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Oregon State Walks Out Of Berkeley Victorious After 52-40 win against Cal

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Cal Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) runs before throwing the football against the Oregon Beavers in the second quarter at Cal Memorial Stadium in Berkeley on Sat Oct 7, 2023 (AP News photo)

Saturday, October 7th, 2023

By Troy Ewers

Berkeley, CA – On homecoming night at University of Cal, it’s the Cal Bears against the Oregon State University Beavers and the Bears are coming off a great win against Arizona State University, but the Beavers are coming off an equally great win against a ranked Utah squad. Cal walks into this game with a clear swagger and a win for either team would propel them up the ranks in the Pac-12.

Unfortunately Cal lost at home in a highly offensive game of scoring and fell short to Oregon State 52-40. Cal drops to .500 at 3-3.

Cal starts with the ball to open the game and the drive goes nowhere for the Bears and Oregon State takes over on possession and immediately starts pushing down field. In the red zone the Beavers score with ease as DJ Uiagalelei throws a dime to tight end Jack Velling and after an easy extra point, the Beavers take the early lead 7-0.

Cal’s attempt to even the score began as Cal utilized their lead running back Jaydn Ott, but was still forced to punt when even those attempts were foiled by OSU’s defense. The Beavers start out in their own red zone and being pinned there causes the Beavers to have to pass out of the jam, but to no success as they were forced to punt.

Cal’s next drive was more effective as they got down field with a variety of passes and rushes. The quarter ends with the ball still in Cal’s hands in the red zone with a chance to even out the game. 

On the fourth down the Bears decide to settle for the field goal and we start the second quarter 7-3. A major kickoff return for Oregon State goes 59 yards and they start this drive with amazing field position. Again in the red zone, Oregon State had the ball and on four plays Aiden Chiles hit Silas Bolden in the end zone and the Beavers put a gap in the score 14-0, but there was still a lot of ball game left and Cal started their next drive in the red zone after an onside recovery that they took back 26 yards.

Cal gets their first touchdown after Isaiah Ifanse got a nine yard pass from Fernando Mendoza and now it was a 14-10 ball game. On OSU’s drive, they made a big mistake when Cal forced a fumble and recovered it.

This is Cal’s seventh fumble recovery of the season and they are some of the best in the NCAA when it comes to forcing turnovers. Following that big recovery, the Bears offense pushed down the field using Ott and Ifanse and that strategy was effective when Ifanse walked in the end zone for an easy rushing touchdown and after an extra point, Cal had its first lead 17-14 with eight minutes left in the first half.

A trick play by OSU gets them downfield and back in the red zone, but while in the red zone, Cal was fighting in the trenches and forced a fourth and 1 for the Beavers, but a QB run for a yard kept the drive alive.

The Cal defense forced another fourth down attempt for the Beavers, but this time with 3 yards away from the end zone and they converted after Jack Velling caught his second touchdown catch, now the score being 21-17 Beavers up.

In the final minute of the game, Cal’s goal was to go in the locker room with some energy, but were forced to punt before the last eight seconds of the half and OSU took a knee which is how the first half closes. 

The second half started with a big return from the Beavers, 50 yards and a chance to take over early in the half. Cal has outscored their opponents this season in the second half, especially the third quarter, but that didn’t matter as Oregon State capitalized on the great field position when DJ Uiagalelei got a touchdown pass to Jesiah Irish and the Beavers made it 28-17.

Cal wasted no time on their following drive just moving the chains in such an efficient fashion that if you blinked you would’ve missed how far they traveled down field. This pursuit down the field was capitalized on as Ifanse powered through the Beavers O-Line and got another touchdown making it 28-24 and at this point Ifanse had all the touchdowns for the Bears.

The Beavers answered right back with a touchdown of their own with another TD catch from Velling making it 35-24 and the Bears had to respond. That response came after a big drive and the exclamation point was a 30 yard TD pass from Mendoza to Jack Endries and when the Bears converted on the two point attempt and the Cal fans went crazy! 35-32! The third quarter ended with OSU in the red zone on third down and the pendulum could swing any way at this moment. 

Oregon State got the TD to start the fourth as Damien Martinez powered his way into the endzone and they took the lead again 42-32. Cal started their drive with a force of energy, but fumbled the ball and the Beavers recovered the ball and now a chance to put this game away was in their hands.

The nail in the coffin for Oregon State was when Uiagalelei threw a pass to eligible receiver and DT Isaac Hodgins and now it was 49-32 Oregon State as Cal fans started to beat the traffic and head out the stadium.

The downfall wasn’t over for Cal as Mendoza attempted a throw, but was picked off by Jermod McCoy and at this point the game seemed over even though there were still ten minutes left on the clock. Oregon State even with a decisive lead was still pushing down the field just eating the clock down.

The Beavers walked away with a field goal and with two and a half minutes left, the Bears were fighting for pride as the clock ticked and ticked. Cal scored and executed on the two point conversion, but with a minute left, the game was in the bag. 

When the clock hit zero, the Bears fought, but the Beavers fought harder and the game ended with a 52-40 score and Oregon State walked away with a win. Cal shouldn’t be discouraged by this loss, because it showed them as a balanced team who can compete, just need some more elite players to match up against the big dogs.

Cal’s next game will be against Utah at Utah and the hopes for the Bears are a W.

Earthquakes fight FC Dallas to 1-1 draw stay 8th in the West

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San Jose Earthquakes forward Cade Cowell battles for the ball against FC Dallas midfielder Facundo Quignon at Toyota Stadium on Saturday OCT 7, 2023. (MLS)

by Marko Ukalovic

It’s going to take Decision Day 2023 to determine the two final playoff spots in the Western Conference.

The San Jose Earthquakes battled FC Dallas to a 1-1 draw on the second to last game of the season on Saturday evening at Toyota Stadium.

With the draw, San Jose stayed one point ahead of FC Dallas for the eighth spot in the Western Conference with 43 points. Two points separates five teams from eight to 11th place with Portland and San Jose tied with 43, FC Dallas with 42 and Sporting KC and Minnesota United both with 41 points.

FC Dallas has a game in hand as their game on Wednesday against the Colorado Rapids was postponed due to rain and has been rescheduled for October 14th at Toyota Stadium.

“The point is important. The point allows us to still have an edge. Now it’s very clear, we’re disappointed. We were winning and we didn’t close that out in a way to qualify tonight. So that’s disappointing. I thought we had a fantastic first half, getting pressure on the ball, attacking sequences, and defensive organization. The point is still going to give us some type of advantage with those other teams,” ‘Quakes head coach Luchi Gonzalez said.

The Earthquakes will advance to the playoffs with a win in two weeks on Decision Day against Austin FC, who were eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the day. A draw or loss might move them out of the eight-ninth play-in game to determine the eighth and final seed of the Western Conference Playoffs.

“Look, I’ve been around long enough to know that Decision Day is crazy. We can still finish seventh or maybe even higher. Games in hand have to be won, they’re not automatic three points. We will see how the other teams do and be ready to push for the highest position possible on the last day,” ‘Quakes forward Jeremy Ebobisse said.

San Jose (10-10-13) drew first blood in the third minute. Cristian Espinoza found captain Jackson Yueill along the right wing. Yueill centered a pass into the middle where Ebobisse slid feet first to punch the ball past FC Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes for his 10th goal of the season.

Ebobisse became third ‘Quakes to score 10 plus goals in back-to-back seasons joining Chris Wondolowski and Ronald Cerritos.

“When we came into the game from the beginning, we wanted to go for three [points]. We wanted to clinch playoffs tonight. We started off quite well in that. I think that [FC Dallas] were naturally going to get some chances and build some momentum at home as any home team would. We did a pretty good job of repelling those with guys making some plays. Ultimately that dam broke a little bit. You have to manage each situation. The point is still very valuable,” Ebobisse said.

FC Dallas (10-10-12) scored the equalizer in the 57th minute. Jesus Ferreira glided a pass up the middle of the pitch. Jader Obrian raced out and got in front of Tanner Beason before depositing the ball over ‘Quakes goalkeeper Daniel for his fifth goal of the season.

Daniel finished four saves on five shots on target. Paes made two saves on three shots on target from San Jose to earn the draw.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with two corner kicks. FC Dallas had three.

The Quakes now hold a 29-21-22 record against FC Dallas, including a 12-13-10 record on the road. They have only lost once to Dallas in their last 13 MLS regular season matches (4-1-8)

Yueill’s fifth assist of the season was also his 17th of his MLS career.

Espinoza tallied his 13th assist of the season, furthering his own all-time club assist record to 57.

UP NEXT: San Jose concludes the regular season when they host Austin FC on Saturday 10/21 at 6:00pm at Pay Pal Park.

McCaffery’s 4 touchdown day paces the 49ers in 35-16 rout of Cardinals

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San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffery leaps off an Arizona Cardinals defender on his to way a touchdown at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday OCT 1, 2023. (San Francisco 49ers)

by Marko Ukalovic

Christian McCaffery set a franchise record on Sunday.

McCaffery scored four touchdowns for the San Francisco 49ers who dominated from start to finish in a 35-16 blowout victory over the Arizona Cardinals in an NFC West divisional showdown on Sunday afternoon at Levi’s Stadium.

The All-Pro running back set a new 49ers record for scoring a touchdown in 13 consecutive games, breaking the old mark of 12 set by Jerry Rice, when he scored his first rushing touchdown with 9:07 left in the first quarter on a one-yard scamper that completed an eight play 62-yard opening drive.

San Francisco has started the season 4-0 for the first time since 2019. Arizona dropped to 1-3 on the season.

McCaffery and the 49ers offense had its way with Arizona as they dominated the line of scrimmage that allowed for a fun day on the field. San Francisco went up 14-0 early in the second quarter when quarterback Brock Purdy pitched the ball back to McCaffery who rushed 18 yards for his second rushing touchdown.

After a Matt Prater 38-yard field goal, the 49ers marched back down the field on a five play 75-yard drive that concluded with Purdy connecting with McCaffery on a six-yard touchdown reception to give San Francisco a comfortable 21-3 lead.

“Yeah, it would’ve been nice”, said McCaffery with a laugh when asked if had campaigned to get a fifth touchdown late in the game. “He’s (49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan) obviously got a lot going on in-game. That’s the last of anyone’s worries to do that. So as long as we scored, I was happy.”

Arizona ended the first half when quarterback Josh Dobbs hooked up with rookie wide receiver Michael Wilson on a 16-yard touchdown reception with 23 seconds left in the second quarter.

The Cardinals forced a three and out on the 49ers first possession of the second half. San Francisco punter Matt Wishnowsky pinned Arizona at their own 1-yard line.

Dobbs then led an 11 play 99-yard scoring drive down the field that chewed up 4:12 off the clock. Dobbs connected once again with Wilson for their second straight touchdown reception, an eight yarder to cut San Francisco’s lead to 21-16. They failed on the two-point conversion.

McCaffery put the game away for the 49ers early in the fourth quarter when he run for his third touchdown of the game and fourth overall with a two-yard run. McCaffery finished the game with 177 all-purpose yards with 106 on the ground on 20 carries and 71 through the air on seven catches.

“He’s a freak. He does everything for us. He can run the ball, run routes out of the back field, line up a receiver (and) run routes. So, we’re thankful for him. All you gotta do is get the ball to him and he does the rest,” Purdy said.

Purdy completed with the scoring with 1:59 left in the game when his one-yard quarterback sneak up the middle for his second rushing touchdown of the season. Purdy finished 20 of 21 for 283 yards to go along with his one passing touchdown and no interceptions. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk led all receivers with six catches for 148 yards.

Dobbs finished 28 of 41 for 265 yards and two touchdowns. Marquise “Hollywood” Brown led the Cardinals in receiving with seven catches for 96 yards. Running back James Connor chipped in with 52 yards on 11 carries.

GAME NOTES: San Francisco finished 3-for-5 on third down conversions. Arizona went 8-for-15.

San Francisco has won 14 consecutive regular season games, their second longest streak in franchise history.

Purdy set the 49ers’ single-game record for completion percentage (20 of 21) at 95.2 percent. Previous record (20+ attempts) was Steve Young, 1991 vs. Detroit (18 of 20) 90 percent.

UP NEXT: San Francisco hosts the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football 10/8 at 5:20pm at Levi’s Stadium.

Earthquakes late goal in second half salvages 1-1 draw with Minnesota FC

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San Jose Earthquakes defender Rodriguez battles for a loose ball with Minnesota FC midfielder Franco Fragapane at Allianz Field on Saturday SEP 30, 2023. (Minnesota FC)

by Marko Ukalovic

The San Jose Earthquakes needed some late match comeback magic to earn a critical point.

Paul Marie scored the equalizer in the 82nd minute as the Quakes settled for a 1-1 draw with Minnesota FC on Saturday evening at Allianz Field.

San Jose stayed in eight place in the Western Conference with the tie to stay one point ahead (42) of FC Dallas (41) who earned a point with a 0-0 draw with the Houston Dynamo. Minnesota is on the outside looking in as they are tied for 11th place in the conference with Sporting Kansas City with 38 points.

Minnesota FC (9-11-11-38 points) controlled the first 15 minutes of the match as they generated scoring chances from Emanuel Reynoso and Bongokuhle Hlongwane only to have both players miss their targets.

San Jose (10-10-12-42 points) generated two scoring chances late in the opening 45 minutes when shots from Cristian Espinoza and Matthew Hoppe were off target against Minnesota goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.

Minnesota FC broke the seal in the 56th minute on a counterattack. Bongokuhle tried to dribble through two ‘Quakes defenders inside the box when the ball deflected off Carlos Akapo. Teemu Pukki cleaned up the loose ball and buried a shot past ‘Quakes goalkeeper Daniel for his sixth goal of the season.

“In the first half, I thought we did have some moments of possession, but not enough. I thought we could have connected more and been a little more patient in our build up. I thought it was a pretty fair and even game. We started the second half quite well, but they hurt us in transition. We were down 1-0, and we responded with some aggressive subs with guys who could give us some verticality and speed and take the game to another gear,” Earthquakes head coach Luchi Gonzlez said.

Espinoza, who has been the catalyst for San Jose’s offense all season, set up the late match heroics when he made a move around Franco Fragapane just outside the box before depositing a cross to the left side where an unmarked Marie one-timed the ball with an arial volley into the upper right corner of net for his third goal of the season.

“Starting or not, (Marie) has been in rotation and involved. He’s important. I think he’s a starting caliber fullback/wingback, not just for us but for the league. I am proud of his mentality, being ready no matter what, starting or not. Knowing the game will have a role for him, and he came in showed that. I am very proud of him, and that shows what kind of a teammate he is to this group,” Gonzalez said.

Both goalies had one save on two shots on target to each the draw.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with seven corner kicks. Minnesota FC has four.

The Quakes now hold a 5-4-4 record against Minnesota United FC, including a 2-2-2 record on the road.

Espinoza tallied his 11th assist of the season and 56th of his MLS career. Akapo tallied his fourth assist of the season and of his MLS career.

UP NEXT: San Jose finishes its regular season road schedule against FC Dallas in a battle for 8th place in the West on Saturday 10/7 at 5:30pm at Toyota Stadium.

Good pitching, Timely hitting, give A’s 2-1 win over Twins at Target Field

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Oakland A’s starter Ken Waldichuk will duel against the Los Angeles Angels on Fri Sep 29, 2023 at the Big A in Anaheim. This will be the last series of the 2023 season for Oakland. (photo from White Cleat Beat)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s, behind Luis Medina’s best performance of the year and timely hitting by the A’s offense, gave the A’s a 2-1 win over the Central Division champions, the Minnesota Twins. It was Medina’s last start in 2023, and he made it a good one. The young man from the Dominican Republic can go home knowing how well he pitched Thursday afternoon.

The Twins did score a run off Medina in the bottom of the sixth. However, relievers Lucas Erceg, Dany Jimenez, and Trevor May pitched a scoreless seventh, eighth, and ninth inning to secure the win for the Green and Gold.

The A’s were facing their former teammate Sonny Gray in the final game of the three-game series. Gray had been a first-round pick of the A’s in the 2011 Amateur Draft. Gray had been a standout pitcher at Vanderbilt University. The Twins’ manager, Rocco Baldelli, planned to have Gray pitch four innings as he will pitch the second game of the AL Wildcard series slated to start next Tuesday.

The A’s scored the game’s first run in the top of the second inning. With one out, JJ Bleday, recently activated from the IL, singled. Bleday went to second base on Aledmys Diaz’s ground out. A’s shortstop Nick Allen singled to drive in Bleday.

The Twins tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. Willie Castro, playing third base for the Twins, laid down a perfect drag bunt to reach safely. Former San Francisco Giant Donovan Solano singled, sending Castro to second.

Medina hit Alex Kiriloff with a pitch to load the bases with no out. The next hitter, Matt Wallner, who hit a grand slam Tuesday night, hit into a 4-6-3 double play. Castro scored to tie the game. Medina retired Ryan Jeffers for the final out.

The Twins threatened to break the game open in the bottom of the seventh. A’s reliever Lucas Erceg walked Trevor Larnach to start the inning. Erceg retired the next two hitters. Erceg suddenly could not find the strike zone. He walked Edouard Julien and Willie Castro to load the bases.

The next hitter was the ever-dangerous hit machine, Donovan Solano. It was quite a battle. It took 12 pitches as Erceg struck out Solano with a 99-mile-per-hour fastball that ended the inning.

The Twins brought Kenta Maeda to relieve Sonny Gray in the fifth inning. Maeda held the A’s hitless for three innings. The game-winning hit came in the top of the eighth. A’s rookie first baseman Ryan Noda blasted his 16th home run of the year into the right field seats to give the A’s a 2-1 advantage.

Dany Jimenez gave up a one-out double to Matt Wallner. The Twins needed a hit to tie the game. Jimenez retired Ryan Jeffers on a fly ball to left and Trevor Larnach on a ground out to first baseman Ryan Noda. Trevor May, a former member of the Minnesota Twins, retired his former 1-2-3 in the ninth. The A’s win 2-1.

Game Notes- With the win, the A’s are 49-110. It was the A’s third win in their 14 games. The winning pitcher was Lucas Erceg. The Twins dropped to 85-74. The losing pitcher was Kenta Maeda.

The line for Oakland was two runs, four hits, and no errors.
The line for the Twins was one run, four hits, and no errors.

The line for Luis Medina was six innings pitched, allowing one run, four hits, walking three, and striking out four. Medina threw 93 pitches, 55 for strikes. It was his best performance of the year.

The A’s play the season’s final three games with the Los Angeles Angels. Both teams have had a dismal season. The A’s set an Oakland record with 110 losses. The Angels lost their two All-Stars to injury. Mike Trout broke his hamate bone last July and did not fully recover.

Shohei Ohtani had UCL surgery and is out until next year. The big question in Anaheim is whether the players will wear an Angel uniform next year. Ohtani is a free agent and will be a hot property on the market. The big-money teams like the Yankees, Dodgers, or Mets will be trying to sign Ohtani.

The A’s will send lefty Ken Waldichuk to the hill Friday night to face the Angels. Waldichuk will be trying to win his fifth game of the year. Chase Silseth will pitch for LA.

For this writer, this will be my final A’s game summary for 2023. It has been difficult to watch the A’s lose so many games. However, as dismal as it has been, there are some bright spots. First, I would like to commend A’s manager, Mark Kotsay, for the job he did in such unfortunate circumstances.

Kotsay made sure his players gave 100% every day. They may not have produced better results, but it was not for lack of effort. The guys were all grinders. They did not lay down. The A’s have some young talent that may change their fortunes. Second baseman Zack Geldof has shown he is a big-league talent.

In the coming seasons, Ryan Noda, Esteury Ruiz, and Shea Langeliers will all be building blocks. The A’s need to improve the starting rotation. The only pitcher with five wins was Shintaro Fujinami. The A’s traded Fuji to Baltimore, and the young pitcher from Japan will be in the playoffs.

Starting pitcher for Oakland to open the three game series in Anaheim Friday night for the A’s Ken Waldichuk (4-8 ERA 5.29) for the Los Angeles Angels Chase Silseth (4-1 ERA 4.10) a 6:38pm PT first pitch.

Let me finish by saying adios to the Green and Gold. Let’s hope next year will be better.

Oakland A’s preview: A’s open up three game series against Twins Tuesday night

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Oakland Athletics’ Ryan Noda reacts after striking out against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Mon Sep 25, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s are off on Monday. On a sour note, they finished the final home game of the season at the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday. The A’s lost to the Tigers 4-1, which was the 108th of the year. The 108 losses tied the A’s 1979 team, which also lost 108 games.

The A’s start the final six-game road trip of the year starting on Tuesday with three games against the Minnesota Twins. Neither team has anything to achieve. The Twins are the champions of the Central Division and will be the number three seed in the American League playoffs.

The A’s will finish the season with the worst record in baseball. They will likely only win some of the six games on the trip and will set a new A’s team record for most losses in a season.

The Twins were fortunate to be in the Central Division. If they were in the AL West or Al East, the Twins would be in the race for the last Wild Card slot. The Twins are the only team in the Central Division with a winning record, 83-73.

That is the seventh-best record in the league. Toronto, Texas, Houston, and Seattle all have a better record. In the AL West, it will be a dogfight until the final day of the season. The Rangers play three against the Angels starting on Monday, then four against the Seattle Mariners starting on Thursday.

The Mariners trail the Rangers by three games, but Houston could sneak in as Division Champs if they can sweep the Rangers. Houston plays Seattle for three games, starting Tuesday, and finishes the season against the Arizona D-Backs. Seattle has seven games against the two teams ahead of them in the standings. Seattle still has a chance to make the playoffs.

If the playoffs were to start today, The Orioles and Rangers would have byes. The Twins would be playing the Astros, and the Tampa Bay Rays, with the second-best record in the AL, would face off against the Toronto Blue Jays in the Wild Card round. The Rays’ record is seven and 1/2 games better than the Twins, 95-62 compared to the Twins 83-73.

While the A’s don’t have anything to achieve, A’s skipper Mark Kotsay wants to have his team continue to give a total effort. Many of the young A’s players want to show they are in the team’s plans for 2024.

The bright spots for Oakland are players like second baseman Zack Gelof, right fielder Brent Rooker, outfielders Esteury Ruiz and Lawrence Butler. The A’s need to rebuild their starting rotation. The bullpen did okay. Trevor May had almost 30 saves.

The Twins may want to keep their starting position players on the field or let them rest before the playoffs. Many people feel the regulars should continue playing in order not to let rust set in. Other people contend that the regulars should rest to avoid getting injured.

In any case, the A’s have three games to play. The Twins have a solid solid starting rotation. The A’s will see Bailey Ober on Tuesday night, Pablo Lopez on Wednesday, and former A’s starter Sonny Gray on Thursday. The A’s Paul Blackburn will pitch on Tuesday against the Twins. The A’s have not announced their starter for the two other games.

The Twins have only two players with more than 20 home runs. Outfielder Michael Taylor has twenty, and Max Kepler has twenty-three. The Twins will feature Alex Kiriloff at first base, Jorge Polanco at second, Carlos Correa at short, and Kyle Farmer or Polanco at third base.

Royce Lewis is out until October 1st. Willi Castro, Michael Taylor, and Max Kepler will be the outfielders. Byron Buxton and Joey Gallo will be available on September 26th. Both players have spent time on the IL.

The Twins have a solid bullpen. The setup guy is Griffin Jax and the closer is Jhoan Duran. Duran has 27 saves and has blown five saves this year. Other relievers include Caleb Thielbar, Emilio Pagan, Dylan Floro, Chris Paddack, Kody Funderbunk, Dallas Keuchel, and Louie Varland.

The A’s will be playing for pride. The Twins want to win to show the league that they are worthy of being in the playoffs.

The game will start at 4:40 p.m.

Air Force Beats San Jose State 45-20

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The Air Force Falcons running back Lee Eldridge (24) takes a leap over the San Jose State University Spartans linebacker Taniela Latu (41) at Spartan Stadium in San Jose on Fri Sep 22, 2023 (@AF_Football photo)

Friday, September 22nd, 2023 

By Troy Ewers

 San Jose, CA – CEFCU Stadium was the location for this Mountain West conference duel between the San Jose State Spartans and Air Force Falcons. This Friday night battle may have felt like being in high school and watching a game at your school, but the energy and competition was way more intense with more at stake. Air Force handled the San Jose State with a 45-20 win.

Spartans QB Chevan Cordeiro had his hands full against Air Force considering going into this game the Falcons with a conference leading defense. Air Force’s defense ranked first in the conference in seven categories (scoring defense, passing defense, rushing defense, total defense, opposing first downs, third down defense, and sacks for).

Air Force also was the conference leader in six offensive categories (pass yards/completions, rushing offense, passing efficiency, third down %, sacks against, and time of possession). How would SJSU head coach Brent Brennan prepare for this top ranked squad?

San Jose State’s opening drive showed that coach Brennan was very prepared for the Falcons. The first drive for the Spartans went 75 yards in eight plays and took only 4:17 off the clock, this efficient drive didn’t showcase Cordeiro’s efficiency with the offense, but he was able to score on his feet with a 10 yard run to give the Spartans the lead to start the game, but the extra point was missed, 6-0.

Air Force this season had only allowed seven points in the first half and SJSU had already done better essentially in the first quarter. Air Force’s opening drive wasn’t a quiet in and out drive, they went 62 yards, but could only collect three points off the field goal from Matthew Dapore. 6-3 game at this point in the first quarter. The Spartans next drive went nowhere as they were forced to punt and it was a better example of the Falcons defense that was advertised. 

The second quarter started with Air Force with the ball around midfield and the rushing offense of the Falcons displayed why they were the leaders of the Mountain West. Not only did they control the pace of the game, but after going 65 yards on the drive, a rush by Emmanuel Michel for 17 yards through the defense into the end zone, the Falcons were able to take the lead including adding an extra point, 10-6 Air Force.

The shootout continued with SJSU moving the chains for a 60 yard drive and the exclamation point on the drive was a 29 yard touchdown run by Kairee Robinson, breaking tackles and finding holes, showing off great field vision and putting the Spartans over 13-10.

The momentum swayed largely in San Jose State’s favor after they completely stuffed Air Force as the Falcons tried to rush the ball and went absolutely nowhere and forced a punt. This was SJSU’s opportunity to possibly extend their lead going into halftime.

Cordeiro and this offense took full advantage of this opportunity and in four plays went 64 yards and pounded the ball into the end zone with another Robinson TD for SJSU. Cordeiro at this point in the game was throwing a perfect 11/11 so far as the Spartans were up 20-10.

Air Force’s response as the second quarter winded down was to go 75 yards and run the ball in for TD, but the attack was more balanced as Falcons QB Zac Larrier founds holes in the Spartans defense that made their attack feel easy and as the half ended the score was close, 20-17 with SJSU up. 

The second half started with Air Force having the ball and their game plan was to take over possession time with their nation leading running game. Coming into the second half with 199 rushing yards, Air Force added 75 yards on that stat with a long drive that went 15 plays and took more than half of the quarter to execute, but they executed to perfection with a rushing touchdown by John Lee Eldridge III and on that drive it felt like every running back on Air Force’s roster touched the ball and the Falcons took the lead, 24-20.

Cordeiro’s first incompletion came in the first play of the opening drive for SJSU in the second half and he followed it up with a second incomplete and an eight yard run, but no first down and with 5:28 left in the third, the game was coming down to who can stick to their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.

Air Force’s run game was hitting on all cylinders. So far this season they average 320 yards a game and this game was no different for the Falcons as they hit 333 yards when the whistle blew for the end of the third quarter. 

With the ball to start the fourth quarter and red zone field possession, Air Force had a chance to extend the lead the only way they knew how and they did exactly that. Converting on a fourth down for a touchdown, Michel jammed in a one yard run in the end zone and took an 11 point lead to start the final quarter, 31-20.

A real shift in momentum came when SJSU tried to convert on fourth down to mount a comeback, but that attempt failed as they were stuffed by the Air Force D-Line and the possession would change hands. The Spartans had been scoreless in the second half at this point and with Air Force having the ball after that turnover on downs, it was clear who had everything in their favor the second half.

The proverbial nail in the coffin for SJSU came when Eldrige III broke tackles and hurdled falling Spartans for a 34 yard TD, 38-20 Air Force. After that TD the fans were filing out to beat the traffic. Both Michel and Eldrige III had 100+ yards rushing and the total rushing yards at this point for Air Force were 380, upholding their average on the season.

Cordeiro would throw an interception to Air Force’s Trey Taylor in a routine pop up pick and by this point in the game, all Air Force had to do was run this clock down to zero. Air Force while running down this clock would score again, 45-20, but the damage was not only done, but the 16,124 in attendance dwindled to around 2,000 people with two minutes left. 

When the final whistle blew it was clear who had won this game and it was clear Air Force was just as dominant as they were advertised. On defense they were a force and on offense they used a ground game that was classic old school smash mouth football.

For SJSU there’s a lot to learn from this game and with a bye week next week, they have time to reflect and learn from this game. Their next game would be in Idaho against Boise State on October 7th.

Timbers edge Earthquakes 2-1 climb up to 8th in Western Conference

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Portland Timbers foward Cristhian Paredes battles San Jose Earthquakes defender Tanner Beason for a loose ball at Providence Park on Wednesday SEP 20, 2023. (Portland Timbers)

by Marko Ukalovic @MarkoUkalovic

Providence Park continues to be a house of horrors for the San Jose Earthquakes.

The Portland Timbers continued its dominance on their home turf against the ‘Quakes as they held on for a thrilling 2-1 victory on Wednesday evening.

Portland has won three matches in a row and are on a five-match point streak (4-0-1). San Jose had its three-match point streak snapped with the loss. The Timbers climbed up to eight place in the Western Conference with 39 points, one point behind the ‘Quakes who currently are in seventh place.

San Jose still has not been able to break the Providence Park curse as they have not won in 17 straight MLS matches in Portland with a record of 0-13-4.

Portland (10-11-9-39 points) controlled the majority of the possession in the first half as they spent the first half inside the San Jose’s zone generating quality scoring chances.

Late in the first half, San Jose (10-10-10-40 points) finally gained possession inside Portland’s zone attempting to take momentum away with a goal before halftime.

However, an errant pass led to a quick counterattack by the Timbers. Bryan Acosta got loose down the right wing before he centered a pass over to Cristhian Paredes who beat ‘Quakes goalkeeper Daniel to the far side with a sliding one-timer for his second goal of the season in the third minute of stoppage time right before halftime.

Portland doubled its lead in the 58th minute when Evander found himself at the right place at the right time. Sebastian Blanco’s shot attempted pinballed off two ‘Quakes defenders inside the box right over to Evander and the Brazilian midfielder chipped the ball over Daniel into the back of the net for his team leading ninth goal of the season.

‘Quakes head coach Luchi Gonzalez immediately brought in Cade Cowell and Nico Tsakiris to bring in some fresh legs and energy to the offensive attack.

San Jose cut the deficit in half two minutes later when Jeremy Ebobisse lofted a pass from left to right over to Cristian Espinoza. The Argentine striker’s one-timer was saved by Timber’s goalkeeper David Bingham but the subsequent rebound was buried home by Matthew Hoppe for his first career MLS goal and first in a ‘Quakes kit.

Hoppe, who made his first start for San Jose, was moved to central midfielder when the Cowell and Tsakiris were subbed in as wingers, a position he grew up playing up until he was a teenager.

“Growing up my whole life, I played midfielder up until the age of 16 or 17 (years old),” said Hoppe after the match. “Then I moved on up to the striker role. So, I’m comfortable in the middle and I told Luchi (Gonzalez) that. There was some good takeaways from today and you just have to build it towards the next game.”

Despite the offensive push from San Jose late in the match, Portland was able to hold down the fort and escape with three points in a crowded race for the top nine in the Western Conference.

“We knew it was going to be difficult, this is a hard place to get points. We knew that coming in. We embraced it in our prep. We talked about enjoying it. Enjoying this environment and the pressure of these last games. I thought we could be better in the attacking third. We scored a rebound goal. We need more of those and a little bit more determination and final action that I know we have in us,” Gonzalez said.

Bingham finished the match with one save on two shots on net to earn the win. Daniel made four saves, including a diving one off of a free kick by Evander from just outside the box in the 25th minute to keep the game scoreless at the time, on six shots on goal in the losing effort.

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

Portland leads the overall series 17-6-10.

Cowell became the youngest player in MLS history to earn 100 MLS appearances.

Out of the 10 wins by Portland, eight of them have come at home.

The announced crowd at Providence Park was 21,518.

UP NEXT: San Jose hosts Nashville SC on Saturday 9/23 at 7:30pm at Pay Pal Park.

M’s Woo blanks A’s 5-0 to open three game series at Coliseum

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Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo works against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Mon Sep 18, 2023 (AP News photo)

Seattle (82-68). 0101 201 001 – 5. 9. 0

Oakland (46-104). 000 000 000 – 0. 5 0

Time:2:41

Attendance: 4,972

Monday, September 18, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–Oakland born Bryan Woo returned this evening to the town where his eyes first saw the light of day. The 26 year old righty, who was on the injured list from August 8 to 22 with an inflamed right forearm, started for the Seattle Mariners against the A’s, bringing a record of 3-4, 4.36 with him.

One of those victories came at the Athletics’ expense, when, on August 28, he shut them out for six innings on three hits in a game that the Mariners won, 5-0.

In spite of some difficulties in the first and fourth frames, Woo was pretty much lights out for the five innings he was in the game. He allowed three hits, all singles, struck out six, but issued four bases on balls. Still, he didn’t allow any runs. He threw 86 pitches, 53 for strikes and with the win improved his record to 3-4, 3.90.

Although the outcome of the game, a 5-0 whitewash of the hapless A’s, had no effect on the Athletics’ dismal place in the MLB standings, it was an important win for the visitors, who, once the final out was recorded, stood at 82-68, two games behind the Astros for first place in the AL West and a half a game out of the last wild card position.

The A’s sent sophomore southpaw JP Sears and his 5-11, 4.45 record against the M’s. In spite of his unsightly numbers Sears has shown signs of being a front line starter for some future team that the A’s will either trade him to or pack up and go to Las Vegas with. He toed the mound at 6:41 with a 2-0, 0.67 career mark against Seattle over five games, four as a starter.

Sears had problems with his control in the top of the first, loading the bases on two walks and a hit batter, but somehow managed to wiggle out of it unscathed. His control was better in the second, but Sam Haggerty led off with a single, advanced to second on José Caballero’s weak grounder to short, on which Nick Allen made a pretty pickup and throw, and then scored on a perfect piece of opposite field hitting, JP Crawford’s two single to right.

Sears managed to avoid serious damage in the second and third, but Seattle put another two runs on the board in the fourth on Dylan Moore’s solid single to center and José Caballero’s no doubt about it 437 foot blast into the left field seats, his eighth round tripper of the year.

Oakland’s starter recovered to pitch a perfect fifth, but a Caballero single and steal of second, followed by a double by Luis Torrens in the sixth brought in Seattle’s fourth run and sent Sears to the showers. Kyle Muller relieved him with two outs and ended the inning. He stayed on and shut out the M’s until faltering in the ninth and surrendering the visitors’ fifth and final tally.

Sears had lasted 5-2/3 frames, in which he threw 89 pitches, 53 for strikes. The four runs he allowed were earned and came on six hits, four balls, and a hit batter. The loss left him at 5-12, 4.52. Tayler Salcedo pitched a scoreless bottom of the sixth in relief of Woo, and Justin Topa put the A’s down in order in the seventh and gave way to Trent Thornton.

The A’s couldn’t score on him either, but Esteury Ruiz, who had pinch hit for Seth Brown in the sixth, did manage to single and then steals of second and third, bringing his season’s pilferage total to 61.

Isaiah Campbell mopped up for Seattle with a scoreless ninth.

Tuesday, at 6:40pm PT the gang from the Puget Sound will start Luis Castillo (13-7, 3.08) against the East Bay’s Paul Blackburn (4-5 ERA 4.14).

Giants Head to Arizona For a Date With the Diamondbacks

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San Francisco Giants third base coach Mark Hallberg, left, and Brandon Crawford celebrate a home run in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver on Sun Sep 17, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Time is running out on the 2023 MLB season. With 12 games left in the season now is the time for the San Francisco Giants to step up and they have to do it Tuesday as they take on the Diamondbacks for a short two-game series.

Arizona is 2 1/2 games ahead of the Giants in the Wild Card race and San Francisco remains in the sixth spot two games back of the Wild Card. Losing the first three games of the series with the Colorado Rockies this past weekend did the Giants no favors.

They are now facing some very challenging series to finish up the season which includes two series with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It’s a close and crowded field this year in the NL with six teams five games apart in the Wild Card race.

The Giants cannot afford any more lapses; they have to finish the final lap on a winning note. San Francisco is not the only a Wild Card contender that have tough final series coming up. The Phillies, Marlins, Cubs, Reds and Diamondbacks all have upcoming series that will challenge them. It just comes down to who wants it more.

Tuesday the Giants (76-74) will take on the Diamondbacks (79-72) in Arizona. This series is a short one with only two games before heading to Los Angeles for a date with the Dodgers, a four game series. While the Giants cannot control what the aforementioned teams will do, they can control their own destiny and it all begins Tuesday night in Arizona.

After three straight losses to the Colorado Rockies in their last series, the Giants got back on track winning game four Sunday 11-10. San Francisco very nearly gave up another walk-off to the Rockies.

The Giants led 9-0 going into the bottom of the sixth inning. San Francisco allowed five runs in the sixth inning and another four runs in the ninth inning barely winning the game. Of course there are two ways to look at this game. It’s a good thing that they were able to hang onto the lead however letting the Rockies offense explode and very nearly take the game was not encouraging.

Tuesday, the Giants take the first step in game 1 of the Diamondback series. Probable starting pitcher for San Francisco will be Alex Cobb with a 7-6 win/loss record and a 3.62 ERA. The Giants offense will face Zac Gallen with an impressive 15-8 win/loss record and a 3.50 ERA.

Arizona has some heavy hitters in Christian Walker with 30 homers and 93 RBIs and Corbin Carroll with a .279 batting average. The Giants also have an impressive roster with standouts Wilmer Flores, Thairo Flores and J.D. Davis. The final leg of this seemingly endless journey begins Tuesday night at Chase Field.