Category: Uncategorized

By Jeremy Kahn

It seems even when the San Francisco Giants pickup just three hits in the game they find a way to win, and put an end to their losing streak.

Buster Posey hit a two-run home run in the top of the first inning, and Angel Pagan hit a two run single in the top of the second inning, as the Giants salavged the series finale with a 4-3 victory over the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.

The Posey and Pagan hits were two of the three hits that the Giants received from their offense on the afternoomn, as their pitching staff helped them put an end to their three-game losing streak.

Brandon Crawford picked the other Giants hit on the after just prior to Pagan’s two-run single in the top of the second, as the Padres stymied the Giants offense for the remainder of the afternoon.

Pagan’s two-run single came after Brandon Hicks walked, Crawford singled and then Tim Lincecum walked to load the bases against Padres starting pitcher Robbie Erlin.

Posey hit a long two-run home run off of Erlin in the top of the first inning that also scored Hunter Pence, who walked with one out in the inning.

After the Pagan hit in the top of the second inning, the Padres pitching staff simply dominated the game, as they retired 23 of the next 24 Giants.

Walks hurt Erlin, as he went six innings, allowing four runs on three hits, walking three and striking out three, as he retired 14 consecutive batters after Pagan’s single in the top of the second.

Lincecum, who threw a no-hitter at Petco Park on July 13, 2013, improved to 14-6 in 27 career starts against the Padres, his most against any team.

Nick Hundley hit a solo home run off of Lincecum in the bottom of the seventh inning that shortened the score down to 4-3 and finished Lincecum’s day on the mound.

Lincecum went six innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, walking three and striking out seven, as he won for the first time in 2014.

Things got interesting in the bottom of the ninth inning, as closer Sergio Romo issued a leadoff walk to Chase Headley, went to second on Romo wild pitch, but Yasmani Grandal to popout to Crawford, Hundley flew out to left for the second out and then Yonder Alonso flew out to Pagan for the final out of the game, as Romo notched his fifth save in as many opportunities this season.

Bruce Bochy challenged a call in the bottom of the third inning, as former Giants outfielder Xavier Nady was called at the plate; however it was confirmed that Posey indeed placed the tag on the former CAL Golden Bears standout and the call was reversed.

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Saturday, April 19, 2014

Golden State bounced back from a slow start and outlasted the Clippers 109-105 in Saturday’s opening game in an NBA West best-of-seven playoff game at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The Warriors trailed 12-1 early, missing their first eight shots, and Coach Mark Jackson had to burn two time outs. But Golden State eventually caught up and maintained a slim lead through most of the second half.

Golden State made its biggest surge in the third quarter, when the Clippers’ Blake Griffin and Chris Paul found themselves on the bench in foul trouble.

Back-to-back dunks by Jermaine O’Neal and a jumper by Kay Thompson helped the Warriors build an 11-point lead early in the fourth quarter.

Paul led a furious comeback attempt by the Clippers. His fast-break layup brought LA to within 98-92, and his 3-pointer cut the Clips’ deficit to 100-97 with 3:30 to play.

After DeAndre Jordan, a poor free throw shooter, hit a pair of them to bring the Clippers to within one, Paul nailed another 3-ball to tie the game at 102.

LA took a 103-102 on a Darren Collison free throw. On the Warriors’ ensuing possession, Collison blocked a shot to start a 3-on-1 break. But Harrison Barnes blocked Paul’s 5-footer and proceeded to hit a 3-pointer, putting Golden State up 105-103.

Griffin sank a pair of free throws for the game’s 18th and final tie at 105-105 with 1:30 remaining. The Warriors lost the ball on its next possession on a shot-clock violation, Then Griffin fouled out, and with 37 seconds remaining, the Clippers committed one of their 17 turnovers and lost a video review.

Both teams were plagued by foul trouble. Golden State’s David Lee and Andre Iguldala both fouled out.

Thompson led the Warriors with 22 points, followed by Lee with 20 and Stephen Curry with 14. Lee also had 13 boards and three assists.

Paul netted a game-high 28 points for the Clippers, along with seven rebounds and eight assists. J.J. Redick added 22 points and Griffin fouled out with 16 points. Jordan finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds.

Game 2 is Monday night, again at Staples Center.

By Jeremy Kahn

It seems that when the San Francisco Giants left the Bay Area after their afternoon loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday afternoon, they forgot something on the field.

Over their first two games against the San Diego Padres, the Giants have amassed just two runs on eight hits and the Padres have taken the first two games against their rivals from Northern California.

Former Giants pitcher Eric Stults along with three relievers allowed one run on just four hits, as the Padres defeated the Giants 3-1 at Petco Park.

After the Padres took an early 1-0 lead against Tim Hudson, Michael Morse hit a toweing home run to centerfield that tied up the game.

Unfortunately, that would not be the score for long, as the Padres scored the eventual winning run in the bottom of the fifth inning, when Everth Cabrera tripled to score Alexei Amarista from third base.

Amarista reached on a bunt single, went to second on a Hudson throwing error, moved to third on a Stults sacrifice bunt.

Chris DeNorfia sacrificed back to Jean Machi that allowed Will Venable, the son of former Giants outfielder Max Venable to score the third and final run of the game.

It was a tough loss for Hudson, who lost for the first time this season; however there is a bright note to the performance of Hudson on this night.

Hudson went seven innings, allowing two runs on eight runs, not allowing a walk and striking out four.

By not allowing a walk for the fourth straight game to start the season, Hudson became just the third pitcher in the last 101 years to pitch at least seven innings and not issue a walk.

Hudson joins Grover Cleveland Alexander, who pitched six consecutive games in 1923 and Tiny Bonham in 1944, when he pitched four consecutive games of not issuing a walk.

In his first year with the Giants, Hudson already broke a franchise record, by not allowing a walk in 30 innings to start the season.

By Jeremy Kahn

Once again, the San Francisco Giants played a tight game against an opponent from the National League West, and there is a pattern brewing.

Matt Cain pitched a great game, as he went seven innings, allowing one run and scattering four hits, as the San Diego Padres hung on to defeat the Giants 2-1 at Petco Park.

It is a tough start to the season for Cain, who drops to 0-3 on the season; however he struck out eight and walk two in seven innings.

Tyson Ross did not allow a run, while scattering four hits and struck out nine in eight innings, as he improves to 2-1 on the season.

This was the eighth consecutive one-run game for the Giants, the first time that the Giants have accomplished this feat since 1910, when they played in New York.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Giants are the first major league team to turn the feat since the Minnesota Twins accomplished it from July 10-20, 2005.

Chris DeNorfia scored the Padres first run of the night in the bottom of the first inning ,as the former Oakland A’s outfielder tripled off of Cain and then scored on a Hector Sanchez passed ball.

Yasmani Grandal gave the Padres some breathing room in the bottom of the eighth inning, as he took a Juan Gutierrez pitch over the right field wall to give the Padres a 2-0 lead.

It was the first home run of the season for Grandal, who was pinch hitting for Padres starting pitcher and former A’s pitcher Ross, who attended Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland, before going to UC Berkeley.

Hunter Pence singled off of Street with two outs, but Street got Sanchez to struck out swinging to end the game.

Brandon Belt got the Giants within one run in the top of the ninth inning, as he took a former A’s closer Huston Steet pitch and put it into the right field stands for his sixth home run of the season.

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Thursday, April 17, 2014

The AL West Division leading Oakland Athletics had Thursday off as they prepare to face a couple of division foes as part of their upcoming homestand.

Houston visits the Coliseum for a weekend three-game series, followed by a three-game weekday set as Texas makes its first visit of the season to the Bay Area.

On Saturday, A’s fans will receive a Josh Donaldson bobblehead, and the first pitch will be thrown by Marcos Garcia, brother of Diego Garcia, a lifelong A’s fan who was killed by a drunk driver this past offseason.

A’s fans will also have an old fashioned doubleheader to look forward to on Wednesday, May 7, when Oakland hosts Seattle. The first game starts at 12:35 p.m., and the second game starts 30 minutes later. The extra game was rescheduled from an April 4 postponement.

The team reports that fans holding April 4 tickets can redeem the paid value to another A’s home game during the 2014 regular season, including the May 7 doubleheader (subject to ticket availability).

As a thank you to fans that were inconvenienced by the April 4 postponement, the Athletics are offering a four complimentary tickets per account to a game during the May 5-7 Seattle series. Those fans will be sent an email outlining instructions to redeem their tickets. The deadline to redeem those April 4 tickets is Wednesday, April 30, at 11:59 p.m.

Comcast SportsNet California will televise both games of the May 7 doubleheader.

By Tony Renteria

The Sacramento Kings (28-54) ended the 2014 season by losing to the Phoenix Suns (48-34) on a warm Wednesday night Sleep Train Arena.  The Kings took a lead into the fourth quarter but they were unable to hold on and lost 104-99.

The Kings were led by rookie Ben McLemore who scored 31 points and chipped in five rebounds and five assists. DeMarcus Cousins did not play, Isaiah Thomas and Rudy Gay played limited minutes.

The Suns head into the playoffs behind reserve guard and rookie Archie Goodwin who scored 29 points.

The Kings will look toward the draft and free agency to add to a roster that has potential for 2015.

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-Hector Sanchez came up as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the ninth inning, and stayed in the game for Buster Posey and everyone is glad he did stay in the game.

Sanchez lined a single to right-center field in the bottom of the 12th inning off of Brandon League to score Brandon Crawford from third base, as the San Francisco Giants came back to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 before a sellout crowd of 42,469 at AT&T Park.

Crawford singled to center field with one out, advanced to second on a wacky ground out off the bat of Brandon Hicks, that bounced off of Juan Uribe at third, over to Hanley Ramirez at shortstop, who in turn threw to Adrian Gonzalez at first base for the second out of the inning.

After a wild pitch by League that allowed Crawford move to third base, Sanchez delivered the game-winning hit that sent the remaining Giants fans home happy.

Justin Turner hit a Javier Lopez pitch up the middle just past Crawford and into centerfield with two outs in the top of the seventh inning to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead over the Giants.

The Turner basehit off of Lopez scored Uribe, who doubled to leadoff the inning against Jean Machi.

It was the second run of the evening scored by Uribe, as he got the Dodgers on the board in the top of the second inning with one swing of the bat.

Uribe hit a solo home run off of Tim Lincecum with two outs in the top of the second inning to get the Dodgers on the board.

In all, Lincecum went five innings, allowing just that one run on five hits, did not walk a batter and struck out five on the evening.

Josh Beckett also pitched five innings for the Dodgers, as he did not allow a run, just two hits, walked five and struck out four.

The Giants blew multiple chances to get on the board, as they left the bases loaded in both the fourth, fifth and tenth innings respectively.

It must have been something in the air, as the Dodgers also left the bases loaded in the top of the fourth inning against Lincecum.

After a Hunter Pence single to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning, Michael Morse hit what looked like to be a sure fire double play; however Hanley Ramirez’s throw to Dee Gordon at second base was low and Pence was safe at second.

Pence then advanced an extra 90 feet, as reliever Chris Withrow’s pitch got by Tim Federowicz, while Morse stayed on first.

That was a huge 90 feet that Pence advanced, as Brandon Crawford then hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield and Pence jogged in from third base without a throw to tie up the game.

In honor of the 67th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball, all on-field personnel wore Robinson’s number 42 that was retired by Major League Baseball in 1997.

Prior to the game, Giants Hall of Famer broadcaster Jon Miller, and Dodgers Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scully, who is in his 65th season with the Dodgers announced the starting lineups.

Also during the on-field ceremony, a letter was read by public address announcer Renel Brooks-Moon via former Giants outfielder Monte Irvin, who was unable to make it to the game.