Nick Kurtz Walks It Off as A’s Beat Astros for Fourth Straight Win 3-1

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The Athletics celebrate after the Nick Kurtz home run in the bottom of the ninth inning on Monday night . (Photo: MLB on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENO–After a treacherous month of May, the Athletics have finally made it through and into June. After getting swept in Anaheim for the second time in just a few weeks, the A’s went into Kansas City and returned the favor with a sweep of the Royals this past weekend. On Monday, they welcomed the Houston Astros to Sacramento for the first of a three-game series. The A’s defeated the Astros 3-1.

Pitching dominated the game on both sides, as the starters and bullpens for each team were phenomenal. However, it was Nick Kurtz who played the hero for the A’s.

With the game tied in the bottom of the ninth, Brent Rooker worked a walk against Astros reliever Bryan Abreu. Nick Kurtz stepped in and quickly got ahead 2-0 in the count. Looking fastball, Kurtz swung out of his shoes on a breaking ball that fooled him, bringing the count to 2-1. “…When you have a swing like that,” Kurtz said following the game, “there’s a good chance they’re going to throw it again.” Throw it again Abreu did. But this time, he missed his spot with another breaking ball inside, and Kurtz turned on it—launching the game-winning two-run homer 447 feet into the trees beyond the berm in right-center field. “I knew it pretty much right away… that’s the scenario you dream about as a kid, and being able to do it at this level was really cool,” Kurtz said of his walk-off shot.

Kurtz sent the A’s home happy, but the unsung hero of the night was the A’s pitching staff.

Mitch Spence started the game for the A’s and dominated, tossing five innings of seven-hit, one-run ball. His only major blemish was a slider that leaked over the plate, which Jose Altuve launched for a home run in the first inning. J.T. Ginn, fresh off the injured list, followed with three shutout innings of one-hit baseball while striking out five. Ginn was nasty—exactly what the doctor ordered in his return. Mason Miller pitched a clean top of the ninth, striking out two to keep the game tied.

The A’s will take on the Astros in game two of the series on Tuesday at 7:05 PM PST at Sutter Health Park. JP Sears (5-5, 5.08 ERA) is slated to start for the A’s, countered by Houston’s Jason Alexander (0-0, 18.00 ERA).

With the win, the A’s have now won four straight and are 30-44 on the season. The Astros fell to 41-31 with the loss.

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 Francisco Giants podcast Marko Ukalovic: Devers will continue as a designated hitter as he joins Giants

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Former Boston Red Sox designated hitter Rafael Devers heads back to the dugout after striking out against the Tampa Bay Rays as Rays catcher Danny Jansen looks on in the bottom of the seventh inning at Fenway Park in Boston on Mon Jun 9, 2025 (AP News Photo)

San Francisco Giants podcast Marko Ukalovic:

#1 How shocking is for Boston Red Sox fans for three time All Star Rafael Devers to get traded to the San Francisco Giants after the Red Sox were going to build their franchise around Devers?

#2 In exchange for Devers the Red Sox will get left handed pitcher Kyle Harrison and right hand pitcher Jordan Hicks talk about their departures and on the face of it it looks as if the Giants got the better end of this deal.

#3 One of the key factors of the trade was Devers was converted to a designated hitter and was taken off third base and was replaced there by Alex Bregman. Devers had played third base all his career and wanted to continue there but was moved to DH and was not happy about. Sources say that Devers requested for a trade.

#4 Devers was in Sunday’s line up against the New York Yankees playing his last game with the Red Sox. Devers as learned of the trade well after the game and just before the beginning of the Giants-Los Angeles Dodgers game at Dodger Stadium before Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN started.

#5 Marko, how much does this deal hurt the Red Sox and help the Giants and do the Houston Astros who lost Bregman to the Red Sox get the last laugh?

Join Marko Ukalovic for the San Francisco Giants podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast Stephen Ruderman: How the Devers trade will pay off for San Francisco

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Boston Red Sox Roman Anthony (right) Rafael Devers (11) share congratulations after their win against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park on Sun Jun 15, 2025 it was hours later that this would be Devers last game with the Sox and he would be traded to the San Francisco Giants (AP News photo)

San Francisco Giants podcast Stephen Ruderman:

#1 How shocking is for Boston Red Sox fans for three time All Star Rafael Devers to get traded to the San Francisco Giants after the Red Sox were going to build their franchise around Devers?

#2 In exchange for Devers the Red Sox will get left handed pitcher Kyle Harrison and right hand pitcher Jordan Hicks talk about their departures and on the face of it it looks as if the Giants got the better end of this deal.

#3 One of the key factors of the trade was Devers was converted to a designated hitter and was taken off third base and was replaced there by Alex Bregman. Devers had played third base all his career and wanted to continue there but was moved to DH and was not happy about. Sources say that Devers requested for a trade.

#4 Devers was in Sunday’s line up against the New York Yankees playing his last game with the Red Sox. Devers as learned of the trade well after the game and just before the beginning of the Giants-Los Angeles Dodgers game at Dodger Stadium before Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN started.

#5 Stephen, how much does this deal hurt the Red Sox and help the Giants and do the Houston Astros who lost Bregman to the Red Sox get the last laugh?

Join Stephen Ruderman for the San Francisco Giants podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s podcast with Barbara Mason: A’s open three game set with Houston tonight

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Sacramento A’s Nick Kurtz (right) is congratulated by Tyler Soderstrom (21) scores after hitting a home run in the top of the ninth inning at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento on Sun Jun 15, 2025 (AP News photo)

A’s podcast with Barbara Mason:

1.After getting swept in their last series by the Angels the A’s turned things around sweeping the Kansas City Royals over the weekend. Both the Angels and the Royals have similar records but the A’s were able to handle them winning Sunday’s game after trailing 2-0 going into the sixth inning.

2.Going into Sunday’s game the A’s were assured a series win win or lose but they fought back in the sixth inning to tie up the game. Each team finished the game with nine hits but it was the long ball that won this game for the Athletics.

3.Jacob Wilson continues to contribute in every game along with Lawrence Butler, and also got some hits from Denzel Clark, Luis Urias and Brent Rooker.

4.Jeffrey Springs and went six innings allowing the two runs but it was the relief pitching that earned the win for the Athletics.

5.The next series for the A’s will be the Houston Astros in Sacramento Monday night. The series gets underway today -a four game series with the division leaders. This will be a tough series for the team with Mitch Spence on the mound for the A’s. The Astros will start Lance McCullers Jr. How can the A’s handle the Astros.

6. The A’s will be holding a ceremonial groundbreaking on Mon Jun 23 at the old Tropicana Site in Las Vegas announcing they will have shovels in the ground. Actually team president Mark Badain said they’ve already started construction for the Vegas ballpark the big question that will asked did the A’s come up wit h the $1.75 billion for their share of the constructions costs?

Barbara Mason does the Sacramento A’s podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

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. 

A’s game wrap: Kurtz Crush Caps Comeback as A’s Edge Royals 3-2 in Thriller

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Sacramento A’s Nick Kurtz slugs a home run for the go ahead run against the Kansas City Royals at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City on Sun Jun 15, 2025 (AP News photo)

Kurtz Crush Caps Comeback as A’s Edge Royals 3-2 in Thriller

by Mauricio Segura

A rough couple of months got a rare highlight Sunday afternoon, as the Athletics rallied late and held on for a thrilling 3–2 win over the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium to take the 3-game series. Nick Kurtz, the A’s 22-year-old rookie first baseman, played hero with a go-ahead solo homer in the top of the ninth, his sixth of the year, and Mason Miller slammed the door in the bottom half to lock up the series win.

The A’s, owners of the third-worst winning percentage in baseball coming in, showed signs of grit that have often been absent this season. They trailed 2-0 after three innings, thanks to an RBI double by Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. and a line-drive single from Vinnie Pasquantino. But from there, starter Jeffrey Springs and a carousel of relievers kept Kansas City off the scoreboard, retiring 18 of the final 23 batters.

Offensively, the green and gold waited until the sixth inning to strike. Rookie Jacob Wilson, who leads all of baseball’s freshmen in just about every offensive category, singled to set the table. Austin Wynns then drilled a two-run homer to center field, knotting the game at two apiece. It was Wynns’ fifth long ball of the season and just the A’s 89th as a team, still top 10 in the majors despite their struggles.

In the ninth, Kurtz launched Carlos Estévez’s first offering deep to right-center to give the A’s a 3-2 lead. The Royals got the tying run aboard in their half, but Miller fanned two, including Tyler Tolbert to end it, recording his 14th save and flashing the triple-digit heat that’s made him a rare bright spot in a beleaguered bullpen.

The victory gave the Athletics their first road series win since early May, and snapped a 1-4 road trip. Springs, who began the season in the rotation but has recently shifted into a swingman role, allowed two earned runs across five innings. He didn’t factor into the decision, but his ability to avoid a blowup, a common theme for A’s starters this season, kept the game within reach.

The A’s now head back to Sutter Health Park for a four-game set against the division-leading Astros. With back-to-back wins under their belts and youngsters like Wilson and Kurtz heating up, the green and gold may finally be finding a little traction in a season filled with potholes.

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.

Giants Lose Series To Dodgers In a Close One 5-4; SF deals Harrison and Hicks to Boston for Devers

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Sean Hjelle in the bottom of the first inning delivers to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Sun Jun 15, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco Giants (41-31) led 3-2 going into the bottom of the fifth inning eventually losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers (43-29) 5-4.

San Francisco got close but some great work on the mound for the Dodgers decided this game. Dodger closer Tanner Scott dismissed Willy Adames, Heliot Ramos and Jerar Encarnacion striking all three out for the series win.

Game recap: Sunday the Giants started Sean Hjelle and the Dodgers Dustin May was on the mound looking for his fourth win of the season, now with a 3/4 win/loss record and a 4.46 ERA. This will be a fight for first place in the National League West.

The game got underway under sapphire skies with a pleasant mid-70’s temperature. The stadium was packed with families celebrating Father’s Day and hoping for a home win.

The Dodgers had a 2-0 lead going into the top of the fourth inning. They took a first inning lead 1-0 when Andy Pages sacrificed Shohei Ohtani home for the early advantage. Los Angeles would extend their lead in the second inning when Tommy Edman hit a 400 ft home run for a 2-0 tally.

San Francisco would fight back and take the lead in the fourth inning. Their first run was a Christian Koss single driving Mike Yastrzemski home. Jung Hoo Lee tripled in the fourth and both Logan Porter and Christian Koss scored taking a 3-2 lead. Lee has been playing some terrific offensive and defensive baseball and has been a huge part of their recent success .

The Giants loaded the bases in the fifth inning but came away empty but still had a 3-2 lead. It all changed in the bottom of the inning. The Dodgers took back the lead in the fifth inning scoring three runs now ahead by the score of 5-3.

Pages connected for the second time in the game but this hit resulting in a three run homer with Ohtani and Mookie Betts on base. Los Angeles was back in control in this 130 year rivalry with a lot of baseball still left to be played in today’s game.

San Francisco would make this a one-run game in the top of the eighth inning. Daniel Johnson hit a solo home run and the Giants were within striking distance only trailing by a run 4-5. Giant’s pitcher Tyler Rogers had a solid inning dismissing Teoscar Hernandez, Pages and KiKi Hernandez and it was on to the ninth inning.

Tanner Scott would come into the top of the ninth inning to try and save the game for Los Angeles. Willy Adames struck out to start the inning. Ramos followed suit also striking out and San Francisco was down to their last out.

Jerar Encarnacion was the Giants last hope but he struck out for the third out and that was the ballgame. The Dodgers had won the series and taken a two-game lead in the National League West.

It was a disappointment for San Francisco coming so close in this game but they have a lot to look forward to as this season moves on. Their offense has improved over the past few weeks and it will continue on this path going forward.

Game notes: Sunday afternoon the Giants finished up their series with the first place Los Angeles Dodgers . San Francisco won game one Friday 6-2 and the Dodgers answered back in game two Saturday winning the 11-5.

Sunday the two teams played the rubber game to decide the series winner the Dodgers Andy Pages hit a three run home run to help the Dodgers win it.

Behind the scenes the Giants have been hard at work bulking up this lineup and they came up with a huge addition to the team Sunday. The Giants acquired Boston Red Sox All-Star Rafael Devers, probably one of the ten best hitters in the game today.

News of this trade came just hours after Devers helped the Red Sox sweep the New York Yankees. San Francisco traded away pitcher Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison among others for Devers services. This was a blockbuster trade for the team.

Devers is only 28 years old with a batting average of .272 and is a three-time All-Star. Now the Giants have an additional weapon, a player with high-level production as they continue to fend off the Dodgers, San Diego Padres and the Arizona Diamondbacks in a hotly contested division.

Devers could possibly jump right into the position of DH or even transition to first base. Now San Francisco can boast more fire power boosting up their recent offensive effort which in all fairness has turned a corner after struggling in May. Instrumental in this trade was ex-Giant Buster Posey now president of baseball operations. This guy knows what he wants and he sure seems to make it happen.

The Giants will now head back to San Francisco for a series with the Cleveland Guardians. The Guardians are a good .500 team as they to on the road west. The Giants will start Robbie Ray who has been terrific coming into this game with a 8-1 win/loss record and a 2.55 ERA. On the mound for the Guardians Slade Cecconi will start with a 1-3 win/loss record and a 4.26 ERA. First pitch for this game is scheduled for Tuesday at 6:45 PM.

Aces Fall To .500 Losing To Phoenix 76-70

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Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleagh Cooper (2) goes for the lay up against the Las Vegas Aces center Elizabeth Kitley (33) and Aaliyah Nye (13) during the first half at ULTRA Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas on Sun Jun 14, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Rich Perez

The Las Vegas Aces (5-5) lost a tough one falling to the Phoenix Mercury (8-4) 76-70 Sunday afternoon. The team has really struggled without their star A’Ja Wilson who is projected to return this coming Tuesday.

The team had 22 turnovers conceding 22 points on those turnovers. With poor ball protection winning seldom becomes reality. This has been a very disappointing start to the season so far. They missed open shots from start to finish. Chelsea Gray finished with the team high of 20 points.

Sunday afternoon, the Aces took on the Mercury at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas. The Aces had been struggling although did win their last matchup with the Dallas Wings Friday 88-84.

The Aces lost their ace A’Ja Wilson in a losing effort against the Los Angeles Sparks last Wednesday night when she suffered a head injury getting accidentally hit in the face by the Sparks Dearica Hamby while Hamby was driving to the basket.

Wilson missed Sunday’s game but has a return date for this Tuesday June 17 when the Aces take on the powerhouse Minnesota Lynx. It has not been the season we are used to seeing from Las Vegas. Their usual chemistry is just missing something and it is more than likely that the absence of Wilson has a whole lot to do with it.

After the first ten minutes of play this game was tied at 20. The Mercury took some fairly significant leads throughout the second quarter, as much as eight points, but the Aces continued to battle back. At the half, the Mercury were holding onto a 43-39 lead. Las Vegas was stubbornly hanging around, within striking distance for most of the quarter.

It started to fall apart in the third quarter when the Mercury took an 11 point lead with 3:22 left. Head Coach Becky Hammond called a time-out looking to get the Aces back on track. The Aces were having success from beyond the arc shooting 41% to the Mercury’s almost 35% but they needed more success driving the basket.

This had been a very physical game on both ends of the court for both teams. The Aces were just missing too many open shots. After three quarters the Mercury were up by six points 60-54.

Going into the fourth quarter the Aces needed stops and they really needed to settle down shutting down the turnovers, already with 14. Chelsea Gray had the team high with 18 points and both Jackie Young and Jewell Loyd had double digits through three quarters.

With 8:19 left in the game it was a two-point lead for the Mercury 60-58. Ball protection continued to falter as the Aces continued to turn the ball over now with 19. The Aces had conceded 22 points on turnovers.

Every time Las Vegas got close the Mercury pushed the lead back out. Las Vegas had not led since the first quarter. as the clock began to wind down with only 4:16 left on the clock. It came down to crunch time.

With 3:37 left in the game and the Mercury leading 71-67 the Aces had to play each possession with precision, each possession without turnover and start making those open shots. Time was not on the Aces side and with 21 turnovers it’s near to impossible to win a game.

The Las Vegas bench was not very productive with only 14 points to the Mercury’s 25 points off the bench. With under a minute left in the game Phoenix had a 76-70 lead and the Aces would fall to a 5-5 record in yet another disappointing loss.

Kim Stokes had a great defensive game finishing with 14 rebounds as well as Chelsea gray with 10 rebounds. It was without doubt the 22 turnovers that turned the tide in this game.

Now the Las Vegas Aces go back to the drawing board. They look forward to the return of Wilson as they go on the road to take on the red-hot Minnesota Lynx next Tuesday night. Wilson is projected to return for that game. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

MLB The Show podcast Charlie O: Late pitcher Skaggs says he got drugs from teammate Wade Miley says family; Sox pitcher Crochet strikes out Yanks Judge 3 times; plus more news

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Former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Wade Miley (22) has been accused in a deposition of supplying teammate the late pitcher Tyler Skaggs with drugs. Miley in the deposition denied supplying Skaggs with any drugs (AP file photo)

MLB The Show podcast Charlie O:

#1 The late pitcher of the Los Angels Angels and Arizona Diamondbacks Tyler Skaggs who died of a overdose of fentanyl, oxycodone and alcohol according to an autopsy report from July 1, 2019 Skaggs had died in a Texas hotel room as a member of the Angels. Skaggs was a teammate of left hand pitcher Wade Miley with the Cincinnati Reds.

#2 Further According to a court deposition Skaggs family had questioned Skaggs about his drug use and that Skaggs had admitted taking drugs and that he got them from Miley when they played for the Diamondbacks. Miley said he did not provide Skaggs with any drugs according to a court deposition. The deposition is part of a motion filed by the Angels for the Skaggs family to drop a lawsuit filed by the Skaggs family.

#3 In an extra inning win for the Boston Red Sox in Friday night’s 2-1 game against the New York Yankees. The Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet came out and held the Yankees to a shutout in 8.1 innings of work allowing four hits, striking out seven and striking out Aaron Judge three times. Crochet worked the count on hitters, kept them off balance and had good stuff that made the saying “good pitching beats good hitting” stand up.

#4  Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Endy Rodriguez will have his right elbow get a platelet rich plasma injection. Rodriguez’s elbow is in pain and he got a second opinion from Los Angeles Dodgers Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. Dr. ElAttrache said that after getting the injection Rodriguez will need to get four weeks of complete rest before he can start working out. Said Pirates manager Don Kelly.

#5 Mon Jun 23rd morning bright and early at 8:00AM PDT the Sacramento A’s will be holding a groundbreaking ceremony at the old Tropicana in Las Vegas to get shovels in the ground for the new ballpark. According to A’s president Mark Badain groundbreaking took place in April but this is an official ceremony to make it official. Some members of the press questioned why is this groundbreaking being held at 8AM which is quite a bit early than usual press conferences or ribbon cuttings. Some say with the least amount of press it’s less questions about per say did the A’s come up with the construction costs yet.

Charlie O does the MLB The Show podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Dodgers Even Series Beating Giants In A Blow-Out 11-5

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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani looks after he hits a home run in the bottom of the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Sun Jun 15, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

After winning game one in their three game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers (42-29), the San Francisco Giants (41-30) got pounded Saturday in game two 11-5. The Los Angeles Dodgers evened up the series with a great offensive effort ; much improved over Friday night’s game.

Shohei Ohtani had a couple of home runs and the Dodgers scored five runs in the second inning and three in the sixth. The Giants were quiet offensively until the ninth inning when Casey Schmitt hit a grand slam with the bases loaded.

Schmitt had back-to-back grand slams, the one Friday and then in this game. The Dodgers Kiki Hernandez gave up the grand slam along with four hits and three walks.

Game recap: After a poor offensive effort in Friday’s game, the Dodgers got their first run in the first inning. A solo shot from Shohei Ohtani gave Los Angeles the early 1-0 lead.

The Dodgers had an impressive second inning scoring five runs and taking a 6-0 lead. Andy Pages singled Teoscar Hernandez home extending their lead to 2-0.

Michael Conforto doubled Max Muncy home followed by a Mookie Betts double that scored two runs Pages and Conforto. The final Los Angeles run in the second was a Will Smith sacrifice bringing Ohtani home giving the home team a 6-0 lead.

The Dodgers did not take their foot off the pedal scoring again in the third inning. Hyeseong Kim singled to center bringing Max Muncy home for a 7-0 lead. The roles had certainly been reversed in game two with the Dodgers offense coming to life through the first half of the game.

San Francisco helped their rival along the way with seven walks through five innings. The Giants starting pitcher Landon Roupp only pitched 1 2/3 innings allowing for hits, six runs and five walks before being relieved by Spencer Bivens.

He really struggled with no strikeouts. On the other hand the Dodgers Clayton Kershaw was having an easy time with only 58 pitches through five innings.

Home run #25 for Shohei Ohtani came in the bottom of the sixth inning, his second of the game for a 8-0 Los Angeles lead. The Dodgers would follow that up with a two run home run off the bat of Teoscar Hernandez and a 10-0 tally.

Clayton Kershaw was relieved in the eighth inning by Michael Kopech. Kershaw had a great seven innings allowing three hits, no runs, one walk and five strikeouts. He certainly got the job done Friday night.

The Dodgers had their third home run of the game in the eighth inning off the bat of Miguel Rojas. The game went into the top of the ninth inning and San Francisco was down to their last three outs.

With only three hits so far in the game there was little chance for the Giants but it did get interesting when Kiki Hernandez took the mound to close out the game. He loaded the bases. gave up a grand slam, three walks and was positively awful. He was relieved by Anthony Banda who closed out the game. The final was 11-5.

Game notes: The Giants won the first game of their series with the Dodgers Friday night 6-2 via a Casey Schmitt grand slam in the third inning. Although it was early in the game, the Giants held on adding another run in the eighth inning for the win. Friday San Francisco starting pitcher Logan Webb had a great game pitching seven innings. Los Angeles did not have the best game in game one and got even in the series in game two. San Francisco finished up the game with 10 hits while the Dodgers only had two hits on Friday. For Saturday night the Giants clobbered the Dodgers 10-5.

Saturday, the Giants will be looking to win game three and the series. With this win, the Dodgers took back sole possession of first place in the National League West. First pitch for game three is scheduled for 4:00 PM and can be viewed on ESPN. Kyle Harrison will take the mound for San Francisco with a 1-1 win/loss record and a 4.56 ERA. Dustin May will start for the Dodgers with a 3-4 win/loss record and a 4.46 ERA.

Golden State Valkyrie game wrap: Valkyries Weather the Storm, 76-70 inside Chase Center; Golden State wins third straight game

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Even the Golden State Valkyrie bench couldn’t contain themselves in their third straight win over the Seattle Storm at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sat June 14, 2025 (Golden State Valkyrie X photo)

By Michael Roberson

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — The Golden State Valkyries (5-5) won their third consecutive game, while ending the Seattle Storm’s (6-5) 3-game streak, 76-70, on a pleasant evening in the City by the Bay.

Golden State has Chase Center in their favor, as they have had sellouts (18,064) in all four of their WNBA home games in their inaugural season.

Seattle actually made the arena an overcast setting, as they got off to a 4-0 start to the game. After that, the Valkyries came back, and both teams had five lead changes and one tie during the initial stanza.

Golden State led by six points, which was their advantage after the quarter ended, 21-15. Although Seattle led by four early, they would never be in front again during the contest.

In the second quarter, the home team expanded their lead to as high as 15. Veteran guard Skylar Diggins hit a three late in the quarter, cutting the deficit to seven, keeping them in the contest. However, the Valkyries went on an 8-0 run, putting them back up to 15. They would keep their margin in double-digits at recess, 44-31.

Midway through the W battle, both team a one player with double-figure scoring. Kayla Thornton had 11 points and 8 rebounds after 20 minutes of gametime. Skylar Diggins topped the Storm with 10 points.

In the second half, the Valkyries led by a whopping 22 points, but had to hold on at the end of the game. Thornton added six more points to her total, and had a double-double (17/10) after three quarters. Two others eclipsed 10+ points, Temi Fagbenle (14) and Carla Leite (12) and helped the cause. Ezi Magbegor chipped in ten points and Diggins 16, at the 3/4 mark of the game. Golden State led 64-50.

In the final portion of the event, Seattle stormed back, cutting the deficit as low as four, less than a minute in regulation time. Seattle committed an offensive foul while attempting to get within 2 on a basket, three on a shot beyond the arc, or a miraculous four-point play.

Neither scenario came to fruition, as an attempted pick and roll was called a foul on the screener. Thornton politely drained two free throws, sealing the highly contested battle, 76-70.

Thornton led the Valkyries with 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Fagbenle chipped in 16 points and seven rebounds, and Leite added 14 points. Diggins led the Storm with 21 points, Alysha Clark posted 11 points and Magbegor offered ten points and six Rebounds. Stanford legend Nneka Ogwumike had a great reception by the Bay Area crowd, but had a subpar game with six points, five rebounds and saddled with four fouls.

The Valkyries will next be in action in Dallas, taking on the Wings Tuesday, June 17 at 7:00 PM Central Time 5:00 PM Pacific. The Storm take their cloud down to Southern California, as they take on the Los Angeles Sparks on the same date, at 7:00 PM PT.