San Francisco Offense Remains Stagnant Losing to Tigers 3-1

Matt Chapman provided the only offense for the San Francisco Giants scoring the team’s only run in the top of the sixth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Mon May 26, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco Giants (31-23) started off their three game series with the Detroit Tigers (35-20) on Memorial Day but this day was anything but memorable for the Giants losing 3-1. Again the team struggled at the plate coming away with only five hits in the game. The only players with hits were the threesome of Wilmer Flores, Jung Hoo Lee and Matt Chapman. It was a lackluster offensive game for San Francisco.

Game recap: It was a quiet start for both teams through the first three innings. The first team up on the scoreboard was Detroit in the bottom of the fourth inning taking a 1-0 lead. Dillon Dingler singled Colt Keith home. Detroit struck again in the bottom of the fifth inning, this time for two runs extending their lead to 3-0. Riley Greene singled both Kerry Carpenter and Gleyber Torres home and the Tigers were off and running.

San Francisco continued to struggle at the plate finally getting up on the scoreboard in the sixth inning, a single run. Flores singled to center and Chapman scored and the Giants were back in the game but still trailing 3-1.

Flores along with Lee and Chapman were having a good game despite very few hits across the board. Taking the early lead was monumental for the Tigers forcing the Giants to play catchup for the rest of the game. The Tigers have been especially good at home and this game was proving no different.

The Giants pitching was keeping the Giants in the game but the poor hitting was hurting them. Neither team would score for the remainder of the game; the final was 3-1 in favor of the Tigers. San Francisco had horrible offense finishing with only five hits and loading the bases several times in the early innings didn’t help either.

Only three Giants had hits and they are going to have to snap out of it. Flores brought in the only run the Giants had in the game. Flores had 2 hits, Lee had two and Chapman one. San Francisco is connecting at the plate but it has been a collection of fly outs, line outs and ground outs not to mention the mounting errors.

Game notes: The Giants kicked off the unofficial start of summer on the road taking on the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. It was a sunny 67 degrees at first pitch. a perfect day for enjoying a holiday baseball game. The Giants were coming off a successful series with the Nationals winning yesterdays game, a close one, 3-2.

The Tigers lost their last series with the Guardians but did win their last game with Cleveland 5-0. The American League Central leaders will be looking to get back on track in this series. They have a very deep lineup which plays very well offensively. The Giants have been struggling with a very quiet offense. They have been winning despite quiet bats but starting to connect would enhance everything for the Giants.

Tuesday in game two the Tigers will be even tougher than in game one. They are back on track winning their second game in a row in a stadium where they have been hard to beat. Logan Webb who has not been very good on the road will try to get a win for the Giants Tuesday and tie up the series.

He struggled in his last outing and will be looking to clean things up. He has a 5-4 win/loss record and a 2.67 ERA. The Tigers will start Jack Flaherty who also struggled in his last outing. He has a 2-6 win/loss record and an ERA of 4.39. First pitch for Tuesday’s game is scheduled for 3:40 PM.

in the only run the Giants scored in the game.

San Francisco Giants podcast Marko Ukalovic: Giants win sixth of last ten; Head to Detroit to open 3 game series Monday

San Francisco Giants Willy Adames (left) and Mike Yastrzemski (right) are lighter than air after their win over the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in Washington DC on Sun May 25, 2025 (AP News photo)

San Francisco Giants podcast Marko Ukalovic:

#1 San Francisco Giants starter Robbie Ray pitched six effective innings to pick up his seventh win against no loses for the season in a 3-2 win over the Washington Nationals on Sunday.

#2 The Giants Sam Huff provided some offense with a home run and it was enough to get by the Washington Nationals. The Giants taking two out of three in Washington.

#3 The Nats CJ Abrams let the bottom of the ninth off with a double off closer Ryan Walker and James Wood picked up an RBI with a one out double scoring Abrams. Walker ended up retiring the next two hitters and picked up his tenth save of the season.

#4 Marko at the rate that Ray is pitching he could be a Cy Young candidate. Ray is the second Giant in the last 30 years to start a season at 7-0 the last to do it was Kevin Gausman in 2021.

#5 Next up for the Giants it’s off to the Motor City and the Detroit Tigers on Monday. The Giants will be starting RHP Hayden Birdsong 2-0 ERA 1.91 for the Tigers Keider Montrero (1-1 ERA 5.28) first pitch 10:10 AM PDT at Comerica Park in Detroit.

Marko Ukalovic does the Giants podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento A’s podcast Barbara Mason Mon May 26, 2025: At long last A’s end skid at 11 games beat Phils 5-4

Sacramento A’s catcher Willie MacIver (left) and pitcher Mason Miller share congratulations after the win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento on Sun May 25, 2025 (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s podcast Barbara Mason:

#1 Barbara, the Sacramento A’s (23-31) can finally put to rest their long losing streak which stopped at 11 straight games on Sunday with a win over the Philadelphia Phillies (34-19) 5-4.

#2 First inning action the A’s get on the scoreboard first with Jacob Wilson hit a home run to left center. Logan Davidson doubled knocking Miguel Anduar and Brent Rooker A’s up 3-0.

#3 The Philadelphia Phillies JT Realmuto hit into a double play allowing Kyle Schwarber to score in the top of the second Phils get on the scoreboard making it 3-1, In the third inning Trea Turner’s single scored Brandon Marsh making it 3-2. In the fifth inning Turner hit sac fly to center that scored Alex Bohm tying it up 3-3, in the top of the eighth inning Turner hit a home run to left field to give the Phils a 4-3 lead. That would be the last time the Phils would score.

#4 The A’s Lawrence Butler hit a eighth inning triple that scored Davidson tying up the game4-4. The newest A’s acquisition Willie MacIver hit a single that scored Butler for the go ahead run and eventual game winner for a 5-4 score.

#5 The A’s have the day off on Monday and open a two game series in Houston on Tuesday night at Daikin Field in Houston. The A’s will be going with starter LHP JP Sears (4-4 ERA 4.00) Astros RHP Hunter Brown (6-3 ERA 2.04) will start to open the brief series first pitch is 5:10pm PDT.

Barbara Mason does the A’s podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Ballers use six pitchers can’t hold Raptors in 8-2 loss at Raimondi

The scores says it all a tough day for Oakland Baller pitchers six pitchers used in a six run loss to the Ogden Raptors at Raimondi Park in West Oakland on Sun May 25, 2025 in Pioneer League action (Oakland Ballers X photo)

Ogden Raptors (3-3) 300 301 001 8 11 1

Oakland Baller (3-3) 001 000 001 2 10 1

Time: 2:52

Attendance: 1,954

Sunday, May 25, 2025

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–The high flying Oakland Ballers came tumbling down to earth in this Memorial Weekend’s Sunday afternoon encounter with the Ogden Raptors in a bright, chilly, and sparsely attended Ernie Raimondi Park.

The final score was 8-2 in favor of the visitors. For all the one-sidedness of all but the first of this six game series, the teams are fairly evenly matched. Like the statistician who drowned fording a river with an average depth of six inches, they illustrate that the devil really is in the details.

The first pitch was thrown at 1:05, and the Ballers quickly fell behind, 2-0, with one out in the top of the first. That was the closest they came to a tie before the final out was recorded at 3:57, two slowly passing hours and 52 minutes in which the Oaklanders had a chance to experience the same tortures they had inflicted on their opponents only a day earlier, in their 9-2 triumph over these same Raptors.

Oakland sent five pitchers to the mound. The starter, Dylan Porter, gave up six in his 3-1/3 inning stint, although half of them were unearned. Only James Colyer, who took over for him and allowed an inherited runner to score, and Conner Richardson, who set Ogden down in order in the eighth, escaped without having a run charged to their accounts. Alec Rodríguez and Conner Sullivan respectively allowed a run—earned—in his two and one inning appearance.

What Ballers lacked in pitching, they made up in hitting … and frustration. They made ten hits in 35 at bats, a respectable .286 team BA. They also stranded 11 runners. Tremayne Cobb once more had a multihit game, going two for four. He was the only Baller to break the one hit barrier. Marquez Titialii’s ninth inning lead off double was the team’s only extra base hit.

Every Raptor in the starting lineup except Kenny Oyama got at least one hit, and he managed to walk and score two times. Elliot Good and Cole Jordan had multihit afternoons, with three and two respectively. Miguel Hernández turned in a good performance in his 5-1/3 inning start for the visitors, yielding one run, which was earned, on seven hits and two walks and throwing 95 pitches in the process.

Shawn Tripplett and Cameron Edmonson blanked the B’s through the eighth frame, Tripplett on no hits and a walk in 1-1/3 innings; Edmonson, on a hit and a walk in one. Nik Cardinal mopped up in the ninth. Oakland got to him for a run—earned— on two hits and a base on balls, but it was too little, too late.

After a day off Monday to recuperate, the Ballers will start another six day series on Tuesday, the 30th. They’ll face the Grand Junction Jackalopes (1-5 and 11th in the Pioneer League’s overall standings). The Ballers now are 3-3, tied with the Raptors for sixth place). Game time will be 6:35p.

Willie MacIver almost single-handedly snaps A’s 11-game losing streak in major league debut, as A’s top Phillies 5-4 in finale

Sacramento A’s catcher Willie MacIver throws the ball to the pitcher in the top of the fifth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Sun May 25, 2025

Sunday, May 25, 2025

Sutter Health Park

West Sacramento, California

Philadelphia Phillies 4 (34-19)

Sacramento Athletics 5 (23-31)

Win: Tyler Ferguson (1-2)

Loss: Matt Strahm (1-3)

Save: Mason Miller (12)

Time: 2:19

Attendance: 10,068

By Stephen Ruderman

WEST SACRAMENTO–New A’s catcher Willie MacIver was the hero in his major league debut, as the A’s snapped their 11-game losing streak in dramatic fashion in a wild seesaw game that saw comebacks and ejections, and at the end, the A’s beat the Phillies 5-4 Sunday.

It wasn’t just the 11-game losing streak. The A’s have been horrible at their rental home here in West Sacramento, as they came into Sunday’s game 8-19 at home.

Gunnar Hoglund took the ball for Oakland, ahem I meant Sacramento, Sunday. Hoglund got off to a nice start with a one, two, three top of the first inning, with all three outs being flyouts.

The A’s certainly looked like a team taking out their anger over an 11-game losing streak on Phillies’ starter Jesus Luzardo in the bottom of the first. It started when Jacob Wilson clubbed the first pitch of the day from Luzardo for a home run off the clubhouse buildings out in left field.

Brent Rooker followed Wilson’s home run with a base-hit to left, and Miguel Andujar lined a base-hit to center with one out. With two outs, Logan Davidson shot a two-run double off the wall out in left-center to make it 3-0.

The A’s came out swinging, and something definitely felt different in that bottom of the first. However, there was still a long way to go, and the A’s would have to fight with every fiber in their being to snap the skid.

The Phillies would get on the board and plate a run without a hit in the top of the second. Brandon Marsh led off the top of the third with a double over the glove of A’s center-fielder Denzel Clarke, and into the gap in right-center. Two batters later, Trae Turner grounded a base-hit up the middle to center, which scored Marsh to make it 3-2.

The A’s wasted an opportunity to further add on to their lead against Luzardo in the bottom of the second. From there, Luzardo settled down for the most part.

Hoglund settled back down to throw a one, two, three, inning in the top of the fourth. However, the Phillies manufactured a run in the top of the fifth to tie it. It would be the end of the line for Hoglund, who gave up three runs and four hits over five innings.

The A’s finally had a rally going against Luzardo in the bottom of the seventh, as they put runners at first and second with one out. Tyler Soderstrom was unable to get the job done, as he flew out to right for the second out, and both runners had to hold.

Then when Miguel Andujar came up, things got a little spicy. The first pitch to Andujar was a called strike right on the outside corner that may have been a bit generous. When Mark Kotsay voiced his displeasure with Home Plate Umpire Roberto Ortiz from the A’s dugout, Ortiz gave Kotsay the boot. Kotsay came out and said his piece, and then he made the long trek to the A’s clubhouse beyond the left field fence.

Andujar ended up striking out on three pitches. On his way back to the dugout, Andujar had some choice words for Ortiz, and Andujar was tossed as well.

Luzardo would be done after seven for the Phillies. Despite giving up nine hits and the three-run bottom of the first, Luzardo walked just seven and struck out ten. Not a bad day on the mound.

With one out in the top of the eighth, Trea Turner hit a home run to left off Hogan Harris to give the Phillies their first lead of the day. The A’s were now six outs away from being swept and losing their 12th-straight.

Phillies Manager Rob Thomson brought in Matt Straham for the bottom of the eighth. Straham retired the first man he faced, as he got Luis Urias to fly out to center. However, Logan Davidson walked, and then Lawrence Butler lined a triple down the right field line to tie the game.

It was suddenly now a brand-new game. Up came A’s catcher Willie MacIver, who got the start behind the plate in his major league debut today. MacIver came up 0-for-3, but the fourth time would be a charm, as he flipped a base-hit to right-center to knock Butler in and put the A’s back ahead.

Mason Miller came in for the top of the ninth and set down the first guys he faced. Of course, the Phillies would not make it easy, as Alec Bohm reached on an infield hit with two outs to extend the game for Brandon Marsh.

Johan Rojas came in to pinch-run for Bohm at first. On the first pitch to Marsh—which missed up and away for ball one—Rojas broke for second, but he was called out by Second Base Umpire and Crew Chief Bill Miller after a perfect strike from MacIver behind the plate.

The Phillies challenged with nothing to lose, and the call was confirmed. In his major league debut, Willie MacIver almost single-handedly snapped the A’s 12-game losing streak. Welcome to the big leagues, kid!

Tyler Ferguson, who finished off the top of the eighth for Oakland, got the win; Matt Straham took the loss; and Mason Miller picked up his 12th save.

The A’s get their 23rd win and improve to 23-31.

The A’s will hit the road for a six-game road trip, which will feature two in Houston Tuesday and Wednesday, and then four north of the border in Toronto against the Blue Jays starting on Thursday.

The A’s will be off on Memorial Day Monday, but they will begin their two-gamer against the Astros in Houston on Tuesday with JP Sears (4-4, 4.00 ERA) on the hill. Hunter Brown (6-3, 2.04 ERA) will counter for Houston.

First pitch will be at 7:10 p.m. in Houston, 5:10 p.m. back wherever the A’s call home in Northern California.

Giants Win Series Over the Nationals 3-2; SF’s Ray stays perfect at 7-0

San Francisco Giants pitcher Robbie Ray pitches to the Washington Nationals line up in the bottom of the third inning at Nationals Park in Washington DC on Sun May 25, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Despite having a fairly quiet offensive game, the San Francisco Giants beat the Washington Nationals 3-2. San Francisco pitcher Robbie Ray went six innings and continued his brilliant play picking up his seventh win against no loses. A lot of credit to the San Francisco bullpen which is the best in baseball right now and has been a huge part of their success.

Game recap: San Francisco got their bats working early taking a 1-0 lead into the second inning. Willy Adames grounded out to the pitcher allowing Wilmer Flores to score for the first run of the game and the San Francisco 1-0 lead.

The Giants carried the offensive momentum into the third inning scoring two more runs and taking a 3-0 lead. Sam Huff hit a home run to left center for the first third inning run. San Francisco extended that lead off a Heliot Ramos ground out sending Michael Yastrzemski home for the 3-0 tally.

The Nationals scored their first run of the game on a Ray wild pitch in the third inning. Nasim Nunez got the Nationals up on the scoreboard with the Giants still leading 3-1.

San Francisco did not score for the rest of the game coming away with only five hits as they continue to struggle offensively. They stubbornly hung onto the 3-1 lead going into the ninth inning. The Nationals threatened in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The Giant’s Ryan Walker was the closer in the game giving up two hits and one run. The Nationals James Woods doubled in the ninth inning and CJ Abrams scored their second run threatening to at least tie up this game. After Walker gave up two doubles, he shut Washington down getting out of the inning closing out the game with a 3-2 San Francisco win and also a series win.

Despite the win in this game, the Giants continue to look for more success offensively. The home runs have quieted down and the bats have been sluggish. While a win is a win, San Francisco needs to start closing out games with a lot more hits.

As expected Ray was brilliant on the mound with his contagious energy and solid pitching.

Game notes: Sunday afternoon the Giants wrapped up their series with the Nationals. After being shut out in Saturday’s game 3-0 the Giants were looking for a whole lot more offense but just got enough to win it on Sunday.

In game two on Saturday San Francisco only had three hits while the National’s had eight. Giant starter Robbie Ray whose been excellent all season pitched six innings, gave up three hits, one earned run and struck seven with an ERA of 2.56 was the winner now 7-0. Nationals starter Michael Soroka pitched six innings allowing five hits, three earned runs, one walk, and two strike outs for the loss.

The Giants will now take the energy from this series win into Detroit on Monday where they will face the Tigers in a three game series in what will be three challenging matchups. The Tigers are second in all of baseball with a great pitching staff. San Francisco will have to get the bats going. They will start Hayden Birdsong (2-0 ERA 1.91) while the Tigers will send Keider Montero coming into this game with a 1-1 win/loss record and a 5.28 ERA. First pitch for this Memorial Day matchup is scheduled for an early start 10:10 AM.

Ballers get the offense with seven run win over Raptors 9-2

Oakland Ballers pitcher Reed Butz delivers to the Ogden Raptors line up at Raimondi Park West Oakland on Sat May 24, 2025 (Oakland Ballers photo)

Ogden Raptors (2-3) 000 000 002 2 7 1

Oakland Ballers (3-2) 030 200 22x 9 13 1

Time: 2:08

Saturday, May 24, 2025

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–Last Thursday’s self-inflicted 13-9 walloping of Oaktown’s B’s by the visiting Ogden Raptors turned out to be the kick in the pants the locals needed to get their individual and collective butts in gear. They reacted by humiliating their guests, 16-1 on Friday night, Saturday the 24th the Ballers disposed of the Raptors neatly in the late afternoon contest, 9-2.

It almost was the Ballers first shutout of the nascent season. Their starting pitcher, southpaw Reed Butz, needed only 67 pitches to hurl seven scoreless innings in which he allowed only three hits and a walk to 23 batters, just two over the minimum.

Carson Lambert relieved him to open the eighth and just managed to preserve the shutout. Adam Bogosian took over in the ninth and didn’t. There was action in the Oakland bullpen when he finally got the final out after yielding the Raptors their two runs.

Runner were on second and third when he did. Rookie Tremayne Cobb, Jr. extended his eye popping work at the plate. His three for four performance, including a run producing two bagger, upped his batting average to .462.

Michael O’Hara also went three for four, a satisfying afternoon’s work for the center fielder who had spent the previous season on the Raptors’ roster. Two other B’s had multi-hit games, both Daniel Harris and Marques Titialii got two hits in four at bats. One of the latter’s was a two run homer in the second frame.

Leadoff batter was the only Raptor to log more than one hit, going three for four. None of their three hurlers emerged unscathed. Samuel Bass suffered the loss, yielding five runs, four earned, requiring 84 pitches to get through five innings.

Nico Saltaformaggio (two innings pitched, two runs, both earned and coming on Dave Drewek’s seventh inning round tripper) and Kyler Stancato (four hits and two runs—both earned — in an inning) completed Ogden’s unimpressive mound record.

An Asian-Pacific Island Heritage Day celebration preceded the action, adding to the festivities.

Sunday, the series will conclude with the Ballers’ first true afternoon game, with a 1:05 start against the Raptors, following a pregame “Salute to Our Soldiers.” Right hander Dylan Porter is expected to start the game for the B’s.

MLB The Show podcast Charlie O Sun May 25, 2025: Red Sox Bregman out with right quad strain; Mets slumping Soto gets a breakthrough with RBI double; plus more MLB news

Boston Red Sox Alex Bregman bends over in pain after straining his right quad against the Baltimore Orioles on Sat May 24, 2025 at Fenway Park in Boston. Bregman has been placed on the 10 day IL. (AP News photo)

MLB The Show podcast Charlie O Sun May 25, 2025:

#1 Between games of a doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Alex Bregman had a significant injury. The injury is similar to the one he had back in 2021 when h e was out for two months. The injury put Bregman on the ten day IL with a right quad strain.

#2 New York Mets Juan Soto said after hitting the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher’s Tony Gonsolin’s splitter that was right over the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning with two down and the bags loaded “Don’t catch it” as Soto wound up getting a double and drove in runs that led to 5-2 win. Soto breaks out of his slump. Soto in five at bats had two hits and two RBIs on Saturday night.

 #3 Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees says he a work in progress and he’s saying that after he hit back to back home runs on two consecutive nights at Coors Field in Denver against the Colorado Rockies in a 13-1 win. Judge is hitting .395, with 18 home runs and 46 RBIs. If he’s a work in progress than you can only wonder what his finished work will look like?

#4 The Texas Rangers continue to have more troubles in losing players after it was learned that Joc Pederson broke his right hand when he was hit by a 87.5 mph cutter by White Sox right hand pitcher Bryse Wilson. Pederson hit the ground after he was hit. Ironically Pederson stayed in the game and scored on Marcus Seimien’s sac fly. Pederson is in a two year contract with the Rangers worth $37 million. The Rangers are on a six game losing streak

#5 The A’s continue with their losing streak as it reaches 11 games. In the bottom of the tenth inning the bases loaded sac fly to the Philadelphia Phillies centerfielder Brandon Marsh threw the ball to catcher Realmuto for the sweep tag on the A’s base runner Logan Davidson review ruled Davidson out. The Phillies wind up scoring three runs in the top of the 11th inning and put the A’s away 9-6.

Charlie O does the MLB The Show podcast Sundays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s Drop 11th Straight in Extra-Inning Heartbreaker to Phillies 9-6

Shea Langeliers in the game against the Phillies on Saturday night in Sacramento. (Photo: Athletics on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO The Athletics just can’t buy a win. The A’s battled on Saturday against one of the best teams in baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies. However, another late-inning bullpen meltdown cost the A’s in a 9-6 loss in 11 innings. The loss marked their 11th straight, and they now face the possibility of a winless 0-7 homestand if they can’t find a way to win on Sunday afternoon.

A’s manager Mark Kotsay described the emotions after the game, saying, “This game is challenging, and we’re in one of those really challenging times that tests character. And you know, you can either make excuses for it, or you can stand up and, you know, accept the accountability. And I think that these guys are doing that.”

The A’s continue to be let down by the bullpen. It’s largely the same group that helped secure wins earlier in the season. Granted, TJ McFarland is hurt and some arms have shuffled between Triple-A and the big leagues, but the core unit remains intact. Yet, once again, the bullpen surrendered a late lead on Saturday night.

The game was tied heading into the bottom of the eighth when A’s DH Brent Rooker sent a ball over the left-center field wall to give the A’s a late lead. As Rooker rounded the bases, A’s flamethrower Mason Miller could be seen getting ready in the bullpen.

In the ninth, Kotsay did indeed go to Miller to close it out. Miller, who gave up three runs just a day earlier, struck out Brandon Marsh to open the frame. It felt like order had been restored. But that feeling didn’t last, as Max Kepler launched a game-tying solo home run into the trees in right field. Miller would escape the inning without further damage, but the blown save was already in the books.

In the tenth, neither team scored, despite having chances. The A’s loaded the bases but couldn’t capitalize, as Brandon Marsh made a game-saving throw from center field to cut down Logan Davidson at the plate.

In the 11th, the Phillies broke through for three runs to all but seal the deal. The A’s couldn’t answer in the bottom half and fell by a 9-6 final.

The A’s have now dropped 11 straight games—the longest losing streak in MLB this season—and fall to 22-31 on the year.

With the win, the Phillies improved to 34-18 and have now won nine straight.

The A’s will try to avoid a sweep on Sunday as they send Gunnar Hogland (1-2, 5.06 ERA) to the mound against former Athletic Jesús Luzardo (5-0, 1.95 ERA). First pitch is set for 1:05 PM PST at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento.

Dorsey’s late goal pulls Dynamo even in 3-3 draw with Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes Starting XI posed for a group shot just before kickoff in their match against the Houston Dynamo at PayPal Park on Saturday MAY 24, 2025. (San Jose Earthquakes)

By Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — In a match that saw fireworks in the second half in terms of goals scored, the San Jose Earthquakes drew 3-3 with the Houston Dynamo on Saturday evening at PayPal Park.

San Jose is unbeaten in its past seven overall matches (4-0-3), including five in MLS play. Houston is winless in their past three matches but earned a point after two straight defeats.

San Jose (5-6-5) had two quality chances early in the first half by Josef Martinez. First in the seventh minute, Martinez’s attempt from 10 yards out was stopped by Dynamo goalkeeper Jonanthan Bond. Then in the 20th minute, Martinez’s point-blank chance from inside the box was knocked away with a two-handed save by Bond.

Houston (4-6-6) drew first blood in the 31st minute. Ondřej Lingr’s counterattack found Griffin Dorsey down the right wing. Dorsey crossed the ball in the box where Ezequiel Ponce headed the ball into the far corner of the net past Quakes goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr. for his team’s leading fourth goal of the season.

The Dynamo doubled its lead seconds after a corner kick in the 50th minute. Lingr centered the ball from the right wing over to the back post. An unmarked Felipe Andrade tapped home the ball into an open net for his second goal of the season.

The game seemed to have been judged one-sided to the benefit of the Dynamo from referee Sergii Demianchuk who missed some obvious fouls committed by the Dynamo throughout the match.

“I give our players a lot of credit for coming back down from two goals and basically have the game won at the end,” said Quakes head coach Bruce Arena. “We didn’t manage the game very well at the end….I think we could have done better on all the goals. We could have scored more goals. We should have come in at halftime ahead. We had some very good chances. We just have to be a little bit cleaner.”

San Jose cut the deficit in half in the 66th minute. Beau Leroux got the ball down low to DeJuan Jones near the right goal line. Jones centered the ball to Preston Judd who one-timed the ball past Bond with a right-footed shot for his first goal of the season.

Judd recorded his brace in the 72nd minute. Fullback Ian Harkes centered the ball squarely into the box where Judd got behind two Dynamo defenders and headed the ball over Bond into the upper left corner of the net for the equalizer and second goal of the season.

“Josef (Martínez) helped me out there because they paid a lot of attention to him, so I was able to get on their back shoulders, and they didn’t know where I was at, so I took advantage of that and finished those chances when I got them,” Judd said.

The Earthquakes gained its first lead of the match four minutes later. Once again it was Harkes setting up the goal. After a Cristian Espinoza corner kick, Harkes gathered the ball along the left side line. The Quakes fullback deked out a Houston defender before centering the ball into the middle of the box. An unmarked Daniel Munie made a diving header into the far corner of the net for his first career MLS goal in the 76th minute.

Houston scored the equalizer in the first minute of stoppage time on a fluke goal. Jack McGlynn had the ball just outside the box. McGlynn found Franco Escobar along the right wing. Escobar made a quick back pass to Dorsey whose right-footed shot deflected off of Dave Romey and into the back of the net for his second goal of the season.

Bond finished the match with five saves on eight shots on target and was mainly responsible for Houston earning a point in the contest. Edwards Jr. did not record a save on the three shots on target.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished the match with 11 corner kicks. Houston had seven.

The Earthquakes are currently 10-19-5 all-time vs. Houston Dynamo FC with an 8-6-4 home record.

Heading into tonight, the Quakes’ attack led all MLS with 29 goals. To celebrate, the club gave away 2,900 hot dogs to fans before the match. With another three goals tonight, the Quakes stayed atop the league leaderboard with 32 goals and 34.13 expected goals. 

Judd scored his fifth and sixth goals of his career. Combined with his goal and assist in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play, he’s up to four goal contributions in all competitions (2g/2a).

DeJuan Jones, recently called up to the U.S. Men’s National Team for June training camp ahead of the Concacaf Gold Cup, amassed his fourth assist of the season and 26th of his MLS career.

The Quakes stayed unbeaten (3-0-3) in all games started by recent acquisition DeJuan Jones, who joined the team via trade with the Columbus Crew last month.

Ian Harkes had his first two assists of the MLS season tonight, running his career total to eight. He also had a goal vs. Inter Miami in his last league outing, giving him three goal contributions in his last two matches.

Edwards Jr.’s shutout streak in all competitions ended at 197 minutes after conceding Ezequiel Ponce’s 31st-minute goal.

Luca Ulrich, acquired via short-term loan earlier today from the Quakes’ MLS NEXT Pro team, The Town FC, was an unused substitute backing up Earl Edwards Jr. at goalkeeper.

UP NEXT: San Jose travels down south to take on their SoCal rival Los Angeles Galaxy on Wednesday May 28th at 7:00pm at Dignity Health Sports Park