Vargas throws complete-game shutout in Mets’ 7-0 win over Giants

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By Jeremy Kahn

NEW YORK — Things got off to a rough start for Tyler Beede, and it did not improve with time, unlike a fine wine.

Jeff McNeill led off the bottom of the first inning with a double, and he scored on a Robinson Cano groundout and that would be the only run that the New York Mets would need on their way to a 7-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants before a crowd of 23,357 at Citi Field.

It got even worse for the Giants in the bottom of the fourth inning, as the Mets broke it open with a four-run inning.

Michael Conforto led off the inning with a solo home run off of Beede, who then walked Wilson Ramos and Todd Frazier and then Amed Rosario broke the game wide open with a three-run home run.

The long ball got him, said Bruce Bochy.

Jason Vargas threw a complete game, allowing zero runs, on five hits, walking just one and striking out eight, as he raised his record up to 2-3.

It was a rough night for Beede, who went five innings, allowing six runs (five earned), on five hits, walking four and striking out five, as his record fell to 0-2 on the season.

Battled with what I had, said Beede.

After recently activated Trevor Gott gave up one hit and struck out two in his only inning of work, Derek Holland did not fare as well in his first inning of work.

Holland gave up a leadoff home run to Adeiny Hechavarria to lead-off the bottom of the seventh inning. Hechavarria replaced Cano, who was forced to leave the game with strained left quadricep. Cano was activated from the 10-day Injured list prior to the game with a low-grade left strain his quadricep.

The Giants got off to a quick start, as Joe Panik led off the game with a double off of Vargas, but was stranded at second base.

Got the leadoff double, but we couldnt get much going, said Bochy.

NOTES: To make room for Gott on the roster, the Giants placed Buster Posey on the 10-day injured list, retroactively to June 2 with a strained right hamstring.

With last nights six-run 10th inning, it was the first time that the Giants have accomplished that in a game since they six runs in the top of the 11th inning on July 18, 2012 against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field, a game that they won 9-4 Also, the Giants have 15 extra-inning wins since the start of the 2018 season, which is second in the major leagues tied with the Oakland As and three behind the Seattle Mariners, who have 18 during that same period.

To make room for Cano, the Mets designated Aaron Altherr, who played in one game for the Giants earlier this season for assignment.

With his 1,000th win on Tuesday night, Bochy became just the 25th manager in Major League history to win 1,000 or more games with the same team.

UP NEXT: Shaun Anderson goes for his second straight win on Thursday afternoon, as the three-city, nine-game road trip comes to an end with a 12:10 (Eastern) start. Anderson is 1-1 on the season. Former Giants farm-hand Zack Wheeler will start for the Mets, as his tries to raise his record to 6-3 on the season.

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Warriors’ Green looked as the “quarterback” of the team; A’s look to have a better week on 9-game road trip; plus more

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On Headline Sports podcast with London:

#1 How key has Golden State’s Draymond Green for this Golden State team? He has been called the quarterback of the team.

#2 Green was called for a foul on the Toronto Raptors’ Pascal Siakam. It was Green who said he would stop Siakam after he scored 32 points on Green in Game 1 and got an earful from rapper Drake on the way back to the dressing room after the game.

#3 What happened to the A’s? They’ve lost five straight games after winning 10 straight and are in Anaheim vs. the LA Angels for three straight games the A’s snapped the losing streak with a win over the Angels on Tuesday night.

#4  The Philadelphia Phillies’ Jay Bruce was added to their lineup for some power, but low and behold former San Francisco Giants outfielder Andrew McCutchen, who tore his ACL and will be out for the rest of the season. The Phillies, who are in first place by a half game over the Braves, will miss McCutchen’s bat out of the lineup.

#5 Back to basketball, how does Golden State handle the absence of a couple of their key players Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant?

London Marq does the Headline Sports podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Montas, Laureano help A’s snap 5-game losing streak

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By Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s snapped their five-game losing streak Tuesday night as the beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-2. It was also the start of a nine-game road trip. Frankie Montas, who has pitched very well for Oakland this season, had another outstanding outing as he went six innings and allowed four hits and two runs while improving his record to 7-2. He was cruising along until the bottom of the sixth. With one out, he had a 13-pitch battle with the Angels’ superstar, Mike Trout. Trout refused to strike out. He fouled off seven or eight pitches. With the count at 3-2, Montas drilled Trout on his left elbow. It seemed that Montas was a bit rattled by the battle that he had with Trout. He had to face Angels’ DH Shohei Ohtani, and Montas lost that battle as Ohtani blasted his fourth homer of the year to cut the deficit to two 4-2

The Angels’ starter Griffin Channing, who pitched well against Oakland last week at the Coliseum, did well except for two innings. The A’s were able to put two on the board in the second inning. With one out, Matt Chapman singled. Matt Olson walked to put men on at first and second. Khris Davis, the A’s DH, smoked a double over the head of Mike Trout that went for a double. Chapman scored. Stephen Piscotty hit a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in Olson with the A’s second run.

The A’s made in 4-0 in the top of the sixth. Robbie Grossman singled with one out. Ramon Laureano homered into the left-field seats. The blast was measured at 403 feet. The Angels, as mentioned above, scored twice in their half of the inning.

The A’s manager Bob Melvin had Yusmeiro Petit pitch the seventh, Liam Hendriks, the eighth, and Blake Treinen the ninth. The A’s relievers did the job. They did not allow a hit in the last three innings of the game. Treinen set the Angels down in order in the ninth, and he earned his 12th save of the year.

Game Notes – With the win, the A’s improved to 30-30 while the Angels fell to 29-32. The A’s are in third place in the AL West. The A’s trail the Texas Rangers by one game in the race for second place in the division.

Ramon Laureano was the hitting star for Oakland, He had a double and home run in the game, and that extended his hitting streak to sixteen games.

The line score for Oakland was four runs, eight hits, and no errors. The Angels’ line was two runs, four hits, and no errors.

Time of game was three hours and four minutes and over 36,000 fans were on hand to see the A’s take the first game of the three-game series.

Game Two will be played Wednesday night in Anaheim. The A’s will send Daniel Mengden to the mound, and Felix Pena will go for the Angels. The Angels may use an “opener’ and then have Pena come in to pitch in the second inning.

The game will start at 7:07 pm.

Bochy gets 1,000th win, becomes second Giants manager to do so

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By Jeremy Kahn

NEW YORK — Bruce Bochy began his major-league career just a few 100 feet away from Citi Field, and on this night, he made team history.

The San Francisco Giants scored six runs in the top of the 10th inning, to give Bochy his 1,000th win as manager of the Giants with a 9-3 victory over the New York Mets before a crowd of 24,878 at Citi Field.

Bochy joins John McGraw as the only manager to ever win 1,000 or more games with the Giants in the teams 137-year history.

What a special night with the way they played, said Bochy.

It was on July 19, 1978 that Bochy made his major-league debut for the Houston Astros as a 23-year old catcher.

This is a special place, and I played here as well, said Bochy, who played in 17 games for the Mets during the 1982 under manager George Bamberger.

McGraw won 2,583 games between 1902-1932, which included like Bochy, three World Championships in 1905, 1921 and 1922.

This was the fourth win in five games for the Giants, who lost seven in a row prior to their win on Wednesday night against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. With the victory, the Giants are now 4-1 in extra inning games this season.

Tyler Austin got the rally going in the top of the 10th inning as he singled off of losing pitcher Robert Gsellman, who allowed five runs on three hits and walked two in 1/3 of an inning.

Following the Austin single, Brandon Belt walked and then both Austin and Belt, advanced an additional 90 feet, when Gsellman uncorked a wild pitch with Stephen Vogt at the plate. Vogt then gave the Giants the lead for good, as he lashed a double into right field that scored both Austin and Belt.

After a Kevin Pillar ground out for the first out of the inning, Brandon Crawford was intentionally walked; however, the strategy backfired on the Mets, as Steven Duggar doubled off of Gsellmans shoulder into short left field that scored Vogt and sent Crawford to third base. That was the end of the line for Gsellman, and Hector Santiago replaced Gsellman, who left to a chorus of boos from the Citi Field faithful.

Special night for Boch, and it was an honor to be back there like that, said Vogt. Admired him from across the Bay in Oakland, and I want what they have a World Championship, Vogt added.

This is the franchise I grew up loving, said Vogt, who grew up in Visalia.

Pablo Sandoval then greeted Santiago rather rudely, as he doubled to left field to score both Crawford and Duggar. Joe Panik then popped out for the second out of the inning, and then Mike Yastrzemski singled to right field and when the ball skipped by Michael Conforto all the way to the wall, Sandoval scored and Yastrzemski ended up on third with a single and two-base error. The bleeding finally came to an end, when Austin, who was batting for the second time in the inning, struck out to end the frame.

Madison Bumgarner was cruising into the bottom of the sixth inning until he gave two home runs in the frame. It was the second home run of the inning, as Pete Alonso led off the sixth inning with a solo home run on the first pitch thrown by Bumgarner in the inning. It was the 20th home run of the season for Alonso.

Wilson Ramos gave the Mets a brief 3-2 lead, as he hit a two-run home run three batters after Alonso.

J.D. Davis walked with one out just prior to the Ramos home run, his seventh of the season that made a winner out of Noah Syndergaard, who was replaced by Mets manager Mickey Callaway with two outs in the top of the seventh inning.

Bumgarner went six innings, allowing three runs on six hits, walking two and striking out five and did not fare in the decision.

I love that man, its been an honor to manage this man, help him jell and he is one of my all-time favorites, said Bochy.

Syndergaard, who left with a 3-2 lead also did not fare in the decision, as he went 6.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits, walking three and striking out four. This was the 100th career appearance for Syndergaard and 99th start.

The Giants got to Syndergaard in the top of the fourth inning, as Evan Longoria led off the inning with a walk, then Belt singled and after a Vogt fly out for the first out of the inning, Kevin Pillar gave the Giants the lead, as he singled off of Syndergaard to score Longoria.

Duggar then made it 2-0, as he singled to score Belt.

After the Mets took the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Giants came back to tie it in the top of the seventh inning with some clutch hitting.

Sandoval came on to pinch-hit for Bumgarner, but was then forced out by Mike Yastrzemski at second base for the second out of the inning. With Yastrzemski running on the pitch, Evan Longoria lined a single to left field off of reliever Seth Lugo, who came on to replace Syndergaard after the Yastrzemski fielders choice.

Belt then tied up the game, as he doubled to right field to easily score Yastrzemski from third base; however, Longoria was thrown out at the plate, when Michael Conforto threw to Adeiny Hechavarria, who threw to Ramos at the plate to end the inning.

Coming into the game, Bumgarner was a perfect 6-0 in six starts and two complete games all-time at Citi Field with two complete games, if you include the 2016 Wild Card Game.

In his career, Bumgarner is 6-0 in seven starts and the Mets are the only team to never defeat him.

Glad to see him get that, pretty cool, I actually did not know that, said Bumgarner. He is one of my best friends in the game, Bumgarner added.

NOTES: With the 2019 draft taking place across the Hudson River in Secaucus, New Jersey, the Giants drafted Hunter Bishop out of Arizona State with the 10th pick in the first round. Bishop, who went to Serra High School in San Mateo hit a team-high 22 home runs for the Sun Devils this past season.

Logan Wyatt, a first baseman from the University of Louisville was drafted in the second round to complete the first day.

Eight more players were drafted on the second day. Third-round pick Grant McCray, Tyler Fitzgerald, Garrett Frechette, Dilan Rosario, Armani Smith, who went to De La Salle High School in Concord, Caleb Kilian, Simon Whiteman and Jeff Houghtby to round out the second day.

Yastrzemski became just the sixth Giants player since they moved to San Francisco in 1958 to get at seven hits and seven runs in his first eight games, this according to STATS, LLC.

Alonso reached the 20 home run plateau faster than any Mets player in team history, as he did it in 59 games. Also, is the seventh player since 1908 with 20 or more home runs in his first 59 games.

Only Darryl Strawberry in 1983 with 26 hit more home runs as a rookie than Alonso in Mets history.

UP NEXT: Tyler Beede looks for his first major league win, as he takes the mound on Wednesday night, while the Mets will send Jason Vargas to the mound, as he looks for second win of the season.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast with Barbara Mason: A’s try to figure how to snap out of funk; Keuchel’s the hot commodity as free agent; plus more

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Barbara Mason is filling in for Amaury Pi Gonzalez:

#1 The A’s are in the middle of a five-game losing streak. They took Monday off and open up a road trip in Anaheim and Texas after getting swept by Houston. Is this a laundry list of things that manager Bob Melvin has to be concerned about?

#2 Frankie Montas will start on Tuesday night and has pretty much been the bright note in the A’s pitching rotation at 6-2, 2.81 ERA. Sometimes, it takes a spark to get things going again and Montas has had some games where he has been lights out.

#3 Free agent Dallas Keuchel is still up for grabs. He hasn’t pitched all season. Once signed, could he jump right in and help a ball club right away?

#4 Another free agent is the former Boston Red Sox pitcher Craig Kimbrel, who can also help a club. He hasn’t thrown a pitch since the World Series. Could Kimbrel be ready once he’s called on.

#5 The Giants are playing on the road this past week against two last place clubs, including the Baltimore Orioles. What does getting a couple win off the Orioles mean for the Giants after struggling much of this season and opened up the series in New York with a 9-3 win over the Mets ?

Barbara Mason is filling in for Amaury Pi Gonzalez this week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Baseball in Latin America Is Risky Business

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By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

In Latin America, the Dominican Republic,Puerto Rico,Cuba,Venezuela,Mexico, Colombia, and Curacao (Dutch Caribbean island) are the main producers of baseball talent in the major leagues.

Cuba was the pioneer in Latin America. From Esteban (Steve) Bellán, who in 1871 became the first Latin-born player to compete in a top professional baseball league, to Hall of Famer Tony Perez to Minnie “Mr. White Sox” Minoso, Cuban-born players have been big-league pioneers since the game’s earliest days. Cubans like Jose Abreu, Yasiel Puig, Yoenis Cespedes, Aroldis Chapman, Jose Iglesias and others have been keeping up with the great Cuban tradition.

My friend Roberto González Echevarría is a Cuban-born critic of Latin American literature and culture. He is the Sterling Professor of Hispanic and Comparative Literature at Yale University. Back in 1998, I introduced him to Giants manager  Dusty Baker. In his book, The Pride of Havana, he depicted the career of Cuban-born pitcher Adolfo “Dolf” Luque, whom in 1923 with the Cincinnati Reds had a record of 27-8 with 1.93 ERA, pitched in 41 games, started 37 games and completed 28 games with a total of 322 innings pitched. He was a Cuban pioneer of fair skin, so he was able to pitch in the majors in the 1920’s. The Castro brothers have ruled communist Cuba during 12 different US Presidents from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Donald Trump, and the politics of all these leaders didn’t matter, the Cuban government has never opened to free Democratic elections and still consider the US as an enemy. However, they welcome American tourism because they need the money. When Fidel Castro died (he earlier said he wanted a socialist society where all Cubans were the same) died with about $1 billion dollars in the bank, according to Forbes.

Today, Dominican Republic and Venezuela have the majority of players in the major leagues among all Latin American countries. Most of these countries are not rich countries and some are in dire economic situations. Cuba has been a communist dictatorship since 1960. Many players had to escape in home-made rafts (balsas) across the treacherous Florida straights to make it to freedom in the US. Some defected while playing tournaments outside the island. Yasiel Puig, among others, had to entangle with human traffickers to complete his journey, while the Yankees’ Kendrys Morales tried eight times to escape and succeeded in his ninth attempt. All baseball in Cuba is centralized and ran by the Cuban government, like everything else in that country. There are no diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba.

Venezuela, the land of the great Hall of Famer shortstop Luis Aparicio and many others like Miguel Cabrera, is going through an ugly part in their history. According to the United Nations, and reported by AP and Reuters, three million Venezuelans have fled economic and political crisis in their homeland since 2015. In that country, proven oil reserves are recognized as the largest in the world. Since the Hugo Chavez regime and now Nicolas Maduro, that country has collapsed with the highest inflation in the word. It is incredible that in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, people line in the streets searching for food from garbage cans and stand in line to get a bucket of clean drinking water. That is the legacy for Venezuela since they were tutored by Cuba’s communist dictator Fidel Castro. Most Venezuelan players, who usually went back to their homeland to play winter ball, have now left to live in the United States.

Mexico might have the most stable baseball leagues today in Latin America. It is another country full of riches, but mismanaged by governments for many decades. Mexico’s Vinicio “Vinny” Castilla, Fernando Valenzuela and many others in the past. Currently, Dodgers’ Julio Urias and A’s Joakim Soria and Marco Estrada, just to mention a few.

Puerto Rico was hurt by Hurricane Maria, but prior to that, they were in bankruptcy due to poor political leadership. It has been a US territory since 1898 and a “Estado Libre Asociado” (Free Associated State) commonwealth since 1952, but they can’t decide if they want to be a US state or remain as they are due to profound ideological divisions. They have three different political parties with different ideas. Puerto Rico has been a mess way before Hurricane Maria devastated most of that island. Baseball was also hurt by Hurricane Maria. For many years, they didn’t send much talent to the major leagues, but in the last few years, some star players like Astros’ Carlos Correa, Indians’ Francisco Lindor and others have been enjoying great success. The one and only Roberto Clemente along with Orlando Cepeda were both born in Puerto Rico and made it to Cooperstown.

Still, with all those bad governments, Latin American baseball talent will keep growing in the major leagues, just like the population of the US, which is approximately 50-plus million Hispanics.

Adios, amigos!

Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O: A’s try to end 5-game skid as they open 5-game road trip Tuesday

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On the A’s podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The A’s are in the midst of a six-game skid. The Houston Astros will do that for a club after the A’s took a three-game sweep.

#2 The series with the Astros saw two ejections on Saturday as the A’s Marcus Seimen was thrown out for arguing that a ball he hit was fair, but ruled foul, then on Sunday, the A’s Stephen Piscotty took a third strike that he protested and was thrown out arguing balls and strikes.

#3 The A’s got through a 10-game win streak and now have gone the other way. What does manager Bob Melvin tell the club at this point?

#4  The A’s Matt Chapman said after Sunday’s game that the Astros have had the A’s number all season long.

#5 The A’s open up a road trip in Los Angeles and Texas for Tuesday night in Anaheim. The A’s will start Frankie Montas (6-2, 2.81 ERA) vs. the Angels Griffin Canning (2-1, 3.06 ERA).

Charlie O does the Oakland A’s podcasts for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NBA Finals/Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Expect more rough and tumble basketball for Games 3 and 4

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On the NBA Finals/Warriors podcast with David:

#1 The Warriors in Game 2 Toronto have to be very greatful for a go-ahead basket by Andre Iguodala that sank the Toronto Raptors 109-104.

#2 For Games 3 and 4, the Warriors come back to Oakland. Is there any chance the Raptors can pull ahead or the Warriors can clear the fence and get ahead of a unpredictable Toronto team?

#3 Warriors injuries Kevin Looney is out, Klay Thompson how long will he be out, and Kevin Durant will he be out for the rest of the series?

David Zizmor does the NBA Finals/ Warriors podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Local kid Hunter Bishop drafted by Giants

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By Jeremy Kahn

Hunter Bishop and Barry Bonds may have been born decades apart, but the two have a lot in common already.

Bishop, like Bonds went to Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo and then onto Arizona State is now a member of the San Francisco Giants organization.

The 20-year old Bishop was drafted by the Giants with the 10th pick in the annual Major League Baseball Draft in Secaucus, New Jersey.

I definitely know its a big ballpark, but you see guys like Barry hit hit it out all the time, Bishop said. If you’ve got power, you can hit it out anywhere. I’m looking forward to one day playing at that ballpark, but I’ve got a lot of work to do until I get there.

Bishop joins a team that he grew up watching his father Randy, and his brother Braden, who is currently with the Seattle Mariners. The trio went to games at now Oracle Park, and now he will have a chance to play there in the future.

Growing up, I went to so many different Giants games with my brother and my dad and its just a dream come true and I’m so grateful to be a Giant.

This past season for the Sun Devils, Bishop hit 22 home runs and finished with an on-base percentage of 1.239, a team high.

The Bishop brothers have started a foundation called 4MOM Foundation after it was discovered that their mother, Suzy, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimers.

I grew up going to games there with my family, so to be able to put on that Giants uniform and play at Oracle Park, it would be such a dream come true and such an awesome moment, Bishop said.

Bishop is the third player picked by the Giants with the 10th pick since the 2006 drafted. In the 2006 draft, the Giants drafted a lanky right-hander out of University of Washington named Tim Lincecum and then the following year, they drafted a left-hander out of South Caldwell High School in Hudson, North Carolina named Madison Bumgarner.

The following season, the Giants picked number five and drafted a catcher out of Florida State to go along with Lincecum and Bumgarner, his name Buster Posey.

Sportstalk podcast remote at Harborview Restaurant and Bar in downtown San Francisco Monday, June 3, 2019

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Cast: Jerry Feitelberg (Oakland A’s reporter/talk show host), Amaury PI Gonzalez (Oakland A’s Spanish play by play talent), Joe Lami (San Francisco 49ers reporter), Jeremy Harness (San Francisco 49ers preview game writer), Marko Ukalovic (San Jose Earthquakes reporter), Len Shapiro (NHL analyst), and Lee Leonard (producer).

Today’s podcast: Coverage on the San Francisco Giants and ways they need to get out of the cellar in the National League West; the Oakland A’s put together one of baseball’s most exciting win streaks with 10 consecutive wins in May, the NHL Stanley Cup Finals with the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues. The Bruins took Game 1 in a two-goal 4-2 win, but on last Thursday night, the Blues got by the Bruins 3-2 to tie the series up. The Bruins came back in game 3 on Saturday with a walloping 7-2 win to take the series lead 2-1. The Blues took game 4 on Monday night with a 4-2 victory over Boston to tie the series 2-2. The Bruins Zdeno Chara took a puck to the face and his status is unknown. The Bruins have home ice for game 5 on Thursday. The Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors played to a 1-1 series tie on Sunday and return back to Oakland on Wednesday, June 5th for game 3.

Our thanks to our hosts at Harborview Restaurant and Bar Kinson Wong (Owner) and Karen Liu (Director of Marketing and Special Events) for hosting Sportstalk and we can say unequivocally one of the finest Chinese cuisine restaurants in San Francisco. Please come and enjoy the fine food, dinning and atmosphere at Harborview.

Harborview Restaurant & Bar was founded in 2018 by a team of culinary and hospitality professionals led by Kinson Wong (original Co-Founder and co owner of R&G Lounge), with the vision to elevate the caliber of authentic Cantonese-style Chinese cuisine in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Harborview presents delicious menu offerings in an elegant yet unpretentious setting, with gorgeous panoramic views of the San Francisco Ferry Building and Bay Bridge. We strive to be a “must visit” San Francisco Chinese restaurant for guests visiting from locally, regionally and abroad.

Welcome to Harborview in San Francisco!