Category: San Francisco Giants

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: Raiders head to New England can they keep it going?; With many injuries do 49ers have a chance against Giants?; plus more

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr hoists one of 28 passes for 282 yards on Monday Night Football in week 2 of the NFL season against the visiting New Orleans Saints at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The Raiders are in Foxborough for this Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots. (AP News photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Tony R:

#1 Tony, how surprised were you that the Las Vegas Raiders had gone on a 2-0 start was it a matter of getting the lucky breaks or they are good as they look?

#2 Talk about Raiders quarterback Derek Carr on Monday Night Football he threw  28 for 38 for 282 yards for three touchdowns against a very good Saints team.

#3 The San Francisco 49ers have a vast number of injuries Jimmy Garoppolo QB (ankle), Nick Bosa DE (knee), Solomon Thomas DT (knee ACL), Tevin Coleman RB (knee) and Raheem Mostert RB (knee). They just got by the Jets last week and face the Giants Sunday will they be ready?

#4 The Oakland A’s are headed to a three game wild card series they won the AL West and unlike last year’s wild card when they hosted the Tampa Bay Rays for just one game and were one and done they get a possible three game series out of the first round of these MLB playoffs.

#5 The San Francisco Giants who defeated the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night 5-2 are tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for the last and final eighth spot in the NL Wild Card Standings which means every game until the end of the day Sunday count for a lot for the Giants to get in the playoffs.

Tony Renteria does Headline Sports every other Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Playoff Push: Dubon’s homer gives Giants the edge in 7-2 win over the Rockies

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Winning formulas never get old, so the Giants reached in the well one more time.

Beating sub .500 teams at home with offense has become a reoccurring theme for San Francisco, and it surfaced again Wednesday night in a 7-2 win over the Rockies. The Giants have won 15 of 19 at Oracle Park with most of the wins just like this one.

Mauricio Dubon hit a three-run homer in the seventh to break up a 2-2 tie, and send the Giants to a second win in this critical four-game series starting the regular season’s final week. With the Cardinals, Marlins and Brewers losing in the tightly-bunched NL playoff hunt, the Giants assumed the eighth and final spot with five games remaining.

“You’re playing meaningful baseball and every hit, every run, every home run, every catch you make counts,” Dubon said. “That’s the fun part of it.”

Dubon’s game-altering shot came two pitches after manager Bud Black lifted starter Ryan Castellani in the fifth, in which he allowed a leadoff double to Alex Dickerson, then walked two of the next four batters, allowing the Giants to tie the score, 2-2.

Yency Almonte relieved and watched Dubon send his slider over the left field wall. Dubon’s was the biggest of the Giants 11 hits, five of which went for extra bases including Evan Longoria’s solo shot that got the Giants on the board for the first time in the fourth.

“The pitch to Dubón was a slider the just didn’t get to the outside part of the plate,” Black said. “It didn’t get away from the barrel. The kid dropped the head on it, got it up in the air. He squared it up.”

The Giants have had their way with losing clubs, winning 22 of 33. They’re 27-11 when they score at least four runs.

Mike Yastrzemski continues to mend his calf, which has caused to miss the last five games. His primary replacement, rookie Luis Basabe injured his hamstring on Tuesday, and is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season and at least two rounds of the playoffs. Steven Duggar was summoned from Sacramento to replace Basabe.

Caleb Baragar started for the Giants, pitching just the first inning as the opener. Logan Webb took over in the second and pitched five, solid innings to get the win. Baragar’s appearance marked the first time the Giants have employed an opener this season, after Bruce Bochy employed the strategy a couple of times in 2019.

Pinch hit home run by Dickerson gives Giants huge win 5-2

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Alex Dickerson’s pinch hit home run in the bottom of the seventh inning got the Giants the eventual win as Colorado Rockies pitcher Jario Diaz just can’t look on Tue Sep 22, 2020 game at Oracle Park in San Francisco (photo from sfchronicle.com)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-Alex Dickerson came up with the biggest hit of the night at the most opportune time.

Dickerson came off the bench to hit a pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the seventh inning and the San Francisco Giants defeated the Colorado Rockies 5-2 at Oracle Park.

The Dickerson home run was his 10th of the season, and he is now 14-for-29 against the Rockies this season with four doubles, six home runs and 10 runs batted in.

With the victory, the Giants are now in a three-way tie in the wild card with the Cincinnati Reds, who lost to the Milwaukee Brewers and the Philadelphia Phillies, who were swept in a doubleheader against the defending World Champion Washington Nationals.

Austin Slater got the Giants on the board in a hurry, as he took a Kyle Freeland pitch into the left field bleachers in the bottom of the first inning to give the Giants a quick 1-0 lead.

It was the first career leadoff home run for Slater and his fifth home run of the season, as the Giants try and clinch one of the two wild card playoff spots in the 2020 MLB Postseason.

With the victory over the Rockies, coupled with the Philadelphia Phillies being swept in a doubleheader by the defending World Champion Washington Nationals and the Cincinnati Reds losing to the Milwaukee Brewers, all three teams are at the .500 mark.

Joey Bart gave the Giants that all important second run of the game, as he doubled over the head of former Giants centerfielder Kevin Pillar to score Daniel Robertson in the bottom of the fifth inning.

That Bart RBI double was huge, as just one-half inning in the top of the sixth inning, Charlie Blackmon pulled the Rockies within one run, as he grounded into a force play that scored Pillar from third base.

Drew Smyly went 5.1 innings, allowing just one run, while scattering four hits, walking two and striking out five

Freeland pitched an admirable game for the Rockies, as he went six strong innings, allowing two runs on five hits, walking three and striking out just one.

Robertson, who is usually an infielder came up with the defensive play of the night from left field, as he threw Garrett Hampson out at second base, as he tried to stretch a single into a double.

That play by Robertson was huge, as Raimel Tapia singled two batters later and then Pillar tied up the game, when he doubled off the left field wall to score Tapia.

Robertson, who started the game at shortstop was forced to move to left field after Luis Alexander Basabe was forced to leave the game in the top of the fourth inning due to an apparent leg injury.

Bart came up with his second double of the night in the bottom of the seventh inning, as he was one of two Giants players to have multiple hits against Rockies pitching. Slater, who led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run, hit an infield single that sent Bart to third base.

The Dickerson home run made a winner out of Tyler Rogers, who gave up the game-tying double to former teammate Pillar just one-half inning earlier.

Brandon Belt broke the game open, as he came off the bench to pinch hit for Wilmer Flores and hit a two-run double that scored Bart and Slater.

Sam Coonrod pitched a perfect ninth inning to pick up his third save of the season, as he struck out two, including the last pitch to Tapia that was clocked at 100 miles per hour.

NOTES: Prior to tonight’s game, Chadwick Tromp was placed on the 10-Day IL with a right shoulder strain and Tyler Heineman was recalled from the Alternate Training Site.

On this date in 1969, Willie Mays hit his 600th career home run off of Mike Corkins of the San Diego Padres and it ended up being the game-winner, as the Giants defeated the Padres 4-2 at San Diego Stadium.

UP NEXT: Ryan Castellani will take the mound for the Rockies on Wednesday night, while the Giants have yet to name a starter.

Giants’ playoff push starts off with a nudge in 7-2 loss to the Rockies

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants couldn’t afford to take a night off. But they took one anyway.

The final week of the regular season placed the Giants right where they need to be: at home in Oracle Park where they’ve won 13 of 16. But with starter Johnny Cueto clearly off his game, the Giants fell quietly to the Rockies, 7-2.

The silver lining, if one exists? The Cardinals, Marlins, Phillies and Brewers–the majority of the quintet of clubs the Giants are competing against for the last two National League playoff spots–all lost as well giving all parties a 24-hour reprieve in what figures to be a furious finish that may not be completely decided by Sunday.

Tonight’s lone winner? The Reds, who beat the Brewers, 6-3, winning for the eight time in nine games. The Reds are over .500 for the first time since winning their first game of the season, and currently occupy the seventh seed.

Had the Giants won Monday, they could have moved into the sixth slot. Instead, their back below .500 and a half-game behind a pair of teams that currently hold tiebreakers against them.

Cueto hadn’t pitched since September 13 due to a sore hip, and he didn’t appear healed after allowing a pair of runs in the first, a home run to Kevin Pillar in the third, and balking in a run in the fourth. Cueto’s outing marked the third time in five starts that the veteran has allowed at least six runs. On Monday, he allowed seven runs on eight hits and couldn’t finish the sixth inning.

 

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

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

(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

 

Three home runs help Giants salvage series finale 14-2

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

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.

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

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

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.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Giants and A’s lockhorns this weekend at Coliseum

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Francisco Giants starter Tyler Anderson (31) was none too happy with the ball four call by plate umpire Edwin Moscosco in the third inning after the Mariners Kyle Lewis walked in last Thursday’s game at Oracle Park in San Francisco (photo from the mercurynews.com)

On the Giants podcast with Michael:

#1  Michael how important was it moving the game from Seattle on Monday and the Giants hosting the Mariners on Wednesday and Thursday and taking the two game series as the visiting team at Oracle Park?

#2 Lets look at Wednesday’s game first, Giants pitcher Drew Smyly started the game and went 3.2 innings, gave up four hits and three runs but threw shutout ball for his first three innings until the Mariners had that three run fourth.

#3 On Thursday with the M’s once again the home team at Oracle Park the visiting Giants starting pitcher Tyler Anderson argued a ball four call that walked the Mariners Kyle Lewis in the third inning with home plate umpire Edwin Moscoso  and Anderson was ejected. Talk about the pitch and manager Gabe Kapler said the ejection put them in a tough spot.

#4 The Giants are in Oakland today at 1:10 pm, the Giants have won seven out of their last 11 games and the A’s have won seven out of their last 11 games do you see this today’s contest in light of getting shutout on Friday?

#5 The Giants are starting Kevin Gausman (3-2 ERA 4.50) and starting for the A’s Jesus Luzardo (2-2 ERA 4.32)  how do you see these pitchers matching up against each other for this afternoon’s start.

Join Michael Saturdays for the Giants podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

Giants shutout by A’s 6-0 at the Coliseum

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The San Francisco Giants Donavon Salano (right) takes strike three and a glance at umpire Alfonso Marquez (left) after striking out against Oakland A’s pitcher Chris Bassitt in the first inning of Friday night’s game at the Oakland Coliseum (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

After sweeping the Seattle Mariners in a series that was moved to the Bay Area, due to the smoke in Seattle, the San Francisco Giants began their road series of the season.

Luckily, the road trip that the Giants are on is 15.6 miles away from Oracle Park across the Bay Bridge then down Interstate 880 to the Oakland Coliseum.

It’s nice that everybody got to sleep in their own beds last night,” said Giants manager Gabe Kapler. “Considering that these are road games and we did just get to play two road games in our ballpark, there have been a lot of challenges throughout this season and so those are two things that we can point to as positives and pluses.”

Matt Olson hit a three-run home run, helping the Oakland A’s to a 6-0 victory over the Giants, as the A’s clinched their sixth playoff spot in the past nine seasons.

Newly acquired Jake Lamb put the A’s on the board in the bottom of the first inning, as he hit a run-scoring single that gave the A’s a lead that they would never give up.

Chris Bassitt went 6.2 innings, striking out seven, as he won his third straight start for the American League Western Division Leading A’s.

Both Tommy La Stella and Marcus Semien each added run-scoring singles for the A’s, who were coming off a day off on Thursday and the Giants played a two-game series.

Logan Webb went just 3.1 innings, as his record fell to 2-4 on the season and his streak for winless starts is now at five. Since defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oracle Park on August 21, Webb is now 0-2.

Not a good performance from our offense. I think all of our players will tell you that,” Kapler said. “We have to play better baseball than that down the stretch if we’re going to get into the postseason.”

The Giants could manage just three hits on the evening, as their 6,7,8 batters of Brandon Crawford, Darin Ruf and Joey Bart went a combined 3-for-11, while the other six batters in the lineup went a combined 0-for-19 with five walks and 11 strikeouts against four A’s pitchers.

NOTES: Mike Yastrzemski missed the game after he left Thursdays game with tightness in his right calf. Yastrzemski underwent an MRI on Friday that revealed a mild calf strain and is listed as day-to-day and will not be placed on the injured list.

Yaz is important enough to this club where we really don’t know how long it’s going to be, whether it’s one, two, three days or more and we want to ensure that we have (options) there,” Kapler said.

Prior to the game, the Giants sent Rico Garcia and Wandy Peralta to the alternate site, while both Shaun Anderson and Andrew Suarez were recalled from the alternate site. Peralta threw a career-high three innings in Thursdays 6-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

This was just the fourth time this season that the Giants have been shutout and just the fifth time that they picked up five hits or fewer in the same game.

All four shutouts have been by teams in the State of California, as the Los Angeles Dodgers shut them out twice, the San Diego Padres on Sunday and the A’s tonight.

UP NEXT: Kevin Gausman will take the mound after missing his start on Sunday after the Colorado Rockies due to elbow soreness, while the A’s will send Jesus Luzardo to the mound, as they look to clinch their first AL Western Division Championship since 2013, as their magic number is 2.

Flores, bullpen bail Giants out of an early hole in 6-4 win over the Mariners

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Forgotten in the Giants’ chaotic week of uncertainty and inactivity: the team’s bullpen is showing improvement and becoming a reliable force.

Trailing 4-1 after two innings, and reeling from starting pitcher Tyler Anderson’s ejection, and Mike Yastrzemski’s calf injury, just one of the things on manager Gabe Kapler’s wish list was scoreless innings from his relievers.

When it was all done, Kapler got seven of them, and a huge, offensive rally to squeeze past the Mariners, 6-4. Anderson, who drew Kapler’s ire for his ejection, received a huge reprieve as well.

“We were put in a really bad situation because of me, and our guys fought, and that was really great,” Anderson said . “I felt really terrible inside leaving them out to dry like that. But to see everybody step up and have big performances, that was huge for the team.”

Wandy Peralta pitched the third, fourth and fifth innings in the lengthiest and most effective outing of his big league career. Peralta threw 49 pitches while maintaining his velocity throughout, allowing no hits, one walk while striking out three. The reliever’s 207th big league appearance came and went without a hold or a win–or a change on the scoreboard–but it definitely made an impression.

“As tough as (Anderson’s ejection) was, it was equally rewarding, and in some ways inspiring, to see him come out and give us the length that he did and battle. He gave us a chance to climb back into the game,” Kapler said of Peralta.

Rico Garcia, Tony Watson, Tyler Rogers and Sam Selman followed Peralta, giving the Giants a scoreless frame each. None had it easy in terms of numbers of pitches thrown, but the strikeouts piled up. The Giants recorded 12 on Thursday, and 29 strikeouts in the two-game series.

Evan Longoria’s RBI single kicked off the Giants’ comeback in the sixth. Luis Basabe, the rookie inserted into the game when Yastrzemski departed, gained his first big league hit and scored for the first time on Longoria’s hit. Later in the inning, Brandon Crawford’s sacrifice fly scored Wilmer Flores and the Giants trailed by one, 4-3.

In the seventh, Flores tripled home a pair to give the Giants the lead, and Alex Dickerson’s run-scoring, sacrifice fly gave the Giants some insurance.

The Mariners dropped all four games with the Giants by an aggregate score of 31-13. Playing all four in San Francisco didn’t help, neither did the team’s offense which stalled at critical junctures.

“The Giants had our number this year,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “I can’t really put my finger on it. They swung the bats very, very well against us and we struggled to close out innings against them.”

The win was the Giants 10th in their last 15 outings, a sign of team’s ability to stay locked in despite the team’s just completed week long odyssey which resulted in three, consecutive losses and confinement in two hotels. Now, they’ll finish the season with 11 games in 10 days, first in Oakland against the A’s then the final eight at Oracle Park against the Rockies and Padres.

The Giants are above .500 at 25-24 and the Rockies’ loss to the Dodgers Thursday night increased the Giants lead to three games in the important race to finish third in the NL West. The two other third place clubs in the National League–the Phillies and the Cardinals–also lost on Thursday enhancing the possibility that the Giants could finish seventh in the playoff stack and avoid the Dodgers in the postseason’s opening round.