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Raptors take down the Warriors 114-110 to win their first NBA Championship

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Photo credit: @Raptors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors lost a thriller to the Toronto Raptors 114-110 in Game 6 at Oracle Arena Thursday night.

The Warriors, trying to overcome adversity with the loss of Kevin Durant in Game 5, and Klay Thompson late in the third quarter of Game 6, gave it their all, but it was not quite enough.

The Warriors showed no quit. They played with the hearts of the champions that they are. They played with courage. They did not have a full roster throughout the Finals. They lost DeMarcus Cousins in the first round against the Clippers. Cousins found his way back and played in five of the six games in the Finals. They lost Kevin Durant in Game 5 of the second round series with the Houston Rockets. They shocked the NBA by beating the Rockets in Game 6. They lost Klay Thompson in Game 2 with a strained hamstring. He missed his first game ever in the playoff. Thompson was injured late in the third quarter after he was fouled. Thompson made the two free throws and then went to the locker room. He did not return to the game. Kevon Looney suffered a shoulder injury, and he, too, missed a game. Looney should everyone what he is made of. He came back to play and played well. He had to leave Game 5 as he experienced severe pain in the injured area. He was on the floor on Thursday night.

The Raptors won a very hard-fought series. They are the champions of the NBA for the first time in their history. The Raptors, coached by first-year head coach Nick Nurse, won the Larry O’Brien Trophy 4-2. The Raptors trade with the San Antonio Spurs brought them two key players, Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, who arrived to Toronto in exchange for DeMar DeRozan. How good was Leonard? Leonard, who was Defensive Player of the Year in 2016, showed that he was an excellent offensive player as well. Leonard was awarded the Bill Russell Trophy for being the Finals MVP.

The Warriors had to figure out a way to stop the Raptors’ big men. The Warriors had trouble all series with Pascal Siakam, Serge, Ibaka, and Marc Gasol. The Raptors’ Fred VanVleet, coming off the bench, showed that he was an excellent sixth man, and he was called upon to guard Steph Curry. The Raptors’ plan for Thursday night’s game was to double team Curry every time he handled the ball. Klay Thompson had the hot hand in the first half as he put 18 on the board.

The first 24 minutes of the game was extremely competitive. The Raptors’ Kyle Lowry was hot at the start of the game. Lowry knocked down 15 in the quarter. The Raptors led 19-12 about midway through the first quarter. The Warriors knew what was at stake and met the challenge. They trailed by one 33-32 at the end of the first period. The second period was nip and tuck all the way to the end of the half. There were 14 lead changes in the first half. Toronto led 60-57 at the intermission.

It was more of the same in the third quarter. The lead changed hands several times. The Warriors were leading 83-80 when Klay Thompson was fouled going in for a layup. Thompson hit the floor, grasping his left leg as he was in a lot of pain. He headed to the locker room. Someone reminded the Warriors that if he could not make the free throws, he could not return to the game. Thompson returned and sank the two free throw to give the Warriors the lead 85-80. After making the two free throw, Thompson went to the locker room. He did not return and was seen leaving the arena on crutches. The third quarter ended with the Warriors nursing a two-point lead 88-86.

In the fourth quarter, with Klay Thompson out of the game and Steph Curry on the bench, Toronto regained the lead 94-93. Curry came back in with about nine minutes left to play. Curry hit a three to put the Warriors ahead 99-96. The teams tied at 99 and at 101. Toronto went on a 7-1 run to lead 108-102. Draymond Green made a three and DeMarcus Cousins put in a layup to close to 109-108 Each team scored two to make it 110-108 with 18.5 seconds left to play. The Warriors trailed by just one 111-110 with 18.5 seconds left. The Warriors’ defense stiffened, and the Raptors turned the ball over with 9.5 seconds left. The Raptors’ defense smothered the Warriors, and Green called for a timeout. The problem was that the Warriors were out of timeouts and they were charged with a technical foul and loss of possession. The Raptors made the free throw. With 0.9 seconds on the clock, the Raptors inbounded the ball. Kawhi Leonard was fouled and made both free throws. The Raptors won 114-110 and dethroned the Warriors as NBA champions.

Game Notes: For those that care, here are the stats–Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 30, Curry had 21, Andre Iguodala 22, Cousins, 12. Draymond Green had a triple-double with 11 points, 19 rebounds, and 13 assists.

The Raptors were led by Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry, who both tallied 26. Kawhi Leonard and Fred VanVleet had 22. Van Vleet knocked down 12 points in the fourth quarter. Serge Ibaka had 15.

The Warriors played their final game at Oracle Arena. Oracle has been their home for 47 years. They will be playing at the Chase Center in San Francisco when the 2019-20 season starts in October.

The Warriors will have to make decisions regarding several players. Will they bring back DeMarcus Cousins and Kevon Looney? Will they give Klay Thompson a max contract? Kevin Durant will not play next season due to his Achilles tendon injury. Durant can opt to stay a Warrior next year even if he doesn’t play. Other teams in the NBA might be willing to offer him a four-year max contract knowing that he won’t play next season. Will Shaun Livingston retire? How will they improve the bench? Who will they get in the draft? Lots of decisions and just about three months before the players come back to start practice in late September or early October.

I know the players feel they swallowed a bitter pill. They will need to take a couple days off to erase the bitterness. They know they have the best fans in the NBA that will support them as they resume their quest for another championship next year.

Warriors win a thriller 106-105, stay alive to fight another day

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Photo credit: @BleacherReport

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, with their backs to the wall, found a way to defeat the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena 106-105 on Monday night. They were buoyed by the return of Kevin Durant to the lineup. Durant’s presence gave Steph Curry and Klay Thompson the ability to get open and knock down three-point shots. Misfortune struck in the second quarter when Durant re-injured his right leg. The Warriors had to figure out another option. Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr inserted DeMarcus Cousins into the game. Cousins played well and helped the Warriors to the thrilling victory.

Kevin Durant started the game and knocked won 11 points in the first quarter. His presence in the lineup allowed Steph Curry and Klay Thompson to get good looks and they responded by connecting on several three-point shots. The Warriors finished the first quarter leading 34-28.

The Warriors and Raptors each scored 28 points in the second quarter. The Warriors finished the first 24 minutes of the game still ahead by six 62-56. Unfortunately, Kevin Durant reinjured his right calf injury and had to leave the game. Durant will have an MRI performed on his leg Tuesday. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr decided to insert DeMarcus Cousins into the lineup. Cousins, who played poorly in Games 3 and 4, played his heart out and really helped to make up for the loss of Durant. Cousins knocked down nine points in the second quarter. Curry led the Warriors with 23 and Klay had 12.

The Warriors played inspired basketball in the third quarter. The Warriors 77-63 when Toronto went on a 10-0 run to make it a four-point game 77-73. Klay hit a three and Cousins had two big buckets, and the Warriors finished the quarter leading  84-78.

The Warriors could not let the Raptors come back and grab the lead. If the Warriors failed to hold the lead, their season was over. Toronto, with the crowd urging them on, came back and took the lead 96-95 when Kawhi Leonard connected on a three. Toronto hit a bucket, and the Warriors trailed 98-95. Draymond Green put two on the board and the Warriors now trailed by one. Leonard hit a three and a two-pointer to put the Raptors in the driver’s seat 103-97. The Splash Brothers showed the world what they are still champions. Klay Thompson made a three and Steph Curry made a three to tie the game at 103. The Warriors stopped the Raptors, and Thompson put the icing on the cake when he hit another three to put the Warriors ahead 106-103 with 56 seconds left in the game. The Raptors scored two more points to make it 106-105. The Raptors got the ball back with 13.7 seconds left to play. The Warriors’ defense did not allow them to get a shot off until the last second left. The ball hit the side of the backboard, and the Warriors left the court with a thrilling win.

Game Notes: The Warriors will meet the Raptors at Oracle Arena Thursday night. The Warriors still have their backs against the wall. They need a win to force the series back to Toronto for Game 7. The Warriors probably will not have Durant available. Durant left the arena in Toronto with a boot on his right foot and was using crutches to walk. Kevon Looney also left the game with an injury. Looney was in a lot of pain as his injured right shoulder was bothering him quite a bit. He seemed to grimace in pain almost every time he was on the floor.

Curry led the Warriors with 31 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. He made five three-point shots. Klay Thompson had 26. Klay knocked down 7 threes. Cousins finished with 14 points and six rebounds. Draymond Green almost had a triple-double. He had 10 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. Durant had 11. The Warriors shot 46.3% from the floor. They were 20-for-42 from the three-point range.

Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard paced the Raptors with 26 points and 12 boards. Kyle Lowry had 18, Marc Gasol, 17, Serge Ibaka 15, Pascal Siakam 12, and Fred VanVleet 11. The Raptors shot 44.7% from the floor. They were 8-for 32 from downtown. The Raptors were 21-for 27 from the charity stripe. The Warriors were 10-for 14.

Up Next: The Warriors know their work is cut out for them Thursday night. This team has players that never quit. They have the hearts of champions. It will be the last game ever played at Oracle Arena Thursday night. Game time will be at 6 pm.

Warriors fall to the Raptors 105-92, now on the brink of elimination

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors were hoping to even the series against the Toronto Raptors Friday night at Oracle Arena. The Warriors had two things going for them. Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney, who were both injured in Game 2 of the series, were cleared to play. The second factor was the crowd at Oracle. The fans were behind the team for the entire game, and the noise level was unbelievable.

The Raptors’ game plan was to double team Curry every time he touched the ball and not let him make three-point shots. The Warriors needed Draymond Green, DeMarcus Cousins, and Andre Iguodala to help out putting points on the board. The Warriors knew that if they were going to win, they would have to shut down the Toronto offense.

The Warriors won the first half 46-42. It was a defensive struggle for the entire 24 minutes of action. Both teams didn’t shoot well at the start of the game. The Warriors defense was terrific. Toronto’s three-point shooter, Danny Green, was held to zero points for the first 24 minutes. They held Pascal Siakam to six. Kawhi Leonard scored 14 to keep Toronto close. Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 14 points. The Raptors held Curry to just 8. Kevon Looney was terrific. Everyone thought he was out for the rest of the series. He implored the doctors to check him, and they cleared him to play. Kevon responded with 8 big points. Toronto knew if they could stay within 5 points of the lead at halftime, they had a chance to win.

The Raptors took it to the Warriors in the third quarter. They made five threes, and Leonard knocked 17 points to propel Toronto to a 79-67 advantage at the end of three quarters.

The Warriors knew that it would be difficult to overcome a twelve -point lead in the final 12 minutes of play. They tried, but Toronto answered every Warrior bucket with a bucket of their own. They continued to pressure Curry, and as much as he wished, he could not bring the Warriors back. The Warriors fell to Toronto 105-92 and now trail the series 3-1. The next game will be played in Toronto Monday night.

Game Notes: The Raptors won the game on the strength of their third-period outburst. They connected on eight three in the second half. The Warriors made six. The Raptors had 24 shots from the free throw line and made 23. The Warriors made 14 in 21 tries. On defense, the Raptors had 12 steals and four blocked shots. The Warriors did a poor job of handling the ball. They turned the ball over 17 times. The Raptors committed nine.

Klay led the Warriors with 28. Steph had 27. Draymond Green and Kevon Looney were the only other Warriors in double figures. They each scored 10. Cousins had six, and Iguodala had three. The Warrior bench, other than Looney, added eight.

Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard led his team with 36 points and 12 rebounds. Leonard knocked down five threes. Serge Ibaka had 20, and Pascal Siakam added 19. Kyle Lowry scored 10, and Fred VanVleet had eight. VanVleet, who hounded Curry all night long, left the game with a cut under his right eye. He went to the locker room, and the wound was closed with seven stitches.

The Warriors’ Kevin Durant was not cleared to play again. The doctors would not let him practice, and it is becoming apparent that Durant may not play at all in the series.

If the Warriors lose Monday night, they will no longer play another game at Oracle Arena. The team moves to the Chase Center in San Francisco for the 2019-2020 season.

The last team to come back from a 3-1 deficit and to win on the home team’s court was the Cleveland Cavaliers. They did it to win the 2016 NBA Championship over the Warriors.

Warriors find a way to eliminate the Rockets in Game 6

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By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, playing without two of their stars, DeMarcus Cousins and Kevin Durant, found a way the defeat the Houston Rockets 118-113 Friday night in Houston. Most of the pundits, excluding this writer, picked the Rockets to win Game 6 and force a deciding Game 7 on Mother’s day in Oakland. The “experts” felt that the Warriors could not win with Kevin Durant. Durant was averaging a smidge over 36 points a game and how were the Warriors going to pick up the slack. The Warriors bench had not produced much in the playoffs this year. Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr knew that he could not let his starters play all 48 minutes. He needed the bench to come through and did they ever. The Warriors motto is “Strength in Numbers,” and the bench led by Kevon Looney, Shaun Livingstone, Quinn Cook, Jordan Bell, and Jonas Jerebko all contributed to the Warriors victory and they did it in a hostile environment.

The Rockets, for the past year, were hoping to avenge last year’s demise in the Western Conference Finals against the W’s. Their star point guard, Chris Paul, injured his hamstring and did not play in the last two games. Paul was healthy, and they felt they had the advantage as Durant was not able to play for Golden State. What the Rockets didn’t count on was the fact that the Warriors know how to win. They won a championship in 2015 without Kevin Durant. They almost repeated in 2016 and did not have Durant. The W’s won the last two championships with KD, and, hopefully, they will win their third in a row with Durant as a teammate. The Warriors knew they had to find a way to stop the Rockets offense. They had to play strong defense, rebound, make steals, block shots, and not turnover the ball. They did everything right except they were a bit sloppy as they turned the ball over 17 times.

The Warriors and Rockets played a very competitive first half. The Rockets won the first quarter by one-point to lead 28-27. The Warriors offense in the first quarter was driven by Klay Thompson, Kevon Looney, and Draymond Green. The Warriors won the second period by a point, and the game was tied at 57 at the of two-quarters of action. Steph Curry did not score a single point in the first half. He committed three fouls and spent a lot of time on the bench. Klay Thompson led the W’s with 21. Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, and Kevon Looney each had 8. Shaun Livingston had 6. The Rockets’ attack was led by James Harden’s 19. Chris Paul added 11. Hot-shooting Eric Gordon was held to 4. The Warriors knocked  down7 threes while Houston made 8. The Rockets shot 10 more free three than the Warriors to keep them in the game.

The Warriors were hoping to get Steph going in the third quarter. The Rockets planned to double team both Steph and Klay and force the other Warriors to make the shots. The lead changed hands several times in the period. The Rockets increased the lead to six 74-68, but the W’s met the challenge and tied it at 77. The Rockets led by one 83-82 when they went on a 4-0 run to finish the period leading 87-82.

It all came down to the last 12 minutes of play. The Rockets led by five and had the crowd roaring their support. Would it be possible for The W’s to catch the Rockets? Could they put enough points on the board to win? Would Steph Curry lead them to the win? All those questions were answered. The Warriors refused to fold. The Rockets could not put Golden State away. The W’s tied the game at 97 when Steph made a two-point bucket. The took the lead for good when Kevon Looney made a huge bucket. Steph followed with a three, and the Dubs led 102-97. The Rockets’ James Harden hit a three, and it was a two-point contest 102-100. Curry was a one-man wrecking crew at this point. Steph made a duce and a trey and the Warriors were up 110-104 with 36.1 seconds left to play. Kevon Looney blocked a shot, and the ball went Golden State. The Rockets fouled Steph, and he made both free throws. Harden countered with a three. The Rockets kept fouling Steph, and he kept making free throws. The Warriors held off Harden and Paul to win 118-113, and they again ended the Rockets’ season.

Game Notes and stats- The Warriors outscored the Rockets 36-26 in the fourth quarter to overcome the five-point deficit at the end of three. Steph Curry scored 16 points in the final five minutes of the game. He scored 23 points in the fourth quarter and 33 points in the second half.

The Warriors resume play Tuesday night at Oracle Arena when they face the winner of the Denver Nuggets- Portnad Trailblazers series.

Steph led the W’s with 33. He made four threes in 11 tries. Klay had 27, and he made 7 three. Draymond Green had 8 points, 10 boards, and 7 assists. Andre Iguodala played well on offense as well as defense. He had 17 points, and he made five threes. Kevon Looney had 15, Shaun Livingston 11. The rest of the bench added 8. The W’s shot 49.4% from the floor. The had 35 boards and 10 offensive rebounds.

James Harden led the Rockets with 35. Chris Paul 27, P.J.Tucker 15, Clint Capela 10 points and 10 boards, Eric Gordon 9. Austin Rivers also had 9. The key to the win was not letting Eric Gordon, and Austin Rivers knock down threes.

The Warriors again showed the world that they are champions. They refused to fold. They could have, and nobody would have criticized them as they were without two All-Stars. They made the shots when they had to. They played defense in the fourth quarter. They did what they had to do to win.

 

Giants-Rox postponed by rain

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Photo credit: @NBCSGiants

By Jeremy Harness

The Giants’ workday was cut short Thursday, when inclement weather washed away any possibility of the Giants and Colorado Rockies playing a baseball game at Coors Field.

The game will be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader on July 15, as the original series opener was originally scheduled with a night game on that day. This series will conclude in Denver Thursday afternoon.

Following the conclusion of the series at hand, the Giants will head home and will welcome the Cincinnati Reds to Oracle Park for a three-game weekend series that begins Friday night. Meanwhile, the Reds will not have to travel very far, as they are currently in the middle of a series across the bay in Oakland against the A’s.

With the baseball game safely out of the way, Bay Area fans got to zero in on more significant games for this time of year. For example, the NHL’s San Jose Sharks were able to advance to the Western Conference Finals by skating past another Colorado team, the Avalanche, by virtue of a 3-2 win at the SAP Center.

Meanwhile, the NBA’s Golden State Warriors are now one game away from reaching the Western Conference Finals for a fifth straight year by beating the Houston Rockets inside of Oracle Arena, which is slightly more lively than Oracle Park these days.

The Giants and Rockies are nowhere near reaching the postseason at this point, however. In fact, they have identical 16-20 records heading into Thursday afternoon’s series finale, which qualifies as a tie for the National League West cellar.

On a positive note, they are only 7 ½ games out of the top spot in the division, with more than four months left in the regular season.

Warriors defeat the Rockets 115-109 to lead the series 2-0

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Photo credit: @warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, using the Hampton’s Five lineup for the second game in a row, held on to beat the Houston Rockets 115-109.

The Warriors led from start to finish. They caused the Rockets to commit 13 turnovers in the first half, and they put 20 points on the board as a result. The Rockets, to their credit, stayed close as they made 10 three-pointers in the first half. The Warriors made just four.

Steph Curry had to leave the game in the second quarter when he injured his left hand trying to swat a shot attempt by Clint Capela. Curry went to the locker room for an x-ray and treatment. Nothing was broken, but he dislocated his middle finger on his left hand. Curry returned to action but appeared to be having trouble shooting the basketball as two fingers on his left hand were taped. James Harden also went to the locker room for treatment. Harden was struck in his left eye by Draymond Green. There was no foul on the play, and Draymond talked to Harden telling him that it was not intentional. Harden returned later after having some difficulty with his vision.

The Warriors won the first quarter 29-20. They were playing defense, and the offense was percolating. The Rockets played the Warriors even in the second quarter. Austin Rivers, filling in for Harden, kept the Rockets in the game as he knocked down three threes and finished the first half with 11. Clint Capela played much better Tuesday night. He ended the first half with seven points and seven rebounds.

The Warriors led by nine 58-49 at the end of the first half. The Rockets made 10 threes good for 30 points and kept themselves in the game.

Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 13 points. Kevin Durant had 12 points, Draymond Green had seven points and seven boards, Steph Curry had 10 points, and Andre Iguodala had 10 points.

James Harden led the Rockets with 12 points. Chris Paul had eight points, P.J. Tucker had six points, and Eric Gordon, who scored 27 on Sunday, was held to two points.

In the third quarter, the Rockets outscored the Warriorss 26-24 to finish the quarter trailing by seven 82-75. The Rockets trailed by 15 until they went on an 8-0 run at the end of the period. The Rockets cut the lead to four 84-80, but Shaun Livingston came through with two clutch baskets and the Warriors led 88-80.

The Rockets kept coming back. They trailed 93-90, but Steph Curry hit a three and Andre Iguodala followed with a bucket. Klay Thompson also hit a deuce, and the Warriors led 100-90 with 4:45 left to play. The Warriorss increased the lead to 12 104-92 as they went on an 11-2 run. James Harden refused to quit. Harden’s eye was bothering him all night long, but he kept attacking. He continued to drive the lane, and when he was bottled up, he tried to make a three-point shot. The Warriors were able to hang on to beat the Rockets by a final of 115-109.

Game Notes: All five Warrior starters were in double figures. Draymond Green had a double-double with 15 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists. Kevin Durant led the team with 29. Durant made three threes in seven tries. Klay Thompson had 21. Thompson also made three threes. Thompson made two threes in a row in the third quarter that helped the Warriors maintain their lead. Steph Curry finished with 20. Curry also made three threes and was 3 for 13 in that department. Andre Iguodala tallied 16 and helped out with two threes.

James Harden led the Rockets with 29 points. Chris Paul had 18 points, Eric Gordon had 15 points, Clint Capela had 14 points and P.J.Tucker had 13 points. The Rockets committed four turnovers in the second half.

The team stats looked like this: The Rockets were 36 for 77 from the floor. The Warriors took 14 more shots and were 42 for 91. The Rockets made 17 threes. The Warriors made 11. The Warriors outrebounded the Rockets 46-41 and had 18 offensive boards while Houston’s total was 10. The Warriors had 10 steals and five blocked shots.

The referees did an outstanding job Tuesday night, and neither team appeared to criticize the crew that worked Game 2 of the series.

Up Next: Game 3 of the best of seven series will be played in Houston on Saturday. Game time will be at 5:30 pm. The three-day layoff will give the players a chance to get some rest after the grueling first two games of the series.

Oakland A’s podcast with Joey Friedman: A’s looking at getting swept by Jays, having lost four of last five

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Photo credit: @NBCSAthletics

On the A’s podcast with Joey:

#1 It was Oakland A’s Matt Chapman bobblehead day alright, and the A’s did just that on Saturday, bobbled the game away to the Toronto Blue Jays 10-1 in a no mercy rule game.

#2 The Jays’ first baseman Rowdy Tellez hit for his fourth homer and got a double as part of the Jays offense was hitting .191.

#3 The Jays’ Brandon Drury hitting .147 went 3-4 and hit for two RBIs and two runs scored.

#4 The A’s rough day continued after using six relievers they called on their first baseman Kendrys Morales as a closer in the ninth inning.

#5 The A’s and Jays conclude the series today at the Coliseum with the Jays Aaron Sanchez (2-1, 2.86 ERA) and the A’s Brett Anderson (3-0, 2.63 ERA).

Joey does the A’s podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Gulls edge Barracuda 6-5 on controversial goal in overtime

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Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Marko Ukalovic

The playoffs are a whole different beast and if the first game of the opening round series between San Diego Gulls and the San Jose Barracuda is an indication on of what we’re in for you better strap on your helmet and don’t even think about blinking.

In a game that featured both starting goaltenders getting yanked in the first 10 minutes of the game, San Diego was the last man standing in a 6-5 victory on the final controversial goal on Wednesday evening at Pachenga Arena in San Diego, Calif.

Max Jones sent in a shot on goal that Cuda goalie Josef Korenar had stopped and had the puck covered with is glove. Keifer Sherwood crashed into Korenar sending the puck into the net for the game-winner at the 1:13 mark of overtime.

The Cuda argued the whistle should have blown to stop play, but to no avail as the referees ruled it a good goal for Sherwood, his second of the evening..

San Jose (0-1) drew first blood early in a wild first period. Kyle Wood found Ivan Chekhovich at the left point. Chekhovich fired a shot that TJ Hensick was able to redirect the puck past Gulls goalie Kevin Boyle for his seventh career playoff goal at the 3:17 mark.

The Cuda doubled their just over two minutes later. Alex True fed a pass down below the goal to Jeffery Viel. Viel, playing in his first AHL playoff game, was able to sneak his wrap around attempt past the five-hole of Boyle for his first goal of the playoffs at the 5:27 mark. Anti Suomela received the secondary assist.

Less than a minute later San Jose jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Hensick passed the puck to a wide-open Dylan Gambrell, who worked his away from behind the net, snapped a wrist shot past Boyle at the 6:15 mark. That would be the end of the night Boyle. Jeff Glass relieved Boyle after he gave up three goals on just seven shots.

San Diego (1-0) answered back with the next three goals. Simon Benoit fed a pass over to Jacob Larsen at the right point where Larsen was able to wire a wrist shot through a screened Cuda goalie Antoine Bibeau into the back of the net at the 7:10 mark.

Then, 37 seconds later, Ben Street centered a pass over to Sam Carrick, who buried a shot past Bibeau for his first playoff goal at the 7:47 mark.

San Diego scored the equalizer less than three minutes later. Carrick found Keifer Sherwood, who skated in and beat Bibeau with a wrist shot. That would be all for Bibeau as Korenar replaced Bibeau, who gave up three goals on eight shots.

Korenar made a fantastic left pad save on Jake Dotchin, while San Diego was on a power play late in the opening 20 minutes to keep the game tied heading into the first intermission. Both teams had 13 shots apiece.

San Jose regained the lead just under five minutes of the second period. Gambrell threaded a pass over to Chekhovich, who slapped it past Glass for his first professional playoff goal in his fifth career playoff game at the 4:47 mark. Hensick received the secondary assist for a three-point night (1G, 2A).

The Cuda extended their lead to 5-3 when Evan Weigner worked his way around the net, then fed a backdoor pass over to a wide-open John McCarthy. The captain buried the puck into the back of the net for his first goal of the playoffs at the 10:34 mark. Jayden Halbgewachs was credited with the secondary assist.

San Diego cut the deficit to a one goal late in the middle frame.  Carrick blasted a puck from the and Corey Tropp poked home the rebound past the five-hole of Korenar from just above the crease for his first goal of the playoffs at the 14:47 mark.

Chase De Leo got things all even once again under two minutes later. He tipped the puck out of mid-air past Korenar for his first goal of the playoffs at the 16:35 mark. Justin Kloos and Sam Steel were credited with assists.

The third period was scoreless as San Diego outshot San Jose 13-9.

Glass (1-0) made 27 saves on 29 shots in relief to earn the win. Korenar (0-1) made 31 saves on 34 shots in suffering the hard luck loss.

GAME NOTES: San Jose was 0/3 on the power play. San Diego was 0/2.

Defenseman Ryan Merkley made his playoff debut for San Jose in just his third game with the team.

The announced attendance was 5,709.

UP NEXT: Game 2 between the Barracuda and Gulls is set for Thursday, April 18 at 7:00 pm at Pachenga Arena in San Diego, Calif

A’s pound on Orioles pitching for second straight day

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Khris Davis homered twice, while Chad Pinder, Jurickson Profar, and Matt Chapman each added a round-tripper for Oakland, as the Athletics pounded Baltimore pitching for the second straight day, winning 10-3.

Khris Davis drove in four runs with his 17th multi-home run game since 2016, and Chapman added three RBIs. The win moved Oakland back to .500 (8-8).

Frankie Montas (2-1) gave up a pair of home runs in the fifth inning to Trey Mancini and Rio Ruiz, but hurled five scoreless inning to get the win. The A’s bullpen contingent of J.B. Wendelken, Ryan Buchter and Yusmeiro Petit held the Orioles scoreless over the last three innings.

Dan Strally (0-1) took the loss, lasting 3 1/3 innings while giving up five earned runs.

For the second consecutive day, Baltimore held struggling slugger Chris Davis out of the lineup. Chris Davis was 0-for-1 as a pinch-hitter on Wednesday, pushing his streak of plate appearances without a hit to 57, tying the MLB record set by Cleveland’s Tony Bernazard in 1984.

Khris Davis’s seven home runs is tied for the MLB lead with Cody Bellinger and Jay Bruce.

The Athletics and Orioles complete their series on Thursday with an 8:35 a.m. PDT start.

Red Sox snap their four-game losing skid with 6-3 win over the A’s

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Photo credit: @RedSox

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Boston Red Sox snapped two streaks as they beat the Oakland A’s 6-3 in game three of the four-game series. Previously, the Red Sox lost four in a row and had not scored a run in 22 straight innings.

A’s starter Marco Estrada went 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs, one of which was unearned, and two hits before exiting the game. A’s starters went six innings in the first six games of the homestand, and that streak was also snapped at the Oakland Coliseum Wednesday.

Both bullpens came through as neither team could do anything until the fateful ninth inning. The Red Sox scored three times after two were out in the ninth to earn their second win of the year.

The A’s drew first blood in the bottom of the second inning. Singles by Kendrys Morales and Jurickson Profar put men on at first and second with no out. Eovaldi walked Marcus Semien to load the bases. Eovaldi struck out Ramon Laureano for the first out. Nick Hundley singled off the glove of Rafael Devers to drive in the A’s first run. It was Hundley’s first RBI of the year. Eovaldi retired Robbie Grossman and Matt Chapman to end the inning. The A’s lead 1-0.

The A’s increased the lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth. Marcus Semien walked to lead off the inning. Ramon Laureano, who is having quite a series against Boston, sent Eovaldi’s 83 MPH curveball over the 400-foot marker in center field for his second home run of the year and his second in the series with the Red Sox.

Boston’s Blake Swihart snapped Boston’s 22 innings of scoreless ball against the A’s when he homered over the wall just to the left of the 388-foot marker in right-center field. The Red Sox trail 3-1 midway through the fifth.

The Red Sox plated two runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game. Mookie Betts worked Marco Estrada for a leadoff walk. Estrada struck out Andrew Benintendi for the first out of the inning. The next hitter, Rafael Devers, hit a ground ball to second baseman Jurickson Profar who airmailed the ball over Marcus Semien’s head into left field. Betts went to third on the play. Estrade then walked J.D. Martinez to load the bases. A’s manager Bob Melvin removed Estrada and brought in lefty Ryan Buchter to face the left-handed hitter Mitch Moreland. Moreland, who loves to hit against the A’s in Oakland, doubled down the right field line to drive in two, Melvin changed pitchers again and his reliever, J.B. Wendelken, retired the last two hitters to end the inning. The score is 3-3 in the middle of the sixth.

The Red Sox dodged a bullet in the bottom of the eighth. With two out, Marcus Semien singled. With Laureano at-bat, Semien stole second and advanced to third when Blake Swihart’s throw to second went into center field. Laureano hit a ball that Sox shortstop Brock Holt, going to his right, fielded the ball and threw to first. Laureano was ruled safe, but the call was overturned after a 50-second review. The score was still 3-3 after eight.

The Sox scored three runs on four hits. Eduardo Nunez led off the frame with a single. Nunez was caught stealing and A’s reliever Fernando Rodney struck out Brock Holt for the second out. Blake Swihart kept the inning going with a single. Jackie Bradley, Jr. followed with a single sending Swihart to second. Rodney uncorked a wild pitch to move the runners to third and second. The AL MVP Mookie Betts worked the count to 3-2. Melvin had Rodney pitch to Betts. Mookie hit a ground ball that hit third base and bounded away from Matt Chapman. Swihart and Bradley scored, Andrew Benintendi followed with a triple to drive in Betts, and the Red Sox had their first lead of the series 6-3.

Game Notes: Neither pitcher, Nathan Eovaldi nor Marco Estrada, figured in the decision. Eovaldi, who struggled a bit with his control, went five innings and allowed three runs and four hits. Eovaldi hit A’s third baseman Matt Chapman with a pitch in the first inning. The 90 MPH fastball hit Chapman on his left wrist. Chapman shook it off and stayed in the game.

Ramon Laureano hit his second home run of the year with a man aboard in the fourth to give Oakland a 3-0 lead. Boston’s bullpen held the A’s scoreless the rest of the way. Matt Barnes received credit for the win, and the A’s Fernando Rodney took the loss. Ryan Braiser picked up his first save.

The Red Sox line score was six runs, nine hits, and one error. Blake Swihart was the hitting star for Boston with a home run and two singles. The A’s line was three runs, five hits, and one error. Ramon Laureano hit a two-run dinger in the fourth.

The A’s are now 5-4 for the year, and Boston improved to 2-5.

Time of game was three hours and 21 minutes. The attendance was 14,207.

Up Next: Game four will be played Thursday afternoon at the Coliseum. It will be a battle between two left-handed pitchers as Brett Anderson (1-0) will go for Oakland and Eduardo Rodriguez (0-1) will pitch for Boston.