Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Olson hurt; A’s swept in Tokyo; Bad start to ’19 season for A’s

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nbcsports.com photo: Oakland A’s first baseman Matt Olson injured his right hand fouling off a ball Thursday in Tokyo against the Seattle Mariners. Olson could be out for months.

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg:

#1 Oakland A’s Gold Glover Matt Olson fouled a pitch off his right hand while swinging against the Seattle Mariners. The hand will be further looked at by team doctors once the A’s arrive back in the Bay Area from Tokyo on Thursday night.

#2 Olson couldn’t grip the bat after the foul ball and that sounds like the diagnosis for a hamate bone injury. If so Olson could be lost for months. Jerry explains the hamate bone injury.

#3 What was tough for the Olson injury is Olson didn’t miss a game all last season. He played in all 162 regular season games for the A’s. This was game two and already the talk was he could be out for a few months.

#4 The other big news was that Ichiro played in his very last game for the Seattle Mariners and his baseball career. Ichiro failed to get a hit and has hit .086 in spring training.

#5 The A’s host the Los Angeles Angels for a four-game series at the Oakland Coliseum starting on Thursday afternoon on March 28th. The A’s had a huge media contingent last season opening day when Shohei Ohtani and the Angels came to Oakland. This season Ohtani who had off season Tommy John surgery will not be back until June or July and will only be a DH.

Jerry does the Oakland A’s podcast each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana Kieu: Have the Quakes really improved?

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Photo credit: @MLS

On the San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana:

1. The Earthquakes dropped back-to-back matches at home to start this season. What went wrong?

2. The Quakes fell to the N.Y. Red Bulls 4-1 last Saturday. Was this a matter of the Quakes’ offense falling apart or the Red Bulls’ offense overwhelming?

3. The Quakes will be back home on March 30th vs. LAFC. What do the Quakes need to do in order to beat LA?

4. What’s your prediction on the Quakes’ upcoming 2-game homestand vs. LAFC and Portland Timbers?

5. The Quakes have a road match against the Houston Dynamo on April 13th. What are your 3 keys to the match?

Ana does the San Jose Earthquakes podcast each week for SportsRadioService.com

Warriors, behind a strong defense, blow out the Pacers 112-89

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors blew out the visiting Indiana Pacers 112-89 at Oracle Arena Thursday night in Oakland. The Warriors, who played great defense on the 3-1 road trip, continued that trend Thursday. The Pacers came into the game with the fourth best record in the Eastern Conference. They needed a win to maintain the home-court advantage over the fifth place Boston Celtics. The two teams will meet in the first round of the playoffs.

The Pacers played great defense. They held opposing teams to 104 points a game. They can shoot, too. They are in the top five in scoring and making three-point shots. The Warriors would need their “A” game on defense if they hoped to win.

The teams struggled to put points on the board in the first quarter. Both sides concentrated on stopping the other’s offense. The first period was a low-scoring affair, and it ended tied at 19-19.

The Warriors moved the ball well on offense. They outscored the Pacers 34-24 in the period and finished leading 53-43. DeMarcus Cousins, back in action after missing two games with a sore ankle, led the Warriors with 13 points. Kevin Durant had 11, and Klay Thompson had 8. Steph Curry made just one three and finished the half with 3 points. Thaddeus Young led the Pacers with 11, and Bojan Bogdanovich was second with 8.

The Warriors put the offense into gear in the third quarter. They outscored the Pacers 35-19, and the defense put the clamps on the Pacer offense. Steph made four threes in the period to lead the way. The Warriors kept Curry on the bench the entire fourth quarter, but that didn’t slow them down one bit. They increased the lead to 30 103-73, and the reserves coasted to the win 112-89.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors improve to 49-22 and remain 1/2 game ahead of the Denver Broncos in the race for the Western Division crown. The Pacers fall to 44-29.

All five Warrior starters were in double figures. DeMarcus Cousins led the way with a double-double. He put 19 points on the board and pulled down 11 boards. Steph Curry made 5 threes and finished with 15. Kevin Durant had 15, and Klay Thompson had 18. Draymond Green’s line was 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Three of the Pacers’ bench players were in double figures: Tyreke Evans 20, Aaron Holiday 13, and Doug McDermott 11. The only Pacers starter in double digits was Thaddeus Young with 18.

The Warriors recorded 32 assists on 44 baskets. They moved the ball well and found the open man to take the three-point shot. The Warriors had to work hard to get their shots off as the Pacers’ defense tried to blanket Curry and Thompson to force the other players to do the scoring. Their theory worked for a while, but the Warriors broke down their defense and won the game.

Up Next: The Warriors meet the Dallas Mavericks Saturday night at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 5:30 pm. The Detroit Pistons face the Warriors on Sunday at Oracle. Game time is also at 5:30 pm.

Sharks Lose 4-2 to Kings, Losing Streak Up to 4

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Photo credit: @SanJoseSharks

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks fell 4-2 to the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center Thursday. Kings goals came from Dustin Brown, Matt Roy, Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter. Jonathan Quick made 23 saves in the win, while Sharks goaltender Martin Jones made 31 saves in the loss. Sharks goals came from Barclay Goodrow and Tomas Hertl. The Flames won in Calgary on Thursday, so the Sharks have now fallen five points behind them for first in the Pacific.

After the game, Sharks forward Tomas Hertl said:

We got now 4 in a row. We know the playoffs are coming soon and… we have to wake up and be ready for tomorrow’s game because if we play like that in playoffs, you know, it’s just four-zero and you’re out and we have to be ready and start playing our hockey and everything else comes with that.

After the game, Sharks defenseman Brent Burns was asked whether losing four in a row at this point of the season was particularly concerning. Burns said: “Every loss is doomsday and every win feels good. I think that’s just kind of the way this game is. You lose one game and you want to try to get it back right away and we haven’t done it. So we’re just gonna kinda get our game back and start winning.”

The Sharks started the game without several key players. Joe Pavelski has been out with a lower body injury since Monday. Erik Karlsson was also still out. Finally, Logan Couture was out with the flu Thursday. Of the holes in their lineup, Burns said: “It’s tough to lose anybody but you gotta play, you just play. I mean it’s good for somebody else to, they get more time or move up or whatever it is.”

Los Angeles took the lead 5:19 into the first. Dustin Brown skated up the boards with Hertl between him and the net. He took a no-look shot between Hertl’s skates. With two more skaters screening him, Jones did not see Brown’s shot coming. The Sharks challenged the goal for goaltender interference because one of those skaters, Alex Iafallo, had a skate in the blue paint. Toronto did not consider it sufficient to erase the goal. Assists went to Sean Walker and Adrian Kempe.

The Sharks tied it up at 17:33 of he period. Joonas Donskoi brought the puck up from the goal line and passed it to Marc-Edouard Vlasic at the point. Vlasic took a quick shot into heavy traffic and Barclay Goodrow deflected it past Jonathan Quick. It was Goodrow’s seventh of the season, with Vlasic and Donskoi getting the assists.

The Kings outshot the Sharks 15-7 in the first period. There were no power plays, only matching minors in the final two minutes that resulted in some four-on-four play.

The Sharks took the lead early in the second period, at 3:45. Hertl made a pass to Burns as Burns approached the Los Angeles blue line, then followed Burns into the zone. Burns drew several defenders to him before the made a pass back to Hertl for the shot. The puck went by Quick on the far side.

The Sharks had a power play near the end of the period, but did not score there. The teams were tied in shots for the second period at 11.

Matt Roy tied the game up for Los Angeles 9:28 into the third period. Iafallo had the puck above the face-off circle and he sent a gentle pass to nearby Roy at the point. Roy blasted it to the net and it went off of a Sharks stick and into the net. Assists went to Iafallo and Anze Kopitar.

Kopitar gave the Kings the lead at 11:45. He got behind the Sharks defense and found the puck as it came out of a board battle up below the blue line. He faked to the right and shot left and beat Jones. Assists went to Iafallo and Brown.

Jeff Carter ended a 20-game goal drought with a back-hand from the defensive zone into an empty net at 18:43. The Sharks were on a power play and also pulled Jones for a six-on-four advantage.

The Kings outshot the Sharks 35-25 in the game.

The Sharks play again Friday against the Anaheim Ducks at 7:00 PM PT.

Kings hammer Mavs 116-110

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Photo credit: @NBA

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Kings fans were not in the best of spirits coming into Thursday night’s game. This game was just two nights removed from the Kings blowing a 25-point lead with only 12 minutes to play. That, my friends, wouldn’t sit well with many of the Sacramento faithful. Yet, the Kings were ready to shake it off and face Dirk Nowitzki for possibly the final time at 7 PM PST.

The first half of the game was fairly routine for both teams. In the first quarter, the Kings managed to score 27 points vs the Mavs’ 29 points. Marvin Bagley and De’Aaron Fox scored the most for the Kings with six points apiece. Former King, Justin Jackson led all scorers with 11 first quarter points. The Kings came out a little sluggish in the first, but were able to pick it up and keep up with the Mavericks.

In the second quarter, the Kings and Mavs remained close. However, the Kings gained a slight advantage over the Mavs in the second quarter by scoring 26 points. Fox and Buddy Hield had 10 points apiece at this point and the Kings appeared to gain momentum. For the Mavs, they managed to score 22 points in the second. When the second quarter was said and done, the Mavs had three players with 11 points apiece before halftime. They were Dwight Powell, Luka Doncic, and Justin Jackson. At halftime, the Kings led the Mavericks 53-51.

In the third quarter, the Kings started to take control of the game. Led by Hield and Harrison Barnes, the Kings scored 31 points in the third compared to the Mavericks 25. So, at the end of the third, the Mavs trailed the Kings 84-76. Yes, that’s not a large margin, but the rest of the game was all Kings.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings dropped 32 points compared to the Mavericks 24. This sealed the deal for the Kings. Unlike the Kings performance on Tuesday night against the Nets, the Kings were able to put this one to rest. Notably in the game for the Kings was Bagley, who hit three shots from downtown to polish off a spectacular performance with 22 points. Fox also put on a show with a couple of highlight-worthy dunks. Fox finished the game with 15 points. Also, Hield who did Hield things. Hield finished the game with seven 3’s and 29 points in all. The final score for the game was 116-110 in favor of the Kings.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to face the Suns on Saturday, March 23rd at 7 PM PST.

Ichiro says farewell, and Mariners beat A’s in extra innings 5-4

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photo from Nogi/Agence France-Presse: Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki left the field in the bottom of eighth inning on Thursday night to an ovation from fans in Tokyo

By Jerry Feitelberg

On an emotional day in Tokyo, Ichiro Suzuki said farewell to baseball. The 45-year old Suzuki went 0-for-4 in his last game and left in the eighth inning as the crowd rose to give a standing ovation for the last time an active player. Ichiro, without question, will be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot. He will be the first Japanese-born player to reach that lofty level.

There was still a game to play, and the M’s won for the second day in a row as they downed the A’s 5-4 in 12 innings. The M’s sent Yusei Kikuchi to do the pitching honors and he did fairly well in his MLB debut. He went 4 2/3 innings and allowed two runs and 4 hits. Marco Estrada made his A’s debut. His line was five innings of work and he gave up five hits and three runs.

The M’s put two runs on the board when former Oakland Athletic, Ryan Healy, took Estrada deep with a man on board. The M’s increased the lead to 3-0 in the third when Mitch Haniger sent one of Estrada’s pitches into the seats.

The A’s closed the gap when they tallied two in the bottom of the fifth. Marcus Semien singled to drive in Matt Olson with the A’s first run. Jurickson Profar scored the second run on Jay Bruce’s fielding error.

The M’s added a run in the seventh, but the A’s DH Khris Davis singled to drive in Semien and Matt Chapman with the tying runs.

The game remained tied until the top of the 12th inning. The M’s loaded the bases with one out. Domingo Santa, who hit a grand slam on Wednesday, reached on a fielder’s choice. The A’s failed to make the inning-ending double play and the M’s scored the go-ahead run. The M’s bullpen closed out the game for the win. The final score was 5-4 in favor of the M’s.

Game Notes and Stats: Marcus Semien was the hitting start for the A’s with three hits. Ramon Laureano had two knocks.

Up Next: The A’s resume Spring Training with three exhibition games against the San Francisco Giants. The two teams will play in Oakland on Sunday and then play in San Francisco Monday and Tuesday. The A’s are off on Wednesday. The A’s will start the season will a day opener Thursday against the Los Angeles Angels. Game time will be at 1:05 pm. They will have the night opener Friday at 7:05 PM.

Busted Bracket Podcast Ep. 1 with Vasu Vaddiparty & Charlie O: “listen as we all suffer & celebrate together!

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BustedBracketGrapic

 

Your hosts: Vasu Vaddiparty and Charlie O

Bracket Blues

  • HOW DO YOU FILL OUT YOUR BRACKET – OUTSIDE IN OR INSIDE OUT?
  • WHO DO WE THINK THE BRACKET BUSTERS WILL BE ON THE FIRST WEEKEND?
  • HOW DID THE COMMITTEE DO SELECTING THE TEAMS?
  • HOW MUCH SHOULD A TEAM’S CONFERENCE INFLUENCE YOUR DECISION?
  • WHO IS YOUR 5/12 UPSET?
  • WHAT ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF EVERY DIVISION I TEAM ENTERING THE TOURNAMENT?
  • WHO WILL GO TO THE FINAL FOUR AND WHO WILL WIN IT ALL?

SPEND A FEW MINUTES LISTENING & GET SOME HELP ON SAVING YOUR BRACKET

Nine San Jose State football players are pursuing pro careers

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Disregarding a brief midday rain shower, nine seniors from the 2018 San Jose State Spartans football team stated their case to continue playing the game at the Spartans’ annual Pro Day activities this week.

Representatives from 22 NFL and CFL teams examined, measured, and tested defensive linemen Bryson Bridges and Boogie Roberts; quarterback Michael Carrillo; kicker Bryce Crawford; wide receiver Justin Holmes; defensive backs Dakari Monroe and John Toussaint; tight end Josh Oliver, and running back Malike Roberson.

Bridges, Holmes, Monroe and Toussaint participated in all the activities similar to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis–the vertical jump, bench press of 225 lbs, standing long jump, 40-yard dash, and three shuttle runs of various lengths.

Tight end Josh Oliver, the lone Spartan invited to the 2019 NFL Combine, and one of the best overall performers at his position, was measured for height and weight and participated in pass catching drills at the end of the testing session.

Monroe’s marks in the vertical leap of 35.5 inches and 11.70 in the “long shuttle” were among the best by a SJSU senior in recent years. In 2017, current Chicago Bears linebacker Isaiah Irving had a 36.0 inch leap and former New York Giants fullback Shane Smith was even better at 37 inches. In 2016, Cleveland Wallace III’s 11.43 in the long shuttle is the best time by the Spartan prior to Monroe’s time this year.

San Jose Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa Walsh: Sharks try to break losing streak in Southland, starting with Kings Thursday

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Photo credit: fearthefin.com

On the Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa:

#1 Is this three-game losing streak a temporary patch or are there issues that need to be addressed soon?

#2 Joe Pavelski is suffering an lower body injury, meaning Pavelski has missed only two games in the last eight years.

#3 Pavelski looked as if he took a right leg injury after taking a hit into the boards against the Nashville Predators in San Jose last Saturday. Head coach Peter DeBoer said the injury might last longer than day to day. He most likely will not be playing against either Los Angeles or Anaheim on Thursday or Friday night.

#4 How much has the injuries of Erik Karlsson and Evander Kane impacted the club?

#5 It’s the first of back to back road games in the Southland for the Sharks as they open things up against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night then the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night.

Mary Lisa does the Sharks podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports with Tony Renteria: SF DA drops domestic charges against Baer; Don’t spend it all in one place, Trout sports richest contract; plus more

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mercurynews.com photo file: San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer whose out on leave of absence has been the focus of a Women’s group who are asking MLB to discipline Baer after his physical March 1st altercation with his wife Pam.

On Headline Sports podcast with Tony R:

#1 San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer will not face charges of domestic abuse according to San Francisco DA spokesman Alex Bastian. Baer who had a March 1st altercation with his wife Pam which was video taped.

#2 Women’s right groups in San Francisco still say Baer should be suspended from baseball and that Major League Baseball still has a responsibility to discipline Baer.

#3 The Los Angeles Angels this week set the all time sports record for highest salary paying the Angels Mike Trout a record $430 million.

#4 The Oakland Raiders newest lineback Vontaze Burfict who at one time as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals went helmet to helmet with then Pittsburgh Steeler Antonio Brown concussing Brown. Burfict says it’s all good and that they have one goal now and that’s win together as a team.

#5 The Oakland A’s opened their first two games of the season with the Seattle Mariners in Tokyo on Wednesday and Thursday. MLB is doing all it can to promote the game in Japan. Tony tells us if he sees it as a success.

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