San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Gausman to open in Seattle Apr 1; Cueto to start home opener Apr 9

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Kevin Gausman gets the call to start against the Seattle Mariners on Apr 1, 2021 in Seattle is seen here throwing against the Colorado Rockies on Aug 4, 2020 (AP file photo)

#1 San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler will be going with starter Kevin Gausman for opening day in Seattle on April 1st. Gausman this spring is 0-1 with an ERA 5.63. Gausman made 12 appearances with the Giants and had an ERA of 3.62 last season.

#2 Kapler said that Guasman has had some lights out performances in spring and is honored to name him as the starting pitcher for opening day.

#3 Kapler also named pitcher Johnny Cueto as his starting pitcher for the home opener on April 9th. Kapler realizing Cueto has been with the team the longest deserved to have a conversation as to why Kapler went with Gausman on April 1st.

#4 Heliot Ramos the Giants outfielder may not be all the way there yet according to Kapler but don’t be surprised to see Ramos back on the parent club’s roster early in the regular season. Ramos this spring is hitting .387 with six RBIs.

#5 Giants first baseman Brandon Belt has been through the mill in the off season with Covid and Mono and has had only one at bat this spring. What will be expected for Belt in his return and has his recovery been slow?

Join Michael Duca for the Giants podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Fox can’t be stopped by Golden State in 141-119 win

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The Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox (5) defends against the Golden State Warriors Andrew Wiggins (right) laying up for the score at Golden One Arena in Sacramento on Thu Mar 25, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

Sacramento Kings beat writer

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Thursday night which would be the second night of a back to back. The first night was against the Atlanta Hawks in which the Kings came away with a win. On Thursday, the Kings beat the Golden State Warriors by a final of 141-119.

Flashback Wednesday: The Kings took on the Atlanta Hawks a day prior on Wednesday. The Kings and Hawks played a seemingly evenly matched game that saw both sides shine and both side struggle. The Kings offense was fairly consistent throughout the game as De’Aaron Fox scored 37 points. The defense was not as consistent and almost cost the Kings the game in the end. The Kings were able to defeat the Hawks by a final of 110-108.

Thursday night recap: The Kings were set to take on the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night at 7 PM PST in Sacramento. 

Neither team came into the game as a playoff team. The Warriors are on the fringe if the season ended today they would get a chance at the play in tournament. They are low on momentum having gone 3-7 in their last ten games. The Kings however have gone 6-4 in their last 10 games and appear to be showing a little life. The Kings would look to keep that momentum going against a team two spots above them in the standings. 

In the first half, both teams had up and down quarters. The Kings were outscored by the Warriors in a high powered first quarter 37-37. At this point neither team seemed they wanted to play any defense. In the second quarter, the Kings offense took off and the defense was better. The Kings outscored the Warriors 37-24 in the second as De’Aaron Fox finished the half with 25 points. The Kings led at halftime 72-61.

In the second half, The Kings took off with the game. The Kings scored 34 third quarter points compared to the Warriors 25. That would vault the Kings into a 20 point 106-86 advantage heading into the final 12 minutes. In the fourth, the Kings were able to seal the deal.

They outscored the Warriors 35-33 in the final quarter and were able to take the game by the final of 141-119. De’Aaron Fox continued his tremendous play of late finishing as the games leading scorer with 44 points. Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors in defeat with 26 points. The Kings will look to continue this winning formula at home in their next game.

Up Next: The Kings will stay home to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday at 7 PM PST in Sacramento.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Fox knocks down 44 clobbering Golden State 141-119

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The Sacramento Kings DeQuan Jefferies (19) defends against the Golden State Warriors Nico Mannion (2) on Thu Mar 25, 2021 at Golden One Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

#1 The Sacramento Kings (20-25) now have won three straight games their latest victory coming against the Golden State Warriors (22-23) in a huge blow out 141-119.

#2 The Kings De’Aaron Fox has been carrying a lot of the weight over the last two games Fox scored over 30 for against the Hawks and 44 points against the Warriors on Thursday night.

#3 The Warriors are missing three of their key players from their glory days out of the line up Thursday night Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson (gone for the season) and they have now lost three in row.

#4 The Kings Richaun Holmes came in second in scoring against the Warriors with 25 so somebody different after Fox usually helping run up the score for the Kings.

#5 The Kings try for their fourth straight win as they host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night in Sacramento. The Kings defeated the Cavs on 119-105 in their last meeting Mon Mar 22. The Cavaliers are coming off a 103-94 win against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago on Wednesday night how do you see the match up between both these two clubs on Saturday in Sacramento.

Join Jeremiah for the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings run by Warriors 141-119; Golden State drops third straight game

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By Jerry Feitelberg

Golden State Warriors beat writer

Without Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, the Warriors lost their third game in a row Thursday night. The host, Sacramento Kings, pasted them 141-119. The Warriors’ defense, without Green, was non-existent. The Kings’ De’Aaron Fox, coming off a 37-point performance against the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday night, had a career-high 44 points to lead the Kings to an easy win over the Warriors.

The Kings shot 59% from the floor and connected on 19 threes in 38 attempts. When an NBA team puts up those offensive numbers, one can assume that the team will win.

The Warriors’ numbers weren’t that bad. They shot 51% from the floor and made 17 threes in 32 tries. They scored 119 points, and that should get a team a win. The Kings De’Aaron Fox, Ty Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Richaun Holmes could not be stopped.

The Warriors and Kings played a very competitive, fast-paced first quarter. Andrew Wiggins paced the Warrior attack, and they finished the first quarter leading 37-35. The Warriors led 47-46 after Nico Mannion made a three.

The Kings, behind De’Aaron Fox’s spectacular effort, started to pull away. The Kings won the quarter 37-24 to finish the first half leading 72-61. Fox led the Kings with 20. Haliburton had 17. Haliburton was five-for-six from downtown. Andrew Wiggins knocked down 20 for the Warriors. Nico Mannion made four threes, good for 12 points. No other Warrior was in double figures. James Wiseman did not score. Kelly Oubre tallied two. Jordan Poole had six. 

The Warriors knew they had to find a way to stop the very potent Sacramento offense. They had to come up with answers if they hoped to win the game. The Kings continued to attack the basket. Fox and company sped past the Warriors to finished the third quarter with a 20-point advantage 106-86. The Warriors Kelly Oubre played well in the quarter, but it was not enough. 

If a team trails by 20 heading into the fourth quarter in the NBA, they usually lose. The Warriors would have to outscore the Kings by 20 to tie the game. The Kings put up over thirty points in each of the first three periods. While it is possible, the Warriors couldn’t do it Thursday night.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors lost their third game in a row and are now 22-23 for the year. The Kings have now won five of the last six games and are now 20-25 for the season.

Curry missed the game with a bruised tailbone. Draymond Green did not feel well Thursday morning. He may be ready for Friday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks.

The Warriors made two trades on Thursday. They sent Brad Wanamaker to the Charlotte Hornets. Wanamaker will be a free agent at the year, and with the emergence of Jordaan Poole and Nico Mannion, he did not figure to be in the Warrior plans for the future.

In a move that surprised many Warrior fans, the team sent Marquese Chriss to the San Antonio Spurs. Chriss played well last year and figured in the Warriors plans for this season. Unfortunately for Chriss, he suffered a broken leg and was lost for the season. Rookie James Wiseman will be the Warriors’ starting center next year. Kevon Looney and Eric Paschall will be used on the second unit.

Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. Wiggins was ten-for 18 from the floor and knocked down three threes in five tries. Kelly Oubre finished with 19. Nico Mannion also had 19. Mannion was five-for eight from downtown. Jordan Poole had 17. Juan Toscano-Anderson had 15 points, six boards, and four assists. Anderson was six for six from the floor, and he made three threes in three attempts. He did not miss a shot.

De’Aaron Fox had a career-high 44 points. It was his tenth game of the year with 30 or more points. Richaun Holmes had a double-double with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Tyrese Haliburton had 21, Kyle Guy 20, and Buddy Hield 16.

The Warriors return home to face the new-look Atlanta Hawks. After firing their coach, the team, under Nate McMillan’s tutelage, have won eight in a row. They cooled off a bit, but they made news as they acquired Lou Williams in a trade with the LA Clippers. Williams, a two-time winner of the NBA’s sixth man of the year award, has killed the Warriors in the past. The Warriors will have their hands full Friday night.

The game will start at 7 pm Friday at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: The Doctor is in Oakland A’s official physician interview

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Oakland A’s physician Dr. Allan Pont has currently been with the A’s for 38 years pictured with former A’s third baseman Eric Chavez ( file photo by Michael Zagaris)

The Doctor is In Oakland A’s Official Physician (Exclusive)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Dr.Allan Pont is the Oakland Athletics Official team physician, now for 38 years and going. I could not help but to ask him, a Doctor, about this experience of a Pandemic we have lived under for over a year now.

Pont: “I never seen anything like this, I was born in 1946, I remember Polio was a serious issue, we never went into the water… I ran a hospital when we had a flu epidemic, we might have 20 people sick, but nothing like this.

“In 1918 we had the Spanish flu which could had originated in Kansas” About becoming the Oakland team Doctor “I taught at Stanford, took job at what was the Children’s Hospital in San Francisco when Walter Haas bought the team, Roy Eisenhardt hired a consultant to look for a new doctor, Charlie Finley had 13 Doctors and they rotated and Roy who knows everybody, wanted a Stanford trained Doctor”.

He mentioned that is a very small field among all 30 MLB clubs, 60 Orthopedics and 60 Medical doctors In your opinion what is the biggest innovation in baseball as far as medicine is concerned?

Pont: “The Tommy John Surgery is the biggest change, it’s an amazing phenomenon, then we had the steroids era (pause) I testified in the Mitchell Commission during the steroids, but the Tommy John surgery, like one-third of pitchers”

Doctor Pont specified that he is an Internist not an Orthopedic, but when asked about the myth that young kids in high school should not throw a curve-ball because it could tax their arms, he said:

Pont: “I don’t know if that is true especially if you are strong, is all about grip not motion but I do not really know what causes Tommy John, might be too much pitching”.

The A’s physician is a big baseball fan.

Pont: “I was born in Montreal, Canada and lived there until 1974, as a 7-year old I would take the bus to see the Minor League Montreal Royals compete, I remember players like Sandy Amorós, Tommy LaSorda, Don Drysdale, I became a Dodger fan, I remember one year during an exhibition game Jackie Robinson playing for Montreal”. Doctor Pont mentioned historic Jarry Park in Montreal.

We wish the Doctor a good season and we thank him for his courtesy of given this interview. Who was the first team doctor? In the 2nd century AD the first ‘team doctor’ also known as Claudius Galenos (131 to 201 AD), he was appointed as doctor of the gladiators in the Pergamum Kingdome. The physician only became involved if there was an injury.

Stay well and stay tuned.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead Spanish play by play announcer for the Oakland A’s on flagship station 1010 KIQI LaGrande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford Cardinal/March Madness podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Cardinal No.2 to meet No.11 Missouri State on Saturday for round three

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Stanford Cardinal guard Anna Wilson sets up to hit a three pointer against Oklahoma State Cowgirls during round two of the NCAA Tournament in San Antonio TX on Tue Mar 23, 2021 (AP News photo)

#1 The Stanford women will meet the Missouri State Lady Bears this Saturday March 27th in the Sweet 16 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The Cardinal are coming off two straight big wins against Utah Valley State and more recently Oklahoma State how much will momentum be a factor for Stanford going into Saturday’s action.

#2 The Cardinal are moving into their third round but they’ve been considered a heavy favorite going into the tournament and no really doubts what they can do here in March Madness.

#3 Jerry, talk about the plays, the strategy the work that Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer takes going into Saturday’s game against Missouri.

#4 For VanDerveer a career March Madness Tournament win loss record of 60-23. Oddsmakers say this should be the Stanford women’s year to get and win the Final Four and VanDerveer is the coach that can get them there.

#5 Jerry, the Cardinal are getting some top scoring from guard Haley Jones, guard Kiana Williams, forward Cameron Brink, and guard Ann Wilson all whom finished in double figures in their last game against Oklahoma State.

Jerry will do the Stanford Cardinal podcasts throughout the March Madness Tournament each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria: Kings win over Hawks proves something to themselves as they host Golden State tonight

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The Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Halliburton (0) passes to Harrison Barnes forward (40) with Atlanta Hawks foward John Collins (20) and Trae Young (1) defending on Wed Mar 24, 2021 at Golden One Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

#1 Tony the Kings (19-25) just got by the visiting Atlanta Hawks (22-22) with a two point victory 110-108 on Wednesday night at Golden One Center in Sacramento and it’s the fourth win out of six games for the Kings.

#2 Tony, once again if it weren’t for De’Aaron Fox no telling how the Kings would have ended up last night. Fox led the way with 37 points and all those points really counted especially after the Hawks out scored the Kings in the fourth quarter 34-25.

#3 Tony talk about Tyrese Halliburton who finished second in scoring with 17 points his efforts have been strong and have given the Kings leverage in some of their recent wins.

#4 Kings head coach Luke Walton had been questioned about his future with the team after they had got into a horrendous losing streak an eight game losing streak that extended from Feb 9th to Feb 25 it was a tough period do you believe this Kings team in March are much better than that Kings team back in February?

#5 Now comes the Golden State Warriors who will play the Kings tonight at Golden One they’ve been struggling they had a four game losing streak between Feb 28 to Mar 11 and recovered but have recently dropped two games to the Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers. Is this a matter of a Warrior team playing without Stephen Curry or they’re just struggling with their young talent.

Join Tony for the Kings podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Fox, Kings edge Hawks 110-108

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Photo credit: @NBA

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Wednesday night after an off day on Tuesday. The Kings last played on Monday as they took on the Cleveland Cavaliers. On Wednesday, the Kings on Wednesday managed to beat the Hawks at home by a final of 110-108. 

Flashback Monday: The Kings took care of business against a rebuilding Cleveland squad. The Kings never really trailed in the game as they beat or matched the Cavs in each of the four quarters. It was a win the Kings should have gotten and Kings fans were happy they executed.

Wednesday Night Recap: The Kings were set to take on the Atlanta Hawks at 7:00 PM PST at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. 

In the first half, it was a pretty even contest. The Kings outscored the Hawks 29-27 in the opening quarter as the Kings came out of the gate motivated. In the second quarter, neither team could really find a defensive rhythm as the Hawks outscored the Kings 30-28. Going into halftime, the game was up for grabs with the score tied at 57 apiece. The Kings looked to avoid a third quarter slump and come out strong in the second half.

In the second half, the Kings defense was sporadic. The Kings managed to hold the Hawks to only 17 points in the third as the Kings put up 27. This launched the Kings into the driver’s seat heading into the final quarter up by 10 points. In the fourth quarter, the Hawks made a run, but ultimately came up short. Atlanta outscored the Kings by a mighty 34-25 and almost took the game from Sacramento. However, the Kings prevailed by a final of 110-108. It was a hard-fought win for the Kings, who seemed to step up when it counted. De’Aaron Fox led all scorers in the game with 37 points as Trae Young managed 29 points in the contest for the Hawks. The Kings look to keep the momentum going in their next contest. 

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night at 7 PM PST. 

Jones The Difference-maker Again, Sharks Top Kings 4-2

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Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

By Matthew Harrington

It was a different night, but a similar result for the San Jose Sharks in a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings at the SAP Center Wednesday night. Martin Jones followed up his 41 save effort with a 42-save showing and Evander Kane scored a pair of goals to give San Jose (13-14-4) the sweep of the two-game series. Alex Iafallo and Adrian Kempe scored for the Kings (13-13-6). The victory came with a price for San Jose though after Logan Couture took the butt end of Jeff Carter’s stick to the jaw and exited the game late in the third period.

The Sharks were leading by a slim 2-1 margin heading into the third period, but widened the chasm on the scoreboard in the first two minutes of the final frame. Evander Kane tipped a Mario Ferraro shot past Kings netminder Cal Petersen 21 seconds into the period for his 14th of the year and second of the game. Then, at the 1:43 mark Tomas Hertl beat Petersen for his ninth of the year and a 4-1 Sharks lead. Adrian Kempe scored his 12th to cut the lead at the 4:27 mark but the Kings would not beat a sharp Jones again for the remainder of the game.

Rudolfs Balcers opened the scoring 2:14 into the second after both Petersen and Jones were flawless in the first. The Latvian finished off the tic-tac-goal after Marcus Sorensen’s drive down the left wing pulled Petersen to the left. His feed cross-crease left a gaping net for Balcers, who scored in his second game back from an injury.

Kane potted his first goal of the game on a similar play off the rush, only this time he was coming down the left wing. He took the Labanc pass from the right wing and waited for Petersen to commit on the desperation push across the blue paint before beating him up top for a 2-0 Sharks lead with 6:21 left in the second.

Jones was 21 seconds away from his fourth straight game of one goal allowed, but a set play with just a couple dozen seconds left in the second led to Iaffalo’s late goal. Drew Doughty entered the Sharks zone and dropped the puck to Dustin Brown on the blue line. Brown ripped a shot from the point that Iaffalo redirected in for his eighth of the year.

The Sharks will play their fourth consecutive Friday-Saturday back-to-back when they travel to Glendale to face the Arizona Coyotes. For a quasi-weekend set. The Coyotes currently sit three points ahead of San Jose just below the cut line for the Western division’s last playoff spot.

Condors edge Barracuda in 4-3 shootout victory

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Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Marko Ukalovic

Seth Griffith scored the game-winning goal in the shootout to give the Bakersfield Condors a 4-3 win over the San Jose Barracuda on Wednesday evening at Mechanics Bank Arena.

The Condors extended their point streak at home to 10 games and have dominated the series with the Barracuda winning five of the six games. San Jose is now 0-5 in games in overtime games as this was its first shootout of the season.

San Jose (6-6-4-1) drew first blood in the first half of the first period. Joel Kellman found Nick DeSimone all alone just to the left of the net. Condors goalie Stuart Skinner made a diving paddle save on DeSimone’s shot, but the puck leaked out to the slot, where Stefan Noesen cleaned up the rebound for his first goal of the season at the 7:26 mark.

It was the first time the ‘Cuda scored a first period goal against its Pacific Division rival this season.

Bakersfield (11-6-0-1) scored the equalizer early in the second period as they capitalized on San Jose’s failue to clear the puck out of its own zone. Adam Cracknell sent a cross-ice, no-look pass over to Ostap Safin, who buried a one-timer past ‘Cuda goalie Sam Harvey for his first of two goals on the evening at the 2:41 mark.

For Safin, it was his first AHL goal in the past three years.

Noah Gregor regained the lead for the ‘Cuda when he slipped past Cooper Marody along the right boards after Nicholas Meloche cleared the puck out of the defensive zone. Gregor raced in on a breakaway and snapped home a wrist shot past Stuart for his second goal of the season at the 12:22 mark.

The Condors deadlocked the game at 2-2 just over two minutes later. Once again Bakersfield made San Jose pay for not being able to clear the puck out of their own zone. Marody skated around the net and centered a pass to a wide-open Tyler Benson, who finished off the play with a tap-in for his sixth goal of the season at the 14:44 mark.

Bakersfield outshot San Jose 17-14 in the middle frame.

The Condors gained its first lead of the game early in the third period. Cracknell won a faceoff inside the ‘Cuda zone and acted a screen for Safin, who went behind Cracknell and fired a wrist shot to the short side of Harvey for his second goal of the game and the season at the 2:54 mark.

Cracknell had an assist on every Condors goal and finished with a three-point night.

San Jose finally gave Bakersfield a taste of their own medicine scoring the equalizer late in the third period. Joachim Blichfeld led an odd-man rush after a turnover by Bakersfield in the neutral zone. Blichfeld executed a give-and-go with Gregor before Blichfeld’s attempted pass was blocked back to him and he fired a wrist shot past a screened Skinner for his team-leading 10th goal of the season at the 17:27 mark.

The ‘Cuda had a chance to end it in overtime with a power play at the 1:08 mark with a tripping penalty on Marody, but weren’t able to take advantage of the 4-on-3 opportunity.

Skinner finished with 38 saves on 41 shots to earn the victory. Harvey, who made his first start since early February, made 31 saves on 34 shots in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose was 0-for-2 on the power play. Bakersfield went 0-for-1.

Marody currently has a 14-game point streak.

The Three Stars of the Game were: 1) Safin 2) Cracknell 3) Griffith

UP NEXT: The Barracuda return home on Tuesday 3/30 as they host the Bakersfield Condors at 6:00 pm PST at Solar4America Ice at San Jose.