Giants come back from 8 down, win 12-11 behind Vogt, Longoria

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By Jeremy Kahn

This will be a game that Stephen Vogt will never forget for the remainder of his major-league career.

Vogt hit a game-tying home run with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, and then Evan Longoria hit the tie breaking home run in the top of the 11th inning, as the San Francisco Giants came back from an 8-0 deficit to defeat the Cincinnati Reds 12-11 at Great American Ballpark.

This was the Giants first win at Great American Ballpark in three years, and were outscored 58-15 during a seven-game losing streak that ended with this thrilling victory.

As for largest comeback in Giants history, this was the fifth time in team history that the team came back from an eight-run deficit.

The four prior times came on Sept. 8, 1947 at Pittsburgh; April 14, 1970 at Atlanta; Sept. 23, 1970 at Los Angeles; and Sept. 4, 1989 at Cincinnati.

Derek Dietrich hit two three-run home runs, as the Reds jumped out to an 8-0 lead at the end of just three innings and it looked like this game was going to get out of control; however, the resiliency of this team did not allow to happen.

The Giants began to chip away at the Reds big lead in the top of the fourth inning, as they scored three runs off of former Oakland As pitcher Sonny Gray.

Brandon Crawford got the Giants on the board, as he grounded out to score Buster Posey, who led off the inning with a single.

After Kevin Pillar flew out for the second out of the inning, Steven Duggar cut the lead down to 8-3, as he singled to center to score Longoria and Brandon Belt.

It was a huge night for Duggar as well, as he backed up his first ever three hit game on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers and then went 3-for-5 in the opener of this three-game series.

Yaisel Puig then scored the ninth run of the game for the Reds, as he scored on a play that saw Nick Vincent commit two errors on ball hit by Dietrich.

Kyle Farmer extended the lead up to seven runs once again, as he hit a solo home run to extend the up to 10-3.

Then the Giants began to chip away even more, as they scored four runs in the top of the sixth inning, when Duggar hit a sacrifice fly to score Crawford, then Vogt doubled to right on a play where you saw Puig nearly throw Pillar at the plate after falling in the outfield and then Joe Panik launched a two-run home run to get within three runs.

Jesse Winker gave the Reds a four-run lead, as he hit a ground-rule double to score Tyler Barnhart in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The Giants cut the lead down to one in the top of the eighth inning, as Brandon Belt hit a two-run single that scored Duggar and Vogt and then Longoria came up with the first of his two big hits on the evening, as he singled to score Tyler Austin.

With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Vogt hit the first pitch he saw from Reds closer Raisel Iglesias to tie up this wild game.

It would be tied until Longoria led off the inning, as he hit a solo home run off of Jared Hughes that barely landed into the left field seats that gave the Giants their first and what turned out to be their only lead of the game at the most opportune time.

Reyes Moronta pitched one inning, allowing a walk and striking out three, as he won for the first time this season.

Will Smith struck out two in the bottom of the inning to pick up his eighth save of the season.

Tyler Beede made his season debut, and it will be one that the rookie would like to forget as soon as possible. Beede lasted just two and one-thirds innings, walking two and striking out three and did not fare in the decision.

Gray, who liked he was on his way to his first win of the season, as he left the game with the lead and went five innings, allowing three runs on four hits, walking three and striking out two, as he did not fare in the decision.

Mike Gerber, who was President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidis first acquisition, but was designated for assignment during spring training was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento and he doubled and walked in four plate appearances.

NOTES: To make room for Gerber on the roster, the team designated outfielder Gerardo Parra for assignment. Parra, who signed a minor-league contract with the team in February, hit just .198 with one home run.

Erik Kratz was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring.

UP NEXT: Dereck Rodriguez, who allowed six runs in his last start against the New York Yankees on Saturday afternoon will take the mound on Saturday, while the Reds will send Tanner Roark to the hill.

Stanford Cardinal news and notes

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Photo credit: gostanford.com

By: Ana Kieu

It may be the offseason for the Stanford Cardinal, but the prestigious university’s football and men’s basketball aren’t slowing down anytime soon.

Here’s a roundout of what has been going on in Stanford, Calif. this week:

Football
May 1, 2019

Here’s what they’re saying about the five Cardinal players selected in the 2019 NFL Draft over the weekend:

Photo credit: gostanford.com

Howie Roseman, Philadelphia Eagles Executive VP of Football Operations
“It’s his ability at the line of scrimmage to set defenders up. He’s very crafty and uses his basketball skills to box people out. He creates separation from that and he showed his athleticism as well at his Pro Day. This guy’s a good football player and we are happy to get him.”

Joe Douglas, Philadelphia Eagles VP of Player Personnel
“JJ is a great fit for what we do. His ability to go up and get the ball, his strength, his ability to separate and finish, his contested catches in the scoring zone. He’s just a highly productive guy. Really tough, really strong.”

JJ Arcega-Whiteside on “Why Stanford”
“It’s the best combination of academics and sports. We win the Directors’ Cup every year. I went on a visit and met Condoleezza Rice. I shook her hand and ended up working for her this past summer. There’s no other place like that in the country, where you can do that and still win 9, 10, 11 games every year.”

JJ Arcega-Whiteside on David Shaw
“He’s been here before. He knows the ins and outs. Coach Shaw, there’s a reason we win, because he knows what he’s doing. We watch a lot of Philly, watch a lot of guys because if you can learn from the best it’s going to make you better. Having the same terminology and schemes. Having Coach Shaw because he’s been here before, there’s a lot of reasons we win a lot of games every year.”

Photo credit: gostanford.com

Chris Ballard, Indianapolis Colts General Manager 
“Any (line)backer we take we think can play all three (positions). Bobby can play all three. He’s 240 pounds. He’s a big dude with long arms. You’ll be hard-pressed to find two other inside backers in the league that have arms as long as (Darius) Leonard and Okereke. So he’ll get in and he’ll compete. And the best three (linebackers) will play.”

Chris McGaha, Indianapolis Colts scout
“He’s got the length, 35-inch arms. He’s fast. He ran fast (in the 40). I don’t remember the number exactly, but (he) plays with effort, kind of like Darius (Leonard). Instincts, tackling, sideline-to-sideline guy. He’s good in coverage, too. We kinda saw him in the same light (as Leonard). Can’t wait to put those guys together.”

Colts.com
Q&A with Okereke

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Jay Gruden, Washington Redskins Head Coach 
“Very talented. Unfortunately he had the injury. When you go by the board, he was ranked up there pretty high for us and he was available and we took him. Give him time to get better. Number one, get him in the building — get his rehab going on the right path which it already is, and the type of guy that he is — a team captain — I think he’ll be ready in no time. We just got the opportunity to draft a player with unbelievable production at a big time school.”

Michael Renner, PFF News and Analysis 
“A handful of backs in this class rightfully deserve to have their ‘speed’ praised, but none of them have speed the way Love has speed. We’re talking legitimate angle-altering juice that doesn’t even need broken tackles to take it to the house.”

Connor Muldowney, Saturday Blitz
“Washington got one of the best steals of the draft and only needed to wait until the fourth round. This kid is a future NFL star.”

Photo credit: gostanford.com

Nick Caserio, New England Patriots Director of Player Personnel
“He’s a pretty athletic kid, a great kid, great traits, smart, mature.”

Patriots.com
Q&A with Bailey

Photo credit: gostanford.com

John Lynch, San Francisco 49ers General Manager
“He makes big plays in big moments. A lot of contested catches. Someone is all over him, and he’s got an ability. I think he’s got a big catch radius, and the nice thing about Stanford football is that they’re playing traditional football.”

Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers Head Coach
“He’s a good blocker, you look at what makes him successful in college. He’s not depending on his speed. He gets open with his hands and with his feet. He’s a tough player. He’s not scared at all out there going over the middle. He’s big enough with his size, he’s smart enough to be very good in how he blocks and how we will use him blocking. That’s why he was very good for them and that’s why we think he has a good chance to make our team.”

Men’s basketball
April 29, 2019

Cardinal senior Josh Sharma has been selected to play in the USA Basketball 3×3 National Championship.

The tournament features 15 teams competing May 3-4 at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. The event will also serve as the 2019 USA Basketball Men’s 3×3 National Team trials, as all eligible athletes will be in consideration for selection to the 2019 USA Men’s 3×3 World Cup and 2019 USA Men’s 2019 US Pan American Games 3×3 Basketball teams.

The USA 3×3 Nationals will tip-off with preliminary games from 3-10:30 pm on Friday. The preliminary round will continue from 9 am-12:30 pm on Saturday, and, after teams are seeded based on preliminary records, the knockout round will begin at 5:40 pm. The championship game, which will be streamed live online at usab.com/live, is set to tip at 10:20 pm.

Sharma is part of the 3Ball California entry, which also includes Olin Carter III of San Diego, Henry Caruso of Santa Clara and Frankie Ferrari of San Francisco.

Sharma also played in the NABC College All-Star Game and the 3×3 competition at the Final Four earlier this month.

Sharma, who was a candidate for the Pac-12’s Most Improved Player Award, established a school record for field goal percentage in a season. His mark of .673 was not only a program record, it was the eighth-best field goal percentage in a season in Pac-12 history. He completed his standout career eighth on Stanford’s field goal percentage list, shooting .563 for his career.

Sharma was an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention selection as a senior, after finishing the year as the conference’s field goal percentage leader and ranking in the top-10 in the league in offensive rebounds (3rd, 2.6 orpg), blocks (7th, 1.4 bpg) and rebounds (9th, 7.1 rpg). He averaged 11.3 ppg and 8.2 rpg during Pac-12 play, posting double-doubles in five of his final seven games. He averaged 14.7 ppg and 11.1 rpg over those final seven contests.

Olympic fans will see the launch of a new basketball discipline with the inclusion of 3×3 in 2020. The exciting and fast-paced game officially was unveiled in international competition at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games and has since become a fan favorite at FIBA 3×3 World Cup events. Played on a half court with a 10-minute clock, and a 12-second shot clock, the first team to 21 points, or the team in the lead at the end of regulation, is the winner.

Held annually since 2012, this year marks the eighth edition of the USA Basketball 3×3 National Championships, and the first time the nationals will be held outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. At the international level, USA Basketball has been represented by at least one national team in every FIBA 3×3 World Cup, FIBA 3×3 U18 World Cup and Youth Olympic Games held since 2010.

Phegley Plates 8, A’s Sink Pirates 14-1

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By Matthew Harrington

The Oakland Athletics boast one of the most fearsome hitters in Khris Davis, so it’d be no surprise to see an nine RBI game for an A’s player. What is surprising is that it was journeyman catcher Josh Phegley, who did it Friday night at PNC Park in a 14-1 A’s win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, not Davis.

The A’s knocked in 11 runs between the second and fourth innings, including scoring seven off Bucs starter and losing pitcher Joe Musgrove (1-3, 2.63 ERA). Phegley went 4-for-5, knocking in an obvious career high in eight runs, including a solo homer in the ninth inning. Matt Chapman also homered in a pair in the seventh for the A’s runs after their early game rally. Brett Anderson (4-2, 3.89 ERA) got the win after going six innings allowing four hits and the one run on a Josh Bell RBI ground out in the bottom of the first.

Khris Davis started the second inning rally, reaching base on a throwing error from Jung Ho Kang, the Stephen Piscotty doubled. Kendrys Morales knocked in Davis with an RBI single to tie the game. Jurickson Profar was hit by a pitch to load the bags for Phegley, who cleaned them with a double for a 4-1 lead. Marcus Semien knocked in Phegley later in the inning on a grounder to first and a 5-1 lead.

Davis led off the next inning and advanced to 2nd on Morales’ single, but the A’s were looking at two outs and coming up empty after Profar flew out. Phegley knocked in Davis for a 6-1 edge and later in the inning Semien walked with the bases loaded for a 7-1 edge. Semien, along with Chapman and Phegley were the only A’s with multiple RBI.

Profar singled in a run off Nick Kingham in the top of the third and Phegley hit another bases-loaded two-bagger to knock in three and give the A’s an 11-1 advantage. They wouldn’t need more, but they’d get more with the two long balls in the late innings.

The A’s hope they have more runs in their bats Saturday when they continue their interleague trip to Pittsburgh. Chris Bassitt takes the mound after a sterling season debut in his last outing, while Trevor Williams takes the hill for the Pirates.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Giants end homestand on a good note, win two from Dodgers

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On the Giants podcast with Michael:

#1 On Wednesday night, San Francisco Giants catch Buster Posey got a ninth inning single to get the Giants a 2-1 win and avoid getting swept by the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers.

#2 Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner faced the Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger, who has the franchise record for the fastest player to achieve 14 home runs in just 32 games, was able to hit a hot grounder to first base that he beat out and allowed Kike Hernandez to score from second base to tie the game.

#3 It was Posey that saved the day after Bumgarner pitched well enough to win as Bumgarner said after the game he has been trying different stuff and things fell together on Wednesday night.

#4 The Giants snap a losing streak Thursday after getting swept by the New York Yankees and winning two out of three from the Dodgers.

#5 Friday’s starting pitchers: For the Giants, Tyler Beede (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. the Cincinnati Reds’Sonny Gray (0-4, 3.64 ERA).

Michael Duca does the Giants podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana Kieu: Where do the Quakes go from here?

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On the San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana:

1. The San Jose Earthquakes and Seattle Sounders played to a 2-2 draw on Wednesday, April 24.

2. The Quakes and FC Dallas played to a 0-0 draw on Saturday, April 27.

3. The Quakes return home to host FC Cincinnati on Saturday, May 4.

4. It was a Bay Area Unite moment when the Quakes celebrated Evander Kane’s goal in the San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche’s Game 2 at SAP Center on Sunday, April 28.

5. Shea Salinas and Jackson Yueill were named to the MLS Team of the Week.

Ana does the San Jose Earthquakes podcasts each week for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast with Joe Lami: Avalanche goaltender Grubauer puts the stop on Sharks’ scoring, series tied 2-2

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On the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff podcast with Joe:

#1 The Colorado Avalanche got out of the Pepsi Center in Game 4 with their hockey lives, tying the San Jose Sharks in the series 2-2. The last thing the Avalanche wanted to do was go back to San Jose for a Game 5 down 3-1.

#2 The Sharks’ Logan Couture blamed the turnovers for the loss.

#3 The Sharks just couldn’t get any offense going in the 3-0 shutout. Couture said they got some good looks, but just couldn’t score.

#4 The Avs goalie Philipp Grubauer stopped 32 shots for the shutout. Joe talks about his work between the pipes.

#5 So its onto Game 5 on Saturday night at SAP Center, who has the upper hand now and will the Sharks be able to take advantage of home ice?

Joe Lami does the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.comhttps://soundcloud.com/sports-radio-service/nhl-stanley-cup-playoffs-podcast-with-joe-lami-fri-may-3-2019

San Francisco Giants day off report: Bottom-feeders face off S.F. opens series in Cincinnati tonight

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mlb.com file photo: Newly promoted San Francisco Giants pitcher Tyler Beede will start for the Giants tonight against the Cincinnati Reds to open a three game series in Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park.

By Jeremy Harness

After getting swept by the New York Yankees, the Giants bounced back extremely well this week. They rallied to take two of the three-game series from the hated Los Angeles Dodgers, a series that was capped by Buster Posey’s walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth to clinch the series.

Now it’s time to take that momentum to the road, as the Giants will head to Cincinnati for a four-game series with the Reds, a series that starts Friday night at the Great American Ball Park.

The Reds have had an up-and-down year, to say the least. Cincinnati started the year losing the first seven games by getting swept by Milwaukee and Pittsburgh, but followed that by winning the next four games in a row.

That was followed by a four-game losing skid and then a three-winning streak.

Just like the Giants, Cincinnati currently sits in last place in its division, the National League Central, with a 13-18 record, the same mark that the Giants own.

The series opener will see a familiar face in the Bay Area. One-time A’s star Sonny Gray (0-4, 3.64 ERA), who was traded to the Yankees a few years ago and could not regain his form, is now with the Reds and will go on Friday against Giants righty Tyler Beede, who will be making his season debut.

Right-hander Dereck Rodriguez (3-3, 4.35 ERA) will take the ball on Saturday opposite Cincinnati’s Tanner Roark (1-1, 4.08 ERA). Jeff Samardzija (2-1, 2.53 ERA) has experienced a resurgence this season, and he hopes to continue that on Sunday when he faces Cincinnati’s Luis Castillo (3-1, 1.45 ERA), which should be a very tough matchup.

Drew Pomeranz (1-3, 4.08 ERA) will try to get things back on track in the series finale Monday afternoon when he faces Cincinnati starter Anthony DeSclafani (1-1, 3.48 ERA).

Avalanche Win 3-0, Tie Series with Sharks

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By Mary Walsh

The Colorado Avalanche tied their second round series with the San Jose Sharks by winning in 3-0 in Denver on Thursday. Their goal scorers were Nathan MacKinnon, Colin Wilson and Erik Johnson. It was MacKinnon’s sixth of the playoffs, and his second in this round against the Sharks. Philipp Grubauer made 32 saves for the shutout win, while Martin Jones made 25 saves in the loss.

Sharks forward Logan Couture blamed turnovers for the loss: “I thought we turned way too many pucks over. Way too many, handed them goals off turnovers inside of our blue line, and just bad decisions with the puck.”

Couture also pointed to missed opportunities: “It seems like it’s been the story of this series where we’ve had some good looks, we don’t score, and it costs us. The amount of times where we’ve had, you know, breakaways or good looks in the slot and we don’t score, and they come back and they score soon after.”

Five Sharks had three or more shots on goal, and they had more than one breakaway Thursday.

The game was remarkably even for the first half. Shot counts were within two in each period, there were no penalties in the first and two per team in the second. The Sharks won 53% of the face-offs in both of the first two periods.

After the game, Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer said: “It was one of those games I thought, half way through, you know, I kind of had the feeling whoever was going to score first was probably going to win. And you know they got the goal, they got the energy they started to grab some momentum, win a few more battles than we were winning from that point on. But I really felt the game was right there at least up until that point.”

The Sharks’ first power play was cut short by an overlapping penalty to Kevin Labanc. That raised some eyebrows since Erik Karlsson had been conspicuously tripped while he carried the puck through the neutral zone, in full view of most observers. That was not called, which would have given the Sharks a two-man advantage.

The first goal came in the middle of the second period. It was scored by Nathan MacKinnon on a second effort, after Jones had already stopped a nice attempt. Cale Makar shot the puck for a deflection by Mikko Rantanen, and Jones stopped that with his mask, but the rebound went off of Burns in front of the net. Burns tried to knock it away from the net, but didn’t get all of it, so it started to fall down to the blue paint. MacKinnon was close enough to knock it past Jones.

The second Colorado goal came on a power play that saw Justin Braun in the box for tripping Alexander Kerfoot. A clearing attempt by Brent Burns was cut short by Colin Wilson and fell to Gabriel Landeskog to carry back in. The Sharks’ penalty killers were caught a little off kilter and, in a scramble by the net, none of them could get control of the puck again. It trickled out of traffic to Wilson, who had an open net by then. Assists went to Rantanen and Landeskog.

At 8:05 of the third, Braun went to the box again after a careless high stick that caught Colin Wilson in the face. Seconds before that penalty was to expire, Brent Burns joined Braun in the box for hooking Samuel Girard. The Sharks were doing a great job killing the first penalty, were in fact all south of the center line attempting some short-handed offense. Girard got past Burns and Burns got his stick up around Girard’s arms as Girard closed on the Sharks net. That gave the Sharks 14 seconds of five-on-three to kill.

The Sharks did kill it off. In the last two minutes of the period, they pulled Jones for an extra skater. Two goals in two minutes was unlikely even with six skaters. Instead, Colorado got their third of the night, put into the empty net by Erik Johnson. Assists went to Matt Calvert and Matt Nieto.

Game 5 will be in San Jose on Saturday at 7:00 PM PT.

Around the nine-minute mark of the third, Nyquist went down in a collision with MacKinnon and required some attention from the trainer. He did not miss much game time, if any, for that. The Sharks shortened their bench once again in the third period. Joakim Ryan did not skate in the third and Lukas Radil only had one shift. Micheal Haley and Marcus Sorensen also had their shifts cut down.

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: Gould insists on leaving 49ers, won’t report to practice; Kluber fractures forearm from line drive; plus more

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On the Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 Former Chicago Bears kicker Kevin Butler has warned San Francisco 49ers kicker Robbie Gould to be careful what you wish for in Gould not reporting to practice for the 49ers. He has asked for the team to release him so he could kick for the Chicago Bears and be closer to his home in Chicago. The 49ers refuse and have told Gould they are holding him to his contract. Butler said that going back to Chicago a second time doesn’t guarantee success.

#2 Cleveland Indians pitcher Cory Kluber took a line drive off his forearm on Wednesday night and broke his forearm. The Miami Marlins’ Brian Anderson hit a line drive that Kluber tried to block and ended up using his glove hand to scoop throw the ball to first, but it too late. Kluber has an ERA of 5.81.

#3 Omaha Beach has been scratched from the Kentucky Derby because of breathing problems. Omaha Beach developed a cough and breathing problems and a medical team said that Omaha Beach will need corrective surgery and the surgery is not life-threatening or career-ending. The new favorite for the Kentucky Derby is now Roadster (6-1) with Improbable (6-1) just behind.

#4 The Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard didn’t set the world on fire against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, but his teammates came through to help for the 97-90 win. The Blazers’ C.J. McCollum led with 20 points and Lilliard finished with 15 points. With the win, the Blazers tie the series 1-1.

#5 It was reported by Yahoo Sports that Palm Beach Florida police issued a fake bomb threat in order to install cameras at the spa which New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft would be recorded receiving sexual favors at Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida. Kraft’s lawyers said that the video was obtained by illegally installing the cameras. A masseuse has been arrested in connection with the case.

Tony does the Headline Sports podcast each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Preview of the A’s series against the Pirates

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s are in Pittsburgh to start a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates beginning Friday evening. The A’s are on the last leg of a nine-game road trip. Things have not gone well for the Green and Gold as they have lost all six games played so far. They were swept by the Blue Jays in Toronto and by the Red Sox in Boston. They will be going up against a team that is in fourth place in the NL Central Division. The Pirates, under the tutelage of manager Clint Hurdle, are 14-14 so far this year.

The A’s and Pirates have been playing baseball for many, many years. The A’s started playing in the AL in 1901, and have won 15 pennants and nine World Series in their long and storied history. The Pirates joined the NL in 1887 and played in the first World Series against the Red Sox in 1903. The Pirates have won nine NL pennants and five World Series. The won the World Series in 1979 and have not been back since. The Pirates, from 1993 to 2012 had 20 consecutive losing seasons. Hurdle, named manager before the 2011 season, took the Pirates to the playoffs in 2013. He was named NL Manager of the Year for his efforts.

The A’s will enter Friday night’s game with a record of 14-19. They are in the midst of a six-game losing streak. Also, they are 4-13 on the road this year. Since they will be playing in an NL park, they will not be able to utilize the designated hitter. Their DH, Khris Davis, probably will play left field for the three games.

The A’s will send lefty Brett Anderson (3-2, 4.35 ERA) to the mound Friday night. Anderson will be trying to get back on track as he has not completed five innings of work in his last two starts. However, he has a record of 1-0, and a 1.38 ERA in two career starts at PNC Park. Pittsburgh will counter with former Houston Astros hurler Joe Musgrove. Musgrove came to Pittsburgh in the trade that sent Gerrit Cole to Houston. Musgrove is 1-2 with a 1.54 ERA. He has five quality starts so far this year, and he allowed 3 runs (one earned) over 6 2/3 innings of work in the loss to the Dodgers last Saturday.

Game two will feature the A’s Chris Bassitt (1-0, 0.75 ERA) going against the Bucs’ Trevor Williams. Bassitt has allowed just one run over his last two starts. Williams has completed at least six innings in each of his six starts this season.

The A’s will send Frankie Montas to the hill on Sunday. Montas has been the A’s best pitcher. His record is 4-2 and he has a 2.97 ERA. Montas took the loss against Boston in his last outing. His work was undone by an error by the second baseman Jurickson Profar, and the Red Sox were able to put six runs on the board. A’s manager Bob Melvin was seen giving Montas a pat on the back and saying that he was pitching and well and that the error was part of baseball and to not get upset. The Pirates’ Jordan Lyles (2-1, 2.42 ERA) will try to get the win for the Bucs. Lyles has a 2.25 ERA in three starts at PNC Park.

Since the A’s don’t see the Pirates very often, some players will be unfamiliar to the A’s fans. The Pirate infield will be manned by first baseman Josh Bell. Bell is one of the stars in the Pirate lineup. Second base will be handled by either Adam Frazier or Cole Moran. Cole Tucker is at shortstop, and Jung Ho Kang will start at third. Colin Moran also plays third for Pittsburgh.

The Pirates will play Starlin Marte in center field. Marte got off to a slow start and is hitting just .198. However, he is a significant player for Pittsburgh as the team is 12-5 when he is in the lineup and 1-9 when he isn’t. The A’s may see rookie Brian Reynolds at an outfield slot during the season. Reynolds was drafted by the San Francisco Giants and came to Pittsburgh when the Giants traded for Andrew McCutchen before the start of the 2018 season. In his first nine games, Reynolds has six doubles and a home run, and this is something no other player has done in nearly 100 years. One player whose name is familiar to A’s fans will be in right field. VMelky Cabrera will see time in the outfield this weekend against the A’s.

The A’s are hoping that their offense comes to life this weekend in Pittsburgh. The attack did very little against Toronto and Boston. They did show a sign of life in the ninth inning against the Red Sox, but it was a case of too little, too late. The A’s know that the offense goes into a funk at times over the course of 162 games. They are hoping that the bats will wake up against the Pirates. It should be a good series.