Estrada’s 8th inning RBI basehit gives Giants leg up on Phils in 7-4 win

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San Francisco Giants’ Joey Bart, right, bunts for a single in front of Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto during the eighth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Wed May 17, 2023 (AP News photo)

Philadelphia (20-23). 000 310 000. – 4. 8. 1

San Francisco (20-23) 400 000 03x. – 7 11. 0

Time: 2:55.

Attendance: 25,303

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–Sometimes the hassles attendant on day games after nights games pile up until you never again want to see baseball played in broad daylight. But there are afternoons when it’s 59º and the sun is shining on McCovey Cove with just enough haze to soften the outlines of the east bay hills and remind you of a Japanese woodblock print.

It’s days like that, days like today, that let you forget about the standings, about aging veterans and rookie mistakes, blown saves and other missed opportunities and just sit back and enjoy the sunshine and the action on the field. It was a good day to watch San Francisco beat the Phils by the score of 7-4.

It didn’t hurt that the Giants jumped all over Philadelphia’s starter, Taijuan Walker, from the get go combining singles by Wilmer Flores, Casey Schmitt, Blake Sable, and Brandon Crawford with walks to LaMonte Wade, Jr and Mike Yastrzemski to put four runs on the board and two men on the base paths when Walker was yanked in favor of Matt Strahm with two out in the bottom of the first.

He had thrown 40 pitches, 21 for strikes. He escaped with a no decision, which left him with a record of 3-2, 6.53. Incidentally, Strahm got Joey Bart out to end the inning and pitched strongly until Connor Brogdon relieved him in the fourth. Andrew Vasquez took over for him in the fifth. and Andrew Bellatti with one on and one out in the sixth.

It was a strong start for San Francisco, but there was trouble to come.

San Francisco’s starter, Ross Stripling, didn’t experience any serious difficulties until the top of the fourth, when Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos singled, Kyle Schwarber walked, and JT Reamuto sent a double down the left field line that brought the first two runners home and sent Stripling to the showers, replaced by Sean Manaea, who yielded a sacrifice fly to Alec Bohm that scored Schwarber and allowed Realmuto to take third. That and a called third strike to Marsh brought the frame to a close.

Stripling had gone 3-1/3 innings and allowed three runs, all earned although one was posthumous. The Phillies touched him for four hits, and he walked one and struck out two. His ERA inched up to 7.24. Like Walker, he got a no decision.

Manaea coughed up the lead in the visitors’ sixth, when Stott got a hold of an 85.9mph slider and sent it travelling 101.7 mph over the Levi’s Landing sign, It probably didn’t make it to McCovey Cove, but visitors’ homers don’t count as splash hits anyway.

Jakob Junis pitched a splendid sixth for San Francisco, striking out the side in the old sense of the expression: three batters, three Ks. After allowing a lead off single to Bohm in the seventh, Junis departed, replaced by Scott Alexander. This made sense; Alexander is left handed, the next three batters in Philadelphia’s lineup were, too. The first, Marsh, laid down a sacrifice bunt. Junis fielded it and threw to second, but not in time.

Now there were runners on first and second no one out and the right handed Josh Harrison pinch hitting for Clemens. Junis struck him out. Stott hit a broken bat bouncer to Estrada at second, which became a 4-6-3 double play, but not. before Philadelphia challenged the call. The review showed that Harrison was well and truly out.

Seranthony Domínguez took over pitching duties for the Phillies in the whole seventh and immediately was helped by a spectacular diving catch by Schwarber in left of a dying liner by Flores.

In the eighth, John Brebbia relieved for the second time in as many games. He did his job, and we still we tied at four going into the bottom of the eighth. Gregory Soto now was pitching for the Phillies. JD Davis pinch hit to Sabal and singled to right. Mitch Haniger pinch hit for Crawford and singled to center.

Brett Wisely pinch ran for Davis, who had gone to second. Bart got. a bunt single to load the bases. Wade hit a grounder to second that forced Wisely out at home. Estrada’s single to center scored Haniger. Conforto to third that forced Bart out at. home but advanced the other two runners. Flores smacked a two run center to left. Mike Yastrzemski struck out, but we went into the ninth with the Giants ahead, 7-4.

That was Duval time. He was looking for his 11 th save, the second in two days. It wasn’t easy, a wild pitch and hit batter combined with Realmuto’s lead off single and walk to Stott loading the bases with one out and Trea Turner at bat. Duval got. ahead of him, 0-2. There was a conference at the mound. The count went to 1-2. Duval got him swinging.

Brebbia was the winning pitcher. He’s now 2-0, 4.67. Soto (1-3, 4.95) took the loss. And Camilo Doval got the save His ERA stands at 2.29.

The Giants. have tomorrow off and will face the Marlins here on Friday night. Starting pitcher for the Marlins on Friday Sandy Alcantara (1-4 ERA 4.91) and for the Giants Anthony DeSclafani (3-3 ERA 3.06) a 7:15 pm PT first pitch.

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: A’s gave it an effort in Arizona series; battled to the end but dropped two of three

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Oakland Athletics’ Esteury Ruiz breaks his bat while hitting a single against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the seventh inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Wed May 17, 2023 (AP News photo)

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg:

#1 It was a series unlike the Texas Rangers series where the Oakland A’s lost three out of four where the A’s battled the Arizona Diamondbacks a second place team in the NL West and who are playing hard to climb up in the standings. The A’s who have had middle and closing issues have kept manager Mark Kotsay on the edge of his seat.

#2 The A’s started Luis Medina today who started at 0-2 had a great start going six innings giving up three runs on three hits and six strikeouts although the A’s were behind 3-0 until the bottom of the seventh he kept them in the game.

#3 How big was Ramon Laureano’s three run home run to get the A’s back in this one. It was Laureano’s fifth home run of the season.

#4 Shintaro Fujinami was struggling on the mound as a starter and converted into being a reliever came into pitch the eighth and ninth innings. Fujinami got the third out on a strikeout in the eighth but in the ninth with the score tied and double action in the A’s bullpen and runners at first and third Fujinami loaded the bases and manager Mark Kotsay went and got him. Adrian Martinez came into relieve and Jose Herrera hit a sac fly that scored Lourdes Gurriel Jr to break the deadlock.

#5 It’s a whole new series on Friday Jerry as the A’s travel to Houston to take on Dusty Baker and the Houston Astros after taking Thursday off. Starting pitchers for the A’s left hander Ken Waldichuk the Astros have not announced a starter as of Wednesday.

Join Jerry for the Oakland A’s podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

D-Backs win rubber game from A’s of three-game series 5-3

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Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Jose Herrera, left, tags out Oakland Athletics’ Tony Kemp at home plate during the seventh inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Wed May 17, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–The Arizona D-Dacks rebounded from a 9-8 defeat in 12 innings Tuesday night to beat the A’s 5-3 Wednesday afternoon. The two starters, Oakland’s Luis Medina and Arizona’s Kyle Nelson were in a pitchers’ duel for the game’s first six innings.

Nelson allowed a single to Esteutry Ruiz in the first and kept the A’s hitless until he left the game in the sixth. Medina allowed three hits in his six innings. Two of the hits were home runs. He allowed a solo blast in the second to Christian Walker and a two-run shot of the bat of Corbin Carroll in the sixth. 

The D-Backs won the series two games to one.

The D-Backs drew first blood in the top of the second inning. Leadoff hitter Christian Walker sent Luis Medina’s 79 mph curveball over the wall in left field. For Walker, it was his 11th dinger of the year. Medina settled down and retired the next three hitters. Arizona leads 1-0 midway through the second inning.

The D-Backs plated two more runs in the top of the sixth. With one out, Luis Medina issued a walk to Geraldo Perdomo. The next hitter, right-fielder Carbin Caroll sent Medina’s 91 mph four-sea1m fastball over the wall in center field. Esteury Ruiz tried to make a leaping catch, but the ball went past his grasp.

It was Carrol’s sixth blast of the year. The D-backs lead 3-0. D-Backs’ starter Ryne Nelson, who had allowed the A’s one hit in the first five innings, suddenly couldn’t find the strike zone in the bottom of the sixth. He walked three batters to load the bases. He also uncorked a wild pitch. The A’s had two chances to get runners in. The D-Backs’ manager, Torey Lovullo, brought Luis Frias to pitch. Frias did the job by retiring the next two hitters to end the inning. The D-Backs lead 3-0 after six.

The A’s tied the score in the seventh. Still pitching for Arizona, Luis Frias walked the first two batters in the inning. Frias now had to deal with Ramon Laureano. Laureano settled the issue by blasting his fifth home run of the season out of the park to tie the game.

The A’s blew an opportunity for another run when Tony Kemp got thrown out at home. After Laureano’s homer, Kemp singled. Nick Allen laid down a sacrifice bunt, sending Kemp to second. Esteury Ruiz, so good when hitting with runners in scoring position, singled to short center field. Kemp was thrown out attempting to score on the hit. The game is now tied 3-3 after seven.

With Shintaro Fujinami on the mound to start the ninth, the right-hander from Japan had things go south quickly. The D-Backs’ leadoff hitter, Lourdes Guriel, Jr, doubled leading off for Arizona. Fujinami retired Pavin Smith for the first out. The A’s issued an intentional walk to Dominic Fletcher.

Fujinami walked Emmanuel Herrera to load the bases with one out. A’s manager, Mark Kotsay, brought Adrien Martinez in to pitch to Jose Herrera. Herrera hit a sacrifice fly to drive the D-Backs’ fourth run of the game. Ketel Marte singled, and Arizona plated another run. The D-Backs lead 5-3. The A’s failed to score in their half of the ninth. Arizona wins 5-3.

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s are now 10-35. The D-Backs improve to 25-19. 

The A’s starter Luis Medina gave up three hits in six innings. Two hits were home runs, and the other was a double. Medina’s line was six innings, three hits, three runs, two homers, six strikeouts, and two walks. Arizona’s starter Ryne Nelson allowed one hit and no runs in five and 1/3rd innings. He struck out six and walked four. After giving up a hit to Esteury Ruiz, the leadoff hitter in the first inning, Nelson held the A’s hitless until his exit in the sixth inning. 

The hitting start for Oakland was Ramon Laureano. Laureano’s home run in the seventh tied the game. 

The line score for Oakland was three runs, five hits, and no errors. Arizona’s line was five runs, six hits, and no errors. 

The A’s are off on Thursday. The A’s will travel to Houston to face the Astros at Minute Maid Park For three games starting Friday night. Left Ken Waldicchuk (1-2, 7.02 ERA) goes for Oakland Astros manager Dusty Baker has not named a starter for Friday night’s game.

The time of the game was 2:51 minutes. 4,133 were on hand to watch the A’s lose for the 35th time this season.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Las Vegas expansion Is more than the A’s

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Actor Mark Wahlberg who is behind moving Hollywood film production to Las Vegas is one of the other major industries leaving California (AP file photo 2022)

Las Vegas expansion Is more than the A’s

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–Major League Baseball and the Oakland Athletics are not the only ones moving to Las Vegas. Hollywood movie studios are also making the move to Sin City. A group of bipartisan Nevada lawmakers just introduced a bill that would give massive credits towards luring Hollywood film production to Las Vegas including a proposed $1 billion Sony Studios expansion. Filmmaker Mark Wahlberg is one the biggest proponents of this Hollywood studio migration to Las Vegas.

Southern Nevada is fast becoming a center for entertainment like few other cities in the world, with lots of available land, lower taxes, and less political drama, than “for example” neighboring California which has also seen an exodus of its residents to Nevada and other States that are more “tax-friendly”. An executive in the hospitality industry said, quote” “California has become prohibited for business, with so many regulations and high rates of taxes.

A Sony Studios spokesperson said the company supports the film industry expansion with a commitment of $1 billion on production over the next ten years.

After being hit by the pandemic, Nevada now has become a “happening place” and Las Vegas is at the center of it all. The Nevada lawmakers are giving $190 million in tax credits for 20 years to the people and businesses of the State. This is the largest tax incentive package in recent history

While here in the Bay Area, the departure of the Oakland A’s is big news, as the A’s would be the first franchise to relocate out of state since the Montreal Expos (who were under National League ownership) in 2005, now playing in Washington, D.C., as the Washington Nationals. They relocated out of the country from Canada to the US.

–On November 18 the Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix will take place.

–The 58th Super Bowl is scheduled to be played on February 11, 2024, at Allegiant Stadium, in Las Vegas. This will mark the third straight year that the Super Bowl has been played in the Western United States.

–Las Vegas Golden Knights are back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, now as the Pacific Division champions and the top seed in the Western Conference, after they missed the playoffs last season.

The A’s have company: The new trend is the “California Exodus”, as California’s population still shrinking. According to the latest population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, California’s population declined by more than 500,000 between April 2020 and July 2022. You do not need an MBA from UCLA to know that the high cost of living in California and so many other problems, housing, homelessness, and crime in the cities have become the factors for this exodus right after the Covid years on why so many people are saying Adios to the Golden State.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play announcer for the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network at http://www.sportsradioservice.com and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s Go 12 Rounds Against The Diamondbacks, But Win 9-8 With A Walk Off Hit In Extra Innings

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Oakland Athletics’ Esteury Ruiz, center, celebrates with teammates after a game winning single during the 12th inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Troy Ewers

OAKLAND–In front of a crowd of 3,261 in the Coliseum, the Arizona Diamondbacks played the Oakland A’s for game two of this three game series. On the hill to start Kyle Mueller (Oakland) and Tommy Henry (Arizona) and they both went four innings and each gave up four runs. The A’s came away with a thrilling 9-8 win over the Diamondbacks in 12 innings at the Coliseum.

Christian Walker’s two run home run for Arizona in the first was just a sign of things to come all game. This was Walker’s tenth home run of the season. A’s responded when the star of this team Esteury Ruiz got a double, then stole third (Ruiz’s 20th stolen base), and Brent Rooker’s single would bring Ruiz in making the game 2-1.

Rooker’s RBI single makes 30 on the season so far, which shows that having Ruiz lead off can almost guarantee a run, because Rooker can bring him in. The second inning saw a quick innings as both sides were retired rather quickly, but in the third the A’s would tie the ballgame up when Nick Allen hit his first homerun of the season.

In the forth, the Athletics would take the lead from a solo bomb by Ramon Laureano with two outs in the inning. This home run seemed like the highlight of the night, but little did everyone know we were in for a longer night than expected.

The Diamondbacks would mute the crowd when a Emmanuel Rivera RBI double would score two men in, but right after that big double, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hits a two run home run making the game 6-4 and the crowd in Oakland assumed that they were in for another Oakland loss at the hands of pitchers taking their foot off the gas when the batters put numbers on the board.

That feeling these A’s fans had was even amplified when two more runs by the D-Backs in the seventh were put up. Then the moment that caused a bigger eruption in Oakland than the K-Pop concert in the Oracle Arena right next to them was when the bottom of the seventh rally started.

With two outs Rooker and Diaz’s singles got them on base and got this momentum going, then an Evan Longoria error put Carlos Perez on base, making the bases loaded, and boom went the dynamite as Ryan Noda hit a monster grand slam over the left field wall.

This didn’t just tie the game 8-8, but it was Oakland’s first grand slam of the 2023 season. The Coliseum went absolutely crazy for this and after two scoreless innings, we had extra innings. A quiet tenth and 11th inning led the crowd to get restless, but it was the calm before the storm as in the 12th inning the Oakland star Esteury Ruiz with the bases loaded would hit the ball right at the shortstop, Nick Ahmed, and the ball would hit his glove, and the man on third walked right on home.This was Ruiz’s second walk off the season and it’s clear he’s making his presence felt on this roster.

The A’s split the series so far with Arizona one game a piece Wednesday is the finale in a day game at 12:37pm PT where Luis Medina (0-2, 8.18) of Oakland will take on Ryne Nelson (1-2, 6.20) of Arizona.

Giants hold off Phils in 4-3 win at Oracle

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San Francisco Giants’ Joey Bart, left, scores against Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto during the fourth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Tue May 16, 2023 (AP News photo)

Philadelphia (20-22). 000 200 001. – 3. 10. 1

San Francisco (19-23). 002 200 00x. – 4. 10. 0

Time: 2:42

Attendance: 24,304

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–In tonight’s battle of underperforming teams, the Philadelphia Phillies fell the San Francisco Giants, 4-3 in a wild a wooly affair.

32 year old Zach Wheeler, who started for the Phillies had been very effective in his last outing, a 2-1 ten inning win over Toronto in Rogers Centre last Wednesday,. On that occasion, he held the Blue Jays to one run, earned, on three hits over seven innings, coming away with a no decision.

He and the Giants share some history. When he was still a prospect, back in 2011, San Francisco traded him to the Mets for Carlos Beltrán. In spite of missing the 2015 and ’16 seasons after undergoing Tommy Johns surgery, the right handed pitcher went on to go 77-59, 3.43 from 2013 through last week’s tidy performance north of the border. He entered tonight’s contest at 3-2, 3.80 for the season..

The one time Giant prospect was up against the current ace of the San Francisco rotation, Alex Cobb took the mound at 3-3, 1.70 and almost immediately found himself in hot water surrendering a lead off walk and a single. He then almost immediately got out of the troublesome situation, inducing a double play and fly to right.

Cobb needed to pull off another Houdini trick in the top of the second after a double, a pair of walks, and a couple of stolen bases loaded the sacks with two down and the top of the order in the person of Bryson Stott at bat. Cobb got him to fly out to left. It had taken 44 pitches for Cobb to get through those two frames. Control problems continued to plague Cobb in the third, in which he issued another pair of passports while still managing to keep the Phils off the board.

Yet it was the Giants who scored first. Blake Sabol led off the bottom of the third with a single to right. After Joey Bart flew out to center, LaMonte Wade, Jr. also sent the ball to center field, this time for a single that Brandon Marsh dropped for a moment, allowing Wade to take second on the error. Sabol reached third on the hit. Estrada singled to center, plating Sabol, and Michael Conforto drove Wade in with a single to left that made it 2-0, Giants.

The Phillies kept on threatening. With one out in the fourth, Marsh singled to left center, and Kody Clemens rattled a single off the fencing in front of Levi’s Landing in right to put runners on the corners. Stott singled solidly to right center, and it was 2-1 with runners still on the corners.

First base umpire Rob Drake called a balk on Cobb, moving Stott to second. The Cobb went to pieces. He unleashed two wild pitches to Trea Turner, one of then on a third strike, and, before you knew what was happening, the game was tied at two, Turner was on first, Stott was on third, and Taylor Rogers was on the mound. He preserved the tie.

Then the Giants got lucky. With one out, Casey Schmitt hit a hard infield single single to third. With two down, Bart’s up the right field line fell off the glove of diving second baseman Stott for a Texas League double that drove in Schmitt. Wade proceeded to smack a double to left, and Bart just beat the throw home. Philadelphia disputed the call, which stood, and the Phillies lost their challenge.

Cobb had gone a precarious 3-1/3 innings in which he allowed two runs, both earned, on five hits, five walks, two wild pitches, and a balk. His ERA rose to a still outstanding 1.94, and he escaped with a no decision. He threw 86 pitches, 52 for strikes.

Then the Giants got lucky. With one out in the fourth, Casey Schmitt hit a hard infield single single to third. With two down, Bart’s pop up near the right field line fell off the glove of diving second baseman Stott for a Texas League double that drove in Schmitt. Wade proceeded to smack a double to left, and Bart just beat the throw home. Philadelphia disputed the call, which stood, and the Phillies lost their challenge. San Francisco now was ahead, 4-2.

Rogers struck out Kyle Schwarber to open the top of the fifth and then passed the ball to John Brebbia. The good John Brebbia was on display tonight, and he shut Philadelphia out for 1–2/3 innings. The submarining Rogers, Tyler, held off the Phils in the seventh and eighth.

Camilo Duval made his expected appearance in the top of the ninth. He fanned Harper. Castellanos flew out to Mike Yastrzemski in right center. The crowd rose to its feet. Schwarber rose to the occasion and sent a home run over the 391 foot sign in center field, bringing the Fightin’ Phils from the City of Brotherly Love to within a run of the representatives of the City of St. Francis. Duval also rose to the occasion and struck Realmuto out swinging.

Tomorrow’s encounter will be a Wednesday afternoon matinee. The game is scheduled to begin at 12:45 with Taijuan Walker (3-2, 5.75) going for the visitors. San Francisco’s starter hasn’t yet been named..

Las Vegas Aces report: Becky Hammom Suspended 2 games Over WNBA Violations; Hammon to miss opener in Seattle Saturday

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Former Las Vegas Aces Dearica Hamby left, looking up and smiling and below seated on the right Aces head coach Becky Hammon who starts her suspension on opening night Sat May 20 when the Aces are scheduled to face the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle ( 2022 photo from TMZ file)

Becky Hammom Suspended Over WNBA Violations

By Barbara Mason

There have been a number of issues surrounding the Las Vegas Aces since February. The allegations that the defending champs had circumvented the WNBA’s salary cap making under the table payments to players. This violation, if proven, could lead to the stiffest discipline in the league since the New York Liberty was fined $500,000 in the 2021 season for chartering of unsanctioned flights to away games.

It doesn’t stop there; the Aces have also been under fire lately after former Ace Dearica Hamby posted some news on social media surrounding her trade to the Los Angeles Sparks. She claimed unprofessional and unethical treatment revolving around her pregnancy that she has claimed was traumatizing.

The WNBA has been investigating Hamby’s claim of being lied to, bullied, manipulated and discriminated due to her pregnancy. The Aces have been cooperating with the WNBA. It has been a tough road for the team because of the friendships that have evolved season in and season out.

Last season, the Aces won their first WNBA title under first-year coach Becky Hammon. This team looked to be ready and primed to repeat with their latest signing of Candace Parker and defender Alysha Clark. Both of these players took pay cuts looking to join this team and work towards numerous titles, in fact core players from last year took the same pay cuts.

Today the verdict came down on the comments made by Becky Hammon. The former Spurs assistant coach will miss two games without pay and will lose their first-round draft pick in 2025. It was decided that the team had violated the WNBA’s league and team respect in the Workplace policies.

While Hamby did not single out anyones name to the comments made, she did say that she was told that she was not taking precautions and that she was traded because it was stated that she would not be ready for the new season. The team also claimed that she was not taking her workouts seriously. They did tell her that it was best for her career that she move on from Las Vegas.

The league’s investigation was comprised of 33 people who were interviewed as well as texts, emails and other documents. So now the Aces are being disciplined for not upholding the values of integrity and fairness. The loss of their first-round draft pick in 2025 is the first time this has been done in league history. The Aces are not done; they are also facing other questionable conduct charges. We will have to wait to see if anything comes of these additional charges.

NBA Playoff podcast with David Zizmor: Lakers-Nuggets tip off for best of 7 tonight in Denver

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Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) shoots over Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II during the first half in Game 6 of an NBA basketball Western Conference semifinal series Friday, May 12, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP News photo)

On t he NBA Playoff podcast with David:

#1 Dave to start off taking a look at the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets who open their best of seven series tonight in Denver. We’ll take your analysis on the Lakers first who come in with LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and D’Angelo Russell.

#2 The Denver Nuggets are loaded their coming off a 4-2 series win against the Phoenix Suns and have some of the top shooters in the NBA with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pape.

#3 David, talk has it that one of the factors for the Golden State Warriors failing to advance past the second round against the Los Angeles Lakers was because of Draymond Green’s punch on teammate Jordan Poole back in October. The Warriors couldn’t win on the road winning only 11 games away from Chase Center and Poole couldn’t find himself in the second round of the playoffs. How thrown off were the Warriors in the post season?

#4 David, long time Warriors general manager Bob Myers may not be back with the team next season and is still trying to decide whether to come back or not. Myers has been with Golden State for 11 years. The idea of not having Myers around will have an impact on the team.

Join David Zizmor for the Warriors podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants Six Run Second Inning Rally Too Much Heat For Philly in 6-3 SF win

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San Francisco Giants’ Michael Conforto hits a three-run home run during the second inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Mon May 15, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Troy Ewers

SAN FRANCISCO–In front of 23,819 baseball fans, the Philadelphia Phillies (20-21) played the San Francisco Giants (18-23) for the first game of this three game series. On the hill was Alex Wood (SF) and Conor Brogdon (PHI) and it wasn’t long before the bats came alive for both teams. The Giants didn’t waste anytime getting run support scoring six runs in the bottom of the second inning at Oracle Park for a 6-3 win over the Phils.

It was a heavy load of offense that came and went like a shooting star. In the first inning both teams combined for three hits, but no runs were scored. The second inning was where everything came alive. It started with the Phillies getting two runs off an Alec Bohm home run which scored Kyle Schwarber.

The park was’nt too happy about this, but they knew it was still an early game with a whole lot of baseball left and when it was Giants turn at bat, the orange and black didn’t disappoint. Casey Schmitt who came into this game hitting .458 started the rally off with a single and even though he’d come out due to Joey Bart’s fielder’s choice, there was no looking back for San Francisco.

Bryce Johnson would hit a single that brought in Bart 2-1 Phillies. After an error got Thairo Estrada on base, Michael Conforto would hit a huge three run home run to give the Giants the lead 4-2 and the bleeding wouldn’t stop there. A J.D. Davis double, Mitch Haniger single (which brought in Davis), and Brandon Crawford single (which brought in Haniger) made the game 6-2 and Oracle Park was louder than a Bad Bunny concert.

Even though it was early, the win probability was high for the Giants, but the question in the park was can the bullpen hold this together for another seven innings. The answer to that question was yes, but it wasn’t without a little drama. Jacob Junis would replace Wood after four innings and would only give an inning after giving up a run making the game 6-3.

Scott Alexander would come out of the bullpen and pitch one inning, but gave up no hits, so he did his job. In the eighth inning the Giants brought in Taylor Rogers and even though he secured two outs, Giants manager Gabe Kapler took him out and put in closer Camilo Doval to finish it off and he did close the door in the 9th inning it was a 1-2-3 quick getaway. The highlight was a beautiful Sportscenter top ten catch from J.D. Davis at third and after Lamonte Wade Jr. catches a foul ball at first, which ended the game. Giants win and Alex Wood leaves with the W.

Tuesday’s game of the series will see Zack Wheeler (3-2, 3.80 ERA) for the Phillies and Alex Cobb (3-1,1.70 ERA) for the Giants on the hill with a 6:40pm PT first pitch. SRS reporters Lewis Rubman will have the game recap and Tony the Tiger Hayes will have a “He was a Giant” feature.

D-Backs win 4th consecutive game defeat A’s at Coliseum 5-2

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Arizona Diamondbacks’ Lourdes Gurriel Jr. celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the Oakland Athletics during the third inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Mon, May 15, 2023 (AP News photo)

Arizona (24-28). 022 100 000. – 5 10 1

Oakland (9-34). 001 000 010 – 2. 4. 0

Time: 2:35

Attendance: 2,064

Mon May 15, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–On this day in 1899, the Cleveland Spiders fell to 3-20 after a 3-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. The attendance at the game was all of 200.

On this day in 1962, the New York Mets won a 13 inning, four hour and 54 minutes long marathon under the lights at the Polo Grounds against the Chicago Cubs. The winning pitcher was Roger Craig. The attendance was 8,463, but there’s no record of how many of those hung around to the end.

On this day in 2023, the Oakland Athletics fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks, 5-2, before an intimate gathering of 2,064 paying customers who saw the team drop to 9-34.

Before game time, the A’s announced that they had reinstated Adrián Martínez from the 15 day injured list and optioned fellow right handed pitcher Zach Neal to their triple AAA farm team in Las Vegas.

It’s easy to make snide remarks about the Athletics; I was tempted to add, “and that’s your A’s highlight for tonight” to that last paragraph, but there are some hopeful signs among the current crop of Athletic players. The team’s game notes point out that going into today Ryan Noda was first among Major League rookies in on-base percentage and walks (27), fourth in OPS , tied for fifth in runs , tied for sixth in doubles and for seventh in three baggers and extra base hits (12), and was eighth in slugging .

That last is a category in which Brent Rooker led all of MLB> He also led the majors in OPS and ws tied for fourth in homers as well as being sixth in OBP. Esteury Ruizis the leader of the pack among rookies ML rookies in hits, doubles, stolen bases, and hit by pitches.

Drew Rucinski took the mound for Oakland with a record of 0-3, 8.16. When he left after 3-2/3 innings,his ERA had risen to 9.00 He’d thrown 89 pitches, 47 for strikes and yielded five runs, all earned, on six hits, two of them home runs, and five walks. He didn’t strike anyone out. The loss left him 0-4.

Nine year MLB and four campaign veteran of the Korean Baseball Organization, Diamondback starter Merrill Kelly, took a 3-3, 3.18 record with him to the mound. He was on his game tonight. His ERA fell to 2.92 over the course of his mound tenure, and at game’s end his won-lost record had improved to 4-3.

At one point, Kelly struck out five consecutive Athletics batters. His strike out total was nine. In his seven innings of work Kelly allowed only four hits, one of them for four bases. Only one of the two runs with which he was charged was earned. He threw 97 pitches, 70 for strikes

The Diamondbacks rattled their sticks early. Number nine hitter, Geraldo Perdomo lifted a hanging slider into the stairs behind the Oakland A’s Community Fund sign in right , bringing in Giant killer Dominic Fletcher from second, which he had reached on a lead off double, to grab an early 2-0 lead.

Lourdes Gurriel doubled the margin on another slider, a 2-2 delivery that carried over the NBC Sports California sign to the right of the 388 foot marker in center field. Corbin Carroll, who had led off the frame with a base on balls, scored before him.

Oakland didn’t get a base runner until there were two away in the bottom of the third. Nick Allen beat out Perdomo’s hurried throw on a grounder to third for a single and advanced to second when throw got past first baseman Pavin Smith. A Texas League single to right center by Ruíz made it 4-1.

But the momentum hadn’t shifted. A lead off walk to Perdomo in the top of the fourth was followed, one out later, by a seeing eye single that shortstop Allen chased down in right field while Perdomo motored to third. A broken bat sac fly to short by Carroll brought Perdomo in with Arizona’s fifth run. A walk to Gurriel, and Sam Long was on the mound for Oakland.

He got the last out on three pitches and remained in the game, somehow surviving a bases loaded game in the top of the fifth without yielding a tally and holding the Rattlers scoreless in the sixth. He gave way to Richard Lovelady, who retired the side in order in the top of the seventh. The newly returned Adrián Martínez performed his version of that feat in the eighth.

Jace Peterson made things interesting in the Oakland half of that frame with a lead off home run, his third homer of the year, a 409 foot no doubter to right center. Arizona now led,5-2 first base umpire then ejected Arizona’s manager, Torey Lovullo for arguing a check swing call, and then a walk to Díaz and a Nick Allen single, his third of the night, signaled the end of Kelly’s up to now successful start. Miguel Castro took over for him. He retired Ruíz , walked Noda, and ended the threat by getting Rooker to fly out to right.

The A’s had one more chance. Lefty Andrew Chafin came in to pitch the ninth. Aldemys Díaz pinch hit for Bleday and flew out to center. Langelieres flew out to left. Laureano skied out to right, and Chafin had earned his sixth save.

The D’backs will stick around the Coliseum for a couple of more days before both teams take to the road, Oakland departing for Houston, and Arizona decamping to Pittsburgh. Tomorrow’s, Tuesday’s, match up will feature Kyle Muller (1-3, 7.34)for the home team and Tommy Henry(1-1,4.43) for the visitors.