Sacramento A’s Silenced in Pittsburgh as Pirates Dominate 11-0

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Pittsburgh Pirates Joey Bart circles the bases after hitting a three run bottom of the fifth inning home run against the Sacramento A’s at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Sun Sep 21, 2025 (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s Silenced in Pittsburgh as Pirates Dominate 11-0

By Mauricio Segura

The A’s had a dismal Saturday afternoon running headfirst into a Pittsburgh Pirates buzzsaw that chewed them up and spit them out in an 11-0 loss. From the very first inning, it was clear this one was not going to go the Green and Gold’s way.

Mitch Spence got the start for Sacramento and had trouble from the jump. After quickly collecting two outs in the bottom of the first, he gave up a single to Bryan Reynolds, walked Spencer Horwitz, and then watched Andrew McCutchen slap an RBI single to right.

Nick Gonzales followed with a double, and suddenly the A’s were in a 2-0 hole. Still manageable, but a negative vibe could be detected at this point as it lowered like a mist over the visiting dugout.

The A’s bats made contact but had nothing to show for it. Lawrence Butler flied out to start the game, but Brent Rooker and Nick Kurtz responded with back-to-back singles, hinting at a rally. Tyler Soderstrom’s strikeout and Jacob Wilson’s routine flyout ended that early threat. That sequence would pretty much sum up the day, squandered chances and little to no pressure on the Pirates’ pitching staff.

Pittsburgh kept adding on. In the second inning, Jared Triolo launched a two-run homer after Nick Yorke reached on a fielder’s choice. That made it 4-0, and the A’s offense continued to look like it had left its bats back in Sacramento.

By the time the fourth inning rolled around, the Pirates put the game on ice. Joey Bart singled, Yorke doubled, and Oneil Cruz ripped a two-run single to right. Another RBI hit from Triolo pushed the score to 7-0, and Spence’s day was done. He was lifted after just 3.2 innings, tagged for seven runs on 10 hits.

Osvaldo Bido tried to steady the ship out of the bullpen, but the Pirates were not slowing down. In the fifth, McCutchen drew a walk, Jack Suwinski doubled, and then Bart struck again, this time with a three-run homer that stretched the lead to 10-0. Bart, who entered the game with just three home runs on the season, looked like an All-Star against Sacramento pitching, finishing with a homer, a double, and three runs scored.

The A’s, on the other hand, went down meekly inning after inning. They scattered a handful of singles, Rooker had two, MacIver chipped in one late, and Schuemann reached in the seventh, but never advanced a runner past second base.

By the eighth, the Pirates tacked on one more for good measure when Jared Triolo doubled and later scored on a groundout. It was insult on top of injury for Sacramento, like waiting in line for a nice five-star restaurant, but having the maître d not let you in because he doesn’t like your new tie.

In total, the Athletics managed seven hits, all singles except for Brett Harris’s eighth-inning double, but not a single one came through in the clutch. They struck out 11 times and left eight runners stranded. Pittsburgh’s pitching staff, led by starter Mike Burrows and relievers Carmen Mlodzinski, Yohan Ramírez, and Dauri Moreta, completely shut down the lineup.

It’s back to Sacramento now for a three-game stint against the Astros beginning Tuesday, then the final three-game weekend series with the Royals. It’s been a fun season for sure.

Starting pitchers for the Astros RHP Cristian Javier (2-3 ERA 4.45) for the A’s LHP Jefferey Springs (10-11 ERA 4.17) first pitch 7:05pm PT

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

San Francisco Avoids Sweep Beats Dodgers 3-1

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Rafael Devers designated hitter belts a single against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the top of the first inning at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles on Sun Sep 21, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Sunday’s game was scoreless until the bottom of the seventh inning when the Los Angeles Dodgers (88-67) scored taking a 1-0 lead. San Francisco (76-79) rallied in the eighth inning scoring three runs taking a 3-1 lead and the eventual win.

Giants starter Trevor McDonald was spotless in his first start and the Giants defense was great. Relief pitching was equally amazing and this was a nice win for San Francisco.

This game was one of those good old-fashioned pitching duels with McDoanld pitching his young heart out. Through six innings he had allowed six hits but no runs and three strikeouts. After six innings this was a scoreless game. The Dodgers Emmet Sheehan gave up one hit and ten strikeouts through seven innings. This had been a great game for both pitchers.

McDonald was relieved in the seventh inning by Spencer Bivens who was spotless with no hits, no runs, and no walks. He was relieved in the eighth inning by Joey Lucchesi.

The Dodgers got busy in the seventh inning with two runners on base, Max Muncy and Andy Pages, with no outs. Los Angeles broke the tie with a run when Michael Conforto singled Muncy home and the Dodgers had taken a 1-0 lead.

The Dodgers were looking for more with two on base and still no outs. San Francisco got out of the inning giving up only the one run and it was on to the eighth inning. This game was moving along at light-speed going through seven innings in under two hours.

In the top of the eighth inning the Giants mounted a rally of their own. Patrick Bailey hit a ground rule double and Christian Koss scored to tie up this game. San Francisco would load the bases with one out and Willy Adames at the plate.

Adames walked and Drew Gilbert scored giving San Francisco a 2-1 lead. The bases remained loaded with one out and Matt Chapman grounded out to shortstop and Bailey scored for a 3-1 San Francisco lead.

The Giants took the 3-1 lead into the ninth inning three outs away from the win. San Francisco did not score in the top of the ninth inning and it would be up to Lucchesi to get the bottom of the ninth inning going in the right direction.

Lucchesi got Max Muncy to struck out and then he was relieved by Ryan Walker who came in to close out this game with the one out. Walker got the big second out and Michael Conforto came to the plate the Dodgers last chance with the two outs. Walker got him to strike out and that was the ball game with the Giants taking game four 3-1 and avoiding the sweep.

Game notes: Sunday afternoon the Giants wrapped up their four-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers under sunny skies. It has hardly been sunny skies for the Giants dropping the first three games of the series and but avoided getting swept in game four.

With six games left in the season and the Giants three games back in the Wild Card the Giants most likely will not be a part of the post-season. The promise they showed a few weeks ago took a nose-dive with some very disappointing games. Its not the way they wanted to end their season.

The Giants will now head home to finish up the season starting with a series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Justin Verlander is the probable pitcher for the Giants. He has a 3-10 win/loss record and a 3.75 ERA. The Cardinals will probably start Michael McGreevy. McGreevy has a 7-3 win/loss record and a 4.08 ERA. First pitch for this game is scheduled for 6:45 PM.

Aces Outplayed by Fever – Lose At Home 89-73 In Shocker

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The Las Vegas Aces center A’Ja Wilson (22) takes a shot against the Indiana Fever forward Mikayla Thompson (21) in game 1 of the WNBA playoff semifinals at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Sun Sep 21, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Rich Perez

The Las Vegas Aces (0-1) never really got started in their matchup with the Indiana Fever (1-0). losing 89-73. They trailed for the entire second half and the Fever really put the stops on A’Ja Wilson who finished the game with 16 points.

The good news is that we have seen Wilson came away with a low-scoring game only to be followed up by some amazing numbers. There is little doubt that the Aces will come back on Tuesday night in game two with an entirely re-worked mindset.

Game recap: The Fever came out hot, the Aces not so much in fact it was a bit of a dismal start. They were missing a lot of shots around the rim and just did not look sharp to start this game. They were trailing 19-10 with under three minutes left in the first ten minutes of play.

It was a troubling start for Las Vegas. With under a minute left in the first quarter something within the Aces began to turn around as they started to chip away at the Fever’s lead. The Aces went on an 8-0 run and as the clock expired the Fever were clinging onto a one-point lead 19-18.

After such an awful start the Las Vegas Aces would be looking to start the second quarter in the same way they finished the first quarter. In the early moments of the second quarter the Aces took their first lead of the game 21-19.

The bad news for the Fever was the second foul on Aliyah Boston. Mid-way through the second quarter this game was tied at 25. The Aces were protecting the ball well with only three turnovers but they continued to miss too many shots around the rim.

Neither team was doing a whole lot from beyond the arc but what the Fever had going for them was a better shooting percentage from the field. The final seconds of the first half saw the Aces self-destruct with turnovers and fouls falling behind 41-36. The Fever had outscored the Aces 22-18 in the second quarter.

The third quarter went from bad to worse as the Fever continued to push their lead and mid-way through the quarter had taken a 57-45 lead. Indiana had come into this game with the perfect game plan part of which was.putting the stops on Wilson.

They had also shut down Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray. The Fever had owned the 50/50 ball. Jewell Loyd had been on the floor for 17 minutes without a single point. The Aces got as close as three points 58-55 at 2:51 but the Fever pushed right back taking a 69-55 lead as the quarter came to an end.

It got even more precarious with Wilson committing four personal fouls. The Aces got close at times throughout the game but just could not push the game over the top and take control of the pace of the game.

Las Vegas had been unable to contain Kelsey Mitchell who had the game high 31 points with six minutes left in the game. Wilson had a double double with 13 rebounds but only 16 points. Losing at home was not something that the Aces wanted to entertain.

More than anything, the Aces needed stops with 4:20 left in the game and trailing 82-69. Wilson had only hit one field goal in the entire second half. Las Vegas needed to make stops and of course the Fever began to bleed the clock with two minutes left in the game.

This game was all but done and Las Vegas had lost at home. The road forward would be a tough one but if there is any team in the WNBA that could pull it out, all bets are on the Los Vegas Aces. The final was 89-73 in a heart-breaking loss.

Jackie Young finished the game with 16 points and Wilson had yet another double double with 13 rebounds and 16 points. Chelsea Gray chipped in 13 points and Dana Evans had a great game off the bench with 14 points.

The Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell had the game high with 34 points. Odyssey Sims finished with 17 points and Natasha Howard had a double double with 11 rebounds and 12 points.

Game notes: After beating the Seattle Storm in game three of their series by a single point 74-73 the Las Vegas Aces lost to the Indiana Fever in the first game of the semi-finals Sunday afternoon. The Aces are the second seed and started the series on their home court Michelob ULTRA Arena.

After an outstanding game three in their last series Wilson scored 38 points and the Fever defended her well enough to limit scoring to 16 a big difference from game 3 vs. Seattle. Jewell Lloyd had a quite game with 3 points.

The Aces know what each of them are capable of and they really needed them in this game. This was true test for the Aces as they take on the best of the best only to lose by 16 points on their home floor.

The Las Vegas Aces now have their work cut out for them as they return to Michelob ULTRA Arena on Tuesday to host Indiana in game two. They can beat the tough teams as evidenced by their 17 straight winning streak to finish the season.

They will have to put an improved game plan into action on Tuesday and there is little doubt that the Aces will see a different team on the court.

The Fever are a group of fighters that play for their fans, fight for each other and fight for themselves. The Aces will have their hands full on Tuesday night in Vegas for game 2. Tip-off for this game is scheduled for 6:30 PM and be seen on ESPN.

Las Vegas Raiders podcast Rich Perez: Commanders Mariota has lots of time to throw against Raider defense in 41-24 win at Northwest Stadium

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Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) dives into the end zone for a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Germaine Pratt (57) in the first half at Northwest Stadium in Landover on Sun Sep 21, 2025 (AP News photo)

Las Vegas Raiders podcast Rich Perez:

#1 Washington Commanders (2-1) quarterback Marcus Mariota got lots of protection and had all day to throw against the Las Vegas Raiders (1-2) defense going 15-21, 207 yards, and one touchdown in the 41-24 win.

#2  Washington changed it’s playbook from their last game as nearly half of the starters in Sunday’s game were changed and Mariota was backing up for injured first stringer Jayden Daniels. Mariota got 201 yards on the ground against the Raiders and 174 in the first half.

#3 The Commanders set the tone in the first half taking a 20-10 lead at the half and that had Raiders head coach Pete Carroll concerned that the defense was not putting any pressure on Mariota who was getting time to throw.

#4 In the second half the Commanders outscored Las Vegas 21-14. The damage was done mostly in the first half and the Raiders couldn’t salvage it in the second half getting shutout in the third quarter and scoring twice on touchdowns thrown by quarterback Geno Smith at 12:57 to Tre Tucker for a ten yard pass and at 3:42 Smith hit Tucker for a 61 yard touchdown.

#5 The Chicago Bears who lost their first two games of the season and faced the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at Soldier Field in Chicago. The Raiders will be hosting the Bears at Allegiant Stadium on Sun Sep 28 a 1:25pm PT kick off. Can the Raiders rebound after loses to the Los Angeles Chargers and the Commanders against a struggling Bears team?

Rich Perez does the Raiders podcasts after each home and away game at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

MLB The Show podcast Charlie O: Dodgers Ohtani on a tear with 53rd home run; M’s Raleigh hits 57th HR passes Griffey for most homers by a Mariner in a season; plus more news

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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hits a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Dodgers Stadium on Sat Sep 20, 2025 (AP News photo)

MLB The Show podcast Charlie O:

#1 Charlie the Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani is swinging the bats he cracked his 53rd home run on Friday night against the San Francisco Giants. The home run was a 403 foot shot that he parked into the Dodgers grand stands in left field. Ohtani also scored his 140th run of the season a career high.

#2 Cal Raleigh slugged his 57th home run of the season that moved him past former Seattle Mariner Ken Griffey the most home runs by a Mariner in a season. Griffey in 1997 hit 56 home run that achievement got Griffey got him near unanimous induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016.

#3 Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout hit his 400th career home run on Saturday night against the Colorado Rockies. Trout who is an 11 time All Star hit the 485 shot in the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies that was deposited into the left center field stands. The Angels got the win 3-0 which snapped a eight game skid for the Halos.

#4 New York Yankee Giancarlo Stanton says his 450th home run is a nice round number that he hit on Saturday night against the Baltimore Orioles on the way to a 6-1 win. Stanton now now has played in 1719 games joining Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire, Alex Rodriguez and Harmon Killebrew who got to 450 faster than Stanton.

#5 The Cleveland Guardians defeated the Minnesota Twins 8-0 for their tenth win in a row on Saturday and swept a doubleheader shutting out the Twins twice in front game and in the night cap. The Guardians have now won 15 of their last 16 games and are closing in on first place Detroit in the AL Central. How much of that speaks to the great job that Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt has done someone you spoke with often when he used to play in Oakland?

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

 

McSorley’s braces paces St. Louis CITY in 3-1 win over Earthquakes

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St. Louis CITY striker Brendan McSorley celebrates his second goal against the San Jose Earthquakes at PayPal Park during St. Louis’ 3-1 victory on Saturday SEP 20, 2025. (St. Louis CITY)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — Brendan McSorley picked a good time to score his first career MLS goals.

McSorley scored twice in his first ever start for St. Louis CITY SC as they defeated the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1 on Saturday evening at PayPal Park.

It was only McSorley’s third appearance for CITY as the former Providence Friar started the season with St. Louis’ developmental team CITY2 and signed his first professional contract just two weeks ago on September 5th.

For San Jose this loss marks its third in a row and impeded its chances of earning the 9th place and final wild card spot in the Western Conference with three matches left in the regular season. St Louis CITY has won two games in a row for just the second time this season and has points in three consecutive matches.

St. Louis CITY (7-17-7-28-points) drew first blood in the 10th minute. Chris Durkin crossed the ball into the box over to Joao Klauss along the right slot. Klauss headed the ball back into the middle where an unmarked Brendan McSorley one-timed the ball out of the air past Quakes goalkeeper Daniel for his first goal of the season.

San Jose (9-14-8-35 points) had two set piece opportunities two minutes apart in the 16th and 18th minute to score the equalizer, both corner kicks. First in the 16th minute, Cristian Espinoza found Dave Romney inside the box, but Romey’s header was easily saved by CITY goalkeeper Roman Burki. Then in the 18th minute, Chicho Arango’s header from Espinoza’s corner kick sailed just wide right of the net.

Marcel Hartel doubled CITY’s lead in the 19th minute. A long ball in from Durkin made its way over to McSorley just outside the box. McSorley found Hartel who spun and fired a shot past Daniel for his seventh goal of the season. Hartel is second in goals for St. Louis CITY two behind Klauss who leads the team with nine.

The Earthquakes cut their deficit in half when Arango earned a penalty kick in the 29th minute after he was tripped inside the box by right wing Célio Pompeu. Two minutes later, Arango cashed in the penalty with a blistering shot to the left corner of the net for his team leading 13th goal of the season.

McSorley recorded his brace just before halftime. Hartel crossed the ball into the box from just outside the D and McSorley’s diving header sneaked into the bottom left corner of the net for his second goal of the season in the 45th minute.

San Jose turned the momentum to start the second half by creating quality scoring chances only to have those chances blocked or saved by Burki, including four saves in the first 17 minutes. Burki’s best save came in the 80th minute off a right footed blast from Arango.

Burki finished with seven shots on nine shots on target to earn his sixth victory of the season. Daniel made three saves on six shots on target in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with 11 corner kicks. St. Louis CITY had three.

Tonight’s attendance was 15,337.

UP NEXT: San Jose travels down to Southern California to take on San Diego FC on Saturday September 27 at 7:30pm at Snapdragon Stadium.

Despite Hot Start Giants Fizzle Losing to Dodgers In Game Three 7-5

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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani slugs a home run off of San Francisco reliever Joel Peguero as catcher Patrick Bailey watches in the bottom of the sixth inning at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles on Sat Sep 20, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Despite a great start for the San Francisco Giants (76-79) taking a 4-0 lead in the first inning, they dropped game three to the Los Angeles Dodgers (88-67) 7-5. The Dodgers gobbled up that lead and by the fourth inning had tied up the game.

They took the lead in the fifth inning and never looked back. The Giants only had a single home run, the Dodgers had four home runs in this game. Shohei Ohtani hit his 53 home run of the season.

Game recap: The Giants got a great start in the first inning scoring four runs. Bryce Eldridge doubled to left driving in three runners, clearing the bases. Matt Chapman, Heliot Ramos and Willy Adames all scored on the double for a 3-0 lead.

Eldridge would score when Drew Gilbert walked for the fourth run and the Giants had a 4-0 lead. While it was a nice lead it was still very early in the game and we have seen San Francisco go silent after great early innings.

The Dodgers scored a couple of runs in the first inning. Max Muncy homered to right center with Freddie Freeman on base for the two runs. It did not stop there. In the fourth inning Michael Conforto hit a solo home run and the Dodgers trailed the Giants by a single run 4-3. Los Angeles would tie up this game when Freddie Freeman singled Shohei Ohtani home.

The Dodgers hit solo home runs in the fifth and sixth innings taking a 6-4 lead. Tommy Edman hit the first one in the fifth and Ohtani hit his 53rd home run of the season in the sixth. Once again the Giants had let a great start slip right through their fingers. After scoring the four run in the first inning they had not scored through the next five innings negating the nice start.

Los Angeles continued to extend their lead scoring a run in the bottom of the sixth taking a 7-4 lead. Teoscar Hernandez singled Mookie Betts home and the Dodgers were rolling.

San Francisco was running out of innings going into the seventh inning. Rafael Devers hit a solo home run in the seventh inning but the Giants needed a whole lot more with only two innings left in the game. They still trailed 7-5. So far both teams had eight hits through seven innings.

The Dodgers took the 7-5 lead into the top of the ninth inning. With the exception of the Devers home run in the seveth inning the Giants offense had gone silent. Devers led off the inning and grounded out.

He was followed by Adames who struck out. Chapman came to the plate, the Giants last hope and lined out. The Dodgers had won the third game of the series 7-5. Los Angeles would be going for a sweep in Sunday’s game four.

Game notes: Saturday night the age-old rivals the Giants and the Dodgers played the third game of their four game series and this one stung as the Giants couldn’t maintain the lead and have now have lost three straight to the Dodgers with game four of the series Sunday.

The Dodgers won the first three games of the series Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Friday was an emotional night for the Dodgers as the incomparable Clayton Kershaw pitched his final regular season game. He left the mound after 5 1/3 innings as the entire stadium recognized his amazing career. The game continued after the ovation and Los Angeles really piled it on in the bottom of the fifth inning taking a 5-2 lead and eventually winning game two 6-3.

Giants starter for Saturday Kai Wei Teng pitched for three innings allowed one hit and two runs with two walks and six strike outs. But it was Joel Peguero the Giants fourth reliever who got touched up pitching 1.2 innings allowing five hits and three runs.

This series will wrap up Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 1:10 PM. Trevor McDonald will take the mound for the Giants. He has a 9.00 ERA. The Dodgers plan on starting Emmet Sheehan. He has a 6-3 win/loss record and a 3.17 ERA.

Virginia Hands Stanford Third Loss of Season 48-20

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Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Trell Harris (11) makes a catch over the Stanford Cardinal cornerback Collin Wright (6) in first half action at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville VA on Sat Sep 20, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Virginia Cavaliers (3-1) defense just stuck it to the Stanford Cardinal (1-3) on Saturday at Scott Stadium. The Cardinal just couldn’t get any offense going scoring only 14 points in the first half and six points in the third quarter to keep up with the Cavaliers and picking up their third loss of the season 48-20.

Virginia got right after it in the first quarter taking an early 7-0 lead in the opening minutes. Quarterback Chandler Morris found Trell Harris for three yards and the touchdown. Stanford answered right back scoring in the first quarter at 8:27.

Five plays later quarterback Ben Gulbranson drove downfield for 76 yards and a touchdown to tie up the game seven apiece. Gulbranson found Benji Blackburn for five yards and the touchdown to even this game.

Virginia scored a second touchdown in the first quarter extending their lead to 14-7. Quarterback Chandler Morris threw a bomb downfield to Trell Harris for 75 yards and a touchdown. The Cavaliers went on a run for the rest of the quarter. with Morris again finding Harris, this time a 27 yard pass and Virginia had a 21-7 lead going into the second quarter.

The Cardinal were able to keep stride with Virginia in the second half of this game. The Cavaliers did score first in the second quarter to push their lead out to 28-7. Morris rushed for 13 yards and the touchdown.

The Cardinal were able to score in the final seconds of the half. They took the ball downfield; 80 yards in less than 90 seconds. Micah Ford rushed for 3 yards and the score keeping this a two-touchdown game. The Cardinal were able to match the Cavaliers in the second quarter. Virginia would start the second half with the ball.

The Cavaliers picked up where they left off in the second quarter driving downfield with ease for their fifth touchdown of the day taking a 35-14 lead. Morris connected with Sage Ennis for 13 yards and the score.

This was Morris’ fourth touchdown of the day. The Cavaliers would go on to extend their lead 38-14 kicking their first field goal of the day, a 27 yard Will Bettridge boot. With 5:35 left in the quarter, Stanford had a lot of work to do.

Gulbranson got right to work airing out the ball with just over four minutes left in the quarter for 68 yards caught in stride by Bryce Farrell, his first touchdown this season. The two-point attempt failed and the Cardinal trailed 38-20. Gulbranson had completed a number of impressive passes so far in this game.

Going into the fourth quarter Virginia had established a 38-20 lead looking for their third win of the season. Virginia would drive into the red zone early in the quarter threatening to extend their lead.

Unable to score the touchdown, Virginia kicked their second field goal of the day pushing their lead back out to three touchdowns 41-20. The Cavaliers had their third sack of the game resulting in a Stanford fumble and Virginia had forced the first turnover of the game with under nine minutes left on the clock.

The Cavaliers were back in business in Stanford territory. They would to on to score their sixth touchdown of the night taking a 48-20 lead. Stanford did drive deep into Virginia territory in the final minutes but failed to score. They attempted a field goal at the end but it failed.

Game notes: Saturday evening the Cardinal traveled back east for a matchup with the Cavaliers. Virginia came into this game a 15+ point favorite. The Cardinal faced a power-house offense that put their defense to the test.

The Cavaliers were averaging 265 yards per game. Looking at the Stanford offense, Cardinal quarterback Ben Gulbranson was challenged by the Virginia defense all afternoon. After starting this season and looking like probably the worst Power Four team in football Stanford went out and upset Boston College last week 30-20 despite being a two-touchdown underdog.

Boston had some unfortunate plays and monster mistakes that resulted in the loss. Now the Cardinal travel cross country to take on the Cavaliers who have not not been overly impressive but they may not have to be in this matchup.

Virginia went down to the the wire against NC State, a road game, in their only loss. They blew away Coastal Carolina 48-7 and W & M 55-13. Stanford didn’t pose much of a threat to the Cavaliers. Stanford really struggled with passing issues.

Going forward the Cardinal could run into a lot of trouble against east teams. Virginia had a balanced attack through the air, as well as on the ground. In this game being played at home the Cavaliers they just ran away with this game.

Despite the lop-sided score Stanford was competitive in this game for much of the time. They had some really nice passing plays but just did not have the consistency needed to overcome the Cavaliers. Stanford quarterback Ben Gulbranson finished with 286 yards and 2 touchdowns. Bryce Farrell had 135 receiving yards.

Sacramento A’s go quiet 2-0 in Pittsburgh as bats freeze against Pirates pitching

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Sacramento A’s starter Luis Morales pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the bottom of the first inning at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Sat Sep 20, 2025 (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s go quiet in Pittsburgh as bats freeze against Pirates pitching

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics rolled into Pittsburgh’s PNC Park Saturday night with the swagger expected of a club that had taken seven of its last eight. But baseball has a way of humbling even the hottest teams, and Saturday night, the bats of the Green and Gold fell silent in a 2-0 loss to the Pirates.

From the first pitch at 6:42 p.m., it was clear the A’s weren’t going to find many friendly bounces. Bubba Chandler, Pittsburgh’s rookie right-hander, entered the night with a 5.66 ERA but looked like he was back on the Florida showcase circuit, mowing down the A’s lineup with a calm efficiency that belied his numbers.

Chandler punched out six Sacramento hitters through five innings, including a first-inning one-two-three of Lawrence Butler, Brent Rooker, and Nick Kurtz, all swinging or fouling into outs. That set the tone for the kind of night it would be.

Luis Morales, the A’s own rookie arm, took the mound with a 4-1 record and a crisp 3.08 ERA. He didn’t implode, but he also didn’t have much room for error. Morales surrendered just four hits in his outing, but two left the yard.

Nick Yorke struck first in the second inning with a solo shot to left, his first in the big leagues, giving the home crowd something to cheer about and putting the A’s in an early hole. An inning later, Bryan Reynolds added his 16th homer of the season, this one a blast to right-center that doubled the Pirates’ lead.

And that was all Pittsburgh needed. The rest of the night belonged to their bullpen, which combined with Chandler to scatter just three Sacramento hits, Wilson’s double in the second, Harris being plunked in the third, and nothing else that resembled a threat. From the fourth inning on, the A’s never put a runner past first base.

Shea Langeliers, who has been one of baseball’s hottest hitters since the All-Star break with 18 home runs and 34 extra-base hits in that stretch, couldn’t find the spark. He struck out three times, leaving his bat mostly ornamental.

Rooker, fresh off reaching the 30-homer plateau for the third straight season, also wore the collar, fanning in all four trips. Even Kurtz, the rookie phenom whose 33 long balls have him leading all Major League first-year players, looked mortal as he went down swinging twice and grounded out weakly once.

The A’s had some defense to hang their hats on. Jacob Wilson, Sacramento’s other Rookie of the Year candidate, doubled in the second and made several sharp plays at shortstop, including a heads-up throw to catch Yorke trying to stretch his luck on the bases in the fourth.

Morales himself settled after the Reynolds blast, retiring seven of the final eight he faced. But when your offense can’t get out of neutral, tidy defense and solid pitching performances turn into footnotes instead of headlines.

By the seventh, the game had the feel of inevitability. Pirates reliever Braxton Ashcraft entered and didn’t blink, striking out five of the nine hitters he faced. Dennis Santana came on in the ninth to finish it, needing just a groundout, a flyout, and one more strikeout of Rooker to slam the door shut.

The 2-0 defeat was the A’s 82nd of the season, officially guaranteeing a fourth straight losing campaign, something the franchise hasn’t endured since the dark days of 1993 through 1998. Yet, perspective matters. This team had already secured more wins than any A’s club in the past four years, and the Green and Gold still boast a pair of rookies in Kurtz and Wilson who look like franchise cornerstones.

Baseball fans in Sacramento won’t take much solace in moral victories, but they can at least see the outlines of a competitive future. For now, though, the reality is simple: when the A’s don’t homer, they don’t win. They are 46-9 this season when out-homering opponents, but just 10-46 when the other side takes them deep more often. Saturday fell squarely in that latter column.

The series wraps up Sunday with a day game before the A’s return home to close out 2025 against Houston and Kansas City. The Pirates, long out of the playoff picture, were just playing spoiler. And on this night, spoil they did.

Starting pitchers for Sunday: For Sacramento RHP Mitch Spence (3-5 ERA 4.48) for Pittsburgh RHP Mike Burrows (2-4 ERA 4.10) first pitch 10:35 am PT.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

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. 

Sacramento A’s podcast Lincoln Juarez: A’s are winners of seven of their last eight games after 4-3 win in Pittsburgh; Gelof out for rest of season with dislocated shoulder

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Sacramento A’s second baseman Zack Gelof is laid out with a dislocated left shoulder while surrounded by A’s manager Mark Kotsay, the trainer and teammates in the bottom of the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Fri Sep 19, 2025 (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s podcast Lincoln Juarez:

#1 Lawrence Butler’s three-run homer in the fifth inning powered the A’s past the Pirates Friday night. It was his 21st home run of the year.

#2 Luis Severino picked up his seventh win of the season Friday night throwing five innings allowing one earned run.

#3 Nick Kurtz tied Jose Canseco for the most home runs by an A’s rookie with his 33rd of the season Friday night.

#4 The A’s have won seven of their last eight games after taking game one against the Pirates.

#5 Looking ahead to the rest of the weekend Luis Morales will start for the A’s and the Pirates have yet to announce a starter for Saturday.

#6 Zack Gelof dislocated his shoulder in the bottom of the fifth inning and will miss the rest of the season.

Lincoln Juarez does the A’s podcasts weekly at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

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.