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49ers grind out impressive 30-23 win over Rams to start 2-0

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San Francisco 49ers defensive back Deommodore Lenoir intercepts a pass in the second half in his team’s 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Sunday SEP 17, 2023. (San Francisco 49ers)

by Marko Ukalovic @MarkoUkalovic

Ownage is ownage no matter how pretty or how ugly it gets.

The San Francisco 49ers defense stepped up to the plate in the second half as they defeated the Los Angeles Rams for the ninth straight time in the regular season in a 30-23 victory on Sunday afternoon at a pro-49er crowd at SoFi Stadium.

San Francisco continued its dominance over the Los Angeles down in “South San Francisco” with their second consecutive win. Los Angles dropped to .500 after stunning Seattle last week.

The 49ers (2-0) began the game with a methodical 11 play 75-yard drive on its opening possession that resulted in a 14-yard rushing touchdown by running back Christian McCaffery. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who had two catches on the drive, was injured but was able to return and finish the game.

Los Angeles (1-1) has surrounded veteran quarterback Matt Stafford with an arsenal of young weapons with running back Kyren Williams and wide receivers Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell. All three had good games against one of the NFL’s best defenses.

After trading field goals early in the first half, the Rams evened the score on its second possession. The drive began with good field position when 49ers rookie kicker Jake Moody kicked the ball out of bounds on a kickoff after his 27-yard field goal.

Stafford found Williams on the outside with a screen pass and Williams motored into the endzone for his first career receiving touchdown with 9:49 left in the second quarter.

The Rams gained its first and only lead of the game when they marched down the field on a 11 play 88-yard drive that was finished off when Williams rumbled his way into the end zone from the 49ers four-yard line with 1:45 remaining.

San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy needed just seven plays to march his offense down the field to even the score with his one-yard quarterback sneak as time expired in the first half.

The 49ers defense, which looked suspect in the first half, dominated the second half as they only allowed two field goals, one at the end of the game with the outcome already in hand, to Los Angeles as they began to pressure Stafford and kept Williams ground attack in check.

“Trying to get more stickier in coverage, pressure Stafford a little more. Trying to eliminate the run game… We had to tighten things up on the back end try to make it a little bit harder on Stafford,” 49ers linebacker Fred Warner said.

Purdy didn’t have his sharpen game in a 49ers uniform as he missed three wide open throws that would have been for big gains if not touchdown receptions.

“Couple opportunities that I missed in terms of the deep ball but we found a way to win…I just overthrew them. One to BA (Aiyuk), to Deebo (Samuel), JJ (Jauan Jennings) on 3rd down. Those are on me. I’ve got to be better, I’ve got to hit ‘em in stride & not overthrow them. Simple as that,” Purdy said.

The momentum changing moment in the game came when Isaiah Oliver intercepted Stafford with 4:10 left in the third quarter when the ball intended for Williams bounced off the running back hands and into Oliver’s who returned it three yards.

“I think what sealed it and allowed separate ourselves was the two turnovers, we got” said 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. “One Demmo (Deommodore Lenoir) with the awesome job jumping that and then Isaiah (Oliver) with the tip. I was just pumped with the way we finished (the game).”

San Francisco cashed in on the turnover as Moody converted a 57-yard field goal to give the 49ers back the lead at 20-17.

The 49ers put the game away early in the fourth quarter after forcing the Rams on a three and out on offense. Deebo Samuel finished off a seven play 74-yard drive when he took a pitch from Purdy and ran down the left sideline and back into the middle of the field breaking a tackle along the way for a 11-yard rushing touchdown, his first overall touchdown of the season.

“(The corner) He shots his guns but luckily, he shot at my foot & I was able to break the tackle & just get in the end zone. You can just see all the guys how determined they were to get me in the end zone w/all the blocking,” Samuel said.

Once again, the 49ers’ defensive ability to get pressure on Stafford forced a turnover as Los Angeles was trying to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. Lenoir stepped in front of a pass intended for Van Jefferson for his first interception on the season, Stafford’s second, with 4:48 left in the fourth quarter to seal the win for San Francisco.

Purdy finished 17 of 25 for 206 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. McCaffery led all rushers with 116 yards on 20 carries, including a 51-yarder that set up Moody’s first field goal. It is McCaffery’s second consecutive game with a 100-yard plus rushing game. Samuel led the 49ers in receiving with six catches for 63 yards.

Stafford went 34 of 55 for 307 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Williams paced the Rams rushing attack with 52 yards on 14 carries. Nacua led all receivers with 15 catches for 147 yards. Atwell chipped in seven catches for 77 yards.

Nacua became the first player in NFL history to have 10 plus catches for 100 plus yards in each of his first two games to start a season.

GAME NOTES: San Francisco finished 2-for-9 on third down conversions. Los Angeles was 7-for-14.

McCaffery has scored a touchdown in 11 consecutive games.

49ers tight end George Kittle, who had three catches for 30 yards, recorded his 400th reception on his second reception of the game. Kittle reached the mark in the fewest amount of games in franchise history (84 games). It is also the NFL’s fourth fewest amount of games by a tight end.

UP NEXT: San Francisco has a short week as they host the New York Giants in their home opener on Thursday 9/21 at 5:15pm at Levi’s Stadium.

Cal Scores 31 Unanswered Points To Beat Idaho 31-17

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Congratulations all around as the Cal Bears defeated the Idaho Vandals for their second win at Cal Memorial in Berkeley on Sat Sep 16, 2023 (@CalFootball photo)

Saturday, September 16th, 2023

By Troy Ewers

Berkeley, CA – At Cal Memorial Stadium, the University of Cal Bears host the Idaho Vandals in their third game of the season, and the Bears come into this game 1-1 and coming off a loss last week to Auburn. The defense of Cal has only allowed 14 points in the last six quarters and that was all in the Auburn game. Cal dominated on offense coming away with their second win of the 2023 season defeating the Vandals 31-17.

The game started with Idaho receiving the ball and their first drive was a 12 play, 67 yard drive that resulted in a field goal, 3-0 Idaho, but the story here is Cal’s defense stopping the Vandals in the red zone and forcing them to have to settle for three points.

Quarterback Sam Jackson V leads the Cal offense and has been leading them as a scoring dynamo the last two games, but his first drive this game went three and out and was forced to punt. Idaho’s very next drive was complete domination on offense and was efficient with nine plays and 80 yards that ended with Vandals running back Anthony Woods running head first into the defense and into the end zone for a touchdown. 10-0 Idaho.

The first quarter was all Idaho, dominating the possession time, the yards, and the score. Idaho had a 10:40 possession time and 147 yards which was polar opposite to Cal’s 4:20 time of possession and 39 yards in the opening quarter and Cal needed to shake things up for the second quarter or the Vandals would run away with this game early. 

The domination didn’t slow down for Idaho in the second quarter as they stopped Cal in their tracks to start the quarter and then followed that stop with a nine play, 53 yard touchdown drive where they scored off a two yard run in the end zone for Idaho QB Gevani McCoy.

17-0 Idaho and the Bears were not only trailing, they allowed more points in one half then they did in the last six quarters of two games. Cal finally got on the board with a 20 yard TD pass from Sam Jackson V to Jeremiah Hunter and the energy in the stadium perked up. 17-7.

The first time Cal stopped Idaho for a turnover on downs was deep in the second quarter when cornerback Jeremiah Earby knocked down two big passes, one of them being on fourth down and this set up the Bears for the momentum shifter of the half.

On the fourth play of the drive, Sam Jackson V threw a 36 yard TD pass to Trond Grizzell and the score being 17-14 now changed the environment and the energy in it. On what was supposed to be Idaho’s final drive before the half, they were about to enter the redzone, McCoy threw the ball and it was Nohl Williams for Cal who was there to pick it off and the Bears took over possession with 28 seconds left, but couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity. The first half ends with Idaho in the lead 17-14, but the momentum on the Bears side. 

The second half started with a major drive from Cal’s Sam Jackson V as he led the Bears 80 yards and scored  by running it in himself for a 27 yard TD, giving Cal their first lead of the game, 21-17 Cal. Idaho’s third quarter was vastly different than their entire first half.

Cal clearly made adjustments to the defense where this half Idaho couldn’t get anything going even though they were still dominating the time of possession. The offense though for Cal was in full gear during the quarter, collecting another TD, but this one on the ground when Isaiah Ifanse hammered in a one yard run after setting up the scoring play with an even better 17 yard run where dodged any defender who tried to wrap him up. 28-17 Cal. 

The fourth quarter started with a big run by McCoy for Idaho, but a penalty made them go back to their start point and then a fumble recovered by Raymond Woodie III gave the Bears the ball early in the fourth and with such a clear lead, this moment was theirs to seize and put a potential nail in the Vandals’ coffin.

A huge 41 yard run by Ashton Stredick put the Cal offense in the best position to hammer that nail in the coffin, but they had to settle for a field goal after a penalty and failed plays held them outside the red zone. With the score being 31-17 Cal, the Bears at this point had scored 31 unanswered points.

As we went in to the final three minutes of the game, Idaho needed to get back to the vibe they set in the first half, but after another turnover, a fumble recovered by Cal, it was clear that the Vandals might’ve hit their peak point too early and it was in the hands of the Bears as the clock winded down. 

The clock hit zero and the score was final with Cal winning 31-17 and now holding a 2-1 record. Cal’s next game will be against a Pac-12 foe, the #8 Washington Huskies in the University of Washington and the Bears want to take this momentum and type of game into their next game and even into the conference part of the season.

Troy Ewers is a Cal Bears beat writer at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Aiyuk’s big day has 49ers roll past Steelers 30-7 in season opener

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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiuyk celebrates the first of his two touchdowns against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday SEP 10, 2023. (San Francisco 49ers)

by Marko Ukalovic

For a team that has Super Bowl aspirations, it was a good start for the defending NFC West Champions.

Brandon Aiyuk had a career day as the San Francisco 49ers took care of business in a dominating 30-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon at Acrisure Stadium.

Aiuyk had eight catches for a career high 129 yards with two touchdowns as he led the crisp passing attack of San Francisco led by quarterback Brock Purdy, who was making his first career season opener start.

The 49ers defense set the tone from the opening drive as they forced a three and out on the Steelers’ opening possession as Drake Jackson sacked Kenny Picket on third down.

San Francisco marched down the field on its first possession against Pittsburgh defense that had no answer to try to stop Purdy and company.

49ers head coach decision to go for it on 4th and 1 paid off with George Kittle’s 11-yard reception to keep the drive alive. Purdy completed the seven plays 54-yard drive when he connected with Aiyuk on an eight-yard touchdown reception.

Pickett’s day didn’t get any better as he intercepted by Charvarius Ward on the Steelers next drive as Ward returned it 9 yards to Steelers 48.

Purdy led a methodical drive down the field as San Francisco cashed in on the turnover with Aiyuk’s second touchdown of the game. Purdy threaded a ball to Aiyuk down the right sideline with Patrick Peterson blanketed all over him for a 19-yard touchdown reception.

“I felt like right there in that moment, it was like ‘This is what we’re supposed to do. This is what we expect out of ourselves’ and once I hit that touchdown, I wasn’t thinking surgery or anything like that. It was ‘Man, we’re here to win. This is it. This is how we’re going to play.’ That’s where I was at mentally,” Purdy said.

San Francisco rookie kicker Jake Moody, who had struggled in the preseason, was perfect from the field as he made all three field goals and all three extra points in his 49ers debut.

The 49ers defense didn’t allow Pittsburgh’s offense their first 1st down until 1:16 left in the second quarter on its final drive of the first half after a 22-yard run by Najee Harris. The Steelers only 13 yards total offense before the run.

Pickett made the most of their drive before halftime. He led a 12 play 95-yard drive in just 1:25 that finished with a three-yard touchdown reception by tight end Pat Freiermuth to give the Steelers a sign of life as they headed into the second half.

San Francisco (1-0) opened the second half needing just two plays to regain its 20-point lead. Running back Christian McCaffery run for a 65-yard touchdown down the left sideline, his longest run in a 49ers uniform.

TJ Watt had a stripped sack of Purdy where he recovered the ball with 5:38 left in the third quarter.

Pittsburgh (0-1) wasn’t able to capitalize on the turnover as they turned the ball over on downs at the 49ers eight-yard line after an incompletion on 4th and 4.

San Francisco’s defense never allowed another point the final 30 minutes as they finished with with five sacks, three from Jackson, and two interceptions as they dominated the trenches from start to finish.

“I felt like during training camp we all bonded real well,” said Jackson about how well his team’s defense played. “I feel like that’s when we really started to gel well together. From there we just kept buiding on that. Getting (Nick) Bosa back was great for the (locker) room.

Defensive end Nick Bosa, who recently signed a five year 170-million-dollar contract just before the season opener, played limited snaps throughout the game and finished with one tackle and one quarterback hurry.

“You love to get a good start. We had five sacks today as a D-line, so Kris [Kocurek] was definitely happy. Drake broke out, which we were expecting. We just have so many players, and it’s fun to watch Aiyuk do his thing, and Purdy shut some haters up. Nice to be on a really good team,” Bosa said.

Bosa returned with two total tackles and a quarterback hit.

Purdy finished with 19/29 for 220 yards to go along with his two touchdowns and no interceptions. McCaffery led all rushers with his great day on the ground accumulating 152 yards on 22 carries. Deebo Samuel chipped in with five catches for 55 yards.

Pickett had a long afternoon as he went 31/46 for 232 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Allen Robinson led the Steelers in receiving with five catches for 64 yards. Harris had just 31 yards on six carries.

GAME NOTES: San Francisco finished 6-for-13 on third down conversions. Pittsburgh was 5-for-15.

San Francisco has started the regular season 1-0 for the eighth time in the last 12 seasons.  

The 49ers have won back-to-back regular season games against Pittsburgh [W, 24-20 vs. Pit. (9/22/19)].  

The Niners improved to 13-10 all-time against Pittsburgh, including a 7-5 record on the road.  

Shanahan improved to 2-0 all-time vs. the Steelers and improved to 5-1, including two consecutive wins, against the AFC North as head coach of the 49ers. 

San Francisco’s 30-7 (+23) victory over the Steelers marked the worst home loss for Pittsburgh under Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and the worst home loss by the Steelers since 12/24/06 vs. Bal. (L, 7-31). 

UP NEXT: San Francisco travels down south to take on the Los Angeles Rams in a NFC West divisional showdown on Sunday 9/17 at 1:05pm at SoFi Stadium.

Short-handed Earthquakes earn a point in scoreless draw with DC United

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San Jose Earthquakes defender Rodriguez keeps the ball away from D.C. United forward Christian Benteke during the 0-0 match at Audi Field on Saturday SEP 9, 2023. (San Jose Earthquakes)

by Marko Ukalovic @MarkoUkalovic

The San Jose Earthquakes escaped the nation’s capital with a much-needed point.

Despite having a man advantage late in the match D.C United had to settle for a 0-0 draw with San Jose on Saturday evening at Audi Field.

D.C United has earned points in consecutive matches and remained in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. San Jose has drawn in two consecutive matches after failing to earn a point in the previous two and maintained seventh place in the Western Conference. They are one point ahead of Minnesota United, who lost 1-0 to New England.

DC United (9-12-7-34 points) enjoyed the final ten minutes up a man when Tannor Beason fouled Theodore Ku-DiPietro in the 88th minute. Initially ruled a yellow card by referee Tori Penso, Beason’s fouled was upgraded to a red card after a VAR review determined the foul was a clear path one.

Despite eight minutes of stoppage time Wayne Rooney’s squad weren’t able to take advantage as they missed out on an opportunity to climb the Eastern Conference standings.

“At this point in the season, every point matters. So, it would’ve been nice to leave here with three points, for sure,” Rooney said.

Defender Daniel Munie made his first start at left back for ‘Quakes head coach Luchi Gonzalez. Munie played all 90 minutes for San Jose and finished the match at center back.

“It was important to get that first start under my belt,” said Munie after the match. “I felt pretty good and felt confident after this whole time being out here and learning from these guys. The team having confidence in me helps me to go out there and perform to my best. I am getting better every day. It wasn’t perfect. I felt like it was a good performance. I’m going to keep working through this and get ready for whenever my name gets called next.”

D.C. United thought they had broken the deadlock in the 53rd minute when Steven Birnbaum slid a ball through the middle of the box over to Gabriel Pirani who made a nifty back tap with his left foot into the back of the net for his first MLS career goal. However, after a VAR review it was determined that Pirani was offsides cancelling out the goal.

The Earthquakes had two quality scoring chances just before halftime, but Cristian Espinoza and Jamiro Monteiro’s shot attempts missed the net.

“We had some challenges with player availability, with injuries and international callups. I am proud of our guys for adjusting to a different formation. Still, there are principles and concepts that we want to keep improving. I thought we had some good moments of building pressure and forcing turnovers, leading to good offensive transitions. I thought we rotated the ball quicker and with more simplicity. Credit to the guys, they put together a good effort,” Gonzalez said.

‘Quakes goalkeeper Daniel earned the Man of Match with his eight save performance as D.C United peppered him from inside and outside the box with shot attempts throughout the entire match. Daniel earned his fifth clean slate of the season as he tied his season-best for saves in a single match.

D.C United goalkeeper Alex Bono didn’t have as busy a night as Daniel did as he made two saves to earn his third clean sheet of the season.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with five corner kicks. D.C. United had seven.

The Quakes hold a 18-15-9 record against D.C. United, including a 9-10-2 record at home.

San Jose earned their eighth shutout of the season and have only lost one of their last four road matches.

Midfielder Jackson Yueill is now ranked fifth for most appearances in club history (172), passing Joe Cannon.

UP NEXT: San Jose hosts Real Salt Lake on Saturday 9/16 at 7:30pm at Pay Pal Park.

A’s down Blue Jays 5-2; Oakland avoids getting swept by Toronto

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Oakland Athletics’ Kevin Smith hits a three-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the sixth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Thu Sep 6, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Oakland A’s beat the Toronto Blue Jays Wednesday afternoon 5-2 to avoid being swept by the Jays. The A’s starter, JP Sears, earned his fourth win of the year. It took work to defeat a very good Blue Jay team. The Jays are in contention to make the playoffs in the American League.

Their starter, lefty Hyan Jin Ryu, baffled the A’s for the game’s first four innings. Ryu used various low curves, changeups, cutters, and four-seam fastballs to keep the A’s offense off balance. The curves came in around 62 miles per hour, and the changeups were in the 70 miles per hour category, the cutters in the eighties, and his fastball was timed at 91 miles per hour.

Also a lefty, Sears held the powerful Blue Jay lineup to four hits and one run in five innings. Sears made it through the Jays’ lineup three times and allowed only one run.

Toronto scored the first run of the game in the top of the second. Jays’ right-fielder Cavan Biggio led off the inning with a double. Sears retired Santiago Espinal for the first out. Shortstop Ernie Clement singled to drive in Biggio. Clement went to second on the throw to the plate. Sears was able to get out of the inning without any further damage. The Jays lead 1-0 midway through the second.

The A’s took the lead in the bottom of the fourth. A’s left-fielder Brent Rooker led off with a double. Rooker was thrown out at third, attempting to advance on Ryan Noda’s grounder to first. Jay’s first baseman, Vladamir Guerrero, Jr.’s throw to third nailed Rooker for the first out.

Rya retired Jordan Diaz for the second out. A’s catcher Carlos Ruiz sent Ryu’s 90 mph four-seam fastball into the seats near the foul pole in left field. The A’s lead 2-1 after four.

The A’s put three runs on the board in the bottom of the seventh. Trevor Richards was now pitching for Toronto. The first two hitters Richards faced, Jordan Diaz and Carlos Perez, singled. A’s third baseman homered for the fifth time this season to give the A’a a 5-1 lead after six.

With one out in the top of the eighth, Toronto’s second baseman Davis Schneider homered to make it a 5-2 game. A’s reliever Dany Jimenez regained his composure and retired the next two Toronto hitters to end the inning.

The A’s closer, Trevor May, held the Jays scoreless in the ninth to preserve the win for JP Sears. The A’s win 5-2.

Game Notes- With the win, the A’s improved to 43-97. The A’s are now 9-7 in their last sixteen games and are showing signs of improvement. The A’s finished the six-game homestand with a record of 4-2. The Blue Jays fall to 77-63.

The hitting stars for Oakland were catcher Carlos Perez and Kevin Smith. Perez’s two-run blast in the fourth gave the A’s the lead. Smith’s three-run Earl Weaver special in the sixth gave the A’s an unsurmountable advantage.

Mark Kotsay used four relievers Wednesday afternoon. Mason Miller returned to action after a long layoff on the IL. Miller pitched two innings and did not allow a hit. Dany Jimenez pitched the eighth and gave up a solo home run to Toronto’s Davis Schneider. Trevor May earned his 18th save of the year with a scoreless ninth inning.

The A’s are off on Thursday. Oakland will face the Rangers on Friday in Arlington, Texas. Paul Blackburn (4-4 ERA 3.81) will be on the mound, hoping to win his fifth of the year. The Rangers have yet to announce their starter.

The time of the game was two hours and nineteen minutes. There were 3,871 fans in attendance.

Giants Unload On Padres 7-2; SF’s Yastrzemski slugs a HR with two RBIs

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San Francisco Giants’ Mike Yastrzemski, right, celebrates with third base coach Mark Hallberg after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco Giants (70-64) took on the San Diego Padres (62-73) Thursday night starting a four game series and having had some successful games they kept it going with a 7-2 win at Petco Park in San Diego.

The Giants have a lot on their plate right now. While they are in second place in the NL West and trail the Los Angels Dodgers by 14 games, the Dodgers are not their problem right now. It’s more like the Phillies, the Cubs, the Reds , the Marlins and the Diamondbacks.

Six contenders all vying for a wild card spot. San Francisco has been struggling for awhile now. It wasn’t really that long ago that the Giants trailed the Dodgers by a single game. So the Giants have some work to do and it needs to happen sooner rather than later with roughly 29 games left in the regular season.

Thursday game recap: San Francisco went into this game with purpose and determination. Neither team scored in the first two innings but the Giants were first up on the board in the third inning scoring not only early but often. When the dust had settled San Francisco had a 6-0 lead. The Giants hit a slew of singles in the inning.

Joc Pederson singled LaMonte Wade Jr. home for the first run of the inning taking a 1-0 lead and the hits just kept on coming. Mike Yastrzemski singled Thairo Estrada home. Joc Pederson scored on a Padre error followed by another single, a bunt single off the bat of Wade Meckler and Yastrzemski scored.

Blake Sabol got another run on the board when he doubled and J.D. Davis scored. They would finish off the inning when Casey Schmitt sacrificed and Meckler scored for an amazing offensive inning leading 6-0. San Francisco would add one more run when Mike Yastrzemski homered in the fifth inning, a solo shot and a 7-0 Giants lead.

Through four innings the Padres were looking for their first hit. Starting pitcher for San Francisco Jakob Junis went four innings not allowing a single hit with three strikeouts. Sean Manea would relieve Junis in the fifth inning.

Through six innings the Padres had only managed two hits. Manea did get into a bit of trouble in the bottom of the sixth loading the bases. Manea made the pitches when he needed to striking out Garrett Cooper for the third out of the inning and it was on to the seventh inning.

The Padres got a couple of base runners in the bottom of the eighth inning threatening to deny the shut out. San Diego did get on the board in the inning, a single run. Garrett Cooper doubled and Juan Soto scored for a 7-1 Giants lead.

Scott Alexander came to the mound to try and close out this game. The Padres were able to score one run but that would be all they got. San Francisco will be back on the field in game two Friday night with first pitch at 6:40 PM.

Starting pitchers for San Francisco TBA and for San Diego Michael Wacha (10-2 ERA 2.84) first pitch 6:40pm PT.

Oakland A’s Preview: A’s open series against Los Angeles Angels at Coliseum Friday night

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Oakland Athletics starting pitcher JP Sears will get the start against the Los Angeles Angels on Fri Sep 1, 2023 at the Oakland Coliseum (AP News file photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s returned home from a seven-game road trip to Chicago and Seattle. The A’s won three and lost four. They split the four-game set with a Chicago White Sox team in turmoil. The Sox fired their team’s president and general manager.

The A’s lost two games to the red-hot Seattle Mariners. Two of the games were very competitive. The A’s won 3-1 on Tuesday and lost 5-4 on Wednesday. The A’s will host another troubled franchise, the Los Angeles Angels, for three games starting Friday night.

The Angels had high hopes at the start of the season. Their roster includes two superstars, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. Trout, a three-time AL MVP, has lost playing time the last couple of years due to injury. Trout, again his year, has been hit with another injury.

Trout suffered a broken hamate bone and has not fully recovered. He is due back on September 15th. Shohei Ohtani, the most remarkable player in baseball, also suffered an injury. Ohtani is both a pitcher and a designated hitter.

Ohtani is in line for another AL MVP and Cy Young awards. However, it is unlikely that Ohtani will win the Cy Young trophy as he suffered an injury to his ulnar collateral ligament, and he will not pitch again this year.

Ohtani, as a designated hitter, leads the American League with 44 home runs and has driven in 95. Ohtani had Tommy John surgery a few years ago, and no decision has been made regarding a second surgery.

The Angels made news yesterday as they placed six players on waivers. Two of the six came to the Angels at the trade deadline. It was clear that these moves were a salary dump. Five of the six players were claimed by other teams.

The Cleveland Guardians claimed pitchers Lucas Giolito, Matt Moore, and Reynaldo Lopez. Giolito came to the Angels from the White Sox at the trade deadline. The Cincinnati Reds claimed outfielder Hunter Renfroe. The other player placed on waivers, Randal Grichuk, was not selected by another team and remains with the Angels.

The A’s are 2-5 against the Angels this year. The A’s met the Angels in the opening series of the 2023 season. The teams have yet to meet since April 27th. A lot of things have happened to both teams in that interval.

The A’s are in the midst of a rebuild. Their starting rotation is a work in progress. The A’s have used Kyle Muller, Hohan Harris, and Mason Miller in the rotation. Muller has been with the A’s and the Tripe-A LAs Vegas Aviators this year.

The same goes for Harris. Miller was injured and may return to the club in September. The current rotation of Luis Medina, Ken Waldichuk, J.P. Sears, Paul Blackburn, and Zach Neal is a study of mediocrity. Neal is the only pitcher with a winning record. 1-0. Hardly sensational.

The A’s bullpen is also a work in progress. A’s closer, Trevor May, has been reliable. Austin Pruitt did a good job but is out for the season with an injury.

There are some bright spots on the A’s roster. Rookie second baseman Zack Gelof has played well. Gelof has hit ten homers in his short time with the A’s. His average has dropped slightly, but he is a good hitter and has done well at second base.

Catcher Shea Langeliers does not hit for average, but he has hit four homers in his last six games. He is on track to finish the season with 20 or more home runs. First baseman Ryan Noda has a great eye at the plate. Noda is a leader in the league by drawing walks and has a good on-base percentage.

Outfielders Esteury Ruiz and Lawrence Butler have played well. Ruiz leads the AL in stolen bases. Ruiz stole two bases Wednesday against the Mariners. He has stolen 53 this season. Butler hit his second big league home run in the loss to Seattle on Wednesday.

Butler is 22 years -old and has a tremendous upside to his game. Third baseman Jordan Diaz is another player who looks to be with the A’s for a while. Outfielder Brent Rooker is having a career year, and the A’s will want to keep him on the roster.

The Angels will send Patrick Sandoval to the mound Friday night to face the A’s. Sandoval is 7-10 with a 3.95 ERA. The A’s will counter with J.P.Sears. Sears is having a tough season. His record is 2-11 and a 4.80 ERA. Sears has given up too many gopher balls this season. He is among the leaders in home runs allowed with 31. Sears pitches well for about three innings before the roof caves in on him.

Some Angel players who will perform this weekend were missing from the roster at the start of the season. Nolan Schanuel will be at first base. Schanuel has played ten games and is hitting. 324. Mike Moustakas will be at third base, filling in for the injured Anthony Rendon. Rendon, signed as a free agent after 2019, has been a disappointment.

It will be interesting to see if the A’s can win the series this weekend. The Angels are going to finish in fourth place in the AL West. The A’s will be in last place in the division. A’s skipper Mark Kotsay always has his team primed to play their best irrespective of the place in the standings. The Angels’ manager, Phil Nevin, also wants his players to give 100%. It will be interesting to see how the series goes this weekend.

Controversial penalty gives Galaxy 3-2 comeback win over Earthquakes in Classico

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San Jose Earthquakes forward Cristian Espinoza dribbles past Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Diego Fagundez at Pay Pal Park on Wednesday AUG 30, 2023. (Nico Burgueno-El Show International)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — A controversial penalty call spoiled an exciting game.

The Los Angeles Galaxy defeated the San Jose Sharks 3-2 on two second half goals, including the penalty kick, in the 98th installment of the California Classico on Wednesday evening at Pay Pal Park.

San Jose have lost two matches in a row since coming out of the League’s Cup match. Los Angeles are unbeaten in its past seven matches.

Los Angeles (7-10-7-28 points) drew first blood in the 16th minute. Raheem Edwards sent a long ball down the right wing where Tyler Boyd won the race to the ball. Boyd made a move around Jonathan Mensah before firing a shot from just inside the box past ‘Quakes goalkeeper Daniel for his team leading sixth goal of the season.

The Galaxy controlled the pace of play for the first 28 minutes of the match with an 80-20% advantage of possession as the Earthquakes played back on their heels. San Jose’s first shot attempt didn’t happen till the 28th minute.

The momentum of the match turned quickly just a minute later in San Jose’s favor. Off a corner kick Christian Espinoza had a give and go with Jamiro Monterio. Espinoza’s shot attempt deflected off of the head of Lucas Calegari and past Galaxy goalkeeper Jonathan Bond for an own goal.

San Jose (9-9-8-32 points) gained its first lead of the match two minutes later in the 31st minute. Monteiro got low inside the box before centering a feed into the middle where Jeremy Ebobisse chipped the ball high into the net from point-blank range for his eighth goal of the season.

It didn’t take long for Los Angeles to score the equalizer out of halftime. Riqui Puig made San Jose pay for falling asleep in its defensive zone. After receiving the ball from Edwin Cerillo, the Galaxy captain dribbled down the middle of the pitch unmarked before burying a right footed shot from just beyond the box past Daniel for his fifth goal of the season in the 50th minute.

San Jose conceded a penalty in the 58th minute when Edwards drew a penalty inside the box when he was knocked down by Miguel Trauco.

Dejan Joveljic converted the penalty in the 61st minute with a high shot into the middle of the net for his third goal of the season to give Los Angeles its second lead of the match.

The match was not one to write home about for referee Lukasz Szpala and his crew as there were numerous one-sided calls by Szpala that went against San Jose, especially in the second half.

San Jose thought they had tied the game in the 90th minute but the play was ruled offsides by the assistant official.

The Earthquakes had two back-to-back scoring chances in the first minute of stoppage time to score the equalizer, but Espinoza’s shot attempt from long range along the right corner hit off the crossbar and the subsequent rebound went just wide to the left side.

Bond made four saves on five shots on goal in earning the win. Daniel made two saves on four shots on target in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with 11 corner kicks. Los Angeles had seven.

The attendance for tonight’s match was 16,224.

The Galaxy lead the all-time series 43-33-18.

The Galaxy is unbeaten in its last four road matches versus San Jose, its longest unbeaten run in Classico.

Los Angeles is 5-1-4 in its last 10 matches.

Espinoza has scored eight of his 12 goals at home. Only LAFC’s Denis Bouanga has scored more goals (9) at home.

UP NEXT: San Jose hosts Minnesota United on Saturday 9/2 at 7:30pm at Pay Pal Park.

Mariners’ two-run rally in seventh sends A’s down to another loss 4-3 at T Mobile

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Oakland Athletics’ Lawrence Butler rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run to score Jordan Diaz against the Seattle Mariners during the second inning at T Mobile Center in Seattle on Wed Aug 30, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s hoped to stop the powerful Seattle Mariner offense Wednesday afternoon. The A’s beat the M’s Tuesday night. The A’s pitchers held the Mariners to four hits. Could the A’s do it again? The Mariners did not have Julio Rodriguez in the lineup on Wednesday. The 22-year-old superstar was out with discomfort in his left foot.

The answer to the above question was no, and the A’s could not beat the M’s for a second straight game. Oakland tried hard as they went ahead 4-3 when they scored a run in the top of the seventh. Unfortunately for Oakland, the Mariners scored twice in their half of the seventh to go ahead 5-4. The Mariners bullpen held the A’s scoreless in the last two innings of the game to win 5-4.

The A’s plated three runs in the top of the second inning. A’s third baseman, Jordan Diaz, singled to get the rally going. Mariners’ starter, Bryce Miller, struck out catcher Carlos Perez for the first out. Miller was now pitching to centerfielder Lawrence Butler. Butler hit his second career home run.

There was no doubt about the ball going out of the park. The ball left the bat at 109 miles per hour and landed 431 feet away in the right-centerfield seats. The ninth hitter in the lineup, Esteury Ruiz singled. Ruiz stole his 52nd base of the season and went to third on M’s catcher Cal Raleigh’s throwing error. Ryan Noda doubled to drive in Ruiz with the A’s third run. Oakland leads 3-0 midway through the second inning.

The Mariners tied the game in the bottom of the third. A’s starter Zach Neal retired the first two hitters. Neal walked Eugenio Suarez. Cal Raleigh doubled to put men on at second and third. To get out of the jam, Neal would have to retire Teoscar Hernandez for the third out. That did not happen. With one swing of Hernandez’s bat, the game was tied. For Hernandez, it was his 23rd bomb of the season.

The A’s broke the tie in the top of the seventh. Justin Topa was now pitching for Seattle. With one out, back-to-back doubles by Aledmys Diaz and Esteury Ruiz produced Oakland’s fourth run. Ruiz stole third. Teoscar Hernandez caught Ryan Noda’s fly ball to shallow right field.

Ruiz tagged, and the play at home was close. The home plate umpire called Ruiz safe. The Mariners asked for a review, and the call was overturned. The A’s led 4-3 midway through the seventh.

A’s manager Mark Kotsay summoned lefty Kirby Snead to pitch the seventh. The first two Mariner hitters were left-handed hitters. The strategy failed. Dominic Canzone led off the inning with a double. M’s DH Mike Ford singled, sending Canzone to third.

Snead walked Dylan Moore to load the bases with no out. Snead struck out Josh Rojas for the first out. M’s shortstop J.P. Crawford singled to drive in Canzone and pinch-runner Jose Caballero to put Seattle ahead 5-4. Kotsay brought in Dany Jimenez to end the M’s rally. Seattle leads 5-4 after seven.

The Mariners’ Matt Brash held the A’s scoreless in the eighth, and closer Anders Munoz set the A’s down to secure the win for Seattle.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s are now 39-95. The Mariners improved to 76-57. The Mariners record for August is 21-6. It is the first time in M’s franchise history that the team has won 21 games in a month. The Mariners needed the win as the Houston Astros beat the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday. The teams are in a virtual tie for first place in the AL West. The Texas Rangers lost to the New York Mets to fall one game behind the leaders.

 292,47 fans were in the park to watch the game. The attendance for the three-game series was over 110,000. When teams win, people will show up. Put a good product on the field, and the fans will come.

The A’s are off on Thursday. Oakland will host the Los Angeles Angels for three games starting Friday night. Friday’s starting pitchers for the Angels Patrick Sandoval (7-4 ERA 3.95), starting for the A’s JP Sears (2-11 ERA 4.80) a 6:40pm PT first pitch at the Coliseum.

Mariners shut out A’s 7-0 win first game of the three-game series

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The Seattle Mariners Julio Rodriguez celebrate with the M’s trident after clouting a home run in the bottom of the fourth inning home run against the Oakland A’s at T Mobile in Seattle on Mon Aug 27, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Seattle Mariners continued mastery over the A’s for the eighth straight time this season. The Mariners, the hottest team in baseball, beat the A’s 7-0 Monday night at T-Mobile Field in Seattle. The Mariners improved to 20-5 in August. The M’s superstar centerfielder Julio Rodriguez had his fifth four-hit game this month. J-Rod had a home run, a double, and two singles.

For the third game in a row, the A’s offense was nowhere to be found. The A’s managed four hits, three of which were singles. Seth Brown’s double with two out in the ninth was the only extra-base hit for the A’s. The A’s have yet to beat Seattle this season.

The A’s starter, lefty Kyle Muller, had nothing going for him Monday night. The Mariners have averaged six runs a game since August 2nd. The M’s potent offense scored six runs in the first four innings. The Mariners pitchers have the best collective ERA in baseball.

With the win, the M’s remain one game ahead of the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros in the race for the best American League West Division record. The Rangers beat the Mets and the Astros trounced the Boston Red Sox to keep pace with the Mariners.

The Mariners sent righty Brian Woo to the hill Monday night. Woo, born in Oakland and a graduate of Alameda High School and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, dazzled the A’s in his six innings of work. The M’s had him penciled in for 80 pitches maximum. The 23-year-old righty went six innings and allowed three singles. He struck out five and walked one. He threw 69 pitches and earned his second win.

The Mariners’ shortstop, J.P. Crawford, sent Muller’s second pitch of the game over the wall for his 12th dinger of the year. Muller escaped the first inning with no further damage.

The A’s scored three times in the bottom of the third. Crawford singled, leading off the inning. J-Rod doubled to drive in Crawford with the M’s second run. The double extended J-Rod’s hitting streak to 13 games. J-Rod reached third on a passed ball. Muller walked third baseman Eugenio Suarez to put men at first and third with no out.

Teoscar Hernandez singled to drive in J-Rod. Ty France singled to load the bases. Dylan Moore grounded into a fielder’s choice, and Suarez scored on the play. The Mariners led 4-0 after three complete.
Muller walked the leadoff hitter, J.P. Crawford, in the bottom of the fourth. J-Rod blasted his 24th home run of the year to make it a 6-0 game.

The Mariners added a run in the sixth to finish scoring for the night. The M’s bullpen kept the A’s from scoring in the game’s last three innings. The M’s win 7-0.

Game Notes- With the loss, the A’s dropped to 38-94. The Mariners improved to 75-46.

The line score for Oakland was no runs, four hits, and no errors. Kyle Muller was the losing pitcher.

The line score for Seattle was seven runs, 14 hits, and no errors. Brian Woo was the winning pitcher.

J-Rod was the hitting star for Seattle. He had a home run, double, and two singles. J.P. Crawford had a home run and a single. Eugenio Suarez had two doubles. Teoscar Hernandez had two singles.

The A’s will send Ken Waldichuk to the mound Tuesday night. Waldichuk (2-7 ERA 6.05) for the year. The M’s George Kirby (10-8 ERA 3.28) will pitch for Seattle. The game will start at 6:40 p.m. PT.
34, 434 fans saw the home team send the A’s down to defeat.