Wilson, Cambage lead Aces past Mercury in overtime win

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Photo credit: Sports Radio Service/Shawn McCullough

By Shawn McCullough

The Aces got 19 points each from A’ja Wilson and Liz Cambage to win their 4th straight game in an 84-79 overtime victory at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Wilson struggled with her shot for most of the game, but rose up in overtime by scoring nine of the 11 Aces points.

“The biggest thing that changed for me is I just let the game come to me,” said Wilson.  “I know I threw shots that I shouldn’t have thrown up but the fact that my teammates still trust me with a basketball is something that I take a lot of pride in.”

“A’ja was struggling the whole night and all of a sudden she plays great down the stretch. That’s who she is,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer.

The Aces dominated the Mercury on the boards, 50-39, led by Cambage with 15 rebounds.

“I’m just trying to do my thing, I’m not in my head anymore,” said Cambage.  “Just going out there, trying not to mess up the plays and just focusing on getting rebounds and playing defense and letting the offense come from that.”

With the win, the Aces improved to 19-9 on the season and remain in third place in the WNBA standings, 1.5 games behind the first place Washington Mystics.

The Aces will next play the 2nd place Sun on Friday in Connecticut.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

  • Both teams struggled shooting from the field – Aces 36.9%, Mercury 37.3%.
  • There were 15 lead changes in the game.
  • Guard Jackie Young finished the game with 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

Game Starters:

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

49ers offense is a disaster

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Photo credit: ninerswire.usatoday.com

By Jeremy Harness

OK, so what we’re going to write about here is not very pleasant, but let’s at least have some fun with this one.

We’re going to start off with a little exercise.

Step 1: Grab a partner and a football (or whatever you can find around the house that you can toss), and stand approximately six feet from each other.

Step 2: Toss the chosen object to your partner. Underhand, overhand, sidearm, it doesn’t matter a lick how you do it. Just do whatever you can to ensure that your partner catches it.

Step 3: Congratulate yourselves on a job well done. You have just passed for more yards – and one fewer interception – than Jimmy Garoppolo did on Monday.

Yes, you read that right. The quarterback that the 49ers paid more than $100 million for last offseason completed one of nine passes for zero yards and one interception, and was very fortunate that another pass was not picked off and returned for a touchdown midway through the first quarter.

However, this isn’t all Garoppolo’s fault. The entire starting offense looked inept against a young Denver Broncos defense, with pass protection especially being an issue, particularly the left side with Joe Staley and Laken Tomlinson.

The 49ers beat the Broncos on Monday, 24-15, but it was mostly on the back of the backups who, simply put, are trying to secure a spot on the team and are not expected to see much action when the regular season begins.

Which brings us back to the starting offense. The unit is going to need to show a bit more on Saturday, when it faces the Kansas City Chiefs, which made it to the AFC title game last season despite finishing near the bottom in most defensive categories, particularly against the pass.

Running back Jerick McKinnon, who missed all of 2018 with a torn ACL, did not play Monday and is not expected to practice Wednesday but, according to reports, could return Thursday on a limited basis.

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.

A’s take game 1 vs. Yankees 6-2

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND — The Oakland A’s, behind the pitching of Homer Bailey, beat the New York Yankees 6-2 Tuesday night at the Oakland Coliseum. The Yankees came to town with the best record in the American League. They were 40 games over the .500 mark with a record of 83-43. The A’s were unfazed. They had won three out of four from the Houston Astros, and they felt that they can compete with the best. They did just that as Bailey and three relievers (Yusmeiro Petit, Joakim Sori, and Liam Hendriks) held the vaunted Yankee juggernaut to only two runs.

The Yankees grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first. With two out, Yankees’ DH Gary Sanchez blasted his 29th of the year. The ball left the park as if shot from a cannon. The exit velocity was 112 mph as it went over the 388-foot mark in left-center-field. Gio Urshela and Didi Gregorius singled, but Bailey retired Gleyber Torres for the third out. The lead didn’t last long as the A’s put a three-spot on the board in their half of the first. With one out Robbie Grossman worked German for a free pass. Matt Chapman then struck out. A’s first baseman swung at German’s first pitch and sent it into the stands in right field to give the A’s the lead 2-1. Mark Canha increased the advantage to 3-1 when he hit an opposite field home run. It was the 11th time this year that the A’s hit back-to-back home runs. For Olson, it was his 26th of the year, and for Canha, it was his 19th.

The A’s plated a run in the bottom of the second. With two out, A’s catcher Chris Herrmann singled. Marcus Semien blasted a double down the left-field line that allowed Herrmann to score all the way from first. Semien was caught in a rundown as he tried to advance to third on the throw home. A’s lead 4-1 after two.

The A’s put two more on the board in the sixth. Matt Olson led off with a single. He went to third on a double by Mark Canha. German struck out Khris Davis for the first out. Stephen Piscotty’s single drove in Olson with the A’s fifth run. Canha scored when Yankees’ left-fielder Cameron Maybin committed a fielding error. The A’s now led 6-1.

The Yankees’ Aaron Judge sent Joakim Soria’s first pitch 467 feet into the seats in left-field. The exit velocity was an astounding 116 mph. Soria gave up a single but struck out three Yankees to retire the side. The A’s failed to score in the bottom of the eighth. They led 6-2 heading into the ninth.

The A’s closer Liam Hendriks gave up a two-out double to Mike Tauchaman in the ninth. Hendriks retired DJ LeMahahieu for the final out to secure the win for Oakland. The A’s won 6-2.

Game Notes: Homer Bailey improved to 11-8 for the year with the win. He went 5 2/3 innings and allowed seven hits and one run. Bailey struck out a season-high eight batters. Yankees starter Domingo German’s record dropped to 16-3.

The A’s offense was paced by Matt Olson and Mark Canha. Olson had a two-run homer and a single in the game. Canha had a homer and a double. A’s DH Khris Davis had another tough night. Davis earned a “Golden Sombrero” as he struck out four times. Davis has hit just one home run since being injured in Pittsburgh.

The Yankees’ Gary Sanchez now has 99 career home runs. Gio Urshela was 2-for-4. Urshela has reached base safely in 24 of his last 25 games and is hitting .437  with 23 runs, 12 doubles, nine home runs, and 21 RBIs over that stretch. The Yankees have hit a Major League-high 49 home runs this month and have hit multiple home runs in 14 of their last 19 games.

The A’s line score was six runs, nine hits, and no errors. The Yankees’ line was two runs, 11 hits, and one error. The error allowed Canha to score an unearned run in the sixth inning.

The A’s improved to 72-53. They picked up a game on the Tampa Bay Rays, and they are now tied for the second Wild Card. The Cleveland Indians lost to the New York Mets Tuesday night and the A’s trail them by just 1 1/2 games for the first Wild Card. If the A’s were to be the first Wild Card, the one-game playoff between the two Wild Cards would be played in Oakland.

Time of game was two hours and 49 minutes. 21,471 fans were on hand to see the A’s take the opener of the three-game set.

Up Next: Game two of the three-game series will be played Wednesday night in Oakland. The A’s Mike Fiers (11-3, 3.46 ERA) will be on the hill, and he will be opposed by the Yankees’ lefty J.A. Happ (10-7, 5.40 ERA). The game will start at 7:07 pm.

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason: How 49ers looked on Monday Night Football and what to expect from Raiders on Thursday Night Football; plus more

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On Headlines Sports with Barbara Mason:

#1 The San Francisco 49ers played preseason game two on Monday Night Football. Talk about how quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo looked. He had one snag in scrimmage last week when he threw into traffic and got picked five times in a row. Going forward Thursday until making the trip to Denver, he looked like he got back on track.

#2 The Oakland Raiders’ quarterbacking situation looks like it’s coming along just the way head coach Jon Gruden planned the Raiders as the Raiders are 2-0 in preseason are looking at starter Derek Carr with backups Nathan Peterman and Mike Glennon.

#3 The Oakland A’s dropped the fourth and final game of their series to the Houston Astros Sunday, but not before the A’s took three out of four from the visiting Astros. The A’s are now 1 game back in the AL Wild Card race and all their remaining games with Houston are huge not to mention with their other opponents.

#4 The San Francisco Giants almost got a four-game sweep in Arizona, but lost on Sunday when the Diamondbacks scored for three runs in the first inning early and got good pitching out of starter Merrill Kelly, who went 5.2 innings, six hits and one run.

#5 Talk has been about traffic conditions around the new Chase Arena in San Francisco and San Francisco emergency services ran a drill simulating traffic conditions during a concert or a Warriors game. Results weren’t good as ambulances and fire trucks couldn’t get through during an emergency if there was Warriors game traffic coming in or going out. Was building Chase especially next to UCSF Hospital a disaster in the waiting?

Barbara does Headline Sports each Tuesday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O: Pinder is doing it all, relieving 4 players during their IL

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Photo credit: sports.yahoo.com

On the A’s podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Oakland A’s outfielder Chad Pinder is turning into a designated utility guy with the A’s injuries piling up and in the middle of the wild card chase.

#2 Injuries on the club include, first baseman Matt Olson (hand), DH Khris Davis (oblique), right fielder Stephen Piscotty (knee), and center-fielder Ramon Laureano (shin).

#3 Pinder has picked up the slack filling in for Olson, Davis, Piscotty and Laureano which speaks to his talents and ability. A’s manager Bob Melvin said that he very significant to the team.

#4 Taking a look at the A’s series with the New York Yankees that opens up on Tuesday night. The Yankees will start Domingo German (16-2, 3.96 ERA), and for the A’s, Homer Bailey (10-8, 5.22 ERA).

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

San Francisco 49ers podcast with David Zizmor: A look at Garoppolo in Denver preseason game; Update on Kittle and Staley injuries

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On the 49ers podcast with David:

#1 Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo had a tough Wednesday last week when he threw for five picks in scrimmage. He got tracked on Thursday and has good workouts since and saw some action in the preseason game on Monday Night Football in Denver.

#2 A couple of injuries the 49ers hope to recover from include the tight end George Kittle (calf) and left tackle Joe Staley (pectoral soreness). Will coach Kyle Shanahan use them in preseason games?

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

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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Photo credit: ftw.usatoday.com

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.

Sportstalk remote podcast at Kinara Fusion and Lounge in downtown SF; Monday, August 19, 2019

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yelp.com photo: Entrance of Kinara Fusion and Lounge now located at 607 Geary Street in downtown San Francisco.

Cast: Michael Duca (host), David Zizmor, Amaury Pi-Gonzalez, Jeremy Kahn, Morris Phillips, and Lee Leonard (producer) podcasting from Kinara Fusion and Lounge at 607 Geary Street in downtown San Francisco. Our thanks to our hosts and owners of Kinara Fusion and Lounge Restaurant Rahil Patel, Shahil Patel and Jafar Patel.

Kinara Fusion and Lounge offers a wide variety of classic Italian pizza recipes along with exotic Indian and Mediterranean specialties. A full certified Halal menu also serving unique deserts guaranteed to satisfy your palate. Located in the heart of San Francisco, Kinara also offers relaxed seating for after hours hookah lounging. Located at 607 Geary Street at Jones in downtown San Francisco.

On today’s podcast: Discussion on the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s and their chase for a wild card spot, the Oakland Raiders get ready for Aaron Rogers and the Green Bay Packers for Thursday Night Football Thursday, August 22nd at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg Canada. The San Francisco 49ers host the Denver Broncos for Monday Night Football at Mile High Stadium on Monday August 19th.