Keaton Winn holds down fort, but Giants overpowered by Dodgers’ superstars 8-3

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San Francisco Giants designated hitter Jorge Soler strikes out in the top fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Mon Apr 1, 2024 (AP News photo)

Monday, April 1, 2024

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles, California

San Francisco Giants 3 (2-3)

Los Angeles Dodgers 8 (5-2)

Win: James Paxton (1-0)

Loss: Keaton Winn (0-1)

Time: 2:38

Attendance: 49,044

By Stephen Ruderman

Following an off-season of high-profile free agent signings by the Giants and Dodgers, the two rivals met for the first time in 2024, and the Dodgers and their superstars overpowered the Giants to beat them 8-3.

Following a split in their opening series in San Diego against the Padres, the Giants hopped on a bus, and headed north to Los Angeles to take on a Dodgers team that could have the highest of any in the history of the game. The Dodgers have these expectations because they added Shohei Ohtan and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to an already-powerful roster.

While the Giants may not have added the star power that the Dodgers did, the Giants still added Jung-hoo Lee, Jorge Soler, Matt Chapman and Blake Snell. The Giants and Dodgers made their splashes in the off-season, and now the bitter rivals would meet for the first time on the field here in 2024.

With the rotation short two men, Manager Bob Melvin has had to improvise. Yesterday, Daulton Jefferies was called up to make the start, and tonight, Melvin decided to go with Keaton Winn, who posted a 4.68 ERA in nine games and five starts with the Giants last season.

Winn got off to a rocky start when he came out for the bottom of the first. Mookie Betts hit a triple off the base of the wall in left-center field to start the inning. Betts was able to get to third, because the ball caromed completely away from Lee and the left-fielder, Michael Conforto, towards the left field line. Shohei Ohtani then grounded out to second to knock in Betts and give the Dodgers an early 1-0 lead.

James Paxton started for the Dodgers and struggled with his command, but the Giants were unable to take advantage of Paxton when he was in trouble. The Giants had base-runners in each of the first three innings, and runners in scoring position and the first and third, but they were unable to get a run across 

Despite his bumpy start, Winn was solid as he faced the Dodgers the first time through their order. However, Winn ran into trouble again when the Dodgers came up for the second time through the order in the bottom of the third. Betts walked with one out, and Ohtani doubled Betts over to third. Freddie Freeman singled up the middle to score Betts, but Ohtani was held at third. Ohtani would score on a sacrifice fly from Will Smith.

The Giants looked like they were finally going to break through in the fifth when Nick Ahmed and Jung-hoo Lee hit back-to-back singles to start the inning. However, Austin Slater, who got the start and hit second tonight, hit a ground ball to second for a 4-6-3 double play. Jorge Soler and Matt Chapman drew walks to keep the rally alive, but Wilmer Flores grounded out to second to end the inning. It was another wasted opportunity for the Giants, who stranded eight runners in the first five innings of the game.

Winn ended up going five solid innings against what is possibly the most powerful offense in Baseball. He gave up just four hits, struck out six and did exactly what the Giants needed him to do, which was to go long enough to prevent Melvin from having to blow through his bullpen.

“Keaton did a pretty good job,” said Melvin. “It’s a pretty tough line up to navigate, so I thought he pitched pretty well…..he kept us in the game.”

Winn relied heavily on his fastball and splitter last year, but he really used his slider to his advantage tonight.

“[I’m] definitely going to build off the slider,” said Winn. “That was the most I’ve ever thrown the pitch in a game, and I thought I did pretty good with it.”

Winn also lavished praise for his catcher, Tom Murphy, whom Winn was working with for the first time.

“I felt like we were on the same page pretty much the entire time,” said Winn. “It was nice to be able to trust him back there.”

Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts brought in Ryan Brasier for the sixth. Michael Conforto, who had gone 0-for-2 against the lefty, Paxton, hit a towering home run down the right field line to put the Giants on the board. For Conforto, it was his third home run of the season.

Erik Miller came in for the bottom of the sixth, and despite his two strong outings in San Diego, the young lefty would be tested by the Dodgers. Freeman singled, and Smith walked to start the inning. Max Muncy then hit into a fielder’s choice, and Smith was retired at second.

Melvin then decided to lift Miller for the submariner, Tyler Rogers. Rogers hung a slider to Teoscar Hernandez, who hit one bomb to left that may have ended up sailing all the way to the Grapevine to blow the Dodgers’ lead open to 8-3.

Joe Kelly came in for Brasier in the seventh. LaMonte Wade Jr. and Soler singled with one out. Chapman struck out looking for the second out, and Flores singled the other way to score Wade, but Soler was caught off second base and tagged out to end the inning. Since Wade touched the plate before Soler was tagged out, the run scored.

Nick Avila came in for the Giants in the bottom of the seventh to make his major league debut, and gave up a run over two innings. Dinelson Lamet pitched the final two innings for the Dodgers, and the Giants were able to plate a run against him in the ninth.

The Dodgers won it 8-3, as this was a game where the team with the superstars asserted their dominance. Betts, Ohtani and Freeman went a combined 6-for-11, and scored six of the Dodgers’ eight runs. 

“We can do better,” said Melvin. “They really have a good team. [The] top of [their] lineup is about as good as any in Baseball. We just gotta try and navigate it a little better.”

Paxton got the win, and Winn got the loss. The Giants fall to 2-3, but they will have their ace, Logan Webb, on the mound tomorrow night. First pitch will be at 7:10 p.m.

News and Notes:

  • Mike Yastrzemski was activated off the Paternity List prior to tonight’s game, following the birth of his second child. Luis Matos and Daulton Jefferies were sent down to Triple-A Sacramento to make room for Yastrzemski and Nick Avila, and infielder Otto Lopez was designated for assignment to clear a 40-man roster spot for Avila.
  • Blake Snell, who some believed could make his Giants debut on Wednesday against the Dodgers, will pitch in one more simulated game, and will make his Giants debut on April 8 against the Washington Nationals at Oracle Park.

A’s make 5 miscues as Red Sox trounce and shutout Oakland 9-0

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Oakland A’s centerfielder JJ Bleday can’t make the catch off of the Boston Red Sox Emmanuel Valdez’s hit in the top of the second inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Mon Apr 1, 2024 (AP News photo)

Monday, April 1, 2024

Boston (3-2). 125 001 000. 9. 9. 0

Athletics (1-4). 000 000 000. 0. 4. 5

Time: 2:31

Attendance: 6,618

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–This is not an April Fool’s joke. The team formerly known as the Oakland Athletics might have climbed to just one game under .500 if they had managed to defeat the under performing Boston Red Sox tonight. That turned out to be a delusion of grandeur. The A’s defeated themselves, 9-0, and the Bosox climbed to 3-2.

It’s not as if the green and gold had been facing a healthy franchise. Over the weekend, the Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy wrote what mutandis mutandi a few years ago could have been written by John Shea or Scott Ostler, the two Chronicle reporters who deserve to share a Pulitzer Prize for their recent coverage of the Fisher fiasco.

“It should be clear to all by now,”Shaughnessey wrote, “The Red Sox brass is not going to spend money or make much effort to improve this team. The message to Alex Cora, his staff, and fans, is unambiguous: This is your team. Figure it out. We don’t care if you finish last for the fourth time in five years and the seventh time in 13 years, we are not going to spend another penny to make it better. We are done.”

I can’t wait until the Boston ownership starts to complain about how outdated the fabled Fenway Park is and how badly the team deserves a new stadium, perhaps in Atlantic City. To tell the truth, Fenway is long on tradition and charm but low on good sight lines. Except for the bleachers and the expensive seats, you’re likely to have an obstructed view; in the bleachers, there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself in the middle of a fist fight

The Bosox jumped to an early lead against the Athletics’ starting right hander, Joe Boyle.who broke into the majors when he joined the last September 17 and went on to compile a record of 2-0, 1..69. Jarren Duran laced a sharp lead off single, stole second, and advanced to third when Shea Langeliers’ throw went into center field. Triston Casas’ single to center drove him home, and the A’s went to bat against Tanner Houk (6-10, 5.01 last year; 15-19, 3.86 lifetime) trailing 1-0.

Errors cost the A’ dearly in the second frame. Masataka Yoshida opened it with a walk. He went to third when JJ Beday dropped Enmanuel Valdéz’s fly ball at the center field fence. Yoshida scored on Ceddane Rafaela’s sac fly to right, on which Valdéz moved up to third, whence he scored on Lawrence Butler’s errant throw home.

It was Ryan Noda’s turn to be the goat in the third. With runners on first and second and no outs, he made a nifty grab on Valdéz’s slow grounder between first base and the pitcher’ mound and a back hand flip that went past Boyle, covering the bag. That, combined with an error by Boyle himself, who threw a pick off throw into center opened the gates for five more runs and, after a double by Trevor Story, led to Boyle’s early departure.

He had lasted a mere 2-2/3 innings, in which he managed to throw 84 pitches, 48 for strikes. Seven of the eight runs he allowed were earned, and they came on eight hits, four walks, and a wild pitch. He struck out four Bosox, took the loss, making his record 0-1, 23.63.

Lefty Kyle Muller replaced him and was the sole bright spot in the A’s otherwise dreary performance. He left after going 5-1/3 innings and yielding one run.. The tally he allowed, which came in the sixth, didn’t come on an error, but if Zack Gelof hadn’t bobbled Yoshida’s grounder with one out and runners on second and third, it would have resulted in an inning ending double play instead of a run producing force out.

Muller gave up only one safety during his tenure and walked two while setting a half a dozen Red Sox down on strikes. Michael Kelly closed down the Bostonians in the top of ninth, allowing just a lead off base of balls.

Tanner Houk was Boyle’s opposite number for Boston. He pitched six scoreless innings, allowing only three hits and striking out ten. He threw one less pitch, 83, in his six full frames than Boyle did in his 2-2-2/3; only 20 were balls. He was the winning pitcher, giving him a 1-0, 0.00 mark for the newborn seaon. Chase Anderson took over for him to start the bottom half of the seventh and shut the A’s down on one hit over the final three innings.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, afternoon at 12:37pm PDT, Oakland’s Alex Wood (0-1, ERA 16.20) will try to undo his disastrous previous outing as he faces the Red Sox and Brayan Bello (1-0, ERA 3.60)

San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Barracuda continue 5 game road trip Wednesday In San Diego

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On the San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko Ukalovic:

#1 Marko, the San Jose Barracuda (21-32-9-2) who took a quick 3-0 lead on Sunday in Calgary. The Barracuda never fell behind and won it 4-1 defeating the Calgary Wranglers (34-24-5-3).

#2 The Barracuda goaltender Georgi Ramanov saved 30 shots and allowed one goal. With the win the Barracuda went 5-3 against the Wranglers for the 2023-24.

#3 The first period the Barracuda struck first with a goal from Ethan Cardwell for his 20th goal of the season at 6:56 and Jack Thompson got his sixth goal for the year at 11:11 to take a 2-0 lead. Talk about how important it was to jump to a 2-0 lead early?

#4 The Barracuda picked up two more goals in the third period Danil Gushchin scored his 16th goal of the season and in the third period the Barracuda added one more with Nathan Todd scoring his 18th of the season.

#5 Marko, the Barracuda continue this five game road trip against the San Diego Gulls (23-31-8-0) on Wednesday for a 7:00pm PDT face off. Both teams are at the bottom of the standings who do you like in this match.

Marko Ukalovic is a San Jose Barracuda beat writer and podcaster heard on http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Sacramento is the place for the A’s?

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Aerial view of the Oakland Alameda County Sports Complex as the Oakland A’s and the Oakland Coliseum Joint Authority meet on Tue Apr 2, 2024 to negotiate a lease extension for the A’s (photo by NBC Bay Area News)

Sacramento is the place for the A’s? That’s Amaury News and Commentary Amaury Pi-González

Like it or not, TODAY, all the signs point to the Oakland A’s playing in Sacramento from 2025 until they complete the new stadium in Las Vegas. In the business world, friendships and connections are paramount. Many might not have known that A’s owner, John Fisher, is good friends with Mr. Vivek Ranadivé, who happens to own the Sacramento River Cats and also the NBA Sacramento Kings.

Sports business owners run in a different lane than many other billionaires who are not in the sports world. nonetheless, they do business with each other in many circumstances, they support each other and even invest in each other’s teams. This could be the key to why they are moving to Sacramento. I will be speculating, but, I am not the first or the last to speculate in this long-moving A’s saga.

On Tuesday, the A’s will meet again with the City of Oakland after the city submitted a proposal to the team to stay in Oakland for five more years (3 years while they build in Las Vegas), which is supposed to be inaugurated in 2028, and the other two years in case there are constructions delays, or in case the whole Las Vegas move falls through. It could very well be that the City of Oakland’s proposal strikes out, and the A’s then would be temporarily moving to the State Capital.

Sutter Health Plan stadium in downtown Sacramento, if you drive, is a couple of blocks after the bridge and by the river; it was once the home of the Oakland A’s Triple-A team, the Rivercats (2000-2014) later from 2015 to the present They became affiliated with the San Francisco Giants.

According to published reports. Tuesday, the 2nd of April, the city of Oakland will present Athletics ownership with an offer to extend the team’s lease that includes a five-year contract with an opt-out after three years, as well as a requirement the team pays a $97 million “extension fee,” according to a document obtained by ESPN and KGO in San Francisco, plus other stuff to be negotiated.

Recently, the city withdrew the request for the A’s name colors and insignia to remain in Oakland when they leave for Las Vegas, as well as the possibility that Oakland be granted some preference for a new expansion team. Both are off the table. Oakland also wants the A’s to run the cost to fix the field for the Oakland Roots FC when they play at the Coliseum; the Roots are members of the USL. Also, this proposal suggests that A’s sell its 50% stake in the Coliseum ownership.

This Tuesday meeting could be just an exercise in futility for Oakland, who (if the A’s chose Sacramento) can claim to their citizens that “we tried to keep the team and still want the team to stay in Oakland, willing to work with them.”

Considering that MLB and the Commissioner want the A’s to make a decision soon, Commissioner Manfred has said he wants the A’s to play in California while they are building in Nevada, which takes Salt Lake City out of the equation. Time is of the essence now, and MLB needs a schedule for 2025, pronto!

We will have the answer by mid-week when the series between Oakland and Boston ends. I am biased; as a Bay Area resident, I would like the Oakland A’s to stay in Oakland, period, and would like these two Bay Area entities to work together. However, like many of you, I have no say. We are all spectators. Is the City of Oakland coming a day late and a dollar short with this proposal? Or are the A’s following In-and-Out?

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play voice on the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice

Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara Mason: Each game is crucial nine games left as Warriors try to hold onto a play in position

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Golden State Warriors Draymond Green (23) makes a point to let all on the floor know he just scored a basket against the San Antonio Spurs at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio on Sun Mar 31, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Golden State Warriors podcast with Barbara:

  1. With the season rapidly winding down, only nine games left, every game is critical on this road trip which is an important one for the Warriors.

2. After a misstep a couple of games ago Draymond Green has come back with a vengeance playing some of his best basketball of the season. He was a huge part of this win.

3. Green had a lot of help with of course his partners Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry. The Warriors continues to miss Jonathan Kuminga but hopes are that he is close to returning possibly Tuesday night against the Mavericks..

4. The Spurs gave the Warriors a run for their money in the fourth quarter San Antonio led by the amazing Victor Wembanyama.

5. Tuesday night the Warrior are back home at Chase Center taking on the fifth place Dallas Mavericks.

Join Barbara Mason for the Golden State Warriors podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors Sneak Past Spurs 117-113

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The Golden State Warriors Draymond Green (23) looks to find someone to pass the basketball to against San Antonio Spurs defenders Tre Jones (23) and Cedi Osman at Frost Bank Arena in San Antonio on Sun Mar 31, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors (40-34) got a bit of a slow start in their game against the San Antonio Spurs (18-57) Sunday afternoon. It was the third quarter that was the deciding factor in this game. They outscored the Spurs 37-21 in the third and every one those points were needed as they went into the fourth quarter.

The Spurs got to within two points in the final minute of play but Golden State held on for the 117-113 win. Draymond Green played a huge role in this game offensively and defensively.

Game recap: This was a tale of two halves. The Spurs got a solid start in the game leading after the first 12 minutes 34-27. San Antonio went on to barely outscore the Warriors in the second quarter 26-25 leading at the half by eight points 60-57.

Golden State turned the tables in the third quarter playing with some incredible intensity. They hit 14 of 24 shot attempts, made five free throws and only had one turnover. The Warriors outscored the Spurs by a landslide 37-21 turning a halftime eight point deficit to an eight point lead 89-81 going into the fourth quarter.

The Spurs did continue to fight and early in the fourth quarter San Antonio had pulled to within five points 94-89 with 8:49 left in the game. Green was having a terrific game with 20 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists and six steals.

After this long road trip, a game like this was exactly the kind of game the Warriors needed. Everyone was on board for this game. With under one minute left in the game the Spurs trailed by two points 113-111. Klay Thompson hit a critical three to give the Warriors a 116-111 lead with 28.6 left in the game.

Victor Wembanyama hit a couple of free throws for a one possession game with 3.2 left on the clock. Draymond Green hit 1 of 2 from the line giving the Warriors a 117-113 lead and that would be the final. The Warriors had completed a 4-1 road trip as they head home to Chase.

The Warriors had a terrific third quarter but the Spurs refused to back down winning the fourth quarter 32-28. Golden State barely squeaked by for the 117-113 win. Curry had the team high with 33 points.

This was an amazing showing from Green who continues to play some terrific offense and defense. He finished this game with 21 points, 6 rebounds, 11 assists and 6 steals. He was a huge force in this game.

Golden State had 15 steals in the game and shot for almost 49% from the field and hit 16 shots from beyond the arc. The Warriors finished with 42 points in the paint. Hopefully the team will see Jonathan Kuminga back on the court sooner rather than later. He could possibly take the court Tuesday night when the team takes on the Mavericks.

The Spurs Wembanyama finished with an amazing 32 points. He is a force to reckon with every time he takes the court. The kid is special and at 7’4″ he improves with every game.

Game recap: Easter Sunday afternoon the Warriors traveled to San Antonio taking on the Spurs. The Warriors had to keep an eye on Wembanyama throughout the game. Wembanyama is always a threat being one of the brightest young stars in the game today. The Warriors took the court without Kuminga still out with bilateral knee tendinitis. This is his third straight missed game. In Sunday’s game, the Warriors got road win number 22.

As this current road trip comes to an end, the Warriors will now head home to Chase Center to take on the Dallas Mavericks. Tipoff for the game is scheduled for 7:00 PM and can be viewed on TNT.

Barnes 13 point 3rd quarter gets Kings 127-116 win over Jazz at Golden 1

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Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis (left) gets the throw down on the Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) in first half action at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Mar 31, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings defeated the Utah Jazz on Sunday night at Golden One Center 127-116. The Kings were coming off two bad losses to the Dallas Mavericks in search of getting back on track. The Kings and Jazz were set for tip-off at 7 PM PST at Golden One Center on Easter Sunday.

In the first quarter, the Kings gained a quick lead against the Jazz. The Kings outscored the Jazz in the first quarter 27-23. The Jazz offense quickly got everyone involved. The Jazz had seven scorers in the first quarter. On the other hand, the Kings Keegan Murray started hot, scoring 10 points to lead the Kings in the first quarter. The Kings didn’t show a lot of superiority so far in a game played against a largely injured Jazz squad. The Kings would look to take over the game in the second quarter.

In the second quarter, the Kings couldn’t create the separation they wanted. The Kings and Jazz scored 29 points in the second quarter, and the Kings remained up by four points. Collin Sexton led the Jazz in the second quarter, adding nine points. Domantas Sabonis got the offense going for himself in the second quarter, scoring nine points. The Kings would go into halftime with a 56-52 lead. It was an underwhelming half from the Kings, who would look to jump out ahead in the third quarter.

In the third quarter, the Kings went on an offensive terror. The Kings put up a mammoth 39 points in the third quarter to expand the lead with Harrison Barnes contributing 13 points. The Jazz scored 25 points in the third quarter to dig themselves a big hole going into the final quarter.

The Kings would take a 95-77 lead into the final 12 minutes. Keegan Murray and De’Aaron Fox were leading the Kings in scoring through three quarters with 20 points each. Brice Sensabaugh was leading the Jazz with 19 points.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings did what they needed to maintain the advantage and come away with a win. The Kings didn’t blow the Jazz off the court in the fourth as they did in the third. However, the Kings held on and defeated the Jazz 127-106.

The Kings played well in the second half and took care of a team they were expected to beat going into the game. The Kings outscored the Jazz in the final quarter 32-29. The leading scorer for the Kings in victory was Keegan Murray, who scored 25 points. Fox and Barnes had 24 points each. Sensabaugh and Sexton led the way for the Jazz in defeat, scoring 22 points.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the LA Clippers on Tuesday at 7 PM PST inside Golden One Center.

Padres clobber Giants 13-4 split series in San Diego

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Ha Seong Kim (7) of the San Diego Padres is jubilant after crossing the plate after a second inning three run homer against catcher Patrick Bailey (left) and the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park in San Diego on Sun Mar 31, 2024 (AP News photo)

Sunday, March 31, 2024

Petco Park

San Diego, California

San Francisco Giants 4 (2-2)

San Diego Padres 13 (3-3)

Win: Pedro Avila (1-0)

Loss: Daulton Jefferies (0-1)

Time: 2:43

Attendance: 34,499

By Stephen Ruderman

The Padres blew out the Giants 13-4, as the Giants ended up getting a split in their opening series in San Diego.

The Giants lost on Opening Day Thursday by a final of 6-4, but had two strong offensive performances carry them to wins Friday and yesterday. Today, the Giants were looking to win their opening series with Daulton Jefferies being called up to make the start.

Jefferies pitched in a handful of games for the Oakland A’s in 2020, 2021 and 2022, but missed all of last season after having Tommy John Surgery. The Giants then signed Jefferies to a minor league deal over the winter.

Michael King got the start for the Padres, and after Jung-hoo Lee walked to start the game, King set down the next three Giants in order. Jefferies came out for the bottom of the first, and Xander Bogaerts reached on an error by the shortstop, Tyler Fitzgerald, who got the start today. 

Fernando Tatis Jr. came up, and hit a pop up into foul territory on the first base side that first-baseman Wilmer Flores chased, and lunged into the Padres’ dugout to try and catch. Flores was unable to catch the ball, but even worse, he tumbled over the railing of the dugout, and crashed hard. 

Manager Bob Melvin and Senior Director of Athletic Training Dave Groeschner went to the Padres’ dugout to check on Flores. They were able to get Flores up, and got him to walk back onto the field on his own. Flores had a cut on one of the fingers on his right hand, which Groeschner bandaged up, and Flores stayed in the game.

Tatis then hit a ground rule double that bounced up and over the wall in left that put runners on second and third base with nobody out for Jake Cronenworth. Jefferies’ first pitch to Cronenworth was a cutter at the top of the zone for a called strike, but the ball hit off of catcher Patrick Bailey’s mask, and sailed to the Padres’ on-deck circle, which allowed Bogaerts to score the first run of the game, and Tatis to go to third. 

Cronenworth grounded out to Flores at first, but Manny Machado lined a double into the gap in right-center field to score Tatis and make it 2-0 San Diego. Ha-seong Kim reached on an infield single to third, and Jurickson Profar grounded out to first for the second out. Runners were at first and second with two outs for catcher Luis Campusanocame, who came up and hit a three-run opposite-field home run to the jury box out in right to make it 5-0

Wilmer Flores was due to lead off the top of the top of the second, but in addition to the finger on his right hand that was bandaged up, he hit his right shoulder pretty hard as well on his tumble into the Padres’ dugout. Flores left the game with a right shoulder contusion, and he was pinch-hit for by Luis Matos, as the Giants went down quietly in the second.

Jefferies was back out for the bottom of the second, and immediately ran back into trouble. Jackson Merrill and Bogaerts both singled to start the inning. Tatis flew out to center, which advanced Merrill to third, and Cronenworth lined a double to right to knock in Merrill and make it 6-0.

Bogaerts, who advanced to third on Cronenworth’s double, was thrown out at the plate for the second out when Machado reached on a fielder’s choice, but Kim came up and hit a three-run home run to left to blow it open to 9-0.

“I’m happy to get back on the mound,” said Jefferies. “It was a long road, but at the end of the day, I didn’t really do my job. I could feel good all I want [about] getting back here, but when I got here, I wanted to compete and help the team win. I just didn’t do that today.”

The Giants went into the third down 9-0, but the Padres turned a 9-1 game into a 9-6 game yesterday, so in the Giants’ view, there was no reason why the Giants couldn’t make a comeback with seven innings remaining. Lee walked to start the inning, and LaMonte Wade Jr. walked with one out to put runners on second and third for the Giants, but hard-hit fly balls by Matt Chapman and Matos ended up being routine fly outs to end the inning.

Kai-Wei Teng came in for the Giants to make his major league debut in the bottom of the third inning, as became the first-ever Taiwanese-born player to appear in a game with the Giants, and the 17th in Major League Baseball history. However, Teng had a very rough first inning, as the Padres scored three runs off him to make it 12-0.

Michael Conforto, who has been off to a hot start for the Giants, walked to start the fourth, and Thairo Estrada hit a towering two-run home run to the front row of the second deck out in left-center to put the Giants on the board and make it 12-2.

Bailey and Lee drew walks, and were at first and second with one out for Jorge Soler, who hit a popup to shallow left-center that the shortstop, Kim, went out on and was unable to catch. Center-fielder Jackson Merrill, who had also come in on the ball, fielded it, and tried to nab Bailey at third, but the throw sailed away. 

It was originally believed that the bases were going to be loaded with one out, but the umpires called an infield fly on the play. The ball fell in shallow left-center field, but an infield fly is described as “any fair fly ball (not including a line drive or a bunt) which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort when first and second or first, second and third base are occupied, before two men are out.” 

Even though Kim was drifting back on the ball, it was in his general vicinity the entire time, which meant he could have caught it with ordinary effort, so the umpires made the correct call. Bob Melvin came out to argue the call, and was quite upset, but there was nothing he could do. The infield fly took the sails out of the Giants’ rally in the fourth, and really, any hope of coming back today. 

Teng pitched through a two-out base-hit in the bottom of the fourth, and pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fifth, so he ended his major league debut on a positive note.

The Giants scored two runs off of Pedro Avila in the top of the seventh. On the pitching side for the Giants, Ryan Walker pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh, and Landed Roupp pitched a scoreless seventh.

Melvin decided to bring Tyler Fitzgerald in from short to pitch the bottom of the eighth, and the Padres scored a run off him to make it 13-4, which would be the final score.

“It was a tough day,” said Melvin. “[It was] a weird game all around,”

Since Avila replaced Michael King at the start of the fifth inning, it is Availa who got the win for the Padres, as starting pitchers have to go five full innings to get the win. Daulton Jefferies of course took the loss for the Giants.

The Giants fall to 2-2, and all they can do is move on and get ready for their three-game series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers that will start tomorrow night. Keaton Winn will be on the mound for the Giants, and first pitch will be at 7:10 p.m.

News and Notes:

  • To clear a roster spot for Jefferies, who was not on the 40-man roster, the Giants designated catcher Joey Bart for assignment.

Bart was the Giants’ first-round pick, and the second overall pick in the 2018 Draft. Bart was originally believed to be the Giants’ catcher of the future, but he struggled when he was called up during the 60-game sprint season of 2020, and even though he was the opening day catcher for the Giants in 2022, he struggled that season as well.

Bart started last season on the Giants’ roster, but he did not make the start on Opening Day, and he ended up spending most of the season in the minors with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats.

Bart will have 10 days to either accept an assignment in the minors, or become a free agent.

  • Wilmer Flores says he is still feeling sore, and will be reevaluated in Los Angeles tomorrow.
  • Blake Snell pitched four innings, gave up three hits and struck out 11 in an extended spring training game against the Giants’ Double-A team in Scottsdale on Friday. 

“I feel good,” said Snell. “[I] just [want to] get more reps, get better and better [and] stronger and stronger. When we get out there, that will be the real tell of where I’m at, and what I need to work on.”

Manager Bob Melvin has not announced the Giants’ probable pitchers past tomorrow night’s game. With Snell expected to make his next start on Wednesday or Thursday, That could feasibly mean that Snell’s next start will come for the Giants against the Dodgers on Wednesday night.

Snell has already been expected to be ready to join the Giants when they host the Padres Friday for the Home Opener at Oracle Park.

A’s get first of the win of the season over Guardians with walk-off walk 4-3

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Photo courtesy of Oakland Athletics.

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)

OAKLAND- On a warm Easter Sunday the A’s looked for their first win of the season in the final game of their series against the Guardians.

It’s been a rough start to the season for the A’s as they remain winless in three games against Cleveland heading into this one.

Getting the start for the A’s was Paul Blackburn who was making his first start of the season. Last season he finished with a 4-7 record and 4.43 era in 20 starts.

For the Guardians it was veteran right-hander Carlos Carrasco making his season debut on the mound. In 2023 he finished with a 3-8 record and 6.80 era in 20 games started.

After a clean inning from Blackburn the A’s got runners on early as Esteury Ruiz singled and then stole second. JJ Bleday got him home with a triple and Seth Brown would single to get Bleday across home plate making it 2-0.

The A’s extended their lead in the third with Ruiz getting a triple this time and reaching home off a single by Bleday.

Blackburn in this one turned in a truly dominant outing pitching seven innings and giving up no runs while striking out three.

Unfortunately the same could not be said for the A’s relief pitching as Lucas Erceg came in for Blackburn in the eighth inning and gave up a run as Estevan Flores got home off a ground out from Gabriel Arias.

Austin Adams then came in with a runner on first and two outs. José Ramírez then got on thanks to a fielding error by Nick Allen which also got Andrés Giménez home cutting the A’s lead to 3-2. The tying run was then tacked on by Josh Naylor who singled to get Ramírez home.

Adams then hit Will Brennan with a pitch but was able to get out of the inning as he struck out Ramón Laureano.

Oakland would call on Dany Jiménez to close things out and his outing was not much smoother. It was kicked off by walking Bo Naylor walking and then Estevan Florial reaching on a fielders choice. Naylor on the play was also able to reach third on an error by Zack Gelof.

Shea Langeliers though was able to make a huge play picking off Naylor on third and then Arias popped out. The A’s had one more scare as Jiménez attempted to pick off the runner on second but threw it to the outfield meaning there was now runners on second and third. Giménez ended up grounding out though as Jiménez was able to get out of the jam.

The Guardians left in Scott Barlow to close out the ninth but he gave up a walk to Ryan Noda and single to J.D. Davis quickly getting the A’s two base runners. Lawrence Butler then singled juicing the bases with not a single out. Cleveland made a pitching change taking out Barlow and replacing him with Eli Morgan to try and salvage the game.

In response Abraham Toro came in to pinch-hit and drew a walk ending the game on a walk-off walk 4-3.

Jiménez gets credited with the win while Scott Barlow takes the loss for Cleveland.

The top of the lineup today was clicking for Oakland as Ruiz and Bleday combined for four hits with Bleday registering two RBIs.

The A’s avoid the sweep with the win and will look to keep the good times rolling against Boston tomorrow. The announced starters in that one are right-hander Joe Boyle for Oakland and right-hander Tanner Houck for the Red Sox. That game will be at 6:40 p.m. in Oakland.

Barracuda shoot down Wranglers 4-1 win to split weekend series

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Calgary Wranglers forward Adam Klapka (#43) looks for the puck as he positioned himself near San Jose Barracuda goalie (#31) Georgi Romanov during the Barracuda’s 4-1 win at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Sunday MAR 31, 2024. (Calgary Wranglers)

by Marko Ukalovic

The San Jose Barracuda had goals from four different goal scorers as they defeated the Calgary Wranglers in 4-1 victory on Sunday afternoon at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

San Jose earned its 21st win as they split the weekend series with the Wranglers and won the season series 5-3. Despite the loss, Calgary has clinched a playoff spot in the Pacific Division.

San Jose (21-32-9-2-53 points) drew first blood with an even strength goal early in the first period. Joe Carrol found Ethan Cardwell inside their own zone. Cardwell skated in along the left wing and beat Wranglers goalie Oscar Dansk for his team-leading 20th goal of the season at the 6:56 mark.

The Barracuda doubled its lead with a four-on-four goal just under five minutes later. Jack Studnicka began a counterattack as he found Danil Gushchin in the neutral zone. Gushchin skated near the left boards before sending a backhand pass down to a trailing Jack Thompson. The recently acquired defenseman’s wrist shot deflected off Yan Kuznetsov’s stick to the far side post and into the back of the net for his first goal in a ‘Cuda uniform and sixth overall of the season at the 11:11 mark.

Calgary (34-24-5-3-76 points) did not manage much offense in the opening period as they only had nine shots on goal compared to San Jose’s 14.

San Jose scored its third unanswered goal of the game at the halfway through the second period. Ethan Frisch sent a long pass out to Danil Gushchin in the neutral zone. Gushchin skated past a Wranglers defender before beating Dansk with a wrist shot through the five-hole for his 16th goal of the season at the 9:48 mark.

That would end the afternoon for Dansk (11-11-3) as head coach Trent Cull he replaced Dansk in the net with Connor Murphy, who made the start on Friday. Dank gave up three goals on 22 shots.

The Wranglers got on the scoreboard early in the third period with an even strength goal. Adam Klapka centered a pass from the left board over to a wide-open Sam Morton who beat ‘Cuda goalie Georgi Romanov with a wrist shot to the right corner for his third goal of the season at the 3:40 mark.

Nathan Todd concluded the scoring with an empty net goal late in the final frame when Jordan Oesterle misplayed the puck along the end boards. Todd collected the puck from behind the net and wrapped around the puck into the net for an unassisted goal, his 18th of the season at the 16:22 mark.

Romanov (8-8-7) finished the game stopping 30 of the 31 shots he faced to earn his eighth victory of the season. Murphy stopped all 10 shots he faced in mop up duty.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished 0-for-1 on the power play. Calgary went 0-for-3.

The Three Stars of the Game: 1) Gushchin 2) Thompson 3) Romanov.

UP NEXT: San Jose continues its five-game road trip on Wednesday 4/3 as they take on the San Diego Gulls at 7:00pm at Pechanga Arena at San Diego.