Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease, middle, reacts with shortstop Andrés Giménez, left, and first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. after San Francisco Giants’ Heliot Ramos hit a single during the ninth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 8, 2026 in San Francisco (AP Photo/ Jeff Chiu)
By Maggie Akins
SAN FRANCISCO–The San Francisco Giants were blown out and nearly on the wrong side of history after a near no-hitter by All-Star Dylan Cease.
The day looked to be cloudy, but the San Francisco fog fled as the sky became blue for the Toronto Blue Jays. Blue sky for a Blue Jays dominant game, beating the Giants 10-0 at Oracle Park on Wednesday, winning the series finale.
Left fielder Heliot Ramos took the no-no dream from Cease, hitting a single in the ninth inning.
“You certainly like Ramos’ effort in the ninth inning, but kind of just focused on today, it was a low point with a couple defensive plays, and not finished the game the way we need to on the mound, and then obviously, not having much to show offensively,” Manager Tony Vitello said post-game.
The 2026 season becomes more and more unwatchable for the Giants faithful. They have hit a low-point as they drop 16 games under .500 for the first time in the ’26 season.
RHP Logan Webb got the start for the Giants, entering the game with 5-6 record and a 3.66 ERA on the season. Wednesday was Webb’s first start since he was named a 2026 All-Star last Saturday, making him the first Giants pitcher with three straight nominations since Madison Bumgarner. Webb’s outing came to a close in the seventh inning, tallying 100+ pitches. RHP Spencer Rivens took relief.
“I thought he was really good today. I know that’s difficult to say…I don’t think the line score does it justice, and he was determined to get back out there and finish the seventh inning,” Vitello said.
For Toronto, Cease got the nod with a 5-4 record and a 2.79 ERA entering the game. Cease was named a 2026 All-Star as well. Cease was three batters away from a no-hitter, but alas, not today. RHP Tyler Rogers came in for relief to close out the game. Ramos’ swing stood as the lone hit for the Giants Wednesday.
The Blue Jays pounced on the Giants early, putting up five runs in the first inning, highlighted by a grand slam from third baseman Kazuma Okamoto. Okamoto hit the one spot in the stadium where it could have gone that way, as Vitello recalled it looked like Okamoto was trying to hit a sac fly out of his swing.
From that point on, it became a pitcher’s duel. Both Webb and Cease were knocking out batters left and right.
There was not another offensive show from either side until the ninth inning when the Blue Jays decided to close out with two more home runs, eating away at the Giants’ relief pitchers.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered down center field, bringing in Nathan Lukes for a two-run shot. George Springer followed suit, hitting a solo homer right down center field again.
During pregame media, Vitello spoke about how important trends are in baseball, and in this case, the Giants do not want zero offense to be a trend for the remainder of the season, as they are approaching the All-Star break.
”There are so many days, and when you get out of bed, you wanna be looking up, you don’t wanna have your shoulders slumped or down,” Vitello said.
Up next, the Giants are welcoming the Colorado Rockies to Oracle Park. Perchance the sky will be cloudy, and the Giants can pull something together in their first matchup of the series on Thursday, July 9. First pitch is at 6:45 p.m.
Thursday starting pitchers for Colorado RHP Ryan Feltner (3-2 ERA 4.27), San Francisco has not announced a starter yet.
New York Yankees Al Sanchez thanks the Good Lord for his ninth inning single against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tue Jul 7, 2026 at the Tropicana in St Petersburg (AP News photo)
MLB The Show podcast Jessica Kwong:
#1 The New York Yankees of all teams set a Major League mark for a team to strike out 17 times in two straight games. The Yankees KO’d 17 times on Monday and Tuesday nights at the Tropicana in St Petersburg to set the record. The Yankees a have a rough time of things having lost eight of their last ten games.
#2 Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Ryan O’Hearn hit for ten RBIs in a game against the Atlanta Braves. No one has ever done that for the Bucs. O’Hearn set a club record on Tuesday night the record was last set on May 30, 1939 when Johnny Rizzo hit nine RBIs agianst the St Louis Cardinals some 54 years before O’Hearn was born.
#3 Kansas City Royals Tyler Tolbert set a Major League record hitting in 12 straight plate appearances. Tolber reached the record with an infield hit in the Royals 16-12 win over the New York Mets Tuesday. Tolbert hit a two run home run in the second, then singled in the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh ending the streak in the ninth inning with a fly out in the ninth inning.
#4 Detroit Tigers third base coach Joey Cory separated with the Tigers after “philosophical differences” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said of Cora and quoting, “I love Joey. Joey loved being a Tiger. He’s been instrumental in his time here. But similar to a family, sometimes it doesn’t last forever. and “We both just agreed it’s probably best for the players and everybody to separate.”
#5 Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani will pitch the Friday right after the All Star break according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. Ohtani had left in the seventh inning of last Friday’s game due to tightness in his right biceps in the bottom of the sixth inning while hitting.
Sacramento A’s Henry Bolte celebrates his home run in the dugout with teammates in the top of the third inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Tue Jul 7, 2026 (AP News photo)
Bolte Goes Yard, but Tigers still Pounce!
By Mauricio Segura
Henry Bolte gave the Sacramento Athletics a jolt, Joshua Kuroda-Grauer kept finding holes, and J.T. Ginn kept his club within striking distance. But one rough inning turned a tight game into a 6-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers, extending the A’s losing streak to four games.
Detroit took control almost immediately. Kevin McGonigle drew a leadoff walk in the first, and Colt Keith followed with a two-run homer to right-center. Ginn settled down after that and did not allow another run over his four innings. He gave up only two hits, issued two walks and struck out four, giving the Athletics a chance against Tarik Skubal.
That chance was never going to be easy. Skubal struck out Zack Gelof, Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers in order in the first, setting the tone for an Athletics lineup that would strike out 12 times. Still, the A’s had chances. Jonah Heim singled to open the second, and Kuroda-Grauer doubled him to third. With runners at second and third, Skubal struck out Max Muncy to end the inning.
Bolte cut the deficit in half in the third, driving a solo homer to left. Gelof followed with a single, but Sacramento could not build on it. Skubal worked five innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks while striking out nine.
Kuroda-Grauer was the toughest out in the Athletics lineup. The rookie finished 3-for-4 with a double and two singles, continuing an impressive start to his major-league career. He had been selected from Triple-A on June 29 and had already produced three multi-hit games in his first six appearances before this one. Bolte, meanwhile, entered the game batting .291, second among qualified American League rookies, and added another reminder of why the A’s remain interested in what their young core can become.
The game stayed 2-1 until the sixth, when Detroit turned a two-out rally into the decisive stretch of the game. Zach McKinstry drew a walk, Spencer Torkelson singled, and pinch-hitter Ben Malgeri doubled home McKinstry. Matt Vierling followed with a two-run double, and McGonigle singled home Vierling. Five straight Tigers reached base, and all four runs in the inning scored with two outs against Jacob Lopez.
The Athletics answered in the seventh, but only once. Bolte was hit by a pitch, Kurtz reached on an error, and Langeliers singled home Bolte. Heim was then hit by a pitch to load the bases, giving Jacob Wilson a chance to cut further into the 6-2 deficit. Wilson challenged a called third strike, but the call was confirmed, ending the inning and the A’s best chance to make the Tigers uncomfortable.
Langeliers left his mark beyond the RBI single. The catcher successfully challenged two calls while the Athletics were on defense, turning both into strikeouts, one against Torkelson and another against Dillon Dingler. That fit a team trend entering the game, as the A’s had been one of baseball’s better clubs at using the Automated Ball-Strike challenge system.
Detroit’s bullpen shut down the rest of the comeback attempt. Jacob Waguespack retired all six batters he faced over the final two innings, and the Athletics finished with seven hits but only two runs. Gelof, Kurtz and Langeliers, the first three hitters in the order, combined to go 2-for-13 with eight strikeouts.
The loss was especially frustrating given how well the Athletics had handled Detroit in recent years. They entered the series 40-13 against the Tigers since 2017 and had won 22 of their previous 28 road games in the matchup. This time, one swing in the first and one two-out rally in the sixth were enough to turn that history aside.
The series continues with Jeffrey Springs (3-8, 5.79 ERA, 80 K) facing Detroit right-hander Troy Melton (4-1, 2.05 ERA, 32 K), a matchup that gives the A’s a chance to cool off a Tigers club that did all of its scoring in two innings; first pitch is set for 3:40 p.m. Pacific.
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.
Photo: Toronto Blue Jays’ Jonatan Clase watches his three-run home run against the San Francisco Giants during the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
By Vince Cestone
SAN FRANCISCO — Once again, the San Francisco Giants gravitated back to their season low 15 games under .500, as the early Toronto Blue Jays offense proved too much for them.
With their 9-3 loss to the Blue Jays on Tuesday night, the Giants fell to 38-52 on the season. Starting pitcher Trevor McDonald struggled and couldn’t get out of the third inning, as the Jays tagged him for five runs in the frame.
But the trouble for McDonald started an inning earlier.
The Jays started the scoring in the top of the second inning. After Brandon Valenzuela led off with a single, center fielder Daulton Varsho then lined out. Designated hitter Sean Keys followed with a single, but then Jonatan Clase hit a home run to right field, giving Toronto an early 3-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second inning, the Giants answered right back with a run of their own. After designated hitter Rafael Devers led off with a single, Jung Hoo Lee flew out to left. Then, Willy Adames struck out. With 2 outs and Devers at first, Bryce Eldridge singled. The next batter Victor Bericoto singled, bringing in Devers and cutting the score to 3-1.
But in the next half inning, the Blue Jays put the game away for good against McDonald with a barrage of singles. In the top of the third inning, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led off with a single. The next hitter Kazuma Okamoto singled. And then the scoring started. The catcher Valenzuela then singled home Guerrero Jr. to extend the Jays lead to 4-1.
McDonald finally got an out when Varsho grounded back to McDonald, but the runners advanced to second and third on the play. Keys then hit another single, with this one bringing in two runs, extending the lead to 6-1. Clase followed up with another single, and then shortstop Andres Gimenez hit one more RBI single to give the Jays a 7-1 lead. With the runner advancing to third on the single, Eric Clement hit a sacrifice fly to bring in the fifth run of the inning, increasing the Toronto lead to 8-1.
The five-run, third inning essentially put the game away early, and San Francisco couldn’t muster a big enough comeback to get back into the game. The Giants tacked on two more runs throughout the game, lone runs in the third inning and fifth inning. In the third inning, the Giants loaded the bases with nobody out, but Devers grounded into a double play that brought in a run and essentially ended the rally. The fifth inning run came on an RBI double by Luis Arraez, who will for sure be traded by the August 3 deadline. Arraez went 2-for-4 in the game. The Giants were still down 8-3 after the fifth.
The Jays tacked on one more insurance in the ninth inning against Ryan Walker. Guerrero Jr. grounded into a double play with runners at first and third to make it 9-3 Blue Jays.
McDonald struggled in his 2 1/3 innings of work. He gave up eight runs on 11 hits, while walking one and striking out none. His ERA has now ballooned to 5.46 on the year. On the positive side, Adrian Houser came in on relief and was superb. Houser pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up no hits and striking out five. He only walked one batter.
On the Jays side, Spencer Miles also struggled but kept the Giants from coming back in the game. In his four innings, Miles gave up just two runs on seven hits, while striking out one. His ERA is now 2.95 on the year.
Up next, the Giants will try to take the series against the Jays behind Logan Webb (5-6, 3.66 ERA). Their task won’t be easy, as San Francisco will have to face Dylan Cease (5-4, 2.79 ERA). Game time is at 12:45 p.m. at Oracle Park.
Will the Giants finally fall to 16 games below .500 or will they stave off another season-low record yet again?
New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge (99) is on the 10 day IL and will miss the All Star Game and there no definite date when he will return (AP file photo)
That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:
#1 Can the New York Yankees stop their slide against the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays? The Yankees have struggled since losing Aaron Judge to injury and entered a pivotal four-game series trailing the Rays in the division.
#2 Which contenders will emerge as MLB trade deadline buyers and sellers? With the trade deadline less than a month away, front offices are evaluating whether to add or subtract, while ESPN’s updated rankings highlight the top available trade candidates.
#3 Who will build momentum heading into the All-Star break? The final week before the break features several high-stakes series that could reshape playoff races and influence trade deadline decisions.
#4 Can Eury Pérez and the Miami Marlins sustain their surge? Pérez dominated with seven perfect innings in Sunday’s dramatic win over the Athletics, fueling renewed attention on Miami’s postseason chances.
#5 Which players were the biggest All-Star surprises—and who got snubbed? The release of the 2026 All-Star rosters has sparked league-wide debate over deserving selections, notable omissions, and what the choices say about this season’s standout performers.
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.
LeBron James, Ex-Los Angeles Laker | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
NBA podcast David Zizmor: LeBron most likely will take his talents to Cleveland; End his career at home
#1 Cleveland Cavaliers where it all started might be where it will all end for NBA superstar LeBron James. While LeBron had been offered fist fulls of money from teams like Golden State Warriors and the Philadelphia 76ers, LeBron is most likely to end up finishing up his career in Cleveland his home state.
#2 How likely is it that LeBron James will return to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a third stint, and what factors make Cleveland an attractive destination?
#3 If LeBron returns to Cleveland, what role should he play on a Cavaliers team built around younger stars rather than being the primary focal point?
We are asking our top NBA analysts their opinion regarding LeBron James possibly ending his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
Oakland Ballers outfielder Noah Blythe (27) take a big cut at the plate against the visiting Yuba Sutter Freebirds on Sat Jul 4, 2026 at Raimondi Field in Oakland (Oakland Ballers photo)
Monday, July 6, 2026
By Lewis Rubman
OAKLAND–When, on June 28th, the Ballers closed out their home stand with back to back wins over the team formerly known as the Yolo High Wheelers but now sporting the moniker Yuba-Sutter Freebirds, it wasn’t unreasonable to hope that the Raimondi Rowdies had recovered the knack of flirting with disaster but going to bed with success. But when the Pioneer Baseball League resumed play this past Tuesday, June 30th, the Ballers fell back into their newly acquired bad habit of ceding the last and deciding comeback to their opponent.
That opponent was the Long Beach Coast, a new entrant in the PBL’s newly named and restructured South Division of the Pioneer Baseball League. As a new creation, the Coast don’t have an old name they could discard, but they manage to have an alias, the Regulators, which they often spring on their opponents. Whatever name the tenants of Blair Field assume, they also have a hell of a lot of talent. When the July 4th week end was over, they led the 12 team circuit with a won-lost record of 32-10, a half a game ahead of the runner up Billings Mustangs.
The Ballers, on the other hand, were like the little girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead; when she was good, she was very, very good, but when she was bad, she was horrid. Milton Berle changed that to “when she was bad, she was popular.” That’s not the case with the Ballers anywhere outside of their home territory. as the three digit attendance figures for several of their road games indicate, but there’s no denying that they’ve been playing some pretty horrid baseball recently. It showed in the line score.for the last day of June
Oakland Ballers (16-22) 100 400 101 7 11 1
Long Beach Coast (30-8) 000 313 001 8 9 1
Winning pitcher: Zach Voelker (2-2) Losing pitcher: Matthew Maloney (1-1)
Time: 3:12 Attendance: 1,984
Valek Cisneros, who was winner of the B’s previous game, in which they had defeated Yuba-Sutter in Oakland, opened the door for the Long Beach victory on Tuesday. He entered the game in the sixth inning, trying to protect a 5-4 lead and allowed three runs on a hit, two walks, and a wild pitch. To his credit, only one of those runs was earned, but that was enough to tie the score at five. The unearned tallies put Oakland fell behind, 7-5. A Conner Smith homer to left closed the gap to a single run in the top of the seventh.
The Ballers almost pulled off when of their vaunted comebacks when, with two out and the bases empty, in the top of the ninth, Jeter Ybarra blasted a 2-0 pitch over the left field wall to knot the score at seven.
It was up to Matthew Mahoney, coming in to relieve Connor Goodwin, to hold the Coast in check and take us to a knock out round. He walked Cuba Bess on four pitches. Jaylen Edmonds ran for Bess and promptly stole second. Jacob Jablonski walked on the ninth pitch of a full count walk. Anthony Mata lay down a sacrifice bunt, fielded by Mahoney. This text book move allowed Johnny Pappas’s sacrifice fly to left to score the winning run of this too little, too late disappointment.
The new month saw a variation on the theme with which the old month had ended. Oakland made a valiant comeback attempt that fell just short and lost to Long Beach, 8-7. A detail of the line score rubs Long Beach salt water in the Ballers’ wounds; they outhit their hosts, 15-1.
Oakland Ballers (17-2) 001 100 122 7 15 1
Long Beach Coast (30-8) 015 020 00x 8 5 1
Winning pitcher: Jake Dixon (2-0) Losing pitcher: Charlie Hurley (1-3)
Time: 3:14 Attendance: 736.
It was close, but no cigar. Cole Percival relieved Steve Odorica after he had walked Allgeyer to open the visitors’ ninth. A Collura double and Ybarra single, and a passed ball with Brendan O’Sullivan at bat with two down allowed the B’s to draw tantalizingly close, but O’Sullivan fanned, stranding Ybarra on second
There were some interesting personnel notes to this night’s happening. One of the few portions of the PBL’s rule book that are available to the public are those pertaining to eligibility. One of those rules authorizes each team to carry a franchise player. The requirements for such a designation are that the player
· Must have previously played at least two full years in the PBL.
· Must have finished the immediately prior season on that specific club’s roster.
· Can only be tagged as a Franchise Player for a maximum of one year.
· Can serve in a player-coach capacity.
Cole Percival, the reliever who almost blew the game in the ninth is the son of the Coast’s skipper, Troy Percival..
The other personnel item is that Oakland’s starting pitcher, Nick Bautista, who pitched decently by Pioneer League standards (two runs, both earned, on seven hits, two walks, and a hit batter in 4-2/3 innings, was traded by Oakland to Long Beach before the season began. For some reason, unknown to me, the trade was voided or never was consummated.
July 2nd offered us a change from the couldof/wouldof spectacles of the two previous days, a complete baller meltdown. The Coast beat up on four Oakland pitchers to win, 14-1. It was the reductio ad absurdum of a Ballers blown lead; the B’s led, 1-0, after 2-1/2 innings of play.
They never threatened again, making it easy for southpaw Garrett VanDeventer to throw the first complete game since the league was founded in 2024.
The B’s hit into two double plays and blew several chances to turn them against Long Beach in the middle innings.
Oakland Ballers (16-23) 010 000 000 1 9 3
Long Beach Coast (31-8) 003 002 45x 14 10 1
Winning pitcher: Garrett VanDeventer (3-0) Losing pitcher: Griffin Smith (0-2)
Time: 2:37 Attendance: 1,089
The Oakland entourage returned home at about 10:00 the next morning, Friday, July 3, before moving on to a 7:11 start in Modesto that evening. At least they would have a legitimate excuse for a sloppy performance. And they did make play sloppy baseball, O’Sullivan let a double play ball pop out of his glove and hit third base umpire Alan Walker cost only one run, but it set the tone for a team that already was in a slump, not having won a single game so far on this road trip.. That was the only error chalked up against the B’s, but subsequent plays like Leehee’s failure to corral Santos’s perfect throw that turned what would have been the third out in the seventh into a double for 최병용 (that’s Byungyong Choi to you and me) are errors that don’t show up on the score sheet. Bradford’s misadventures in left during the wind tossed eighth were explicable because his recent role had been DH. Explicable or not, they had a lethal effect and sealed the Ballers eventual and seemingly inevitable doom. Neither his bumbling nor the exculpatory history behind it is a matter of statistical record.
Bad base running, like Cobb’s attempt to stretch a single in the fifth are costly self defeating mistakes but are missing in action when you look at the box or line score.
Speaking of which, the grim line score went like this (note the early two run lead, that marks the kiss of death):
Oakland Ballers (16-24) 200 010 000 3 9 1
Modesto Roadsters (25-15) 013 000 03x 7 13 0
Winning pitcher: Anthony Díaz (1-0) Losing pitcher: Hunter Day (0-1)
Time: 2:45 Attendance: 4,37
The Ballers’ 8-4 come from behind victory on Independence Day offered a glimpse of their ability to lose a lead and then regain it, raising hopes that, although long eliminated from the first half championship race, the team might come back and still qualify for the league crown with a second half surge. But it also demonstrated how damaging the squad’s sloppy play could be. Again, there were reasons for the sloppiness: Friday’s physically and emotionally exhausting game, the holiday’s 2:50 game time, and the 94o heat were challenges withwhich both teams had to contend. The Ballers did it better.
Oakland Ballers (17-24) 100 210 022 8 15 2
Modesto Roadsters (25-16) 012 100 000 4 8 0
Winning pitcher: Valek Cisneros (1-0) Losing pitcher: Preston Kelly (0-1)
Tremayne Cobb once more led the Oakland attack, going three for five, including a home run to left on the second pitch of the game and an RBI double to center in the eighth episode. He hit another two bagger to center in the ninth. that one producing two runs. C.J. Blowers, the number one hurler in the Ballers rotation ,started the game for the B’s. As usual, he pitched decently by PBL standards, giving up four runs, all earned, on eight hits in 5-2/3 innings. He is the son of journeyman third baseman Mike Blowers, who played 129 games and hit .237 for or the Oakland Athletics (remember them?) in 1998.His moment of glory in that lackluster season came on May 18, when he hit for the cycle against the White Sox. He went on to become the television commentator of the Seattle Mariners. Here’s a link to his contribution to baseball lore. It’s worth watching and listening to:. https://www.facebook.com/Mariners/videos/happy-birthday-to-mariners-broadcaster-mike-blowers-/1823433321474713/
The bottom of the sixth in the July Fourth game illustrates why frequent mistakes, whatever their circumstantial causes may be, have long run consequences. Valek Cisneros relieved Blowers with the Ballers hanging on to a 4-3 lead and a runner on first and one away. Osiris Johnson hit the ball to Brian O’Sullivan at third (remember him from the previous night’s fiasco?), and, instead the side being retired, Modesto now had the potential tying run in scoring position and the potential leading run on first. Cisneros fanned Justin Boyd and then made his own fielding error, putting both runners in scoring position. Cisneros then retired the dangerous Tyler Williams, who finished the day with a .362 batting average, on a seven pitch groundout to second..
When you can’t trust your fielders to do their job, you’ll try to strike out every batter you face, and that’s no way to do your job. This time, Cisneros did his (if you forget about his own fielding lapse)), and Langston Burkett, who replaced him for the home half of the ninth, did his, and the Ballers survived to play a rubber game on Sunday, July 5.
They should have saved themselves the trouble. A game time of 11:00 in the morning of Sunday, July 5 and a temperature that reached into the 90s didn’t help, even though the Oaklanders had spent the night at Modesto’s Double Tree Hilton.
The game was such so long and lopsided that the official scorer didn’t bother to record the time of the final out or calculate the duration of the non contest.. (I found it by clicking on to the Ballers’ Youtube channel and checking the length of the broadcast).
Although Oakland’s offense managed only four runs, it did put together 14 hits. Modesto jumped ahead and never was headed off. All of Oakland’s runs were scored in two innings, three in the sixth and one in the ninth.
(Y)our battered Ballers hope to bounce back tomorrow, Tuesday the seventh, in the first of three more games against the Roadsters, this time in Raimondi Park. As they always are on Tuesdays in Ballerland, the cheap seats go for two dollars. The theme for this game is
“Immigrants: We Get the Job Done,” and the pin that the first 750 fans will receive looks like a grand addition to your collection (if you have one).
Game time is 6:35, the same as on the remaining weekday contests. That consistency might introduce a welcome element of stability for the Ballers as they try to regroup for the season’s second half, which will start in a week, on Tuesday, July 14.
Team USA Chris Richards takes a pause after their loss in the World Cup to Team Belgium in the 16th round at Lumen Field/Seattle Stadium on Mon Jul 6, 2026 (AP News photo)
2026 World Cup: Our Continent is Eliminated
That’s Amaury News and Commentary:
2026 marked the first time that Canada, the United States, and México jointly hosted a FIFA World Cup. It is also the first World Cup in history to be co-hosted by three nations..From North to South. Canada, the United States of America, and México were all eliminated in Round 16 in their respective groups. That means these countries here on our Continent will have to wait until 2030. The next Men’s FIFA World Cup in 2030 will be jointly hosted across three continents by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain.
Every FIFA World Cup champion in history has come from only two continents: Europe (12 titles) and South America (10 titles). Only eight nations have ever won the tournament. Not a surprise that Canada, United States of America, and México did not go far; the US is by far the most sports-oriented country in the world, but Fúbol (Soccer in the US) is not a top-tier sport. The best league is MLS (Major League Soccer), but the only “major” thing is the title.
Here is one example of why the MLS is just “major “by name. Landon Donovan is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in U.S. soccer history, but his club stints in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen had mixed results. He signed with the Bundesliga at age 16 but never really made it overseas. As a matter of fact, he spent most of the time on the bench and never established himself as a regular starter for the German team.
As much as Fútbol/Soccer has advanced in the US, it is still mostly an amateur sport. There is not much room for other leagues after the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL; these are the best leagues in their respective sports, with the highest fan followings and player salaries in the world.
Adiós Canada, USA and México to the Fútbol World Cup an Hasta la Próxima, Baby!
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.
Darius Acuff Jr. #5 and Head Coach Chris Darnell of the Sacramento Kings talk during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on July 6, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory photo credit: Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Kings wrapped up their California Classic schedule on Monday night at Golden 1 Center against the Milwaukee Bucks at 7 p.m. PDT. It was a good atmosphere for the Kings in their final California Classic game as they defeated the Bucks 95-89 to go undefeated in the tournament.
Let’s take a look at the Kings’ performances across the July 4 weekend California Classic.
Coming into the Kings’ first basketball action since the end of the 2025-26 season, there was a lot of hype surrounding the Kings and their draft picks, Darius Acuff Jr., Alex Karaban, and Emanuel Sharp. The Kings had what many people around the league dubbed a highly successful draft night, getting high-upside players with all of their selections.
For Acuff, he had mixed results in his Kings debut during the tournament. Acuff finished the weekend playing in two of the three games and tallying 58 minutes of action. He went 16-of-48 from the field and managed 47 points during his first two games of his young Kings career. Acuff impressed in some areas of his game, namely his passing, while also looking a bit sped up during his time on the court. Overall, it was exciting for Kings fans to see what they hope will be their future franchise cornerstone on the court for the first time.
On Monday, Darius Acuff Jr. treated the Golden 1 Center crowd to a dagger three-pointer with 23 seconds left in the game to put the Kings up six. It was a great moment for Kings fans who hope they will see much more of that during the regular season. However, any sort of conclusion about the young guard would be purely an overreaction at this point.
I asked Chris Darnell how Darius compared to the expectations coming into the California Classic.
“Darius and Nique’s ability to impact the point of attack defensively, take teams out of their offense… I want to see Darius run the show. Obviously create for himself, create for others, just feel the game. I think he did a great job of that tonight. It looked like he settled in a little bit more.”
Nique Clifford came into the California Classic as a bit of a surprise participant. Clifford, who is in his second year with the Kings, wasn’t necessarily a player many thought would participate in the annual summer games. Yet, he played in the first and third games and meshed well with the other young Kings on the court. Clifford played 57 minutes over his two games while scoring 17 points on 7-of-20 shooting.
Coach Darnell also spoke on what Nique provided during the California Classic and the way he has improved since last year.
“As far as Nique, somebody that we like playing closeouts aggressively, somebody that can also handle the ball… relieve some pressure for our other ball handlers and somebody that can attack the paint relentlessly. He’s got good size and athleticism. I thought he did a pretty good job of that these last three games.”
Dylan Cardwell was another second-year Kings player who continued his growth during his second California Classic. Cardwell brought energy into the building while totaling 20 rebounds, eight blocks, six steals, and 20 points across his 53 minutes of action in the two games he played.
Cardwell is obviously highly impactful defensively, but it was his offensive improvements that impressed the Kings during the tournament.
“Dylan offensively, created advantages with his screening ability and then put pressure on the paint with his rolling,” Darnell said. “I think he did a great job of that. He had four offensive rebounds, a couple of assists as well. And he’s a super selfless player.”
As for Cardwell, he’s focused on all aspects of his game, including being in great shape for the “elite conditioning” the Kings are emphasizing this year as a team.
“I’m really good at playing… in short spurts. And the thing now is how can I do that from two, three minutes of playing like that to six to eight minutes. And so that’s my focus conditioning-wise. How can I be guarding the ball screens? How can I run the floor? How can I go chase down rebounds and block shots and steals and all these things and do that for a longer duration?”
Emanuel Sharp, known for his shooting at Houston, came into the California Classic and really impressed as a point-of-attack defender, something he told me a week ago was a major emphasis heading into his first season.
“For me, it’s probably my defense,” Sharp said to me during his introductory press conference. “When people see me, they probably think of my shooting, but I like to pride myself on my defense first.”
Sharp played in the first two games of the California Classic and put up 31 points on 8-of-26 shooting in 61 minutes across the two contests.
Alex Karaban sprained his ankle during Kings practice on Thursday of last week and is set to be reevaluated on Friday. As of now, it is anticipated that he will be able to participate in Summer League action in Las Vegas.
The Kings will head to Las Vegas to begin the 2026 NBA Summer League at Thomas & Mack Center on Thursday at 8 p.m. PDT against the Los Angeles Clippers.
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.
Photo: Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos celebrates in the dugout during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on July 6, 2026 at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif. (Jay Choi/SF Bay News Lab)
By Vince Cestone
SAN FRANCISCO — After a disappointing 2-4 road trip through Arizona and Colorado, the San Francisco Giants got right back on track at home, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 10-1 at Oracle Park on Monday night.
The Giants came into Monday night’s game 15 games below .500 at 37-52. They seem to be gravitating around that mark, never going below it, and the same thing rang true yet again.
The Giants started out fast right out of the gate. The first batter of the game, Heliot Ramos, hit a long triple to right-center field that turned into a little league home run. The throw from shortstop Andrew Gimenez on the relay sailed past the third baseman Kazuma Okamoto and into the dugout. Ramos was allowed to score, and the Giants had the early 1-0 lead.
The Giants tacked on another run in the fourth inning. After Rafael Devers walked to lead off the inning, Jung Hoo Lee then singled, with Devers taking third on the hit. Willy Adames then hit into a 6-4-3 double play, but Devers came in to score, giving San Francisco a 2-0 lead.
In the fifth inning, the Giants got creative in scoring their third run. After Victor Bericoto singled to lead off the inning, he advanced to second on an Eric Haase sacrifice bunt. Ramos then grounded out. But after Luis Arraez was intentionally walked, Arraez attempted to steal second base. At that moment, Bericoto dashed home and made it ahead of the throw as Arraez, who knew he was dead to rights stealing second, stopped midway between first and second in order to let Bericoto score–and he did. The Giants were ahead 3-0.
In the top of the sixth inning, the Jays scored their lone run on a long Okamoto home run. The score was then 3-1, but the Giants put the game away in the very next inning–with the help of the Jays’ defense.
In the bottom of the sixth, Devers led off the inning with a walk. The next batter Lee grounded to the shifted third baseman Okamoto, but he missed the ball for his second error of the game, advancing Devers to third base. Adames then walked. After Bryce Eldridge struck out looking, Bericoto singled, bringing in two runs and giving the Giants a 5-1 lead. The next batter Haase popped out to the catcher. But with two outs and two on, Ramos hit a real home run just over the 24-foot wall in right field, giving the Giants an 8-1 lead.
Ramos wasn’t done. In the eighth inning, Ramos hit his second home run of the game, a two-run shot that put the Giants up 10-1. That would end up being the final score.
On the pitching side, Giants starting pitcher Landon Roupp was superb. He threw eight innings of one-run ball, giving up just three hits and two walks. Roupp struck out five Jays. In relief, Spencer Bivens threw a 1-2-3 ninth inning, including two strikeouts.
For the Jays, it was a not-so-good homecoming for Kevin Gausman. In 5 1/3 innings, Gausman gave up seven runs on five hits. Four of those runs were earned. He walked five batters and struck out eight.
The Giants improve to 38-52, yet again avoiding slipping below 15 games under .500. The Blue Jays are now 42-49.
Up next, the Giants will try to clinch the series against the Jays on Tuesday night. Trevor McDonald (3-6, 4.42 ERA) will pitch for San Francisco. The Jays have not yet decided who will pitch for them.
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