Category: Uncategorized

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-Pablo Sandoval continues his hot hitting against that is thrown to him at the plate, and he proved that in his first at-bat of the evening.

Sandoval homered off Samuel Deduno in the bottom of the second inning, as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Minnesota Twins 2-1 before a crowd of 41,724, the 270th consecutive regular season sellout at AT&T Park.

This was the Giants fifth straight win in interleague play against zero losses, as they look to complete their second consecutive interleague sweep on Sunday afternoon.

Last month, the Giants swept the Cleveland Indians from April 25-27 and next face an interleague opponent on June 17, when they travel to the South Side of Chicago to face the Chicago White Sox for a quick two-game series.

It was the fourth home run in the last six games for Sandoval, and continues to stay hot after beginning the season 19-for-114, a .167 clip.

Ryan Vogelsong went 6.2 innings, allowing zero runs on three hits, while walking just one and striking out seven, as he won for the third time this season against two losses.

This was the first interleague for Vogelsong since June 15, 2012, when he defeated the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field

Over his past six starts, Vogelsong has thrown 40 innings, a 1.35 earned run average with 35 strikeouts.

In his last 13.2 innings, opponents have not scored against the right-hander and the last time he allowed a run was to the Atlanta Braves on May 13, a 5-0 loss at AT&T Park.

Vogelsong did not allow a run to the Miami Marlins on Sunday afternoon in seven innings of work, as the Giants would go to defeat the Marlins 4-1.

Despite the early home run to Sandoval in the bottom of the first inning, Deduno settled down, as he went 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on four hits, walking three and striking out four; however his record fell to 1-3 on the season.

Sandoval added a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth inning, driving Angel Pagan from third base, who led off the inning with a single, advanced to second on a Hunter Pence walk and to third on a Buster Posey Fielders’ Choice that retired Pence at second base.

Josmil Pinto broke up the shutout in the top of the ninth inning, as he took a Sergio Romo over the left field wall for his seventh home run of the season.

Romo settled down to retire Jason Kubel on a groundout to shortstop, Eduardo Escobar struck out for the second and former Oakland A’s catcher Kurt Suzuki ended the game via a groundout to Romo, who picked up his 16th save of the season in 18 opportunities.

By DANIEL DULLUM
Sports Radio Service
Thursday, May 22, 2014

Tampa Bay’s Sean Rodriguez smacked a dramatic three-run home run with two out in the bottom of the 11th inning Thursday, lifting the Rays past Oakland 5-2, salvaging the third game of their midweek series against the Athletics at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Rodriguez hit his team-leading fifth homer of the season off A’s reliever Luke Gregorson after Desmond Jennings delivered a two-out game-tying single off losing pitcher Dan Otero (4-1).

The loss ended Oakland’s five-game winning streak, and snapped Tampa Bay’s four-game skid. It was also the Athletics’ second loss in their last 13 games.

Rays’ reliever Josh Lueke (1-2) finished the 11th inning to get the win. The A’s took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 11th on a sacrifice fly by Yeonis Cespedes, who also drove in the first Oakland run with an RBI double in the ninth inning off TB closer Grant Balfour.

Tampa Bay took a 1-0 lead in the seventh inning on an RBI single by Yunel Escobar.

A’s starter Sonny Gray tossed eight innings to reduce his American League-leading earned run average to 1.99. Alex Cobb, making his first start for the Rays since April 12, threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings. Cobb has spent 35 days on the disabled list with a strained left oblique.

Cobb also tied a Rays record with his third consecutive scoreless start.

Tampa Bay’s rally in the ninth ended on a replay. Jennings was ruled to be caught stealing after the play was originally ruled safe. The replay challenge took two minutes and 13 seconds.

A’s ACORNS: Oakland OF Coco Crisp and SS Jed Lowrie returned to the Athletics’ lineup after both were sidelined with sore necks. … The A’s travel to Toronto for a weekend series. On Friday, LHP Scott Kazmir (5-1) faces Blue Jays knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (4-4). … A’s INF Eric Sogard will distribute eye glasses to over 50 deserving children on Tuesday, May 27, at Franklin Elementary School in Oakland. Sogard, one of the few major leaguers to wear glasses on the field, will make the visit in conjunction with Vision To Learn, a nonprofit that provides free eye exams and glasses to children in low-income communities.

By Jeremy Harness

The Giants and the Colorado Rockies had to wait out a long rain delay on Thursday, but the rain just did not stop in time for the game to continue, as the game was halted in the bottom of the sixth due to the wet weather.

The teams were deadlocked at 2-2, and there was no immediate date to finish the game.

Michael Cuddyer started the scoring in the second inning, as his infield single scored Willy Rosario. However, the Giants roared right back in the fourth with two runs to take the lead, as Hunter Pence launched a solo homer over the right-field wall while Pablo Sandoval added a run-scoring double to give the Giants a 2-1 lead.

Colorado tied the game in the fifth inning, as Rosario hit into a double play while Nick Arenado scored.

Meanwhile, the Giants got the diagnoses back for both of the pitchers who suffered hamstring injuries in Wednesday’s game.

Matt Cain suffered a Grade 1 strain – considered a mild strain -and is not expected to miss much time. However, reliever Santiago Casilla was diagnosed with a Grade 2 – or medium – strain and is expected to miss about four weeks due to the injury.

Casilla was injured running out a ground ball in the ninth inning of Wednesday’s 5-1 win over the Rockies. He was the second reliever to be injured on the basepaths this year, as David Huff strained his left quadriceps while getting his first major-league hit April 21 and ended up missing 18 games.

The Giants come back home to start a three-game series at AT&T Park on Friday against the Minnesota Twins. Tim Lincecum (3-3, 4.74 ERA) will take the hill for the Giants, facing Minnesota righty Kyle Gibson (4-3, 4.20 ERA).

The Twins are currently two games over .500, a position that they have not been in since they won the American League Central title four years ago.

By George Devine, Sr.

Sometimes a key to a game is not who plays, but who doesn’t. That seemed the case in San Antonio tonight when the Thunder’s Serge Ibaka was absent due to a calf injury, which will keep him on the sidelines throughout the postseason. Without him on defense, the Spurs scored 66 points in the paint, more than enough to make the difference in game 1 of this round in the west.

The Spurs led in all quarters but the third, when Oklahoma City led 23-22. The rest of the game belonged to the home team, especially in the final frame when San Antonio led 33-23. Tim Duncan was the sparkplug, with 27 points and 7 rebounds, 5 of them on defense. A well-guarded Tony Parker — returning to action after a hamstring injury — scored only 4 points, but contributed 12 valuable assists. Manu Ginobili demonstrated his ability to drive to the basket, scoring 18, and Danny Green had 16 as did Kawhi Leonard, who also had 3 steals.

For OKC, Kevin Durant was in for most of the evening (40:48) and scored 28 points, but was in foul trouble with 4. He had 9 boards, all but one on defense. Russell Westbrook scored 25 and had 7 assists. Derek Fisher scored 16 and Reggie Jackson 13.

The Thunder shot only 46.3% on field goals, compared to the Spurs’ 57.5%; on treys the ratio was 44.4%-57.9%, and from the line the visitors were a formidable 82.6% to San Antonio’s 76.5%.

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-In his last two starts, Ryan Vogelsong made everyone remember why Bruce Bochy picked him to be an All-Star during the 2011 season.

Vogelsong struck out a career-high tying eight in a loss to the Atlanta Braves, and in his next start, he struck out six in seven innings of work, not allowing a run on five hits, walking just one and the San Francisco Giants defeated the Miami Marlins 4-1 before a crowd of 41,551, the 268th consecutive sellout at AT&T Park.

In hs first at-bat against Turner in the bottom of the second inning ,Vogelsong picked up his third hit of the season and then grounded out to shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The Giants got the all the runs they would need in the bottom of the first inning, as Gregor Blanco led off the inning by reaching first base after being hit by a Jacob Turner pitch.

Blanco then stole second base,went to third on a Hunter Pence groundout and then scored the only run that the Giants and Vogelsong would need on a Buster Posey sacrifice fly.

Pablo Sandoval then began a trend of four successive singles, as Michael Morse, Tyler Colvin and Brandon Hicks followed suit behind Sandoval.

It was Colvin’s base hit that scored Sandoval, and then Hicks’ single scored Morse following the Colvin single off of Tuner.

Sandoval hit his just third home run of the season, a solo shot that led off the bottom of the fifth innig, it was the first home run for Sandoval since April 13 against Tyler Chatwood of the Colorado Rockies, a span of 108 at-bats.

Christian Yelich got on the board in the top of the eighth inning, as he grounded out to Brandon Crawford at shortstop to score Hechavarria against Jeremy Affeldt.

Santiago Casilla was able to get out the Giants of a potential tie game, as he struck out Garrett Jones for the second out and then got pinch hitter Giancarlo Stanton to flyout to Pence in right field to end the inning.