Category: MLB

San Francisco Giants podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Kapler likes Coliseum and the city of Oakland

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San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler says he enjoys going to the Oakland Coliseum and looks forward to managing against the Oakland A’s tonight to open up the first of three games (file photo mercurynews.com)

On the Giants podcast with Marko Ukalovic:

#1 San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler says that the Oakland Coliseum is a cool place and a tough place to play in. One of the Kapler experiences was in his first year as manager of Giants that he managed against the Oakland A’s at the Coliseum in a pre season exhibition game Kapler says you always remember your first game as a manager.

#2 Kapler says while he loves the experience he remembers being with the Texas Rangers when he was a player and he used to take pictures while riding BART to the Coliseum while the team stayed at the Westin St Francis in San Francisco saying Oakland has a rich culture and is really cool city.

#3 The other great memory was when Kapler made the last out of former Oakland A’s pitcher Dallas Braden’s perfect no hitter on Mother’s Day while he wanted to play spoiler it was not be but Kapler got to see another great moment in Coliseum history during his visit there.

#4 Regarding Wednesday’s 6-2 loss to the New York Mets Kapler said, “The loss sucked because we kind of put it all out there, gave everything we had, used every piece of our roster and came up empty”

#5 The Giants will be starting Alex Wood (10-3 ERA 4.14) going for the A’s James Kaprielian (6-4 ERA 3.33) tonight. Can you speak to this match up and how you see this series shaping up?

Marko Ukalovic filled in for Michael Duca who does the Giants podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Bassitt’s spirits real good before surgery; Kaprielian gets the start against Giants tonight

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Oakland A’s starter for Fri Aug 20, 2021 at the Oakland Coliseum James Kaprielian will try for his seventh win of the season (photo from JamesKaprielian)

On the A’s podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah, The Oakland A’s (88-53) are coming off a tough series losing three out of four to the Chicago White Sox (71-50) and losing their ace pitcher Chris Bassitt on Tuesday night at Guarantee Rate Field.

#2 You can tell by the heavy hearts the players had right after Bassitt went down by a Brian Goodwin line drive that they just weren’t into continuing the game but the show had to go on and the A’s just didn’t have any focus at the plate getting shutout 9-0.

#3 A’s third baseman Matt Chapman was the first to get over to Bassitt after he took the line drive that broke his cheek and waved for the trainer. Chapman said after Bassitt called and said he was going to be alright and needed surgery for fractured cheek the players were a little bit at ease.

#4 Bassitt said in his message he appreciated the kind words from everybody on twitter “@whitesox and @Athletics, front offices, and owners. The support my family and I’ve received has been overwhelming. I’d like to thank Rush University Medical Center and their staff. God is good. Can’t wait to get back” said Bassitt.

#5 The A’s open a three game series against the San Francisco Giants at the Coliseum, for the Giants Alex Wood (10-3 ERA 4.14) and for the A’s James Kaprielian (6-4 ERA 3.33) a 6:40pm PDT first pitch.

Join Jeremiah for the A’s podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants open up nine game road trip starting in Oakland Friday night

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Alex Wood gets the starting call Fri Aug 20, 2021 at the Oakland Coliseum against the Oakland A’s in game one of the three game series (photo file NY Post)

By Jessica Kwong

The San Francisco Giants lost to the New York Mets but still won the three-game series and had the day off on Thursday before heading into the Bay Bridge Series.

Giants manager Gabe Kapler said Wednesday was a “tough day for the middle of our lineup and some of the core pieces that have carried us.”

“Sometimes you’re going to have those days,” Kapler said. “I thought their pitchers made some good pitches throughout.”

Against their local rivals the Oakland Athletics, the Giants will start with left-handed pitcher Alex Wood, who is looking for his 11th victory of the season. It will be his 22nd start and he has proven to be a great asset to the Giants.

Last time he was on the mound, Wood held the Colorado Rockies to two runs in 6.2 frames, improving his record to 10-3 and giving the Giants a victory. Wood has a 4.14 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in 115.1 innings. 

Meanwhile, the A’s will start with right-handed pitcher James Kaprielian, who seeks to improve his record at home to 5-2. It will be his 16th start of the season and his first time facing the Giants on the mound. 

Kaprielian in his last start gave up three runs in 5.1 innings against the Texas Rangers. The A’s won the no-decision match. The rookie has a 3.33 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP and a 6-4 record in 83.2 innings. 

The Giants still sit at the top of the NL West with a three-game lead over the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. They have the best record in the league.

San Francisco visits the Oakland A’s tomorrow for the first of a three-game series. First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. The Giants won two of the last three games against the A’s in June. 

The Giants will then return to New York to face the Mets for a three-game series.

A’s get much-needed win beat White Sox 5-4; Avoid four game sweep

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Oakland A’s starter Cole Irvin throws against the Chicago White Sox in the first inning of action in the fourth game of the four game series on Thu Aug 19, 2021 at Guarantee Rate Field in Chicago (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s ended their ten-game road trip with a much-needed win over the Chicago White Sox. The A’s had lost four in a row and five of the last six before Thursday’s game at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago. Thursday’s game with the White Sox.

The Sox had won the first three. Also, the A’s had lost their ace pitcher, Chris Bassitt, for the season when he was injured Tuesday night. The A’s are being tested in their journey to the 2021 playoffs. They had to find a way to keep Chicago’s big bats quiet and hope the A’s could get their offense going to produce a win. The A’s won the game 5-4 to end the road trip with a 5-5 record. The A’s remain two and 1/2 games behind the Houston Astros.

Lefty Cole Irvin started the game for Oakland. The White Sox put a run on the board in the bottom of the first. With one out, Chisox centerfielder, Luis Robert, singled to get things going for the Sox. Irvin walked the ever-dangerous Jose Abreu to put men on at first and second.

The next hitter, Eloy Jimenez, stroked a double to left to drive in Robert with the game’s first run. Cole walked Andrew Vaughnto load the bases. Irvin worked his way out of the jam by retiring Yoan Moncado and Brian Goodwin. 1-0 Chicago after one complete.

In the top of the third, A’s catcher Sean Murphy homered to tie the game at one apiece. It was Murphy’s 14th big fly of the season.

In the top of the fourth, the A’s plated a run to take the lead 2-1. With one out, singles by Mitch Moreland and Matt Chapman got the rally going. Chicago starter Dylan Cease walked Murphy to load the bases. Cease walked Tony Kemp to force in the run.

The White Sox regained the lead in their half of the fifth. With two out, Irvin walked Jimenez. In his rookie season, Andrew Vaughn slammed his a6th dinger of the year to put the Sox in the driver’s seat 3-2.

In the top of the sixth, A’s third baseman, Matt Chapman, continued his hot hitting by blasting his 19th home run of the year into the left-field seats. HIs hit tied the game 3-3.

The A’s plated two more in the seventh. Elvis Andrus reached on an infield single. Chicago’s flame-throwing reliever, Michael Kopech, was now pitching. Kopech retired Mark Canha and Starlin Marte. Kopech had to face the A’s slugger, Matt Olson. Olson untied the game with a blast deep into the seat in right field. The A’s led 5-3.

The A’s bullpen was tasked with shutting down the powerful White Sox lineup. Yusmeiro Petit retired the Side in order in the seventh. Lefty Andrew Chafin walked Vaughn to start the eight. Chafin retired the next three Sox hitters.

A’s closer, Lou Trivino, gave up a single to Sox catcher Zack Collins in the ninth. He struck out Cesar Hernandez for the first out. Luis Robert hit a ball to deep centerfield. Starling Marte had room and caught the ball for the second out.

On the next play, Jose Abreu hit a flyball to shallow centerfield. As Starling Marte was about to catch the ball, shortstop Elvis Andrus collided with Marte. The ball fell to the ground. Collins scored to make it 5-4. Andrus dropped to the ground and appeared to be injured.

Andrus was hit in the neck. After a few moments, he appeared to be okay and stayed in the game. He was charged with an error for running into Marte. Abreu was in scoring position with the dangerous Eloy Jimenez at the plate. Lou Trivino had to find a way to retire Jimenez to preserve the win for Oakland. Trivino got Jimenez to fly out to Marte in center to end the game. The A’s win 5-4.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the A’s improve to 69-53. The A’s now lead the Boston Red Sox by 1/2 game for the second Wild Card slot in the American League. Chicago’s record is now 71-51.

The A’s return home to face the San Francisco Giants for three games over the weekend. The A’s then play the Seattle Mariners for three and three more with the red-hot New York Yankees.

Cole Irvin received credit for his ninth win of the year. Lou Trivino recorded his 20th save. Irvin went six innings and allowed seven hits. He stuck out one and walked four. 

Chicago’s Dylan Cease line was six innings, three runs, and four hits. Cease struck out four and walked five. Michael Kopech took the loss for Chicago.

The A’s hit three home runs in Thursday’s game. Before Olson’s two-run shot in seventh, the A’s had hit 14 consecutive solo blasts.

The A’s host the San Francisco Giants for three games this weekend. The Giants own the best record in baseball. They are in first place in the tough NL Western Division. They took two out of three from the A’s earlier when they played at Oracle Park in San Francisco. The A’s will send James Kaprielian(6-4, ERA 3.33) to face the Giants Friday Night. The Giants will counter with lefty Alex Wood (10-3, 4.14 ERA).

The game will start at 6:40 pm.

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitleberg: Bassitt to have cheek surgery no eye damage; Could be back by post season

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Oakland A’s starter Chris Bassitt could be back from cheek and jaw surgery as early as October in time for the post season (file photo from the mercurynews.com)

On the A’s podcast with Jerry F:

# 1 Jerry, A’s pitcher Chris Bassitt will have surgery once the swelling on his face goes down. Bassitt suffered a broken cheek bone and broken jaw. Bassitt did not suffer any eye injury as originally mentioned.

#2 Bassitt could be out for the rest of the season with a possibility of returning to the post season in October. There will be a lot of rehabilitation for this kind of injury Jerry what kind of rehab will entail after coming out of cheek surgery?

#3 The A’s no doubt were shaken up after Tuesday night’s injury to Bassitt so much so they just fell flat at the plate getting shutout 9-0. It was if the A’s were just going through the motions to get the game over. Frankly you can’t blame them.

#4 You’ve had the chance to work with former A’s manager and current White Sox manager Tony LaRussa who was managing against his former team Tuesday night said that it was one of the scariest things he ever saw in his playing or managing career. Tony has been at this since 1963.

#5 The A’s conclude the four game series with the Chicago White Sox this morning and will start Cole Irvin (8-11 ERA 3.52) and for the ChiSox Dylan Cease (9-6 ERA 4.04) first pitch 11:05 AM (PDT)

Join Jerry for the A’s podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s Drop Fourth In A Row 3-2 lose in Chicago’s South Side

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A’s Drop Fourth In A Row 3-2

By Barbara Mason

The Chicago White Sox Luis Robert hits a for an RBI single in the fourth inning against Oakland A’s pitcher Paul Blackburn at Guarantee Rate Field in Chicago on Wed Aug 18, 2021 (AP News photo)

Wednesday night the Oakland A’s took on the Chicago White Sox in Game Three of their series. The team was still reeling after the horrible accident that Chris Bassitt suffered last night in Game Two.

The good news today for Bassitt was that there was no further head injuries, no concussion and no damage to his vision. He did suffer some nasty lacerations that required stitches and will reguire surgery for a displaced tripod cheek fracture. More than likely a six week or beyond layoff. It was such a shame for the all-star pitcher who was having one heck of a season.

There was a sigh of relief for all involved with the news. This hit looked so very serious and it was a surprise that he did not suffer more damage. The loss of blood alone was hard to watch as team mates gathered around him. Just a terrible moment for Oakland. The 9-0 loss was not a surprise after what had happened in the second inning of that game.

The A’s were back for Game Three on Wednesday and hoping for a bounce back after losing the first two games of the series.

The A’s started hitting from the first inning. They actually had runners on first and third with no outs and came away empty. In the third inning they had the bases loaded with no outs and not a single run. They cannot do this especially against a team the caliber of the White Sox, Chicago took the lead in the first inning 1-0 and in the fourth inning Seth Brown homered to tie up the game 1-1.

The tie did not last very long and Chicago took back the lead 2-1 in the fourth inning off a Luis Robert single which drove in Yoan Moncada.

Going into the sixth inning the score remained 2-1. The White Sox would extend their lead in the sixth 3-1 when again Robert singled and Moncada scored.

Oakland continued to threaten the Chicago lead in the seventh inning. Marte hit a sacrifice bringing Elvis Andrus home: the White Sox still leading 3-2.

Again in the eighth inning the A’s had two runners on base with one out and came up empty. This was three innings that Oakland had some great scoring opportunities and failed to take advantage of them.

The A’s could not do anything in the ninth inning and fell to the White Sox 3-2. They have now lost four in a row and tomorrow they hope to salvage one game in the series and avoid the sweep.

The loss today was an offensive loss. You cannot have the bases loaded and come away empty. Oakland had runners on first and third with no outs in the first inning and again nothing. This is not winning baseball and the A’s have to figure out a way to get these runners home.

Oakland starting pitcher Paul Blackburn had a nice game on the mound for Oakland He went 6 innings and had a pretty good day. With some production on the offensive side Blackburn might have come away with a win in this series.

Tomorrow the A’s will play Game Four in the series. First pitch is scheduled for 11:10 AM. Cole Irvin will be on the mound for Oakland and Dylan Cease will start for Chicago.

Bullpen Runs Thin: Giants keep Mets in check through 10 innings then disaster strikes in 6-2 loss

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Okay, all knowing metropolitan New York media, what of that connection between Steve Cohen and Tyler Chatwood. What do we know?

There probably isn’t a relationship between the frustrated, billionaire Mets owner and the Giants’ newest bullpen acquisition, but from a journalistic standpoint, it’s worth a look.

On Wednesday afternoon at hazy Oracle Park the Giants–without starter Anthony DeSclafani, who departed after throwing 29 pitches with an ankle issue–held the Mets in a lifeless state for 10 innings. Through 10, the Mets managed five hits, none for extra bases, and one walk. J.D. Davis rescued the Metropolitans with a ninth inning, sacrifice fly to tie the game 1-1 and keep his team from an ignominious result.

Still, Cohen had to be steaming.

One day after he issued his well-intentioned tweet criticizing his team’s offense by saying, “it’s hard to understand how professional hitters can be this unproductive. The best teams have a more disciplined approach. The slugging and OPS numbers don’t lie,” the Mets seemed to be playing in defiance or ignorance of Cohen’s statement.

Then Chatwood appeared, and the tenor and rhythm of the afternoon changed dramatically.

In his initial appearance as a Giant–after he was DFA’d by the Blue Jays–Chatwood nudged the slumbering New York bats. First Michael Conforto delivered a hard-hit double to right field gap that chased home the placed runner, Jeff McNeil, to give the Mets their first lead of the game.

But Chatwood escaped further damage, retiring the next two batters. The Giants answered in the bottom of the inning with Tommy La Stella’s RBI hit, and that brought us to the 12th and more from Chatwood.

First, Jonathan Villar smashed a shot down the left field line that was initially ruled fair for a run-scoring double, but then ruled foul by replay review. Villar struck out two pitches later. But the next batter, Patrick Mazeika battled for seven pitches, and got rewarded with a bloop single. Former Giant Kevin Pillar was next, and he sent a 95 mph sinker into the left field bleachers for a 5-2 Mets lead.

The backstory? Chatwood has always been known for his nasty repertoire of two-seam fastballs (sinkers) and cutters with the cutter arriving at the plate most frequently at seven miles an hour slower than his sinker. But in discussing his recent past with local media upon his signing with the Giants, he said that the popularity of the high fastball in today’s game left him lacking, and trying to do something he doesn’t do well. That led to lack of command, more walks, and inflated ERA that ultimately forced him out of favor with Toronto.

Enter the Giants, who have developed a reputation of resuscitating pitchers by eliminating pitches that they don’t throw well, reference Kevin Gausman and DeSclafani. So in four appearances in Sacramento, Chatwood focused on just throwing his sinkers and cutters and he had success. In 5 2/3 innings versus Triple-A competition, Chatwood didn’t allow a run. That earned him a promotion on Tuesday.

Chatwood’s sinker that had good sink didn’t fool Pillar. The veteran hitter waited on it–if you can on a 95 mph offering–and put a swing on it. The issue? Chatwood had thrown 30 pitches at that juncture, and 19 of them were sinkers at 95 to 97. If good hitters see it enough, they’ll figure it out.

But that’s the dire nature of extra inning baseball and being the last available guy. Manager Gabe Kapler had a philosophical take on the pitch that essentially decided a long, afternoon of baseball.

“Chatwood in that situation did everything we could ask him to do,” Kapler said. “Obviously I think he’d like to have that sinker back he threw to Pillar that ran middle-in or into a spot where Pillar could get it in the air like he did.”

Ironically, Kapler started his managerial career four seasons ago as a guy who was in over his head managing his bullpen. In a well-known sequence, Kapler, then managing the Phillies made a pair of rapid fire pitching changes, and didn’t realize that second arm he summoned hadn’t been up throwing and warming up. The Philly media pounced, and the scene became a national story.

Fast forward to August 2021, and Kapler has the best team in baseball, and a pitching staff that has gotten better and better as the season has progressed. Along with the 181 home runs that will shatter the San Francisco record book, the team’s 3.33 ERA is the biggest surprise. The Giants have turned close, low scoring games keyed by that pitching into a wildly winning formula by mixing in the bundle of timely, always impactful home runs. Again, Kapler was philosophical after the game.

“I think we’ve gotten pretty spoiled by this group of relievers,” Kapler said. “They’ve just been so dependable and so durable and we’ve come to expect they’re going to throw up zeroes and give us a chance to win. I don’t feel there are many clubs that can say that.”

The Giants finished their homestand with a 7-2 record and pending Wednesday night’s Pirates-Dodgers game saw their lead in the NL West shrink to 3 1/2 games. An off-day with no planes or hotels leading into a road trip that starts in Oakland couldn’t be better placed.

The Giants maintain their lofty spot as the second-best regular season team in San Francisco history after 121 games with a 78-43 record, surpassed only by the ’93 Giants who famously didn’t qualify for the playoffs despite 103 wins. This Giants team merely needs a slightly better than .500 finish in their 41 remaining games to win 100 games and likely outlast the World Champion Dodgers. A 22-19 finish would do the trick.

Not bad.

The Giants resume play Friday night in Oakland with Alex Wood facing the A’s James Kaprelian.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: A’s Lose their Best pitcher rest of the Season

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Chris Bassitt Oakland A’s starter will be out for the rest of the regular season and could be back as early for the post season in October (@C_Bass419 photo)

A’s Lose their Best pitcher rest of the Season

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Chris Bassitt Medical Update

Chris was released from Rush University Medical Center last night. He received stitches for two facial lacerations and was diagnosed with a displaced tripod fracture in his right cheek that will require surgery. An exam of his right eye was normal for vision and no other damage is currently noted in the eye or the orbital bone. In addition, a head CT scan revealed no further injury. We are grateful to the White Sox, their medical staff, and the doctors and nurses at Rush for their excellent care. We’ll have more information on Chris as it becomes available. (Statement from the Oakland A’s)

Last night In Chicago, Chris Bassitt, Athletics All Star pitcher and ace of the staff was pitching in the second inning during the second game of a four-game series against the White Sox, when Eloy Jiménez and Yoán Moncada hit consecutive singles, then Brian Goodwin lined a 1-1 pitch back to the mound hitting Bassitt on the face.

The ball that hit Bassitt was at a speed of 100.1 mph, according to Statcast. Bassitt remained down and after getting help from trainers of both teams, was carted out of the park. He left with a towel covering his face. Bob Melvin, manager of the team said Bassitt remained conscious and aware and was taken to the local hospital. After the game, a 9-0 win by the Chicago White Sox, manager Tony LaRussa and players like Jake Lamb (who was a teammate of Bassitt at Oakland) sent their best wishes to the pitcher.

Before starting the game Bassitt was 12-3 with a 3.06 ERA, ranked sixth in the league in strikeouts. The All Star pitcher led the Athletics in innings pitched with 151. His strike out rate is the highest of his career with a 24.3 percent and his walk rate lowest of his career, 5.8 percent. With over a month left in the regular season, the A’s ace was among the contenders for the coveted Cy Young Award.

Chris Bassitt was pitching against the Chicago White Sox, the team that originally drafted him in 2011 and made his major league debut with them in 2014. He has been a starter for the A’s since 2015 and his seven year record in the major leagues is 31-25 with a 3.22 ERA in all 25 games, all as a starter.

We here at Sports Radio Service also wish Chris Bassitt a speedy recovery.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio lead announcer on the A’s flagship station 1010 KIQI LeGrande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

He was a Giant? Rob Wilfong by Tony the Tiger Hayes

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A rare photo of former San Francisco Giant Rob Wilfong in a Giants uniform circa 1987 he only played two games for the Giants at the end of his career (photo provided by Tony the Tiger Hayes)

Rob Wilfong – 2B – 1987 – # 9

He Was A Giant?

By Tony the Tiger Hayes

Imagine its your debut game with a new team and phenomenally you clobber a shocking home run in your first at-bat.

But after circling the bases and accepting high fives and slaps on the butt from your gobsmacked new teammates, you bypass the dugout bench and clubhouse shower and keep on jogging to your car. You drive straight home – never to return.

Wilfong’s brief stay with San Francisco didn’t exactly play out like that – but it wasn’t far off.

A former slick-fielding 2B for the Minnesota Twins and California Angels, Wilfong appeared in just two games for the 1987 Giants and then mysteriously vanished without a trace.

Why Was He a Giant?

Wilfong, 33, failed to make California’s 1987 opening day roster despite a gritty – nearly series saving – performance vs. Boston in the previous fall’s American League Playoffs.

But Wilfong found himself in a numbers pickle the following spring when league-wide team rosters were reduced to 24 players from 25. Wilfong didn’t do himself any favors by batting a measly .095 (3-for-21) in spring exhibitions for the the Angels.

So despite being just a handful of games short of qualifying for 10 full seasons of MLB service time – and a completely vested MLB pension- the five-year Halo was bluntly cut on the final day of spring training.

Wilfong was sitting at home in his native Southern California when the Giants infield situation smoldered into a full -blown Kentucky tire fire in late April.

Within a matter of days the G-Men lost three-fourths of their starting infield.

A dangerous pitch from the Cardinals Danny Cox came in high and tight and broke 3B Chris Brown’s jaw. Shortstop Jose Uribe also pulled up lame with a pulled hamstring.

Then, one morning 2B Robby Thompson woke up and discovered he couldn’t bend over to tie his shoes.

An old back injury alternately described as a “lingering stress fracture” and “congenital back defect” flared up sending the Giants sophomore sensation to the training table for an undetermined period.

With season ending-surgery a possibility for the popular Robby, the Giants were left scrambling for a contingency plan.

Utility-men Chris Speier, Randy Kutcher, Mike Woodard and Mark Wasinger all gave it a go at 2B. But each were better suited for utility roles.

San Francisco was so anxious about securing a battle-tested 2B they took the unusual step of flying Wilfong to a road trip stop in St. Louis for a pregame audition.

Wilfong looked so shipshape that Giants President Al Rosen had a contract waiting for the steady veteran the moment he stepped off the field.

“Al Rosen asked, ‘You wanna play?’ “ said Wilfong. “I said, ‘You kidding’? “

It was a perfect fit… for about three games. Then suddenly it wasn’t.

Before & After

A Pasadena native, Wilfong broke into pro ball in 1971 as a 17 -year-old 13th round draft pick by Minnesota out of Northview High School in Covina after batting .367 as a senior.

After slogging through six seasons of minor league ball, Wilfong made his big league debut with the Twins in 1977.

A deft fielder and skilled bunter, the fundamentally sound Wilfong quickly became a favorite of Minnesota manager Gene Mauch. Wilfong would go on to play the lions share of his MLB career under the command of the Lil’ General with both the Twins and Angels

In 1979, Wilfong enjoyed a career season for the Twins, batting .313 in 140 games and leading the American League with 25 sacrifices. In 1980, Wilfong led all AL second basemen in fielding percentage.

In mid-1982, the Mauch-helmed Angels shipped young slugging prospect Tom Brunansky to Minnesota to bring Wilfong and RHP reliever Doug Corbett back to Anaheim.

The defensive-minded Wilfong would share 2B over the next several seasons with the veteran slugger Bobby Grich.

For his career Wilfong batted just a shade below .250, but in high leverage situations he ramped up production. With runners on base, Wilfong batted .269. With runners in scoring position Rob’s average rose to .279 and in bases loaded situations the wiry infielder’s success rate leapt all the way up to .295.

Wilfong was a member of two division winning Angels clubs in 1982 and 1986.

Due to Boston’s thrilling comeback in the ‘86 playoffs – Wilfong’s resolute performance in Game 5 of that series is now largely forgotten.

The Angels were just one strike away from their first ever World Series berth when RHP Donnie Moore infamously coughed up Dave Henderson’s go ahead two-run 9th inning homer to put the Red Sox up 6-5 in a sunny Southern California meltdown.

While most people today only remember Henderson – who coincidentally also had a cameo appearance on the ‘87 Giants – and his dramatic dinger, the outcome of Game 5 and the series was far from decided at that point.

To open the home half of the 9th, C Bob Boone singled off Boston’s RHP Bob Stanley. Ruppert Jones pinch-ran and was advanced to second on a sacrifice. That brought up Wilfong as Boston turned to LHP reliever Joe Sambito.

Though the left-handed swinging Wilfong was a far superior career batter vs. right-handers (.258 compared to .176) Mauch ignored the splits knowing Wilfong’s history with runners on base.

Wilfong did not disappoint, ripping the veteran southpaw’s initial pitch into right field. The swift Jones beat the throw home to tie the game 6-6.

Boston would however take the lead for good in the 11th, on a Henderson sacrifice fly, winning 7-6.

Wilfong recorded two hits in Game 6, but got little help as Boston glided to a 10-4 win. Boston also easily won Game 7 to send the glum Angels back to Disneyland.

He Never Had A Bobblehead Day. But…

Wilfong’s first game with the Giants was also the career American Leaguer’s first ever at notoriously blustery Candlestick Park.

Even for Candlestick standards the weather at the mid-spring night game vs. the Cubs (5/7/87) was especially windy and raw.

Swirling gusts blew grit in the faces of ticket buyers and before the game was over, five players would have to chase down wind blown caps.

John McSherry’s navy blue umpire hat flew so far off his head in the 5th inning that it appeared to have wings. After retrieving it from the left field corner, instead of putting it back on, the veteran arbiter emphatically stuffed it in a coat pocket.

After grounding out in his first at-bat, Wilfong came up again in the third with starting RHP Mike LaCoss on second and no outs.

Wilfong stepped up to face Cubs starter RHP Ed Lynch who moments earlier had his own cap whisked away to the center field fence.

Wilfong struck what he initially believed to be a sharp base hit off Lynch. But the drive got lift and kept soaring. The whack didn’t stop until it kissed off the right field seats for a two-run homer.

“I hit the ball good, but I got it up in the wind and that’s what did it,” said Wilfong. “I was just trying to hit the ball on the ground to the right side.

“This is the first time I’ve played here and the stories about the wind are all true,” Wilfong continued. “When I went around the bases I was just trying to stay on my feet.”

The next day, newspapers throughout the country ran an animated wire service photo of Cubs players in the visitors dugout covering their faces with blue satin jackets and white towels in a desperate attempt to keep dirt and other airborne stadium debris out of their eyes.

“Aw, the wind wasn’t all that bad,” deadpanned the Giants rookie Matt Williams, who contributed two hits and three RBI in the 11-1 blow out San Francisco win. “You just couldn’t see.”

After five years of playing home games in Anaheim’s benign Angel Stadium, it was clear Wilfong wasn’t quite ready for Candlestick’s unique San Francisco treats.

“Some guys were saying this was a nice day,” a doubtful Wilfong sighed. “If that’s true I don’t want to see a bad one.”

It was easy to imagine that after a game with highlights would have played well to Weather Channel viewers, Wilfong was having seconds thoughts about his move north.

One wouldn’t have to imagine for long.

Giant Footprint

The next night, Wilfong was again the Giants leadoff hitter vs. Pittsburgh. He failed to bat safety, but walked, stole a base and scored on Jeffery Leonard’s two-run bomb in a Giants 4-2 win.

Wilfong sat the next day as 37-year-old Speier played 2B and led the Orange & Black to a 9-4 victory with a jaw-dropping grand slam. With the victory, San Francisco moved into sole possession of first place in the NL West.

With a right-hander throwing for Pittsburgh on Sunday, Wilfong would have been the logical choice to play 2B. But not only was Wilfong conspicuously absent from the Giants lineup, he wasn’t in uniform at all.

Wilfong blew out the clubhouse door prior to first pitch after informing team management he was seriously considering retiring from baseball.

“The desire’s not there,” said Giants manager Roger Craig, stating the player wanted to discuss the matter with his wife before coming to a final decision.

“I know what my wife would say to me. ‘Get you butt back (to the team),” Craig joked. “I admire the guy for admitting it rather than being dishonest.”

Rosen added: “Wilfong just said he didn’t know if he still had the fire in his belly. We told him to go home and think about it and we’d leave the options open to him.”

Two days later and still short of qualifying for a full pension, Wilfong was granted his unconditional release.

“Rob Wilfong has advised us he no longer wishes to play baseball,” said a tempered Rosen. “He has convinced us he is serious about this desire.”

Soon Thompson and Uribe would make a triumphant returns. The snake-bit Brown would heal, but then got traded in a package of players that netted slugging 3B/OF Kevin Mitchell and two others.

In the final days of the ‘87 regular season, the Giants would auspiciously capture their first division title in 17 years.

There was no mention of Wilfong again until it came time for the players to divide postseason bonus shares.

“We were joking about how much Rob Wilfong would get,” said Giants C Bob Brenly. “He was only here for three days… But he had one game-winning hit for us.”

Webb wins his sixth in a row to beat the Mets 3-2

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San Francisco Giants starter Logan Webb delivers to the New York Mets in the first inning. Webb would pitch into the eighth inning before being lifted on Tue Aug 17, 2021 at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-Logan Webb got all the offense he would need in the bottom of the first inning from an unlikely source.

Tommy La Stella hit just his second home run of the season, a two-run blast over the center field wall and the San Francisco Giants defeated the New York Mets 3-2 before a crowd of 23,610 at Oracle Park.

La Stellas home run came just one batter after LaMonte Wade, Jr., singled up the middle off of eventual losing pitcher Marcus Stroman.

Webb was absolutely fantastic, as he continues to improve with each start. He went the first 7.1 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out eight on his way to raising his record up to 7-3 on the season. It was the sixth win in a row for Webb, a streak that began on May 11 against the Texas Rangers at Oracle Park.

Stroman was equally as good for the Mets, as he went seven innings, allowing three runs on five hits, walking two and striking out nine and saw his record fall to 8-12 on the season.

The eventual difference in the game came in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Evan Longoria hit a solo home run into the left field bleachers for his 10th home run of the season.

With his 10th home run of the season, Longoria is the ninth Giants player to reach double figures in home runs this season, matching the 1952, 1958, 1987 and 2000 teams for the most players.

Pete Alonso supplied the big hit for the Mets in the top of the eighth inning, as he got the Mets within one run, when his 26th home run of the season cut the Giants lead down to 3-2. The Alonso home run ended the night for Webb, who was replaced by Tony Watson, who was able to get out of the inning by getting Michael Conforto to grounded out to La Stella and then J.D. Davis flew out to Austin Slater to end the inning.

Buster Posey struck out four times on the evening against both Stroman and reliever Aaron Loup.

Jarlin Garcia came on in the top of the ninth inning, and despite giving up a leadoff single to Jeff McNeill, he was to get Jonathan Villar to strikeout for the first out of the inning, then Patrick Mazeika to groundout to Brandon Belt.

Dominic Leone replaced Garcia and threw three pitches, all strikes to get former Giants outfielder Kevin Pillar to strikeout to end the game. It was the first save of the season for Leone and the third of his career.

NOTES: With his 10th home run of the season, Longoria joins Brandon Crawford, Mike Yastrzemski, Brandon Belt, Wilmer Flores, Posey, Wade, Jr., Alex Dickerson and Darin Ruf.
Prior to the game, Tyler Beede was recalled from Sacramento and placed on the 60-day disabled list with a lower back strain. Tyler Chatwood was selected from Sacramento and Jay Jackson was optioned to Sacramento.

With their 78th win of the season, the Giants club of 1993 holds the best record thru 120 games at 80-40.

Since unveiling their City Connect jerseys, the Giants are now 6-0 in the uniforms since they were unveiled in the series versus the Washington Nationals on July 9.

With two home runs on the night, the Giants have hit 181 home runs and continue to lead the major leagues in home runs, as the Toronto Blue Jays trail the Giants by just two, as they have hit 179 home runs on the season.

This is the first time this season that the Mets have lost five in a row, and all are against teams from the State of California. The Los Angeles Dodgers swept the Mets at Citi Field in a three-game set over the weekend, and now the Giants have taken the first two this week.

Currently, the Mets are in a streak of 13 straight games against the Dodgers and the Giants and according to Elias Sports Bureau, they are the first team since the 1980 Toronto Blue Jays to play 13 straight games against teams with a .600 winning percentage or better at least 100 games into the season. That season, the Blue Jays went 4-9 and thus far this season, the Mets are 0-5.

UP NEXT: Anthony DeSclafani closes out the home stand on Wednesday afternoon, as he looks for his 12th win of the season for the Giants, while Tylor Megill looks to even his record at 2-2, as he takes the mound for the Mets.