Author: Sports Radio Service

Kings Continue Winning Streak at 3 Beating Pistons 127-117

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Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan left dribble drives past the Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (right) in the first half at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Mon Apr 7, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (39-40) continue to impress beating the Detroit Pistons (43-36) 127-117. Zach LaVine had another monster game finishing with 43 points this time and DeMar DeRozan with 37. Domantas Sabonis finished with a triple double, 19 points, 10 assists and 15 rebounds. The Kings had trailed by as much as 18 points in the first half. Despite the back-to-back for the Kings they pushed through the fatigue to beat the Pistons.

Game recap: The Kings had a slight lead after the first 12 minutes of play 38-37 in a high scoring quarter. Both DeRozan and LaVine finished the opening quarter with double digits although the Kings did not seem to have the same energy they had Sunday night. Fatigue could be the culprit jumping on a plane after last night’s game and heading into Detroit to play again 24 hours later. The Pistons did not play Sunday night after losing to the Grizzlies Saturday night 109-103.

The Pistons took the lead in the second quarter and five minutes into the quarter had taken a 14 point lead. Sacramento took a time out looking to get a handle on this game before it really went sideways. Detroit had taken a 56-42 lead with 7:25 left in the half. Making matters worse for the Kings, Malik Monk was forced to leave the court and it was decided that he would not return for the remainder of the game with calf tightness.

Detroit continued to maintain their lead but was unable to extend it still leading by 14 through much of the quarter. The Kings had gone flat in the second quarter after a close first quarter of basketball. Sacramento, in the final minute of the second quarter, had cut the 18 point lead that the Pistons had to ten points. At the half, the Pistons had a 72-62 lead.

In this back-to-back game for the Kings the eight turnovers were really hurting them conceding 16 points on those turnovers. DeRozan had a great first half shooting for 22 points and was looking for help from Sabonis and LaVine in the second half.

With 33 seconds left in the third quarter the Kings tied the game and with 0.1 on the clock LaVine hit a 26-foot three to give Sacramento the lead 97-94.

LaVine had really come to life finishing the three quarters with 26 points. Sabonis already had a double double and was eyeing a triple double with eight assists. Jonas Valanciunas also had a double double with 11 rebounds and ten points.

The Kings got a hot start to open the fourth quarter with LaVine hitting three triples in the opening minutes. He was six of eight from beyond the arc and he had 35 points with a lot of game still left for more.

At 10:13 the Kings had a 106-102 lead. As the quarter wore on, both team were battling for this game with the Kings holding onto as much as a seven point lead. At the four minute mark Sacramento had a 117-112 lead.

Much like last night they were forced to finish the game and were looking to finish another game at the expense of Detroit in this tight ball game. With under three minutes left in the game, the Kings had a 119-112 lead.

The Pistons had gone cold; the Kings continued to extend their lead now leading 122-112. With under two minutes the Pistons finally scored and needed some stops trailing 114-125. Detroit didn’t get those stops and LaVine refused to back down continuing to play monster ball finishing with 43 points in the 127-117 win. He topped off the fourth quarter with his final three at 1:29.

The Kings cut down on their turnovers in the second half but it was (Heater) LaVine who could not miss from beyond the arc that turned the tide. He was eight of 11 and continues to have monster games as this season runs out.

DeMar DeRozan also had a great games finishing with 37 points and the fourth quarter was the dynamic duo of LaVine and DeRozan that brought this game home for the Kings third win in a row. They had erased an 18 point deficit in the first half and as Zach LaVine said “this was a do or die game.”

Game notes: Monday evening the Kings played their last road game of the 2024-2025 season taking on the Pistons in Detroit. The Kings continue to be without Keegan Murray who was a game time decision. It was decided that he was not quite ready to get back in action. Keon Ellis who was struggling with a sore hand was deemed able to rejoin the team as a starter. Trey Lyles started in the place of Keegan Murray. After a having a monster game Sunday night beating the Cavaliers, the Kings kept up the momentum and confidence they had in the Cleveland game with their win over the Pistons.

The Kings will now head home to Sacramento to finish up the season with their three final games at Golden 1. First up for the Kings will be a matchup with the Denver Nuggets with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 PM Wednesday night. The goal now for the Kings will be to get that ninth seed and home court advantage a very real possibility.

Sacramento Kings podcast Barbara Mason: Kings shock the NBA world beating basketball’s best Cavaliers twice in one season

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The Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (left) drives to the basket on the Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis (23) in first half action at Rocket Mortgage Arena in Cleveland on Sun Apr 6, 2025 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast Barbara Mason:

#1 How shocking is that that the Sacramento Kings were able to pull off a win over the NBA’s best the Cleveland Cavaliers twice in one season?

#2 The Kings Zach LaVine scored 37 points, had 11 points in the crucial fourth quarter as the Kings defeated the Cavaliers on Sunday 120-113 at Rocket Mortgage Arena.

#3 The Kings DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points and Domantas Sabonis scored 27 points and had nine rebounds as the Kings picked up their second straight win and improved their position in the Western Conference to ninth place.

#4 The Cavaliers Ty Jerome’s 20 points were the most followed up by Donovan Mitchell 19. Jerome had been out since Mar 25th after missing five games with left knee tendinitis.

#5 It’s off to Detroit and the Pistons at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The Pistons are sixth in the Western Conference and have won six of their last ten games. The Kings are battling to try and get a playoff spot and the Pistons are a playoff team how do you see these two teams matching up for tonight’s game?

Join Barbara Mason for the Kings podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Barracuda looks to recover from loss to Colorado face Coachella on Wednesday

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San Jose Barracuda defenseman Luca Cagnoni (42) pursues the Colorado Eagles forward Oskar Olausson (4) who tries to get the puck past San Jose goaltender Yaroslav Askarov (30) at Blue CFU Arena in Loveland CO on Sat Apr 5, 2025 (AP News photo)

SJ Barracuda podcast with Marko Ukalovic:

#1 Marko, the San Jose Barracuda never got on track as they were scrambling and trying to figure out the Colorado Eagles defense Saturday in Colorado the lack off offense hurt them as they lost by two goals 3-1 in their last game.

#2 The Eagles Oskar Olausson scored his 11th goal of the season to get the Eagles started with a 1-0 lead. He got assist from TJ Tynan and Jack Ahcan at 19:50.

#3 In the second period Scott Sabourin scored his eighth goal of the season 23 seconds into the period and it would turn out to be San Jose’s only goal of the contest making it a 1-1.

#4 The Eagles got their final two goals of the game at 4:53 in the second period Jayson Megna picked up his 18th goal of the season taking a 2-1 lead. In the third period Tye Falhaber scored his 21st goal at 19:14. and the Eagles came away with a 3-1 win. It was the Barracuda’s 25th loss of the season making them 33-25-3-2.

#5 Next up for San Jose they make the trip to face the Coachella Firebirds on Wednesday with a 7:00pm face off at Acrisure Arena in Thousand Palms. The Firebirds are fourth in the Pacific at 36-24-2-5. The Firebirds are playing .500 hockey having lost five of their last ten games. Marko how do you see this match up.

Marko Ukalovic does the San Jose Barracuda podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: A’s Forgot to take their Peanuts to Sacramento?

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A’s Forgot to take their Peanuts to Sacramento!

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Are they still rooted in Oakland? Peanut plants are annuals. They complete their life cycle in one growing season, usually taking 4 to 5 months from planting to harvest. Well, the MLB season is six months, so these peanuts are still safe in Oakland?

They are all over supermarkets in the nine-county Bay Area. Is it possible that some people still ignore the fact that the Athletics are gone? Many super-markets and even small Mexican and Latin Bodegas still have Oakland A’s peanuts on their shelves, like a reminder that if Tony Bennett left his Heart in San Francisco, the Athletics left their Peanuts in Oakland and all the other eight counties in the Bay Area.

Is this disrespectful to Sacramento? Which, starting this season, took over at the smaller media market in the country for Major League Baseball, now #30? and last, Even Milwaukee, the previous smaller market, is ahead of the ATH peanut gang.

The Philadelphia-Kansas City-Oakland-Sacramento-Las Vegas Athletics still have the Elephant as their all-time logo. However as I was looking for a quote, I found out that “What did the peanut said to the Elephant? Nothing, peanuts can’t talk!

Did you know that “The Peanut Vendor” (also known as “El Manisero”), a Cuban son-pregón (street vendor’s cry) composed by Moisés Simons, is widely considered the first major hit of Latin music in the United States?

“Take Me Out to the Ball Game”,. which includes the lyric: ‘Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks” was written in 1908 by Jack Norworth

Soldiers found that peanuts were a tasty and very affordable energy source. As the soldiers returned to their homes, they brought their new love of peanuts along with them, creating a high demand for peanuts. They quickly became a tasty and affordable snack to have during a baseball game, when baseball was the National Pastime in this country. Since those great historic days, the NFL rules.

An Athletics fan at a local Safeway bought five of these bags with the Oakland A’s Logo. When I asked him why he was getting so many? He responded, ” ‘I did not know they were gone already!” I think he liked peanuts more than baseball.

In Spanish, “peanuts” can be translated as “cacahuates “(in Spain) and also as Maní in many Latin American countries.

National Peanut Day is celebrated annually on September 13. That would be the day to promote peanuts at the park when the A’s host the Cincinnati Reds in Sacramento. But I am not here to give any ideas to the A’s marketing Department. Because, at the end, it is only peanuts.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame

NBA G League Playoffs: Kings continue to roll in post season defeat Spurs 118-112 at Adventist Arena

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Stockton Kings with their win over the Austin Spurs are the G League Western Conference Champions in the G League Playoff action at Adventist Health in Stockton on Sun Apr 6, 2025 (Stockton Kings X photo)

By William Espy

STOCKTON–The Stockton Kings hosted the Austin Spurs in the G League’s Western Conference Final on Sunday night and the Kings once again advanced for the second time in the playoffs with a 118-112 win over the Spurs.

The Spurs got out to a hot start, scoring 27 points in the first quarter while holding Stockton to just 17. A double digit lead after 12 minutes seemed like a good sign for the visiting team, and that wouldn’t change in the second quarter either.

While the Kings out scored the Spurs in the second frame, Austin still maintained a lead heading into halftime. The Kings scored 28 points, but that was only three more than the Spurs, meaning Austin maintained a seven point lead after 24 minutes.

The third quarter would be a major game changer, as the Kings’ offense exploded. They out scored the Spurs by 20 points in the third frame, 43-23.

Austin trailed 97-82 heading into the fourth quarter, as a result they’d need to recreate the performance their opposition just had if they wanted any chance of moving on to the G League Final. They’d outscore the Kings for the second time of the night, but it wouldn’t be by big enough of a margin, as Stockton would walk away victorious.

Mason Jones continued to have a strong playoff run, as he scored a game-high 38 points. Terry Taylor wasn’t far behind him though, as he scored 29 of his own. Undoubtedly, those performances were a major part of what allowed the Kings to make it to the Final for the first time in organization history.

Meanwhile for the Spurs, Malachi Flynn had a strong offensive performance, scoring a team-high 32 points in Austin’s losing effort. David Duke Jr and Kyle Mangas both eclipsed the 20 point mark as well, but it wasn’t enough for them to upset the top seed.

The Kings will face the Osceola Magic in the G League Final starting on the road Tuesday night.

Kings Pull a Second Upset of the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-113

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Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (11) take the ball to the hoop against the Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) and guard Max Strus (1) in the first half at Rocket Arena in Cleveland on Sun Apr 6, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Sunday afternoon the Sacramento Kings (37-40) pulled off a second upset of the Cleveland Cavaliers (62-15) this season 120-113. Zach LaVine came unhinged finishing with 37 points. He was on fire hitting seven triples going 7 of 11.

Demar DeRozan scored 28 points and Domantas Sabonis finished with 27. Sacramento hit 14 three’s. The Kings outscored the Cavaliers in the third quarter 35-22 setting the stage for the upset. This win will go a long way towards their fight for a playoff spot.

As this game finished up, the Phoenix Suns lost to the New York Knicks 112-98. The Suns loss gives the Kings a three-game lead for tenth place and they still have a shot to move into ninth place with a little help from the Mavericks.

Game recap: The Sacramento Kings had a great start in the opening quarter leading 31-27 after the first 12 minutes of play. Domantas Sabonis spearheaded a great start scoring 15 points with four rebounds.

Zach LaVine chipped in seven points and the Kings were waiting on DeMar DeRozan to get his engine working. It had been an excellent start for Sacramento and the true test for the Kings would be to keep the pressure on Cleveland and dictate the pace of the game going into the second quarter and beyond.

The Cavaliers took the lead throughout the second quarter and had led by as many as seven points. When the quarter came to an end, the Cavaliers had outscored Sacramento 30-25. The Kings had continued to shave the Cleveland lead and it paid off for them.

The Kings sure know what is at stake right now. and they were playing like it. At the buzzer Keon Ellis hit a triple (43-ft) to trail by a single point 56-57 as the first half came to an end. Sabonis continued to lead the scoring for Sacramento finishing the first half with 19 points and eight rebounds. Zach LaVine was following suit hitting 15 points and DeMar DeRozan was on the edge of double digits with eight points.

Going into the third quarter the Cavaliers hung onto the lead throughout most of the quarter until the final two minutes when the Kings turned it all around. With 53 seconds left on the clock, the Kings had taken a 10-point lead 87-77.

At the end of three quarters, the Sacramento Kings had taken a 91-79 lead. DeMar DeRozan had really heated up finishing the quarter with 19 points. Sacramento had to hold on for one more quarter to pull their second Cleveland upset of the season.

The Kings held on in the fourth quarter but the Cavaliers started to chip away at the Sacramento lead and at 7:47 it was a tie game at 96. The Kings were holding onto their lead but not extending it and they paid for it when the Cavaliers took the lead at 7:04 101-100.

For nearly the next two minutes this was a one-point game or tied with both teams trading the lead. At 6:06 the Kings had pushed back their lead to 105-101 and this game was going down to the wire. With under two minutes left in the game the Kings had taken a 116-111 lead in this nail-biter. As time expired, the Sacramento Kings had beaten the Cleveland Cavaliers for a second time this season.

Game notes: Sunday afternoon the Kings took on the hottest team in the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers and shocked the NBA world with a second win of the season over the Cavaliers .

The Kings finally got a win on Friday in Charlotte beating the lowly Hornets 125-102 and face a major challenge against the giants of the NBA. While the Kings were hardly favored in this game, they did beat Cleveland last month March 19 by the score of 123-119 in a thriller.

Sacramento were without the services of Keegan Murray who is out with a back issue. The Kings relied on Trey Lyles who had seven points and Doug McDermott who did not play but were around to pick up the slack in the front court.

While this game doesn’t have huge meaning for the Cavs a win would have meant a home court advantage for the duration of the playoffs. For the Kings this win means a whole lot more as they are fighting to retain their tenth place position in the Western Conference.

After this wild win, the Sacramento Kings will jump on a plane and head into Detroit to take on the Pistons on Monday night, their final road game of the regular season. Tipoff for the Detroit matchup is scheduled for 4:00 PM PDT at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

Panthers get first win of the season, 41-18 over San Diego Strike Force

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Bay Area Panthers vs San Diego Strike Force on Sunday April 6th at SAP Center (via BayAreaPanthers)

By Madison Montez

SAN JOSE- San Diego struck first scoring a touchdown at 9:34 of the first quarter. They then got the extra point, making the field goal, to improve the score to 7-0. On an incomplete pass by San Jose, San Diego was given a pass interference foul. Unfortunately, nothing came as a result of it. A huge Panthers interception by Tyler Watson kept the score to 7-0 when quarterback Nate Davis attempted to throw a longball.

On a complete pass by quarterback Liam Thompson, Panthers got a first down to start the second quarter. Quarterback Josh Jones ran the ball and got the Panthers a first down. This led to the Panthers getting on the board after a scoreless first quarter. Wide Receiever Arsiah McCorker Sr recieved the pass from Liam Thompson and was able to slide right in to score.

They tied the game seven to seven when they successfully made the field goal to get the extra point. A tackle and stop by Tyrese Wright led to a first down for Bay Area. This led to another touchdown to take the lead. A 12 yard touchdown by Josh Jones gave Bay Area their first lead of the game. The extra point was good and the Panthers extended their lead even further to 14-7.

The Panthers scored another touchdown to improve the score to 20-7. Josh Jones threw a longball dime across 26 yards to Tyrese Chambers for the touchdown. They successfully got the extra point, improving the score to 21-7. San Diego scored for the first time since the first quarter on a 27 yard field goal, they cut the lead to 21-10.

Josh Jones kept the ball moving, handing the ball off to Josh Thomas for a touchdown. The extra point was good, extending their lead even further to 28-10 with 10 minutes left of the third quarter. A three yard touchdown run by Arsiah McCorker Sr improved the lead to 34-10. McCorker Sr’s second touchdown of the night. The extra point was good to improve the score to 35-10.

San Diego scored for the third time in the game, scoring a touchdown with 10 minutes left. The extra point was good and it moved the score to 35-18. To seal the win, Tyrese Chambers scored his second touchdown of the game from Josh Jones, 41-18 Panthers. The extra point was not good and the final score remained 41-18.

The Panthers will be back in action next Sunday April 13th where they will host the Northern Arizona Wranglers.

Martinez’s hat trick highlights the Earthquakes 6-1 route of DC United

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San Jose Earthquakes striker Josef Martinez blows a kiss to the crowd at Pay Pal Park as he celebrates one of his three goals with teammate and fullback Ian Harkes against DC United on Sunday APR 6, 2025. (San Jose Earthquakes)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — Josef Martinez proved why he is still one of the league’s most dangerous strikers.

Martinez recorded a hat trick during the San Jose Earthquakes 6-1 thrashing victory over DC United on Sunday afternoon at Pay Pal Park.

San Jose has won for the first time since Week 2 against Sporting KC. DC United has lost three matches in a row.

It was a celebration of the first ever MLS game between the two clubs 29 years ago when they played at Spartan Stadium in San Jose. A game that featured the game winning goal by former Clash and U.S. Men’s National Team player Eric Wynalda in the 88th minute. Wynalda and former DC United fullback Jeff Agoos reacted the goal during a ceremony before the game.

Quakes head coach Bruce Arena made one change to his starting XI as Niko Tsakiris made his first start of the season at attacking midfield.

San Jose drew first blood in the eighth minute off of a set piece. Cristian Espinoza’s corner kick to the center of the box was headed by Chicho Arrango. The ball deflected off of Christian Benteke and into the back of the net for Arango’s team leading fourth goal of the season.

The Earthquakes struck again in the 16th minute. A pretty give and go between Niko Tsakiris and Josef Martinez helped double San Jose’s lead. Martinez headed the ball over to Tsakiris and the third-year midfielder headed it back down the line along the left wing. Martinez raced in with the ball and beat DC United goalkeeper Joonhong Kim with a laser of a shot to the near post for his second goal of the season.

Four minutes later the Quakes scored its third unanswered goal of the opening 45 minutes. Beau Leroux was fouled inside the box by Matti Petola that resulted in a penalty kick for San Jose. Cristian Espinoza cashed in the penalty for his first goal of the season with a shot to upper middle of the net.

“A good afternoon. But let’s be fair, I don’t think that’s a fair scoreline today. That’s not a 6-1 game, but I’m going to take it. If we can schedule this game every 30 years, we would be in good shape,” Arena said.

DC United broke through late in the first half to get on the scoreboard. In the second minute of stoppage time, Derek Dodson serviced a ball into the middle the box and Benteke’s header hit off the right post and into the back of the net for his team-leading fifth goal of the season.

The second half opened with DC United controlling the pace of play and created quick scoring chances. Quakes goalkeeper Daniel stopped back-to-back point-blank chances by Benteke in the 51st minute to keep the visiting team from making it a one-goal game.

Martinez’s second goal of the match iced the game for San Jose in the 81st minute. Amahl Pellegrino slid a past through one of the DC United defender’s legs just outside the box over to Martinez who kept himself onsides on the play. Martinez chipped the ball past Kim for his third goal of the season.

“Today is special,” Martinez reflected after the match. ” It’s not because of the three goals (I scored), it’s because my son was here. That’s what’s most important for me. We worked hard this weekend, we pushed a lot. We deserved (to win) this game.”

Pellegrino joined the scoring party when he finished off a beautiful looking tic-tac-toe type of goal. Mark-Anthony-Kaye sent a long ball over to Jamal Ricketts. The center back, who came into the match as a sub in the 76th minute, headed the ball into the middle of the box where Pellegrino one-touched a right footed shot past Kim for his first goal of the season.

Martinez recorded his hat trick after taking a pass off of a long ball from Espinoza. The Man of the Match made one touch with the ball before chipping the ball high over Kim into the back of the net for his fourth goal of the season in the second minute of stoppage time.

“When you have the right mentality in every game and every training session, then things start to work out in your favor,” Espinoza said.

Daniel finished the match stopping nine of the ten shots on goal to earn his third win of the season. Kim made three saves on nine shots on goal in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with three corner kicks. DC United had four.

San Jose is currently 19-15-9 (72 GF, 69 GA) against D.C. United, with a 10-5-7 (41 GF, 31 GA) record at home. San Jose is now unbeaten in their last four against D.C. dating back to 2019 (2-0-2).

The Quakes scored six goals for the first time in MLS play since Sept. 19, 1999, when as the Clash, they defeated the Miami Fusion 6-1 powered by a brace from Ronald Cerritos.

With his 20th-minute penalty kick goal, Espinoza passed Landon Donovan for fourth on the club career scoring list with 33.

With his three goals, Martínez passed Bradley Wright-Phillips for sixth on the MLS career scoring list, going from 117 to 120 goals. The Venezuelan now has 12 goal contributions (11g/1a) in 15 matches vs. D.C.

Martínez also became the seventh player in club history to record a hat trick. Only Chris Wondolowski has multiple three-goal games for San Jose (5).

Assisting on Martínez’s 16th-minute goal, Tsakiris notched his first helper of the season and second of his early MLS career.

Assisting on Pellegrino’s 90th-minute goal, Jamar Ricketts notched his first career MLS assist. Kaye also assisted on the goal, amassing his second helper of the season and 28th in his MLS career.

Daniel now leads all MLS goalkeepers with 37 saves, four ahead of Charlotte’s Kristijan Kahlina with 33.

UP NEX: San Jose travels down south to take on their SoCal rival LAFC on Saturday April 12th at 7:30pm at BMO Stadium.

San Francisco Giants game wrap: Wilmer and Giants sweep Mariners and are in first place and off to 8-1 start with 5-4 walk-off win

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San Francisco Giants hitter Wilmer Flores (right) swings for walk off single in the bottom of the ninth inning as Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (left) looks on at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sun Apr 6, 2025 (AP News photo)

Sunday, April 6, 2025

Oracle Park

Seattle Mariners 4 (3-7)

San Francisco Giants 5 (8-1)

Win: Camilo Doval (1-0)

Loss: Gregory Santos (0-1)

Time: 2:43

Attendance: 41,060

By Stephen Ruderman

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants won their seventh their seventh in a row and swept the Mariners with a 5-4 win, as Wilmer Flores pinch-hit and won the game with a walk-off base-hit to right-center field, which staked the Giants to an 8-1 start and first place in the National League West.

Aaron Hicks, who is back in the rotation for the start of this season, took the mound for his second start. Hicks got Victor Robles to ground out to Willy Adames at short to start the game. However, with one out, Julio Rodriguez came to the plate, and just as he did with one out in the top of the first inning Friday, J-Rod hit a home run to give the Mariners an early 1-0 lead. However, this one was a no-doubter, unlike the cheapie he hit in the first inning on Friday.

Bryan Woo took the mound for the Mariners, and the Giants were unable to make anything of a two-out, two-strike double by Jung Hoo Lee in the bottom of the first. Aaron Hicks had to wiggle his way out of a two-out rally in the top of the second, and Woo threw a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the second.

Cal Raleigh hit a home run of his own in the top of the third to make it 2-0, and after another 1-2-3 inning by Woo in the bottom of the third, there were some people who thought it was going to be one of those days for the Giants. However, these are the 2025 Giants, and as they would quickly see, today would not be one of those days.

Hicks finally settled down with a 1-2-3 top of the fourth, and Willy Adames led off the bottom of the fourth with a base-hit to left-center. You could definitely feel that the Giants were a-coming. after Adames’ base-hit. Lee took another nice two-strike swing for a base-hit to left, and the Giants were in business with runners at first and second with nobody out.

Matt Chapman flew out to right, but Heliot Ramos lined a base-hit to right that knocked in Adames and put the Giants on the board. Mike Yastrzemski came up and hit a home run to left-center, and just like that, the Giants were ahead 4-2.

Hicks followed that up with a scoreless top of the fifth. Adames helped with an incredible play to his left to take away a base-hit from J-Rod with one out.

The Mariners got runners to first and second with one out against Hicks in the top of the sixth, and Bob Melvin went to Randy Rodriguez. Ryan Bliss came up and lined a base-hit to left, and Luke Raley scored to make it 4-3. Unfortunately, to compound matters, the throw from left-fielder Luis Matos skipped off the glove of Patrick Bailey, which put the tying and go-ahead runs both in scoring position with just one out.

However, Rodriguez was not fazed, as he got out of the inning with the Giants still ahead. As for Hicks, he went five and a third, while giving up three runs and six hits. He walked one and struck out five.

Woo ended his day with a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth. He gave up four runs and five hits, and he walked one and struck out six.

Tyler Rogers came in for the seventh, which was a bit surprising considering all five of his previous appearances came in the eighth inning. However, it was no problem for Rogers, who threw a 1-2-3 inning.

After Carlos Vargas pitched a scoreless inning for Seattle in the bottom of the seventh, the lefty, Erik Miller, was summoned by Melvin for the top of the eighth. Former Giant Donovan Solano and Mitch Garver both hit base-hits to start the inning, and the Mariners were in business right away Not to worry, however, as an infield fly and a 5-4-3 double play off the bat of Bliss took Miller out of the inning unscathed.

Eduard Bazardo threw a scoreless bottom of the eighth, and with the fact that Giants closer Ryan Walker had pitched the last two days, it was old closer Camilo Doval who got the ball for the ninth.

Victor Robles singled the other way to left with one out, and he got to second on a ground out by J-Rod. Melvin elected to intentionally walk Raleigh to get to the 2-for-13 Randy Arozarena. Doval got Arozarena to a 2-2 count, but Arozarena was able to beat a good slider at the bottom of the zone and line a double down the left field line to tie the game.

Doval got beat on a good pitch, and after the rough outings he had last season that led him to lose the closer’s job, it wasn’t unreasonable to fear that a big inning would be coming from the Mariners, especially after a walk to Miles Mastrobuoni. Doval then got Mitch Garver to pop out to third, and the game stayed tied 4-4 going to the bottom of the ninth, where the Giants were in a perfect position for another walk-off win.

Mariners Manager Dan Wilson brought in Gregory Santos for the bottom of the ninth. Santos walked Yastrzemski on four pitches to start the inning, and he fell behind 2-0 to Matos. After taking a strike, Matos reached on a fielder’s choice.

Patrick Bailey came up, and things were about to go nuts. Bailey hit a towering fly ball down the right field line that this writer thought was going to be a walk-off bomb into the water from his view in the press box. While it came close to clearing the 24-foot-high Willie Mays wall in right, Mariners’ right-fielder Victor Robles ran like the wind to his left to make a spectacular catch, as he went hard up against the netting and tumbled back into play.

Robles was down and in severe pain. He rolled the ball back towards the infield, which allowed Matos to advance 180 feet all the way to third. Trainers from both teams came out to check on Robles, who held his left arm in agony as he was carted off the field on a stretcher.

While Robles was being tended to, Melvin challenged whether it was a catch, but it was confirmed that Robles’ feet were over the field of play as he caught the ball. The Mariners then challenged that Robles had gone out of play after the catch, which was quite clear. As a result, Ramos was sent back to second, as a fielder going out of play after a catch is only a one-base award.

The loss of 90 feet would not be an issue. Wilmer Flores pinch-hit for Christian Koss, and he lined a base-hit to right-center that easily scored Matos to win it.

The Giants are now off to just their fifth 8-1 start in franchise history, and their second in San Francisco. The other was their wire-to-wire 100-win season of 2003, a season that ended quite painfully might I add.

Camilo Doval should have been rewarded for his slider with a strikeout and the save, but Arozarena had other plans. Instead, Doval was rewarded with his first win of the year, Gregory Santos took the loss.

Terry Francona’s Cincinnati Reds will come into town for three games starting tomorrow night. The Giants took two out of three from the Redlegs to start the season in Cincinnati, and they will hope for the same magic and success this week in their own ballpark.

It will be an opening day rematch on the mound in the series opener tomorrow night. Giants’ ace Logan Webb (1-0, 3.00 ERA) will get the start, and he will be opposed by Reds’ right-hander Hunter Greene (0-1, 2.25 ERA). First pitch will be at 6:45 p.m., which has been the custom for night games on mondays through thursdays at Oracle Park since 2019, but six years later, I am still not used to it.

Oh yeah, before I forget, the Giants are first place. Have a good day, folks!

Sacramento A’s recap: Soderstrom, Butler, and the Long Ball Show, but A’s Fall 12-5 in Coors Field Slugfest

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Colorado Rockies Ezequiel Tovar (right) is thrilled after hitting a double as Sacramento A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson holds the baseball in the bottom of the second inning at Coors Field on Sun Apr 6, 2025 (AP News photo)

Soderstrom, Butler, and the Long Ball Show, but A’s Fall in Coors Field Slugfest

By Mauricio Segura

The thin air of Coors Field once again served as a launchpad, but this time, it launched the Athletics straight into a granite wall of Rockies offense, cold and unmovable like the mountains behind them. Despite continuing their season-long home run streak and getting early fireworks from Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler, the green and gold dropped Sunday’s rubber match to the Rockies, 12-5.

Tyler Soderstrom wasted no time extending the A’s power streak to ten games, the longest season-opening run in franchise history. With two outs in the top of the first, Soderstrom’s two-run blast to right, his fourth of the season, gave the Athletics an early 2-0 lead and showcased the rookie’s knack for clutch power. He now leads the club in go-ahead homers.

Rookie starter Joey Estes, looking to rebound from a rough Opening Day outing, was once again roughed up. He gave up six runs across three innings, including a solo shot to Brenton Doyle in the bottom of the first. Doyle wasn’t done either. His two-run double in the second turned the tide and ignited a five-run Colorado rally that knocked the A’s on their heels.

Estes, who tied a career high by allowing nine hits in his previous start, couldn’t find rhythm in his Coors debut. After his ERA ballooned to 13.50, manager Mark Kotsay handed the reins to Mitch Spence in the fourth. Spence fared little better, yielding another run as Tovar and Doyle, Colorado’s 1-2 punch, continued to hammer the gaps.

Still, the A’s weren’t entirely silenced. Lawrence Butler, red-hot this series, crushed his first homer of the season in the fifth, a no-doubter to center that briefly narrowed the gap to 7-4. It was Butler’s sixth hit in two games, part of a much-needed turnaround for the outfielder who started the season batting .167 through seven games.

Miguel Andujar added three hits, including an RBI single in the fourth. The left fielder, who entered the game on a modest three-game hitting streak, quietly continues to be one of the A’s more consistent bats, now batting .304.

But whatever momentum the Athletics generated was flattened in the bottom of the eighth. The Rockies sent ten men to the plate, piling on five runs against Spence and T.J. McFarland. Ezequiel Tovar, who doubled twice and drove in three, delivered a two-run single in the inning to put the game out of reach. By the time Hunter Goodman’s two-run knock made it 12-4, the damage was done.

The A’s added one more in the ninth on Butler’s RBI single, but that was little consolation in a game where pitching woes once again told the story. Estes is now winless in his last four starts dating back to 2024, and Spence has surrendered ten earned runs over 6.2 innings this year.

Notably, Jacob Wilson’s contact streak ended after 33 plate appearances without a strikeout. He finally struck out, fanning once in the first inning and again in the ninth to end a remarkable run, the longest by an Athletic since Billy Burns in 2016. Wilson did add a single earlier in the game, extending his season-opening hit streak to ten games.

The loss dropped the Athletics to 4-6, still trying to find consistency after being swept at home by the Cubs. They’ll return to Sutter Health Park Monday to open a six-game homestand, starting with a series against the Padres. Luis Severino is expected to take the mound, still in search of his first win in green and gold.

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.