Author: Sports Radio Service

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Higashioka signs 2 year $13.5 million deal with Rangers; Cubs sign Boyd for two years, $29 million; plus more news

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FILE – Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, right, collides with San Diego Padres catcher Kyle Higashioka as he scores on a single by Teoscar Hernández during the fourth inning in Game 1 of baseball’s NL Division Series, on Oct. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. Higashioka Mark J. Terrill – staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury how big is it that the Texas Rangers signed catcher Kyle Higashioka for two years at $13.5 million with a mutual option for the 2027 season. Higashioka played for the San Diego Padres in 2024 hit .220, with 54 hits, 17 home runs and 45 RBIs.

#2 The Chicago Cubs signed pitcher Matthew Boyd. Boyd will join the Cubs starting rotation. This was the Cubs first big deal in the off season. Boyd who came back from Tommy John surgery was 2-2 with a 2.72 ERA last season. Boyd signs with the Cubs for two years at $29 million. Boyd 33, could earn up to $1 million in performance bonuses.

#3 In a letter to the Tampa Bay Rays from Pinellas County (Fla.) the cost to build a new ballpark would run $1.3 billion in a letter from the county. The Rays presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman said in a letter to the county that they would not agree to a deal for the new stadium. The Rays said they have spent more than $50 million on the new stadium but the county had suspended work on the entire project. The park was scheduled to be completed by 2028. The Rays are without a ballpark after Hurricane Milton destroyed the roof of the Tropicana and will play their regular season games at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa Bay.

#4 Should the Tampa Bay Rays move out of Tampa Bay since the county and the owners can’t come to an agreement and where could they move to Nashville, Montreal, Charlotte, San Antonio, Vancouver or Mexico City?

#5 This coming Thu Dec 5th is the big Las Vegas Stadium Authority meeting regarding the financing for the A’s share of the construction costs for the ballpark at the Tropicana. The A’s said they would present four documents that would outline how the financing would proceed. Dec 5th is the drop dead date to come up with the financing for the Vegas A’s park as the A’s took one year to try and get their financing together. A’s owner John Fisher was reportedly getting financing together from his family to pay the $1.5 billion joined with the State of Nevada’s in put from SB1 at $380 million. Can the A’s make it happen on Thursday?

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Las Vegas Raiders podcast with Tony Renteria: Raiders hope to end 8 game skid in Tampa Bay Sunday

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Las Vegas Raiders kicker Dan Carlson (2) holds his helmet after missing a late fourth quarter field goal against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on Fri Nov 29, 2024 (AP News photo)

Las Vegas Raiders podcast with Tony Renteria:

On the Las Vegas Raiders podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 Tony talk about the fumble at the end of the game. The Las Vegas Raiders were in the Kansas City Chiefs zone at the 48 trying to get good field position for kicker Daniel Carlson to kick a game winning field goal with seconds left in the game. The Raiders wanted a little more field position for Carlson when quarterback Aidan O’Connell was counting his audibles when center Andre James snapped the ball which deflected off O’Connell for a fumble and was recovered by the Chiefs to win the game 19-17.

#2 No doubt about it Tony it had to be a heartbreaker for Antonio Pierce the Raiders head coach after O’Connell was moving the ball down field on that last offensive possession to get it over the 50 in the Chiefs zone and it didn’t hold up for the Raiders.

#3 In this game the Raiders had a more mindful defense and O’Connell was staying in step with the Chiefs offense For O’Connell on Friday Night Football 23-35, 340 yards, and two touchdowns. The Raiders kept it close but again just fell short at the end of the game.

#4 To Raiders defense they kept the pressure up on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs scored a field goal in the first quarter, a touchdown in the second quarter, two field goals in the third quarter by Michael Wright, and it was Wright’s game go ahead field goal with 9:53 left that lifted the Chiefs past the by a field goal.

#5 The Raiders now 2-10 having lost eight in a row will come face to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Bucs are just a game out of first place with a 5-6 record. The Bucs are 2-4 at home the Raiders are a 1-6 on the road. It’s a 10:00 AM PST kick off how do you see this game shaking out?

Tony Renteria does the Las Vegas Raiders podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Utah HC Falls To Division Rival Dallas Stars 2-1 

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The Dallas Stars goaltender Casey DeSmith (1) makes a save against the Utah Hockey Club’s center Jack McBain (22) in the second period at the Delta Center on Mon Dec 2, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–Following a 6-0 rout of the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday, Utah’s offense faltered at home against Dallas losing 2-1 at the Delta Center on Monday.

The Utah Hockey Club returned home from a successful one-game road trip in Las Vegas where rookie backup goaltender Jaxson Stauber recorded 29 saves in a 6-0 blowout of the Golden Knights in his Utah debut. The shutout is the first in Utah franchise history. The win gave André Tourigny his 99th career victory as a head coach.

On Monday night, Utah welcomed the Dallas Stars to Salt Lake City for a one-game homestand. Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev was recognized during the contest for competing in his 500th NHL game. Sergachev would not get on the scoresheet in his milestone effort in which his two minor penalties would not factor into any Dallas goals.

The same could not be said for Utah captain Clayton Keller who was whistled for holding against Mavrik Bourque at 5:46 of the second period, resulting in a power play goal for Dallas winger Evgenii Dadonov, his seventh of the season, assisted by Matt Duchene and Miro Heiskanen. With less than a minute remaining in the middle frame, Dallas winger Jamie Benn made it 2-0 on his sixth goal of the season, assisted by Sam Steel.

Utah forward Nick Schmaltz would finally cut the Dallas lead in half at 6:57 of the third period with his third goal of the season, assisted by Matias Maccelli and Nick Bjugstad, but that would turn out to be Utah’s lone score of the night. Despite Utah outshooting the Stars 35-21 with numerous Grade-A chances, Dallas goaltender Casey DeSmith outdueled Karel Vejmelka for the win.

Utah Hockey Club head coach André Tourigny, who was unable to register his 100th coaching win at home, complemented tonight’s opponent. “Dallas is, by any metrics you can find, a really tough team to get anything sustained against them in terms of O-zone time. They put a lot of pressure on you. They create a lot of O-zone time themselves. You look at their bread and butter, you look at what we did against them; I’m really proud of the guys. They fought, they played hard, they were focused. Obviously, we generated (offense) as well. If you look at our three games we played against Dallas last year, you put all the scoring chances we had together; I think that’s about the number (of chances) we had tonight. I’m not saying we had a million tonight. Last year we had seven, eight, nine per game. They were 2-1 games, but we didn’t have a lot of offense sustained. Today, we had a lot of offense sustained, a lot of shots from the slot, a lot of passes through the slot, a lot of opportunities to break the game down. Unfortunately, we didn’t finish. In those kinds of games, you need it because normally you don’t have quantity. So you need to bury your chances.”

Tourigny addressed the grind of the next series of games following the strange scheduling of home-away-home games over the past four nights. “We’ll have a day off tomorrow. We must not forget we’re starting…(a stretch of) five games in eight days. And we’re going across the country. Need to make sure, as a coach, that you’re not putting yourself ahead of the team and that you give all the opportunity to your players to have all the energy possible. As an organization, I think we do a good job managing those things. Our departure will be on Thursday for the game on Saturday, so that we have time to arrive in Buffalo and have a practice there. Then an afternoon game. Then we play (the next night) in Philly, and then we come back, we’ll arrive late and 36 hours later, we play against Minnesota here in our building. And then we’re going back on the road the very next day. All of that to say, energy’s really important. Tomorrow will be a day off. We’ll have a good practice on Wednesday, we’ll travel on Thursday, good practice on Friday.”

Utah’s next home game is against the Minnesota Wild at 7:30pm MST on Tuesday, December 10.

San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Barracuda take 3 game win streak into Wed game vs. San Diego

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San Jose Barracuda defenseman Luca Cagnoni (42) had himself quite an afternoon against the Abbottsford Canucks scoring two power play goals and picking up three assists at Tech CU in San Jose on Sun Nov 30, 2024 (photo by San Jose Barracuda)

On the San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko Ukalovic:

#1 The San Jose Barracuda scored their most power play goals of the season with four as they defeated the Abbotsford Canucks 7-4 at Tech CU in San Jose.

#2 Marko their offense is going so well their seven goals on Saturday is also a season high for most goals scored in a game.

#3 It took seven different Barracuda scorers to combine the seven goals. The Barracuda Collin Graf had three assists and Luca Cagnoni scored twice on a power play.

#4 Barracuda goaltender Gabriel Carriere made 25 saves for his second win against no loses. Carriere is 3-0 in his AHL career. Carriere is doing so well he got an assist for Andrew Poturalski’s power play goal a first assist in his career.

#5 The Barracuda are getting a lot of offense and how much has that carried over to their parent club the San Jose Sharks who are starting to have some success of their own?

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

Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason: Struggling Kings host on a roll Rockets Tuesday night at Golden 1

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Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (13) defends against the San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) in the second half at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Dec 1, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason:

#1 The San Antonio Spurs Victor Wembanyama picked up his first triple double with 34 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists to help defeat the Sacramento Kings Sunday 127-125.

#2 The Spurs Devin Vassell came off the bench and added 21 points to help the Spurs in a very close game.

#3 The Kings DeMar DeRozan led Sacramento with 28 points. The Kings were looking up in the first half before things took a turn in the second half. The Kings led 17 points in the first quarter and were up at the half 65-58.

#4 The Kings just couldn’t stop Wembanyama who shot five 3 pointers, and scored 13 points in the fourth quarter. The Spurs Chris Paul put the icing on the cake hitting a three pointer with 20 seconds left in the game to help give the Spurs a two point win.

#5 No rest for the weary Kings as they’re back at it again at Golden 1 Center as the tip off against the visiting Houston Rockets on Tuesday night at 7:00pm PST. The Kings have now lost five of their last six games. The Rockets have won five of their last six games and have won three in a row. How do you see Tuesday night’s game between the Rockets and Kings?

Barbara Mason does the Kings podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Spurs Wembanyama’s triple double helps do in Kings 127-125

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San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) takes a shot against the Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) and forward Domantas Sabonis (11) in second half action at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Dec 1, 2024

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Sunday night. They were coming off their most recent game, a blowout loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. It was a real gut-check loss for the Kings, who fell further below the .500 mark. On Sunday night, the Kings welcomed the San Antonio Spurs to Golden 1 Center, with tip-off set for 6 PM PST. The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Sacramento Kings 127-125 as the Kings fell to 9-12 on the season.

Mike Brown made a pre-game change to the starting lineup, electing to go with Malik Monk. It was the first time Monk had started a game during his time in Sacramento.

In the first quarter, the Malik Monk spark appeared to pay off. The Kings exploded for a 42-point quarter, while the Spurs managed only 28 points. It was a breath of fresh air for a Kings offense that had struggled to score recently. However, their perimeter defense continued to be a concern.

In the second quarter, the Kings’ performance dipped. They became sloppier with the ball, committing four turnovers. The offense managed just 23 points, while the Spurs put up 30. All in all, it was still a decent quarter for the Kings, who aimed to maintain their solid shooting in the second half. At halftime, the Kings led the Spurs 65-58. DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 18 points in the first half, while Victor Wembanyama paced the Spurs with 16 points.

In the third quarter, the Kings struggled to find their rhythm against the Spurs. They managed to hold on to a five-point lead but were clearly losing the sharp edge they’d built early in the game. The Spurs outscored the Kings 34-32 in the quarter, narrowing the gap. Heading into the final quarter, the Kings led 97-92.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings surrendered their lead. With the game tied at 111 and 4:50 remaining, the Kings desperately needed a win. For the rest of the quarter, the Kings fought hard but ultimately came up short. They were outscored 35-28 in the fourth quarter, losing to the Spurs 127-125. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs to victory with 34 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists. DeMar DeRozan led the Kings in defeat with 28 points.

Postgame, Malik Monk spoke about what is holding the Kings back. Malik said, “It’s attention to detail… we have to be better on the little things… we will figure it out.” Mike Brown echoed similar sentiments when he addressed the media. He appeared pleased with the addition of Malik Monk to the starting lineup and noted that it would continue for the foreseeable future.

Up Next: The Sacramento Kings will remain at home to face the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night. The Rockets enter the game with a 14-6 record, sitting in second place in the Western Conference.

Buffalo Winter Blast Whips San Francisco 35-10; Bills clinch AFC East in win

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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen dives in the end zone to score against the San Francisco 49ers in the second half at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park NY on Sun Dec 1, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Sunday Night Football saw a Buffalo Bills team that has all the weapons that could possibly take them deep into the playoffs. The San Francisco 49ers fought hard but the miserable conditions that are foreign to the team put them behind the eight ball from the start of the game. They did score first in this game, a field goal followed by a touchdown in the third quarter but that would be all they could muster losing the game 35-10. The Bills for the fifth consecutive season have clinched their division.

Game recap: San Francisco was first up on the scoreboard. They drove deep into Buffalo territory but had to settle for a field goal. Jake Moody kicked a short 33 yard field goal for a 3-0 49er lead.

Even the shortest of field goals becomes a challenge with Sunday night’s weather conditions. With three seconds left on the clock in the first quarter, Buffalo scored the first touchdown of the game taking a 7-3 lead.

The Bills Ray Davis rushed for five yards and the score. The Tyler Bass point after kick was good and Buffalo took a 7-3 lead going into the second quarter. Following that first touchdown a barrage of snowballs were cascading down on the field from the stands.

At 8:38 in the second quarter the Bills struck again showcasing their running game. Buffalo was tearing the San Francisco defense apart running roughshod all over them. The Bills comfort level under these conditions became apparent scoring a 65 yard rushing touchdown and taking a 14-3 lead.

The Bills are used to these kind of conditions so traction was not posing too much of a problem for them. The 49ers on the other hand were slipping and sliding all over the place on both sides of the ball. With 41 ticks left on the clock the Bills scored their third touchdown of the day.

Buffalo had scored on three consecutive drives; this one a Josh Allen pass connecting with Mack Hollins for seven yards and a 21-3 Buffalo lead. With four seconds left in the half San Francisco’s Jake Moody attempted a 55 yard field goal which fell short and at the half the Bills had a 21-3 lead.

The snow got even heavier as the second half got underway. The conditions proved to be a challenge for Buffalo at times and San Francisco most of the time. The Bills extended their lead at 5:58 in the third quarter. Amari Cooper caught a Josh Allen pass and lateraled it to Allen who scampered for seven yards and their fourth touchdown of the game.

With a 28-3 lead, the Bills were rolling. With under three minutes left in the quarter San Francisco’s Isaac Guerendo rushed for 15 yards for the Niners first touchdown of the game. After three quarters of football the Bills were leading 28-10.

The Bills scored a fifth touchdown to start off the fourth quarter. Quarterback Josh Allen scampered for eight yards extending Buffalo’s lead 35-10. The Bills had taken control of this game from the start and the 49ers couldn’t do much about it.

San Francisco had fumbled three times in the game, losing all three and despite ten minutes left in the game, this contest was a done deal. The San Francisco bench looked completely miserable, deflated and more than ready to board the plane home to sunny California. The final was 35-10.

San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy finished the game 11 of 18 for 94 yards and no interceptions. He was sacked twice. The team rushed for 153 yards with Jordan Mason leading the way with 78 yards. Jauan Jennings received for 56 yards. Brock Purdy, Deebo Samuel and Kyle Juszczyk all had fumbles in this game.

The Bills quarterback Josh Allen passed for 148 yards and two touchdown, he rushed for another touchdown and received for a third. He had one amazing game. The Bills rushed for 220 yards with James Cook the leader with 107 yards. The Buffalo ground game was a huge factor in their win. They also had 152 receiving yards.

Game notes: On Sunday Night Football the 49ers took on the Bills at Highmark Stadium. The weather report for Sunday night favored the Bills with snow flurries during game time. The PA system was joyfully playing “Let It Snow” as the game got underway.

Cold weather games do not favor a lot of teams with San Francisco being one of them. Dealing with conditions like this put another layer of game planning in play. With their record under .500 the 49ers lost this game and faced a team like Buffalo coupled with miserable playing conditions was a huge challenge. Slippery conditions injury posedan enormous threat. A lot of credit to the Buffalo fans who weathered the snow storm to root their team on. They are the epitome of the true football fan

San Francisco will put this game behind them as they prepare for a game with the Chicago Bears next Sunday. Their last two games, Green Bay and Buffalo, had turned into a couple of train wrecks. The team will appreciate the balmy 63 degree weather that is predicted for next Sunday’s game. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:25 PM PST at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara.

A’s relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: A’s to present four letters showing they have financing for $1.5 billion Vegas ball park Thursday

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Artists rendering of Athletics Armadillo ballpark at the corner of Las Vegas Blvd and Tropicana in Las Vegas which is scheduled for completion for April 2028 (from artist A’s rendering)

Sacramento A’s relocation podcast with Daniel:

#1 Daniel, the A’s are making a presentation at the Las Vegas Stadium Authority on the due date Thu Dec 5th when they are supposed to come up with their share of construction costs at the tune of $1.5 billion. The A’s will present four letters showing they have the financing available.

#2 This meeting is a big step for the A’s relocation process in their move to Las Vegas this will be the A’s fourth meeting with the Stadium Authority and noted the most important to date.

#3 Amongst the discussions are how the stadium will be constructed, how many years the team will be committed to the park, and what happens if the A’s want to get out of their deal before the 30 years runs out.

#4 The ballpark plans have the A’s constructing their stadium on nine acres of the 35 acre Tropicana on the Las Vegas strip located at the one of the busiest intersections in the world.

#5 The Stadium Authority will reviewing the documents to decide if they can move forward with the project what they will be looking forward as stated, “adequate financial security for the performance of the financial obligations of a developer partner (A’s) for the development and construction of the Major League Baseball stadium project.”

Join Daniel Dullum for the A’s Relocation podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O: Bucks thrilled to get Giannis back in line up; Hornets Ball to sit out 2 weeks with calf strain; plus more NBA news

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Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Anteokounmpo 24 is even thrilled to be back in the line up against the Charlotte Hornets on Sat Nov 30, 2024 at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee (AP News photo)

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The Milwaukee Bucks had to thrilled getting Giannis Anteokounmpo back after suffering a swelled up left knee. Anteokounmpo returned for the game against the Washington Wizards in Milwaukee. Anteokounmpo sat out of Tuesday’s game against the Miami Heat for the NBA Cup win 106-103.

#2 The Charlotte Hornets LeMelo Ball will sit out of action for at least two weeks with a calf strain. Ball was injured in the fourth quarter on Wednesday night in a loss against the Miami Heat. Ball also sat out on Friday night against the New York Knicks. The are 6-14 and despite beating the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night they really miss Ball out of the line up.

#3 The Los Angeles Lakers Jaxson Hayes will miss two to three weeks due to a sprained right ankle. Hayes was out of action for the Lakers past two games and went underwent an MRI and medical staff found the injury. Hayes was out for two weeks previous to Tuesday’s game against the Phoenix Suns where he reinjured the ankle while making a dunk in the final minute of the game.

#4 The Atlanta Hawks clinched the East Group C in the NBA Cup with a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-101 on Friday night. It’s the Cavs second loss in two days. The Hawks clinched the Cup when they the Chicago Bulls lost to the Boston Celtics.

#5 The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry returned to action after missing three games. Curry returned on Saturday night against the Phoenix Suns in Phoenix. Curry has suffered knee issues and the Warriors had lost each of the three games while Curry was out.

Charlie O does Headline Sports podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cal Poly comes from behind to defeat Cardinal 97-90

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Stanford Cardinal guard Benny Gealer (5) takes a shot against the Cal Poly Mustangs at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Sat Nov 30, 2024 (Stanford Cardinal photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Saturday, November 30, 2024

Owen Koonce tossed in a game-high 30 points for Cal Poly on Saturday, as the Mustangs made a second-half comeback to defeat Stanford 97-90 in non-conference men’s basketball at Maples Pavilion.

Stanford (6-2) led 43-34 at halftime, eventually leading by 10 at 47-37 on a free throw by Jaylen Blakes with 18:37 left in the second half. Over the next five minutes, the Mustangs cut their deficit with a 19-10 run on a Peter Bandelj free throw.

The Cardinal built their lead back up to 68-59 at 10:23 on a jumper in the lane by Oziyah Sellers. CPU (5-4) tied the game at 76-76 with a 3-pointer by Isaac Jessup at 5:41, capping a 17-8 run.

Stanford briefly regained the lead until Jarred Hyder’s 3 broke an 84-84 tie with 1:33 left. From there, the Mustangs pulled away with a 10-6 run for the win.

Stanford missed two 3-pointers in the last 18 seconds.

Besides Koonce, the Mustangs had four others in double-figures – Jessup with 21 points, Mac Riniker with 12, Bandelj with 11 and Hyde with 10. Koonce also had seven rebounds, and Jessup added seven rebounds and five assists.

Maxime Raynaud led the Cardinal with 21 points, followed by Blakes and Benny Gealer with 17 each, Chisom Okpara with 13 and Sellers with 11. Blakes collected eight assists and Ryan Agarwal pulled down nine rebounds.

Mustangs shot 54 percent from the field (33 of 61), including 12 of 30 behind the arc. CPU also hit 19 of 22 free throws and outrebounded the Cardinal 36-32.

Stanford wa 31 of 67 shooting (46 percent) – 10 of 33 on 3-pointers. The Cardinal was 18 of 22 at the line and committed only nine turnovers. The Cardinal bench outscored Cal Poly’s by 30-13.

The Cardinal host Utah Valley on Tuesday at 7 p.m., and open ACC play on Saturday, Dec. 7, when they travel to Berkeley to face California.