Category: MLB

Good pitching by Reds Greene snaps SF’s 7 game win streak in 2-0 shutout

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Cincinnati Reds starter Hunter Greene threw a gem against the San Francisco Giants and was one out away from a complete game at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Mon Apr 7, 2025 (AP News photo)

Cincinnati (4-7)            000 000 020    2  5   0

San Francisco (8-2)     000 000 000    0  4   0

Time: 2:09             Attendance: 30,328

Monday, April 7, 2025

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–Don’t look now, but your San Francisco Giants took the field this chilly Monday evening leading the National League western division. They’ve even been getting hits with runners in score position, if you’re willing to overlook that 11 inning marathon of frustration that was last Friday’s Alphonse and Gaston routine against the Mariners. 

But there weren’t all that many Giant baserunners to be stranded in Monday night’s 2-0 loss to  the Cincinnati Reds . The home team left a total of five on base for the game, three of them in the ninth, and the first of them got on with two outs. 

Logan Webb, Esef’s starting and winning pitcher in their Great American Ballpark season opener on March 27, shut out the Rhinelanders for seven innings by the shores of McCovey Cove, holding them to four hits without granting them a free pass but notching seven Ks. 66 of his pitches qualified as strikes. His performance lowered his ERA to 1.89.

Logan was followed by Camilo Doval, who promptly walked Spencer Steel and plunked Jacob Hurtubise, a last minute replacement for Jake Fraley. José Treviño laid down a sacrifice bunt,  and that was it for the Giants’ one time ballyhooed closer.

Erik Miller walked TJ Friedl to load the bases. Blake Dunn smacked a double into the right field corner, driving in Spencer and Hurtubise with what proved to be the only tallies of the game. Miller then wisely granted Elly De La Cruz an intentional walk and retired Gavin on a called third strike.  At this point, Lou Trivino replaced Miller and ended the inning by getting Christian Encarnacion-Strand to fly out to right.

San Francisco made a valiant attempt to bounce back in the home half of the ninth. LaMonte Wade, Jr., and Willy Adames went down quickly. But 이정후, known to Giant fans as Jung Hoo Lee, extended his base reaching stretch to niine games with a single to right center, which, along with  two brilliant catches, one in the first and another in the fifth, were bright spots in an otherwise disappointing night for the Gints. A walk to Matt Chapman put the potential tying run on a base, and drove the Redleg starter, Hunter Greene, from that mound. Tony Santillán retired Héctor Ramos on a line drive to left to end it all.

Greene got the well deserved win, bringing his record to 1-1,1.32. He toiled 8-2/3 frames and threw 104 pitches, 76 for strikes, allowing but four hits, one walk, and a wild pitch, while striking out seven opponents. One of those four hits was the 100th of Tyler Fitzgerald’s big league career.

Tuesday, the teams will pick up where they left off, in the second game of this three game series. Reds Southpaw Nick  Lodolow (1-1 ERA 1.42) will be on the bump for the Reds, and righty Landon Roupp (0-0,6.75) will toe the rubber for the Giants.

Soderstrom hits two HRs, but A’s just short of first Sacramento win in 5-4 loss to Padres

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Sacramento A’s Lawrence Butler (4) swings for an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento on Mon Apr 7, 2025 (AP News photo)

Monday, April 7, 2025

Sutter Health Park

San Diego Padres 5 (3-7)

Sacramento Athletics 4 (8-1)

Win: Michael King (2-0)

Loss: Luis Severino (0-2)

Save: Robert Suarez (5)

Time: 2:19

Attendance: 9,502

By Stephen Ruderman

WEST SACRAMENTO–The A’s came up just short Monday night, as despite two home runs by Tyler Soderstrom, the San Diego Padres came in and beat the A’s by a final of 5-4 in the series opener at Sutter Health Park.

After getting swept in their first home series against the Cubs last week, the A’s took two out of three in Denver against the Rockies. Now they returned to their rental home looking for their first win in Sacramento with the San Diego Padres making their first trip to the state capital.

There wouldn’t be any better night for the A’s first home win. Their ace, Luis Severino, was on the mound, and it was an absolutely-gorgeous night in what is truly a major league-caliber area in Sacramento.

Things wouldn’t start easy for Severino and the A’s in the top of the first inning. Luis Arraez and Manny Machado hit back-to-back doubles with one out to give the Padres a quick 1-0 lead. Jake Croenworth then came up and hit a two-run home run, much to the delight of the Padres fans who had made the trek up north from San Diego, to make it 3-0.

Michael King made the start for San Diego, and he had to battle his way through a rocky first two innings. The A’s were unable to do anything with a pair of walks in the bottom of the first, and then they wasted an opportunity with runners at first and second with one out in the bottom of the second.

Severino appeared to have settled down with a 1-2-3 top of the second, but the Padres tacked on another run off him in the top of the third. Arraez singled with one out, and then Machado shot a double into the gap in right-center to make it 4-0.

The A’s would get on the board with two outs in the bottom of the third when Tyler Soderstrom gulfed a line-drive home run to the A’s bullpen in right. After a 1-2-3 inning by Severino in the top of the fourth, the A’s were ready to do more in the bottom of the fourth.

Miguel Andujar reached on an infield hit to start the bottom of the fourth, and Jacob Wilson followed that up with a base-hit to right to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Gio Urshela flew out to right, but Max Muncy lined a double to left that scored Andujar to make it 4-2. Lawrence Butler then reached on an infield hit to third to make it a one-run game at 4-3.

The A’s had the tying run at third with one out, but they were unable to tie it. Brent Rooker was caught looking at a sinker at the knees after fouling off three-straight two-strike pitches for the second out, and Soderstrom lined out to second.

Severino pitched a pair of scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth, and then Fernando Tatis Jr. made it a 5-3 game with an absolute bomb over the top of what I assume is the A’s new clubhouse out in left. Despite giving up five runs, Severino went seven innings.

King, meanwhile, pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth, and he was pulled following a two-out infield hit by Manny Machado in the bottom of the sixth. Adrian Morejon then struck Butler out on three pitches to end the inning.

Jeremiah Estrada came in for San Diego in the bottom of the seventh, and with one out, Soderstrom hit his second home run of the night to get the run right back and make it 5-4. It went almost to the same spot as his first home run back in the third. Unlike his first home run, however, this one hung up a bit higher, and it went to the grass just behind the A’s bullpen.

That would do it for the scoring. Angel Perdomo pitched a scoreless top of the eighth for the cityless team, and Jason Adam did the same for San Diego in the bottom of the eighth. Perdomo pitched another scoreless inning in the top of the ninth, and Robert Suarez came in to pick up his fifth save with a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth.

Michael King got the win, and Luis Severino, despite his valiant effort Monday night, was saddled with the loss.

The A’s fall to 4-7, and are now 0-4 at their rental home in West Sac.

The A’s will have another chance to pick up their first Sacramento win on what should be another beautiful evening for baseball Tuesday night. Dylan Cease (1-0, 3.38 ERA) will take the ball for San Diego tomorrow night, and Sacramento will counter with the lefty, Jeffrey Springs (2-2, 3.27 ERA).

First pitch will be at 7:05 p.m.

San Francisco Giants game wrap: Wilmer and Giants sweep Mariners and are in first place and off to 8-1 start with 5-4 walk-off win

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San Francisco Giants hitter Wilmer Flores (right) swings for walk off single in the bottom of the ninth inning as Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (left) looks on at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sun Apr 6, 2025 (AP News photo)

Sunday, April 6, 2025

Oracle Park

Seattle Mariners 4 (3-7)

San Francisco Giants 5 (8-1)

Win: Camilo Doval (1-0)

Loss: Gregory Santos (0-1)

Time: 2:43

Attendance: 41,060

By Stephen Ruderman

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants won their seventh their seventh in a row and swept the Mariners with a 5-4 win, as Wilmer Flores pinch-hit and won the game with a walk-off base-hit to right-center field, which staked the Giants to an 8-1 start and first place in the National League West.

Aaron Hicks, who is back in the rotation for the start of this season, took the mound for his second start. Hicks got Victor Robles to ground out to Willy Adames at short to start the game. However, with one out, Julio Rodriguez came to the plate, and just as he did with one out in the top of the first inning Friday, J-Rod hit a home run to give the Mariners an early 1-0 lead. However, this one was a no-doubter, unlike the cheapie he hit in the first inning on Friday.

Bryan Woo took the mound for the Mariners, and the Giants were unable to make anything of a two-out, two-strike double by Jung Hoo Lee in the bottom of the first. Aaron Hicks had to wiggle his way out of a two-out rally in the top of the second, and Woo threw a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the second.

Cal Raleigh hit a home run of his own in the top of the third to make it 2-0, and after another 1-2-3 inning by Woo in the bottom of the third, there were some people who thought it was going to be one of those days for the Giants. However, these are the 2025 Giants, and as they would quickly see, today would not be one of those days.

Hicks finally settled down with a 1-2-3 top of the fourth, and Willy Adames led off the bottom of the fourth with a base-hit to left-center. You could definitely feel that the Giants were a-coming. after Adames’ base-hit. Lee took another nice two-strike swing for a base-hit to left, and the Giants were in business with runners at first and second with nobody out.

Matt Chapman flew out to right, but Heliot Ramos lined a base-hit to right that knocked in Adames and put the Giants on the board. Mike Yastrzemski came up and hit a home run to left-center, and just like that, the Giants were ahead 4-2.

Hicks followed that up with a scoreless top of the fifth. Adames helped with an incredible play to his left to take away a base-hit from J-Rod with one out.

The Mariners got runners to first and second with one out against Hicks in the top of the sixth, and Bob Melvin went to Randy Rodriguez. Ryan Bliss came up and lined a base-hit to left, and Luke Raley scored to make it 4-3. Unfortunately, to compound matters, the throw from left-fielder Luis Matos skipped off the glove of Patrick Bailey, which put the tying and go-ahead runs both in scoring position with just one out.

However, Rodriguez was not fazed, as he got out of the inning with the Giants still ahead. As for Hicks, he went five and a third, while giving up three runs and six hits. He walked one and struck out five.

Woo ended his day with a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth. He gave up four runs and five hits, and he walked one and struck out six.

Tyler Rogers came in for the seventh, which was a bit surprising considering all five of his previous appearances came in the eighth inning. However, it was no problem for Rogers, who threw a 1-2-3 inning.

After Carlos Vargas pitched a scoreless inning for Seattle in the bottom of the seventh, the lefty, Erik Miller, was summoned by Melvin for the top of the eighth. Former Giant Donovan Solano and Mitch Garver both hit base-hits to start the inning, and the Mariners were in business right away Not to worry, however, as an infield fly and a 5-4-3 double play off the bat of Bliss took Miller out of the inning unscathed.

Eduard Bazardo threw a scoreless bottom of the eighth, and with the fact that Giants closer Ryan Walker had pitched the last two days, it was old closer Camilo Doval who got the ball for the ninth.

Victor Robles singled the other way to left with one out, and he got to second on a ground out by J-Rod. Melvin elected to intentionally walk Raleigh to get to the 2-for-13 Randy Arozarena. Doval got Arozarena to a 2-2 count, but Arozarena was able to beat a good slider at the bottom of the zone and line a double down the left field line to tie the game.

Doval got beat on a good pitch, and after the rough outings he had last season that led him to lose the closer’s job, it wasn’t unreasonable to fear that a big inning would be coming from the Mariners, especially after a walk to Miles Mastrobuoni. Doval then got Mitch Garver to pop out to third, and the game stayed tied 4-4 going to the bottom of the ninth, where the Giants were in a perfect position for another walk-off win.

Mariners Manager Dan Wilson brought in Gregory Santos for the bottom of the ninth. Santos walked Yastrzemski on four pitches to start the inning, and he fell behind 2-0 to Matos. After taking a strike, Matos reached on a fielder’s choice.

Patrick Bailey came up, and things were about to go nuts. Bailey hit a towering fly ball down the right field line that this writer thought was going to be a walk-off bomb into the water from his view in the press box. While it came close to clearing the 24-foot-high Willie Mays wall in right, Mariners’ right-fielder Victor Robles ran like the wind to his left to make a spectacular catch, as he went hard up against the netting and tumbled back into play.

Robles was down and in severe pain. He rolled the ball back towards the infield, which allowed Matos to advance 180 feet all the way to third. Trainers from both teams came out to check on Robles, who held his left arm in agony as he was carted off the field on a stretcher.

While Robles was being tended to, Melvin challenged whether it was a catch, but it was confirmed that Robles’ feet were over the field of play as he caught the ball. The Mariners then challenged that Robles had gone out of play after the catch, which was quite clear. As a result, Ramos was sent back to second, as a fielder going out of play after a catch is only a one-base award.

The loss of 90 feet would not be an issue. Wilmer Flores pinch-hit for Christian Koss, and he lined a base-hit to right-center that easily scored Matos to win it.

The Giants are now off to just their fifth 8-1 start in franchise history, and their second in San Francisco. The other was their wire-to-wire 100-win season of 2003, a season that ended quite painfully might I add.

Camilo Doval should have been rewarded for his slider with a strikeout and the save, but Arozarena had other plans. Instead, Doval was rewarded with his first win of the year, Gregory Santos took the loss.

Terry Francona’s Cincinnati Reds will come into town for three games starting tomorrow night. The Giants took two out of three from the Redlegs to start the season in Cincinnati, and they will hope for the same magic and success this week in their own ballpark.

It will be an opening day rematch on the mound in the series opener tomorrow night. Giants’ ace Logan Webb (1-0, 3.00 ERA) will get the start, and he will be opposed by Reds’ right-hander Hunter Greene (0-1, 2.25 ERA). First pitch will be at 6:45 p.m., which has been the custom for night games on mondays through thursdays at Oracle Park since 2019, but six years later, I am still not used to it.

Oh yeah, before I forget, the Giants are first place. Have a good day, folks!

Sacramento A’s recap: Soderstrom, Butler, and the Long Ball Show, but A’s Fall 12-5 in Coors Field Slugfest

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Colorado Rockies Ezequiel Tovar (right) is thrilled after hitting a double as Sacramento A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson holds the baseball in the bottom of the second inning at Coors Field on Sun Apr 6, 2025 (AP News photo)

Soderstrom, Butler, and the Long Ball Show, but A’s Fall in Coors Field Slugfest

By Mauricio Segura

The thin air of Coors Field once again served as a launchpad, but this time, it launched the Athletics straight into a granite wall of Rockies offense, cold and unmovable like the mountains behind them. Despite continuing their season-long home run streak and getting early fireworks from Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler, the green and gold dropped Sunday’s rubber match to the Rockies, 12-5.

Tyler Soderstrom wasted no time extending the A’s power streak to ten games, the longest season-opening run in franchise history. With two outs in the top of the first, Soderstrom’s two-run blast to right, his fourth of the season, gave the Athletics an early 2-0 lead and showcased the rookie’s knack for clutch power. He now leads the club in go-ahead homers.

Rookie starter Joey Estes, looking to rebound from a rough Opening Day outing, was once again roughed up. He gave up six runs across three innings, including a solo shot to Brenton Doyle in the bottom of the first. Doyle wasn’t done either. His two-run double in the second turned the tide and ignited a five-run Colorado rally that knocked the A’s on their heels.

Estes, who tied a career high by allowing nine hits in his previous start, couldn’t find rhythm in his Coors debut. After his ERA ballooned to 13.50, manager Mark Kotsay handed the reins to Mitch Spence in the fourth. Spence fared little better, yielding another run as Tovar and Doyle, Colorado’s 1-2 punch, continued to hammer the gaps.

Still, the A’s weren’t entirely silenced. Lawrence Butler, red-hot this series, crushed his first homer of the season in the fifth, a no-doubter to center that briefly narrowed the gap to 7-4. It was Butler’s sixth hit in two games, part of a much-needed turnaround for the outfielder who started the season batting .167 through seven games.

Miguel Andujar added three hits, including an RBI single in the fourth. The left fielder, who entered the game on a modest three-game hitting streak, quietly continues to be one of the A’s more consistent bats, now batting .304.

But whatever momentum the Athletics generated was flattened in the bottom of the eighth. The Rockies sent ten men to the plate, piling on five runs against Spence and T.J. McFarland. Ezequiel Tovar, who doubled twice and drove in three, delivered a two-run single in the inning to put the game out of reach. By the time Hunter Goodman’s two-run knock made it 12-4, the damage was done.

The A’s added one more in the ninth on Butler’s RBI single, but that was little consolation in a game where pitching woes once again told the story. Estes is now winless in his last four starts dating back to 2024, and Spence has surrendered ten earned runs over 6.2 innings this year.

Notably, Jacob Wilson’s contact streak ended after 33 plate appearances without a strikeout. He finally struck out, fanning once in the first inning and again in the ninth to end a remarkable run, the longest by an Athletic since Billy Burns in 2016. Wilson did add a single earlier in the game, extending his season-opening hit streak to ten games.

The loss dropped the Athletics to 4-6, still trying to find consistency after being swept at home by the Cubs. They’ll return to Sutter Health Park Monday to open a six-game homestand, starting with a series against the Padres. Luis Severino is expected to take the mound, still in search of his first win in green and gold.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

MLB podcast with Bruce Macgowan: Manfred says torpedo bat good for baseball; Dodgers Snell on 15 day IL shoulder inflammation; plus more MLB news

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Dodgers starting pitcher Blake Snell, who struggled at times against the Atlanta Braves on April 2 at Dodger Stadium, has been placed on the injured list. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

MLB podcast with Bruce Macgowan:

#1 Major League Commissioner Rob Manfred said that the torpedo bat is “absolutely good for baseball.” After all the attention that the torpedo bat has created Manfred addressed it’s legitmacy saying, “I believe that issues like the torpedo bat and the debate around it demonstrate the fact that baseball still occupies a unique place in our culture,”

#2 Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell has been placed on the 15 day IL suffering from left shoulder inflammation. Snell now 1-0 ERA 2.00 in two starts this season. Snell signed with the Dodgers for five years for $182 million.

#3 Due to weather issues the times have changed for the New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers times have been moved up. Wind chills have been forecasted for Monday and Tuesday to be in the 20s. The game that was scheduled from Monday has been moved up from 6:40pm to 3:10 and for Tuesday and Wednesday now at 1:10pm.

#4 Milwaukee Brewers left hand pitcher Nestor Cortes has been placed on the 15 day IL with a flexor strain in his left elbow. The Brewers pitching staff is depleted of their starting pitcher. With Cortes on the shelf the Brewers have Freddy Peralta as their only healthy starting pitcher in the starting rotation.

#5  Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani threw a 26 pitch session on Saturday before the Dodgers played the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. Ohtani making a step closer to returning as a starter for the Dodgers. Ohtani has been out of the pitching rotation since Sep 19, 2023 this was his second bullpen session.

Bruce Magowan is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast with Stephen Ruderman: Giants go after the sweep today at Oracle Park; Mariners last in AL West

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San Francisco Giants Matt Chapman stands on second base after hitting an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Oracle Park San Francisco Sun Apr 6, 2025 (AP News photo)

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Stephen Ruderman:

#1 Matt Chapman hit two double for RBIs on Saturday night and that help contribute to the San Francisco Giants to pick up their second win in this three game series against the Seattle Mariners and now are on a six game win streak.

#2 In a pre game ceremony on Saturday Chapman received his fifth Gold Glove Award from his 2024 performance at third base.

#3 Jung Hoo Lee contributed also with a double for a run in the fourth inning. In the fifth inning both Lee and Chapman hit doubles which helped give the Giants a two run lead.

#4 Giants pitcher Robbie Ray now 2-0 started Saturday and allowed one run, four hits, walked five hitters, in six innings of work. Ray was the 2021 AL Cy Young Award winner when he pitched in Seattle.

#5 M’s and Giants conclude this three game set Sunday at Oracle Park starting pitcher for the M’s Bryan Woo (1-0 ERA 1.50) for the Giants Jordan Hicks (1-0 ERA 0.00) how do you see this match up, also will the Giants be able to sweep this one or can the Mariners put their should into this one and avoid losing this series?

Stephen Ruderman is a San Francisco Giants beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s Stun Rockies With Triple Play and Long Ball Barrage in 7-4 Comeback Win

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Sacramento A’s Jacob Wilson reaches second base after hitting a double for two RBIs in the top of the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver on Sat Apr 5, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Mauricio Segura

What began as a historic defensive feat for the Colorado Rockies ended as a thunderous offensive statement from the Sacramento A’s, who powered their way to a 7-4 comeback win Saturday night at Coors Field. Fueled by a relentless late-inning surge and capped by a dominant ninth from flame-throwing closer Mason Miller, the green and gold captured their second straight win in Denver.

The highlight reel started early for Colorado, who turned the first triple play of the 2025 Major League season in the top of the second. With runners on first and second, Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson grounded sharply to third baseman Ryan McMahon, who initiated a textbook 5-4-3 triple play. It was a moment of defensive brilliance, but the Rockies’ good fortune would be short-lived.

Sacramento starter JP Sears, who carried a career 1.80 ERA against the Rockies into the game, again kept them largely in check. Sears allowed three runs over six solid innings, using a mixture of command and guile to keep Coors Field’s hitter-friendly environment from becoming a launching pad.

Trouble found Sears in the second inning, when Kyle Farmer’s two-out double set up Sean Bouchard’s first homer of the year, a no-doubt two-run blast to left. Colorado tacked on another in the third, capitalizing on a walk and double-play ball to bring home Brenton Doyle for a 3-0 lead.

Then came Sacramento’s slow, steady comeback.

A fourth-inning wild pitch from Germán Márquez scored Lawrence Butler to get the A’s on the board. In the sixth, JJ Bleday and Shea Langeliers both drew walks before Tyler Soderstrom laced an RBI double. Márquez exited, and Jacob Wilson greeted reliever Jimmy Herget with a go-ahead two-run double to left, putting the A’s up 4-3.

That sixth inning outburst was no fluke, the A’s have been living and dying by the long ball. Coming into the night, 58.6% of their runs had come via homers, the fifth-highest mark in the majors. Saturday’s game only padded that stat.

In the seventh, Brent Rooker continued his hot start to the season by blasting his fourth home run, a solo shot to center. Two batters later, Langeliers, who now has three homers on the year, crushed a two-run bomb to give the A’s a commanding 7-3 lead.

Lawrence Butler had himself a night, going 3 for 4 with a double, single, walk, and a caught stealing. The speedy right fielder is now batting .400 against the Rockies in the series and flashed some aggressive base running that kept the Rockies’ defense alert.

Jacob Wilson also extended his season-opening hit streak to eight games and remains one of only two players in the majors without a strikeout this season. His plate discipline and clutch contact continue to impress, and Saturday’s two-run double proved vital.

The Rockies tried to claw back in the eighth with a solo homer from Ryan McMahon, but their rally fizzled when Kyle Farmer flew out to end the inning.

Then came the closer, Mason Miller.

The electric right-hander closed the door with his third save of the year, striking out two in the ninth while allowing a single and a wild pitch. Miller has now struck out eight of the 11 batters he’s faced this season and remains unscored upon.

Despite a rocky 3-5 start to the year, the A’s have now taken two straight at Rocky Mountain altitude, showcasing the same scrappy resilience they showed in Friday’s extra-innings victory.

The A’s next be looking for the sweep Sunday behind A’s right-hander Joey Estes 0-1 ERA 13.50 vs. Rockies starter RHP Chase Dollander 0-0 ERA 0.00 first pitch 12:10pm PDT.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

San Francisco Giants game wrap: Chapman hits RBI doubles twice as Giants beat Mariners 4-1 at Oracle

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San Francisco Giants Matt Chapman (26) swings for a fourth inning RBI double against the Seattle Mariners at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sat Apr 5, 2025 (AP News photo)

Seattle (3-6) 000 010 000. 1. 7. 0

San Francisco (7-1). 002 020 00x. 4 10. 0

Time: 2:27

Attendance: 40,886

Saturday, April 5, 2025

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–Your San Francisco Giants continued on their winning ways. with this evening’s 4-1 victory over. the struggling Seattle Mariners. The brisk game was quite a change from Friday afternoon’s grueling 11 inning slugfest and its plethora of missing opportunities.

Starting pitcher Robbie yielded Seattle’s only run, which was earned, and came on Dylan Moore’s 411 foot homer to center in the top of the fifth. The Giants’ lefty allowed three other hits while earning the win, which left his record at 2-0, 3.18. 54 off his 88 offerings were deemed strikes Hyram Birdsong allowed two hits in as many innings, and Ryan Walker gave a hit while blanking the visitors in the ninth to earn his third save of the young season.

Jung Hoo Lee went three for four, including a pair of doubles. Matt Chapman also hit a couple of two baggers. He looked elegant in the field and drove in two runs to raise his batting average to .310 on this, his bobblehead day. Héliot Ramos’s eighth inning single gave him at least one hit in each of San Francisco’s games this season.

Víctor. Robles ahd Dylan Moore. had two hit games for the Mariners, who used three pitchers in their losing effort. Bryce Miller (0-2, 5,73) started and took the loss, going 5-1/3 frames and allowing all four Giants runs. All of them were earned, and they came on seven hits and three free passes. Trent Thorton allowed a hit in his 2/3 of. an inning pitched, and Jesse Hahn allowed two hits in two innings.

Sunday, at 1:05pm PDT the M’s Bryan Wood (1-0,1.50) will toe the rubber for Seattle against their hosts’ Jordan Hicks (1-0, 0.00). After that, Cincinnati comes to town.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Torpedo Bats the talk of Baseball — The Bats at Cooperstown

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Jared Smith speaks about the torpedo bat during an interview at Victus Sports in King of Prussia on Wed Apr 2, 2025 (AP News photo)

Torpedo Bats the talk of Baseball —The Bats at Cooperstown

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

BREAKING NEWS. Torpedo bats are here and have not been affected by the recent tariffs. The “torpedo” bats, with their unique shape resembling a bowling pin, are manufactured by several companies, including Victus, Marucci, Chandler Bats, and are legal under MLB rules. Yankee Jazz Chisolm, who averaged 12 home runs per season during his six-year career in the majors, hit three home runs in the opening three-game series of 2025 against Milwaukee. Chisolm used the torpedo bats and said, “It doesn’t feel like a different bat. It just helps you in a little way”.

Could the Torpedo Bats be the star of the show in 2025? The MLB players’ union expects a lockout by team owners after the CBA expires following the 2026 season. It is not like the production of home runs is decreasing; home runs have increased in recent seasons, especially since 2016, with a surge in 2019. This is not only because of the bats, but we have to consider that hitters are more sophisticated in their approaches, and even this increase could be partly due to changes in the baseball.

I know you are saying it is too early to talk about the possible Lockout after the 2026 season since the 2025 season just got underway, and that could be true. But we might have a record number of home runs with these bats for this 2025 season. The MLB season with the most combined home runs across all 30 teams was 2019, with a total of 6,776 home runs. Do we accredit the Torpedo Bats if this 2025 season ends with 6,777 home runs or 7,000? Time will tell, and we could play Detective Colombo if we discover evidence that these bats are more powerful, making a difference.

These are some of the most famous bats in history. They are at The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, NY.

-Babe Ruth’s Louisville Slugger. This is an iconic bat

-Honus Wagner’s JF. Hillerich & Son Co, bat. Used by Honus Wagner in the early 20th century.

-Reggie Jackson’s Adirondack Big Stick. This made the Adirondack Company a world brand for bats.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY, has a significant collection of baseball bats, with over 2,000 bats representing various eras and players, and there are great moments of legendary hitters who used these bats. This national museum keeps adding baseball memorabilia; there was also an exhibit called Viva Baseball!, which recognizes the contributions of Latino baseball players. From the great Pirates #21 Roberto Clemente to other legendary Latino players from Cuba, Puerto Rico, México, Venezuela, Colombia, Dominican Republic, and other countries.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, is a must for every baseball fan. I have visited, and I strongly recommend you take a trip to beautiful upstate New York. On my trip to New York, I took the train from Grand Central Station, Manhattan, to Albany, where I rented a car and then drove to Cooperstown. It is a beautiful countryside drive of about 70 miles. There were also two Amtrak trains from NY to Cooperstown every day, as well as two trips on the weekend. Visiting always brings me back memories, like knowing that my mentor, Rafael “Felo” Ramírez, who when I was 10 year old kid used to listen to him on the radio in Cuba’s Professional Winter League, and was fortunate of working with him, broadcasting postseason games in 1998 for the Spanish US and Latino American, networks. Felo is in Cooperstown as Ford C.Frick Broadcaster.

The museum in Cooperstown is open 7 days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 pm, and extended hours during the summer. Admissions are $30 for adults, seniors 65 and over, $24 for juniors (ages 7-12) $21, and free for active or (like yours truly) retired card-carrying military personnel. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.

Trivia: The first professional baseball bat, a Louisville Slugger, was created by J.F. Hillerich in the 1880s, specifically for Pete Browning, a ballplayer nicknamed “The Louisville Slugger”.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame

MLB podcast with Michael Roberson Sun Apr 6, 2025: Are torpedo bats legal?; Dodgers fall short of season opening consecutive win record; plus more MLB news

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Austin Wells of the New York Yankees hits a home run in the first inning of the Yankees’ game against the Milwaukee Brewers on March 29. The Yankees went on to win 20-9. Wells was using what some have dubbed a “torpedo bat.” Angelina Katsanis/AP

MLB podcast Michael Roberson Apr 5, 2025:

#1 Michael, talk about the torpedo bat. It has more mass one the barrel and gives players an advantage of impact as the bat meets the ball. The torpedo does what the traditional bat doesn’t. Is this bat legal and is it a better advantage say than the corked bat?

#2 The Los Angeles Dodgers were 8-0 going up against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night but it was sloppy baserunning that caught the Dodgers flatfooted and they wound up losing in a nail biter 3-2. The Dodgers were within two games of tying the Brooklyn Dodgers 1955 start of ten wins in a row.

#3 Cleveland Guardians Jose Ramirez had himself a Friday night slugging three home runs and making Cleveland history in hitting three homers in one ball game. Ramirez hit homers in the first, fifth and ninth innings.The Guardians ended up besting the Los Angeles Angels

 #4 Micahel, Friday’s home opener for the San Francisco Giants wound up being a marathon going 11 innings as the Giants edged the Seattle Mariners at Oracle Park 10-9. The other story was Giants veteran starter Justin Verlander who struggled in 2 1/3 innings of work surrendering five hits and three earned runs. Verlander also struggled in his last outing. It was Verlander’s first start at Oracle Park since the 2012 World Series 13 years ago when he was with the Detroit Tigers.

#5 Michael wanted to ask you about the Sacramento A’s opening homestand. The A’s got swept in all three games to the Chicago Cubs and all three contests were not even close. The A’s so far have faired better on the road as they are so far 3-2 getting two wins in Seattle and one in Colorado. It should also be mentioned the A’s have not sold out any of the three games in Sacramento.

Michael podcasts MLB Headline Sundays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com