Category: MLB

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Giants get the hitting they were missing against Oakland

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(file photo from San Francisco Chronicle) The San Francisco Giants Alex Dickerson swings for a single in San Diego against the Padres on Sep 13, 2020 contest at Petco Park in San Diego (AP News photo)

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris:

#1 Morris the Giants avoided being swept by Oakland on Sunday after they were shutout Friday and Saturday it had to be just relieving to pick up a game in series where the hitting was struggling?

#2 Alex Dickerson had that Covid scare in San Diego during the Padres series as he had his mind on the pregnancy of his wife who is expecting a boy anytime now. Dickerson is on a three day paternity leave and may be out for a longer period.

#3 The Giants were short on outfielders, Mike Yastrzemski is out with a mild calf strain and Austin Slater has an elbow strain on Saturday. On Sunday Slater was back in the line up but went 0-3.

#4 With Yastrzemski out the Giants have used outfielders Darin Ruf, Mauricio Dubon, and Luis Alexerder Basabe who faced Oakland A’s pitcher Jesus Lazardo on Saturday in the Giants second straight shutout loss the Giants just couldn’t get any run production. Sunday was different as Dubon, Ruf and Basabe all scored at least on run in a laugher.

#5 The Giants optioned pitcher Andrew Suarez on Saturday and recalled pitcher Wandy Perralta and infielder Daniel Robertson but will they be enough to help move the Giants out of tenth place in the NL playoff seeding and into eighth? Both did sit for Sunday’s game.

Join Morris Phillips Mondays for the San Francisco Giants podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

MLB podcast with Larry Crino: Yankees Happ helps in win this week; Giants smoke A’s in series finale; plus more

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New York Yankees pitcher AJ Happ has led the way in the Yankees success this season as the team closes in on a playoff birth. The Boston Red Sox ended the Yankees ten game win streak on Sunday (photo from nj.com)

On the MLB podcast with Larry:

#1 The New York Yankees are close to clinching a playoff spot while they trail the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Yankees have been getting some good pitching from AJ Happ and some bombs from Clint Fraizer.

#2 The Giants bats have fallen silent at a critical time in the first two games of the series in Oakland the Giants have been shutout by scores of 6-0.

#3 The Minnesota Twins have been getting timely hitting just in time for the home stretch of the season. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said the Twins will celebrate every victory as they are in second behind first place Chicago in the AL Central.

#4 Detroit Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said upon his retirement he was doing this because of health reasons. Gardenhire had suffered a stomach virus and missed two games in Minnesota and later told Tigers general manager Al Avila that he was not feeling well and the time had come to hang it up.

#5 The Los Angeles Dodgers will run away with the National League West once again they have a healthy five game lead on San Diego in the NL West and were on a six game win streak until it was snapped on Sunday in a loss to the Colorado Rockies 6-3. The Dodgers are counting the days for post season.

Larry Crino does the MLB podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s demolished by the Giants, 14-2, division clinching has to wait

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By Morris Phillips

It was if the A’s were running late to their division-clinching party. Running late all afternoon.

In a 14-2 loss to the revenge-minded Giants, the A’s just couldn’t get started. And with the Giants piling on early and often, it wasn’t like the A’s got a bunch of chances to chalk up one more home win to capture their first division crown since 2013.

The A’s first hit didn’t materialize until the fourth inning, on an infield job by Matt Olson. Their first runner in scoring position came in the fifth, and Khris Davis couldn’t score. Their first runs were knocked in by Jake Lamb in the sixth, but they already trailed 8-0.

“Everybody came to the field thinking, get another ‘W,’ get another win, lock it up,” said A’s starter Mike Minor, who was roughed up and lifted in the sixth. “Didn’t happen. But you know guys are still positive. They’re going to get to LA and do work there.”

Minor allowed a pair of two-run homers, then gave way to J.B. Wendelken in the sixth. The third batter Wendelken faced–Brandon Crawford–greeted him with a grand slam. Down 8-0, all Oakland social engagements were postponed.

The three relievers that followed didn’t far much better as Jordan Weems, Lou Trivino and T.J. McFarland coughed up six more Giants runs. McFarland somehow managed to surrender six hits and three runs in a 24-pitch span.

Manager Bob Melvin had to get creative to explain his bullpen’s bad day.

“They’re used to coming in games where it’s close and every pitch matters,” Melvin said. 

The A’s turn their attention to a trip to Dodgers Stadium, where they could end up if they advance to the ALDS in a couple of weeks. For now, it’s an opportunity to see baseball’s best team in their environment while chasing that next, critical win.

The A’s then return to the Coliseum to finish the regular season against the Mariners.

Three home runs help Giants salvage series finale 14-2

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San Francisco Giants hitter Chadwick Tromp goes for the long ball with a two run home run in the third inning with Oakland A’s catcher Sean Murphy behind the plate on Sun Sep 20, 2020 at the Oakland Coliseum (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

Entering the final game of the series against the Oakland A’s, the San Francisco Giants were looking for some runs and did they find some.

Chadwick Tromp and Darin Ruf each hit two-run home runs to give the Giants a 4-0 lead, and then Brandon Crawford launched a grand slam into the right-center field bleachers, as the Giants salvaged the final game of the Bay Bridge Series with a 14-2 victory over the A’s at the Coliseum.

With the victory, the Giants stopped the chance for the A’s to celebrate their first American League Western Division Championship. The A’s were primed to win the division at home, but they could not finish off the season sweep of their Bay Area rivals and also the Houston Astros defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the A’s continue to lead the Astros in the AL West by six games with seven games to play.

Coming into the game, the Giants were outscored 12-0 by the A’s, as they won the first two games of the series by the same 6-0 score and by scoring 14 runs in the victory, the run total for the weekend ended up tied at 14 apiece.

The Giants, who are without both Mike Yastrzemski, as he nurses a strained right calf and Alex Dickerson, who is on paternity leave, the team looked to others to help out.

Tromp took a Mike Minor pitch over the left field wall to give the Giants a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning, and then Ruf followed it up by launching a two-run home run of his own in the top of the fourth inning to extend the Giants lead up to 4-0.

Crawford broke the game open in the top of the fifth inning, as he hit his fourth career grand slam off of J.B. Wendelken to lengthen the Giants lead up to 8-0.

Tromp picked up a career-high three hits, as he replaced Joey Bart, who has been struggling of late. Luis Basabe picked up his first career RBI, as he singled in the top of the ninth inning and the four runs batted in by Ruf were his most in a game since he drove in a career-high six runs for the Philadelphia Phillies against the New York Mets on September 1, 2015.

With the victory, the Giants are tied with the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies for the eighth and final spot in the National League. Currently, the Reds hold the tiebreaker due to their intradivision record.

Tyler Anderson, who was ejected after just 49 pitches on Thursday started for the Giants, and went 5.2 innings, allowing two runs (both unearned), scattering four hits, walking three and striking out four before giving way to Shaun Anderson.

The trio of relievers like Anderson, Caleb Baragar and Wandy Peralta pitched the final 4.1 innings, allowing just one hit and one striking out one.

Minor went five innings, allowing six runs on four hits walking three and striking out eight and also allowed two home runs.

The A’s bullpen in four innings of work, allowed eight runs on 11 hits, walking five and striking out six in the 12-run loss.

NOTES: The 14 runs by the Giants were the second most scored by the team in a game this season, behind the 23 runs they scored on September 1 against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

UP NEXT: Johnny Cueto opens up the four-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Monday night, while the Rockies will send German Marquez to the hill.

Headline Sports podcast with Daniel Dullum: Stars draw first blood win NHL Finals opener; Pac 12 football still mulling it over; plus more

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Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) gets a save on a Dallas Stars’ shot the Stars Jamie Benn (14) looks on Sat Sep 19, 2020 at Rogers Centre in Edmonton (AP News photo)

On Headlines podcast with Daniel:

1 Stars dominate in game one of the Stanley Cup Finals

2 Pressure building on Pac-12 to reverse its decision to delay football and other fall sports; SEC football starts next week

 3 WNBA semifinals underway

4 Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire retires, citing health issues

5 NBA: Celtics’ Gordon Hayward reportedly won’t leave bubble for the birth of his child

 5 Sports world honors Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on Friday

Daniel Dullum does Headlines Sports each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Gary Hughes A Scout and A Gentleman passes away at 79

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Gary Hughes (left) former MLB scout for the Boston Red Sox and the Arizona Diamondbacks worked in baseball for over 54 years is seen here with Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell (right). Hughes son is married to Counsell’s sister keeping baseball in the family. Hughes passed away Sat Sep 19, 2020 at age 79. This photo was taken on Aug 21, 2017 and in the bottom left hand corner seated in the Brewers dugout is former SF Examiner reporter Jorge Ortiz. (file photo taken by AP reporter Janie McCauley)

Gary Hughes: A Scout and A Gentleman

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–Gary Hughes, longtime baseball scout passed today here in the Bay Area at the age of 79 of cancer. Popular and always affable, Gary a true All-Star baseball man who always had a kind word and never stopped talking baseball. He will be missed.

Personally, I will miss him because of all the baseball conversations we always had. A couple of years ago as I was broadcasting and A’s game at the Coliseum, he showed up in my broadcast booth, in the middle of the game to bring me a Rafael (Felo) Ramírez bobble head, the Spanish Voice of the Miami Marlins, Hall of Famer who passed away in Miami in 2017. Gary knew Felo, who was my mentor and somebody whom I used to listen to in Cuba as a kid. I had the privilege to work with Felo in 1998 during an NLCS for the USA and Latin American Spanish radio network.

I always called Gary the “Mayor of Key West”, because that was his favorite spot when he was not working. Great priceless memories of him talking about Cuban players, although not Cuban, he knew the history as good as anybody I knew. And I always enjoyed mentioning names of Cuban players from the past. Although he was not fond of the baseball situation in Cuba, he used to smile every time I tell him “You cannot get any closer to Cuba, than in Key West”.

Gary signed John Elway, to play in the NY Yankees organization, he was very proud of that, although Elway chose to play football. The quarterback for the Denver Broncos is in the NFL Hall of Fame.

He will be missed by countless people he touched with his experience and knowledge especially in the great game of baseball. Truly a nice man.

Rest In Peace Gary, you were a Great Scout and Gentleman.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio play by play voice for the Oakland A’s on KIQI 1010 San Francisco LeGrande and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

Timbers dominate in 6-1 win over Earthquakes

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The Portland Timbers Diego Valeri kicks a penalty shot during the first half of the match against the San Jose Earthquakes at Avaya Stadium in San Jose on Saturday night (AP News photo)

By Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE, Calif- The Portland Timbers scored two goals in two minutes en route to a crushing 6-1 victory over the the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday evening at Earthquakes Stadium.

The Quakes are winless in its seven matches since the first phase started after the MLS is Back tournment. Portland had their second win in its last seven matches since winning the tournament.

Quakes head coach once again tinkered with his starting lineup due to numerous injuries to his squad. However, it didn’t produce the results he wished to have had. His defense have given up 14 goals in its last three matches.

The Timbers scored the opening goal when San Jose conceded a penalty kick in the 23rd minute due to a hand ball by Shae Salinas as he was trying to defend Christian Paredes inside the box.

After a short review, Diego Valeri cashed in the penalty kick with a kick into the lower left corner of the goal in 25th minute for his fourth goal of the season.

Portland (5-4-3) doubled its lead just over two minutes later. Jorge Villafaña centered a ball from the left side and Jeremy Ebobisse jumped up high with a header past Quakes goalkeeper Daniel Vega into the lower left corner in the 27th minute.

San Jose (2-5-5) responded right before halftime. Eric Calvillo sent a pass up to Marcos López and he centered the ball into the middle where Carlos Fierro slammed a left footed shot past Timbers goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic in the 43rd minute for his first ever goal in a Quakes uniform.

The Quakes had a golden opportunity to even the game a minute into stoppage time with a Jackson Yueill free kick from just outside the D but his passing attempt was grabbed by Ivacic.

Portland regained their two-goal lead 10 minutes into the second half. A cross from Yimmi Chará found the foot of Valeri whose shot deflected off two different Quakes defenders past Vega for his second goal of the match. Valeri has eight career goals against San Jose in 15 matches.

The Timbers put the game away in the 70th minute when a turnover by the Quakes led to a Ebobisse shot on goal that Vega got a piece of with a diving attempt. However, the rebound leaked out to Yimmi Chará, who made an easy tap in for his second goal in consecutive games against San Jose.

Portland put the icing on the cake late in the match. Valeri crossed in a ball off a free kick and an unmarked Julio Cascante headed the ball into the net for his first goal of the season in the 85th minute.

The Timbers finished off the scoring two minutes later when Jaroslaw Niezgoda scored his third goal of the season in the 87th minute. Diego Chará assisted on the goal.

Each goalie made three saves on the night.

GAME NOTES: San Jose had six corner kicks. Portland had five.

Portland had 18 total shots on goal. San Jose had 11.

San Jose won the possession battle 62%-38%.

UP NEXT: San Jose travels to Colorado to take on the Rapids on Wednesday 9/23 at 6:00pm at Dick’s Sporting Good Park.

Oakland A’s game wrap: Oakland Takes Game Two In A Second 6-0 Shutout

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The Oakland A’s Jack Lamb (4) does the forearm bash with teammate Stephen Piscotty (25) after hitting a two run homer in the seventh inning. The San Francisco Giants Joey Bart is to the left (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Saturday afternoon the Oakland A’s and the San Francisco Giants were back on the field for Game Two of their series. Last night the A’s handed the Giants a 6-0 loss earning Oakland an assured playoff berth.

Starting pitchers were Jesus Luzardo for Oakland and Kevin Gausman for San Francisco. Both pitchers had a nice start with Luzardo and Gausman with six up and six down through the first two innings.

The great outing continued through the third inning for both pitchers. Luzardo had allowed only one hit and Gausman had not allowed a single hit. Three up and three down seemed to be the theme for the two pitchers; the third inning running with that theme.

Luzardo allowed 3 hits in the fourth but got out of the inning when Solano’s attempt to advance failed with a forced out at third. San Francisco had a chance to load the bases with Evan Longoria and Mauricio Dubon on first and second but Solano’s forced out took a great opportunity away from San Francisco.

The bottom of the fourth was the breakthrough for Oakland when Mark Canha walked and Matt Olson singled to center bringing Canha home for a 1-0 lead for the A’s.

Luzardo allowed one hit in the fifth inning and the pitchers dual continued in this great defensive match up. The A’s went three up and three down in the fifth inning. It was a swift sixth inning for both teams. The Giants had one hit off the bat of Solano who was having a productive game. Oakland had a walk in the sixth inning but was not able to get much going offensively. Luzardo would finish the game allowing five hits and seven strikeouts.

In the top of the seventh inning, Jake Diekman would go to work having a productive three up three down inning and the A’s pitchers were rolling. Giant’s pitcher Sam Selman would take the mound in the bottom of the seventh.

It proved to be a very short appearance by the pitcher allowing a Stephen Piscotty single followed by a Tommy La Stella home run. Oakland now led by the score of 3-0. Robbie Grossman walked and that was it for Selman as a pitching change for San Francisco brought in Sam Coonrod.

Conrad did not fare much better allowing a single by Ramon Laureano followed a single by Jonah Heim. La Stella would triple and Laureano and Heim would score. The A’s had busted this game wide open. They finished the inning with another run in when Semien hit a double scoring La Stella. The A’s had a comfortable lead going into the eighth inning 6-0.

Joakim Soria got the job done pitching a three up three down top of the eighth. San Francisco put Jarlin Garcia on the mount to face Olson, Piscotty and Jake Lamb in the bottom of the eighth. It was a good inning for Garcia. The Giants were three outs away however from a second shutout loss.

Lou Trevino came in to close out this one for Oakland Flores grounded into a double play and Longoria flied out to left and Oakland would have their second shut out in as many days 6-0.

The A’s are coming together at the perfect time. The pitching has really come to life going deeper into the game and keeping the bullpen fresh something you really want to see with the postseason looming. The offense is getting the job done as well.

‘Guys are playing loose, they are playing great,” said Bob Melvin after the game. “They know what’s at stake. All-around great game just like last night,” he said.

A’s stomp the Giants again by a 6-0 final; Second A’s shutout against Giants by same score

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Another tough game for the San Francisco Giants and Donavon Salano who slides back into third only to get tagged out by Oakland A’s third baseman Jack Lamb in the fourth inning at the Oakland Coliseum (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

After sweeping the Seattle Mariners, the San Francisco Giants began their final road trip of the season against the Oakland Athletics and it seems nothing is going right.

Matt Olson singled in Mark Canha for the only run that the As would need in the bottom of the fourth inning, as they shutout the Giants 6-0 at the Coliseum. This was the second day in a row that the As defeated the Giants by the same 6-0 score.

Jesus Luzardo went six innings, allowing no runs on just five hits, walking no one and striking out seven to pick up his third win of the season.

Kevin Gausman went six innings in his first start since September 7, as he allowed just one run on one hit, walking three and striking out six; however, it was the usual solid Giants bullpen was hit hard, as Sam Selman gave up three runs on two hits, walking one and giving up a huge two-run home run to Jake Lamb.

Things went from bad to worse in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Sam Coonrod allowed two runs on three hits.

In all, the As scored five runs in that fateful seventh inning that saw the As break the game wide open.

The Giants, already without Mike Yastrzemski, who is day-to-day with a right calf strain were also missing Alex Dickerson, who was placed on the paternity list, as his wife is expecting their first child.

Without two of the biggest bats in the lineup, the Giants could muster only six hits on the afternoon, including two by Donovan Solano, who currently fifth in the National League in batting.

NOTES: Prior to the game, a moment of silence was held for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who passed away on Friday at the age of 87.

The Giants fall to 9-17 on the road in the shortened season, including going 0-5 versus the As this season and have been outscored 42-16 in those five games.

Daniel Robertson and Wandy Peralta were recalled from the Giants alternate site in Sacramento, while Andrew Suarez was sent to Sacramento and Dickerson was placed on the paternity list.

UP NEXT: Tyler Anderson will start on Sunday afternoon, as Johnny Cueto, who was scheduled to start will now start on Monday against the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park, while the As will Mike Minor to the mound.

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: MLB honors Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg; A’s host Giants today at 1:10 pm

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The late great Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who passed away on Friday at age 87 (WGN 9 TV photo)

On the A’s podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was honored by MLB teams for her passing at the age of 87. Ginsburg who died after a lengthy bout with cancer was on the bench from 1993 to her death. Players in the NBA, NFL and MLB said she did a lot for them in civil rights, gender equality and equal rights.

#2 Jeremiah turning to the A’s are hosting the Giants for a three game series at the Oakland Coliseum and first pitch for today’s second game is at 1 pm the way these clubs have played as of late it looks like their pretty even. The A’s have won seven of their last 11 games.

#3 The A’s on this run have been getting some get pitching from from Mike Minor, Sean Manaea, and Chris Bassitt.

#4 Jeremiah, talk about AJ Puk who just recently had shoulder surgery to get it cleaned out and not repaired said A’s trainer  trainer Nick Paparesta. Puk is schedule to be back with the A’s next season.

#5 Game two of this three game series with the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s is at 1:10pm today with the Giants starting Kevin Gausman (3-2 ERA 4.05) Gausman missed his turn to pitch against the Padres Sunday because he had elbow tightness. The A’s will start Jesus Lazardo (2-2 ERA 4.32). Lazardo’s last start he pitched on Monday in the heavy Seattle wildfire smoke at T-Mobile center saying he had a hard time breathing.

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