Cueto’s injury-marred season is finally over

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By Jeremy Harness

Johnny Cueto’s season could not have gotten off to a better start.

He started the year by winning his first three decisions with an earned-run average of under 1.00. Then he started feeling tightness in his pitching elbow, and it never really went away.

It has come to a point where Cueto had to make a decision to scrap this season in order to save the rest of his career. He has elected to have season-ending Tommy John surgery, which he is scheduled to have Thursday in Los Angeles by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, according to multiple reports.

Tommy John surgery has a recovery time of a full year, and due to that, Cueto is expected to be out until late in the 2019 season.

This is obviously a big blow to a Giants pitching staff that has been struggling to get back on track after injuries to Madison Bumgarner as well as Cueto, and it certainly limits their ability to make up much ground against a Los Angeles Dodgers team that is surging and made a couple of big moves before the trading deadline.

While Cueto is getting operated on, the Giants will be kicking off a four-game series in Arizona that night against the Diamondbacks. Bumgarner will take the hill on Thursday opposite D-Backs righty Zack Greinke.

Bumgarner (3-4) has won two of his last three decisions, but he dropped his latest outing last Friday, a 3-1 home loss against the Milwaukee Brewers, a game that saw him go eight innings and give up three runs on six hits.

Greinke, meanwhile, has been rolling. He has amassed an eye-popping mark of 12-5 and has won eight of his last nine decisions, including each of his last seven. His latest appearance came in a 6-2 win at san Diego, during which he surrendered only a run on six hits over seven solid innings.

Cueto to undergo Tommy John surgery

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By Jeremy Kahn

Since the season began back in April, there was a possibility that San Francisco Giants right-hander Johnny Cueto could be lost for the injury-marred season and more due to right elbow surgery.

Well, tomorrow in Los Angeles, Cueto will undergo Tommy John surgery and will be lost for the remainder of the 2018 season. Cueto could be back on the mound late during the 2019 season.

“If there’s anything we know about Johnny, it’s that he’s a hard worker,” said Giants general manager Bobby Evans.

Cueto is the second Giants pitcher to undergo Tommy John surgery in two seasons, as closer Will Smith also underwent the surgical procedure on March 30, 2017 and did not pitch in his first Major League game this season until May 2.

Giants pitcher Chris Stratton will take Cueto’s spot in the starting rotation. Stratton is 8-6 with a 4.93 ERA in 18 starts this season, before he was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento on July 7.

Cueto ended the 2018 season with a 3-2 record with a 3.23 ERA. He was placed on the disabled list on Sunday with a right elbow sprain.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Don’t Blink Now, the A’s Odds Were 300 to 1

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By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

Before the start of the 2018 season, Las Vegas bookmakers’ odds for the Oakland A’s to win the World Series this year were 300 to 1. I am sure Pete Rose would love those odds today. However, things have changed since the opening of the season. It is baseball after all, and in the words of Joaquin Andujar, “you never know.”

The A’s have been on a roller-coaster ride the last 10 days. They went to Arlington and swept the Rangers in four games, went to Denver and got swept by the Rockies at Coors Field, then they returned home and just ended a three-game sweep of the woeful Toronto Blue Jays, and on the 11th day, they rested. This Thursday, the red-hot A’s are off, which gives them time to play some golf, catch up on new movies, and relax with their families, until the Detroit Tigers come to Oakland this Friday.

The A’s have the fourth best record in the MLB. Only the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Houston Astros have better records. So the Green and Gold would be in first place in the American League Central and in each of the three divisions in the National League.

We will see if the A’s bandwagon fills up very soon this coming weekend when the Tigers make a brief, two-game stop in Oakland, Calif. The A’s attendance is still next to last in the AL, trailing only the Tampa Bay Rays.

Prior to the game against the Blue Jays last Wednesday, I had a nice talk with A’s manager Bob Melvin in the A’s dugout. He is dubbed as “Melvin the Magician,” and without a doubt, one of the best managers in the game. He is on his way to a possible third Manager of the Year award.

Now with 600 wins, only Connie Mack, Tony LaRussa, and Art Howe have more wins as a manager in the 50-year history of the A’s. I hope the A’s keep this man for a long time as their skipper, as he is the perfect manager for this ballclub.

At this time, and after the A’s swept the Blue Jays at the Coliseum, combined with a Mariners loss in Seattle against the Astros, the A’s are now tied with the M’s for the second spot in the division and a possible Wild Card slot. With 52 games left, starting this Friday, the whole thing becomes extremely interesting. The A’s still have 10 games left with the M’s and six with the Astros. Plus, a very good Yankee ballclub will be making their only visit to Oakland in early September.

It has been 27 years since the A’s last World Series. I vividly remember I was calling their games in Spanish back then, including the time there was a great run with LaRussa’s teams from 1988-90.

Maybe the young, exciting A’s will go all the way this year. After three consecutive finishes in last place, one thing is for sure, history will not repeat itself in 2018, but only God knows what the A’s have in store for the next two months.

So get ready for the A’s bandwagon to fill up soon!

Listen to the A’s in Spanish on KIQI 1010 AM and 990 AM radio in the Bay Area and Sacramento, Calif. Also, tune into the SAP (Secondary Audio Channel) on NBC Sports California to see and hear the games in Spanish.

Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic continues without Williams; Azarenka shines in Day 3

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By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic resumed at the Spartan Tennis Complex all day Wednesday. In case you missed it, American tennis star Serena Williams suffered the most lopsided loss of her 23-year career to British tennis player Johanna Konta, who clearly found her form in a spectacular style to hand the upset to Williams.

But, Wednesday was a new day, and the show went on without Williams. Day 3 featured a variety of global tennis players along with cute pups of those players.

Round 2 of the Ladies’ Singles went in this particular order. Belgium’s Elise Mertens downed USA’s Ashley Kratzer in a lopsided 6-2, 6-0 victory that very much resembled Williams’ disappointing loss Tuesdsay night. Konta continued her success with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over USA’s Sofia Kenin. There was still some all-American power, as USA’s Danielle Collins beat Belarus’ Vera Lapko with a final score of 6-1, 3-6, 6-1. The hectic day of singles was capped off with a match between Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka and Russia’s Anna Blinkova. Azaranka pretty much had both sets from start to finish as she was victorious in a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Blinkova, who scored just one point early in Set 1.

“I felt pretty satisfied with winning a tough match” said Azarenka. “Today was obviously more one-sided and I wish I could’ve played better, but it’s still a win and I feel kind of the same (after the two-hour difference between Wednesday’s matches).”

Round 1 of the Ladies’ Doubles featured Japan’s Miyu Kato and Makoto Ninomiya, who defeated Poland’s Magdalena Frech and USA’s Maria Sanchez in a 1-6, 7-5, 1-0 defeat.

Notes
Spanish-Venezuelan tennis star Garbine Muguruza was forced to withdraw due to an arm injury. Russia’s Anna Blinkova replaced Muguruza in Wednesday’s match versus Belarus’ former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka.

Hungary’s Timea Babos signed autographs for the fans at USTA NorCal booth Wednesday afternoon at 1 pm PDT.

Up Next
Order of Play for Thursday, August 2.

Starting at 11 am PDT 
Romania’s Mihaela Buzarnescu [5] vs. USA’s Amanda Anisimova [Q]

Not before 1 pm PDT
Greece’s Maria Sakkari vs. Hungary’s Timea Babos [8]

Followed by 
Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic vs. USA’s Madison Keys [2]

Not before 7 pm PDT
USA’s Venus Williams [3] [WC] vs. United Kingdom’s Heather Watson

Followed by
Russia’s Anna Blinkova vs. Russia’s Natela Dzalamidze vs. USA’s Kaitlyn Christian and USA’s Sabrina Santamaria or Ukraine’s Lyudmyla and Ukraine’s Nadiia Kichenok [3]

A’s defeat Blue Jays 8-3 to sweep 3-game series

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By: Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland A’s continued to play great baseball as they swept the three-game series versus the visiting Toronto Blue Jays at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum Wednesday. The A’s won the game, 8-3, and Sean Manaea picked up his 10th win of the season.

Not only did the A’s sweep the three-game series, they won all seven games against the Blue Jays this year. It was the first time that the A’s had ever swept a season series from the Jays. The A’s, with a 30-10 record of since June 16, moved into a tie with the Seattle Mariners in the race for the second Wild Card slot. The Astros beat the Mariners on Wednesday. The A’s and Mariners trail the Astros by five games.

Manaea bounced back from his loss to the Rockies last weekend in Denver. Manaea went six-plus innings and gave up just five hits and one run. Jays’ starter Marcus Stroman went five innings and he was roughed up for 11 hits and seven runs.

The A’s scored twice in the second inning. Stroman walked the leadoff hitter Khris Davis. A’s first baseman Matt Olson doubled down the right-field line. Davis stopped at third. Stroman retired Mark Canha and Marcus Semien. The next hitter was Jonathan Lucroy. Lucroy, hitting over .300 with runners in scoring position, singled into short right field to drive in Canha and Semien. The A’s led 2-0.

The A’s put two more on the board in the fourth. Semien led off with a single on the first pitch from Stroman. Lucroy doubled to drive in Semien all the way from first base. It was Lucroy’s third RBI of the game. Franklin Barreto grounded out, and that allowed Lucroy to advance to third. Lucroy scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Nick Martini. The A’s were in the driver’s seat 4-0.

The A’s continued to put more runs on the scoreboard as they plated three in the sixth. Mark Canha started the rally with a single to left. Semien followed with a single that sent Canha to third. Lucroy had his third knock of the game to drive in Canha. Barreto followed with a double that plated Semien and Lucroy to make it a 7-0 game.

Manaea started the seventh inning and gave up a single to Russell Martin. A’s manager Bob Melvin replaced Manaea with J.B. Wendelken to pitch. Aledmys Diaz reached on a fielder’s choice. Martin was out at second. Wendelken walked Darnell Sweeney to put men on at first and second. Wendelken struck out Brandon Drury for the second out. Wendelken gave up a double to Randal Girchuk. Diaz crossed home plate with the Blue Jays’ first run of the game. Teoscar Hernandez walked. Wendelken was struggling and had thrown 35 pitches in the inning. Melvin brought in Ryan Buchter to face Justin Smoak. Buchter struck out Smoak to end the inning.

Buchter stayed in the game to pitch the eighth. With one out, Yangervis Solarte worked Buchter for a walk. Jays’ catcher Russell Martin blasted a home run to make it a 7-3 game. Buchter retired Diaz for the second out. Melvin brought in Lou Trivino to get the third out of the game. In the bottom half of the inning, Barreto hit his fourth home run of the year to end the scoring. Trivino retired the Jays in the ninth and the A’s won 8-3.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the A’s improved to 64-46, and moved into a tie with the Mariners in the race for the second Wild Card slot.

The A’s line score was eight runs, 13 hits, and no errors. The Jays’ line was three runs, eight hits, and no errors.

The A’s hitting stars were Jonathan Lucroy and Franklin Barreto. Lucroy had three hits, four RBIs, and two runs. Barreto also had three hits, including his fourth home run along with three RBIs.

Attendance was 17,088.

Up Next: The A’s are off on Thursday. On Friday, the A’s will start a three-game series versus the Detroit Tigers. A’s lefty Brett Anderson will pitch, and Tigers’ lefty Blaine Hardy (4-3, 3.61 ERA) will make his third consecutive start.

Warriors part ways with longtime PA announcer Matt Hurwitz

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Photo credit: newscenter.sdsu.edu

By: Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors announced that Matt Hurwitz would not be coming back as the PA announcer at Oracle Arena next season. Hurwitz had held the job for the past 18 years and had seen the Warriors rise from being the NBA’s doormats to poster children who won three championships in the past four years.

It is unclear why the sudden change is being made. Hurwitz, a Bay Area native, maintained a low-key delivery. Moreover, the only thing made publicly known is that the Warriors want to go in a different direction.

But a 47-year-old Hurwitz tried his best to be consistent in his calls, even if Stephen Curry put on a spectacular show on a given night at Oracle Arena.

“My calls are situational-based,” Hurwitz said. “If Curry hits one or two 3-point plays, my call is different than if he hits four or five. The trouble is that he is hitting eight, nine and 10 threes, and I have to pace myself.”

Hurwitz has worked a variety of PA jobs. He does PA work for the NAIA’s Menlo College football games, and he has also been with the IHL’s San Francisco Spiders and the AFL’s San Jose SaberCats. He abides by a few steadfast self-imposed rules.

“First, respect the play on the court,” Hurwitz said. “I don’t talk when there is any action.”

Rule No. 2? Don’t get cute.

“I don’t do nicknames or catchphrases,” Hurwitz said. “That takes away from the game. It is a reflection of how our fans want to be treated. They are smart and loyal.”

Changing PA announcers in the NBA doesn’t happen very often. Since 2010, only four teams until Tuesday changed PA announcers. Those teams were the Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and San Antonio Spurs. In fact, the last team to change announcers was the Spurs, who made the change in 2013.

Bottom line is, everyone has to remember that there are no guarantees in life. Working for a professional sports franchise is great. However, when change inevitably comes, it can come without warnings. Players are traded with no notice. The same goes for employees who work for the team.

The Chinese have an age-old philosophy about this sensitive topic that goes like “One door closes and another door opens.”

So I am certain Hurwitz will be just fine.

San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana Kieu: Latest news on the Black and Blue

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

On the SJ Earthquakes podcast with Ana:

1. Before we get to your thoughts on the San Jose Earthquakes vs. Real Salt Lake match at Avaya Stadium last Saturday, let’s talk about the Quakes’ recent trade of Fatai Alashe to FC Cincinnati.

2. Now, let’s talk about the Quakes vs. Real Salt Lake match and how the Quakes should prepare to host FC Dallas, who’s first-place in the Western Conference, this coming Saturday.

3. Quakes captain Chris Wondolowski held a meet and greet with fans at the SoccerKraze in Campbell Monday.

4. For those of you who want a Quakes player to attend your next training session, you can enter the TeamSnap Celebrity Coach contest.

5. The news broke on Tuesday that Quakes’ rookie Gilbert Fuentes was called to the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team for a pair of matches against Mexico and Costa Rica during an 11-day international training camp from August 2 to 13.

Catch Ana on the SJ Earthquakes podcast each week at SportsRadioService.com!

No. 1 seed Garbine Muguruza forced to withdraw from Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic

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By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic No. 1 seed Garbiñe Muguruza has been forced to withdraw from the event due to a right arm injury. Muguruza will be replaced in the draw by lucky‐loser Anna Blinkova, who will play two‐time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka tonight at 7 pm PDT.

“I’ve been feeling some pain in my right arm for a couple of days and realized I am not ready to play the match, so hopefully I can recover for the next tournaments,” said Muguruza.

“The facilities in San Jose are very nice, especially the courts. This is a tournament I always play at the start of the US Open Series so I hope to come  back and see all my fans next year.”

“We were really looking forward to seeing Garbiñe compete here at the tournament, but the players’ health must always be the number one priority,” said tournament director Vickie Gunnarsson. “She’s one of the WTA’s bright young stars and we hope she is able to recover quickly.”

Tickets for the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic are available at www.MubadalaSVC.com.

Seven‐time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams takes the court against Heather Watson Thursday at 7 pm PDT, while defending champion and No. 2 seed Madison Keys will play Ajla Tomljanovic during Thursday’s day session.

Formerly known as the Bank of the West Classic in Palo Alto, the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic is a week-long WTA Premier event bringing the worlds of tennis and technology together in a festival of sports and entertainment. The new venue at San José State University will provide a high‐end, family friendly atmosphere and will put fans close to the action as they watch their favorite stars compete.

Highlighting the best the region has to offer, the tournament will showcase a complete entertainment experience including locally sourced cuisine, fine wine and cheese selections, interactive fan exhibitions, premier hospitality options, daily autograph signings, and of course, incredible tennis action.

Featuring a 28‐player singles draw as well as a 16‐team doubles draw the tournament will bring the best female tennis players in the world to the Bay Area and serves as the opening women’s event of the US Open Series.

With several different ticket options available, the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic has something for everyone. To purchase tickets go to www.MubadalaSVC.com or call 1 (866) 982‐8497.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Rodriguez pitching like the real deal; very well could be in the running for NL Rookie of the Year

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photo from mercurynews.com: San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Dereck Rodriguez delivers a pitch to San Diego Padres’ Austin Hedges during the first inning of a baseball game in San Diego, Tuesday, July 31, 2018

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Marko:

#1 San Francisco Giants starter Derek Rodriguez did it again with a 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres Tuesday night at Petco Park. Rodriguez went seven innings, three hits, one earned run, three walks, and seven strikeouts.

#2 Marko takes a look at Rodriguez’ command and mix of pitches.

#3 Also, will Rodriguez have a shot at being the NL Rookie of the Year currently pitching with a 2.59 ERA?

#4 The Giants have had success in extra innings. Marko talks about the walk-offs, the comebacks, the hits, and the homers that helped the Giants as of late.

#5 It’s off to Arizona and Madison Bumgarner (3-4) Thursday night he’ll face Zack Greinke (12-5) Marko sets up the series on the podcast for us.

Marko Ukalovic does the Giants podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s beat the Blue Jays again 6-2

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The A’s beat the Toronto Blue Jays for the sixth consecutive time this year by a score of 6-2. With the win, the A’s picked up a game on the Seattle Mariners. The Houston Astros beat the Mariners to drop them four games behind. The A’s remain five games behind and they trail the Mariners by just one game in the race for the second Wild Card slot.

The A’s starter, Trevor Cahill, gave the team a quality start as he went six innings and allowed just five hits and two runs as he improved his record to 3-2. The A’s pinned the loss on Toronto’s Sam Gaviglio. Gaviglio is now 2-4.

The Blue Jays jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first. With one out, Randal Girchuk doubled. Cahill struck out Justin Smoak for the second out. Kendrys Morales singled to drive in Girchuk. The A’s tallied two runs in their half of the first. Gaviglio walked Nick Martini and Matt Chapman to put men on at first and second with no out. Gaviglio retired Jed Lowrie for the first out. Designated Hitter Khrid Davis reached on an infield single to load the bases. Matt Olson hit the first pitch from Gaviglio for a single to drive in Martini and Chapman. The A’s lead 2-1.

The A’s scored three times in the third inning. Davis led off the inning with his 29th home run of the year. Matt Olson followed with a double. Olson advanced to third when Stephen Piscotty grounded out. Mark Canha doubled to drive in Olson. Marcus Semien singled to send Canha to third. The A’s manager Bob Melvin sent the sign out to the baserunners to execute a double steal. Toronto catcher Luke Maile’s throw to second base was cut off to nail Canha at home. Canha managed to touch home plate with his foot before the tag was applied. Canha was ruled safe. Toronto challenged the call, but after a short review, the call was confirmed. Sam Gaviglio’s night was over as Toronto brought in Luis Santos to pitch.

Toronto’s Justin Smoak cut the lead to 5-2 when he homered in the top of the fourth, but the A’s got the run back in the sixth when Matt Chapman led off with a double and scores on a single by Khris Davis.

There was no more scoring the rest of the way. The A’s bullpen shut the Toronto offense down as they allowed them just one hit in the last three innings of the game. The A’s win 6-2.

Game Notes and Stats- With the win the A’s, improve to 63-46. Cahill went six innings and Yusmeiro Petit, Heurys Familia, and Blake Treinen each worked a scoreless inning.

The line score for Oakland was six runs, eleven hits, and two errors. Toronto’s line was two runs, six hits, and one error.

The A’s will meet the Blue Jays on Wednesday afternoon at 12:35 pm. Lefty Sean Manaea will be seeking his tenth win of the campaign, and he will be opposed by Marcus Stroman.

In other news, the A’s announced that Daniel Gossett will undergo Tommy John surgery to correct a problem in his right elbow. Gossett will be the fourth A’s pitcher to undergo Tommy John Surgery this year. The other three are Jharel Cotton, A.J.Puk, and Kendall Graveman.

A’s to Host Nearly 5,000 Teachers for Teacher Appreciation Nig

Nearly 5,000 teachers will attend tonight’s game as part of the A’s Teacher Appreciation Night. To celebrate Bay Area teachers and their dedication to educating our youth, the A’s offered complimentary tickets to teachers who pre-registered for the 7:05 p.m. matchup versus the Toronto Blue Jays.

Prior to the game, the Oakland A’s Community Fund will host a free Educational Fair for teachers. Teachers can learn about the A’s educational programs, including Home Run Readers and Science of Baseball presented by Chevron, and visit booths from community partners. More than 2,000 teachers have signed up to participate in the Educational Fa

The A’s also announced that August 7th will be Black History night.

The Oakland A’s will celebrate the rich heritage of Oakland’s black history during African American Heritage Night on Tuesday, Aug. 7, when the team hosts the Los Angeles Dodgers.

As part of the celebration, fans are invited to a pregame mixer and panel discussion with former players Rickey Henderson, Vida Blue and Joe Morgan, plus A’s team executives, at 4:30 p.m. in the Eastside Club.

Prior to the 7:05 p.m. game, the A’s will present the inaugural Vida Blue Diamond Award to a deserving community member for their service to the African American community. Following the presentation, Tony! Toni! Toné! will perform the African American national anthem, and Bebe Memorial Cathedral Choir will perform the national anthem. MC Hammer is scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.