Author: Sports Radio Service

Sportstalk podcast remote from Firefish Grill in Santa Cruz: 49ers, Warriors, Giants talk plus what’s on the menu

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Sportstalk broadcast team at Firefish Grill in Santa Cruz: left bottom and up Firefish general manager Lance Haggard, Kelly Duca (SF Giants), Daisy Amaya (advertising), Lee Leonard (producer), right top and down, Tony the Tiger Hayes (He was a Giant feature writer), Michael Duca (mlb.com and host), Morris Phillips (Cal Bears beat writer) and Marko Ukalovic (San Jose Earthquakes beat writer) (photo by Firefish Grill)

Sportstalk podcast remote from Firefish Grill in Santa Cruz with Michael Duca (host), Marko Ukalovic (San Jose Earthquakes beat writer), Morris Phillips (Cal Bears beat writer) and Tony the Tiger Hayes (Is He A Giant? feature writer)

Our thanks to our hosts at Firefish Grill Owner and chef Mark Gilbert and general manager Lance Haggard. Firefish Grill with Fresh Seafood, Full Bar, and Exceptional Views located at 25 Municipal Pier at the Santa Cruz Wharf near the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. Call 831-423-5200 or visit http://www.firefishgrill.net

Brewers rock Harrison for 5 runs in bottom of fifth, Giants fall short in 5-3 loss, drop 6.5 back of 3rd in NL Wild Card with 28 games left

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Milwaukee Brewers Jackson Chourio reaction after hitting a RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning against the San Francisco Giants at American Family Park in Milwaukee on Tue Aug 27, 2024 (AP News photo)

Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024

American Family Field

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

San Francisco Giants 3 (67-67)

Milwaukee Brewers 5 (76-56)

Win: Freddy Peralta (9-7)

Loss: Kyle Harrison (6-7)

Save: Devin Williams (6)

Time: 2:43

Attendance: 23,247

By Stephen Ruderman

A five-run bottom of the fifth inning for the Brewers did Kyle Harrison and the Giants in, as despite the offense scoring three runs late, they ultimately fell 5-3 in Milwaukee to fall to six and a half games back of the third wild card with 28 games to go.

So far this road trip has been loss-win-loss-win. After losing two out of three to the Mariners in Seattle over the weekend, the Giants hit three home runs and a manufactured run enroute to a big 5-4 win in the series opener at American Family Field Tuesday night.

The Giants came into Wednesday night a game over .500 at 67-66, and five and a half games back of the Braves for the third wild card spot in the National League. That means win-loss-win-loss would not cut it. They had to start stringing together as many wins as possible, and they really had to start consistently hitting with runners and scoring position.

The Giants would be up against Freddy Peralta, who made the start for the Brewers Wednesday night. LaMonte Wade led off the game with a walk, but two batters later, Michael Conforto grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Kyle Harrison took the ball for the Giants, as he made his first start since his six-inning performance against the Chicago White Sox last Monday. Harrison started his outing tonight with a scoreless bottom of the first inning.

The game went along smoothly over the first four and a half innings, as Peralta set 14 of the first 17 hitters he faced, and Harrison gave up just one hit retired 12 of the first 14 men he faced. Harrison was also helped out by an incredible play by shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald in the bottom of the second, as well as a great catch by Michael Conforto in the bottom of the third.

Harrison made it 13 out of 15 when struck Rhys Hoskins out looking on a slurve to start the bottom of the fifth. Andrew Monasterio walked and stole second base, but Harrison struck Joey Ortiz out swinging for the second out.

Harrison was cruising, but all of the sudden out of nowhere, he just fell apart. Sal Frelick walked, and Jackson Chourio broke the ice with a base-hit the other way to right field, which knocked in Monasterio to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead.

Blake Perkins knocked in a pair with a double off the bottom of the wall in left to make it 3-0. William Contreras then hit a home run to left-center, and the Brewers had suddenly gotten to Harrison for five runs on three-straight hits to knock him out of the game.

Harrison was dealing through four and two thirds innings, as he struck out seven, but the sudden onslaught of three-straight hits and five runs made his start a completely different story. Sean Hjelle then came in and got Wily Adames to fly out to end the inning.

Peralta came back out for the sixth and retired the first two men he faced. The Giants then made some noise with two outs when Fitzgerald hit an opposite-field single to right and Conforto walked. However, Heliot Ramos struck out to end the inning, and the Giants wasted another opportunity.

Peralta threw six shutout innings and struck out eight. He retired 17 of the 22 batters he faced.

Austin Warren made his Giants’ debut with a scoreless bottom of the sixth inning, and the Giants would finally have some luck against Trevor Megill in the top of the seventh.

Matt Chapman led off the top of the seventh with a double and advanced to third on a ground out by Mike Yastrzemski. Thairo Estrada finally got the Giants’ first RBI hit with a runner in scoring position since Saturday with an infield hit deep into the hole at third, and Chapman scored to put the Giants on the board.

Warren came back out to throw a scoreless inning in the bottom of the seventh, and Brewers Manager Pat Murphy summoned Jared Koeing for the top of the eighth. Koeing struck out the first two guys he faced, and then the Giants would put a two-out rally together.

Fitzgerald lined a base-hit to center, and Conforto hit an opposite-field double that bounced off the wall in left to knock Fitzgerald in and make it 5-2. Ramos then lined a base-hit to left-center, and suddenly, it was a 5-3 game.

Despite their struggles with runners in scoring position, you still have to give the Giants’ offense credit. They have been resilient and have grinded it out all season. They have never believed they were out of a game, and they were in a good position to pull off a big comeback Wednesday night.

Spencer Bivens got out of a jam in scoreless bottom of the eighth, but Devin Williams thwarted any hopes of a Giants’ comeback with a one, two, three top of the ninth, and the Brewers won 5-3.

Freddy Peralta got the win; Kyle Harrison got saddled with what truly was a sudden loss; and Devin Williams got his sixth save of the year.

The Giants fall back to .500 at 67-67, and with the Braves’ 5-1 win over the Twins in Minneapolis, the Giants are now a season-high six and a half games out of the nearest playoff spot with 28 games to go.

Time is truly now running out for the Giants, and if they want to have any hope of making a last-minute run in September, they need to start winning now.

The Giants can still take the series with a win Thursday. Hayden Birdsong (3-3, 4.57 ERA) will look to be the stopper, and he will be opposed by Aaron Civale (4-8, 4.84 ERA), who will take the ball for the Brewers. First pitch will be at 1:10 p.m. in Milwaukee, and 11:10 a.m. back home in San Francisco.

Giants News and Notes:

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Prior the Giants placed Thairo Estrada, Taylor Rogers and Tyler Matzek on waivers prior to the game. They will be available to any team that wants to pay the remainder of their 2024 salaries.

A’s Pick Apart Reds In Game Two 9-6; Oakland’s Brown hits two home runs in offensive battle

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Oakland A’s Seth Brown (15) hit two home runs in game two of the series, here he is getting congratulated by his teammates after hitting his second home run in the top of the eighth inning at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati on Wed Aug 28, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Oakland A’s (58-75) won game two in their series with the Cincinnati Reds (63-70) 9-6. The team sailed through the first seven innings but in the bottom of the seventh, the Reds scored 6 runs taking a 6-5 lead. The A’s wasted little time scoring four runs in the eighth and closing out this game. Oakland hit four home runs in this game and Mason Miller celebrated his 24th save of the season.

Game recap: Oakland did not waste any time getting up on the scoreboard and they did it via the home run. In the first inning, the A’s first at bat Lawrence Butler sent the ball out of the park for the early 1-0 lead.

The second and third innings were quiet for both teams but in the fourth inning, Oakland got back to the long ball. Seth Brown hit a 430 feet home run taking a 2-0 lead but as this game progressed, the A’s just continued to extend their lead. In the sixth inning Brent Rooker hit the A’s third solo home run of the game for a 3-0 lead.

Oakland scored two more runs in the seventh inning taking a 5-0 lead. Max Schuemann hit a sacrifice to center and Daz Cameron scored. In the same inning, Lawrence Butler grounded into a fielder’s choice to second driving in Zach Gelof.

When it seemed as if the A’s had it all going on, the Reds started making a run much as they did in last nights’ game. Five hits later, the Reds had erased the 5-0 Oakland lead and the score was 5-3 in favor of the A’s.

Tyler Stephenson doubled driving Elly De La Cruz home followed by another double from Santiago Espinal driving in Stephenson. It all went downhill for Oakland at that point. Ty France singled Espinal home and the Reds took the lead when Will Benson homered with two runners on base taking a 6-5 lead. It was a disastrous seventh inning for Oakland.

The A’s took care of business in the eighth inning, or should I say Seth Brown did with his second home run of the game driving in JJ Bleday and Shea Langeliers taking back the lead 8-6. They extended their lead when Jacob Wilson sacrificed and Zach Gelof scored; Oakland had fought back after losing the lead in the seventh inning. Through eight innings Oakland had 13 hits and four home runs.

Osvaldo Bido pitched six innings in this game allowing three hits, two runs, no walks with five strikeouts. When he allowed those two runs he was spent and he was relieved by T.J. McFarland. When McFarland started to struggle in the seventh inning giving up a run, Michel Otanez took the mound with dire results. He gave up three hits and three runs but finally got that third out.

Oakland had a clean eighth inning with Tyler Ferguson on the mound going three up and three down. They were again three outs away from winning game two, winning the series and going for a sweep in Thursday’s game three.

Mason Miller would take the mound looking to close out this game in the bottom of the ninth inning. Last night, Miller threw 31 pitches getting out of a sticky situation. Wednesday night he will be looking for a far less dramatic ninth inning.

In fact he will be looking for his 23rd save which will put him in a tie with Huston Street for most saves by a rookie in Oakland’s history. Andrew Bailey is in first place with 26 saves and Miller will be looking to better that with more than a month of baseball still left on the season.

It began to feel eerily like last night and there would be a bit of drama in this game. The Reds got a hit and a walk and with only one out, the tying run was at the plate. Miller went on to strike out Amed Rosario for the second out and dismissed Will Benson for the win 9-6.

Game notes: Tuesday, the A’s beat the Reds in game one of their series after trailing through the first six innings. They had a huge seventh inning in thanks to a couple of home runs, one from Max Schuemann and a second from Lawrence Butler. In Wednesday’s game started Osvaldo Bido who pitched six innings, allowed three hits, two runs, and struck out five. The Reds started Fernando Cruz who went three innings, two hits and one earned run. Bido’s pitching performance kept the Red in check until the seventh inning when the Reds scored six runs.

Oakland played a great game. They took a significant lead in the game, lost the lead in the seventh inning but went on to battle back scoring four runs in the eighth. It was an impressive win and sets the Athletics up for a possible sweep in Thursday’s game.

Winning a series on the road is not easy and Oakland already has that under their belt. First pitch for game three is scheduled for 2:10. Probable pitchers for this game will be J.T. Ginn (0-0, 2.45) for Oakland and for the Reds it will be Julian Aguiar (1-0, 3.60).

San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor: Aiyuk counting sheep over Cowboys Lamb’s $136 million contract

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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk reacts after a touchdown in the first half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)

On San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor:

#1 Regarding San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk it’s of matter him saying I want what Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeCee Lamb who the Cowboys signed to a four year $136 million and the contract calls for $100 million in guaranteed money.

#2 Looking at Lamb’s contract might in luck to getting a big pay day like Lamb but will the 49ers be willing to give Aiyuk that kind of a big pay day?

#3 Taking a look at Brock Purdy in that last game against the Las Vegas Raiders has Purdy lost some of that shine that he had or is one pre season game just an aberration of who Purdy really is?

Join David Zizmor for the San Francisco 49ers podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Despite 5-2 loss Bay FC hung with formable foe Barcelona at Pay Pal

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Bay FC’s Tess Boade (12) kicks the ball against FC Barcelona in the first half at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

By William Espy

SAN JOSE–Bay FC hosted an international friendly match against FC Barcelona at PayPal Park on Tuesday night. After a disappointing loss against Utah on Friday, it gave Bay an opportunity to bounce back prior to their next NWSL match against the Portland Thorns in three days time.

With that being said, that opportunity was coming against the best women’s soccer team in the world. It also marked the first time that Asisat Oshoala faced off against her former team following her transfer to Bay FC. Bay FC hung tight with Barcelona in the match despite the three goal loss 5-2.

Bay FC also made a couple of transfers the day before the match, sending Lysianne Proulx to Italian side Juventus and acquiring Bay-Area native Abby Dahlkemper from the San Diego Wave. Dahlkemper was in Albertin Montoya’s starting lineup for this matchup, so she was debuting against a very strong opponent.

Bay FC Starting XI: Rowland, Dydasco, Menges, Dahlkemper, Moreau, Pickett, Bailey, Boade, Kundananji, Oshoala, Hill

Barcelona Starting XI: Gemma, Leon, Fernandez, Graham Hansen, Rolfo, Pajor, Nazareth, Walsh, Engen, Cano, Schertenleib

Oshoala nearly got on the board early, she got past the defense and had only the keeper left to beat but she was at a tight angle and was unable to get it into the net. Rachael Kundananji took a ball to the fact in the 7th minute, after a little difficulty she got back to her feet and continued on.

In the 11th minute, Barcelona got a dangerous ball into the box but nobody was there to get on the end of it and it went out of play for a goal kick. Overall, Bay FC was doing a phenomenal job limiting chances for Barcelona and creating their own.

Oshoala got her goal after intercepting a pass from Gemma to her defense, giving Oshoala a wide-open net. Barcelona evened it up in the 22nd minute with a goal by Kika Nazareth that ricocheted off of the goalpost and in, giving Katelyn Rowland no chance to make the save.

Oshoala nearly got a second one in the 30th minute, but her shot went wide right. In the 32nd minute, Tess Boade fired a shot from distance, which was saved by Gemma but bounced right to Kundananji who put it away to make it 2-1 in favor of Bay FC.

Kundananji and Rachel Hill were substituted for Deyna Castellanos and Caroline Conti, following the goal. Barcelona once again evened the game up, this time Caroline Graham Hansen put it away to make it 2-2.

That score would hold until the break, and it would head into halftime tied. Despite the tied score, the game already seemed like a victory for Bay FC as they had proven they could hang with the best team in the world. Now, it was a matter of getting the actual result as well.

Bay FC made a multitude of changes for the second half, having a majority of their bench enter the match. Barcelona made a few substitutions of their own but most of their stars remained on the bench. Catherine Paulson who was signed to fill Savy King’s roster spot while she’s representing the United States U20 team came into the match making her debut with the team.

In the 51st minute, Ewa Pajor got a shot off inside the box that had potential to give Barcelona the lead, but it went just wide. Barcelona’s sensational passing nearly gave them the lead in the 64th minute, but a great save by Emmie Allen followed by a blocked shot and another great save by Allen kept the game a 2-2 tie.

Barcelona took the lead off of a corner kick and from there, they brought on quite a few of their top players including Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas. Bay FC had already substituted off all of their starting eleven, as a result, the remainder of the game seemed like it should go in Barcelona’s favor.

Alyssa Malonson had a great run in the 78th minute, but she went down off of a bit of a push and was unable to get a shot away. Bonmati showed tremendous sportsmanship when Allen went down with an apparent leg injury and she helped the opposing goalkeeper stretch out.

Allen made another fantastic save in the 85th minute. Allen really shined, making a couple of other saves late in the game. She made a few mistakes but overall played really well for the majority of the second half.

A long shot by Claudia Pina after a corner gave Barcelona a 4-2 lead in stoppage time. Patri Guijarro added another in the 93rd minute to make it 5-2 and that would end up being the final score. Although Bay FC lost, they proved that they could hang with any competition in the world on any given night.

Giants hit three home runs and bullpen holds on through wild seesaw game for 5-4 win over Brewers in Milwaukee

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San Francisco Giants Mike Yastrzemski (right) watches the flight of his two run home run in the top of the seventh inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Ballpark in Milwaukee on Tue Aug 27, 2024 (AP News photo)

Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024

American Family Field

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

San Francisco Giants 5 (67-66)

Milwaukee Brewers 4 (75-56)

Win: Camilo Doval (5-1)

Loss: Joel Payamps (3-6)

Save: Ryan Walker (4)

Time: 2:52

Attendance: 24,354

By Stephen Ruderman

The Giants began their toughest stretch of the schedule this season with a big 5-4 win over the Brewers Tuesday night in Milwaukee, as Logan Webb braved through five innings; the offense hit three home runs; and the bullpen came through in a wild seesaw game on Tuesday night.

The Giants are coming off a tough series loss in Seattle, and after having a day off Monday in Milwaukee to think about it, they were back at it against one of the best teams in Baseball in the Milwaukee Brewers.

It was the first time the Giants faced the Brewers this season. The Brewers have been one of the most successful teams in Baseball over the last eight years with six winning seasons and five playoff appearances.

With Brewers’ longtime manager Craig Counsell leaving for the Cubs, there were questions on how well they would do this season. However, the leadership of Manager Pat Murphy, as well as their pitching and defense has carried them to another great season. They came into tonight 75-55, and 10 games up on the Cubs for first place in the National League Central.

There was a lot of severe weather throughout the midwest Tuesday. The game between the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers just 96 and a half miles down the road in the South Side of Chicago was suspended just four pitches into the game.

The good news is that there is a roof at American Family Field. The storms would not even reach Milwaukee, so they were able to play the game Tuesday night with the rood open. However, it was 85 degrees and quite humid.

Tobias Meyers made the start for Milwaukee, and he began the game with a one, two three top of the first inning. Logan Webb once again had to be the stopper, as he took the ball for the Giants. An error and a walk put runners on first and second with one out for the Brewers in the bottom of the first, but Webb was able to get out of it thanks to a pair of ground balls.

The Giants wasted a leadoff double by Heliot Ramos in the top of the second, and Webb threw a one, two, three inning in the bottom of the second.

The Giants wasted a leadoff double by Heliot Ramos in the top of the second, and they would have a runner at second with nobody out again in the top of the third. Grant McCray walked to lead off the inning and stole second.

Curt Casali struck out looking, but McCray advanced to third on a balk with LaMonte Wade at the plate. Wade then grounded out to second, and McCray scored to put the Giants on the board.

After throwing a one, two, three inning in the bottom of the second, the Brewers got to Webb in the bottom of the third. Brice Turang lined a base-hit to left field, and then Jackson Chourio hit a towering home run to left-center to give the Brewers a 2-1 lead.

The Giants struck back with two outs in the top of the fourth, as Matt Chapman hit a solo shot to right-center, his 21st of the year, to tie the game 2-2. With that home run, Chapman reclaims the team lead in home runs.

After Webb pitched a scoreless inning in the bottom of the fourth, Thairo Estrada nearly led off the top of the fifth with a home run to left-center, but Brewers’ center-fielder Blake Perkins leapt over the wall to take the home run away from Estrada. Not to worry, though; Grant McCray immediately followed it up with an absolute bomb to left to put the Giants back ahead.

Webb pitched a one, two, three shutdown inning in the bottom of the fifth. Surprisingly, Wevv had thrown 97 pitches through five innings, which is quite unusual for him Tobias Myers was done after five innings, and Bryan Hudson came in for the Brewers to throw a one, two, three inning in the top of the sixth.

Bob Melvin had Webb go back out for the bottom of the sixth despite his high pitch count. It would be a move that came back to bite Melvin and the Giants, as Jake Bauers walked and stole second, and Wily Adames hit a long home run to left-center to put the Brewers ahead 4-3.

It was the fourth home run hit in Tuesday night’s game. Three of them were absolute bombs. It also ended the night for Webb.

In five-plus innings, Webb gave up four runs and four hits, while walking three and striking out four. Perhaps, pitching in the humidity in the cheap paper towel jersey he was forced to wear made things more difficult, but to Webb’s credit, he hung in there and still gave the Giants a solid outing.

Melvin brought in Camilo Doval, who struck out the first two hitters he faced. Sal Frelick then doubled with two outs, and Doval walked Joey Ortiz and Turang to load the bases. That brought up Chourio, as the Brewers had a chance to open this game up against Doval, who was once again in a jam. Doval was able to get out of it, as Chourio flew out to center to end the inning.

Murphy brought in Joel Payamps in the top of the seventh, and Matt Chapman led off the inning with a base-hit to left. That brought up Mike Yastrzemski, who hit a home run to right-center, and the Giants re-took the lead.

The Giants led 5-4, as Landen Roupp, who was brought back up prior to the game, was brought in for the bottom of the seventh. Roupp got into trouble thanks to a pair of walks, and Melvin lifted him for Tyler Rogers. Rhys Hoskins stepped up, and he hit a fly ball to deep left-center, but center-fielder Grant McCray made the catch at the warning track to end the inning.

Joe Ross pitched a one, two, three top of the eighth for Milwaukee, and Rogers was back out for the bottom of the eighth. Sal Frelick lined a base-hit to right to start the inning, and Ortiz struck out on a foul tip for the first out.

Turang was up at the plate, and he hit a ground ball to first. When first-baseman Mark Canha threw to second to try to initiate a double play, the throw veered off to the left, but shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald dove to his right to catch it, and he was able to keep his foot on the bag with full control of the ball in his glove.

It was an incredible play by Fitzgerald for the second out, and he very well may have saved the Giants from a complete disaster. With two outs and a runner at first, Chourio struck out to end the inning.

Ross threw a scoreless inning in the top of the ninth, and Melvin brought in his closer, Ryan Walker for the bottom of the ninth. Even with Doval back, Walker will most likely remain the closer for the rest of the season, and he was in Tuesday night to try and notch down his fourth save.

Walker set down the first two men he faced, but Adames lined a two-out base-hit to left. That brought up Blake Perkins, who hit a fly ball deep to right-center, but right-fielder Mike Yastrzemski made the catch at the base of the track to end the game.

Camilo Doval got the win; Joel Payamps got the loss; and Ryan Walker got the save.

The Giants are still overly relying on home runs and wasting opportunities with runners in scoring position. However, they are still playing hard, and they fully believe they can make a run over the final five weeks of the Regular Season to get into the Playoffs. They demonstrated that with a truly-spirited effort Tuesday night.

The Giants are once again back over .500 at 67-66, and they remain five and a half games back of the Braves, who beat the Twins 8-6 in Minneapolis Tuesday night. The Braves gained a half game on the Giants with a 10-6 win in Minnesota Monday.

Kyle Harrison (7-5, 4.00 ERA) will be back on the mound Wednesday night to make his first start for the Giants in nine days. Freddy Peralta (8-7, 3.86 ERA) will take the ball for the Brewers. First pitch will be at 7:10 p.m. in Milwaukee, 5:10 p.m. back home in San Francisco.

Giants News and Notes:

Robbie Ray was placed on the Injured List with a strained left hamstring, and Jordan Hicks was also placed on the IL due to inflammation in his right shoulder. Landen Roupp has been called back up from Sacramento. Right-handed pitcher Austin Warren, who the Giants signed in February, was also called up from Sacramento.

Aces Shocked By Dallas Losing 93-90; Vegas suffers fourth loss in last five games

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The Las Vegas Aces and Dallas Wings tip off at College Park Center in Arlington TX on Tue Aug 27, 2024 in WNBA action (Las Vegas Aces X photo)

By Barbara Mason

This game came as a real shocker for the Las Vegas Aces as they fell to the Dallas Wings Tuesday night 93-90. The Aces got on top early 25-18 in the first quarter but fell flat in the fourth quarter as Dallas won that quarter 32-21.

A’Ja Wilson was on fire scoring 42 points and so it is a real conundrum. Jackie Young finished with 17 and Chelsea Gray with 15. There were 11 ties in this game and so it came down to rebounding and Dallas came out the winner in that department out-rebounding the Aces 40-26.

The Las Vegas Aces (18-12) have been a bit off since the season got back underway since the Olympics. They have lost four of their last five games. Tuesday night they took on the (8-22) Dallas Wings who were looking to get back to the excellence that they were playing with prior to going overseas. There are so many teams that are peaking right now with the Liberty, the Sun and the Lynx all securing playoff positions.

The Lynx are playing crazy good basketball right now. The Aces can ill afford to lose any more winnable games. They have to turn things around and they have to do it right now and the four out of the last five loses is cause for concern.

Game recap: Las Vegas got off to a great start in the opening quarter leading 25-18 and although they did lose the second quarter 17-19 they did take a five point lead into the locker room at the half 42-37. They have been a great second half team especially in the fourth quarter.

They did come out on top in the third quarter 27-24 and went into the fourth quarter leading by eight points 69-61. This is the quarter when this team usually comes out guns a blazing but not this time. They finished this game with a whimper losing 93-90 in a real shocker. They have now lost 4 of their last six games. With the season starting to wind down they have to fight for every game going forward.

A’Ja Wilson continues to play some amazing ball scoring 42 in this game. She is ranked 1st in points, 2nd in rebounds, 1st in defensive rebounds, 1st in blocks, and 3rd in steals. This was her third 40 point game of her career.

Despite her performance, the team was unable to pull this game out. The Aces played pretty evenly with Dallas when it came down to field goals, three point plays and they only had eight turnovers.

They came up horribly short in rebounding. The Wings had 40 and the Aces only 26; quite a disparity. With Wilson going off the way she did it’s hard to believe that the team came away with a loss. Late fouls and far too many misses sealed the Las Vegas’ fate.

Dallas got some great play from scoring leader Satou Sabally with 28 points and Natasha Howard added 24 points in the winning effort.

Friday night the Las Vegas Aces will play another winnable game as they take on the Atlanta Dream. They will be back home at Michelob ULTRA Arena for this game with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Despite Slow Start A’s Heat Up and Finish With Three Homers Beating Reds 5-4

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Oakland A’s Max Schuemann is not calling his shot but he is celebrating his top of the seventh inning home run against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark on Tue Aug 27, 2024

By Barbara Mason

It was a slow as molasses start for the Oakland A’s (57-75) as they took on the Cincinnati Reds (63-69) at Great American Ball Park. Once they got going they were unstoppable sending three home runs out of the park.

Those homers came off the bats of Max Schuemann, Lawrence Butler and Zach Gelof with two of them two run home runs as the A’s took game one 5-4. Oakland had led 5-1 going into the eighth inning when the Reds rallied and very nearly booked a walk-off. Mason Miller hung tight closing out this game but gave up the most hits the A’s have seen from him this season.

Game recap: The game remained scoreless through the first three innings. A pitchers dual got underway and it was not until the bottom of the fourth inning that the Reds got on the scoreboard taking a 1-0 lead. Ty France singled Tyler Stephenson home for the one-run advantage.

After six innings the score remained 1-0. The Reds had five hits so far in the game and the A’s a single hit through six innings. Oakland had a huge opportunity in the sixth inning. Max Schuemann doubled and both JJ Bleday and Brent Rooker walked, the Rooker walk was intentional.

With the bases loaded, Oakland needed at least a single to tie up this game or possibly take the lead. With two outs, Shea Langeliers struck out and the A’s had squandered a great chance to turn things around in this game. The Athletics needed to get some bat action.

Oakland’s Mitch Spence went 5 1/3 innings allowing five hits, one earned run, three walks and three strikeouts. Michel Otanez relieved Spence in the fifth inning. Red’s pitcher Jakob Junis went four innings before being relieved by Buck Farmer and after Farmer Cincinnati would go through three more pitchers going into the eighth inning.

The A’s bats did get going in the top of the seventh inning. With Seth Brown on base via a walk, Max Schuemann knocked the ball out of the park and Oakland had taken a 2-1 lead. The A’s added to their lead in the seventh when Lawrence Butler knocked a bomb, 444 feet out of the park, with Jacob Wilson on base and Oakland had a 4-1 lead. The crowd at Great American Ball Park grew very silent.

Oakland’s Grant Holman relieved Otanez in the bottom of the seventh inning. Going into the eighth inning, the A’s power outage had turned into a surge that could not be turned off. Zach Gelof hit a home run (424 feet) with two outs giving Oakland a 5-1 lead.

The A’s had not even had a single hit until the sixth inning and then it all turned around for Oakland. The Reds had 1 1/2 innings left in this game to make a move. Cincinnati had the bases loaded in the eighth inning with two outs and the tying run at the plate.

A’s pitcher Tyler Ferguson was really struggling walking in a run and the scored was 5-2. There would be pitching change with the bases still loaded. Ross Stripling would take the mound looking for the third out. Stripling got out of the inning for Oakland.

The Reds had one last chance in the bottom of the inning and they had to deal with the blazing pitches of Mason Miller. Cincinnati handled Miller pretty well with two hits in a row and scoring their third run of the game.

The Reds scored a fourth run and they had put together a great comeback effort 5-4. Oakland was one out away from the win but Cincinnati continued to hit off Miller. With the two outs, they had runners on second and third threatening to walk off this game.

Miller hung tough and had just enough to put this game away for the A’s. The look on Mason Millers face was all you had to see. He was frustrated with the two hits he allowed. It’s something we have not seen all season but it was hopefully a great learning experience for him.

It’s just not reality to expect to go three and out time after time which we have seen more often than not this season from him. The bottom line is that he got the job done and realized his 22 save of the season.

Game notes: The A’s opened up a three game series with the the Reds at Great American Ballpark on Tuesday night. Oakland is coming off a win over the Milwaukee Brewers in a hard fought battle winning 4-3 Sunday afternoon.

The Reds just lost a series to the Pittsburg Pirates this past weekend. The A’s Mitch Spence started for Oakland going 5.1 innings allowing five hits and one earned run. The Reds starter Jakob Junis threw four innings and struck out three hits without allowing hit.

Game two in this three game series is scheduled to start at 3:40 PM in Cincinnati with Oakland looking for a second win after hanging on for the win in game one. Osvaldo Bido (5-3, ERA 0.53) will be on the mound for the A’s. He has three wins in a row under his belt and will be looking for number four. The Reds have not announced a starting pitcher yet.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: With 13 home games left before Sacramento move lots more A’s memories

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Vintage Bert Campaneris circa 1970. Campaneris is a three consecutive time World Series Champion shortstop during the years of 1972-74. (photo from ebay)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary:

#1 Amaury, you’ve been covering the Oakland A’s since the early 1970s. How fortunate is it for you having been able to see the 1972-74 World Championship teams which had so much talent.

#2 You got know many of the greats on those A’s championship teams, Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers, Catfish Hunter, Billy North, Jesus Alou, Angel Manguel and Bert Campaneris to name a few.

#3 The A’s have been celebrating past A’s players and had opened their Hall of Fame to honor some of the year’s past stars, Jose Canseco, Carney Lansford, Terry Steinbach, Rickey Henderson and the induction of A’s late manager Dick Williams and former shortstop Miguel Tejada was something special.

#4 One of the great memories some of the A’s teams from 1988-90 that went to three straight World Series under Tony LaRussa who also was there to present his old players at the Hall of Fame induction.

#5 Fast forward to 2024 this may not be a World Series team that’s being fielded by A’s manager Mark Kotsay but this is their last season in Oakland and in the second half of the season they’ve been with a lot of heart and it’s their way to send off this team after so many years at the Oakland Coliseum.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play announcer on the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 1010 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Las Vegas Raiders podcast with Tony Renteria: Raiders prepare for opener against Chargers on Sun Sep 8th

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Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Nathan Peterman (10) on a give to running back Daniel Laube (23) against the San Francisco 49ers in first half action at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Fri Aug 23, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Raiders podcast with Tony R:

#1 Tony when you take a look at the Raiders-49ers contest last Friday which resulted in a 24-24 tie what were some of the take aways for you in that last pre season game?

#2 Talk about wide receiver Tyriek McAllister’s 81 yard return in the second quarter. It’s been speculated that prior to the return McAllister may not have even been on head coach Antonio Pierce’s radar after a return like that no doubt Pierce has to sit up and take notice?

#3 Coach Pierce did say he did notice some flashes from McAllister in practice but in a game situation Pierce said McAllister moved the needles.

#4 Game’s tied with 16 seconds left in the game and the 49ers held a 24-21 lead and Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson boots a 43 yarder to tie it up for a 24-24 final score. Talk about how important Carlson will be going into the 2024 season?

#5 How surprised were you that coach Pierce chose to start Nathan Pederman over Carter Bradley?

#6 Pederman in the first half threw 12-19 for 108 yards and one touchdown. In the second half it was Bradley who led the Raiders for that final drive to get Carlson in field goal range. Bradley threw 9-21 for 169 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

#7 Raiders open up the 2024 season this Sunday Sep 8th at So Fi Stadium in the Southland against the Los Angeles Chargers with a 1:05pm PT kick off. It’s the opener and Gardner Minshew is the starter at quarterback. The Chargers are trying to get out of the gate with a good start how do you see this match up ?

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