Arenado goes yard twice in Rockies’ 6-2 win

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

By Jeremy Kahn

Trevor Story joins Paul Goldschmidt and, teammate. Nolan Arenado as a nemesis of the San Francisco Giants pitching staff.

Story hit a home run for the fifth straight game against the Giants, tying the longest streak by a Colorado Rockies player, leading the Rockies to a 6-2 victory over the Giants at Coors Field.

Arenado, another longtime nemesis of the Giants pitching staff, hit two home runs as the Rockies took revenge and the series just a month after being swept by the Giants also at home.

Kyle Freeland won his first game since defeating the Philadelphia Phillies on April 18, as he was 0-6 with five no-decisions and spent five weeks with the Rockies Triple-A team. Freeland rejoined the club on July 13th.

Freeland went five innings, allowing two runs, walking just one and striking out five, improving to 3-9 on the season.

The Giants offense came from one batter, as Donovan Solano hit two home runs on the afternoon.

Solano led off the game and the second pitch of the game from Freeland landed in the left-field bleachers.

In his second at-bat, Solano hit a 445-foot home run making it the first multi-home run game for Solano since he did it as a member of the Florida Marlins against the Atlanta Braves on September 25, 2012.

It was not a good day for Brandon Belt or Buster Posey, as the two went a combined 0-for-8 on the afternoon.

Tyler Beede lasted just 3.2 innings for the Giants in his first-ever start at Coors Field, giving up five runs on eight hits.

Beede has struggled ever since shutting out the San Diego Padres on July 19th, when he threw eight innings of three-hit ball. Over his last three games, Beede has a 7.98 earned run average.

Trouble began for Beede with leadoff batter Charlie Blackmon, who hit a double down the left field line followed by Story’s two-run homer that gave the Rockies the lead for good.

After Daniel Murphy grounded out for the first out of the inning, Arenado hit his first home run of the game.

Solano cut the Rockies lead in half in the top of the third inning, as he hit his second home run in as many at-bats.

The Rockies extended the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the third inning, as Blackmon led off with a double, Story walked, then Murphy singled to right to score Blackmon and send Story to third base.

Arenado then grounded into a double play that scored Story from third base. He then closed out the scoring on the game, as he hit his second home run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning.

NOTES: Evan Longoria was activated from the 10-day injured list, and to make room for Longoria, the Giants sent Zach Green to Sacramento. Longoria was out with plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

This was the last game in Colorado for Bruce Bochy, went 96-118 in 25 years at Coors Field between the San Diego Padres and the Giants.

UP NEXT: Jeff Samardzija takes the mound on Monday night against the Washington Nationals, while the Nationals will send Erick Feede to the mound.

Without Cambage, Aces stop the Stars in the final minutes, win 75-70

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

With Elizabeth Cambage out resting on what was supposed to be the occasion of her return to Dallas, the rookie duel–Jackie Young versus Arike Ogunbowale–took center stage at College Park Center on Saturday night.

Young scored a career-best 17 points and the visiting Aces held on for a 75-70 victory despite the absence of their stars, Cambage and A’ja Wilson. The win gave the Aces the season series, 3-0, after the two clubs engineered the blockbuster trade on the eve of the season that brought Cambage to Las Vegas.

Both teams struggled with their shooting, and the Aces got bogged down with turnovers, but that didn’t prevent a spirited finish with both Notre Dame rookies making big baskets down the stretch.

With Dallas trailing 73-70, and seeking a tying basket with 8 seconds remaining, Young intercepted Kaela Young’s pass and was fouled. She converted both free throws for the final margin of victory.

Ogunbowale made three 3-pointers in the final 2:36, but could get the Wings no closer than a one-point deficit. The No. 5 pick in the WNBA draft finished with a team-best 24 points.

“We can’t miss defensive assignments like we did tonight. We can’t miss free throws like we did tonight,” said Aces coach Bill Laimbeer. “All the above leads to losses, but we’re fortunate we got a win on the road.”

Young, the number one selection in the 2019 draft, finished with a team-best 17 points.

“I think the biggest thing is playing hard, just having the confidence to make plays,” Young said.

The Wings fell to 6-16 with the loss while the Aces improved to 15-7, percentage points behind the red-hot Washington Mystics, and a half-game off the pace of the first place Connecticut.

Improvement for Quakes, Even in 1-1 Draw

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

By London Marq

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Earthquakes had a bittersweet evening at the gorgeous Avaya Stadium when they took on their interconference rivals, the Columbus Crew. Entering play the San Jose had been red hot. Winners of four straight and sitting squarely in third place in the Western Conference. Columbus traveled to San Jose winners of two straight, but still, one of the bottom-ranked team in the all of MLS this season.

San Jose will be looking back at the first half of this match wondering what could have been as they failed to convert on several golden opportunities inside the box. Reasonably the Quakes could have had a three-goal advantage by the 41st minute when they were granted penalty as the result of a handball. The Sweden native Magnus Eriksson was able to slot the ball into the bottom left corner and give San Jose the first goal of the game.

The Crew would have their revenge in the 65th minute. Taking advantage of lethargic San Jose defense former Men’s National Team striker Gyasi Zardes sharply headed the ball into the goal area.  It was another moment that San Jose will look back on in the coming days. The match would finalize at a goal apiece, though San Jose did have scoring opportunities late.

Although San Jose didn’t get the win, they still got the one point for the tie. That one point put them in second place in the conference, continuing their excellent run of form this season after finishing dead last in 2018. This is the type of game San Jose will have to learn from. Despite them playing so well, they need to learn to battle complacency. Columbus is the type of team they should have beaten, and it will not be easier playing more talented teams. Nevertheless, San Jose walked away having moved up in the standings.

They will try to solidify their position next Saturday, August 10th at Colorado.

FINAL: San Jose draws with Columbus, 1-1.

Fiers is on fire, leads the A’s to an 8-3 victory over the Cardinals on Saturday

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
Cards 1
Chris Herrmann celebrates scoring a run Photo: @Athletics

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Oakland Athletics have become the St. Louis Cardinals’ worst nightmare. Back in June, the A’s swept their two-game series in St. Louis. On Saturday night, the A’s never trailed in game one of the two-game series in Oakland.

The Athletics jumped on the Cardinals early on Saturday night when they scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning off the Cards starting pitcher Dakota Hudson. The A’s sent eight batters to the plate collecting two hits, two walks, and one hit batsman. It became very apparent that it was going to be a short evening for Hudson.

The A’s scored two more runs in the bottom of the second inning. Oakland sent seven hitters to bat in the inning taking advantage of a double, sacrifice fly, two walks and one passed ball.

The Cardinals closed the gap to 5-2 by the end of 6 1/2 innings, but Chad Pinder hit a two-out three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to make an 8-2 score. The Cardinals’ Lane Thomas hit a pinch-hit home run in the top of the ninth inning which made the final score 8-3 in favor of the A’s.

Oakland is now 63-48 on the season — 8.5 games back of Houston in the AL West and 1/2 game out of the second Wild Card slot behind Tampa Bay. St. Louis falls to 58-51 and into second place in NL Central — 1/2 game behind the Cubs. The Cardinals now are in the number one Wild Card slot in the National League.

Focus on the A’s

Fiers line
Graphic: @Athletics
  • Mike Fiers pitched 5.2 innings and allowed just one run en route to his 10th win of the season. Fiers now owns the second-longest active winning streak in the American League with eight wins. His last loss was May 1st. Fiers struck out four, walked just one while giving up six hits. He made 94 pitches. In his postgame comments, manager Bob Melvin said he wanted to keep Fiers pitch count down tonight.
  • Stephen Piscotty went 2-for-3 plus a hit-by-pitch in his first game back from the injury list.
  • Khris Davis extended his hitting streak to five games. He is batting .320 (7-for-20) over those five games. Davis scored a run in the fifth inning of the game.
  • Matt Chapman put a three-walk game into the scorebook for the second time this season. He did it versus the Rangers back on April 23rd. Chapman scored a run in the first inning of the contest.
  • Chad Pinder was brought to pinch-hit for Grossman in the bottom of the seventh inning with two out and two runners on base. Pinder hit an 0-2 pitch from Tyler Webb over the left-field fence for a three-run home — his 10th of the year. Skipper Bob mentioned after the game that this team really uses everyone on the 25-man roster. Everyone is ready to contribute at all times.
  • “Mr. I can play anywhere coach” — Mark Canha had a 2-for-5 night with the bat and drove in two runs. So far this season, Canha has played all three outfield positions and first base for the A’s.

Athletics roster changes

  • Stephen Piscotty has rejoined the team. He was placed on the 10-day IL back on June 30 with a knee sprain. Piscotty went to Las Vegas for a rehab assignment where he played three games in the outfield and two at designated hitter.
  • The A’s claimed catcher Dustin Garneau off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels. Garneau is a right-handed hitter while Chris Herrmann is a lefty (Josh Phegley is on the IL due to a deeply bruised thumb). Garneau is familiar with some of the Oakland pitchers as he played 19 games with the A’s in 2017 plus seeing them in head to head competition.
  • Infielder Franklin Barreto has been optioned back to Triple-A Las Vegas. He was hitting just .106 at the time he was sent down. Manager Bob Melvin commented that Barreto had nothing left to prove at Triple-A which means it could be the end of the road for the infielder and the Athletics organization.

Cardinals watch

  • Cardinals starting pitcher Dakota Hudson walked a season-high five batters in just 3.2 innings of work on the mound. His record drops to 10-6 for the season after being charged with the loss.
  • Paul DeJong had a 2-for-4 game with an RBI. He now has a career monthly best 43 RBI in August. He is second for the Cards in total bases with 185.
  • Lane Thomas hit his second home run of the season in the top of the ninth inning. Both of his home runs have come when he has been a pinch-hitter.

Up next

A’s fans will get their first look at RHP Tanner Roark on Sunday. Roark came to the A’s at the trade deadline from the Cincinnati Reds for minor league outfielder Jameson Hannah. Roark was 6-7 with a 4.24 ERA in 21 starts for the Reds.

The Cardinals will counter with RHP Adam Wainwright, who is 7-7 with a 4.47 ERA so far in 2019. Wainwright started against Oakland back on June 26 in St. Louis. He lost that game 2-0. Wainwright worked 6.2 innings giving up two runs (both earned) off seven hits. He walked one, struck out nine, but he gave up two home runs. Wainwright will be a free agent at the end of the season.

First pitch is scheduled for 1:07 PM PDT.

Zheng and Sabalenka advanced in semis, will face off in Mubadala final

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

By Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE, Calif. — SaiSai Zheng had never played in a Premiere-level final, until now. Roughing out the 86 degree temperature at match time, Zheng was able to cruise her way into the final of the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic over the seventh seeded Maria Sakkari in straight sets 7-6 6-2 in the first semi-final match of the day.

Zheng out battled Sakkari in a tightly contested first set that went to a tiebreaker. Zheng was able to win the tiebreaker 7-5 and seized control of the match from there on out.

“The last time I played Sakkari I remember she didn’t like the no pace, high back hand (volleys),” said Zheng. “This was one of the tactics I used today and it worked.”

Sakkari, who was looking to play in her second consecutive MSVC final, was frustrated throughout the second set whenever Zheng answered one of her volleys during a rally. In the final game, Sakkari double-faulted twice with the second one clinching the match for Zheng.

Sakkari mentioned she was a bit fatigued from her quarterfinal match just 24 hours earlier, but blamed a lackluster effort on her part as the main reason she lost the match to Zheng.

“I think I played really, really bad the whole match,” said the 23-year-old Athens native. “I think she (Zheng) has a tricky game which played a huge role in the match. I think my level (of play) was pretty poor today to win that match after coming from a win like that (in the quarterfinals) yesterday.”

This was only the second time the two have squared off against each other with Sakkari defeating Zheng three years earlier at Wimbledon.

“It’s been amazing to get into the final,” said Zheng. “I try to tell myself just enjoy who I am on the court and play my game. (It) turns out (to be) a good result.”

In the night cap, second seeded Aryna Sabalenka used her sheer power to dominate her semifinal against fifth seeded Donna Vekic taking her out in straight sets 6-4, 6-3.

The first set featured nobody being able to hold serve in the first seven games as each player took turns breaking the other’s serve. However, in the ninth game, Sabalenka took control of the match finally winning serve and winning the next two games to close out the first set.

“I was struggling today with my serve,” said Vekic, who was looking for her third top 10 victory of the season. “She (Sabalenka) played very well. It’s tough to play against a player like that without (having a good) first serve.”

In the second set, Sabalenka jumped out to a 3-0 lead with her strong serve that at times was too hot to handle for Vekic. Down 5-2, Vekic showed her mental toughness coming back from 0-40 to end up winning the game, but it was too little too late as Sabalenka finished her off in the next game to punch her way into the final for a showdown with Zheng.

“I tried to put more balls in than her,” said a jokingly Sabalenka regarding her strategy going into the match. “She (Vekic) doesn’t have a bad part of her game, so it was about fighting and show your best (game).”

Despite not making it to the final, Vekic seem to take it in stride, despite an overzealous fan shouting out a weird request to her.

“One guy in the crowd said he’ll kill himself if I don’t hold (serve), so I thought I really needed to hold,” said a laughing Vekic.

For Sabalenka, she is looking forward for her chance to win her second single’s title of the year on what has been an up and down season up to this point.

“I’m looking forward to the final,” said the 21-year Belarusian. “Hopefully I can show the same (level of play) as today. Saisai is a great player and it’s going to be a tough match.”

Posey comes up in the clutch to win the game for the Giants 6-5

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

By Jeremy Kahn

Buster Posey is a three-time World Champion, a former Rookie of the Year and a Most Valuable Player award winner, and he can still come up with the big hit when it is needed most.

Posey hit a two-run pinch-hit double that scored Austin Slater and Kevin Pillar, as the San Francisco Giants came back to defeat the Colorado Rockies 6-5 at Coors Field.

The Posey double that could not be stopped by right fielder Charlie Blackmon, came  off of losing pitcher Carlos Estevez.

Joe Panik came off the bench to bat for Zach Green, and walked against Estevez. Following the walk to Panik, Estevez gave up a single to Slater that sent Panik to second, where Pillar was sent into run for him.

Posey came off the bench to pinch-hit for Sam Coonrod, and gave the Giants the lead, when he doubled up the alley.

After the Posey double, Brandon Belt walked and that was the end of the line for Estevez, who was replaced by Sam Howard, who promptly hit Mike Yastrzemski to load the bases with one out. Howard then regrouped to strike out Pablo Sandoval swinging, and then got out of the jam, when he got Stephen Vogt to fly out to left to end the inning.

Things got off to a fast start for the Giants, as they scored four runs in the top of the first inning off of Rockies starter Jon Gray.

Yastrzemski got the first inning rally started, as he walked against Gray and then scored on a Pablo Sandoval double.

Brandon Crawford then singled in Sandoval, and on the throw home, Crawford moved up to second. Scooter Gennett then hit his first home run as a Giant, a two-run shot that was measured at 413 feet.

Ryan McMahon got the Rockies on the board in the bottom of the second inning, as he grounded out to second base which scored Daniel Murphy from third base. Murphy led off the inning with a double that landed in between Yastrzemski and Steven Duggar.

Trevor Story got the Rockies within one run in the bottom of the third inning, as he hit a two-run home run off of Madison Bumgarner.

The Giants started another rally in the top of the fourth inning, as Bumgarner singled to left and went to third on a Belt double; however, the rally ended when Yastrzemski grounded out to end the inning.

Blackmon tied up the game, as he led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a solo home run to center field.

Three batters later, Murphy gave the Rockies the lead, as he doubled to right field and Nolan Arenado scored on a Gennett throwing error. Arenado singled to center just before the Murphy double.

Duggar then made the play of the game, as he leaped over the fence to rob Ian Desmond of a potential two-run home run.

“Pretty incredible that he got up there,” said Bumgarner.

The fifth inning was it for Bumgarner, who threw 91 pitches in those five innings. Bumgarner gave up five runs on eight hits, walking one and striking out two.

After Bumgarner left the game, the new Giants bullpen bounced back from a rough outing on Friday night to get the Giants the victory.

The quartet of Trevor Gott, Sam Coonrod, Tony Watson and Will Smith pitched the final four innings, allowing four hits, walking just one and striking out six.

Coonrod threw a perfect seventh inning, as he picked up his second win of the season.

Despite giving up two hits in the bottom of the ninth inning, Smith picked up his 27th save of the season, as he struck out the side to end the game.

NOTES: Ty Blach, who was designated for assignment earlier this week, was claimed off of waivers by the Baltimore Orioles.

Dan Winkler, who was acquired in the Mark Melancon from the Atlanta Braves and was immediately designated for assignment, cleared waivers and was outrighted to triple-A Sacramento.

UP NEXT: Tyler Beede will close out the series and the road trip, as he looks for his fourth win of the season, while the Rockies will send Kyle Freeland to the hill.

Stanford football opened training camp on Friday afternoon

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: gostanford.com

By: Ana Kieu

Whether it’s Pop Warner, high school, college or the pros, there’s something special about the first practice of the season.

That was the case Friday afternoon at Elliott Field, where 102 Stanford Cardinal players gathered in shorts, jerseys and helmets under a cloudless, blue sky. It was the first of 24 sessions before the season opener against the Northwestern Wildcats on August 31 and was crisp and fast-paced.

“Absolutely,” said senior defensive end Jovan Swann. “I started playing when I was six years old. After the hard training, just being out there with my guys was a great thing.”

Junior offensive tackle Walker Little, a preseason All-American, also felt the excitement.

“Almost more so now than when I was little in Houston,” Little said. “It was so hot and I knew I was going to be sweating. The game just elevates so much more as you get into it. There are so many more things to think about and so many things I want to get better at.”

Every practice matters.

“You work all offseason and yes it does get you ready for the season, but ultimately, it’s what you do on these days during training camp that gets you ready for the season,” said Little.

All in
Friday’s practice lasted three hours.

“It was really good,” said David Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football. “Not everything was perfect. Compared to last year, we looked like a mature football team and that was great to see. Guys played hard, smart, kept teammates off the ground and were still making great effort.”

There are 21 freshmen on scholarship, and many have a chance to make impacts.

“We have adopted the mentality that we can help the young guys right away,” said Swann. “With the four-game (redshirt) rule, they’ll definitely be able to contribute. We’ve got guys who work hard and are willing to fight. We saw that throughout the summer.”

Quick start
A key theme is starting fast with Northwestern, USC, UCF and Oregon looming on the schedule in the first month. For Stanford to accomplish its goals, starting with a Pac-12 North title, it must set an early tone with focus and execution.

“There is a sense of urgency,” Swann said. “We have guys who have been around and are leading the young guys and they follow suit. It’s top down at every position.”

Said Little, “We know in the back of our minds it’s a brutal little stretch. We’re coming out of the gate swinging and don’t have time to ease into the year.”

Since the end of last season, the coaching staff has stressed maximum effort and accountability.

“We’re trying to finish each play and each practice,” Little said.

Little expects big things from the offensive line.

“This is probably the most cohesion we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Little said. “We’re all comfortable with each other and have played together. There’s been a lot of flipping the last two years because of injuries but we’re pretty solid across the board.”

Special teams
Specialty units have always been a priority under Shaw. It’s also a great way for underclassmen to get noticed and earn playing time.

“I believe it’s the way for us to win games,” said sophomore inside linebacker Jacob Mangum-Farrar, who didn’t start playing football until his freshman year of high school and saw action in the last four games in 2018.

“Playing last year, it was a great learning experience to get some college-level football in,” Mangum-Farrar said. “This year, in addition to playing my own position, I plan on starting on just about all teams. That’s my mission.”

Rankings
The preseason college football Coaches Poll was released on Thursday and Stanford ranked No. 23. Cardinal opponents who made the list were No. 9 Notre Dame, No. 12 Washington, No. 13 Oregon, No. 17 UCF, No. 21 Washington State and No. 25 Northwestern.

Extra points
The Cardinal will don full pads on Tuesday, followed by a non-practice day Wednesday … Stanford’s only open scrimmage is August 11 from 3:15-5:30 p.m. The other open practice is August 18 from 3-5:30 p.m. and features a post-practice Youth Clinic and autograph session … Shaw attended a San Francisco 49ers practice last week … Stanford will wear a uniform patch in the opener to celebrate 150 years of college football and a helmet decal to recognize the 125th year of Stanford football.

Quotable
“That’s why you come to Stanford. You want to play the best teams around the country. It’s going to test us, but we’re going to see what we’re all about.” — Walker Little on the challenging schedule.

San Jose State football TEs get along

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose State Spartans football team has relied heavily on pass catching by the tight end for years. Between all-conference players Ryan Otten, Billy Freeman and Josh Oliver, they’ve accounted for 336 pass receptions since 2009.

And, in the last four seasons, the team benefited, too, from the blocking abilities, first from Josh Oliver, and, more recently, Billy Humphreys back for his junior season.

With Oliver pursuing his new career with the Jacksonville Jaguars, San Jose State still expects to use multiple tight ends in a variety of ways this season.

Matt Adkins, who coached the tight ends last season, has the same responsibility this year. For starters, there are Humphreys, senior Brett Foley and junior Derrick Deese, Jr., continuing their battle from the spring for the number one job. Junior Jackson Burrill and freshmen Dominick Mazotti and Noah Sanchez are also in the group.

Adkins sees the potential in his group to make a real mark on the offense this season.

“I love Josh. It was a blessing to coach him. I’m really excited about this group. I’m really excited about the depth I think we’re going to have. We have a bunch of guys with a bunch of skill sets. We’ll be able to be creative with what we do offensively using these guys,” Adkins said. Adkins also praised the group with how quickly they’re picking up concepts and schemes so far in fall camp.

“There is a bunch of opportunities in the offense this year. We’re really excited since we have the same offensive coordinator (Kevin McGiven) and same tight ends coach (Matt Adkins). The ’12’ personnel (one back and two tight ends) and the ’13’ personnel (one back and three tight ends) will be a really good option for us this year,” said Humphreys, who has seven starts heading into the season. The 245-pound tight end has 11 receptions his first two seasons, actually four more than what Oliver had going into his junior year.

“We all complement each other really well. We all have a lot of similar things (traits) and complement each other, force each to get better every day by seeing what the others are doing and try to beat each other at that,” said Foley, who moved from linebacker to tight end last year with positive results. Foley’s first major college reception was a touchdown catch in the UNLV win.

“I like being able to run and have the ball in my hands, making plays. There’s no other thing like it,” Foley added.

For Deese, Jr., he saw action in three games last year and retained his third year of athletics eligibility. Like Foley, Deese, Jr. has made adjustments from his days at Golden West College to San Jose State.

“I had always been a blocker on the outside. I was known for blocking on the perimeter and catching the ball. The only thing different is putting my hand in the dirt and a different stance off the ball. And, being in the box more,” said Deese, Jr., who had 47 receptions in two seasons at Golden West College.

Regardless of who earns the most playing time, Adkins foresees big things from his tight end group.

“It’s a great group of guys. We’re going to be able to stretch the field. And, on a short down and distance, be physical and run the ball down hill with these guys as well,” Adkins predicts.

The first week of practice concludes Sunday, August 4. The practice open to the public is Tuesday, August 6, at 9:40 a.m. The team’s first scrimmage is Saturday, August 10, 5:30 p.m. in CEFCU Stadium. There’s no admission charge.

The season opener is Thursday, August 29, with San Jose State hosting Northern Colorado in a 7:00 p.m. non-conference game. Tickets for all San Jose State home games are available at www.sjsuspartans.com/tickets.

Notes: Bene Benwikere is back in the NFL. The co-recordholder for San Jose State career interceptions with 14 was signed by the Minnesota Vikings on August 3 to compete for playing time as a cornerback. Benwikere was a 2014 fifth-round draft choice by the Carolina Panthers. There now are 12 Spartans on a NFL roster heading into the first week of preseason games.

Former Spartans Daniel Bradbury (2012-14), a wide receiver and holder on special teams, and offensive lineman Nate Velichko (2014-17) were visitors on day four of fall practice. Both are campus police officers. Bradbury works for the UCLA Police Department and Velichko is a member of the San Jose State Police Department.

Tough 5-4 loss in Giants’ series opener vs. Rockies

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: mercurynews.com

By Jeremy Kahn

Something rare happened in the opener for the San Francisco Giants against the Colorado Rockies, as the usual Giants solid bullpen fell apart.

Ian Desmond picked up a pinch-hit double off of Reyes Moronta in the bottom of the seventh inning, helping the Rockies to a come-from-behind 5-4 victory over the Giants at Coors Field.

Sam Selman, who made his major-league debut on Thursday afternoon against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, gave a big two-run home run to Ryan McMahon in the bottom of the sixth inning that tied up the game.

Mike Yastrzemski hit his 10th home run of the season off the façade of the third deck that was measured at 472 feet.

Moronta was wild in the seventh, as he went to three ball counts on the first three batters he faced, as Charlie Blackmon singled, Trevor Story walked and then Desmond hit a double off of Moronta that gave the Rockies the lead for good.

Andrew Suarez, who was recalled from Sacramento was shot in the arm for the Giants, especially on a play from Giants newcomer Scooter Gennett. Daniel Murphy hit a weak ground ball that Gennett fielded and threw to Buster Posey, who tagged Story, who was originally called safe; however, Bruce Bochy challenged the call and it was overturned via replay.

Shawn Anderson pitched five innings, allowing three runs on eight hits, walking two and did not strikeout a batter.

NOTES: Dereck Rodriguez was optioned to Sacramento following Thursdays 10-2 against the Phillies. Steven Duggar was recalled from Sacramento, and Tyler Austin was designated for assignment.

This was just the Giants second loss to a team from the National League West in 12 games since June 30.

UP NEXT: Madison Bumgarner will take the ball on Saturday evening for the Giants, while the Rockies will send Jon Gray to the mound.

Sakkari takes down #1 seed, highlights Day 5 of Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @Tennis

By Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Déjà vu doesn’t happen often, but for Maria Sakkari she tends to make a habit of it when she performs in San Jose.  Down one set and one game away from being bounced in straight sets, the Greek freak made a remarkable comeback to defeat the number one seeded Elina Sviotlina 1-6 7-6 6-3 in quarterfinal action on Day 5 at the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic on Thursday afternoon.

Last year at this same tournament Sakkari was in similar situation against Danielle Collins and fought her way back to win in the semi-finals. This time around she was down three games twice in the second (4-1 and 5-2) when she won four games in a row forcing Sviotlina to win the 12th game and the ensuing tiebreaker that Sakkari won 7-3 to prolong the match into the third set.

Sakkari cruised in the third winning it in 46 minutes to punch her ticket to the semi-finals where she will face Saisai Zheng.

“Maybe it’s something about this place,” said the 23-year-old Athens native about her comebacks in this tournament. “I really feel comfortable playing on the center court here. Really feels like home.”

Sakkari finished with seven aces on the day and 7/10 on first serve points won. She credits her serve as one of her main improvements from a year ago.

“My served has improved a lot,” said Sakkari. “I know today wasn’t one of my best hitting the ball, but my serve, my forehand is my weapon now when I was struggling (with them) I would say two years ago.”

In the first match of the day, number two seed Aryna Sabalenka rebounded from losing her first set of the match against number six seed Carla Suarez-Navarro to power her way into the semi-finals in a three-set victory 3-6 6-2 6-4. Despite serving up nine double faults, Sabalenka took control of the match in the second set and never looked back as she found her game to take down Suarez-Navarro.

The Croatian sensation that is Donna Vekic continued her winning ways in a straight sets victory over American Kristie Ahn in her quarterfinal matchup 7-5 6-0 that needed less than 90 minutes to complete. Vekic was down early in the first set 3-5 to Ahn who looked to be in control of the match. However, the native of Osijek, wouldn’t lose another game, going on a 10-game win streak to close out the match and into the semi-finals where she will take on Sabalenka.

“It’s easy to get carried away,” said Vekic when asked about being in a zone during the win streak. “I had to stay really focused and not take anything for granted. And really take one point at a time and not really think about the score.

Vekic finished with six aces, all in the second set, as her powerful serve was too much for Ahn to handle for most of the match. Vekic was also a perfect 9/9 in first service points won in the second set.

“I think I had quite a few aces today. It (my serve) was working really well for me. I had quite a lot of easy points as well and that’s always nice.”

In the night cap Zheng outlasted fourth seeded Amanda Anisimova in a three-set battle of the wills. Zheng won the opening set 7-5 when she would land some nice drop shots that Anisimova had little to no answers for.

Anisimova answered the call in the second set using a combination of forehand power shots with pin-point two-handed backhand shots to take the set 7-5 to even the match. However, she would pay a price for her effort as she had been suffering from an illness throughout the week. She was treated from her chair and then on the ground for 15 minutes before getting back up to start the final set.

“I have had a virus for the past couple of days and wasn’t feeling well today ,” said the 17-year old Anisimova. “I thought I needed a little help (to feel better)”. We both played very well. I think my opponent played super well. She got to almost every single ball, all the credit to her.”

With the score all evened at 4-4, Zheng was able to take control of the final two games as she took advantage of Anisimova’s ailment and won the set 6-4 and stamped her way to her first premiere level semi-final in her career. She will take on Sakkari in the first semi-final on Saturday.

“The whole match was very intense,” said Zheng. “I felt like I had to give a little bit more (than normal) until the end. It was really a tough match tonight.”