026
Oakland, CA
By Lewis Rubman
OAKLAND–The first week of the 2026 Pioneer Baseball League was an inauspicious one for the defending champion Oakland Ballers, who managed nothing better than a 3-3 record, losing two out of three games against last year’s Mountain Division champs, the Missoula Paddle Heads and just squeaking by the Long Beach Coast, newcomers to the South Division and the league, also three games to two.
Both the league and the Ballers faced challenges before play began, but we’ll get to that after a brief review of the on-field action.
The Padddleheads demolished the B’s, 11-2 on opening night, Tuesday, the 19th, going ahead when Michael Koszewski blasted a one and two pitch over the left field wall to give the Montanans a lead they never would lose.
Jake Tirk was the only hometown hurler to blank the invaders, whoops: visitors, holding the seven batters he faced in the eighth and ninth frames to a couple of hits and a walk. Starting pitcher Gabe Tanner, who allowed six runs, five earned, on nine hits and three free passes, took the loss.
Shortstop Tremayne Cobb and catcher Jarden’ Collura were the only Ballers with multiple hits, neither for extra bases. The defense committed three errors, to none for the Paddleheads, but only one of the Missoula tallies was earned.
The Ballers evened the series the next night with a convincing, but not overwhelming, victory, seesawing through four and a half innings before breaking three with a five run
bottom of the fifth and then scamper home with a 13-8 triumph. Cobb got three hits, all singles, as did centerfielder T.J. McKenzie, whose three for three night included a round tripper and half a dozen RBI. I’ll have more to say about manager Aaron Miles’ use of McKenzie when we get to the challenges and solutions section of this column.
Switch hitting Jake Allgeyer was the remaining B’s batter to log a mult-hit performance. First baseman Jeter Ybarra had a bad night, going 0-5 at the plate and committing the Ballers’ only error. Liam Rocha, who relieved Aidan Risse in the fourth and surrendered two runs, one of them earned, on two hits, while walking another pair of batters, in his three innings on the mound, got the win.
Missoula mauled their hosts in the series finale on Thursday, the 21st almost as badly as they had in the opener. The PaddleHeads crossed the plate twice in first and were ahead, 8-0, by the time the Oaklanders managed their first tally, a sole run, in the bottom of the seven. The final score was 12-4. The visitors score their dozen runs with a baker’s dozen of hits and made three errors. Oakland their quartet of tallies on an octet hits while committing a duet of errors. Esai Santos drove in half of Oakland’s runs with a two homer with Cobb on base in the bottom of the ninth. Nick Bautista, who lasted only 2-2/3 innings, took the loss.
The worm began to turn for the West Oakland Wonders when the Long Beach Coast,
AKA Regulators, sporting their teal jerseys and pinstriped black pants, came to town on Friday, the 22nd. It took an anxiety ridden three hours and thirty-two minutes before McKenzie’s sacrifice fly to center brough Jake Allgeyer home with the tie breaking winning run in the bottom of the ninth, giving us a line score that looked like this:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Long Beach Coast
2
4
0
4
0
0
0
0
1
11
10
1
Oakland Ballers
0
3
0
0
1
4
1
0
3
12
9
1
Santos, Ybarra, and left fielder Damian Stone went yard, and Jaden Sheppard, the DH, Stone, right fielder Noah ‘Blythe lifted the fans’ spirits with a run batted in apiece, Santos drove in threeand Ybarra five. Santos, Ybarra, and McKenzie were the only Ballers to get more than one hit, with two each; Sheppard, Stone, and Nick Poss, Friday night’s catcher, accounted for the remainder. Braydon Nelson was credited with the win, in spite of giving up a leadoff four bagger that put Long Beach ahead 11-8 in the top of the ninth.
The Ballers’ half of the inning is worth telling in some detail. Right hander Zach Voelker left the bull pen to replace fellow righty Mason Bryant, who had pitched a scoreless eighth. Ybarra greeted him with an 0-1 fence clearer to right, That cut LB’s lead to 11-9. Collura. the B’s usual catcher, pinch hit for Sheppard and walk on a full count. Exit Voelker, enter Steven Odorica, another righty. He threw a wild pitch to Stone, both runners moving up 90 feet. Stone then walked on a 3-1 count, clogging the base paths. Blythe received another 3-2 passport, tying the score at 11.
We were all set for a repeat performance in Saturday’s mid-afternoon showdown. We got one, but with a painful variation. Take a look at the first eight innings of theline score, then look at the ninth and weep. The only detail I have to add—and it nearly breaks my heart to do so—is that Oakland was ahead, 12-11, with two down and two on in the top of the ninth. David Clarke had an 0-2 count pitching to Cooper Vest. The crowd stood up, ready to celebrate another nerve shattering victory. Then Vest cleared the left field fence with a blast that put his team ahead. There really was nothing left in the Ballers’ tank. It had been an exciting game until then, but not a well played one; AI had labeled my notes as “misplay x misplay.”
But the indominatable Ballers snapped back on Sunday, the 24th
It wasn’t pretty, but it was satisfying. Oakland jumped to a 2-0 lead in the initial frame but quickly fell behind 4-2 in the second. They knotted the score at four in their half of the inning and went ahead, 5-4 in the third. Long Beach knotted it up again in the top of the fourth but didn’t score again all afternoon. Gene Tanner held on through six to even his record at 1-1, and the Ballers took the series, two games to one to even their season mark at 3-3.Damian Stone broke the tie with a two run dinger over the left center field fence in the home fifth. McKenzie’s two bagger in the same episode brought Blythe home to give the B’s a lead they never relinquished. He went home with a BA of .391 and 10 RBI over the season’s half dozen games. One inning later, Alleger smacked a three run four bagger, and the game was as good as over. And when it was over, the B’s had won,11-5, and had evened their season’s mark at 3-3.
The Ballers ended the 2025 post season with the best won and lost record in the history of the history of the Pioneer Baseball League or its predecessor, the rookie level Pioneer League, a member of Minor League Baseball (MiLB), a subsidiary of the tolerated monopoly, Major League Baseball (MLAB). An MiLB team can retain a player as long as he wants to if the team’s parent club in the MLB doesn’t object. Under the byzantine eligibility rules of the PBL, it’s a whole new ball game. Here’s how the PBL’s website summarizes it:
The players on a Member Club’s Active Roster shall have completed no more than two (2) prior years of professional baseball experience (as defined below) as of January 1st in a season’s calendar year.
Any player who is within four (4) years of their high school graduation class year shall not have any professional service time count against their eligibility. Professional service time accrued during this initial four (4) year period is exempt and shall not be applied retroactively once the player passes the four-year mark. Only service time earned after the four (4) year anniversary of the player’s high school graduation class year shall be calculated toward the two-year limit of prior professional experience. For purposes of calculating prior seasons of professional baseball experience, after the four (4) year mark of their high school graduation class year, a year of professional experience is defined as follows:
POSITION PLAYERS – 30 games played STARTING PITCHERS – 7 games started PITCHERS – 18 games played
Professional experience includes previous play in all professional leagues, domestic or international, but does not include the MLB draft league, Arizona Complex League (ACL), Florida Complex League (FCL), the United Shore Professional Baseball League, the Mavericks Independent Baseball League, nor leagues in the Caribbean Federation, the Australian Baseball League or any other leagues that might become “winter ball” leagues. FRANCHISE PLAYERS
Clubs may designate one Franchise Position Player and one Franchise Pitcher per season, subject to the following requirements:
Player must have completed at least one (1) prior year in the PBL. A “year” is defined in accordance with the then applicable service time definitions of the PBL rules. If a Club loses a Franchise Player to injury or transfer to an MLB club, the Club may request permission from the League President to replace such player with another qualified Franchise Position Player or Franchise Pitcher. Such a request shall be made to the President in writing setting forth the circumstances involved. The President shall promptly decide, in his sole discretion, whether to approve or disapprove the request after considering the circumstances. ROSTER LIMITS
No member Club shall have more than 24 players on their Active Roster at any time, nor less than 22, except that a club may add a 25th player who (i) has been drafted at the conclusion of any PBL Tryout Camp, over whom the drafting team has exclusive signing rights from the draft until 21 days after opening day; or (ii) has registered and attended any PBL Tryout Camp occurring in a current league year, including: the previous season’s midseason and post-season drafts, and the current season’s pre-season and midseason draft.
This has made the Ballers’ goal of repeating their breath taking achievement of 2025 much more difficult than if they had been in an MLB affiliated league, as opposed to a not so distant partner league. Only seven players who were with the B’s in 2025 opened 2026 on the team’s roster. They include T.J. McKenzie, whom manager Aaron Miles has placed in the ninth spot in the batting order. This fairly unusual alignment makes a lot of sense. It’s reasonable to assume that at least eight batters will have made a plate appearance in the first three innings, especially in a league not noted for its pitching strength. This makes it highly likely that the number nine hitter will make his first plate appearance with at least one runner on base. In effect, the Ballers could have an extra cleanup batter.
Other goals for the B’s include breaking even financially. To do this, they have enhanced and expanded the stadium giveaway and promotion schedules. They’re too long to list here, but you can find them on http://www.oaklandballers.com.
The PBL itself is facing financial challenges. Economic uncertainty has cut into attendance, and inflation has made the cost of travel prohibitive. The league is dealing with this by realigning its divisions, adding new franchises and dropping old ones, and limiting interdivisional travel.
I, too, am facing challenges. Health and mobility problems prevent me from frequent coverage of Giants and Ballers home games. I have had to stop reporting on the Giants’ home games and will reduce my coverage of the Ballers to a weekly or semi-weekly column. I believe that a weekly column is the better option. What it sacrifices in freshness and detail, it recoups in addition context. It will be learning experience.
Nick Kurtz charges in on Josh Naylor’s soft grounder as J.P. Crawford breaks for second base during the top of the third inning.(photo by Golden Bay Times)
By Mauricio Segura
WEST SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Athletics started the day still clinging to first place in the American League West, but Seattle spent the afternoon tugging at every loose thread until the whole thing looked frayed. The Mariners turned an early Sacramento mistake into a three-run first inning, kept adding pressure in the middle innings, and rode Logan Gilbert’s firm six-inning start to a 9-1 win that made the division race feel a lot tighter than it did when the first pitch was thrown.
The trouble began almost immediately. J.P. Crawford opened the game with a single, and Jeffrey Springs seemed close to escaping after two quick outs. Then Josh Naylor reached on Jeff McNeil’s throwing error, putting two aboard for Rob Refsnyder. That mistake became expensive in a hurry. Refsnyder sent a three-run homer to left, giving Seattle a 3-0 lead before the Athletics had even taken their first swings. It was the kind of inning that has followed the A’s all series, as their defense leaked error on top of error.
Sacramento did get a first-inning single from Carlos Cortes, who entered as one of the best hitters in the majors by batting average, but Gilbert never let the A’s turn a small spark into a real rally. He retired Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, and Tyler Soderstrom in order after Cortes reached, then continued to keep the Green and Gold searching. Darell Hernaiz singled in the third. Langeliers and Soderstrom reached to start the fourth. Zack Gelof doubled in the fifth, and Cortes drew a free pass behind him. Each time, Seattle found the answer before the Athletics could bend the game back toward them.
The fourth inning hurt almost as much as the first. Springs again got the first two outs, but Cole Young singled, Jhonny Pereda drew a free pass, and Colt Emerson ripped a two-run triple to right. That stretched Seattle’s lead to 5-0 and spoiled what had been a strong historical matchup for Springs, who had handled the Mariners well over his career. Instead, the left-hander’s recent slide continued, and the Athletics were chasing a game that kept getting farther away.
Gilbert, meanwhile, gave Seattle exactly what they needed. He worked six scoreless innings, allowed five hits, struck out six, and handled Sacramento’s best chance in the fourth when Langeliers singled and Soderstrom drew a free pass with nobody out. Jonah Heim lifted a ball to center, but Henry Bolte followed by grounding into a double play that erased the inning. For a team that had been struggling to score over the previous week, that missed chance felt heavy.
Seattle added another run in the sixth when Young scored on Emerson’s forceout, helped along by a throwing error from Hernaiz. Then Julio Rodríguez made sure there would be no late suspense. After Young drew a free pass and Emerson singled in the eighth, Rodríguez launched a three-run homer to left-center after an ABS challenge overturned a ball call. That blast pushed the Mariners ahead 9-0 and turned the final innings into a formality.
The Athletics finally got on the board in the ninth. Heim drew a free pass, Bolte singled him to third, and McNeil’s double-play grounder brought Heim home. Gelof followed with a single, but Hernaiz grounded into a forceout to end it.
There were a few small positives. Cortes reached twice, Soderstrom doubled, Gelof had two hits, and Bolte added a late single. But this was mostly a reminder that the A’s margin for error is thinner as the season progresses in tight a West coast competition .
They entered the day with a half-game lead over Seattle and a losing record despite holding the top spot in the West. By the end, Seattle had turned up the heat in the standings, while the Athletics were left with a lopsided loss, a quiet lineup, and another afternoon where early mistakes had loud repercussions.
The Athletics get a day off Thursday before the Bronx Bombers roll into West Sacramento for a weekend series beginning Friday night. Former Yankee Luis Severino gets the start for the A’s,carrying a 2-5 record, 4.23 ERA, and 64 strikeouts into a matchup against Carlos Rodón, who enters at 0-2 with a 4.15 ERA and 17 strikeouts. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. at Sutter Health Park.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
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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.
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Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Aramis Garcia (middle right) holds up the baseball after tagging out San Francisco Giants baserunner Willy Adames (2) in the bottom of the eighth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)
Oracle Park
San Francisco, California
Arizona Diamondbacks 3 (26-26)
San Francisco Giants 2 (22-34)
Win: Michael Soroka (7-2)
Loss: Trevor McDonald (2-2)
Save: Paul Sewald (14)
Time: 2:21
Attendance: 33,258
By Stephen Ruderman
SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants have once again hit a new rock bottom this season, as they blew a 2-0 lead, and single-handedly took themselves out of a rally in the bottom of the eighth with two bone-headed base-running blunders. The Giants lost 3-2, and have suffered another sweep at the hands of the Diamondbacks on Wednesday afternoon..
There has been a real resurgence of small ball and bunting throughout Baseball this season. Teams like the Diamondbacks, Rays, Guardians and Brewers have consistently put the ball in play, and have not struck out much. As a result, they have been very fun to watch, and have been winning games.
The Rays dead-last in barrel percentage and other useless analytical stats that mean absolutely nothing. They are hitting the ball on the ground, and legging out infield hits. They’re stealing bases. They’re coming through with the big RBI base-hits. As a result, they are 11th in runs scored with 244; third in batting average at .260; and third in on-base percentage at .333. The Rays also lead the American League East with the best record in the American League, and the second-best record in Baseball at 36-20.
The Giants have been in a great position all season to be amongst those teams. Wednesday, on what was probably the most beautiful day for a baseball game at Oracle Park all season with puffy cumulous clouds from thunderstorms in the hills in Central Valley, the Giants showed that they can get in on this beautiful trend.
Luis Arraez lined a base-hit, and stole second in the bottom of the first. Unfortunately, Casey Schmitt and Rafael Devers both popped out.
Drew Gilbert led off the bottom of the third with a base-hit to right. Willy Adames then lined a double down the left field line, two batters later, to put runners at second and third for the Giants with one out. Arraez came up, and he hit a little roller up the middle that trickled its way into center field for a base-hit. Gilbert and Adames both scored, and the Giants had a 2-0 lead. Schmitt stole second—after he was originally called out, and the call was over-turned—but Rafael Devers once again looked at strike three, just as he did with the bases loaded last night.
Nevertheless, it was a beautiful rally. It was the kind of rally this Giants’ team was built to execute. It was the kind of rally that if the Giants can start having more of, they can truly turn things around this season.
The day was off to a great start. Trevor McDonald looked to bounce back after getting bombed for seven runs by the White Sox on Friday night. Like his start Friday, McDonald cruised through the first time through the order, but also like his start last Friday, he was allowing solid contact. However, McDonald kept it going the second time through the Diamondbacks’ lineup.
Michael Soroka, who made the start for the Diamondbacks today, settled down, and threw a pair of 1-2-3 innings in the fourth and fifth. The Diamondbacks then got to McDonald for a pair of runs to tie the game in the top of the sixth. In the top of the seventh, Arizona manufactured a run, and took the lead on a sacrifice fly to left by Geraldo Perdomo.
The Giants had blown the lead, and trailed 3-2, as they stared down the barrel of another sweep by the Diamondbacks. Bryce Eldridge drew a walk off Ryan Thompson with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Sadly, the Giants couldn’t do anything, as Brandyn Garcia came in, and struck out pinch-hitter Harrison Bader to end the inning.
Caleb Kilian threw a 1-2-3 top of the eighth, and then came the bottom of the eighth. By this point, the pretty much every-single Giants’ hitter was trying to hit one out to tie the game. Willy Adames has really only been able to hit home runs in meaningless situations this year, and he predictably hit a high fly ball to left off Kevin Ginkel with one out in the bottom of the eighth.
However, Adames got away with it with it when left-fielder Ryan Waldschmidt. The tying run was in scoring position for Arraez, who shot a base-hit to left-center. However, it wasn’t quite clear whether Waldschmidt was going to catch it or not, so Adames had absolutely no chance to score. That didn’t stop Third Base Coach Hector Borg from waving Adames in, and getting him thrown out by a mile at the plate. It was a devastating play, but hey, at least Arraez went to second on the throw. Unfortunately, he was then picked off at second to end the inning.
Schmitt, Devers and Chapman were due up against Diamondbacks’ closer Paul Sewald in the bottom of the ninth. Predictably, all three of them tried to tie the game on one swing, and popped out, struck out and flied out respectively.
Sure, there have been plenty of rock-bottoms for the Giants this season, but Wednesday was definitely a new one. In the grand scheme of things, we probably have a lot more rock-bottoms beneath us to come.
The Giants are now 12 games under .500 at 32-24. The Giants either need to make massive changes—and by that, I mean firing Hector Bord, and designating Harrison Bader and Tyler Mahle for assignment—or they need to just kick the tires on this season. I highly doubt they are going to do the latter. After all, it is only May 27, but if Buster Posey and the powers that be in the front office don’t stage a real intervention soon, we may hit rock-bottom for the Giants’ 69 years in San Francisco at some point later this season.
The Giants will hit the road for their third and final three-city roadtrip of the season. It will take them to Colorado for three; Milwaukee for four; and Chicago for three against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
The Giants will have a day off Thursday in Denver to think about Wednesday’s new rock-bottom for the season. However, Logan Webb (2-4 ERA 5.06) will make his return from the Injured List for the series opener on Friday. Jung-Hoo Lee will also be eligible to come off the Injured List. Hey, now’s the perfect time to designate Bader and Mahle for assignment.
The longtime veteran, Michael Lorenzen (2-7 ERA 7.21), will go for the Rockies on Friday night.
First pitch will be at 6:40 p.m CDT. at Coors Field, 5:40 p.m PDT.
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