Sacramento A’s Jonah Heim rips a 444 foot home run in the bottom of the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Charlie Barnes at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Wed Jul 1, 2026 (photo by Mauricio Segura-Golden Bay Times)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The A’s sent J.T. Ginn to the hill on Wednesday night in a bid to avoid being swept at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-game series. While not necessarily a smooth outing, Ginn delivered the win for the A’s in a 7-1 affair over the Dodgers.
Ginn took the ball in what was his 16th start for the green and gold this season while still being the only starting pitcher in the AL to throw a complete game this season. Ginn didn’t have his sharpest stuff, but he battled through six solid innings against the team that drafted him in the first round in 2018. Ginn scattered three hits and five walks while allowing just one run and striking out four Dodgers hitters. Ginn left the game after the sixth inning with the A’s holding a 6-1 advantage.
“You look at JT this year versus last year, that inning, or that game, would’ve easily spiraled from him,” Kotsay said of Ginn after the win. “He was able to get through those walks like we talk about, executing pitches and really navigating a lineup that can be challenging.”
As Kotsay turned to the bullpen in the seventh inning, he called on Luis Medina to pitch both the seventh and eighth innings. Medina was lights out for the first five outs of his two innings of work. However, Medina allowed a two-out double to Max Muncy before walking Kyler Tucker, which led Kotsay to go back to the bullpen.
Kotsay elected to go with Hogan Harris to clean up the eighth inning, and he recorded the final out by way of a strikeout. Harris stayed in to pitch the ninth inning and struck out three hitters while allowing just one single.
On the offensive side of the ball, the A’s had a nice, balanced attack against the Dodgers’ bullpen game after Los Angeles elected to bypass Shohei Ohtani’s scheduled day.
Jonah Heim got the A’s on the board in the second inning with a solo home run to center field. It was Heim’s eighth home run of the season and his 32nd RBI as he sent the ball 444 feet with an exit velocity of 105 mph.
In the fourth inning, the A’s scored two more runs on an RBI groundout from Lawrence Butler and an RBI single from Henry Bolte that scored Joshua Kuroda-Grauer to give the A’s a 3-1 advantage.
In the fifth inning, the A’s offense was back at it as Shea Langeliers led off with a solo blast to left-center field that traveled 433 feet. It was Langeliers’ 20th home run of the season and his fourth consecutive 20-home run season. The booming home run left the bat at 104 mph.
Later in the fifth inning, the A’s added two more runs on a Colby Thomas RBI double and a Jonah Heim RBI single that drove in Thomas in the very next at-bat.
The final run for the A’s came in the bottom of the eighth inning when Alika Williams sent a ball 403 feet over the left-center field wall for a solo home run. It was Williams’ second home run of the season, and it left the bat at 100 mph.
With the win, the A’s improved to 41-46 on the season and salvaged a game against the Dodgers to avoid the sweep. The A’s will spend Thursday’s off day in Sacramento before welcoming the Miami Marlins for a three-game weekend series. The first game of the series is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. PST on Friday as the A’s will send Jack Perkins (2-3, 6.00 ERA) to the hill. The Marlins have yet to announce a starter for the series opener.
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 starter Trevor McDonald allowed only one hit over six innings pitched against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix on Wed Jul 8, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
The first four innings of this game was a good old fashion pitchers duel until the San Francisco Giants broke through scoring three runs in the top of the fifth inning. Both starting pitchers Trevor McDonald for the Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen were terrific through the fourth inning.
The Giants broke through in the fifth inning with a couple of home runs one from Heliot Ramos and a second off the bat of Victor Bericoto. In the very next inning San Francisco scored three more runs taking a 6-0 lead into the top of the eighth inning. The Giants had finally beaten the Arizona Diamondbacks this season despite a very shaky eighth inning that saw the Diamondbacks score four runs. The final was 6-4 in favor of San Francisco.
GAME RECAP
The first four innings of this game was a pitchers duel with the Giants Trevor McDonald and Arizona’s Zac Gallen putting on quite a show. McDonald gave up one single through the four innings and Gallen also gave up one hit. They were both terrific until it came to the fifth inning.
San Francisco turned the entire game around in the top of the fifth inning. Heliot Ramos got the Giants on the scoreboard with a home run to center taking a 1-0 lead. This was his sixth home run this season. Victor Bericoto came to the plate and hit a 2-run home run his fourth of the season and San Francisco had taken a 3-0 lead.
The Giants would double their lead in the top of the sixth inning scoring three more runs. Heliot Ramos tripled Rafael Devers home for the first run of the inning. Jung Hoo Lee singled Ramos home for the second run and they capped the inning off with a Drew Cavanaugh single that drove Lee home. It had been another tremendous inning for San Francisco now leading 6-0.
The Giants had kept the Diamondbacks off the scoreboard through seven innings but that all came to an end in the bottom of the eighth inning. It was a very sloppy inning for San Francisco.
Arizona cut the Giants lead significantly starting with a Pavin Smith single that drove Nolan Arenado home for the first run. Ketel Marte doubled and TommyTroy scored on a throwing error by shortstop Christian Koss followed by another run scored by Smith cutting the Giants lead in half.
Arizona would score a fourth run with Marte scoring on a Corbin Carroll ground out. Koss would have a second error in the inning. It had been a tough one for relief pitchers Ryan Walker and Dylan Smith giving up four runs in the inning. Arizona had new life now only trailing by two runs 6-4
Going into the bottom of the ninth inning the Diamondbacks were now three outs away from losing this game. Despite a forgettable eighth inning San Francisco held on to beat the Diamondbacks 6-4 a winner over Arizona for the first time this year.
GAME NOTES
This had been a much better start for the San Francisco Giants (36-50). In the first two games of this series Arizona (43-43) had scored early never allowing the Giants to take the lead until Wednesday night. The Giants had 11 hits in the game, the Diamondbacks seven.
The two home runs in the fifth inning off the bats of Heliot Ramos and Drew Bericoto turned this game around. San Francisco added three more runs in the sixth inning but they let the Diamondbacks back in the game in the bottom of the eighth inning giving up hits along with some ugly errors by shortstop Christian Koss. San Francisco was able to hang on to beat Arizona for the first time this season 6-4 avoiding the sweep.
San Francisco starting pitcher Tyler McDonald had a terrific game. He pitched six innings allowing only one hit with five strikeouts. He was spectacular. Arizona starter Zac Gallen also had a nice start through four innings before it all went south in the fifth inning.
San Francisco will now head to Colorado for their next series with the Rockies that gets underway this Friday. Probable on the mound for the Giants will be Logan Webb. He has a 5-5 win/loss record and a 3.09 ERA. The Rockies are right now undecided as to who will take the mound on Friday night. First pitch for this game is scheduled for 5:10 PM.
Sacramento A’s starter JT Ginn pitched six innings allowing just a run and had command over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Wed Jul 1, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Bridget Mulchay:
#1 How important was J.T. Ginn’s six-inning, one-run outing in helping the Athletics avoid a series sweep by the Dodgers?
#2 Did Jonah Heim’s home run and two RBIs provide the offensive spark that changed the momentum of the game?
#3 How much did Shea Langeliers’ power at the plate contribute to the Athletics’ 7-1 victory?
#4 Were Colby Thomas and Henry Bolte the difference-makers in the middle of the lineup with their timely RBI hits?
#5 Did Alika Williams’ eighth-inning home run and defensive play at shortstop help seal the win for Sacramento? The Athletics finished with 12 hits and three home runs in the victory.
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.
Former Edmonton Oiler Darnell Nurse joins the San Jose Sharks after exploring the free agency market and got picked up right away by San Jose. Nurse said he was impressed by what he saw when he played against the Sharks Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith during the 26-27 regular season. (AP file photo)
San Jose Sharks podcast Len Shapiro:
#1 The San Jose Sharks traded for Edmonton Oilers star Darnell Nurse to expand the Sharks strength and Len general manager Mike Grier also finalized some more trades.
#2 Free agent signing Jacob Trouba for a four year deal, Trouba formerly played for the Anheim Ducks. Mason Marchment whose father played for the Sharks. Earlier the Sharks signed Michael Kesslering from the Buffalo Sabres. The Sharks signed a goaltender Eric Comrie from the Winnipeg Jets.
Ivar Stenberg – 2nd overall Forward from Sweden. A highly skilled offensive player known for his skating, playmaking, and scoring ability.
Keaton Verhoeff – 9th overall Right-shot defenseman from Canada. Considered one of the top defensive prospects in the draft, with size, mobility, and strong two-way play. Ryan Lin – 21st overall Defenseman from Canada. The Sharks traded up to select him after he slid down the draft board. He’s known for his puck-moving ability and offensive upside from the blue line. Both going back college in the States.
From My Notebook: Baseball Broadcasters and Longevity
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
Some people believe that if you do something you enjoy, you will live longer. Such is the case for baseball announcers’ longevity. Also, the phrase “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” is famous and emphasizes career happiness, but its exact origin is unknown.
It is frequently attributed to the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius. Some of the announcers I have met and know are in this category. My mentor and fellow Cuban colleague Rafael “Felo” Ramírez, the first-ever Spanish-language radio broadcaster for the Florida/Miami Marlins, called games as a very young man in Cuba and later in the US for the Marlins.
He was their first Spanish announcer in Miami, and for 25 years plus in total between Cuba and the US, Felo called 72 years’ worth of games. I used to listen to him on the radio when I was a young kid in Havana during the old Cuban professional Winter League.
In 1998, I called postseason games for the LBC (Latino Broadcast Corporation) out of Miami, associated with CARACOL for the US and Latin America; it was a thrill to work with my broadcast idol. An unforgettable memory for me: funny, witty, and a pro who knew baseball like the palm of his hand.
Every time we ran into each other across the seasons, we spoke at length about the game; he was “el mejor”. Jaime Jarrín, who is 91 years young and retired, called the Dodgers in Spanish for 64 years. An old friend and colleague, I also had the pleasure of calling games with him for the postseason for the US and Latin America for those same networks I previously mentioned, which covered the US and Latin America in the 1990s.
René Cárdenas, who passed this May at the age of 90, was the first ever to call games in Spanish in the United States with Houston, then with the Dodgers. I worked with him for one game when he came to Candlestick Park with the Dodgers.
His roadcast partner, Jaime Jarrín, could not travel to San Francisco with René due to a family emergency, so I filled in for Jaime and worked with René. Only once, because of the circumstances, but nonetheless memorable. I stayed in touch with René for years. In 2025, the fourth year, he was nominated for the Ford C. Frick Award; we talked by phone (he lived in Florida) and told him that Cooperstown cannot forget him as the pioneer of baseball in Spanish; he was the nationwide pioneer.
He died soon after; Cooperstown never called. When René Cárdenas started doing baseball in Spanish, the Hispanic population of the United States was 4 to 5 million; today there are 68 million Hispanics in this country. In the world, only Máxico has a larger Hispanic population than the US.
The Undisputed King of all longevity and perfection behind a baseball microphone is the one and only Vin Scully. Vin Scully called baseball games for an incredible 67 years, the longest tenure of any broadcaster with a single professional sports team in history, the Brooklyn and then LA Dodgers. He also called 28 World Series for the country.
Nobody could tell a story without interrupting the action like Mr. Scully, a classic performer. Some of the other legendary announcers throughout history include Harry Caray, Jack Buck, Mel Allen, and Ernie Harwell; baseball on the radio was king.
They all share the love and passion for the game, like yours truly. I even did some game recreations back in the 70s, and the guys I mentioned were already describing the game they love on the radio. I have broadcast baseball for 47 years, but I never lost my passion for the game.
An old friend of mine, who was a doctor, once told me, “I will pay to do what you do.” As you can see, age is not a limit for a broadcaster in baseball. Unlike other sports, baseball is the most literate. The largest library in the world is the Library of Congress, located in Washington, D.C. “It houses over 170 million items across approximately 838 miles of bookshelves and houses the world’s largest baseball collection, making baseball the most heavily represented sport in the world.
There are more books written on baseball than any other sport. Doing baseball broadcasts/play-by-play on the radio is one of the professions you could do when you are 70 and even older. As long as you can see, walk, read, and speak, and have the baseball knowledge to call the game as it happens and entertain your audience, you come to the park early to “take it all in,” because in the end, the majority of us truly love the game.
Quote: “Get out the rye bread and mustard, grandma, it’s grand salami time”- Home run call by Seattle Mariners’ announcer, Dave Niehaus. Happy 250th Anniversary to the United States this 4th of July; not many countries can claim that!
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.
LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874
From the second you step in the front door, the sounds of Latin America will gently seduce your ears and continue as you relax outdoors with your favorite cocktail enjoying the view. The wonderful flavors and aromas of our cuisine will not disappoint.
We use only the finest, freshest, local ingredients in every dish and every dish is prepared to order. Enjoy live mariachi music weekly and on special occasions, catch balet folklorico dance performances among other live entertainment. Come visit us and have a great time! Enjoy fast, friendly service, fantastic food & cocktails, music and allow us to share our beautiful Mexican heritage with you.
LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant at 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874.
San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman bare hands a bouncing ball this would be his last play before leaving the game with abdominal pain against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Center in Phoenix on Tue Jun 30, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
Once again, the Arizona Diamondbacks (43-42) got a jump on the San Francisco Giants (35-50) taking an early first inning lead. Monday night it was 1-0 after Ketel Marte hit a solo homer and Tuesday night another home run for Arizona in the opening inning but this one embellished with two runners on base.
The Diamondbacks Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered with Geraldo Perdomo and Gabriel Moreno on base taking a quick 3-0 lead. Arizona was not finished scoring three more runs in the third inning putting the Giants behind the eight ball trailing by the score of 6-0. When the dust had settled the Diamondbacks had won game two 8-2.
GAME RECAP
The Arizona Diamondbacks had much the same start as they did in Monday’s game one. In fact they bettered their first inning start in Monday’s game with yet another home run, this one a three run shot taking a 3-0 lead. This was not the start that San Francisco was looking for.
The Giants went three and out in the second inning and despite a triple from Luis Arraez in the third inning San Francisco was still looking for their first run of the game. The Giants wanted to keep the Diamondbacks from doing any further damage that would make a comeback even more overwhelming. It didn’t go the Giants way and in the bottom of the third Arizona put three more runs up on the scoreboard taking a 6-0 lead.
San Francisco starting pitcher Landen Roupp had a rough inning giving up three singles and two walks. After almost three inning there was a pitching change for the Giants. Adrian Houser came in to relieve Roupp. In a very tough outing Roupp went 2 2/3 innings allowing five hits, six earned runs, six walks with four strikeouts. Houser got San Francisco out of the third inning.
There was not much offense for either team in the fourth and fifth innings. It was getter much later in the game with the Giants still trailing 6-0. San Francisco desperately needed to break through and get up on the scoreboard.
The first run of the game for the Giants came in the top of the sixth off the bat of Luis Arraez. They had a long way to go and not a lot of time to do it but they were finally on the scoreboard 6-1.
Not to be outdone, the Diamondbacks scored another run in the bottom of the sixth. Ketel Marte had his second home run of the series scoring his first in the first inning of yesterday’s game. Trailing 7-1 San Francisco would need a huge comeback and only three innings left to do it in.
The Diamondbacks allowed a Rafael Devers solo home run in the top of the seventh but still led 7-2. Time was running out for San Francisco. Their offense remained stagnant with only four hits through seven innings while the Diamondbacks had eight and would finish with ten hits.
San Francisco went three and out in the top of the eighth inning. Arizona would finish off the game with yet another run in the bottom of the eighth. San Francisco was now down to their final three outs. There would be no rally in the top of the ninth for the Giants losing the second game of the series. Wednesday the Giants would be playing to avoid a sweep.
GAME NOTES
This was a frustrating loss for San Francisco. They could not generate much offense the entire evening. They lost Matt Chapman in the sixth inning who exited the game with an abdominal strain.
There was not much that went right for San Francisco in game two. It was an awful game for Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp. He could not find the strike zone lasting only 2 2/3 innings allowing six earned runs while issuing six walks.
When you give a lineup that many free baserunners it’s tough to recover. The Diamondbacks took full advantage of every San Francisco mistake. They were patient at the plate forcing Roupp into deep counts following that with timely hits.
The three run home run to start the game by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. gave the Diamondbacks all the confidence they would need. Ketel Marte also remained red hot hitting his fourth home run in the past four games. The Diamondbacks have had San Francisco’s number all season executing better in every phase, pitching, timely hitting and taking advantage of Giants mistakes.
Wednesday’s game three will get underway with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 PM. San Francisco will be playing to avoid a sweep. The Giants have already lost eight games to the Diamondbacks without a single win this season.
Trevor McDonald will start for the Giants looking to win their first game against Arizona this season. He has a 2-6 win/loss record and a 4.94 ERA. The Diamondbacks will start Zac Gallen. He comes into this game with a 3-7 win/loss record and a 6.15 ERA .
Jeffrey Springs #59 of the Athletics pitches during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on Tuesday, June 30, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory photo credit: Don Collier/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Athletics and Dodgers engaged in game two of their three-game series on Tuesday night at 6:40 p.m. PT at Sutter Health Park.
The A’s struggled again on Tuesday to contain the Dodgers and ultimately fell 9-3 in a relatively uncompetitive game.
Jeffrey Springs got the ball for the A’s on Tuesday in hopes of kickstarting the team back in the right direction after a rough last week. It was the league-leading 18th start of the year for Springs, who has been durable, albeit while having a lackluster season. On Tuesday, Springs struggled as the Dodgers pounced early and didn’t look back. Springs gave up six runs on eight hits over five and one-third innings while walking four and striking out two.
“It’s a tough lineup to get through,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said of Springs after the game. “We talked about it last night. You make mistakes and this team just isn’t a team that misses mistakes, so you’ve got to be able to execute pitches, locate pitches, and utilize all your weapons when you’re out there.”
Jeffrey Springs was hard on himself after the loss, as he usually is. However, he said he feels good but needs to execute his pitches better.
“Still kind of processing it, too many walks, for starters,” Springs said after the game. “It’s too good of a team to give up free passes.”
Even with Springs’ struggles, he has been one of the most durable pitchers in baseball, leading the AL in starts with 18. I asked him after the game if that’s something he can take pride in even while going through some struggles.
“Right now it’s a little bit tough to see that just because you want to put together quality outings,” a visibly frustrated Springs said in the clubhouse. “You want to try to give us a chance to win and just don’t feel like I’m doing that. But yeah, you take a lot of pride in putting in the work in the offseason to take the ball every five days.”
For the bullpen, Elvis Alvarado was first out of the pen to finish the top of the sixth inning after Springs was lifted. Alvarado got the final two outs of the inning with ease without allowing anything to materialize for the Dodgers.
Looking for some length in what appeared to be a game out of reach, Mark Kotsay turned to Geoff Hartlieb for the final three innings for the A’s. Hartlieb pitched adequately over his three innings, allowing three runs on six hits while walking one and striking out one.
The A’s offense struggled again as Dodgers starter Justin Wrobleski dominated over seven innings.
“He’s got weapons, the fastball velo, the slider is real,” Kotsay said after the game. “We saw him last year and he had an impressive outing where he came out in relief last year in LA and dominated us. We knew we were up against obviously a quality starter tonight.”
The A’s first run of the game came in the bottom of the first inning when Jonah Heim hit an RBI single to score Shea Langeliers.
The A’s next and final runs came in the bottom of the seventh inning when Colby Thomas hit a two-run homer to center field that scored Joey Meneses. The home run gave Thomas RBIs No. 9 and No. 10 on the season. It traveled 424 feet and left the bat at 105 mph, giving Thomas his second homer in as many days against the Dodgers.
Colby Thomas has been swinging a hot bat, and he feels as good as he looks at the plate right now.
“Results are great,” Thomas said after the game. “It’s nice getting the results and I’ve been doing a lot of work in the cage, and it’s nice to see those results, so it felt awesome, to be honest with you.”
The A’s offense compiled three runs on seven hits while drawing five walks in the 9-3 loss to the reigning champions.
The A’s fell to 40-46 with the loss and will look to avoid being swept on Wednesday in the final game of the three-game series at 6:40 p.m. PT. J.T. Ginn is scheduled to start for the A’s, while the Dodgers have yet to announce a starter. Shohei Ohtani was initially scheduled to pitch, but the Dodgers announced Tuesday that he will instead start on Friday.
LeBron James (left) and Stephen Curry (right) on Team USA against France winning gold in 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris on Aug 10, 2024. The two could be teammates on the Golden State Warriors soon enough. (AP file photo)
Golden State Warriors podcast David Zizmor
#1 David, The Warriors are seriously negotiating a deal to bring LeBron James to Golden State. How serious would LeBron be in considering coming to Golden State at age 41 and would he be the key link at his age to help Golden State chase another championship.
#2 The concern about bringing LeBron on board also is a concern with his age at 41 but also what about Anthony Davis at age 33 and Stephen Curry at age 38 can they all fit in the get the Warriors to the top again?
#3 Talk about Draymond Green he declined an option year worth $27 million and is on the free agent market. Should Green have taken the option and how tough will it be for him to pursue another team on the free agent market or are the Warriors intending to work a contract solution with Green?
Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers seen here swinging against the San Diego Padres on Fri Jun 19, 2026 at Petco Park San Diego. Betts hit his 300rd career home run against the Sacramento A’s on Mon Jun 29, 2026 (AP News photo)
That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:
#1 Mookie Betts reached 300 career home runs that landed him among MLB’s top headlines on June 29, 2026?
#2 Why were both the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox climbing the MLB Power Rankings entering the final days of June?
#3 What made the pitching matchup between Detroit Tigers Tarik Skubal and New York Yankees Cam Schlittler one of the most anticipated games of the week?
#4 Which notable roster moves involving players such as Teoscar Hernández and Jacob Wilson made headlines in MLB transactions on June 29?
#5 How did the Houston Astros turn their season around during June, and what role did their defense play in their recent success?
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.
LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874
From the second you step in the front door, the sounds of Latin America will gently seduce your ears and continue as you relax outdoors with your favorite cocktail enjoying the view. The wonderful flavors and aromas of our cuisine will not disappoint.
We use only the finest, freshest, local ingredients in every dish and every dish is prepared to order. Enjoy live mariachi music weekly and on special occasions, catch balet folklorico dance performances among other live entertainment. Come visit us and have a great time! Enjoy fast, friendly service, fantastic food & cocktails, music and allow us to share our beautiful Mexican heritage with you.
LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant at 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874.
Oakland Ballers were thrilled to get a victory over the Yuba City Firebirds on Sun Jun 28, 2026 at Raimondi Park in Oakland (Oakland Ballers photo)
June 29 Follow the Bouncing Ballers
Monday, June 29, 2026
By Lewis Rubman
OAKLAND–Modesto, the home of the Ballers’newly minted regional rival in the South Division of the Pioneer Baseball League, has a long and honorable baseball tradition. Here’s a list of the professional teams, with their affiliations, that have called the city of health, wealth, and baseball
Their home:
· Modesto Reds (1946–1961)
o Affiliations: St. Louis Browns, independent
· Modesto Colts (1962–1964)
o Affiliations: Houston Colt .45s ]
· Modesto Reds (1966–1974)
o Affiliations: Kansas City Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals
· Modesto A’s (1975–2004)
o Affiliations: Oakland Athletics
· Modesto Nuts (2005–2025)
o Affiliations: Colorado Rockies, Seattle Mariners
For most of that time, the California League, of which the variously named Modesto clubs were members member, bore the rank of High-A in the majors’ food chain.. It was demoted to just plain old A in 2021. This had the effect of lowering the quality of minor league ball that fans from the East Bay could easily reach in San José and Stockton, as well as in Modesto, not to mention the quality of play available to local fans. (Hang down your head, Bob Manfred.).
Here’s a link that lists some of the players who went from Stanislaus County to The Show:
. This poster may strike a nostalgic chord among old time Athletics fans.
The Roadsters play in what now is called Modern Woodman Field. Before that it was known as John Thurman Stadium, and, before that, Del Webb Field. It has a more spacious outfield with higher fences than Raimondi Park, and its winds generally are less favorable to long ball hitters than the ones that chill the air in West Oakland.21-1
In spite of this long baseball tradition and the Roadsters’ good won-lost record (21-15 as I write this), their attendance figures for the three game series with the B’s was 740, 625, and 853. Yes, the heat was extreme in Modesto, and it’s only a hop, skip, and a jump to West Sacramento (and you know what’s going on at Sutter Health Park) , but there are breezes are breezes at Modern Woodman Field, and the temperatures drop there as the games progress or deteriorate, as the case may be.
Let’s start with the line score of the June 23rd contest.
Oakland Ballers (13-18) 005 000 003 8 12 0
Modesto Roadsters (18-13) 002 000 510 8 9 0
There was no winning or losing pitcher. Oakland won in the first round of the KO inning; Tremayne Cobb (5).
Tyler Williams (2)
Time: 3:40 Attendance 740
The series opener (or, if you prefer, the fourth game of the home and home series that the Roadsters took, two games to one, at Raimondi followed a familiar pattern. The visiting Oaklanders jumped to a 5-0 lead in the top of the third. Modesto cut that to 5-2 in their third turn at the plate. C.J. Blowers went six inning and allowed only two runs, both earned, on five hits while striking out five, but he walked another quintet and unleashed a wild pitch. All in.all, it was a good—outstanding in the context of the PBL—performance, and well above the righty’s usually level, as realize that his in-game ERA of 3.00 lowered his season’s ERA to 7.79. Valek Cisneros took the mound to start the frame and left it with his team trailing its hosts, 7-5. Langston Burkett fanned the first batter he faced before allowing a game- tying single to right by Justin Boyd that plated the inherited runner, Jacob Lojewski.The Ballers won the knock out inning in the first round, Tremayne Cobb’s five blasts besting Tyler Williams’s two. No matter who wins these carnival side shows, the knock out inning is an abomination.
No Ballers hit a real home run, but Esai Santos , Jaden Collura , Jeter Ybarra , and Davis Drewek
hit doubles, and Jaden Collura, and Davis Drewek had three games, and T.J. McKendrick got a pair of singles.
Modesto knotted the series on the night of Wednesday the 24th.
The Ballers treated their starting pitcher, Aidan Reese to an early 2-0 lead thanks to Jake Allgeyer’s four bagger to center with Santos on base. (He had struck out swinging but reached first on a passed ball), but the Roadsters revved their engine and made it to home in once in the the second, twice in the third, and another time in the fourth. Risse didn’t come out to the mound at the start of the home eighth; by then he had thrown112 pitches, only 70 of them strikes. Remember that any ball a batter lays wood on is counted as a strike, no matter how much it misses the zone by. Yet Risse walked only one batter and didn’t throw any wild pitches or hit any batters. Six of the outs he recorded came on fly balls; eight on grounders. Deven Hernández, who also lasted seven frames, and Johan Castillo, who was untouched in the last two innings, condemned Oakland to another blown lead loss.
Allgeyer’s shot in the first was the only round tripper for the Ballers, and Drewek, with two singles, was the only member of the squad to garner more than one hit.
On Thursday the 25th, the Ballers were presented with a repeat of the dilemma they had faced the previous Sunday, back home in West Oakland, a rubber match. They lost that game, part of the growing pains of their revamped roster. They lost again on Thursday.
Oakland Ballers (14-19) 100 000 000 1 10 2
Modesto Roadsters (20-13) 310 010 10x 6 10 2
Winning pitcher: Omar Serrano (1-0) Losing pitcher: Charlie Hurley (0-1)
Time: 2:40 Attendance: 853
It was another exercise in frustration. With a game time temperature of a sweltering 890, number two batter Esai Santos blasted a 437 foot homer into the depths beyond right center field. I won’t say that the B’s offense stopped there, but it sure did stall They left ten men on base, not counting the play that ended the first frame for Oakland. After Jaden Collura rounded first on a single, a throw from right fielder Justin Boyd to short stop Jacob Lojewski nabbed the Baller catcher. The play was scored as a pick off. Oakland batters went 0-9 with runners in scoring position.
The loss was pinned on Charlie Hurley, a fine name for a pitcher. It certainly beats Walker, although Hurley issued four of them in his five innings on the bump. He was succeeded by Hunter Day, making his Ballers debut. Before Oakland acquired him, he had pitched for the independent American Association Fargo-Moorehead RedHawks. He held Modesto to two hits, one of them a double, and a walk in his one inning stint. Jacob Petersheim, who was unimpressive in his debut on June 21st, was somewhat better in this game; the run he allowed in his two inning stint was unearned.
Back at 10th Wood, on Friday the 26th the B’s didn’t have to contend with a game time temperature of 89, as they had to the night before in Modesto. When home plate umpire Tony Pratercalled “Play” at 6:35, the thermometer read 64o.. Nor did the Miles’ Militia have to face the powerhouse Roadsters. Instead, they were up against the Yolo-Sutter Freebirds, bearers of an 11-22 record and standing two places behind the B’s in the South Division. They weren’t playing to a near empty ballpark, either. The opponents had changed, but the Ballers’ still were their own worst enemies, snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory after what could have been a comfortable, if not overwhelming, first inning advantage of six runs. But Yuba-Sutter scored in every inning but the first, and Oakland was shut out, starting in the third and lasting through the eighth.
The crowd of 1,878 dwindled as ballers couldn’t get out of their own way. An emblematic example of that distressing tendency occurred in the top of the sixth when Colusa made a wild throw to first on what would have been an inning ending 5-2-3 double play. That twin killing that wasn’t d could have provided some impetus to the faltering B’s once notable ability to overcome as well as to throw away imposing leads. They had entered the inning trailing 10-9. They left it behind trailing 14-9.
Once again, the line score outlines the disappointing facts.
Yuba Sutter Freebirds (12-22) 024 134 121 18 18 3
Oakland Ballers (14-20) 621 000 002 11 11 3
Winning pitcher: Sean Wiese (2-0) Losing pitcher: Dylan Delvecchio (0-1)
Time: 3:45 Attendance: 1,878
But the Ballers did manage to pull off a public relations triumph. They signed Liam Plunkett, a one time star of British cricket who now plays in Major League Cricket, a league that features a streamlined version of the tradition British sport. They were able to do this because of a wrinkle in the PBL’s eligibility rules that permits each team to carry one on its roster who isn’t likely to advance in professional baseball but whose presence there will be a box office draw.You’ve got to love the PBL and its idiosyncratic rules, even if the league is selective about telling you what they are.
June 27, 2026 was a Saturday, and that meant a 4:35 first pitch. I hopoe the line score will raise your spirits.
Yuba-Sutter Freebirds (12-23) 003 000 010 4 10 0
Oakland Ballers (15-28) 100 100 03x 5 6 2
Winning pitcher: Michael Riley (2-1) Losing pitcher: Corbin Barker (1-1) Save: Matthew Maloney (2)
Time: 2:36 Attendance: 1,921
The Ballers once more took an early lead, going ahead 1-0 in the first, only to give it up two innings later, when three Freebirds crossed the plate. But this time, the Ballers seemed to recover their 2025 mojo. Down 4-2 in after seven and a half innings, the Ballers had runners on first and second with one out against Brenton Thiels, who had relieved starter Chase Martínez an inning earlier. That caused Theis’s removal from the game brought Corbin Barker to the mound. He fanned Paul Winland on three pitches but walked Nick Lehey to clog the basepaths. Collura pinch hit for Davis Drewek. Collura drew a walk on a seven pitch 3-2 count, bringing Ybarra, who had led off the inning with a single to center, home with the tying run and leaving the bases still FOB, Full of Ballers. Conner Smith whiffed, and there were two down. Cobb drew a walk, and Santos was hit by a pitch, which scored two runs and put the Ballers ahead, 5-4, before Allgeyer struck out to end the inning.
Maybe something had clicked., because the Ballers came back to win Sunday’s 1:05 game with a ninth inning walk off that gave them the series and ended the week on a high note.
Yuba-Sutter Freebirds (12-24) 310 000 060 10 9 1
Oakland Ballers (16-20) 000 131 303 11 13 2
Winning pitcher: Valek Cisneros (3-0) Losing pitcher: Tristan Wolf (1-2)
Time: 2:48 Attendance:1,844
Jeter Ybarra, who had been one of the few bright spots in the Ballers’ disappointing first months, had been in a bit of funk recently. His fielding was mediocre, and his failure of hustle on the basepaths was glaring. He might have been playing through pain, although I’m not aware of any announcement to that effect. Whatever it was that that was bothering him isn’t affecting him now. He went three for three on Sunday the 28th. He went three for five, with a double, a home run, and a home run., He still is the league leader in that category, with15.
It seemed as if the B’s had slipped back into their lead blowing sink hole when they had recovered from a 4-0 disadvantage by scoring a run in the fourth, three in the fifth, another in the sixth, and three more in the seventh. But the Freebirds surged ahead, 10-8 with a six spot in the top of the eight. But Oakland had some last minute heroics left in them and came from behind to win in walk off fashion in the bottom of the ninth with Ybarra leading the charge. He led off with a single to right, Brandan O’Sullivan pinch ran for him, which might have been a signal that something physical had kept the B’s first sacker from running all out in the recent past.. Or it might have just been good tactics, given the PBL’s designated pinch hitter and pinch runner rules. In any case, it was an unnecessary move because Winland walked, and Leehey drove an 0-1 pitch over the fence in left center to send the B’s fans home happy. Maybe, just maybe, they’ve turned the corner.
News surface recently about a lawsuit against the city of Oakland and their tenants, the Ballers, brought by the Ajor Property Group, for damages to their facility at 1661 20th St. The plaintiffs claimed that balls hit out of Raimondi Park have caused them at least $350,000 since its renovation in 2024. The Ballers have replied that they will make good any costs to the city incurred by the suit and admits that some damage has occurred. The team also maintains that many of the claims made by Ajor have not been verified. The property in question is next to the Prescott Market, home of several pre- and post-game festivities. The Market also has indoor plumbing, which is important to Ballers’ fans because replacement of the current port-a-potties in the ballpark has been delayed because the city has yet to approve the installation of real rest rooms in the venue.
That’s about all I know about the case.
The Ballers face a tough schedule this coming week. They’ll travel to Long Beach to face the second place Coast on the 30ththrough July 2nd. Then it’s back to Modesto for the rest of the week.
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