Yaz’s Late Game RBI Puts Giants Over Mets 5-4; SF splits series with NY 2-2

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Thairo Estrada celebrating his solo home run. (Photo from San Francisco Giants Instagram)

By Troy Ewers

SAN FRANCISCO–On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, the San Francisco Giants played the New York Mets to end the 4 game series in front of a crowd of 27,271 people. The Giants came away with a 2-2 split in the fourth game of the series in a 5-4 win at Oracle Park. With Alex Wood’s injury, Ross Stripling got the start and his 3.1 innings were where the Mets had the majority of their offense.

Three runs credited to Stripling’s innings and it was the Rogers brothers who had to stop the potential bleeding. The first four innings for San Francisco was what you like to see if you’re a fan of the Giants. Joc Pederson got an RBI in the first which brought in Lamonte Wade Jr., Thairo Estrada hit a solo bomb in the second, and Wilmer Flores (on a pinch hit) and Brett Wisely got big RBIs in the fourth.

By the top of the sixth it was 4-3 Giants after two big standing strikeouts for Tyler Rogers, Francisco Alvarez hit the equalizer for the Mets and New York put a muzzle on this Bay Area crowd in a 4-4 ballgame. Once Tyler Rogers got his fourth strike out and escaped the inning, the Giants knew they had to find some type of energy to put back in the ballpark and after a quiet seventh inning, the hero that stepped up was Mike Yastrzemski who after Pederson got on from a walk, Yastrzemski hit a huge RBI double, his 11th RBI of the season and a clutch moment to silence the critics.

Manager Gabe Kapler called in Camillo Doval to close out and get the save and was one strike away from striking out the side. Scott Alexander would walk away with the win (his second win of the season) for San Francisco and Doval secured his second save of the season. The theme of this game for SF was every time it felt like this game had a chance to get in the Mets favor, the big names on the Giants roster all stepped up.

Hopefully this is the start of a stretch of wins for the black and orange, because the next series is against the St. Louis Cardinals here at Oracle Park and beating NL central goliaths like the Cards is a big boost for the boys in the dugout. The Cardinals will start left hander Jordan Montgomery (2-2 ERA 4.84) the Giants will be going with right hander Alex Cobb (0-1 ERA 2.79) on Monday night with a 6:45pm first pitch.

Sacramento Kings game wrap: Heartbreak For Sacramento Edged Out By Warriors 126-125

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Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray, middle, holds onto the ball between Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, and guard Klay Thompson during the first half of Game 4 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sun Apr 23, 2023 (AP News photo)

Heartbreak For Sacramento Edged Out By Warriors 126-125

By Barbara Mason

Sunday afternoon the Sacramento Kings (48-35) were looking to take a 3-1 lead back to Golden One Arena. There was a monumental challenge that they would have to conquer to take that lead back home in the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors (45-38).

The Warriors have peaked at the near perfect time which is great for them but creates a myriad of problems for opposing teams. The Kings had a second crack at Golden State after losing game three at Chase Thursday night 114-97. Sacramento was just plain awful in that game although much of it had to do with the adjustments that the Warriors had made after losing the first two games of this series. The Warriors was in a foot race till the end with the Kings edging them out 126-125 to even the series at 2-2.

The good news for the Kings was the start in this game. It was a very good start and there was more good news with Keegan Murray looking like he had shaken off the nerves (or whatever he was dealing with) scoring a couple of baskets in the early minutes. Mid-way through the first quarter the Kings had a slim lead 18-17. Even though the Warriors took a seven points lead in the first 12 minutes, the Kings went on an 11-3 run leading after the opening quarter 32-31.

The three’s that had been MIA for Sacramento in the first three games made an appearance in this fourth game going seven of 13. After the first three minutes of the second quarter threes were dropping and Keegan Murray was having a much improved game which was great news for Sacramento. The Kings did have a nine point lead that dissolved mid-way through the quarter and with 6:37 left in the half this game was tied 45-45.

The Kings 8-0 run was erased with a Warrior 9-0 run. With under five minutes left in the half the Kings regained the lead 54-49 when Murray hit a three. Murray had finally arrived. Sacramento again took a nine point lead with under three minutes left in the half.

It was a crazy first 24 minutes of play. At the half the Kings led 69-65. It was a far cry from the game they lost Thursday night. Murray was three of four from downtown and De’Aaron Fox finished the first half with 21 points. Sacramento had shot over 50% from the floor and 45% from beyond the arc in the first half. Another bonus for the Kings; only three turnovers in the half.

After three quarters the Warriors had built a ten point lead 102-92 and the Kings had a lot of work to do.

The fourth quarter was a spectacular finish that did not go in favor of the Kings. With 10.1 left in the game, Sacramento trailed by a single point and with possession had the chance to win this game and go home 3-1. Harrison Barnes took the last shot, a three point attempt and came up short. It was a heartbreaker for Sacramento as they head back home to Golden One.

The resurrection of Murray finally came to light as we knew it would. He had 23 points and was five of seven from downtown. He will invaluable to the Kings going forward. Fox had the high for both teams with 38 points. Malik Monk had the high off the bench with 16 points. The Kings also finished with 14 shots from downtown.

Now the work for the Sacramento Kings begins as they head home to Golden One to play game five at Golden 1 Center. Now this becomes a must win for Sacramento after having led 2-0 in this series. Game five will be played Wednesday night with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Oakland Roots Fall 2-0 To Loudoun United

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Bryan Tamacas attempting a header against the Loudoun United at Leesburg, Virginia on Sun Apr 23, 2023 (Photo from Oakland Roots Instagram)

By Troy Ewers

For the Oakland Roots season it’s been clear that if they can’t get a goal in the first half, then the struggle of playing from behind will set in. This game in Leesburg, Virginia was the same script. Loudoun United’s attack was putting pressure on Blanchette all first half, a total of three high percentage scoring chances in the first 30 minutes, but what led to the first goal was back to back yellow cards for Oakland (Tamacas & Formella).

Formella’s yellow card led to a penalty shot by Loudoun’s Zach Ryan and Ryan capitalized. It’s his fifth goal of the season. The rest of the first half was Oakland playing defensive, even when they had possession and the first half ended with Loudoun United leading 1-0.

The second half For the Oakland Roots season it’s been clear that if they can’t get a goal in the first half, then the struggle of playing from behind will set in. This game in Leesburg, Virginia was the same script. Loudoun’s attack was putting pressure on Blanchette all first half, a total of three high percentage scoring chances in the first 30 minutes, but what led to the first goal was back to back yellow cards for Oakland (Tamacas & Formella).

Formella’s yellow card led to a penalty shot by Loudoun’s Zach Ryan and Ryan capitalized. It’s his 5th goal of the season. The rest of the first half was Oakland playing defensive, even when they had possession and the first half ended with Loudoun United leading 1-0.

The second half was Loudoun pressing Oakland constantly and Roots’ main point of defense was in their own attacking zone. The best chances for Oakland to score came from their signature move of deep passes past the back line, but the ball would never see the back of the net.

Oakland Roots would end up losing this game 2-0 and now the season is a little more do or die, but the main focus of Oakland Roots’ front office is the new stadium development in East Oakland. With the Oakland A’s possibly moving to Las Vegas, the Roots will be the mainstay of Oakland, so even though the Roots players will focus on trying to secure a top three spot on the table, the front office is focused on making Oakland Roots soccer stay in Oakland.

Loudoun pressing Oakland constantly and Roots’ main point of defense was in their own attacking zone. The best chances for Oakland to score came from their signature move of deep passes past the back line, but the ball would never see the back of the net.

Oakland Roots would end up losing this game 2-0 and now the season is a little more do or die, but the main focus of Oakland Roots’ front office is the new stadium development in East Oakland.

With the Oakland A’s possibly moving to Las Vegas, the Roots will be the mainstay of Oakland, so even though the Roots players will focus on trying to secure a top three spot on the table, the front office is focused on making Oakland Roots soccer stay in Oakland and most likely at the Oakland Coliseum proper.

Golden State Warriors game wrap: Warriors win thriller 126-125; Even playoff series with Kings 2-2; Series moves to Sacramento Wednesday

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Golden State Warrior guard Stephen Curry (30) gets congratulations from daughter Riley at the completion of game four of the NBA Playoffs against the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sun Apr 23, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors beat the young and talented Sacramento Kings 126-125 Sunday afternoon at the Chase Center in San Francisco. The game had everything a fan could want. The Warriors needed the win to even the series. The Warriors knew that a loss would have Sacramento in the driver’s seat with three games to one advantage, and the next game would be on their Kings’ homecourt in Sacramento.

The fans of both teams knew that each team could put points on the board in a hurry. The Kings and The Warriors were the top two scoring teams in the NBA. The defending NBA champs, the Warriors, had to find a way to defend the upstart Kings.

The Warriors found a way last Thursday when they held the Kings under 100 points. The Warriors did that without their best defensive players, Draymond Green and Gary Payton II. Green was suspended for one game, and Payton was too ill to play. The Kings had to find a way to slow down the Warriors offense. The Kings had an advantage as their head coach Mike Brown had been an assistant head coach with the Warriors for the past six years and was familiar with the Warriors offense.

All that was left to do was play 48 minutes of basketball. The teams performed at a very high level. The first half featured two high-octane offenses going at each other. The Kings’ De’Aaron Fox, coming into his own this season, paced the offense in the first half with 21 points.

Rooke Keegan Murray helped out the Kings’ attack with 15 points. Both Murray and Fox made three threes in the first half. The Kings won the first quarter 31-29. The Warriors fought back in the second period. With the score tied at 49, the Kings went on a 7-0 run to lead 56-49.

Sacramento increased the lead to nine, 60-51. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson helped the Warriors close the gap to one, 66-65. Murray made a three, and the Kings finished the first half leading 69-65. Both teams went to the locker room, feeling they could win. The fans needed the break to relax from all the intensity they felt from the players on the floor.

The Warriors emerged from the halftime break with one objective. Shut down the Kings’ offense and outscore them in the third quarter. Over the many years they have been in the playoffs, the Warriors have owned the third quarter. The Warriors knew if they would demoralize the Kings.

Sacramento had not been in the playoffs for 16 years. The Kings’ players were experiencing playoff basketball for the first time in their careers. How would they handle the pressure? The intensity is ramped up in these games. The Warriors fell behind by seven early in the third quarter when former Warriors forward Harrison Barnes connected on a three.

The Warriors then outscored the Kings 37-20 to finish the third quarter leading by ten, 102-92. Curry and Jordan Poole led the Warriors in the period. The Warriors defense, led by Green and Andrew Wiggins, put the clamps on Fox for those 12 minutes. 

The fans were standing at the start of the game’s fourth quarter. The fans also knew a ten-point lead could be overcome. Fox, the NBA’s Jerry West Clutch Performer of the Year, was ready to attack. The Warriors assigned Green to defend him, and the quarter started with Sacramento going on a 7-0 run to close within three points of the lead, 102-99.

Sacramento kept the pressure on and took the lead 107-106 on a Malik Monk bucket. That was the last time that Sacramento would lead. 

Curry made the next two baskets for the Warriors to make it a 110-107 game. The Kings came back to within a point, 118-117. The Warriors pulled away to lead by five, 126-121. With 43 seconds left to play and Curry with the ball, Curry called a timeout.

There was only one problem. The Warriors were out of timeouts. The referees awarded the Kings a technical foul and possession of the ball. Sacramento made the technical free throw, and Fox connected on a three to close the gap to one, 126-125. With ten seconds left, the Kings had control of the ball. They had to make a bucket or go to the free-throw line to win the game. The Warriors’ defense held, and the Warriors evened the series at two apiece with a thrilling one point win.

Game Notes: The Warriors had five players in double figures. Curry led the parade with 32 points. Thompson had 26, Poole 22, Andrew Wiggins 18, and Green with 12. Green had ten rebounds to complete a double-double. Kevon Looney tallied eight points and pulled down 14 boards. The Warriors, on defense, had 51 rebounds, eight steals, and six blocked shots. 

The Kings had four players in double figures. Fox led the Kings with 38 points. Murray had 23, and he made five threes. Monk had 16, Davion Mitchell 12, and Domantas Sabonis finished with 14. Sabonis had seven rebounds and eight assists. 

The teams are off until Wednesday night, when they play game five of the series will be played at the Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento. The game will start at 7 pm.

Loses Continue to Mount For Athletics Lose to Texas 5-2; Loss for Oakland is 9th of last ten games

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Oakland A’s pitching couldn’t keep the Texas Rangers hitting at bay, the Rangers scored three runs in the bottom of the second inning in a three run win 5-2 at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Sun Apr 23, 2023 (@Athletics photo)

Loses Continue to Mount For the Athletics Losing to Texas 5-2

By Barbara Mason

Sunday afternoon the Oakland A’s (4-18) were back on the field in game three of their series with the Texas Rangers (14-7) the A’s dropped a three run decision to the Rangers 5-2 for their ninth loss in their last ten games. Oakland had a horrible loss on Saturday in game two in what was probably their worst game this season getting clobbered 18-3.

The A’s are on shaky ground and if things do not change they could wind up with the worst season record in modern baseball history surpassing the 1962 Mets who won only 40 games that season.

None of their starting pitchers have clocked a win yet this season. They are getting beaten in every way possible whether it be on the mound, hits in a game or defense. It has been an alarming start for the team this year. Last season they finished as the second worst team in baseball and they are on course to finish in last place this year.

It was a tough opening inning for Oakland pitcher Kyle Muller loading the bases. There was a bit of good news, however, when Muller got out of the inning unscathed. This was something he would not want to repeat especially against a team like the Rangers who have a slew of offensive giants.

In the second inning Muller threw a pitch down into Robbie Grossman’s comfort zone only to watch it sail out of the park, a three-run home run giving the Rangers a 3-0 lead.

Texas would score again in the fourth inning; Robbie Grossman sacrificed and Leody Taveras scored giving the Rangers a 4-0 lead.

Oakland would make an appearance on the scoreboard in the fifth inning when Shea Langliers hit a two-run home run. They had cut the Rangers lead in half 4-2.

It was a quiet sixth and seventh inning but it got boisterous in the eighth inning when Texas would load the bases. Relief pitcher Sam Moll was one strike away from saving the inning but walked the batter to load the bases. He then through a wild pitch and the Rangers scored extending their lead 5-2.

The A’s have not won a series this year, their pitchers have not won a start and they now sport a miserable 4-18 season record. This game was a loss but it was competitive unlike yesterday’s game. Oakland did face ace Texas pitcher Jacob DeGrom. DeGrom struck out 11, with no walks and 3 hits. The A’s had 5 hits in this game.

Monday evening the A’s will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Angels. The A’s will start Ken Waldichuk (0-2 ERA 7.65) for the Angels Jose Saurez (0-1 ERA 9.26) First pitch is scheduled for 6:38 PM.

MLB podcast with Charlie O: Was Scherzer suspension too excessive?; Mad Bum out at Arizona but LA might be interested; plus more

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New York Mets pitcher Max Scherzer pleads his case that has clean hands in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wed Apr 19, 2023, but umpires ruled he had a sticky substance on his hands after he was ordered to wash his hands and was suspended for ten days by MLB (AP News photo)

On the MLB podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Charlie O, Last Wednesday at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, New York Mets Max Scherzer said that he was supervised by an MLB official when he was ordered to wash his hands during his last start to remove what the umpiring crew termed as “sticky substance” apparently that didn’t work he was tossed from the game and hit with a ten day suspension in your view Charlie O was this a justified ejection and suspension?

#2 Scherzer sat on the MLB Players Association representatives during the last contract negotiations and he’s been active with the players union is it a conspiracy to say that their might be some retribution from baseball for his union activity?

#3 The Arizona Diamondbacks released pitcher Madison Bumgarner on Friday. Bumgarner had been struggling going 0-3 ERA 10.26. The Dodgers might be interested in his services. The Diamondbacks are on the hook for $34 million remaining on his five year contract. There is this and next season remaining on the deal.

#4 Can you believe how the Chicago Cubs Drew Smyly’s no hit perfect game ended when Smyly went to field a grounder in between home and the mound hit by the Los Angeles Dodgers David Peralta Cubs catcher Yan Gomes flipped over Smyly’s back. Smyly lost his balance and ended up on the ground holding the ball but it was too late as Peralta was on base and the perfect game was no more.

#5 Can’t leave out the toughest story of the week the announcement of Oakland A’s team president David Kaval announcing the moving of the team to Las Vegas. Kaval announcing on Wednesday night the A’s have a binding agreement at the old Wild Wild West location at Tropicana and I 15 to build a new A’s park. First Charlie how heartbreaking is this for Oakland and the Bay Area?

Charlie O does the MLB podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Real Salt Lake’s two goals in the second half bury Earthquakes 3-1

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Real Salt Lake celebrate their win over the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1 at America First Field on Saturday APR 22, 2023. (Major League Soccer)

by Marko Ukalovic

Real Salt Lake scored two goals in the second half to defeat the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1 on Saturday evening at America First Field.

San Jose had its four-match unbeaten streak snapped with the loss and are winless on the road this season (0-3-1). Real Salt Lake has won two of its past three matches.

RSL (3-5-0) drew first blood in the 39th minute. Danny Musovski led a three-on-one odd man counterattack. He found Jasper Löffelsend who beat ‘Quakes goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski with a shot just underneath the crossbar for his first goal of the season.

San Jose (4-3-2) scored the equalizer early in the second half off a set piece. A free kick by Christian Espinoza in the 49th minute deflected off Rubio Rubin just inside the left post for team-leading sixth goal of the season.

“I thought we were in it,” said ‘Quakes head coach Luchi Gonzalez about the match. “I thought we responded well the second half getting the early goal. For moments, I thought they showed some moments of quality and were putting away their chances, whereas we didn’t.”

Real Salt Lake regained the lead five minutes later. Andrés Gómez found Jefferson Savarino along the left wing. Savarino made a move inside before firing a shot to the far corner of the net for his team-leading third goal of the season in the 54th minute.

RSL put the game away in the 80th minute with an insurance goal. Bryan Oviedo centered a ball into the middle where Gómez made one touch before firing a shot past Marcinkowski for his first goal of the season.

“We pride ourselves on being a compact team, a team that doesn’t allow chances to be created through those this year, but they were able to find a way to do it. I think it’s about keep doing what we’ve been doing. I know it was a little bit too spacious. We could’ve been tighter between our lines and maybe could’ve prevented it, but I think they have fast players and good players that can hurt you in those moments,” ‘Quakes captain Jackson Yueill said.

Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Zac MacMath made two saves on three shots on target to earn the victory. Marcinkowski made three saves on six shots on target in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished the match with one corner kick. RSL had three.

The Quakes are now 14-14-12 all-time vs. Real Salt Lake, including a 5-8-7 record on the road.

UP NEXT:

Rangers Slam Oakland 18-3; A’s 8th loss in last nine games

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Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Shintaro Fujinami (11) reacts in the dugout after being relieved in the third inning. Fujinami pitched just over two innings and got lit up for seven hits and eight earned runs against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life in Arlington on Sat Apr 22, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Saturday evening the Oakland A’s (4-17) took on the Texas Rangers (13-7) in game two of their three game series it was not the same winning result they had in game 1, in game 2 the A’s faced an avalanche of runs losing 18-3 . On Friday night the A’s had a great game with some outstanding pitching from JP Sears winning the game in the ninth inning. Pinch hitter Jordan Diaz hit his first big league homer in the ninth inning that broke the 4-4 tie handing the A’s a much needed win, breaking a seven-game losing streak.

Saturday game recap: The A’s took an early lead in the first inning of this game 1-0. Jordan Diaz hit a single driving in Esteury Ruiz for the first score of the game. Carlos Perez sacrificed flied and Diaz scored extending the A’s lead to 2-0. Oakland had the bases loaded in the inning but only came away with the two runs.

This was a tough break for the A’s. They had missed a huge opportunity in the opening inning and against the Rangers those opportunities do not come along very often. When they do you have to jump on them because missing them can totally change the direction of a game especially against a team with the offense that the Rangers have.

Texas sure did change the direction of this game from the first inning to game’s end. They tied up the game in the first 2-2 and it was then that the beat down began. Texas scored five runs in the second inning now leading 7-2. Adolis Garcia got the party started with a 2-run homer. Marcus Semien, Josh Jung and Leody Taveras all scored in the second inning.

The Rangers added four more runs in the third inning. Josh Smith, Semien scored and more from Garcia hitting a two-run home run to extend the Rangers lead to 11-2.

Garcia hit his third home run of the evening a two-run homer in the fifth and the A’s now trailed 13-2.

Oakland did score one more time in this game. Jesus Aguilar hit a solo home run in the eighth inning. By the eighth inning Texas had a strangle hold on Oakland 16-3. The final was 18-3. The Rangers had hit four homers in this game and had outhit the A’s 18 to 7.

I was rough start for Oakland pitcher Shintaro Fujinami. He is 0-4 with an ERA of 14.40 and only 12 strikeouts. He only went 2.1 innings in this game. The A’s went through four pitchers in the game and the relief pitchers that followed Fujinami did not fare much better.

Oakland will take on the Rangers tomorrow in game three of this series. After a loss like this, it will be tough to put this game behind them. Kyle Muller (0-1 ERA 7.23) will take the mound for the A’s. He has not won a game this year. The Rangers will counter Jacob deGrom (1-0 ERA 3.48) First pitch is scheduled for 11:35 AM.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: A’s after 2024, where do they Play?

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Las Vegas ballpark could be the home of the Oakland A’s for the 2024 season. The A’s minor team the Las Vegas Aviators and the A’s could end sharing the park starting 2024 until the A’s stadium is ready in 2027 (photo by the Las Vegas Review Journal file)

A’s after 2024, where do they Play?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

A’s fans are very upset, after the announcement a few days ago by Dave Kaval that the A’s are buying land, have a binding agreement in Las Vegas to build their new ballpark. This is a wound that will take time to heal to all the people in the bay area, especially Oakland and the east bay.

On one hand many fans were under the impression the team was still working with the city of Oakland, as Kaval has said many times “we are working on parallel plans”, but on the other hand for anybody following this soap opera, the possibility of the team leaving was greater than 50%. Honestly, I was not surprised.

According to Kaval the plan is to inaugurate the new park in Las Vegas in 2027. But many are asking the question: where will the A’s play after 2024 when the lease with the Oakland Coliseum expires. Where will the A’s play in 2025 and 2026, while they are building the new park?

Oracle Park the home of the Giants could be one option, but it is unlikely. MLB will have to work on a big schedule modification. At the Oakland Coliseum. Extending the Coliseum (what happened to the Raiders) when they were waiting for their new park.

This is a possibility, if both sides agree to terminate the lease early. But this whole story has not been distinguished by people agreeing in much. At Aviators park in Las Vegas. Dave Kaval said the Aviators will remain in Las Vegas, the Aviators are their AAA affiliate and they could possibly play regular season games there while they build their new park close to the strip. Aviators Park is located in Summerlin, a suburb of Las Vegas with a capacity of 10,000.

If you think both teams, Aviators and A’s could not play close by, I remind you that currently the Minnesota Twins have their Triple A affiliate in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and have played their home games at CHS Field since 2015, which is 10 minutes away from Target Field in Minneapolis home of the major league Twins.

Ex A’s and Hall of Fame player Reginaldo Martínez (Reggie) Jackson recently told the NY Post “what was the city of Oakland thinking?” And mentioned that they had already lost the Raiders and the Warriors and now the Oakland A’s. Two weeks ago Reggie predicted “they will not have a team in Oakland”.

Commissioner Fred Manfred wanted the A’s to leave Oakland and he knows the baseball owners are in agreement. The chances for Oakland to keep the A’s were never good. Baseball historians will have the task to record this moment in history. Once is all said and done, the A’s will become the first franchise in baseball to have played in four different cities; Philadelphia, Kansas City, Oakland and Las Vegas all keeping the same name of Athletics.

Perhaps the most famous move of major league teams happened on May 29, 1957, when National League owners voted unanimously to allow the Brooklyn Dodgers to relocate to Los Angeles and the New York Giants to San Francisco.

Giants Webb holds Mets to 2 runs over 7 innings for 7-4 win

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb throws during the first inning against the New York Mets at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sat Apr 22, 2023 (AP News photo)

New York. 011 000 011 – 4 10 1

San Francisco 420 010 000 – 7. 7. 0

Time: 2:35

Attendance: 29,912

Saturday, April 22, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–A warm, clear day with light breezes; that’s good news for San Francisco, even more so if it’s a Saturday afternoon, and you’re in Oracle Park.

The action on the field also was good news for Giants fans.

Logan Webb, carrying the burden of an 0-4,4.94 record to start the season, set the visitors down in order to get things going. Then, the Giants jumped all over New York’s starter, David Peterson,–who came to town with a mark of 1-2– early and oftenm.

Thairo Estrada led off with an infield single and, after Darin Ruf went down swinging, advanced to third on Michael Conforto’s single to center. A walk to Wilmer Flores made the bases FOG (Full of Giants) on this sunny day. David Villar drove in the hosts’ first tally with a sacrifice fly to center, and the slumping Brandon Crawford accounted for the next three by launching a splash hit homer into McCovey Cove (forgive the redundancy).

A two out walk to Mark Canha and a double by David Vogelbach that landed at the crease where the bleachers meet the brick wall in right center, got back one of the four runs the Giants had racked up in the first.

Undetered, Héliot Ramos led off the home second with with a double to right. Estrada followed with a single to center and then stole second. Rob Drake called him out, but the Giants disputed the call, and the review crew in New York agreeed with them.

Ruff then singled both runners home and took second on the throw that failed to nab Estrada at the plate. The Queenslanders disputed the call, but the review crew back east upheld it The worm had turned, and San Francisco was up, 6-1 .

Wilmer Flores’s 401 foot shot left leading off the fifth upped that lead to 7-1. That was the last inning for Peterson, who had allowed his seven runs, all earned, on seven hits, two for the distance, and a walk. He struck out eight. 64 of his 98 offerings counted as strikes. Edwin Uceta replaced him to pitch the bottom of the sixth and stayed on through the Giants’ last out.

At 97 pitches (63 strikes), Webb had finished his day’s work of seven excellent innings, over the course ofo which he allowed two runs, both earned, on five hits including a home run, and a walk. He had eight Ks to his credit. Brett Baty greeted Scott Alexander, Webb’s replacement, rudely with a single to right. He eventually scored the Mets’ third tally on a single to left by Marte.

After that, Camilo Doval came in to try to preserve the win. With one down, a runner on first, and full count on Vogelbach, home plate Umpire Chad Whitson called a pitch clock violation on Doval. Vogelbach strolled to first, and Canha, the runner of first, trotted to second.

And then the call was reversed, Doval faced Vogelbach again and fanned him. Brett Baty singled Canha home to make it 7-4. Pinch hitter Luis Guillorme grounded out to second, and the Giants had, at long last, something to smile about.

Peterson (1-3, 7.36) was tagged with the loss. Webb got his first win of 2023, against 4 defeats. His ERA now is 4.40. There was no save.

The series concludes tomorrow, Sunday, at 1:00. Righties Tylor Megil (3-1,3.00) and Ross Stripling (0-1, 7.30) will be pitching for the Mets and Giants, respectively.