Sacramento A’s game wrap: A’s Defensive Meltdown in Eighth Inning Leads to 10-1Blowout Loss Against Giants

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Jeffrey Springs #59 of the Athletics talks with first base umpire Jansen Visconti #52 after being called for a balk during the fourth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Sutter Health Park on May 17, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Scott Marshall/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Athletics were back in action to take on the San Francisco Giants on Sunday afternoon in the rubber game of a three-game series.

The Giants defeated the A’s and took the series 10-1 in a very windy matinee affair in front of a sold-out crowd of 12,541 patrons.

Jeffrey Springs got the ball to start for the A’s on Sunday. It was Jeffrey’s 10th start for the A’s this season. Springs threw the ball well for the A’s as he went six innings of two-run (one earned), five-hit ball while throwing 92 pitches during his outing. Springs walked only one batter and struck out three.

“Jeffrey threw the ball great today,” Mark Kotsay said of Springs after the game. “Six innings, two runs. Overall, I thought he did a great job with the elements, pitching in these conditions and going out and really just staying focused throughout the six-inning performance. He did a great job.”

Relieving Springs from the bullpen, it was a mixed bag from the A’s relief corps.

First out of the pen for the A’s was Justin Sterner, who came on to pitch the seventh inning for the A’s. Sterner pitched well and delivered a clean inning while striking out two batters on 23 pitches.

In the eighth inning, the bullpen unraveled for the A’s. Luis Medina came on for the A’s but failed to get an out. Medina faced five batters and gave up five runs (four earned) on three hits and surrendered a walk. It was an abysmal performance that didn’t end with him. Jose Suarez came on to pitch the rest of the eighth and didn’t fare much better. Suarez pitched one inning, giving up three runs on three hits while walking one and striking out one. It was a complete and total pitching and defensive meltdown for the A’s, who also committed three errors in the game (which is conservative; it could have been four).

“I mean, that’s the story of the game, really,” Mark Kotsay said after the game, referring to the team’s lack of clean baseball. “It’s a 2-1 game in the eighth, the leadoff hitter we put on [due to an error]. I think we kicked the ball around three times that inning. That’s not good baseball, and when you don’t play good baseball, things get out of hand, and it did in the eighth, and as you see, that’s the result.”

On the offensive side of the ball, the A’s finished the game with just five hits and scored one run. They also walked five times.

The A’s lone run came in the fifth inning when Carlos Cortes hit an RBI double to, at the time, pull the A’s to within one at a 2-1 score.

That was all the A’s could muster on offense.

With the loss, the A’s lost the series to the Giants and fell to 23-23 on the season. The Giants improved to 20-27.

The A’s will head out on the road to take on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Monday at 6:38 p.m. PST. J.T. Ginn (2-1, 3.12 ERA) is scheduled to start for the A’s, while the Angels are yet to announce a starter for the game.

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. 

Sarver’s late goal gives FC Dallas dramatic 3-2 win over Earthquakes

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San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeper Daniel reaches up high for a ball kicked into the box by FC Dallas at PayPal Park on Saturday May 16, 2026. (San Jose Earthquakes)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — Samuel Sarver scored the game winning goal in the third minute of stoppage time as FC Dallas took down the San Jose Earthquakes 3-2 on Saturday evening at PayPal Park.

San Jose has lost two matches in a row for the first time all season. FC Dallas has won three of its past four matches.

FC Dallas (6-4-4-22 points) struck first in the match’s opening minute thanks to poor ball management by San Jose. Back-to-back turnovers inside their third of the pitch by Beau Leroux and then a bad clearing attempt by Benji Kikanovic led to Patrick Delgado beating Quakes goalkeeper Daniel with a left-footed shot in the right corner of the net for his second goal of the season.

“The last two games we positioned ourselves to walk off the field with a point and failed to finish out the games properly,” said Quakes head coach Bruce Arena.

San Jose (9-3-2-29 points) responded in the 18th minute. Ousseni Bouda crossed the ball into the middle of box that was headed away by a FC Dallas defender. Midfielder Beau Leroux one-timed the ball out of midair high into the right corner of the net that goalkeeper Johnathan Sirois could only watch for Leroux’s secodn goal of the season.

The Earthquakes didn’t capitalize on a chance to take lead the in the 42nd minute when they were awarded a penalty kick after Ian Harkes was tripped up inside the box by FC Dallas defender Osaze Urhoghide two minutes earlier. Leroux’s penalty attempt was stoned away by Sirois with a diving save to the right.

FC Dallas jumped out of the gate to start the second half as they regained the lead in the 49th minute. Herman Johansson sent a ball into the box retrieved by an unmarked Petar Musa. The Croatian striker needed just one touch before blasting a shot past Daniel for his team-leading 12th goal of the season.

The Quakes had many set pieces throughout the match but were only able to capitalize on one of them which left the team frustrated at the end of the match when all said was done.

“Overall, it’s just a frustrating game, especially with the way it ended,” said Quakes captain Ronaldo Vieira. “I think everybody felt like this was at least a game where we should’ve walked away with a point, similar to the Seattle game with the set pieces.”

San Jose scored the equalizer on a set piece in the 81st minute. Bouda’s corner kick into the middle of the box pinballed around and off of the knee of Ried Roberts for his first goal of his MLS career. It was a bit of redemption for Roberts who had left Musa unmarked on his goal earlier in the half.

Sirios finished the match with six saves on eight shots on target to earn his fifth victory of the season. Daniel made seven saves on 10 shots on target in the losing effort.

“We’re at the end of both games where we have a point, and if we lock it down, we walk off the field with a point in both games. That’s how a good, experienced team deals with both of these games, and we failed to do that,” Arena said.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with 12 corner kicks. FC Dallas had four.

The Earthquakes’ all-time regular season record vs. Dallas is now 31-23-23 (121 GF, 98 GA) and 18-9-13 (69 GF, 49 GA) at home.

The Earthquakes sold out PayPal Park for the third time this season and in back-to-back matches (March 15 vs. Seattle, May 9 vs. Vancouver, May 16 vs. Dallas).


The Quakes started eight American players tonight. No team in MLS has averaged more of them in the starting 11 more across all competitions in 2026 than Bruce Arena’s Earthquakes (7.7/game). Arena also started nine former college players tonight; no team in MLS has more of them on the roster (19).

Chris Wondolowski, MLS’ all-time leading scorer in regular-season play with 171 goals, was honored at halftime for his May 1 induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

UP NEXT: San Jose returns to U.S. Open Cup play on Wednesday when they take on the Colorado Rapids in the quarterfinals at 7:00pm at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park.

San Francisco Giants game wrap: Schmitt hits two home runs, and McDonald is lights out over 6 2/3 innings in much-needed 6-4 bounce-back win for Giants over A’s

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San Francisco Giants Casey Schmitt (10) rounds the bases after hitting a first inning home run off Sacramento A’s starter Luis Severino at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Sat May 16, 2026 (AP News photo)

Saturday, May 16, 2026

Sutter Health Park

West Sacramento, California

San Francisco Giants 6 (19-27)

Sacramento Athletics 4 (23-22)

Win: Trevor McDonald (2-0)

Loss: Luis Severino (2-5)

Save: Matt Gage (1)

Time: 2:34

Attendance: 12,489

By Stephen Ruderman

WEST SACRAMENTO–Casey Schmitt hit two home runs, and Trevor McDonald gave up just a run over six and two thirds lights-out inning, as the Giants bounced back with a much-needed 6-4 win over the A’s here in Sacramento.

The Giants’ three-game winning streak was completely wiped out by a three-game losing streak. They had some good news, as Erik Miller was activated off of the Injured List. However, Heliot Ramos was placed on the Injured List after he strained his right quad Friday night.

(As for corresponding roster moves, Tristan Beck was sent down to the River Cats, and Will Brennan was called back up.)

The Giants’ offense had been home run happy again over the last three games, which was the biggest reason they lost three-straight. However, that paid dividends when Casey Schmitt hit a home run to left off Luis Severino with two outs in the top of the first inning.

Unfortunately, this game did not come without more wasted opportunities by the Giants. It also didn’t come without more bone-headed base-running blunders by Willy Adames.

Willy has already been in hot water for forgetting the amount of outs and getting doubled off second base after jazzercising with Mookie on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.

Saturday night, Adames was standing at second with one out in the top of the second. I couldn’t tell if he was talking to Darrel Hernaiz and Jeff McNeil, so I am not going to make any assumptions. However, when Drew Gilbert hit a ground ball to short that bounced in front of Adames, even though players are taught when they’re kids not to advance on a ground ball that bounces in front of them, Adames took off for third anyway, and was promptly thrown out by a mile. It was Adames’ second bone-headed base-running blunder in just the last four games.

Adames had a chance to redeem himself when he came up with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the third. Willy has shown more of a willingness to shorten his swing and hit line drives since last Friday. Here, he lined a base-hit the other way to right to knock in a pair of runs and make it 3-0. However, Adames was thrown out trying to take second on the throw home by Lawrence Butler.

To give Willy credit, Shea Langeliers was standing a good 10 feet in front of the plate to receive the throw that he knew had no chance of getting Luis Arraez, and was itching to make that play on Adames. Also, runners are generally going to try and take second on throws from the outfield to the plate, so I’m not going to fault Willy for that one.

As for the pitching side of things, Trevor McDonald took the ball for his third big league start of the year, and have up just one hit through his first three innings. The A’s put runners at first and second with one out in the bottom of the fourth, but McDonald retired the next two guys he faced to get out of it.

Luis Arraez walked with one out in the top of the fifth, and that set things up for Schmitt to hit his second home run of the game. This one was an opposite-field shot that just stayed fair down the right field line.

Do you remember how I mentioned earlier that this game did not come without missed opportunities by the Giants? Well, the Giants had a chance to make this one a laugher after they loaded the bases later in the inning with still just one out. Then, Drew Gilbert struck out on a foul tip, and Harrison Bader missed a grand salami by just a matter of feet, as he flew out to the track in left to end the inning.

The Giants wasted a golden opportunity to put the game away, and McDonald had to sit for a bit during the top of the fifth. The A’s immediately pounced, and got runners to first and third to start the inning. McNeil then hit a one-hopper to first, but Rafael Devers made a great sliding stop to his right to get it, and while his throw to second was a bit wild, Adames was able to catch it and step on the bag to get Hernaiz. Butler scored to put the A’s on the board, but McDonald was able to work out of it with just the run.

To give credit to Severino, he ate up six innings for the A’s, despite giving up the five runs. McDonald, on the other hand, was lights out over six and two thirds. He gave up just a run on five hits, and he struck out five.

The Giants tacked on a run off Scott Barlow in the top of the seventh to make it 6-1. They had a chance to add on more, as they still had runners at second and third with one out, but, well, they wasted it.

Tony wanted to give Erik Miller some work in his return, and he got the final out in the bottom of the seventh. Miller was back out for the bottom of the eighth, and walked the first two batters of the inning. Tyler Soderstrom flew out to right for the first out, and then Tony pulled Miller for Caleb Kilian. Brent Rooker then stepped up, and hit a three-run bomb that hooked down the left field line to make it 6-4.

The Giants were going to have to earn this one. However, I was assured by people who have covered the A’s on a routine basis this season that the A’s wouldn’t come back. As for me, after watching the Giants get off to a horrendous 18-27 start, and have their three-game winning streak, where it looked like they were finally getting it together, get completely wiped out by a three-game losing streak, I was not going to relax until that final out was made.

Well, they were right. Matt Gage threw a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth for his first big league save, and the Giants won 6-4.

Trevor McDonald got the win; Luis Severino took the loss; and you already saw it in just my very last sentence: Matt Gage picked up his first big league save.

The Giants improve to 19-27, and they can take the series with a win Sunday. They will have to rely on Adrian Houser (1-4 ERA 5.79) Sunday. While Houser got off to a rough start, he is coming off a pair of solid outings. Hopefully, he can give the Giants another one Sunday. Jeffrey Springs (3-3 ERA 4.22) will go for the A’s.

First pitch will be at 1:05 p.m.

Napoleon Solo wins 151st Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park

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Jockey Poco Lopez atop Napoleon Solo in front of the pack at the 151st Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park is the winner of the horse race on Sat May 16, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Jessica Kwong

Napoleon Solo returned to form Saturday evening, surging past the leaders around the far turn and holding off Iron Honor to win the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park.

With the race temporarily moved from Pimlico Race Course because of ongoing renovations, the colt trained by Chad Summers handled the unfamiliar stage better than anyone in the 14-horse field. Ridden by Paco Lopez, Napoleon Solo finished the 1 3/16-mile race in 1:58.69 and paid $17.80 to win after going off at better than 7-1 odds.

Napoleon Solo tracked comfortably behind the early pace before Lopez guided him outside entering the stretch. Once clear, the colt steadily pulled away and had enough left to fend off Iron Honor’s late push near the wire.

“We’ve had everything go wrong,” said Summers on the NBC broadcast. “We’ve just kinda stayed the course and stayed the course. We had a lot of critics out there that told us to just shut up and we just kept with it and it worked out today.”

Owner Al Gold praised the trainer.

“He’s the best,” said Gold. “He wanted this. This is his dream. He loves the game. I’m really happy for him.”

Iron Honor finished second, 1 1/4 lengths behind the winner, while Chip Honcho placed third. Early favorite Taj Mahal set a sharp pace through the opening fractions but faded badly in the stretch and finished 10th.

Napoleon Solo entered the race with questions surrounding his recent form after back-to-back fifth-place finishes earlier this spring. The colt showed promise as a 2-year-old, including a victory in the Champagne Stakes, though he failed to carry that momentum into the Kentucky Derby trail. Saturday’s performance marked his first win of the year and the biggest victory yet for Summers, who was making his debut in a Triple Crown race.

The race unfolded without the possibility of a Triple Crown champion after Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo skipped the Preakness to rest for the Belmont Stakes. That decision helped create one of the more open fields in recent years, and bettors spread support across several contenders throughout the week.

Saturday also marked a rare change in scenery for one of horse racing’s most recognizable events. Laurel Park hosted the Preakness for the first time while renovations continue at Pimlico, the race’s longtime home in Baltimore.

Attendance was significantly smaller than a traditional Preakness crowd, with Laurel’s limited capacity creating a quieter atmosphere than the packed grandstands usually associated with the middle jewel of the Triple Crown.

The victory immediately places Napoleon Solo among the leading contenders for next month’s Belmont Stakes, though no official decision on his next start has been announced.

The final race of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, takes place on June 6.

Preakness Stakes 2026 running order:

  1. Napoleon Solo
  2. Iron Honor
  3. Chip Honcho
  4. Ocelli
  5. Incredibolt
  6. Bull By The Horns
  7. The Hell We Did
  8. Great White
  9. Robusta
  10. Taj Mahal
  11. Corona De Oro
  12. Talkin
  13. Crupper
  14. Pretty Boy Miah

Sacramento A’s game wrap: Giants Hold Off Late Rally, Defeat A’s 6-4

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Luis Severino #40 of the Athletics pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Sutter Health Park on May 16, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Athletics were back in action on Saturday night at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento to take on the San Francisco Giants. It was game two of a three-game series as the A’s looked to win the series after defeating the Giants 5-2 on Friday night.

The A’s couldn’t mount a comeback against the Giants on Saturday as they fell 6-4.

Luis Severino got the ball for what was his 10th start of the year for the Athletics, looking to pick up his third win in those attempts. Severino struggled in the outing and failed to deliver a quality start. Severino did manage to give the A’s six innings, but it was riddled with five runs on 10 hits, and he added two walks in the outing. It wasn’t what the A’s needed and still, to some degree, expect from their number one starter. Severino needed 96 pitches to get through his six innings of work.

What was A’s manager Mark Kotsay’s assessment of Luis Severino Saturday night?

“I think the ball was just up tonight,” Kotsay said after the game.

As for Severino, his opinion of his outing was slightly different.

“I feel I was getting through, throwing good pitches, some hits,” Severino said after the game. “I feel like there was not a lot of solid contact but the two homers and then the Arraez double. Everything else was just a blooper.”

Well, that’s certainly one way to describe an outing in which you gave up 10 hits and walked two batters.

The A’s bullpen came on for the rest of the game starting in the seventh inning.

Scott Barlow tossed the seventh inning for the A’s and struggled, giving up a run on two hits but managing to limit the damage. Barlow threw 16 pitches in the inning while walking none and striking out two.

In the eighth and ninth innings, the A’s sent Mark Leiter Jr. to the mound to keep things where they were in hopes of mounting a comeback. In the eighth inning, it was relatively smooth sailing for Leiter Jr. as he allowed only one hit and struck out one in a scoreless frame. In the ninth inning, he pitched another scoreless inning with his only blemish being a hit while striking out one more. All in, Leiter Jr. went two innings, allowing two hits and no runs while striking out two.

On the offensive side of the ball, it was a pretty tame performance from the green and gold as their offense didn’t get much going until the second half of the game.

The A’s got on the board for the first time in the fifth inning when Jeff McNeil got an RBI on a force out that scored Lawrence Butler from third base.

The A’s didn’t score again until the eighth inning when Brent Rooker hit a three-run home run to deep left field off Caleb Killian to make it a 6-4 ballgame. Rooker’s blast, his second hit of the night, traveled 407 feet and left the bat at 109.5 MPH. It was the sixth home run and 19th, 20th, and 21st RBI of the season for the A’s designated hitter.

The A’s didn’t score again the rest of the game and finished with six hits and three walks.

With the win, the Giants improved to 19-27 while the A’s fell to 23-22 in the 2026 season.

The A’s and Giants will play the rubber game of the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. PST at Sutter Health Park. Jeffrey Springs (3-3, 4.22 ERA) is slated to start for the A’s while the Giants will send Adrian Houser (1-4, 5.79 ERA) to the hill as both teams look for the series win.

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. 

Bay FC Match wrap up: Bay FC in 1-1 draw with Boston Legacy

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Bay FC defender Aldana Cometti dribbles past a Boston Legacy FC player on May 15, 2026 at PayPal Park in San Jose. (Photo: Bay FC)

By William Espy

SAN JOSE–On Friday night, Bay FC faced off against Boston Legacy FC for the first time ever and what a first meeting as both clubs finished in a 1-1 draw. Boston had already carved out a reputation for themselves as a physical, hard to play against type of team. Bay FC needed to find a way to overcome their goalscoring struggles though, if they were going to walk away with the three points.

Bay FC got a chance early in the match, as Caroline Conti attempted to find Karlie Lema in front of the goal, but the ball bounced off of Lema and out of play in the second minute.Bay also had a pair of corner kicks in the opening minutes, but nothing came of them.

In the 18th minute, Conti generated another chance after forcing a turnover off of a Boston free kick. The ball bounced around between Lema and Rachael Kundananji, but neither was able to get a shot off before Boston’s goalkeeper Casey Murphy retrieved the ball. Bay had a couple of shots in the 25th minute, Lema shot it from point-blank range, and the rebound bounced to Dorian Bailey who was denied by Murphy as well. Amanda Gutirres hit the post in the 40th minute, nearly giving Boston a lead late in the first half.

A red card was issued to Bianca St-Georges after a dangerous challenge on Bay FC midfielder Claire Hutton. The game would head to halftime, still tied at 0-0.

Bay FC finally got on the board in the 51st minute with a goal by Dorian Bailey, who narrowly slipped the ball past Murphy and into the net.

After a VAR review, the official awarded a penalty to Boston for a foul on Jordan Silkowitz, who was visibly upset with the decision. Boston’s Amanda Gutirres stepped up to the penalty spot and put the ball past Silkowitz, who dove in the wrong direction, tying the game at a goal apiece. Cristiana Girelli and Taylor Huff entered the game for Bay FC in the 66th minute.

Annie Karich was shown a yellow card in the 77th minute for a challenge on Hannah Bebar. Tess Boade and Maddie Moreau entered the game for Bay FC in the 82nd minute, looking to give them a late burst of energy.

Bay nearly broke the deadlock in the 90th minute when they caused a scramble around the goalkeeper, but it wasn’t meant to be. Murphy made another big save for Boston in stoppage time and Bay FC failed to convert on the ensuing corner kick. Ultimately, the game would end in a 1-1 draw. Bay FC outplayed their opponent on the pitch, but giving up a key penalty came back to bite them in the long run.

MLB The Show podcast Lincoln Juarez: ChiSox with big turn around; Mets making come back sweep Tigers; plus more news

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The Chicago White Sox Randal Grichuk slugs a two run single in the bottom of the third inning against the Kansas City Royals at Rate Field in Chicago on Thu May 14, 2026 (AP News photo)

MLB The Show podcast Lincoln Juarez:

#1 How are the Chicago White Sox managing their turnaround after climbing above .500 for the first time since 2023?

#2 Can the New York Mets keep their momentum going after sweeping the Tigers and powering up with multiple home runs?

#3 Will the 2026 Subway Series between the Yankees and Mets become the biggest rivalry storyline of May?

#4 Is the Milwaukee Brewers Jesús Made truly baseball’s next superstar after being named MLB’s No. 1 prospect?

#5 How important is Endy Rodriguez’s return for the Pittsburgh Pirates playoff hopes after his strong comeback performance?

Join Lincoln Juarez for MLB The Show podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast Mary Lisa: Knights-Avalanche meet up for game 1 third round Wednesday night; Canada pulling for Habs in game 6 vs. Buffalo

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Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner (right) laughs at the Anaheim Ducks defensmen Ian Moore (3) and center Mikael Granlund (center) in the second period of game 6 of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Toyota Center in Anaheim on Thu May 14, 2026 (AP News photo)

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast Mary Lisa:

#1 Talk about Thursday’s four goal 5-1 win as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Anaheim Ducks 5-1 at the Duck Pond in Anaheim to eliminate the Ducks from round 2 of the playoffs.

#2 The Knights wasted no time in the first period scoring three goals getting past Anaheim goaltender Lukas Dostal.

#3 In game 5 of the Montreal Canadiens 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres the Canadiens over came a 3-2 first period deficit that saw lots of offense in the opening period.

#4 It was the second period that exploded for the Canadiens who scored three goals to no goals for the Sabres and that pretty much put away the Sabres as Montreal takes a 3-2 series lead.

#5 Talk about the Golden Knights-Colorado Avalanche match up with the puck dropping in game 1 on Wed May 20th at Ball Arena in Denver.

#6 What’s up with Knights head coach John Tortorella refusing to open the locker room up to allow the media in after the Knights win over the Ducks after game 6. Tortorella has had a history with battles with the media everywhere he gone. The NHL fined Tortorella $100,000 and docked the Knights their second round draft pick.

Mary Lisa podcasts the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs weekly at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast Len Shapiro: Knights-Aves match up could go 7 games; Can Habs finish off Sabres?

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Vegas Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella speaks with the media on Fri May 1, 2026 after defeating the Utah Mammoth in round 1 of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. Tortorella was fined $100,000 and the Knights were docked their second round draft pick for keeping the locker room shut following the Knights win eliminating the Anaheim Ducks in round 2 game 6. (AP News photo)

NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs podcast Len Shapiro:

#1 Talk about Thursday’s four goal 5-1 win as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Anaheim Ducks 5-1 at the Duck Pond in Anaheim to eliminate the Ducks from round 2 of the playoffs.

#2 The Knights wasted no time in the first period scoring three goals getting past Anaheim goaltender Lukas Dostal.

#3 In game 5 of the Montreal Canadiens 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres the Canadiens over came a 3-2 first period deficit that saw lots of offense in the opening period.

#4 It was the second period that exploded for the Canadiens who scored three goals to no goals for the Sabres and that pretty much put away the Sabres as Montreal takes a 3-2 series lead.

#5 Talk about the Golden Knights-Colorado Avalanche match up with the puck dropping in game 1 on Wed May 20th at Ball Arena in Denver.

#6 What’s up with Knights head coach John Tortorella refusing to open the locker room up to allow the media in after the Knights win over the Ducks after game 6. Tortorella has had a history with battles with the media everywhere he gone. The NHL fined Tortorella $100,000 and docked the Knights their second round draft pick.

Len Shapiro podcasts the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs weekly at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento A’s game wrap: Nick Kurtz Powers A’s Past Giants 5-2 Behind Strong Pitching Effort

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Nick Kurtz #16 of the Athletics hits a home run during the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on Friday, May 15, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Darren Yamashita/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Athletics were back in action on Friday night at Sutter Health Park to take on the San Francisco Giants at 6:40 p.m. PST.

The A’s were fresh off a series loss to the St. Louis Cardinals where they dropped two of the three games at home.

The Giants were coming off a split of a four-game series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers.

On Friday, A’s manager Mark Kotsay was away from the team attending his daughter’s graduation from college. In his absence, Darren Bush, the A’s bench coach, took over the managerial duties for the evening. The A’s defeated the Giants 5-2 in front of a sold-out crowd of 12,348 on Friday.

Aaron Civale got the start for the A’s in what was his ninth start of the year for the green and gold. Civale was pretty sharp overall in his outing as he went five innings of six-hit, two-run baseball. He left in line for the win and struck out two Giants hitters in his appearance that required 76 pitches.

“He did an outstanding job, made pitches all night,” Darren Bush said of Civale after the game. “They hit some balls hard, he didn’t back away from contact. He kept on going and he made the big pitch when he needed to.”

Civale came out of the game prematurely, or so it seemed to me. With just 76 pitches through five innings, it seemed he would return for the sixth. Yet, he did not and after the game spoke of his outing.

“Ideally I’d like to work longer into the game, but sometimes 76 pitches just feels like 100 and sometimes 100 feels like 50,” Civale told me after the game.

Overall, Civale was pretty happy with his outing.

“I thought I was pretty quick and efficient in the first three [innings],” Civale said in the clubhouse to the media. “I ran into some trouble in the fourth and fifth there, but was able to work through with minimal damage. Obviously the two homers are not ideal, but I felt like we were competing before and after that.”

The A’s bullpen pitched really well for the most part in the game.

Joel Kuhnel was first out of the pen for the A’s and pitched a scoreless sixth inning for the A’s while needing 14 pitches to do so. Kuhnel allowed one hit and struck out two batters in his inning of work.

Jose Suarez was next up for the A’s on the hill and tossed a scoreless seventh inning, albeit after getting into some trouble. Suarez gave up two hits, both singles, but managed to get out of it unscathed while throwing 21 pitches in his outing.

In the eighth inning, Darren Bush went with Luis Medina to protect the lead and he delivered with a scoreless inning, giving up just a walk and striking out one batter. Medina threw 19 pitches in the eighth inning.

In the ninth inning, Hogan Harris pitched a scoreless ninth inning to seal the win for the A’s. Harris tossed 14 pitches and gave up just one hit while striking out one in a stress-free inning.

On the offensive side of the ball, the A’s recorded 10 hits and walked once en route to their five runs.

Jeff McNeil got the A’s on the board in the first inning with a ringing RBI double down the right-field line that scored Zack Gelof. However, a nice relay from Jung Hoo Lee and Luis Arraez cut down Darrell Hernaiz at the plate to keep it a one-RBI play.

The A’s next scoring came in the bottom of the fifth inning at the hands of the red-hot first baseman for the A’s, Nick Kurtz. Kurtz, with runners on the corners and one out, sent a 108 MPH line drive over the left-center-field wall to give the A’s the 4-2 lead. It was Kurtz’s third home run in as many games and it traveled 417 feet.

Later in the fifth inning, the A’s would have runners on the corners again, this time with two outs. Henry Bolte lined a ball to left field for a single to score another run and pull the A’s ahead even further and make it a 5-2 game.

That would be all the offense the A’s needed as they defeated the Giants 5-2 thanks to solid pitching and timely hitting.

With the win, the now 23-21 A’s will take on the Giants in game two of their series on Saturday at 6:40 p.m. PST. Luis Severino (2-4, 4.07 ERA) is scheduled to start for the A’s as the Giants will counter with Trevor McDonald (1-0, 2.92 ERA).

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.