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Posey launches a three-run home run in Giants’ 3-2 win over Pirates

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Photo credit: @sfchronicle

By Jeremy Kahn

Buster Posey came up with the biggest hit of the weekend at the most opportune time in the game for the San Francisco Giants.

Posey launched a three-run home run off of Chris Archer in the top of the fifth inning, as the Giants hung onto the last batter to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 at PNC Park.

It was the first career home run of Poseys career against the Pirates, and it helped the Giants avoid the three-game sweep against the Pirates.

When Posey got back to the dugout, he was mobbed by his teammates and you could a smile on his face as well.

Just in front of Posey to scorewas Dereck Rodriguez, who singled to lead off the inning and then Steven Duggar singled.

Things got dicey for the Giants in the bottom of the ninth inning, as former Giants farmhand Bryan Reynolds hit a double into the right-field corner that kicked around to Duggar, who threw to Joe Panik, who in turn, threw to Posey to get Jung Ho Kang at the plate to end the game.

Closer Will Smith walked Francisco Cervelli with one out, and then Kang grounded into a force out that saw Brandon Crawford unable to turn the double play; however, they were able to get Cervelli at second base for the second out and then the game came to an end, when Kang was thrown at the plate.

Rodriguez made one mistake, but other than that, the right-hander was on point for the Giants.

Rodriguez gave up a two-run home run to Josh Bell in the bottom of the fourth inning, but was solid before and after that home run by Bell.

He went 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on three hits, walking just one and striking out four, as he improved to 3-2 on the season.

After not pitching yesterday, the Giants bullpen was well rested, as the trio of Reyes Moronta, Tony Watson and Smith went a combined 3.1 innings, allowing two hits, walking two and striking out three and it ended with Smith picking up his fifth save of the season.

Archer went five innings, giving up three runs on six hits, walking two and striking out two; however, that one-pitch to Posey sent to his first loss of 2019 against one win.

NOTES: Posey last hit a home run on June 19, 2018 off of Dan Straily of the Miami Marlins, a span of 237 at-bats. The Pirates were the last team that Posey never hit a home run against in his career, a total of 49 games.

UP NEXT: After an off-day on Monday, the Giants begin a brief two-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Jeff Samardzija will take the mound against the Blue Jays, as he wants to bounce back from his last start, where he went five innings, allowing four runs on five hits, walking two and striking out seven, as he lost to the Washington Nationals on Wednesday.

Samardzija will face Trent Thornton, who is 0-2 with a 5.40 earned run average for the Blue Jays under first year manager Charlie Montoyo.

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast with Daniel Dullum: Sharks-Knights draw down in Game 6; Av’s and CBJ’s upsets to advance; plus more

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Photo credit: @newsvire1

On the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast with Daniel:

1 Sharks stay alive; series shifts to Las Vegas for Game 6

2 First round upsets: Blue Jackets stun Lightning; Av’s oust Flames, Stars stun Preds in Nashville

3 Blues eliminate Jets in six; Caps rout Carolina, Islanders waiting for second round

4 Leafs try to close out Bruins

5 Todd McLellan finds work, hired by LA Kings; Yzerman heads home to take over Red Wings

Daniel does the NHL podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Joey Friedman: A’s looking at getting swept by Jays, having lost four of last five

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Photo credit: @NBCSAthletics

On the A’s podcast with Joey:

#1 It was Oakland A’s Matt Chapman bobblehead day alright, and the A’s did just that on Saturday, bobbled the game away to the Toronto Blue Jays 10-1 in a no mercy rule game.

#2 The Jays’ first baseman Rowdy Tellez hit for his fourth homer and got a double as part of the Jays offense was hitting .191.

#3 The Jays’ Brandon Drury hitting .147 went 3-4 and hit for two RBIs and two runs scored.

#4 The A’s rough day continued after using six relievers they called on their first baseman Kendrys Morales as a closer in the ninth inning.

#5 The A’s and Jays conclude the series today at the Coliseum with the Jays Aaron Sanchez (2-1, 2.86 ERA) and the A’s Brett Anderson (3-0, 2.63 ERA).

Joey does the A’s podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Earthquakes power past Sporting KC 4-1 for second win

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photo credit mercurynews.com: The San Jose Earthquakes Danny Hoesen found the back end of the net scoring twice against the visiting Sporting KC at Avaya Stadium on Saturday

By Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Danny Hoesen provided some early fireworks for The San Jose Earthquakes and they never took their foot off the gas pedal in a dominating 4-1 victory over the Sporting KC on Saturday evening at Avaya Stadium.

The Quakes have won two out of their last three after starting 0-4 on the season. San Jose improved to 1-2 at home on the season while snapping Sporting KC’s five-game unbeaten streak as the visiting team continued to be winless on the road.

San Jose (2-5) drew first blood early in the first half. Anibal Godoy sent in a long ball from just inside the midfield line over to Danny Hoesen right at the D. The pass split two defenders as Hoesen took ball of the chest shot and won the battle between two KC defenders and finished off the play with a shot into the lower left side of the goal for his second goal of the season in the sixth minute.

Hoesen scored his second of the night six minutes later after taking a chip pass from Jackson Yueill down the left sideline. Hoesen dribbled in, deked out a defender and then out waited Sporting KC’s goalie Tim Melia and shot the ball off the body of Yohan Croizet into the back of the net for his third goal of the season in the 12th minute.

“It’s easy to say after you score two goals, but I always felt free,” said Hoesen. “The coach has always had confidence in me. It depends on how you feel on the day, how much you can run, how much can you do for the team. Sometimes it’s good and sometimes it’s bad.”

The goal was initially ruled offside by the right corner linesman, but after VAR review, the goal counted as the Quakes doubled their lead to 2-0.

Sporting KC (2-2-3) had a golden chance to cut the lead in half in the 26th minute when Krisztian Nemeth was awarded a penalty kick. However, his shot resembled more a field goal attempt as he shot ball very high over the net.

The Quakes dictated the tempo of play in the first 45 minutes as they controlled possession for much of the half generating four scoring chances.

“The goals were important for the confidence of the players,” said Quakes head coach Matias Almeyda. “I think it was an intelligent game knowing we couldn’t give them any advantage, so our players understood what we wanted. We had patience to control the ball and determine the moment and the place when we should pressure to recover the ball and from there start our counter-attacks. But I think the players did a good job understanding the game plan.”

The second half was a carbon copy of the first. In the 46th minute, Magnus Eriksson led the attack right from the opening kickoff. He found Shea Salinas along the left sideline. Salinas dribbled inside the box, and from 15 yards out, chipped in a shot over Malia into the upper right corner of the goal for his second goal of the season.

Eriksson completed the scoring for San Jose in the 61st minute. Nick Lima led a rush into the box and then tried a give and go with Eriksson, but Eriksson’s return pass was deflected right back to him. With Malia committed to the left side of the goal, the Swedish midfielder chipped the ball back into the lower right corner of the net for his second goal of the season.

“Build on tonight,” said Lima. “Tonight gives us confidence, but we build on it, we go back to the training pitch with not much time but whatever it may be, we continue to work things out communication-wise.  That’s a huge part of it and we get a little better for the next game.”

Sporting KC finally got on the board when Florian Jungwith was called for a foul inside the Quakes box which resulted in a penalty kick. This time Felipe Gutierrez cashed in on his opportunity for his second goal of the season.

Daniel Vega made six saves on seven shots to earn the victory.

GAME NOTES: Quakes defenseman Goram Kashia did not play due to a lower leg injury.

Wondo Watch: Chris Wondolowski came in the match as a substitute in the 80th minute but was not able to score. He currently sits one goal behind Landon Donovan for the all-time goals record in MLS history.

Danny Hoesen scored his 19th and 20th of his MLS career. Hoesen’s goals came in the sixth and 12th minutes of the match, the second earliest brace in Quakes history (Dwyane De Rosario — 9/27/03; 11 minutes).

Hoesen’s brace marked his third multi-goal match with the Earthquakes and first since June 13, 2018 (2 goals vs. NE). The last Quakes player to score two or more goals in a single match was Vako vs. FC Dallas on Aug. 29, 2018.

Salinas scored his second goal of the season and 15th of his MLS career. The last time Salinas scored multiple goals in a single season was 2015 (3).

Anibal Godoy tallied his second assist of the season and seventh of his MLS career.

Jackson Yueill tallied his first assist of the season and fifth of his MLS career.

Only the LA Galaxy (9) and Seattle Sounders FC (7) have earned more points than San Jose’s six over their last three matches.

The Earthquakes now hold a 25-26-8 all-time record against Sporting Kansas City.

San Jose is now 17-6-7 all-time against Sporting Kansas City at home.

The Quakes are now 3-2-1 against SKC all-time at Avaya Stadium.

Gianluca Busio was injured in the 25th minute which ended his three game goal streak.

Christian Espinoza was issued a yellow card the second minute into stoppage time into the first half. Godoy received a yellow card at the end of the first half for un-sportsman like conduct and will miss San Jose’s next match.

UP NEXT: The Quakes travel to Seattle to take on the Sounders on Wednesday, April 24 at 7:30 pm at Century Link Field.

Giants lose rain-shortened game in Pittsburgh 3-1

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

Even though the date on the calendar says April 20, weather and timely hitting by the Pittsburgh Pirates helped them out in the long run.

Cole Tucker hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning, helping the Pirates defeat the San Francisco Giants 3-1 in a game called after just five innings due to rain.

It was a three-hour 20-minute rain delay that saw Tucker pickup his first major league hit when he launched a 431-foot home run to centerfield that sent the Giants to their fourth straight defeat.

Steven Duggar tied up the game in the top of the fifth inning, as he picked an opposite field single that scored Kevin Pillar from second base.

In what could have been a big inning came to a heartbreaking halt, as Gerardo Parra lined into a double play that doubled Derek Holland off of first base. Holland reached on a bunt single down the third base line.

Pillar ended up going 2-for-2 in the rain shortened game that saw the game lasted just around 90 minutes after the 4:05 (eastern time) start.

Jung Ho Kong put the Pirates on the board, as he hit his third home run of the season, a solo home run off of Holland that gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead.

Jameson Tallion pitched five innings, allowing just one run, scattering four hits, walking one and striking out three, as he won for the first time this season after losing two.

Holland saw his record fall to 1-3, as he also five innings, allowing three runs, also scattering four hits, walking just one and striking out seven.

NOTES: Once again, the Giants did not score in the first inning, making it 22 consecutive games that they have not scored, tying the 1952 Chicago White Sox and the 2007 Washington Nationals for second place. The 1948 Chicago White Sox hold the major- league record for not scoring a run in their first 28 games.

Tallion retired the Giants on nine pitches in that first inning, as they are now 6-for-69 in the opening frame on the 2019 season.

In his major-league career, Buster Posey does not have a home run against the Pirates in 184 career at-bats against the Pirates.

UP NEXT: Dereck Rodriguez looks to stop the losing streak, as he takes the mound on Sunday afternoon. This will be the second career start for Rodriguez against the Pirates, as he is 1-0 against the Pirates all-time.

On August 12, 2018, Rodriguez went seven innings, allowing one run on two hits, walked one and struck out four, as the Giants defeated the Pirates 2-1.

Chris Archer will go to the mound for the Pirates, as they go for the series sweep. Archer will make his first start after returning from the suspended list. Archer is 1-0 on the season.

Archer was suspended for five games after throwing a pitch behind Derek Dietrich on April 7.

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast with Matt Harrington: Kate Smith’s racist songs of the past takes top story in the NHL; Avalanche go right through Flames like butter; Kapanen gets crucial game-winner for Leafs

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photo from azcentral.com: A worker covers a statue of singer Kate Smith near the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

On the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast with Matt:

#1 Matt, the banning of Kate Smith’s version of God Bless America at Philadelphia Flyers games, has taken forefront in NHL news today with the uncovering of her singing racist songs in the 1930s the NHL stated they wanted no part of Smith and those songs and the Flyers will no longer play God Bless America by Kate Smith at their games. Matt shares his thoughts on this story that has dominated news in hockey this weekend.

#2 The Colorado Avalanche went through the Calgary Flames like butter to advance to round two. What made it a breeze for the Avalanche to win the first round?

#3 The Avalanche in Game 5 to advance got a convincing four-goal win over the Flames 5-1. The Avalanche’s Colin Wilson and Mikko Rantanen each had huge night scoring twice and each with an assist.

#4 The Toronto Maple Leafs have a 3-2 lead on the Boston Bruins after getting a narrow 2-1 win on Friday night in Boston. The Bruins needed that game they had home ice and now head back to Toronto for an elimination game.

#5 The Leafs’ Auston Matthews broke the 0-0 deadlock with a goal in the third period and the Leafs’ Kasperi Kapanen scored another goal that pushed the Leafs past the Bruins for the win.

Matt Harrington does the NHL podcasts each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs/San Jose Sharks podcast with Len Shapiro: Elimination game for Sharks in must-win Game 6 Sunday

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photo from mercurynews.com: San Jose Sharks Tomas Hertl celebrates one his two goals from Thursday night at SAP Center in San Jose in the Sharks 5-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in game five of the playoff series

On the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs/San Jose Sharks podcast with Len:

#1 The Sharks had their backs to the wall on Thursday night, down three games to one, but they got a spark, they got some life, what point of the game did your realize this one will be a keep for the Sharks?

#2 Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer showed a lot of confidence in goaltender Marty Jones after pulling Jones twice during the series.

#3 Jones stopped 32 shots while allowing two goals. There was certainly a big change in the way Jones was defending between the pipes.

#4 The Sharks came out firing and the Vegas Golden Knights were frankly just overwhelmed.

#5 Sharks goals came from Tomas Hertl (2), Logan Couture, Barclay Goodrow, and Joe Pavelski.

#6 What’s to be expected in Game 6 Sunday night in Vegas?

Len has the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Pirates’ four-run first does in Giants’ 4-1 loss

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By Jeremy Kahn

If it was not for the first inning, it was a second fantastic outing in a row for Madison Bumgarner.

Unfortunately, Bumgarner gave up four runs on four hits and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the San Francisco Giants 4-1 at PNC Park.

After getting the first two out in the inning, Jung Ho Kang walked, then Josh Bell and then Francisco Cervelli doubled to left to score both Kang and Bell. Pablo Reyes then singled in Cervelli, which saw Reyes move up to second on the throw home and then the scoring ended, when JB Shuck singled in Reyes.

Bumgarner then settled down, as he ended up going six innings, allowing those four runs, on six hits, walking just one and striking out seven.

In the final five innings of his start, Bumgarner allowed no runs on just two hits, not walking a batter and striking out six; however, he saw his record to 1-3 on the season.

Jordan Lyles pitched a great game for the Pirates, as he went six innings, not allowing a run, scattering four hits, walking just one and striking out six, as he improved to 2-0 on the season.

Lyles forced to leave the game after he took a Joe Panik line drive off his pitching hand that the Pirates turned into a double play that ended the inning.

Starling Marte and Erik Gonzalez were also forced to leave the game in the top of the eighth inning, as the two collided on the ball hit by Yangervis Solarte that fell in. Gonzalez was able to walk off on his own, but Marte, who was able to stand at first, was taken off on a cart per the teams request.

Felipe Vazquez struck out the side in the top of the ninth inning, as he notched his sixth save of the season.

Buster Posey drove in the only Giants run of the game in the top of the eighth, as he singled with two on and two out to score Solarte, who singled with one out in the inning. Steven Duggar then walked, and Panik struck out for the second out of the inning, Posey singled to right to score Solarte to bring Brandon Belt to the plate as the potential tying run; however, he popped out to third base to end the inning.

NOTES: Once again, the Giants were unable to get going in the first inning, as they went down in order and are now 6-for-66 in the first inning, a batting average of .091.

Mark Melancon continues to have a great start to the season, as he has thrown 10.0 scoreless innings to start the season and Is only reliever to throw 10 or more innings and not allow a run.

UP NEXT: Derek Holland takes the ball on Saturday for the Giants, while Jamison Tallion goes to the mound for the Pirates. Game time set for 1:05 pm PT.

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast with Joe Lami: Sharks postpone elimination, defeat Knights 5-2; Leafs-Bruins turning into traditional old-school battle; plus more

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Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

On the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast with Joe Lami:

#1 Joe, coming out of a 5-0 shutout in Game 4, did you have any inkling that the San Jose Sharks would wake up battle back and get a three-goal win over the mighty Vegas Golden Knights 5-2 the way they did on Thursday night?

#2 The series between one of the most exciting two teams in the NHL Stanley Cup from the Original Six, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins. The series at 3-2 with Toronto in front and game six moves to Toronto.

#3 The Colorado Avalanche advanced to the next round. The Calgary Flames who came in with their backs to the wall 3-1 in the series just couldn’t hold off the Avalanche and were eliminated on Friday night

#4 Series is tied between the Stars and Predators 2-2. The Stars have Tyler Seguin, who led the team with goals and the Preds leading scorer with Viktor Arvidsson, during the regular season. How do things shape up for Game 5 for Saturday night?

#5 The St. Louis Blues lead the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 going into Game 6 on Saturday night. The Jets’ Mark Scheifele has been leading on offense and paving the way for the Jets to stay alive in this one and for the Blues’ Vladimir Tarasenko, who has led the Blues in scoring, did some damage in the first round.

Joe Lami does the NHL podcast each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose State and Western Michigan announce home-and-home football series

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. —  San Jose State University will play Western Michigan University in a non-conference home-and-home football series during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, respectively. Marie Tuite, the Spartans’ Director of Athletics, made the announcement for the university.

SJSU will travel to Kalamazoo, Mich. for the first time in program history for a Sept. 25, 2021 road game. The return game in San Jose, Calif. will be in CEFCU Stadium on Sept. 24, 2022.

When the Spartans face the Broncos on the road in 2021, it will be the first time these teams are competing against each other in football.

Western Michigan has been a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) since 1947. SJSU, a Mountain West member, has faced current MAC institutions: Miami (Ohio), Bowling Green, Northern Illinois, Toledo, Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan in its football history since 1979.