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Dubon goes 3-for-4 in Giants’ 5-4 win over Dodgers

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Photo credit: mercurynews.com

By Jeremy Kahn

On a night where the Los Angeles Dodgers honored Bruce Bochy, the San Francisco Giants put a stop to the Dodgers clinching the National League West.

Mauricio Dubon went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs, as the Giants defeated the Dodgers 5-4 at Dodger Stadium.

With the loss, the Dodgers magic number to clinch their seventh straight National League West Division Championship at four.

This was a win that the Giants desperately needed if they want to have a chance to get into the National League Wild Card.

Prior to the win against the Dodgers in the opener, the Giants were in a big time slump, as they lost eight out of 10 and 12 out of their last 16.

Clayton Kershaw was not his usual self for the Dodgers, as he lost for the third time in a row and was frustrated when he was pulled from the game in the top of the fifth inning by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

Kershaws frustrations boiled over into the dugout, as he was seen kicking the cooler, throwing his hat and glove after Roberts pulled him.

Dubon tied up the game, as he hit his second home run of the season, a solo blast off the left field pole.

Kevin Pillar drew a walk that was the end of the night for Kershaw, and his replacement Dylan Floro did not help Kershaw at all.

Evan Longoria grounded out, but after an intentional walk to Buster Posey, pinch hitter Mike Yastrzemski hit a two-run double that gave the Giants the lead for good. After an intentional walk to Belt, Dubon hit a two-run single that gave the Giants a 5-1 in the top of the fifth inning.

Things got interesting in the bottom of the ninth inning, as A.J. Pollock hit his third home run of the game off of Giants closer Will Smith to narrow the Giants lead down to 5-4.

Russell Martin then came off the bench and walked, but then Smith struck out Will Smith swinging to pick up his 32nd save of the season.

Jeff Samardzija won his 10th game of the season, as he went six innings, allowing three runs, not walking a batter and striking out three.

Two of those three hits allowed by Samardzija were solo home runs by Pollock. Kershaw lost for just the fifth time this season against 13 wins, as he went just four innings, allowing three runs, walking three and striking out six.

NOTES: Bochy received an autographed Sandy Koufax jersey, as the Dodgers honored the longtime Giants manager who will be retiring at the end of the 2019 season after a 25-year managerial career. In his career between the San Diego Padres and the Dodgers, Bochy is now 219-204.

Trevor Gott was transferred to the 60-day injured list with a right elbow strain. Johnny Cueto will throw a bullpen session this weekend in Los Angeles after experiencing tightness in his back.

UP NEXT: Tyler Beede will start Saturday for the Giants, while the Dodgers will counter with Tony Gonsolin. Game time scheduled for 6:10 p.m.

Niners kick off 2019 campaign, but questions remain

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Photo credit: sacbee.com

By Jeremy Harness

The 49ers will head to Tampa to open the season, against a beatable opponent in the Buccaneers, but there a few things that will need to be answered.

The first thing is whether or not the defense will be better. On paper, it appears they are poised to make a big stride. The 49ers drafted defensive end Nick Bosa with the second overall pick, but he missed all of the preseason with a high ankle sprain. However, he practice in a limited fashion Wednesday and appears to be on track to play Sunday afternoon.

Meanwhile, free agent pickup Dee Ford, a fellow pass rusher, practiced in full on Wednesday, and he is expected to be on the field to face the Bucs offense.

With these two on the field, the 49ers pass rush should be considerably better than it was in 2018, but now it’s time to show it on the field.

The 49ers have bolstered the running back position in the offseason by picking up Tevin Coleman, and as it turns out, he will be counted on more than was expected at the beginning of training camp.

That’s because Jerick McKinnon, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL, suffered a major complication with the same knee, and he has since been placed on season-ending injured reserve, meaning that the man the 49ers so coveted will go two full seasons without playing in a single regular-season game.

The team still has depth at the position, with Coleman and Matt Breida expected to split the carries, while Raheem Mostert, who had a breakout game against Oakland last season before breaking his forearm in the same game, will back them up and is expected to play mostly on special teams.

The 49ers have more injury issues, as receiver Jalen Hurd is dealing with a back problem, and he has been ruled out of Week 1 and could miss a few more weeks. Receiver Trent Taylor will also be out of Week 1, as he is nursing a foot injury.

Center Weston Richburg (knee) and receiver Dante Pettis (groin) practiced in a limited fashion Wednesday, but their status for Sunday’s game is uncertain.

Smith leads Seahawks to exhibition victory 17-15

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Photo credit: @AroundTheNFL

By Jeremy Kahn

With their last exhibition game of 2019 season, the Oakland Raiders faced an old AFC West rival in a road game.

Geno Smith threw two touchdown passes in the first half, helping the Seattle Seahawks to a 17-15 victory over the Raiders at CenturyLink Field.

Smith, who played his college ball at West Virginia will most likely make the Seahawks and will be the backup to Russell Wilson.

Terry Wright was on the receiving end of Smiths first touchdown pass, as he snared a 39-yard pass from the right-handed veteran.

Jacob Hollister caught the final touchdown pass from Smith, as he was on the receiving end of a 11-yard toss.

All in all, Smith went 4-for-7 for 107 yards and those two touchdowns for the Seahawks and head coach Pete Carroll.

Mike Glennon started the finale, and went 9-for-13 for 78 yards and the Raiders ended up with a field goal on one of his drives.

Nathan Peterman went 20-for-27 for 158 yards, as he helped the Raiders get back into the game, when James Butler scored on a three-yard touchdown run; however, Peterman was sacked by Branden Jackson on the two-point attempt with 103 seconds remaining.

The Raiders were unable to secure the onside kick, and the Seahawks spoiled the Raiders attempt at an undefeated 2019 preseason.

UP NEXT: With the exhibition season now over, the Raiders will get ready for their 60th season opener against the Denver Broncos on Monday September 9, at the Coliseum. Game time will be at 7:20 p.m. on ESPN.

Giants have rare Friday night off

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Photo credit: bleacherreport.com

By Jeremy Kahn

With the San Francisco Giants being off on a Friday night, it is a rare sight for the Orange and Black.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, this first time that the Giants have been scheduled for a Friday night since April 9, 2004.

Just one night prior to the last Friday off, the Giants lost to the San Diego Padres 4-3 in 10 innings in the first ever game at Petco Park and the manager for the Padres on that night is current Giants manager Bruce Bochy.

That season, Barry Bonds won his fourth consecutive National League Most Valuable Player and seventh overall.

Bonds won the Batting title that season, as he batted .362, hit 45 home runs and drove in 120 runs. He also walked a major- league record 232 times, including a record 120 times intentionally.

In the Giants home opener against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 12, 2004, Bonds tied his godfather Willie Mays for third place on the all-time home run with 660. The next night, Bonds passed his godfather with home run 661.

Five months later, on September 17, 2004, Bonds became the third player ever to hit 700 home runs, as he hit off of Padres pitcher Jake Peavy in a 4-1 Giants victory at SBC Park.

Pedro Feliz and Marquis Grissom each hit 22 home runs, while Ray Durham hit 17, Michael Tucker hit 13, while J.T. Snow hit 12 and Edgardo Alfonzo and A.J. Pierzynski added 11, as the Giants ended up with a grand total of 183 home runs on the season.

Jason Schmidt led the pitching staff with 18 wins, and current bullpen coach Matt Herges led the team with 23 saves.

The Giants season came to an unfortunate end, when Steve Finley hit a dramatic grand slam off of Wayne Franklin in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Los Angeles Dodgers the National League Western Division Championship with a 7-3 victory at Dodger Stadium.

The loss stopped the Giants streak of making the postseason at two, as they made the postseason three times in the first four years after the opening of their sparkling new home, then known as SBC Park. That was the first year that the ballpark at 24 Willie Mays Plaza was known at SBC Park after being named Pacific Bell Park.

A’s beat Yankees 5-3, earn three-game sweep

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Oakland A’s beat the New York Yankees Thursday night 5-3 to sweep the three-game series. The A’s have now won seven of the last nine games. They took three out of four from the Astros and split the two-game series in San Francisco with the Giants.

A’s starter Tanner Roark won his eighth game of the year. Roark is now 2-1 with the A’s since coming here at the trade deadline. He went 6 1/3 innings allowing two runs and seven hits. Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka took the loss. Tanaka’s record drops to 9-7. His line was six innings pitched, eight hits, and five runs.

The A’s put three on the board in the bottom of the first. Marcus Semien led off with a double to right to start the rally. Tanaka walked Robbie Grossman and Matt Chapman to load the bases with no out. A’s first baseman Matt Olson reached on a fielder’s choice. Semien scored on the play, and Grossman advanced to third. Olson went to second on a wild pitch. Mark Canha singled to drive in Grossman and Olson to give the A’s a 3-0 lead.

Robbie Grossman led off the third with a triple to left field. He scored on Matt Chapman’s single. Chapman went to second on Matt Olson’s single. Canha reached on a fielder’s choice. Chapman went to third. Olson was out at second. Stephen Piscotty reached on a fielder’s choice. Chapman scored to give the A’s a 5-0 lead.

The Yankees scored their first run of the game in the fifth. With one out, Gleyber Torres doubled. He scored on Mike Tauchman’s single. Roark retired the next two hitters. The A’s lead 5-1 midway through the fifth.

With one out in the top of the seventh, Yankees’ second baseman Gleyber Torres hit a 400-foot home run over the wall in left center field. It was Torres’ 30th of the year. A’s manager Bob Melvin removed Roark from the game. Jake Diekman was the new A’s pitcher, and he retired both hitters he faced to end the inning. The A’s led 5-2 halfway through the seventh.

The Yankees got their third run of the game in the top of the ninth. Joakim Soria was in to close out the game for Oakland. He retired the first two hitters. The next hitter, Gleyber Torres, blasted his second home run of the night to make it 5-3. It was Torres’ 31st homer of the year. Soria struck out Mike Tauchman to end the game. The A’s swept the Yankees.

Game Notes: The A’s used four pitchers to subdue the Yankees. Jake Diekman, Lou Trivino, and Joakim Soria followed Roark to the mound Thursday night. In four starts with the A’s Roark has struck out 7+ hitters twice, He threw a wild pitch in the second inning. It was his first wild pitch in 129.0 innings. The last one occurred on July 3rd, 2018, against Boston.

The A’s won their fourth game of the year in which they did not hit a home run. Mark Canha led the A’s offense with two hits and two runs batted in.  Canha extended his hitting streak to seven games. He is hitting .354 (23-for-65) with two home runs, 12 RBI, and eight walks in 17 games in August.  He is hitting .429 (12-for-28) during his hitting streak and .458 (11-for-24) this homestand. Robbie Grossman also had two hits for Oakland.

The Yankees’ attack was led by Gleyber Torres. Torres had four hits. He had a single, double, and two home runs. The A’s held the other Yankee hitters under control.

The A’s improve to 74-53. They are tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for the first Wild Card. The Indians lost again to the New York Mets, and they trail both teams by 1/2 game.

Time of game was two hours and 51 minutes. 24,750 fans were on hand to watch the A’s complete the sweep.

Up Next: The A’s are off on Friday. They host the San Francisco Giants on Saturday and Sunday. Chris Bassitt (9-5, 3.61 ERA) will pitch for Oakland. The Giants will send Madison Bumgarner (8-8, 3.72 ERA) to the hill. Bumgarner beat the A’s last week in San Francisco.

Carlson kicks the Raiders to the 22-21 win

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Photo credit: upi.com

By Jeremy Kahn

Usually, NFL fields are 100 yards long, CFL fields are 110 yards long; however, on this night, the field was just 80 yards.

Daniel Carlson kicked a 33-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining in the game, as the Oakland Raiders defeated the Green Bay Packers at IG Field at Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The two end zones were at the 10-yard line, and noticeable by orange pylons and there were also no kickoffs.

Prior to the game, game officials and representatives from the Raiders and the Packers met to discuss the situation of the field. The goal posts were moved from the location that would have inside the end zone.

Former CAL star Aaron Rodgers once again did not play, as he also sat out the Packers first two games, Packers running back Aaron Jones also did not play for the Packers. In all, the Packers sat 33 players in their third exhibition game of 2019.

Both Derek Carr and Antonio Brown did not play for the Raiders, who are now 3-0 on the exhibition season.

The Packers took a commanding 21-10 lead at the end of the first half, as Tim Boyle threw a 23-yarrd touchdown pass to Trevor Davis. Boyle also threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Jake Kumerow.

Tra Carson ran for a touchdown, as the Packers fell to 1-2 on the exhibition season with one game remaining.

Nathan Peterman threw two touchdowns for the Raiders, including a 17-yard touchdown to DeMornay Pierson-El in the fourth quarter that narrowed the Packers lead down to 21-19; however, the Raiders were unable to convert the two-point conversion, as Petermans pass was intercepted.

Peterman ended up going 23-for-37 for 210 yards on the evening.

Carlson gave the Raiders a 3-0 lead, as he kicked a 42-yard field goal late in the first quarter to put the Raiders on the board.

Boyle then found Davis to give the Packers their first lead of the game, as they connected for a 23-yard touchdown.

Peterman then gave the Raiders the lead again on their next series, as he found Keith Smith for a 15-yard touchdown pass.
Boyle found Kumerow for a 26-yard touchdown pass, and then Carson closed out the scoring for the Packers with just 31 seconds remaining in the first half.

That would be the last points that the Packers would score, as the Raiders defense came up big and the Raiders offense began to click under Peterman.

Carlson cut the Packers lead down to eight on their first series of the second half, as he nailed a 40-yard field goal and then Pierson-El was on the receiving end of a 17-yard touchdown pass with 5:48 remaining in the game.

NOTES: This was the first game in Canada since the 2013 season, when the Buffalo Bills played the last of their eight games at Rogers Centre in Toronto.

The Raiders moved the game, as they saved $500,000 in rent at the Oakland Coliseum, as this is the last season for the Raiders in Oakland before they move to Las Vegas for the 2020 season.

UP NEXT: After returning to California, the Raiders head to Century Link Field in Seattle to face the Seattle Seahawks on August 29 at 7:00 p.m.

Giants fall in wild shootout against Cubs, 12-11

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Harness

The Giants’ bats, which had been clearly identified as a problem for most of this year, was definitely not an issue Wednesday against the Cubs.

Their ability to get the Cubs out on a regular basis was.

As a result, despite a comeback in the late innings, the Giants fell to the Cubs, 12-11, at Wrigley Field, despite pounding out 13 hits, including four home runs.

The Giants trailed 6-2 after four innings, but they mounted a stellar comeback that saw them take the lead in the seventh inning, 11-10. However, reliever Reyes Moronta gave up a two-run homer to Kris Bryant, his 26th of the season, to put Chicago back on top in the bottom of the eighth.

From there, the Giants could not get anything going against Chicago closer Craig Kimbrel, who tossed a perfect ninth to nail down his 11th save of the year, after spending half of this 2019 campaign as an unclaimed free agent.

Giants starter Dereck Rodriguez had an outing to forget on Wednesday. After a stellar start in Arizona over the weekend, Rodriguez was shelled by the vaunted Cubs lineup, surrendering six runs on six hits over only four innings, including a pair of homers.

Yu Darvish, the Cubs’ starter, didn’t fare much better. He gave up seven runs and lasted only 5 1/3 innings, and four of his pitches left the ballpark.

Mike Yastrzemski continues to tear up major-league pitching. He has three hits on Wednesday, which included his 17th homer of the 2019 season, a two-run shot in the fifth inning that cut Chicago’s lead to 6-4.

Stephen Vogt, Alex Dickerson and Evan Longoria each had a pair of hots for the Giants.

Rizzo homers twice in Cubs’ 5-3 win

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Photo credit: @BrianSandalow

By Jeremy Kahn

Coming off a series where they won three out of four from the Arizona Diamondbacks, the San Francisco Giants began another big series against a playoff contender.

Anthony Rizzo hit two home runs, helping the Chicago Cubs to a 5-3 victory over the Giants at Wrigley Field.

Rizzo put the Cubs into the lead in the bottom of the third inning, as he led off the frame with his 23rd home run of the season.

Unfortunately for the Cubs, the Giants tied it up in the top of the fourth inning, as Kevin Pillar hit his 18th home run of the season.

The Cubs took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth inning, as they were helped out by instant replay and that man Rizzo was instrumental on the play that turned everything around.

Javier Baez hit a ground ball that Brandon Belt fielded at first, and thinking Belt touched the bag, Rizzo headed back to first base with Baez chugging down the line from the batters box.

Both players ran into each other, and the umpires called it a double play, as Abiatal Avelino threw the ball back to Belt from second base; however, the Cubs saw it a different way and challenged the call that was eventually overturned and Baez was safe at first base.

Kyle Schwarber then walked, and then Jonathan Lucroy singled off of Belts glove at first base that scored Baez with the eventual game-winning run.

Cole Hamels gave up three runs on five hits, as he won for the first time since June 12 against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

The Giants are now 3-2 on their nine-game road trip that will conclude with a two-game series in Oakland versus the As on Saturday and Sunday.

Austin Slater hit a two-run home run for the Giants that tied up the game in the top of the second inning.

Nicholas Castellanos gave the Cubs a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, as he hit his seventh home run, and then two batters later, Rizzo hit his first home run of the game.

Rizzo went 3-for-3, as he picked up his first multi-home run of the season and Castellanos hit his seventh home run since being acquired from the Detroit Tigers on July 31.

Tyler Beede went just four innings for the Giants, as he gave up three runs on six hits, walked three and struck out four; however, he gave up three home runs.

Fernando Abad took the loss, as he gave up the fateful hit to Schwarber in the bottom of the fifth inning. Abad went 1.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits, walked two and struck out one.

NOTES: Pablo Sandoval flew to Los Angeles to see Dr. Neal ElAttrache for a second opinion on his right elbow. Steven Duggar, who is out with a left shoulder sprain will not need surgery; however, he most likely miss the rest of the 2019 season.

Johnny Cueto pitched 4.1 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits, walked one and struck out three. Cueto threw 60 pitches, 43 of them for strikes.

UP NEXT: Dereck Rodriguez will take the mound for the Giants on Wednesday night, while Yu Darvish will pitch for the Cubs.

Road Titans: What if the Giants never came home to San Francisco?

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By Morris Phillips

What if the Giants never came home to Oracle Park, and hung out on the road for the entirety of the 162-game slate in 2019?

Well, that’s a scenario for a playoff team.

Of the six teams the Giants are currently jockeying with for the two NL Wild Card spots, only the Giants have a winning record on the road. But what’s even more telling, the Giants are the only one of the six who aren’t at least 10 games over .500 at home, and in fact, the Giants are under .500 at home even at the late stage of the season.

How’s that? The Giants newly found offensive stars all perform better on the road, than at home (with the exception of Kevin Pillar), and for most, the difference in productivity is dramatic.

Brandon Crawford has 40 hits and 10 RBI at Oracle Park. But on the road, he’s produced 49 hits and 39 RBI. Buster Posey has yet to homer this season in San Francisco. In road games this season, he has six homers and 12 doubles. Mike Yasztremski has 15 RBI at home, 30 on the road. Evan Longoria has three home runs at Oracle Park, 12 on the road.

As a team, the differences are just as stark. The San Francisco offense at home ranks 29th out of 30 teams, hitting just .228. The Giants on the road have MLB’s 12th ranked offense, hitting .255 as a club. When the club opens a home stand, they’re 2-10 in the first game of the set, showing how the team struggles to adjust to the pitching-friendly environment at home after experiencing better offensive conditions on the road.

GM Farhan Zaidi has done a wonderful job incrementally improving the team’s attack with under the radar moves, none with the impact that adding Bryce Harper as a free agent would have made in the off-season. But the moves have been effective. But the next step is building an offensive attack that thrives in San Francisco. Given the numbers produced so far this year, it won’t be an easy step.

Despite 49ers’ 24-15 Win, Garoppolo Shaky in Pre-Season Debut

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By: Joe Lami

Jimmy Garoppolo fell flat in his much-anticipated return to the football field on Monday night versus the Broncos. Garoppolo started the first three drives and looked flat-out terrible. He finished 1-of-6 for zero yards with one interception and a 0.0 QB rating. On top of the pick and sack, Garoppolo had two balls batted down at the line and should’ve thrown a second pick that was dropped.

The good news is it’s early. Garoppolo hasn’t played any meaningful football since week three of last season and was obviously not comfortable on Monday. Looking skittish and nervous in the pocket, Garoppolo still has a long way to go before he’s close to where he needs to be. Saturday will be huge for his development and confidence as he gears up for the season.

Garoppolo also didn’t great offensive line helped, as the Broncos front seven got in Garoppolo’s face on half his throws. Bradley Chubb picked up two QB hits, including one on the interception that made Joe Staley look silly.

Aside from Garoppolo, the Niners looked pretty good overall in the 24-15 victory. They rushed for a combined 185 yards but only passed for 85. Raheem Mostert was noticeable finishing with 58 yards on six carries.

Deebo Samuel once again flashed his top speed on a 45-yard sweep play, bringing the ball within the one; setting up a touchdown. NFL NextGen clocked him in at 20 MPH, matching Tyreek Hill’s average speed.

The defense continued to bend and not break and allowed their first touchdown of the preseason with only eight seconds remaining. DJ Reed and Jaquaski Tartt looked excellent in the secondary. Reed finished with six tackles, a pass deflection, and QB hit; while Tartt had five tackles, two for loss, and a breakup. As a team, San Francisco had five sacks and forced a turnover.
Battle for Backup

The backup race still remains intriguing. CJ Beathard earned the majority of the snaps on Monday; completing 5-of-11 for 81 yards, marching the Niners to two of their three touchdowns. Mullens completed 2-of-3 passes for 27 yards and a touchdown pass to Kenrick Bourne on a fade.

Richie James Jr. is starting to make his case for the 53-man roster. While he hasn’t added a ton on offense, his return ability should be admired. He picked up 80 yards on two returns, including a 48-yarder.