Sacramento A’s game wrap: Tolle Ties A’s in Knots as Boston Rolls 13-1

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Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Payton Tolle pitches to the Sacramento A’s line up in the top of the first inning at Fenway Park in Boston on Fri Aug 7, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics needed something to interrupt an eight-game losing streak, but Payton Tolle gave them almost nothing to work with. Boston’s left-hander struck out 14 over six innings, while the Red Sox piled up 15 hits in a 13-1 rout. The loss stretched the A’s skid to nine games and dropped them to 45-71. It was another hard turn in a stretch that already had the Athletics at 4-24 over their previous 28 games and riding a run of 12 consecutive series losses.

Tolle set the tone immediately. He retired all 12 Athletics hitters he faced through four innings, with nine of those outs coming by strikeouts. Henry Bolte and Jonah Heim struck out in the first, Tolle struck out the side in the second, and he did it again in the fourth against Bolte, Jacob Wilson and Heim. The A’s could not produce a baserunner until the fifth.

Boston had already built a five-run advantage by then. Andruw Monasterio drew a one-out walk in the second before Jarren Duran sent a two-run homer to left-center. Anthony Seigler followed with a double, and Jake Rogers doubled him home. Nick Sogard then drew a walk before Wilyer Abreu doubled in Rogers and Sogard for a 5-0 lead. Jack Perkins survived the third without further damage, but his outing ended after three innings with five runs allowed on five hits, three walks and three strikeouts.

The game moved further away from the Athletics in the fourth after Hayden Juenger replaced Perkins. Rogers opened with a double and Sogard singled him to third. A throwing error by Juenger on a pickoff attempt allowed Rogers to score, then Abreu singled home Sogard. Masataka Yoshida added an RBI double, and Monasterio singled home Yoshida before being thrown out trying for second. Boston had four more runs and a 9-0 lead. It was another difficult inning for an A’s bullpen that began the game with a 5.59 ERA, the highest in the majors.

Tyler Soderstrom finally broke through against Tolle to start the fifth, driving a solo home run to right-center for his 18th homer of the season. The blast ended Tolle’s perfect-game bid and accounted for the Athletics’ only run. Soderstrom had entered the game with 17 homers. Max Muncy added an infield single in the sixth, but that was the A’s only other hit. Tolle completed six innings with two hits allowed, no walks and 14 strikeouts, and Boston pitching finished with 16 strikeouts overall.

The Red Sox kept adding. Ceddanne Rafaela singled to begin the sixth, and a throwing error by Jonathan Ornelas helped put two runners in scoring position. Caleb Durbin and Yoshida each delivered sacrifice flies to make it 11-1. In the seventh, Rafaela singled home Rogers and Durbin doubled home Rafaela, pushing the margin to 13-1.

There were at least two small defensive footnotes for the Athletics. Wilson played six innings at shortstop without an error, extending his errorless streak to 109 games, one shy of Mike Bordick’s major-league record of 110. Carlos Cortes then took the mound for the eighth and retired Monasterio, Duran and Seigler in order. It was Cortes’ eighth pitching appearance of the season, extending the Athletics record he already held for the most pitching appearances by a position player in one year.

The A’s get another chance against Boston in Game 2, with left-hander Gage Jump (4-7, 4.59 ERA, 73 K) facing fellow lefty Jake Bennett (7-4, 2.90 ERA, 50 K) at 1:10 p.m. Pacific, and Jump will be looking to summon the form that produced six scoreless innings against the Red Sox in his previous start against them.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: A’s fire General Manager Forst as team plummeted in the Second half

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David Forst took over as the GM of the A’s in 2015. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Athletics/Getty Images)
(Michael Zagaris via Getty Images)

A’s fired their general manager as the team plummeted in the Second half

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

With the loss Friday night in Boston, 13-1 against the Red Sox, the Sacramento A’s have lost 29 of their last 33 games.

This morning we learned that the A’s announced the firing of General Manager David Forst, as the team has plummeted in the second half of the season. After 11 seasons as General Manager and 27 years with the organization, the team framed the departure as a “mutual agreement.” Sorry, but I do not buy it; Forst was basically fired during a very difficult season. Management of this A’s team forgot one of the most common things in the game: “Nobody can win without pitching.” I do not care who the GM is; if their pitching is not of Major League caliber, they cannot win. Did they scout well? Who made the decisions for these pitchers? At the end, even if it is not Forst, he is the GM who lost his job; somebody had to pay for the sins.

-Pitching: They ranked #15, which is last in the American League with a combined 5.42 ERA. The team signed Luis Severino to a 3-year deal for $67 million, although he was not a bad pitcher who had good years in New York; he was never an ace, a truly #1. He was the Opening Day pitcher for the A’s. Luis Severino started 12 games; his record is 2-6 with a 4.16 earned run average. 

 Luis Severino is on the 60-day injured list with a right shoulder strain. They have some other younger pitchers that still have not found their success. The A’s excellent manager, Mark Kotsay, said early in the season that it would be left to the pitching if they are competitive or not.

-Offense: They ranked #8 in the middle of the pack in the league. As I wrote before this season started, the A’s had a young, talented, and at times intimidating lineup, with the likes of Nick Kurtz, Lawrence Butler, Tyler Soderstrom, and others. There is still room to improve, but they have a good nucleus of young hitters, and good prospects in their minor league system.

Friday the A’s have 46 games left and, resting in fourth place, they run the danger of finishing last, occupied by the Los Angeles Angels. For the record, the last time the A’s finished last, they were in Oakland, and it was in  2023, with a record of 50-112. Manager Mark Kotsay was there; he remembers, and he doesn’t want his team to do the same.

Note: My favorite player of this generation is Mike Trout recently hit a home run on his birthday, the sixth time he has done so during his brilliant career. I was calling the LA Angels games for Fox Sports/Spanish when his very first at-bat in the majors, his debut with the Angels in 2011 at the young age of 19 against the Mariners, he was playing center field, just arrived from Salt Lake City, their AAA farm team. The rest is history, with three MVP Awards, although playing for teams going nowhere, he is still a future Hall of Fame member.

Quote: “Pitching is the art of instilling fear.” -Sandy Koufax.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

San Francisco takes flight on Detroit and gets the Win, 5-2 on Giant’s celebration of Top Gun Night

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San Francisco Giants Rafael Devers (#16) and Jung Hoo Lee (#51) celebrating after Rafael Devers got himself his 24th home run of the season, giving the Giants the lead over the Detroit Tigers in an MLB game on Friday, August 7th, 2026, at Oracle Park in San Francisco, CA. (Photo credit to Jay Choi, SF Bay News Lab)

By Michael Villanueva

SAN FRANCISCO – This Friday night’s game was the start of the San Francisco Giants’ season-long nine-game homestand. The Giants (49-67) will host the Detroit Tigers (56-60) for the next three games, with the home team, the Giants, taking the first one Friday night, 5-2. The winning and starting pitcher of this ballgame was San Francisco Giants RHP Adrian Houser. This is Houser’s third win of the season, and he got his 43rd career win as a pitcher.

The losing pitcher for this game was Detroit Tigers RHP Keider Montero. Montero, coming into the game, was 8-6 and had an ERA of 3.17. This game was his 19th start in his 25th game of the season. This is also his fourth straight start after five consecutive relief outings.

The Giants returned home after a rough road trip in which San Francisco went (2-5), going (1-3) at San Diego and then (1-2) at Texas. These losses have now brought San Francisco to a season-low 19 games under .500 for the first time since 2017, ending 34 games under .500. Going into the game, the Giants were on a two-game losing streak. So the team was ready to come home and take advantage of their long homestand.

Detroit came into this game having great success on their road trip. The Tigers have won five of their six games in their West Coast trip. They stopped in three cities along the West Coast: Sacramento, Seattle, and now San Francisco. They went (3-0) in Sacramento, sweeping the Athletics, and then went (2-1) in Seattle. Detroit has outscored their opponents by 42 runs (53-11) in these first six games.

Tigers leadoff hitter Kevin McGonigle started the game off for Detroit with a single on a fly ball to right outfielder Jung Hoo Lee. Then the next batter, Gleyber Torres, also got himself a single on a sharp line drive back to right fielder Lee. Setting up McGonigle at third, so all Detroit needed was a hit, and that’s what they got. Tigers’ Dillon Dingler grounded into a force out, third baseman Christian Koss to second baseman Osleivis Basabe. Bringing in Kevin McGonigle to score early for the Tigers, 1-0.

Eventually, Giants pitcher JT Brubaker would end the top of the first with his first strikeout of the night. So with the Giants already down one run, they were trying to get their bats swinging and give their fans something to cheer for. So, Giants Rafael Devers’ first at-bat delivered with a home run to center field (401 feet). His homer would bring two runs, giving the Giants their first lead of the night, 2-1. His homer was his 24th of the season.

Just pitching one inning, with two hits, one run, and one strikeout. The Giants pull JT Brubaker, shortening his first start of the season. San Francisco brings in RHP Adrian Houser to replace him. However, Detroit still gets their bats swinging on him as well. The Tigers, in the top of the second, would be able to get another run on the Giants, tying the game, 2-2.

At the bottom of the second inning, with the Giants having two outs but bases loaded. Giants Jung Hoo Lee understood the assignment for them. Lee would get himself a single to center field, bringing in two runs for San Francisco. His two-run single would give the Giants the lead, 4-2. His hit would ignite and get the fans on their feet just after. The San Francisco Giants had a quick moment to honor and celebrate longtime Giants broadcaster Mike Brokow on his retirement.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Giants were seeing all the right pitches to their batting. Giants Willy Adames would add on and get his 19th home run of the season to left field, pushing San Francisco’s lead to 5-2. After that, the Giants defense stepped up and held off the Tigers. Detroit scored 76 runs in their last eight games, starting back on July 28th. So with the Tigers just being held to two runs, it makes the Giants defense stand out and shows some light into the season’s lows.

Heading into the top of the ninth inning, the Giants were holding the lead at 5-2. With San Francisco needing three more outs to call the game, they sent out RHP Dylan Smith. Smith is 0-4 and is still looking for his first win, and got his most recent loss on Tuesday. So with him determined to get his win and with help from the Giants’ defense. San Francisco holds off Detroit and took game one tonight. Smith would receive his first career save in this ballgame, and the Giants would get their 49th win of the season.

The San Francisco Giants and Detroit Tigers will come back Saturday for their second game out of three. The first pitch will be at 4:15 p.m. with the Giants sending out RHP Landen Roupp (7-10, 4.34 ERA). Detroit will send out and also will be making their season debut is RHP Jackson Jobe. The game will be broadcast on FOX.

San Francisco Giants podcast Lincoln Juarez: Brubaker gets the call for SF Fri night against Detroit

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San Francisco starter JT Brubaker gets the call agianst the Detroit Tigers at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Fri Aug 7, 2026 (Sports Illustrated file photo)

San Francisco Giants podcast Lincoln Juarez:

#1 The Giants are returning to Oracle Park on Friday night after having a rugged road trip to San Diego and Texas dropping five of seven games going 1-3 in San Diego and 1-2 in Texas.

#2 The road trip dropped San Francisco 19 games below .500 their lowest for the 2026 season.

#3 The loss to the Rangers on Wednesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington dropped the Giants to 48-67 (.417) their lowest mark for the season and fifth worst winning percentage in MLB.

#4 Meanwhile the Giants have had a little better luck at Oracle Park winning 13 of their last 20 games and San Francisco has outscored opponents 96-69. The Giants have gone 13-7 at home since June 14th which is the sixth best home record in MLB during that time and is fourth best in the NL.

#5 For Friday night’s contest as the Giants return from the road trip for Detroit RHP Keider Montero (8-6 ERA 3.17) for San Francisco RHP JT Brubaker (0-0 ERA 3.17) first pitch 7:15pm PDT.

San Francisco Giants podcasts with Lincoln Juarez are heard Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NHL podcast Len Shapiro: Pens commit to 8 yr $32 million deal for Ville Koivunen; What Blackhawks expect out of Bedard for 26-27 season; plus more news

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Pittsubugh Penguins forward Ville Koivunen signed an eight year $32 million contract extension with the Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins photo)

NHL podcast Len Shapiro:

#1 Why did the Pittsburgh Penguins commit to an eight-year, $32 million extension for Ville Koivunen, and why has the deal generated mixed reactions among fans and analysts?

#2 What are the biggest expectations for Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks heading into the 2026–27 NHL season, and how is the team’s young core expected to contribute?

#3 Which players were ranked among NHL Network’s top five wings entering the 2026–27 season, and what factors likely influenced their rankings?

#4 Who are the top five rookie fantasy hockey prospects for the 2026–27 season, and what makes them attractive picks for fantasy managers?

#5 Which offseason storylines—such as trade rumors, contract negotiations, or remaining free agents—are drawing the most attention as NHL training camps approach?

Join Len Shapiro for the NHL podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants/49ers podcast Bruce Macgowan: Can Greg Papa sue KNBR for firing him while on medical leave?

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Ex-KNBR talk show host Greg Papa and San Francisco 49ers play by play voice was laid off by KNBR while on medical leave as announced Wed Aug 5, 2026 (San Francisco Chronicle file photo)

San Francisco Giants/49ers podcast Bruce Macgowan:

#1 Bruce, how hard is it to believe that KNBR radio the flagship station of the San Francisco 49ers has let go of talk show host and play by play voice of the 49ers Greg Papa go after he had been suffering through Leukemia and bone marrow transplant treatments?

#2 Papa broke in the Bay Area scene as the play by play voice of the Golden State Warriors around 1986-1995 and was considered the second best all time Warriors play by play announcer behind Bill King.

#3 Papa lost his Warriors play by play job to Bob Fitzgerald how did that happen and why would the Warriors let someone like Greg Papa go?

#4 Mike Krukow the San Francisco Giants color announcer announced that Sep 27th will be his last day as TV color analyst as part of the famous Kruk and Kuip broadcast duel. Kruk said it’ll be hard to walk away but due to health issues he had to make the hard choice.

#5 The Giants let go of a large contingent of players at the trade deadline Heliot Ramos, Luis Arraez, Caleb Kilan, Robbie Ray, Tyle Mahle, and Erik Miller were these trades made to get young propects and who amongst those players were mistakes made that the Giants shouldn’t have let go?

Bruce Macgowan is a Sports Talk analyst at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento A’s podcast Jeremiah Salmonson: A’s hope to have better luck agianst Red Sox open series Friday at Fenway

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Aug 6, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Athletics’ pitcher Brady Basso throws against the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Aaron Doster

Sacramento A’s podcast Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 The Cincinnati Reds swept the Sacramento A’s at Great American Ballpark in a three game series the A’s continue to sputter losing their ninth out of their last ten games.

#2 For the Reds Elly De La Cruz led off hitting his fourth career lead off home run. De La Cruz’s homer was one of four for the Reds in the 6-5 win Thursday.

#3 It’s a tale of two teams going in two different directions. The Red have gone 13-6 after All Star break. The A’s have now lost eight in a row and lost 12 series in a row and their season record is 45-70.

#4 A’s catcher Brian Serven has been on tear of late hitting a two run home run off Reds pitcher Brock Burke which pulled the A’s within a run. For Serven it was his second home run of the season.

#5 The A’s open a three game series starting Friday night in Boston against a Red Sox team that took three of four from the A’s last week in West Sacramento. For Friday Sacramento will start RHP Jack Perkins (2-7, 6.72 ERA) for Boston LHP Payton Tolle (6-6 ERA 3.30) first pitch at Fenway Park 4:10PM PDT.

Jeremiah Salmonson does the A’s podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

Sacramento A’s game wrap: Serven’s Ninth-Inning Shot Comes Up One Run Short; A’s get swept by Reds in 6-5 contest Thursday

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Sacramento A’s starter Mason Barnett pitches to the Cincinnati Reds in the bottom of the first inning at Great American Park in Cincinnati on Thu Aug 6, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s game wrap:

By Mauicio Segura

Brian Serven gave the Athletics one final surge, but Cincinnati had already built just enough room to survive. After Lawrence Butler reached on an infield single and advanced on Elly De La Cruz’s throwing error, Serven sent a two-run homer to left-center, trimming a three-run deficit to one.

The rally ended there, however, as Alika Williams grounded out and Jonathan Ornelas struck out, sealing a 6-5 Reds victory and the Athletics’ eighth consecutive loss. The A’s were swept in the three-game series and dropped to 45-70.

Cincinnati wasted little time taking the lead. De La Cruz opened the bottom of the first with a home run to left-center, giving the Reds a 1-0 advantage before Mason Barnett had recorded an out. Barnett recovered well enough to avoid further damage, helped by one of the game’s strangest sequences.

Serven successfully challenged a call involving Tyler Stephenson, who was ruled out on strikes, while JJ Bleday was also caught stealing for an inning-ending double play.

The Athletics broke through in the fourth. Henry Bolte and Tommy White opened the inning with singles, and Jonah Heim drew a walk to load the bases. Tyler Soderstrom followed with a two-run single through the middle, scoring Bolte and White for a 2-1 advantage. Max Muncy added another single to reload the bases, and Butler’s ground-ball double play brought Heim home for a 3-1 lead.

That inning also showed the cost of giving away outs. Heim had already grounded into a double play in the first, and Butler’s fourth-inning twin killing limited what might have become a much larger rally. The A’s entered the game tied for second in the majors with 88 ground-ball double plays, and two more proved especially costly.

The Reds erased the lead almost immediately. Sal Stewart and Stephenson hit solo homers in the bottom of the fourth, tying the game at 3-3. Barnett returned for the fifth but hit Matt McLain, allowed a single to Stewart and issued a walk to Bleday, loading the bases with one out. Elvis Alvarado replaced him and struck out Stephenson, but consecutive bases-loaded walks to Eugenio Suárez and Dane Myers pushed Cincinnati ahead 5-3.

Barnett was charged with five runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings. He struck out seven, but three of Cincinnati’s hits against him cleared the fence. Andrew Abbott, meanwhile, settled after the fourth and completed 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. Bleday gave the Reds their final run in the seventh, driving a Seth Johnson pitch over the wall in right-center for a 6-3 lead.

The Green and Gold entered the game with a seven-game skid and only four victories in their previous 27 contests. The defeat made it eight straight and dropped them to 4-24 since July 3. Serven’s late homer at least offered another encouraging moment since his July 26 recall. His previous homer, hit July 28, had been his first in the majors since August 2022.

The A’s will try to stop the slide in Boston, where Sacramento’s Jack Perkins (2-7, 6.72 ERA, 89 strikeouts) is scheduled to face Boston left-hander Payton Tolle (6-6, 3.30 ERA, 110 strikeouts), with first pitch set for 4:10 p.m. Pacific.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

Sacramento A’s podcast Bridget Mulcahy: A’s and Reds conclude 3 game series Thursday

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Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly Del La Cruz (left) gets the throw too late as the Sacramento A’s Henry Bolte (right) slides in safely into second base in the top of the seventh inning at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati on Wed Aug 5, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s podcast Bridget Mulcahy:

#1 Lawrence Butler is back in the lead off spot for the Sacramento A’s at the plate, and was able to provide the A’s with some offensive spark against the Reds with a RBI and a run scored?

#2 A’s starter Jacob Lopez kept the Cincinnati Reds to just two runs pitching five innings allowing four hits and a walk.

#3 The A’s Tyler Soderstrom continues to hit consistently with two at bats a run scored, one hits, two walks and he was able to successfully reach base twice.

#4 Catcher Jonah Heim called a good game for the A’s also had a hit and an RBI. and caught all four pitchers despite losing the game by a run.

#5 A’s and Reds conclude this three game series Thursday at Great American Park for a 9:40AM PDT first pitch. Starting pitchers for Sacramento RHP Mason Barnett (1-1 ERA 4.85) for Cincinnati LHP Andrew Abbott (5-7 ERA 3.91).

Join Bridget Mulcahy for the A’s podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: MLB–Why there will be a Lockout

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Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Bruce Meyer represents the players in the lock out dispute with Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and the 30 team owners (AP file photo)

MLB: Why there will be a lockout

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

There is no “potential” lockout; it is coming.

This December 1st is the day the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expires. I do not believe there will be a new deal in place between labor (players) and management (owners) by then. This is big business, and each side is trying to figure out who has the most leverage. Each side is trying to get leverage on the other side. The main dish “Salary Cap”

In December, we should hear (like it happened in previous disputes) from both sides; they will put their plan forward and all that jazz. That is going to happen, because that is the way it has always happened, and the best thing we have during this work stoppage is the history between owners and players, and there is precedent; you do not need a law degree to understand this. There is no mystery here.

Let us dig a little deeper.  Q: Can the players strike during this 2026 Postseason?   A: No, baseball players cannot strike during the upcoming 2026 playoffs because their current CBA (see above) runs through December 1, 2026. Therefore, the 2026 postseason, including the World Series, will finish before the labor contract expires. The current agreement guarantees there will be labor Peace throuigh the Postseason/World Series.

If there is no movement by late February or early March of 2027, then we all should be concerned, because the season will be in jeopardy.

The winter months? As it usually happens, other sports leagues are already playing: NFL, NBA, NHL, and on February 14, 2027, the Super Bowl is scheduled to take place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles (Inglewood), California. The Super Bowl is the biggest yearly sporting event in the United States, so baseball is already on vacation; to me, it is more a TV spectacle than just a game.

So what? It doesn’t matter which side we are favoring, owners or players, because in the end we, the fans and the media, are just spectators in the bullpen.

However, there is one thing both sides agree on: Major League Baseball (MLB) is a very lucrative multi-billion-dollar business. With media rights, ticket sales, and corporate partnerships, this league is one of the most economically powerful sports leagues in the world.

Finally.  How long will the lockout be?  Nobody really knows today, so get your PopCorn and hot butter ready, because these things have a life of their own. While the labor unions’ favorite word is “Solidarity”, owners might use “Unity”, same cat with a different collar.,

Want to bet?  Las Vegas oddsmakers are already taking bets on the possibility of winners and losers on this upcoming lockout.  Who knows? Maybe we should ask a team that is supposed to open play in Sin City in 2028, the ex-Philadelphia-Kansas City-Oakland-Sacramento Athletics.

Quote: Rob Manfred, Baseball Commissioner, explaining the 2021–22 lockout): “We hope that the lockout will jumpstart the negotiations and get us to an agreement that will allow the season to start on time. We cannot allow an expired agreement to again cause an in-season strike and a missed World Series.

Like they say in French – Faites vos jeux   – Place your bets.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.