Author: Sports Radio Service

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O: A’s barnstorming idea might not sit well with State of Nevada; Dodgers Yamamoto dealing against Yankees; plus more news

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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitches to the New York Yankees in the bottom of the first inning at Yankee Stadium in New York on Fri Jun 7, 2024 (AP News photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The Oakland A’s plans to play at least eight games away from the Tropicana ballpark starting in 2028 for the sake of branding the game in neutral site games. The move could impact the team’s financial projections plus the A’s need to sell out every home game to keep up with costs of the construction and payments of the park. Their departure for eight to ten games will impact their ability to meet their budget schedule.

#2 Anytime the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers face each other something will leap out of the headlines and Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is no exception he pitched seven innings, two hits, two walks and seven strikeouts to get by the Yankees 2-1 at Yankee Stadium on Friday.

#3 The Yankees are relieved about learning that Juan Soto had forearm inflammation as opposed to structural damage damage that could have put him out for the season.

#4 Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager who suffered a hamstring injury and was not in Friday’s line up against the San Francisco Giants. Seager could miss multiple games and because of tightness in his left hamstring. Seager came out of Wednesday’s game reaching for his hamstring after hitting an RBI single. He did appear on the field before Friday’s game but had to leave and sit out the game.

#5 It’s been a huge month for the Negro Leagues Museum and Museum president Bob Kendrick saying the Negro Leagues is trending and he looks forward to hosting the Rickwood Field game on June 20th in Birmingham a game that is a tribute to the Negro Leagues that will feature the St Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants.

Join Charlie O for the Headlines podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

#1

156th Belmont Stakes: Dornoch gets an upset victory; Beats the 17-1 odds

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Dornoch (6) with jockey Luis Saez crosses the finish line ahead of Mindframe (10) to win the 156th annual Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Springs NY on Sat Jun 8, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jessica Kwong

A World Series champion’s colt, Dornoch, pulled off an upset victory in the 156th Belmont Stakes at the Saratoga Race Course on Saturday evening.

Co-owned by former MLB All-Star Jayson Werth, Dornoch entered the final leg of the Triple Crown with 17-1 odds.

Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey took an early lead over Dornoch and Mindframe, one of the favorites in the race, heading to the backstretch.

Dornoch broke at a good pace from the gate and was head-to-head with Seize the Grey at the end of the backstretch.

But Seize the Grey could not sustain the pace and Dornoch took the lead, with Mindframe and fellow favorite Sierra Leone making charges that fell short.

Dornoch crossed the finish line by a half length ahead of his competitors.

“I never lost faith in him,” said Dornoch’s jockey Luis Saez, who notched his second Belmont Stakes victory after winning with Essential Quality three years ago.

“When I rode this horse last year here in Saratoga for the first time, I told Danny, ‘You have a Derby winner.’ But unfortunately, you know, the Derby is a crazy race and we drew that No. 1 hole. Today we had pretty good confidence that we could win this race. Thank God we got it.”

It was trainer Danny Gargan’s first Belmont Stakes win, as it was for Werth, who is co-owner of West Paces Racing.

Gargan called Dornoch “one of the top three horses in the country”.

“We’ve always thought it,” he said. “Today we let him run his race and he won. If he gets to run, he’s always gonna be tough to beat.”

With the victory, Werth takes home $2 million.

“I would put it right up there with winning on the biggest stage. Horse racing is the most underrated sport in the world, bar none,” said Werth, who won the World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008.

“It’s the biggest game: You get the Derby, the Preakness, the Belmont. We just won the Belmont. This is as good as it gets in horse racing. It’s as good as it gets in sports.”

Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan posed no threat in the race.

Three different horses won the three races of the Triple Crown this year.

Here is the finishing order for the 156th Belmont Stakes:

1. Dornoch

2. Mindframe

3. Sierra Leone

4. Honor Marie

5. Antiquarian

6. Protective

7. Seize the Grey

8. Mystik Dan

9. The Wine Steward

10. Resilience

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Caitlan Clark was snubbed from the Olympic roster?

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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark drives on the New York Liberty forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Sat May 18, 2024 (AP file photo)

Caitlan Clark was snubbed from the Olympic roster?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

It looks like not everybody is pleased with Caitlin Clark’s popularity; could this be pure envy because she is so good, or could there be other motives? In 2023, over 60% of players in the WNBA were black or African American. Caitlin Clark is not. The question is why she was snubbed from the USA Olympic Basketball team roster for the Olympic games in Paris, France. Nobody seems to have a reason why she will not be with the US Olympic team.

However, we all agree that Caitlin Clark put the WNBA on the prosperity map. The Commissioner of the WNBA said in early May that the league plans to commit $50 million over the next two years to provide full-time charter flights for teams during the season.

This addresses years of player safety concerns. That means WNBA players do not have to stand in the security lines to board a regular commercial flight. Commissioner Engelbert said the first two seasons will cost $25 million annually. For the first time in the history of this women’s professional basketball league, all the teams are traveling charter planes. This would not have happened without the arrival of Caitlin Clark.

Caitlin Clark’s base salary for her first year in the WNBA is around $76,000. In April 2024, CBS reported that Clark’s four-year rookie contract is worth $338,056. She’ll be paid $76,535 in 2024, $78,066 in 2025, $85,873 in 2026, and $97,582 in 2027.

Clark has made the WNBA relevant and has grown as popular as ever. Jackie Young of the Las Vegas Aces has the highest average salary in the WNBA for the 2024 season, according to Spotrac. She is making $252,450 for the 2024 season as a part of a two-year, $504,900 contract.

But let’s return to why Caitlan Clark was left off the 2024 US Olympic Women’s Basketball roster. Citing two sources, USA Today columnist Christine Brennan reported one factor in omitting Clark from the women’s national team was the concern about how the former Iowa star’s fans would react to her playing time in the Olympics, which would likely have been limited. “If true, that would be an extraordinary admission of the existence of real tension that the old guard of women’s basketball harbors for this multi-million-dollar sensation,” Brennan wrote of the sources’ knowledge.

Clark has won three gold medals with USA Basketball junior national teams, including her latest with the 2021 USA Women’s U19 National Team. The U.S. women have won every gold medal in women’s basketball since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

I’m not speculating why Caitlin is left out, but it doesn’t seem to make sense if the US is trying to win gold this summer. If Caitlin Clark is not with the US Women’s Olympic Basketball team, I truly hope the ‘powers to be’ reconsider.

Just imagine what would have happened if Michael Jordan had not been selected to play with the US Olympic Dream team in Barcelona in 1992. Charles Barkley, who is never afraid of speaking his mind, calls out the “pettiness” of WNBA veterans against rookie Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and said he was flabbergasted. “Considering the WNBA was hitting the lottery with the “shining star.”

Amaury Pi Gonzalez was a former Golden State Warriors Spanish broadcaster and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Bay FC picks up second win in last three games defeat Chicago Red Stars 2-1

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Bay FC celebrates their victory match over the Chicago Red Stars at Wrigley Field in Chicago in NWSL action on Sat Jun 8, 2024 (Bay FC X photo)

By William Espy

Bay FC’s mission not to lose to a team more than once in their inaugural season continued as they looked for revenge against the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday night. It was a historic night for the NWSL, as it was the first game ever to take place in an MLB stadium and it happened to be one of the most famous stadiums in the country, Wrigley Field.

In their only previous meeting, the Red Stars walked away with three points following a 2-1 game at PayPal Park. This night was also very important for one member of Bay FC, Kayla Sharples, who grew up in the Chicago area and spent a considerable amount of time with the Red Stars to start her professional career, returned for the first time since leaving as a free agent in the offseason. Bay would pick up their second win in their last three games with a 2-1 tally at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Bay FC Starting XI: Rowland, Dydasco, Menges, Sharples, Malonson, Pickett, Anderson, Boade, Kundananji, Oshoala, Hill

Chicago Starting XI: Naeher, Malham, Staab, Kuikka, Anderson, Roccaro, Nesbeth, Swanson, Schlegel, Bianchi, Hocking

On a rainy night in Chicago, Bay FC wanted to try to get off to a hot start, getting chances early including one from Tess Boade in the 4th minute. Bay was undoubtedly the stronger team in the first half, and that got reflected on the scoreboard when Kiki Pickett had a phenomenal strike from outside of the box to give her team a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute.

She took advantage of the defenders leaving her quite a bit of space, and the end result was her first career NWSL goal. Rachael Kundananji nearly extended the lead in the 36th minute, but Alyssa Naeher was able to get a hand on it and tip the ball over the net.

Set pieces were a big part of Bay FC’s first half, as they set a franchise record with 11 corners in the first half. They also led significantly in possession with 60% and shots with 14. Although the scoreboard was in Bay’s favor, it still didn’t reflect how well they played in the first 45 minutes. Both goalkeepers had been great when called upon though, as both Naeher and Katelyn Rowland got tested a couple of times in the half.

Bay tends to struggle with holding leads into the second half, so with only a single goal separating them from their opposition, they needed a strong start coming out of the break if they were going to walk out with three points.

Meanwhile, if Chicago was going to take advantage of that fact they’d need to find an equalizer quickly so they have enough time to take the lead later in the match. Chicago made a couple of substitutes to start the second half, Tatumn Milazzo and Jenna Bike entered the match for Natalia Kuikka and Julia Bianchi.

The second half started off similar to the first, Boade immediately got a scoring chance then Pickett had another long shot, however, Naeher was able to get in front of this one. The first five minutes of the half were all Bay FC, but a counter-attack led by Penelope Hocking got the Red Stars their first opportunity of the half in the 50th minute but the shot trickled wide.

Rowland made a dangerous mistake in the 54th minute when a pass got picked off by Hocking with no defenders back. Bay was able to recover, however those mistakes have become very common lately. Bay made some substitutions of their own when Scarlett Camberos and Dorian Bailey entered the match in the 62nd minute for Rachel Hill and Asisat Oshoala.

Sharples went down in some clear pain in the 66th minute after taking a ball directly in the face. Meanwhile, Chicago took advantage of the break in play to make a couple of more substitutions with Chardonnay Curran and Shea Groom coming on. In the 72nd, Chicago had a corner kick and Groom collided with Rowland who had possession of the ball.

The play was not called a foul, but Bay was awarded a goal kick. Moments later, Kundananji had a fantastic run following a through ball from Boade that got her behind the defense. She was able to dribble around Naeher however the ball sailed over the empty goal.

Less than a minute later, Kundananji had another chance, this time off of a spinning shot that hit the crossbar. In the 75th minute, the attendance was announced for the game which set the NWSL record and got a massive response from the crowd.

In the 79th minute, Bay was finally able to get their second goal of the night when Bailey’s centering pass went to Curran who attempted to clear the ball and it went directly into Joelle Anderson and into the back of the net. Rocarro nearly broke Bay FC’s clean sheet in the 88th minute, however it rang off of the crossbar and went out of play.

Eventually, Chicago would get on the board with Hocking scoring in stoppage time. It would be too little too late though, as Anderson’s goal would ultimately be the difference. Bay played their best complete game of the season which bodes well for their return home against Utah next weekend. On the biggest stage in NWSL history, Bay FC stepped up and walked away with the three points.

Ramos stays white-hot and Spencer Howard stays hot as Giants beat Rangers 3-1 for third-straight win

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Heliot Ramos salutes after hitting a two run home run against the Texas Rangers in the top of the third inning at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Sat Jun 8, 2024 (AP News photo)

Saturday, June 8, 2024

Globe Life Field

Arlington, Texas

San Francisco Giants 3 (32-33)

Texas Rangers 1 (30-34)

Win: Erik Miller (1-2)

Loss: Andrew Heaney (2-7)

Save: Camilo Doval (11)

Time: 2:33

Attendance: 34,843

By Stephen Ruderman

Heliot Ramos stayed on fire, as he went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run and knocked in all three runs for the Giants, while Spencer Howard was solid in four and two thirds innings, as they led the Giants to their third-straight win, 3-1 over the Rangers in Arlington, Texas.

The Giants snapped their six-game losing streak on Wednesday, and have since won two-straight. Saturday, they looked to make it three in a row against the Rangers and their left-hander, Andrew Heaney.

The Giants got things going right away against Heaney in the top of the first inning. Austin Slater walked to start the game, and that brought up the white-hot Heliot Ramos, who lined a double into the gap in left-center field to score Slater and put the Giants on the board early.

The Giants were looking to go big in the first inning, but in typical fashion with this frustrating Giants’ offense, the next three guys all went down, and Ramos was left hanging at second base.

Saturday was Kyle Harrison’s turn in the rotation, and it was assumed by this writer that he would make the start Saturday, but I was wrong. Bob Melvin decided to go with right-handler and former Ranger Spencer Howard instead. Howard gave up two runs but pitched well over four and two thirds innings in relief on Monday in Arizona, which gave his skipper the confidence to give him the start Saturday.

Howard got himself in trouble, however, in the bottom of the first. Marcus Semien and Josh Smith both walked to start the inning, and Semien got to third when Adolis Garcia flew out to right for the first out. Nathaniel Lowe then knocked in Semien with a sacrifice fly to right to tie the game. Howard gave up a run, pretty much for free, as he didn’t give up a hit.

Heaney threw a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the second, and he settled down to retire six-straight following Ramos’ double. Howard gave up a one-out single to Travis Jankowski in the bottom of the second, but he pitched a scoreless inning regardless.

Tyler Fitzgerald popped out to start the top of the third, but Slater did his thing and lined an opposite-field base-hit to right. That brought up Ramos, who hit a two-run home run to left, his sixth of the year, to put the Giants back ahead.

The Giants gave Howard a 3-1 lead to work with, and it appeared he was going to need it. Smith singled with one out in the bottom of the third, and Garcia walked to put runners at first and second. Howard then got Lowe to ground into a 6-3 double play to end the inning without any damage.

The game then started to roll along a bit, as Heaney pitched 1-2-3 innings in both the top of the fourth and fifth, and Howard pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fourth. Leody Tavares originally reached on an infield hit to start on the bottom of the fifth, but upon review, Tavares was out on a putout to first. Semien flew out, and Melvin pulled Howard after four and two thirds for left-handed Erik Miller, who struck out Smith to end the inning.

Melvin’s confidence in Howard definitely paid off. While Howard struggled a bit early on with his control, he pitched more smoothly in the middle innings. All in all, he gave up two runs on three hits and three walks.

Ramos flew out to center to start the top of the sixth, but Wilmer Flores and Matt Chapman singled to put runners at first and second with one out. Michael Conforto struck out looking for the second, and Bruce Bochy then went to the veteran right-hander Jon Gray. Jorge Soler was at the plate, and his struggles in key RBI situations continued once again, as he struck out swinging to end the inning.

Miller and Ryan Walker combined to throw a scoreless bottom of the sixth. Fitzgerald singled, and Mike Yastrzemski walked with two outs in the top of the seventh, but Ramos struck out swinging to end the inning and another wasted opportunity for the Giants.

Walker pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh, and Gray did the same in the top of the eighth. Tyler Rogers came in for the bottom of the eighth, and he, you guessed it, pitched a 1-2-3 inning.

Jesus Tinoco came in for Texas in the top of the ninth, and he retired the first two men he faced. Patrick Bailey pinch-hit and drew a two-out walk, as did Fitzgerald. It was another opportunity for the Giants to put some much-needed padding on their lead. Bochy pulled Tinoco for Jacob Latz, who struck Yastrzemski out to end the inning, and the Giants yet again wasted a golden opportunity.

Closer Camilo Doval came in for the bottom of the ninth. Doval pitched a much-needed 1-2-3 inning for his 10th save Friday night in what was his first appearance since his disastrous blown save against the Yankees on Sunday.

Saturday, Doval would struggle, and would once again make things tense for the Giants and their fans. Lowe walked to lead off the inning, and Ezequiel Duran flew out to right. Jonah Heim beat out an infield hit, and Jankowski grounded out to first for the second out to move the runners to second and third.

The Giants led 3-1 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but the Rangers had the tying runs at second and third for Leody Taveras. Taveras then engaged Doval in a long and grueling battle. On a 2-2 pitch, Taveras hit a bullet down the right field line that went just foul and allowed Giants fans to make a massive sigh of relief. Taveras then flew out to right to end the game, and the Giants held on to win it 3-1.

Erik Miller got the win, as he was the one who came in for Spencer Howard, who was one out away from the win, in the bottom of the fifth; Andrew Heaney took the loss; and Camilo Doval picked up his 11th save.

Ramos led the way with his 2-for-4 day, and he is on fire. However, while the Giants have hit seven home runs in their last three games, they are still struggling in key RBI situations, and if they get too home run happy, it’s going to get them in trouble. Still, it is undeniable that this has been a completely different team since Melvin aired them out after Tuesday night’s loss.

It is unfortunate that Howard didn’t get the win, because it would have capped off the most perfect week for him. He started the road trip by being able to sleep in his own bed in Arizona, and then he got his world series ring Friday. Howard pitched for the Rangers at the beginning of last season, which made him eligible for a ring. Still, it was quite an unforgettable week for Howard, who truly put himself on the map for the Giants with his two solid performances.

Keaton Winn (3-6, ERA 6.17) will come off the Injured List to make the start Sunday, as the Giants will try to complete the sweep over the Rangers at Globe Life Field. The Rangers will start RHP Nathan Eovaldi (2-2, ERA 2.70) First pitch will be at 12:05 p.m. in Arlington, and 10:05 a.m. for morning baseball in San Francisco.

A’s sunk by rough fifth inning lose to Blue Jays 7-0

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Photo courtesy of Oakland A’s.

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)

OAKLAND- The A’s hit the field to take on the Blue Jays in the second of a three-game home series on Saturday evening.

Making only his third start of the season was Luis Medina who in 10.1 innings pitched had given up six earned runs and 1.35 WHIP.

For the Blue Jays it was veteran right-hander Kevin Gausman who heading into this one had a 4-4 record with a 4.60 ERA.

Medina found himself in trouble early in this one as the Blue Jays loaded the bases with one out. Thankfully for Oakland Medina got out of it only giving up one run on a sacrifice fly from Danny Jansen.

After the first though it was smooth sailing for both Medina and Guasman up until the fifth inning.

In the fifth the wheels fell off for Medina who would give up three runs before being replaced by Jack O’Loughlin. The scoring in the fifth was kicked off by Kevin Kiermaier launching one over the right center field wall getting his second homer of the season. Then Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette hit back-to-back doubles increasing their lead to 3-0. The final nail in the coffin for Medina would be another double this time from Danny Jansen getting Bichette home.

Things didn’t get much better with O’Loughlin as he loaded the bases on a walk and Isiah Kiner-Falefa knocked home a run on a single. The final run came on a wild pitch as Daniel Vogelbach got home as Shea Langeliers scrambled to get the ball.

With the damage done the A’s were not able to get any sort of rally going as Gausman had a fantastic outing pitching a complete game. In those nine innings he would only give up five hits and strikeout ten.

Toronto would tack on one more run in the ninth with Vinny Nittoli now on the mound as the culprit this time was Justin Turner as he singled to get Bichette home.

Medina would take the loss getting his first loss of the season while Gausman improves his record to 5-4 with the win.

The most productive hitter for the Blue Jays today was Jansen as he finished with two RBI’s and two hits in the game.

With the loss the A’s fall to 26-40 and 10 games back while the Blue Jays improve to 31-33 and now move to 13.5 games back of first.

The final game of this series will be played Sunday at 1:07 p.m. where Oakland will look to get the series victory. Getting in the start Sunday for the A’s will be Mitch Spence who comes in to the game with a 4-3 record and a 3.86 ERA. While the Blue Jays have yet to announce a starter for Sunday’s game.

Oakland A’s podcast with Titus Wilkinson: Kotsay depending on Bleday’s hit production; Bleday only A’s player to play in all 65 games

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Oakland A’s JJ Bleday (33) looks as a wild pitch gets by Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk (44) in the bottom of the sixth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Sat Jun 8, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Titus:

#1 Titus, big night last night for JJ Bleday who got the walk off home run in the last of the ninth for his ninth home run of the season for an A’s 2-1 win.

#2 Bleday’s home run was his first career walk off home run. A’s manager Mark Kotsay said last night after the game that he and the coaching staff has been pushing him on his physicality and to push himself harder.

#3 The A’s last night had five hits and pulled it off for the win. For the most part the A’s are getting the pitching and as Kotsay has been emphasizing the club needs to really start swinging the bats.

#4 Last night the two big fan clubs the Last Dive Bar and the Oakland 68s showed up for the reverse boycott. Their push is to get owner John Fisher to sell the club they had remote broadcast coverage with Damon Amendolara and Damon Bruce who hosted the reverse boycott show. While it was a gesture for those fans who would like to see Fisher sell the club Fisher is pushing on with moving the club out of Oakland.

#5 Titus, taking a look at today’s starting pitchers for the Toronto Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman (4-4, ERA 4.60) and for Oakland Luis Medina (0-0, ERA 0.00). The Blue Jays are in dead last in the AL East 30-33 and have lost six of their last ten games. The A’s are fourth in the AL West and are ten games back and have lost six of their last ten games.

Titus Wilkinson is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NHL Stanley Cup Finals podcast with Mary Lisa: Oilers-Panthers one week break over as puck drops tonight in game 1

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The Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner stops a shot against the Dallas Stars in the third period in game 5 of the NHL Stanley Cup Western Conference Finals on Fri May 31, 2024 at American Airlines Arena in Dallas. The Oilers have had a 5 day lay off and face off against the Florida Panthers who’ve had a 7 day layoff. Sat Jun 8, 2024 for game 1 of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals ( AP News photo)

#1 Mary, talk about how the NHL scheduling went for these Finals and why the wait all the way until Saturday for the first game.

#2 The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers face off on Saturday for game 1 of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals. The Oilers are up for the task as they got huge help from center Connor McDavid who has five goals in post season so far.

#4 Zach Hyman leads the Oilers in goals for the playoffs with 14 goals. Len would you say Hyman was one of the keys for the Oilers to beat the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Finals?

#3 Oilers center Leon Draisaitl also is supplying some great offense with ten goals the Oilers wouldn’t be where they are without his help.

#5 The Florida Panthers took out the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Finals 4-2. The Panthers just got by in game 6 with a 2-1 win. The Panthers certainly can rely on their goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky whose been a stopper between the pipes.

#6 Mary, talk about the Panther center Carter Verhaeghe leads the Panthers with goals scored in the post season with nine. Verhaeghe has been key for the Panthers in getting them here.

Mary Lisa is an NHL podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservicce.com

A’s Bleday crushes 369 foot walk off homer to right to edge Blue Jays 2-1 at Coliseum

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Splish Splash Oakland A’s slugger JJ Bleday gets the Gatorade can treatment after belting a walk off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Oakland Coliseum on Fri Jun 7, 2024 (Oakland A’s X photo)

Toronto (30-33). 000 000 100. 1. 5. 0

Athletics (26-39). 000 001 001. 2 5. 0

Time: 2:07

Attendance: 16,046

Friday, June 7, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–The A’s, like Hogan Harris, their starting pitcher in Friday night’s 2-1 stunning walk off triumph over the Toronto Blue Jays, have had their ups and downs this season. After laboriously climbing the to the pinnacle of mediocrity at 17-17 on May 4, the green and gold steadily dropped in the standings and had lost six of their previous eight games. With Friday night’s win, they’ve risen to 26-39.

Harris, the third round choice of the then Oakland Athletics in the 2018, reached the big leagues last year, when he went 3-6, 7.14 for the. A’s in six starts and eight relief appearances. He has been up and down between Oakland and Las Vegas this season.

When he was recalled from the Aviators on May 30, it was the third time in ’24 that he was with the big club. He was an unimpressive, even by PCL standards 1-2, 7.67 while in AAA. This evening, he wasn’t just up in the majors; he was up to major league standards and then some.

When Austin Adams relieved him to start the top of the seventh, Harris had yielded exactly three hits and two walks while logging three strikeouts. He threw 91 pitches, XX(55) for strikes. Although the A’s were leading 1-0 at Harris’s departure, he had to settle for a no decision that left his w0n-lost record unchanged but lowered his ERA to 2.21.

The Blue Jays, who had just salvaged a split in their four game series at Baltimore and going 11-7 in their last 18 encounters, still were only 30-32 at game time. Unlike Harris, who is notorious for not getting through a lot of innings, Chris Bassitt, Toronto’s starting pitcher Friday evening, frequently piles up the IPs, of which he compiled an even 200 last year, when he went 16-8 in 33 starts racked up 186 strikeouts.

The veteran of seven big league seasons was an uncharacteristic 6-6, 4.13 when he toed the mound in the bottom of the first. He pitched a beautiful eight frames, holding the Athletics to one run, which was earned, on four hits and two walks. He did, however, unleash a wild pitch. 71 of his 102 offerings either were called strikes or made contact with an Athletic’s bat. Like Harris, he wasn’t involved in the decision. His ERA dropped considerably, to 3.80.

Neither team came close to scoring over the initial 5-1/2 frames. Then Max Schuemann led off the A’s sixth with a single to left, only their third hit, and advanced to third on Abraham Toro’s single to center. After Miguel Andújar took a called third strike, Schuemann scored on a wild pitch to JJ Bleday. Toro took third, where he was stranded.

Austin Adams, who relieved Harris, couldn’t hold onto his lead. The Blue Jays overcame The Curse of the Leadoff Double. Vladimir Guerrero’s fly to deep right field landed just inside the foul line, and Bo Bichette followed with a game tying single to right. A passed ball and hit batter made for a threat, but Adams wiggled out of it.

Scott Alexander hurled a 1,2,3 eighth, and Mason Miller set down the heart of the Toronto order, Guerrero, Bichette, and George Springer down on two strikeouts and a grounder to third in the ninth.

Chad Green, who relieved Bassitt for the ninth, worked pretty quickly, too. His first pitch to Bleday, leading off, was an 86 mph slider. It went over the right field fence and landed 369 feet from home plate to give the A’s a walk off triumph.

It was Mason Miller’s first big league win. Bleday, interviewed on the field after his blast, was asked how he felt, having given the Oakland fans something to cheer about. His answer was drowned out by chants of “SELL THE TEAM.”

Credit for the win, his first as a major leaguer went to Miller. Green, 1-1, 2.25, took the loss.

Saturday, righty Luis Medina will make his first start of the season for the A’s. Fellow right hander Kevin Gausman (4-4, 4.60 will be his opposite number for Toronto. First pitch 1:05pm PT at the Oakland Coliseum.

Aces Outplayed by Storm Losing 78-65

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The Las Vegas Aces A’ja Wilson (22) takes a jump shot against the Seattle Storm’s Jordan Horston (23) at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Fri Jun 7, 2024 (Las Vegas Aces X photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Las Vegas Aces (5-3) started slow in their matchup with the Seattle Storm (7-3) and they finished in the same manner losing 78-65. The Storm played a terrific game defensively crowding the paint which was successful in both halves. A’ja Wilson had another high scoring game with 29 points and 11 rebounds but it was not enough as Las Vegas lost their third game of the season. The Aces had pulled to within one point during the game but they could not contain the Storm trailing for the entire game

Game recap: Las Vegas got a slow start in the opening quarter. They were taking shots but they were just not dropping and the Storm was doing a great job crowding the paint. The Aces fell behind early trailing 15-7 but with 1:51 left in the quarter Las Vegas started to make a move and after the first ten minutes trailed by a single point 17-16.

The Storm really got going in the second quarter leading by ten points with under a minute left in the half. Seattle led at the half 36-28; the Storm had also won the second quarter 19-12. They went on a 17-6 run to end the quarter. Las Vegas needed to find a way to get into the paint, a favorite spot for A’ja Wilson to shoot from. Kelsey Plum also thrives driving the basket so there would be some work for Las Vegas in the second half of play.

The Storm continued to push their lead and with six minutes left in the third quarter led by the score of 46-35. The Aces began to chip away at the Seattle lead and with 3:03 left in the third trailed 48-44 in an unusually low scoring game. Las Vegas was looking to take the lead in the fourth quarter. They had won the third quarter 23-18 and trailed after three quarters 54-51 in a tight contest.

The Aces continued to hang around but were unable to take the lead. With 3:50 left in the game the Storm had taken a 66-59 lead. Jewell Lloyd was having a great game already with 25 points and the clock was winding down. The Aces were running out of time. Four of the Storm’s starters were in double digits and they were outplaying Las Vegas on both sides of the ball. Seattle continued to push their lead and with 1:33 left on the clock had extended their lead 74-61 and this game was all but over for the Aces. The final was 78-65.

Las Vegas got clobbered in the fourth quarter as Seattle went on to win the final quarter 24-14. The road to the playoffs is never easy as Las Vegas lost their third game of the season. A’ja Wilson had another amazing game with 29 points and 11 rebounds but it was not enough to get past the Storm. Jackie Young had a very quiet game with three points and four rebounds. Kelsey Plum had a good one with 18 points.

Post game notes: Friday night the Aces kicked off the weekend losing to the Storm at Michelob ULTRA Arena. The Storm come into this game after beating the Phoenix Mercury Tuesday night 80-62. The Storm’s Ezi Magbegor scored 21 points in the victory. The Storm dealt with the “legendary” A’ja Wilson who reached an amazing milestone in their win against the Wings last Tuesday night and despite Wilson’s effort with 29 points took a tough loss Friday night.

She became the first WNBA player with at least 35 points, ten rebounds and five steals. She finished Thursday’s game with 36 points, 12 rebounds and 6 steals. Las Vegas couldn’t extend their win streak as the Storm upset the defending champions. It is tough going throughout a season with a bullseye on your back but that is exactly what the Aces are dealing with right now.

Saturday night Las Vegas will take on the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena. The Aces did win their last matchup on May 18 89-82. They will be facing Dearica Hamby who averages 20.4 points per game for Los Angeles. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 6:00 PM.