Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Harper, Phils call it a season, eliminated at Nats Park; Giants finish up their regular season; plus more

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On Headline Sports with London:

#1 How ironic is it that last meeting between Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies in Washington against the Nationals turned out to be a loss that mathematically eliminated the Phillies in Washington DC? The Nats fans found that to be poetic justice.

#2 The San Francisco Giants end their 2019 homestand and regular season this week as they opened a three-game series with Colorado. The Giants have some young prospects and veteran players who are looking to come back next season so everyone will play hard to the final game on Sunday.

#3 The Giants’ Bruce Bochy set to retire, Pablo Sandoval out with an injury for the rest of the season and Madison Bumgarner may not be back all have been a direct force in the Giants’ more successful days.

#4 The Oakland A’s are holding a 1/2 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL wild card race. The A’s are finishing up their regular season on the road against the Angels and Mariners. Can they pull it off?

#5 The San Jose Earthquakes, who won two out of their last seven games, faceoff against Philadelphia on Wednesday night, and on Friday, they host the Seattle Sounders. This is their best chance to put together a couple wins at home.

London does Headline Sports each Wednesday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose State quarterback Josh Love named Campbell Trophy semifinalist

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By Ana Kieu

San Jose State quarterback Josh Love led the Spartans to a 31-24 comeback road win over Arkansas on September 21 and is now one of 185 national semifinalists for the 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy presented by Mazda.

Now in its 30th year, the award recognizes college football’s top scholar-athlete for combined academic success, football performance and leadership on the field and in the community. The National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame oversee the prestigious awards program.

Love, a senior from Mission Viejo, Calif., is in his third season as a starting quarterback for the Spartans. After three games, Love is realizing his best season at the major college level. He has completed 62.7 percent of his passes with only one interception for 815 yards and five touchdowns. More significantly, he led San Jose State on a fourth-quarter game-winning 75-yard touchdown drive at Arkansas after the Razorbacks tied the score at 24-24 with less than 3:00 remaining in regulation play.

Love, a business management information systems major, is a three-time Academic All-Mountain award recipient.

During his college career, Love has been very active in the team’s Beyond Football program. Most recently, he organized a presentation to the team by MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving). He is one of the many Spartans to participate in the Silicon Valley YWCA’s annual Walk A Mile In Her Shoes fundraiser to raise awareness that any form of violence directed towards women must end.

To be eligible for consideration, a football student-athlete must be a senior or graduate student, in one’s final year of athletics eligibility, possess a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale, be a significant contributor on the team, and demonstrate strong leadership and citizenship traits.

“These 185 impressive candidates truly represent the scholar-athlete ideal,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively.

“For more than 60 years, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete program has showcased more than 800 college football players who have been successful on the football field, in the classroom and in the community. And we are excited to celebrate the 30th year of the William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda, which honors the best of the best. This year’s semifinalists further illustrate the power of our great sport in developing the next generation of influential leaders.”

Named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, former chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF’s Gold Medal, the Campbell Trophy Presented by Mazda is a 25-pound bronze trophy and increases the amount of the recipient’s grant by $7,000 for a total postgraduate scholarship of $25,000. This year’s postgraduate scholarships will push the program’s all-time distribution to more than $11.7 million.

“The NFF would like to personally congratulate each of the nominees as well as their schools and coaches on their tremendous accomplishments,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “We are extremely proud to highlight each semifinalist’s achievements, showcasing their ability to balance academics and athletics at the highest level. The NFF Awards Committee will have an incredibly difficult task in selecting the finalists from this outstanding group of candidates.”

From the 185 semifinalists, 12 to 14 finalists will be announced on October 30. Each finalist will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and travel to New York City for the 62nd annual National Football foundation Scholar-Athlete awards dinner in December.

Named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, former chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF’s Gold Medal, the Campbell Trophy Presented by Mazda is a 25-pound bronze trophy and increases the amount of the recipient’s grant by $7,000 for a total postgraduate scholarship of $25,000. This year’s postgraduate scholarships will push the program’s all-time distribution to more than $11.7 million.

In the history of the program, San Jose State wide receiver Tim Crawley was the Spartans’ first National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete in 2016.

Aces fall, eliminated from playoffs in 94-90 loss

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Photo credit: AP Photo/John Locher

By Shawn McCullough

The dream of a WNBA championship for the Las Vegas Aces faded away on Tuesday night.

The Washington Mystics won the best of five series, three games to one, with a 94-90 victory over the Aces at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

“At this point, obviously, we’d like to win our home games and move on to game five and throw it up and see who wins, but it didn’t happen,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer. “I told our players to hold their heads high.  I think that this was not a brutal loss.   We got beat by a basketball team that out-executed us and they played very well.”

Liz Cambage led the Aces with 25 points and 12 rebounds, while Dearica Hamby came off the bench and added 18.

“It was a very interesting season, but definitely my favorite season that I have ever had in the WNBA,” said Cambage.

The Aces will head into the 2020 season with five unrestricted free agents: Liz Cambage, Tamera Young, Sugar Rodgers, Carolyn Swords, Jaime Nared.

“Going forward, we are all excited about this situation,” said Laimbeer about their team for next season. “We will make some changes, obviously every team does.  We know some pieces that we need.”

“I love this team, I love my teammates, I love this city,” said Cambage. “This is hands down the best organization that I have ever been a part of and hopefully they will have me back for next season because I don’t want to be anywhere else.”

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Series Results:

Game 1 – Mystics 97, Aces 95
Game 2 – Mystics 103, Aces 91
Game 3 – Aces 92, Mystics 75
Game 4 – Mystics 94, Aces 90

Game Notes:

  • A’ja Wilson scored just four points in 26 minutes, going 1 for 4 from the field.
  • The Mystics will return to the WNBA Finals in back to back seasons.
  • The Aces out-rebounded the Mystics 39-29.

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 21 Kayla McBride
C – 8 Liz Cambage
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum

Blackmon, Rockies win it in the 16th with a three-run home run 8-5

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photo from sfgate.com: Colorado Rockies’ Jeff Hoffman leaves a baseball game on a cart with a leg injury after being hit by a ball batted by San Francisco Giants’ Alex Dickerson during the fourth inning Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019, in San Francisco.

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO — Charlie Blackmon ended this long game with one swing of the bat.

Blackmon hit a three-run home run in the top of the 16th inning, helping the Colorado Rockies to an 8-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants before a crowd of 27,870 at Oracle Park.

The Blackmon home run was the latest by a Rockies player since Nolan Arenado hit a home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the top of the 16th inning at Dodger Stadium on September 15, 2015.

Dereck Rodriguez was able to get Trevor Story to strikeout for the first out of the inning, but then Garrett Hampson and Arenado each singled prior to the Blackmon three-run home run.

Longoria tied up the game in the bottom of the eighth inning, as he took a Carlos Estevez pitch and hit it into the netting over the center field wall.

It was the 20th home run of the season, and his first 20 home run as a member of the Giants and first since the 2017 season, when he 20 in his last season with the Tampa Bay Rays.

While with the Rays, Longoria hit 20 or more home runs nine times out of his 10 years there. Longoria hit a career-high 33 home runs in 2009.

Garrett Hampson gave the Rockies a 5-4 lead in the top of the eighth inning, as he took a Jandel Gustave over the wall. It was the second home run of the game for Hampson, who also hit a solo home run off of Giants starter Madison Bumgarner in the top of the first inning.

It was the first multi-home run game of Hampsons big league career.

Buster Posey gave the Giants the lead in the bottom of the first inning as he hit just his seventh home run of the season and first at Oracle Park. Mike Yastrzemski walked to lead off to the inning for the Giants.

Bumgarner helped out his own cause in the bottom of the third inning, as he hit his second home run of the season.

This was the first time since June 2, 2016 that Bumgarner and Posey each hit home runs in the same game. It was the third time that the two have hit home runs in the same game.

Ian Desmond tied up the game in the top of the fourth inning, as he smashed a Bumgarner offering and put into the netting over The Garden in right-center field.

There was a scary moment in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Alex Dickerson smashed a line drive up the middle off of Rockies starter Jeff Hoffmans leg.

Hoffman, who attempted to walk around eventually fell to the ground, where both the training staff and manager Bud Black came out to check on the right-hander, who was eventually carted off the field.

The right-hander left the game with a right knee contusion.

The right-hander went 3.1 innings, allowing three run on three hits, walking three and striking out three.

Bumgarner went seven innings, allowing four runs on six hits, walking two and striking out nine.

The Rockies retook the lead in the top of the fifth inning, as Trevor Story his 34th home run of the season.

Story has homered in a record six consecutive games vs. the Giants, setting the mark with a solo shot in the fifth inning. He surpassed Mike Schmidt (1979) and Rogers Hornsby (1922), who both homered in five straight vs. the Giants.

Evan Longoria tied up the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, as his sacrifice fly scored Posey from third base.

Posey singled with one out and then advanced to third on a Brandon Belt, and then scored on the Longoria sacrifice fly, as the throw by Desmond was cut off by Nolan Arenado at third base.

NOTES: Yastrzemski is only the fifth rookie in Giants history to have a 20 home run, 20 double season and the first since Orlando Cepeda in 1958.

He joins Bobby Thomson (26 2B, 29 HR) in 1947, Willie Mays (22 2B, 20 HR) in 1951, Bill White (23 2B, 22 HR) in 1956, Cepeda and Yastrzemski.

The two teams combined to use a major-league record 25 players, breaking the record of 24 set by the Rockies and the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 16, 2015, also a 16-inning game.

Both teams combined for eight home runs to break an Oracle Park record. There were four games of seven home runs, September 5, 2000 versus Philadelphia, June 18, 2004 versus Boston, June 15, 2009 versus Los Angeles (AL) and August 24, 2010 versus Cincinnati.

As a team, the Giants used a team record 29 players, breaking their record of 25 that set on September 17, 2019 against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

UP NEXT: Jeff Samardzija will make his final start of the 2019 season for the Giants, while Tim Melville will take the ball for the Rockies one last time in 2019.

A’s fall to Angels 3-2 as race for Wild Card spots tightens up

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s fell to the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium. The A’s needed the win to keep the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Indians from closing in on a playoff berth. With the loss and wins by the Rays and the Indians, the A’s find themselves just a 1/2 game ahead of the Rays for the first Wild Card and one game ahead of the Indians for the second Wild Card. The Angels, playing the role of spoilers, scored three runs in the fifth inning to down the A’s 3-2.

The A’s put two on the board in the top of the fourth. With two out, right fielder Ramon Laureano beat out a slow roller for an infield hit. A’s DH Khris Davis blasted his 23rd homer of the year to left center field to give the team a 2-0 lead.

The Angels plated three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Taylor Ward and Matt Thais singled to put runners on at first and second with no out. A’s starter Homer Bailey struck out Caleb Cowart for the first out. Angels shortstop David Fletcher singled to drive in Ward with the Angels’ first run. Brian Goodwin, filling in for the injured Mike Trout, blooped a double just over the outstretched glove of A’s third baseman Matt Chapman for a double. Thais scored on the play. Bailey retired future Hall of Fame player Albert Pujols on a fly ball to left field. The ball was hit deep enough that allowed Fletcher to tag up and score the winning run.

The Angels’ bullpen shut down the A’s offense to secure the win for Los Angeles.

Game Notes: Homer Bailey lost for the first time in his last eight starts. Bailey’s record dropped to 13-9. He went five innings and allowed eight hits and three runs. Lefty Dillon Peters was the winning pitcher and improved to 4-3 for the year.

The A’s line was two runs, six hits, and no errors. The Angels’ line was three runs, 10 hits and no errors.

The A’s are now 94-63 for the year. Tampa improved to 94-64 with a 2-1 win in eleven innings over the New York Yankees. The Yankees needed the win as they trail the Houston Astros for the best record in the American League. The Indians beat the White Sox 11-0 and are now 93-64.

Up Next: The A’s hope to get back on the winning track Wednesday night. They will send Frankie Montas to the hill. Montas has a record of 9-2 and will be making his first start since being suspended for 80 games for using an illegal substance. Lefty Andrew Heaney will go for the Angels.

The A’s have an 11-7 record against LA and cannot afford any losses in the next five games. They do not want to fly east to face Tampa in the Wild Card game. They do not want to be tied with Cleveland for the second Wild Card. Each game is important and they have to play as if it were an elimination game. They have the talent to win. All they have to do is go out and win.

Sharks still winless in preseason after 4-1 loss to Ducks

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Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

By Pearl Allison Lo

ANAHEIM — The Anaheim Ducks treated their fans to a 4-1 win over their Northern California rival, the San Jose Sharks, in their preseason home opener at the Honda Center Tuesday. 

After Anaheim was shut out for the first time in the preseason by their crosstown rivals 3-0 Monday, they almost shutout San Jose. 

The Sharks, still searching for their first win, were able to avoid their first shutout of the preseason.

Both Jakob Silfverberg and Brendan Guhle for the Ducks had a goal and an assist. 

It was the first full game in net for both goalies Aaron Dell and John Gibson, who played half the game last time they were in net and gave up one goal apiece. Dell’s last game came versus Anaheim.

The penalty kill was strong for both teams as neither scored through a total of 11 power plays. 

The Ducks’ Derek Grant’s shorthanded empty netter at 19:38 of the third summed up the majority play of the game.

Sharks coach Peter DeBoer commented, “As a group, I thought they (Ducks) were a little bigger, a little heavier, a little harder than us, won more battles than us and that is why they won.” Anaheim won faceoffs by a 61%-39% clip.

San Jose got an early power play at 3:11 of the first during which they got two shots.

At one point, the Sharks had an 8-2 shot advantage. 

Both teams got simultaneous penalties at 6:25, but halfway in, San Jose’s Dalton Prout was called for slashing. Anaheim got better looks on their power play and three shots.

Eventually the time spent and pressure in the Sharks’ end proved worthwhile for the Ducks as Andreas Martinsen scored at 11:01. Silfverberg had the first shot and Martinsen corralled the rebound and aimed before Dell could scoop up the puck in his glove. 

The Ducks made it 2-0 when Jeffrey Viel tried to clear the puck and got Dell going in all different directions. Viel’s attempt went right to Isac Lundestrom who shot as the puck went to the backboards and Rickard Rakell found Silfverberg with his second goal in as many games at 14:17.

Both teams finished off the period with a fight with 2:52 left. Viel had the majority of punches to begin and Sam Carrick finished the scuffle off with Viel turned away. It was San Jose’s first preseason fight and there would be two more to follow.

Just 1:10 into the second period, Anaheim kept their momentum when Guhle wristed a goal from the top of the left faceoff circle as the puck hit the crossbar upon its entry. 

Penalties were assessed near the end of the period again. 

Prout was whistled for kneeing and a game misconduct at 17:18.

33 seconds later, however, Max Jones shaved off the extra man advantage as he high-sticked Jacob Middleton.

Before the high-sticking call wore off, Jonny Brodzinski and Dylan Gambrel’s back-and-forth paid off. Gambrell made a behind-the-back pass back to Brodzinski who completed the play at 19:06 to get one past Gibson.  

Goodrow had a shorthanded breakaway attempt in the third, but was denied. 

Grant’s empty-netter came nine seconds after teammate Chase De Leo was called for high-sticking. 

Up Next: The Sharks are slated to play the Calgary Flames again at home Thursday at 7:30 pm. 

San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor: Jimmy G converts his throws and gains some yards

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On the 49ers podcast with David:

#1 The San Francisco 49ers just got by the Pittsburgh Steelers with a 24-20 victory on Sunday. With the win, the 49ers are now 3-0 and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is gaining some of that old swagger back when he first broke in with the 49ers in his first year.

#2 Garoppolo threw for 277 yards and completed 72 percent of his passes. He did suffer two interceptions. Are the interceptions something he should be concerned with since it was a close game and turnovers could hurt a team?

Catch David Zizmor on the 49ers podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast Barbara Mason: Raiders simply got ran over by Vikes’ Cook; Jimmy G puts it together even in close games; plus more

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On Headline Sports podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Minnesota Vikings’ Dalvin Cook, who missed the last two seasons with ACL and hamstring issues, was running for the goal posts against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday when he rushed for 110 yards.

#2 Looking at Cook, you would have never guessed he missed any action after missing two seasons, missing 19 of 34 games. Cook said he never lost any confidence and worked his way back to getting into the Vikings lineups.

#3 The San Francisco 49ers just got by the Pittsburgh Steelers with a 24-20 victory on Sunday. With the win, the 49ers are now 3-0 and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is gaining some of that old swagger back when he first broke in with the 49ers in his first year.

#4 Garoppolo threw for 277 yards and completed 72 percent of his passes. He did suffer two interceptions. Are the interceptions something he should be concerned with since it was a close game and turnovers could hurt a team?

#5 Hard to believe the NBA preseason is starting next week with the new opening of the Chase Center in San Francisco. Will the Golden State Warriors have no trouble adapting to the new building’s characteristics?

Join Barbara for Headline Sports each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O: Lynn’s command a big factor in keeping runs down against A’s

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On the A’s podcast with Charlie O:

#1 On Sunday, it was too much Lance Lynn of the Texas Rangers. Lynn struck out 12 A’s hitters, walked one and allowed two runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings of work as the Rangers avoided getting swept at the Oakland Coliseum.

#2 Seth Brown and Khris Davis’ hitting in the five and six holes combined for seven strikeouts,.Davis was able to get a double in the eighth off the Rangers.

#3 Attendance is up for the A’s at home. The A’s increased their attendance by 88,595. They drew 38,453 to boost their season home total to 1,662,211.

#4 The Texas Rangers’ Shin-Soo Choo tied the Rangers’ all-time record for leadoff home runs matching Ian Kinsler. The Rangers had five homers off the A’s on Sunday.

#5 The A’s are in Anaheim and they’ll be starting Homer Bailey (13-8). The A’s heavily depend on Bailey as every win counts at this juncture of the season.

Charlie does the A’s podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Bochy, and possibly Bumgarner reach the end of the line with the Giants

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Photo credit: redbirdrants.com

By Morris Phillips

Sunday’s season finale against the Dodgers will be manager Bruce Bochy’s last game as a Giant. Will it also be Madison Bumgarner’s last game as well?

The Giants are guaranteed to be interested in resigning their staff ace especially after he regained his form and health in 2019. But he won’t be their only priority, and the Giants won’t be Bumgarner’s only suitor. The price will have to be right for the soon-to-be 31-year old pitcher to return.

The Giants could find themselves intrigued by bigger ticket items like Gerrit Cole and J.D. Martinez if the slugger opts out of his deal with the Red Sox. One thing’s obvious: the Giants have multiple needs and targets commiserate with where they are coming off a third, consecutive losing season and where they want to be, running with the Dodgers and attempting to end their streak of NL West titles, now sitting on seven.

“It’s not so much, ‘Hey, do you have the money for Player X or the money for Player Y?’ Or, ‘How much does ownership want to spend?’ It’s more how does Farhan and the staff want to bake the cake?” club president Larry Baer said in a recent interview with the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Giants have upgrades in Kevin Pillar, Mike Yasztremski and Alex Dickerson.  Younger players Mauricio Dubon and Joey Bart could be ready for starting assignments at the major league level. But the organization is also hamstrung by the big contracts previously given to Brandon Belt, Buster Posey, Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto. Who to keep, who, if any, can be moved, and who to trust as centerpieces going forward are among the questions GM Farhan Zaidi and his staff must answer.

Those won’t be easy answers to obtain. And once Zaidi hones in on the personnel decisions, will they also address the issues the current team has had winning at Oracle Park. Other than Pillar, most of the Giants’ offensive performers have fared far better on the road than at home.