Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) pitches to running back Ashton Jeanty (2) in the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sun Oct 4, 2026 (AP News photo)
Las Vegas Raiders podcast Rich Perez :
#1 Can Kirk Cousins lead the Raiders’ offense to a win against the Patriots’ defense?
#2 Will Ashton Jeanty have a big rushing game against New England and help control the clock?
#3 Can Brock Bowers continue to be a major receiving threat and create matchup problems for the Patriots?
#4 Will Maxx Crosby be able to pressure Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and disrupt New England’s passing attack?
#5 Can Tre Tucker make a big play in the passing game and help the Raiders bounce back from their Week 4 loss to Kansas City?
San Francisco 49ers’ owner Jed York signs an autograph before a game against the New York Giants at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara in 2023.(San Francisco Chronicle file photo)
That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:
#1 Why did prosecutors in Columbiana County reduce Jed York’s original prostitution charge to disorderly conduct and give him a relatively light sentence, and was his status as the owner of the San Francisco 49ers a factor in that decision?
#2 How does Jed York’s plea deal compare with the treatment of other people arrested in similar prostitution stings in East Palestine, and what explains the apparent disparity in outcomes?
#3 The 2024 Chicago White Sox at one time had surpassed the 1962 New York Mets for the most loses in a season losing 121 games one game more than the Mets who lost 120 in 62. Fast forward to the 2026 post season the Sox are now on top of the Cleveland Guardians 2-0 in the ALDS and are working to advance to the ALCS alot has changed since then.
#4 In Monday’s 4-3 win over the Guardians the White Sox win their first two games against the Guardians doing it on the road in Cleveland and head to Chicago for game 3 on Wed Oct 7th and with the way the Sox have been playing and getting home field they could end up wrapping up this series soon.
#5 You’ve recently wrote about the Golden State Valkyrie and their successes. They host the Las Vegas Aces for game 2 and round 2 of the WNBA playoffs. The Valkyrie took the first game from the Aces in a game that Aces head coach Becky Hammon said game 1 was poorly played by the Aces and “one of our more atrocious games of the season.” Game 2 is this Wed Oct 7th at Chase Center in San Francisco the Valkyrie have been having some dominating games and a second win would put them on top 2-0 heading back to Las Vegas how do you see game 2 coming up?
Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Lakers star Luka Doncic looks to shoot as Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis defends during the first half of their preseason game on Monday night at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. (AP Photo/Sara Nevis)
No Beam as the Lakers Roll Past Sacramento 127-103
By Mauricio Segura
SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings found themselves chasing the Los Angeles Lakers almost from the opening tip Monday, and by the time Sacramento found some traction, the deficit had grown far beyond reach. Los Angeles used a dominant second quarter, balanced scoring and Sacramento’s foul trouble to run away with a 127-103 victory in the first pre season game of the 26-27 campaign.
Sacramento briefly held the upper hand during a competitive opening quarter. Rookie D. Acuff Jr. scored eight early points, while Zach LaVine found his rhythm from midrange. LaVine’s turnaround jumper gave Sacramento an 18-13 advantage with 5:16 remaining, but Luka Dončić quickly changed the direction of the quarter.
Dončić buried consecutive three pointers, including a running 25-footer, as Los Angeles moved ahead. The Lakers closed the quarter with a 23-10 surge after LaVine’s basket and carried a 36-28 lead into the second.
Then the game broke open.
J. LaRavia scored the Lakers’ first four points of the second quarter before adding a 3-pointer that pushed the margin to 45-30. Q. Grimes followed with a 27-foot 3-pointer, Matisse Thybulle connected from deep, and Dončić added another triple as Los Angeles built a 54-30 advantage with 7:48 left in the half.
Sacramento’s problems extended beyond missed shots. Domantas Sabonis picked up his third foul with 10:26 remaining in the second quarter, his fourth less than two minutes later and his fifth with 6:26 still on the clock. The Kings’ center was forced to the bench after scoring four points, leaving Sacramento without one of its primary rebounders and playmakers.
The Lakers continued piling on. Dončić scored 21 first-half points, while Sacramento committed a series of turnovers that repeatedly interrupted any attempt at a sustained response. Los Angeles stretched its lead as high as 33 before the Kings closed the half with a modest rally.
Acuff provided Sacramento’s best offensive resistance. He scored seven points during a late 14-6 Kings run, including a driving layup and a 26-foot pull-up 3-pointer. Nique Clifford completed a three-point play late in the quarter, but S. Mamukelashvili answered with a 27-foot triple that sent Los Angeles into halftime ahead 73-47.
Sacramento showed more fight after intermission. M. Raynaud scored six points in the third quarter, D. Cardwell supplied a transition dunk and Clifford reached double figures. E. Sharp’s 28-foot 3-pointer trimmed the deficit to 86-67 with 5:34 remaining.
Los Angeles quickly restored its cushion. C. Carr scored 12 points in the third, including two late 3-pointers, and the Lakers carried a 99-77 advantage into the fourth.
With the outcome largely settled, Sacramento’s reserves continued competing. Raynaud scored six more points early in the fourth, including an alley-oop dunk from A. Karaban. D. Plowden reached 12 points, while Clifford produced the Kings’ strongest finishing stretch.
Clifford scored 12 points in the final period and finished with a Sacramento-high 23. He knocked down a step-back 3-pointer with 1:10 remaining, drove for another basket and scored at the horn. Acuff finished with 19 points and four assists, while Raynaud and Plowden each scored 12. Cardwell contributed nine points, nine rebounds and three steals.
The Lakers spread the scoring across their roster. Dončić led their early assault with 21 points, Carr finished with 19, Grimes scored 16 and LaRavia added 12. Los Angeles led by as many as 33 points and never allowed Sacramento closer than 19 during the second half.
For the Kings, the damage was concentrated in a brutal second quarter. Sacramento was outscored 37-19 during those 12 minutes, and Sabonis’ early foul trouble stripped the Kings of a central piece before halftime. Sacramento competed more evenly afterward, but by then Los Angeles had built far too much separation.
Next up for the Kings it’s off to Los Angeles Thu Oct 8th for a tip off with these same Lakers at Crypto.com Arena for a 7:30pm PDT tip.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
San Jose Sharks center Michael Misa (77) attacks against Dallas Stars defenceman Tyler Myers (57) and goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) in the third period at American Airlines Arena in Dallas on Mon Oct 5, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Mary Walsh
The San Jose Sharks lost 5-0 to the Dallas Stars Monday. Miro Heiskanen, Joel Kiviranta, Jamie Benn, Jason Robertson and Mikko Rantanen scored for Dallas. Jake Oettinger made 13 saves for the shutout win. Yaroslav Askarov made 21 saves in the loss. Macklin Celebrini was a late scratch due to a lower body injury.
Sharks defenseman Darnell Nurse talked about the challenge of playing without a key player:
“It’s by committee. Everyone’s got to step up and pick up a little bit of slack. When you lose one of your top players. So there’s going to be moments over the course of the season if you want to be a good team, you’ve got to be able to weather those storms.”
Ty Dellandrea, who drew into the lineup when Celebrini was scratched, talked about the loss: “They’re a good team coming off of two losses. They were desperate for a win, so they wanted it more, they were desperate, smothering us, making it hard for us to get to our game plan.”
Miro Heiskanen, scored the lone goal in the first period, giving the Stars the lead. Heiskanen caught a pass off the back boards and used a backhand to score on the right side of Askarov. Assists went to Roope Hintz and Jamie Benn at 18:51.
Dallas outshot the Sharks 11-2 in the first. The Sharks took the only penalty in the period and gave up two shots.
Joel Kiviranta made it 2-0 at 3:17 of the second. His shot was the third try as Dallas skater swarmed the Sharks net. Oskar Bäck and Radek Faksa got the assists.
Jamie Benn made it 3-0 at 6:19. The Stars made two quick passes close to the net and Benn snapped it in. Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz got the assists.
Jason Robertson added another for Dallas at 16:30. Robertson intercepted a pass just below the Sharks blue line, skated in and shot from the slot.
The shots were 9-5 Dallas in the second. Each team took one penalty and each penalty kill gave up two shots.
Mikko Rantanen scored the fifth goal for Dallas at 15:22 of the thrd period. Rantanen carried the puck in and evaded two Sharks defenders on his way to the net for a wrist shot. Sam Steel got the assist.
The shots were even at six in the third period. Each team again had one penalty to kill.
The Sharks next play on Thursday at 5:00 PM PT in St. Louis against the Blues.
It was a battle between the San Diego Gulls and San Jose Barracuda at Tech CU in San Jose on Sun Oct 4, 2026 (San Jose Barracuda photo)
San Jose Barracuda podcast Marko Ukalovic:
#1 Ethan Cardwell scored in the opener and was again part of San Jose’s attack. How did Cardwell’s performance contribute to the Barracuda’s offensive response on Sunday?
#2 What impact did Filip Bystedt have in the game, particularly in helping San Jose generate scoring chances against the Gulls?
#3 How did Jimmy Huntington, the Barracuda’s newly appointed captain, demonstrate leadership in San Jose’s comeback and overtime victory?
#4 Eric Comrie made 28 saves in Saturday’s 5–1 loss. Goalie Matt Davis started on Sunday compare and how important was his goaltending to the Barracuda’s win?
#5 How did Andre Gasseau and Anthony Vincent contribute to San Jose’s effort, and which Barracuda players stood out most in the 5–4 overtime victory?
Tight end Taimane Purcell caught a 91-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. Photo by: Max Wood/Cal Football
Cal Bears podcast Barbara Mason:
#1 How did the Cal Bears (2-3) offense manage to rally from a 17-point halftime deficit and briefly take a 25–24 lead in the fourth quarter?
#2 How significant was the loss of quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who left late in the first half, and how well did backup Jackson Brousseau respond? Brousseau finished 19-for-32 for 200 yards and two touchdowns.
#3 What made UNLV Rebels (3-2) quarterback Jackson Arnold so difficult for Cal to contain? Arnold accounted for five touchdowns, including 110 rushing yards and two rushing scores.
#4 Which defensive lapses cost Cal the game after its comeback? UNLV produced several explosive plays, including touchdown passes of 70, 36 and 10 yards.
#5 What should Cal take away from the 39–31 loss going forward, and does the comeback suggest the Bears are closer to turning their season around than the 2–3 record indicates?
UNLV Runnin Rebel quarterback Jackson Arnold (11) takes off for a first half touchdown against the Cal Bears at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sat Oct 3, 2026 (AP News photo)
Cal Bears podcast Daniel Dullum:
#1 How did Cal’s offense manage to rally from a 17-point halftime deficit and briefly take a 25–24 lead in the fourth quarter?
#2 How significant was the loss of quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who left late in the first half, and how well did backup Jackson Brousseau respond? Brousseau finished 19-for-32 for 200 yards and two touchdowns.
#3 What made UNLV quarterback Jackson Arnold so difficult for Cal to contain? Arnold accounted for five touchdowns, including 110 rushing yards and two rushing scores.
#4 Which defensive lapses cost Cal the game after its comeback? UNLV produced several explosive plays, including touchdown passes of 70, 36 and 10 yards.
#5 What should Cal take away from the 39–31 loss going forward, and does the comeback suggest the Bears are closer to turning their season around than the 2–3 record indicates?
Milwaukee Brewers Jackson Chourio knocks in the game winning runs a two run single to the Brewers a 2-0 series lead over the San Diego Padres at American Family Park in Milwaukee in game 2 of the National League Divsion Series on Sun Oct 4, 2026 (AP News photo)
MLB The Show Division Series podcast Charlie O:
#1 The Milwaukee Brewers Jackson Chourio delivered the game-winning two-run single in the ninth inning. How did his at-bat against Mason Miller change the momentum and decide the game as the Brewers came away with a 4-3 win?
#2 Ty France drove in two runs for San Diego, while Michael King allowed just one run over five innings with six strikeouts. How would you evaluate their performances despite the Padres’ late loss?
#3 The Atlanta Braves got some key scoring from Dubon who got an infield hit that allowed Ronald Acuna Jr to score to get the Braves on the board 1-0 in the top of the first.
#4 The Braves Harris ended up scoring on the Dodgers pitcher Bubic’s wild pitch in the top of the fifth making it 2-1. In the seventh Harris hit a double scoring Matt Olson. Braves on top 3-1.
#5 The Braves also got excellent pitching from starter Ray Kerr allowed two hits, one walk, four strikeouts. The Braves used five releivers to hold off the Dodgers. The Braves come away with a 3-2 win tying the series 1-1.
Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby William (1) drives to the basket agianst the Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) during first half action during round 2 game 1 of the WNBA semi finals at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sun Oct 4, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Michael Roberson
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif–Gabby Williams’ 25 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists, led her Golden State Valkyries (1-0) to a 71-60 victory over the Las Vegas Aces (0-1) in Game 1 of the WNBA Semifinals at another sold out Chase Center Sunday.
The Aces scored the first points of the game with a 3-pointer by Chelsea Gray. That lead would be their largest of the game. The 10-minute battle would have seven lead changes and 3 ties. The Valkyries led by as many as four points in the initial quarter, Gabby Williams (13) and A’ja Wilson (10) both scored in double digits for their respective teams.
After ten minutes of WNBA action, the home team led by four points, 22-18. Noticeably, Wilson was kept off the boards early in the game, and the Valkyries were on the offensive boards.Although it was the feeling out period, Golden State would eventually open up the advantage to double-figures.
In the second stanza the Valkyries’ lead did get up to 11 points. However, the Aces showed the pride of a champion and cut the deficit to three by the end of the quarter. Both Williams and Wilson added five points to their totals by the recess whistle. The Valkyries led by three points at the half, 34-31 Williams (18) and Wilson (15) also led their teams in scoring after 20 minutes of play, but the rebounding machine, A’ja Wilson only had one at that juncture.
In the second half, Golden State increased their lead to double-digits again, in the third (10) and fourth (13) quarters. During the third quarter, Golden State immediately went up by seven points, prompting Becky Hammond to call a timeout.
Later the Valkyries went up by 10 points, but the Aces kept fighting. By quarter’s end, the Ballhalla residents held on to an eight-point lead, 56-48. The two aforementioned team leaders garnered 20 points at the 30-minute mark of the contest.In addition to those two stars, Kiah Stokes grabbed ten rebounds for the Valkyries, and Chelsea Gray put up 15 points for the Aces.
In the final quadrant, the Valkyries went up by13 points, but still had to hold on to the lead by the final buzzer. Despite the multiple double-figures leads throughout the game, each quarter was within five points of each other.. The final score was an accumulation of all the small leads and wound up being an 11-point final score, 71-60.
Golden State dominated the boards 52-25, with offensive rebounds going their way 17-2. Those two glaring disparities were essential in the Game 1 victory for the Valkyries. Especially with superstar A’ja Wilson being held to only 4 total rebounds.
The Valkyries presented two players with double-digit scoring, and thee with that plateau in rebounding. Gabby Williams accomplished both (25 points) and 11 rebounds), while Kaitlyn Chen scored 11 points, Kayla Thornton secured 11 rebounds, and Kiah Stokes snatched down 14 carrums.
The Aces had three players reaching 10+ points, but absolutely no one with that amount of rebounds. A’ja Wilson led them with 24 points, Chelsea Gray (16) and Jackie Young contributed 11 points of her own.
The two combattants will meet up again for Game 2 of the semifinals, Wednesday, October 7 inside Chase Center at 6:30 PM PT on the Peacock/NBC Sports Network.
Brock Purdy was on target for the San Francisco 49ers with two touchdown passes that put the Niners over the top agianst the Denver Broncos in the fourth quarter at Levi Stadum in Santa Clara on Sun Oct 4, 2026 (AP News photo)
San Francisco 49ers podcast David Zizmor: Denver at San Francisco:
#1 Dave after getting defensive game in the first half as the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers played to a 3-3 half time tie and each team prevented each other from getting in the end zone.
#2 The 49ers 10-3 going into the fourth quarter were able to score two touchdowns and put away the Broncos 24-14. Niners quarterback Brock Purdy was 19-30 for 218 yards and those two key touchdowns.
#3 Next up for the 49ers the Seattle Seahawks Sun Oct 11th at Century Link Stadium in Seattle. Seahawks could be a challenge at 3-1 and with the home field advantage.
#4 49ers owner Jed York has been suspended by the NFL for six games and fined $500,000 for being caught in a prostitution sting in Ohio. York is eligble to return on Oct 20th. York has stayed away from any games this season.
