Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O: Skenes to start opening day for Bucs; Dodgers Ohtani goes deep in front of fans in Japan; plus more MLB news

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Pittsburgh Pirates Paul Skenes will be the opening day starter for the Bucs on Thu Mar 27, 2025 against the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park in Miami (AP file photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Pittsburgh Pirates Paul Skenes got the word from manager Derek Shelton that he would be the opening day starter. Skenes 22 years old a right hander was 11-3 and had an ERA of 1.96 in 23 starts for the Pirates in 2024 and won the NL Rookie of the Year Award. He said upon finding out that he would be the opening day starter “sweet.”

#2 Japanese and Los Angeles Dodger star Shohei Ohtani was raking at the Tokyo Dome on Saturday night in exhibition play against the Yomiuri Giants. Ohtani slugged a Titanic two run home run to right field to give the Dodgers a 4-0 lead and sent 42,000 fans standing and roaring for Ohtani.

#3 Miami Marlins outfielder Jesus Sanchez will be on the injured list for four weeks due to a oblique injury according to Marlins manager Clayton McCullough. Sanchez got hurt while playing in a spring training game against the Houston Astros. Sanchez 27 was a key hitter in the Miami line up last season hitting 18 home runs, 64 RBIs and 16 stolen bases an hit .252. He’ll be a bat that will be missed.

#4 Texas Rangers pitcher Jon Gray suffered a right wrist injury on Friday night which resulted in a fracture. Colorado Rockies first baseman Michael Toglia led off the fourth inning and lined one that struck Gray in the right wrist and will take him out of the rotation. The injuries are piling up for Rangers manager Bruce Bochy as left hand pitcher Cody Bradford is out with elbow soreness, pitcher Tyler Mahle is out forearm soreness. Not a great way to start the season as Bochy will have to work around the injuries to his pitching staff.

#5 Sacramento Athletic hitters are making good contact in spring training taking a look at some of the spring averages, starting with Lawrence Butler .355, 2 home runs, 7 RBIs, Shea Langeliers .348, 1 home run, 2 RBIs, Luis Urias .303, one home run, seven RBIs to name a few hitters who are doing some raking in the Cactus League for the A’s.

Join Charlie O for Headline Sports podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast: Taking an inside look at renderings and new Las Vegas A’s ballpark

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Las Vegas ballpark rendering as presented by the Athletics and Bjarke Ingles Group the design firm (Bjarke Ingles Group the design firm rendering)

Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast:

#1 Frank Sharpe who is director of sports architecture for Bjarke Ingles Group the design firm for the Las Vegas A’s ballpark said that part of the design was to take the Vegas summer heat was to climate control the indoor park but to still give it that outdoor feel.

#2 Sharpe also said that portions of the armadillo shaped ballpark will have a 36,000 square foot glass curtain wall that will be in the outfield and give the fans a view of the strip and will have sunlight coming into the stadium.

#3 Athletics vice chairman Sandy Dean said that construction from a team of about 100 contractors have been working on the designs and had refined the renderings since the display was first presented in June 2023 when the A’s first announced they would be relocating to Vegas.

#4 The A’s ballpark will have six levels and will be all indoors and it will feel like a large arena with additional designs in the process according to Emily Louchart director of interiors with HNTB design firm.

#5 Louchart said that the park will have 20 suites, and 17 to 20 seat choices and nine lounge club spaces. That’s going to be quite luxury box.

Daniel Dullum does the Athletics Relocation podcasts Sundays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Quakes Stymied by Rapids 2-1 on a cool Star Wars Night in Pay Pal Park

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Jose Earthquakes lose the match at Pay Pal Park in San Jose to the Colorado Rapids in MLS action Sat Mar 15, 2025 (San Jose Earthquakes X image)

By Michael Roberson

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Force Was Not with the San Jose Earthquakes (2-2) as the Colorado Rapids (2-0-2) were able to flood the Silicon Valley 2-1, on Star Wars Theme Night.

San Jose was on the attack early, as they had two shots on goal within the first two minutes of the match.  Their aggression was impressive, but did not lead to any goals during the early moments.

Their defense was stellar, as they did not allow a shot, let alone a shot on goal for nearly 40 minutes,  However, Colorado used patience and was very efficient in their tactics.  They scored on their lone SOG and shot at the 38-minute mark on a timely kick by center midfielder Cole Bennett.  Rapids 1-0 over the home team.

At that point the ‘Quakes were Shakespearean Moment: Full of Sound and Fury, Signifying Nothing.  However, that would change before the end of the half.  They were playing at a 12:8 ratio, Shots:S.O.G., and 0 goals to show for their efforts.

At the 45-minute + 1 extra minute, attacking midfielder and newcomer, Cristian Arango converted a one-timer boot to the back of the net off of a corner kick assist by Cristian Espinosa.  The game was tied 1-1 at recess.

The second half was a continuation of the Earthquakes trying to shake things up for their opponent.  Although no scoring opportunities came to fruition.  on the other side of the pitch, Colorado parlayed their efforts into a game-winning goal by striker Calvin Harris.  At the 71st minute the Rapids took the lead for good, even though there were 19 regulation minutes left in the game, with an additional 7 minutes of stoppage time.

Ten minutes after Harris’ goal, Arango received a yellow card for violating the space of a Colorado player performing a free kick.  San Jose still tried to get a second equalizer with the multitude of minutes left in the contest.  Unfortunately for the Earthquakes, their last attempt to tie the game was a header that was easily stopped by the Colorado goalkeeper, Zachary Steffen.

After 90 minutes + 9 more stoppage ticks, the Earthquakes were on the losing end of a one goal game for the second straight week at PayPal Park, 2-1.

The Quakes are next in action in the state of North Carolina, as they take on Charlotte FC, Saturday, March 22 at 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT.  The Rapids head back to the Rocky Mountain State to host the Portland Timbers on the same date, at 7:30 PM MT.

The Chase of Great Ove Continues with a 5-1 win Against the Sharks

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Washington Capitals Alexander Ovechkin scored a goal at 10:54 in the third period against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center in San Jose on Sat Mar 16, 2025. Ovechkin is now just eight short from surpassing the all time goals leader Wayne Gretzky (AP News photo)

By Fernando Abarca

SAN JOSE–Tough battle at SAP against Ovi and the great Caps.

Saturday afternoon’s contest was a contrast from Thursday night which was very special for the Sharks after getting another W in a while plus two more points in the standings. People also witnessed the first duel between two former first-round picks, Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard. Saturday the Sharks got leveled by the visiting Washington Capitals at SAP Center in San Jose 5-1.

The assignment this evening, a tough one as the Sharks will try to get a second consecutive game in front of the best team in the east, the Washington Capitals.

The team is not just the best team in the east, but also has one of the greatest players in the history of the sport of Ice Hockey, Alex Ovechkin, who is in the chase to surpass Wayne Gretzky for most goals.

The first period was absolutely dominated by the Capitals, scoring three goals in the period. Dylan Strome put the first of the visitors seven minutes in from the start of the period. Then, two back-to-back goals by Aliaksei Protas two minutes apart.

During the second period, the game did not see any scoring, however, the game was plagued with fights, penalties, tension, and frustration by the Sharks for not finding ways to score. Tom Wilson, a familiar heavyweight, dropped the mitts with Zack Ostapchuk, soon after Brandon Duhaime will do the same against Noah Gregor.

Mario Ferraro picked up a penalty against Pierre Luc-Dubois.

The teal recorded only ten shots whereas the visitors managed to get 22 attempts on goal. The Sharks towards the end of the period got their minds locked in again and tried to set up plays, which neither one ended in goal. The team was clearly overwhelmed by the quality of the Capitals hockey.

In the second period, Macklin Celebrini opened up the scoring for the Sharks, and again, putting the team on his shoulders, setting the tone for more scoring. The Caps turned off any spark of shine for the Teal as 30 seconds apart, Trevor Van Riemsdyk netted the fourth goal in weird fashion.

Last time, Coach Ryan Warsofsky addressed having a special preparation to avoid any scoring from Alex Ovechkin, but the attempts did not work as thought. The Great Ove as he is known, scored the final goal of the game while also scored his 887th goal of his career, putting him just eight goals away from passing the Great One Wayne Gretzky.

The Sharks will have a few days off to brush off the loss and recover some energy to face another playoff team in the Eastern Conference, the Carolina Hurricanes on Thu Mar 20, 2025 at SAP Center.

Poturalski sets franchise record in 6-3 loss to Tucson

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Jose Barracuda vs Tuscon Roadrunners on Saturday March 15th at Tucson Convention Center Arena (via Will MacNeil)

By Madison Montez

Coming into Saturday night’s game, the Barracuda looked to get back in the win column coming off of a 5-4 overtime against the Abbotsford Canucks on March 8th. In the loss, Jimmy Schuldt, Pavol Regenda, and Colin White all registered goals. Getting back in the win column the Barracuda were able to do some rebounding with some aggressive offense with a 6-3 win over the Tucson Roadrunners on Saturday night.

San Jose played without the hot streak of Thomas Bordeleau. Bordeleau was in warm-ups but had an aggravated lower body. The Barracuda will be playing without one of their top five goal scorers.

Carl Berglund, who was acquired via the Jake Walman trade, drew in making his San Jose debut. Previous to this, Berglund was with the Bakersfield Condors where he had two goals and ten assists through 45 games played.

Tucson opened up the scoring at 7:30 of the first period. Curtis Douglas extended his goal streak to three, scoring his sixth of the season. Ryan McGregor and Max Szuber registering the assists. The Roadrunners extended their lead at 10:04 when their captain Agozzino scored his 15th of the season. Robbie Russo and Sammy Walker registering the assists.

On an Andrew Poturalski tripping penalty, the fifth ranked power-play team were given their second opportunity. Andrew Agozzino scored his 6th power-play goal of the season, his second goal of the night. Kailer Yamamoto and Max Szuber registering the assists. Agozzino and Szuber both with their second points of the night.

San Jose didn’t back down without putting up a fight. Colin White scored early at 1:35 of the second. Danil Guschin and Pavol Regenda registering the assists. White extending his point streak to two, Guschin extending his point streak to three and Regenda extending his point streak to two.

Tucson extended their lead again when Andrew Agozzino completed the hat-trick, scoring his third goal, also his second power play goal of the night. With the Agozzino hat-trick, San Jose has now given up five hat-tricks this season. Max Szuber and Ben McCartney registering the assists. Szuber assisted on three of Tucson’s four goals.

San Jose showed life when they scored their 51st power-play of the season, remaining the top ranked power-play team in the division. Andrew Poturalski scored his tenth power-play goal of the season. Not only does Poturalski lead the AHL in points but he now has set a franchise record for points in a single season (62). Danil Guschin and Luca Cagnoni registering the assists. Guschin with his second point of the night.

Cutting back into Tucson’s lead, San Jose scored their second power-play goal of the night scored by Rem Pitlick. Danil Guschin and Luca Cagnoni registering the assists. Guschin’s third assist and Cagnoni’s second of the night.

With 44.1 seconds left, Yamamoto sealed the win for the Roadrunners scoring an empty net goal.

20 seconds later, Ben McCartney scored another empty net goal to make it a 6-3 final.

THREE STARS OF THE GAME:

  • 1. Andrew Agozzino
  • 2. Max Szuber
  • 3. Curtis Douglas

The Barracuda will be back in action tomorrow against the Roadrunners once again. San Jose is now 1-2-0 against Tuscon this season.

Giants Shake Off Early Miscues, Power Past Mariners 6-2

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Scottsdale Stadium getting prepped for the game against the Mariners on Saturday afternoon (Photo: Jeremiah Salmonson)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SCOTTSDALE — The San Francisco Giants brought the heat to a chilly 64 degree Scottsdale, Arizona. On Saturday, Bob Melvin rolled out a lineup that closely resembles what many expect to be the Opening Day lineup on March 27. The starting group featured LaMonte Wade Jr., Willy Adames, Matt Chapman, Heliot Ramos, Patrick Bailey, Wilmer Flores, Jerar Encarnacion, Tyler Fitzgerald, and Grant McCray. Jung Hoo Lee was a late precautionary scratch due to back tightness, though it’s not believed to be serious, and he may return as soon as tomorrow.

That lineup delivered, as the Giants cruised to a 6-2 victory over the visiting Seattle Mariners.

Logan Webb took the mound at a sold out Scottsdale Stadium as the Giants looked to continue their strong spring.

The scoring opened in the top of the second when the Giants struggled defensively with uncharacteristic infield errors. The inning could best be described as “throwing the ball all over the field.” Matt Chapman committed a fielding error, then followed with a throwing error on a double-play attempt that led to the game’s first runs. Logan Webb also had a throwing miscue, capping a rough sequence in which the Giants committed three errors in the inning. After the game, I asked Bob Melvin if he had to pinch himself watching Chapman—a Platinum Glove defender—make two errors in one inning.

“It’s like, get them out of the way now,” Melvin said. “Every once in a while, you’re going to have a game like that. And both those balls took funky hops. The throw was good—that wasn’t his fault on the double play.”

The Giants didn’t dwell on the miscues for long. In the bottom of the second, Heliot Ramos launched his first homer of the spring, an opposite-field shot off Logan Gilbert on a 1-1 count, cutting the Mariners’ lead to 2-1.

One inning later, the Giants took the lead. LaMonte Wade Jr. and Willy Adames each singled to center to set the stage for Ramos, who followed up his home run with a two-run double off the top of the left-center field wall, putting San Francisco ahead 3-2.

Webb settled in, tossing two more scoreless innings to finish with a strong line: five innings, 75 pitches, two unearned runs, one hit, one walk, and five strikeouts.

“Only gave up a run, but he shouldn’t have given up any,” Melvin said of Webb’s outing. “Good cutter again today, slider working both sides of the plate, changeup—everything looked good. When you’re seeing balls on the ground, you know he’s on his game.”

The Giants’ offense stayed hot in the fifth. Grant McCray doubled to left before Adames crushed a scalding opposite-field homer to right-center, extending the lead to 5-2.

Tyler Rogers worked a clean top of the sixth, allowing only one hit, and Jerar Encarnacion capped the scoring in the bottom half with a solo shot to right. The Giants led 6-2, which held as the final score.

The bullpen locked things down the rest of the way. Ryan Walker, Camilo Doval, and Randy Rodriguez pitched the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings, respectively, allowing just one hit combined while striking out five.

With the win, the Giants improved to 14-5, holding the best record in both the Cactus and Grapefruit leagues this spring.

Giants Top Performers:

Logan Webb earned the win, improving to 3-0 with a 1.84 ERA this spring.

Heliot Ramos went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs.

Jerar Encarnacion finished 2-for-3 with a double and a homer.

The Giants’ bullpen combined for four innings of two-hit, no-walk baseball with six strikeouts.

Up Next: The Giants face the Sacramento Athletics on Sunday at Scottsdale Stadium, with first pitch set for 1:05 PM PST.

San Jose Sharks podcast Charanbir Mahal Sat Mar 15, 2025: Graf big help in last Sharks win over Blackhawks; Capitals Ovechkin nine away from becoming goal king

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Alexander Ovechkin is nine goals short of the all time goals record held by Wayne Gretzkey here is Ovechkin skating against the Los Angeles Kings on Thu Mar 13, 2025. Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals face off with the San Jose Sharks Sat Mar 15, 2025 at SAP Center in San Jose (AP News photo)

San Jose Sharks podcast with Charinbir Mahal (INDTVUSA):

#1  Colin Graf made headlines on Thursday night for the San Jose Sharks. Graf an undrafted rookie showed his handy work scoring twice. Will Smith scored a goal and an assist as the Sharks defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2.

#2 Talk about the job that Sharks goaltender Alexander Georgiev did between the pipe stopping 24 shots and allowing two goals and holding Chicago just enough for the Sharks to come away with a two goal win.

#3 The Sharks Tyler Toffoli added the scoring with an empty netter for insurance in the win. Toffoli was fired up needless to say after scoring. It’s goals like these that can get a team motivated?

#4 Smith opened up the game in the first period with a goal at 3:48 getting a pass from Macklin Celebrini. Smith now has seven goals, 12 assists and 19 points in his last 19 games.

#5 The Sharks in a Saturday matinee will host the Washington Capitals at SAP Center for a 2:00pm faceoff. Needless to say the all the attention will be on the Capitals Alexander Ovechkin who needs nine more goals to pass all time NHL scoring leader Wayne Gretzky to achieve his 895th goal.

#6 Big day today it’s the celebration of the South Asian Culture, celebrating diversity in the South Bay. On had local color artist Suhita Shirodkar. The celebration included a Bollywood dance, drama, and entertainment company based in Milpitas. Free henna tattoo art.

Charinbir Mahal is a reporter for INDTVUSA and podcasts San Jose Sharks hockey at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson: Cardinal can’t get over the buzzer beater shock to Louisville

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Oziyah Sellers guard (4) for the Stanford Cardinal goes up for the high percentage shot against the Louisville Cardinals guard Chucky Hepburn (24) at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte NC on Thu Mar 13, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal X photo)

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson:

#1 Stanford Cardinal were up for the Louisville Cardinals on Thursday night only to lose it on a Chucky Hepburn buzzer beater at the Spectrum Center on Thursday night 75-73. The Cardinal record falls to 20-13.

#2 For Stanford leading scorer Oziyah Seller with 22 points and made seven of 12 field goal attempts and four out six 3 pointers. Oziyah also had four rebounds, three assists had three steals which is a career high.

#3 The Stanford effort was all there in this heartbreaker, Maxime Raynaud scored 17 points, Ryan Agarwal had 11 points and Chisom Okpara had ten points.

#4 This is the first time the Cardinal had lost on a buzzer beater since Feb 27, 2010. The Arizona Wildcats LaMont Jones shot was the game winner as time run out.

#5 One of the amazing parts about this game Stanford who had lost previously to Louisville by 20 points was a prepared team and battling team that kept it close all game long and even had a 15 point lead at 14:36 only to see it melt away with 5:40 left in the game by just one point.

Michael Roberson is a Stanford Cardinal beat writer at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings’ Defensive Woes Continue in Costly 122-106 Loss to Suns

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Keegan Murray dunks in the game against Phoenix on Friday night (Photo: Sacramento Kings on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

PHOENIX — The Sacramento Kings’ season was teetering as their plane landed Friday night. Coming off a brutal 130-104 loss to the Golden State Warriors the night before, they arrived in Phoenix desperate for a win. They had lost four of their last five games, and with the Warriors widening their lead for the sixth seed in the Western Conference and the Suns lurking in 11th, the Kings needed to regroup quickly.

Before the game, I asked Doug Christie about how the team was moving on from tough losses. “That one (the Knicks loss at home) was emotional from a lot of different standpoints, and that’s part of our evolution as a better ball club. You go through a game experience—maybe you don’t play the way you wanted. You process that till about midnight, maybe 2 a.m., but then you have to reset and come back with the right mindset.” However, moving on from bad losses has been a challenge for the Kings this season. Friday in Phoenix was no different. After falling behind early by double digits, they failed to mount a comeback, dropping the game 122-106.

The Kings got off to another rough start in the first quarter, turning the ball over five times and missing multiple easy shots, quickly falling behind 36-22. Digging themselves into early deficits had become a troubling pattern, and Friday was no exception. They needed a shift in intensity heading into the second quarter.

Sacramento responded with a strong second quarter, outscoring Phoenix 35-26 to trim the deficit to five at halftime, trailing 62-57. They cut down on turnovers, and Malik Monk found his rhythm, scoring 12 points in the quarter. Keegan Murray led the Kings at the half with 14 points, while Kevin Durant matched him with 14 of his own. The Kings shot just 21% from three but a respectable 51% overall, while the Suns shot 55% from deep and 52% from the field.

Coming out of halftime, the Kings unraveled again. The Suns dominated the third quarter 35-25, extending their lead to 97-82. Turnovers and poor perimeter defense plagued Sacramento, and they struggled to put together stops.

The fourth quarter was more of the same. Phoenix continued its hot shooting, and Sacramento had no answers outside of some garbage-time scoring from Zach LaVine. The Kings were outscored 25-24 in the final frame, sealing their 122-106 defeat. Devin Booker and Kevin Durant led the Suns with 22 points each, while DeMar DeRozan paced the Kings with 23.

Postgame, the Kings’ locker room was somber, frustration evident after another costly loss in their fight for playoff positioning. Doug Christie didn’t hold back in his press conference. “Disappointing. I expected a way better performance out of our guys… 38 points off turnovers is never going to do it. Defensively, we must be better. We must be better.”

I asked Christie if he still saw effort from his players. “I think these guys want to win badly… but sometimes they get down, and you can’t do that. That has happened here. It’s unacceptable. I don’t care if the guy is open—if he’s shooting it, I want you running at him. If you don’t have it, raise your hand and get the hell out of the game because someone over there does.” His raw honesty made it clear he was searching for answers to spark his team.

Inside the locker room, the sentiment was similar. Malik Monk acknowledged the team’s defensive struggles, saying, “Yeah, I feel that. Drive, kick, swing, and they might be wide open, and we don’t contest. Then we hang our heads, and that’s where we might be down.”

Zach LaVine reiterated a message he’s been repeating recently: “I’m trying to fit in (to the offense) and win games.” Christie, however, emphasized that LaVine needs to be more aggressive from the start.

With the loss, the Kings fell to 33-33, now five games behind the Warriors for the sixth seed. More concerning, they are just one game ahead of the 10th-seeded Dallas Mavericks as their playoff hopes hang in the balance. 

Up Next: The Sacramento Kings will return home for an extended homestand to take on the Memphis Grizzlies. Tip-off is set for 7 PM PST on Monday inside Golden 1 Center. 

San Jose Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa: Capitals-Sharks face off on Saturday at SAP; All eyes on Ovechkin nine goals away from goal scoring record

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Jose Sharks forward Tyler Toffoli (73) is seen here after scoring a goal in a Mon Mar 3, 2025 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. On Thu Mar 13, 2025 Toffoli scored an unassisted empty net goal at 19:27 in the third period against the Chicago Blackhawks. (Canadian Press via AP)

On the San Jose Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa:

#1  Colin Graf made headlines on Thursday night for the San Jose Sharks. Graf an undrafted rookie showed his handy work scoring twice. Will Smith scored a goal and an assist as the Sharks defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2.

#2 Mary, talk about the job that Sharks goaltender Alexander Georgiev did between the pipe stopping 24 shots and allowing two goals and holding Chicago just enough for the Sharks to come away with a two goal win.

#3 The Sharks Tyler Toffoli added the scoring with an empty netter for insurance in the win. Toffoli was fired up needless to say after scoring. It’s goals like these that can get a team motivated?

#4 Smith opened up the game in the first period with a goal at 3:48 getting a pass from Macklin Celebrini. Smith now has seven goals, 12 assists and 19 points in his last 19 games.

#5 The Sharks in a Saturday matinee will host the Washington Capitals at SAP Center for a 2:00pm faceoff. Needless to say the all the attention will be on the Capitals Alexander Ovechkin who needs nine more goals to pass all time NHL scoring leader Wayne Gretzky to achieve his 895th goal.

Mary Lisa does the San Jose Sharks podcasts each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com