Jen Pawol makes baseball history as the first female umpire to work an MLB game in history working the first game of a doubleheader between the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins at Loan Depot Park in Miami on Sat Aug 9, 2025 (AP News photo)
MLB The Show podcast Charlie O:
#1 Jen Pawol made baseball history becoming the first female to work a MLB regular season game. Pawol’s made her umpiring debut on Saturday’s first game of a doubleheader between the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins. Pawol worked first base and had a relatively quiet first game.
#2 New York Yankees reliever Devin Williams battled against the Houston Astros in a 5-3 loss on Friday night allowing three runs in the tenth inning. The Astros Carolos Correa got a base hit and Taylor Trammell hit a two run home run for a 5-2 score. Williams has allowed four home runs in his last eight appearances.
#3 Hall of Famer and former New York Yankee Mariano Rivera tore his Achilles tendon while chasing a fly ball at an Old Timer’s game on Saturday. Rivera will need surgery. Mariano’s agent Fern Cuza said that Rivera who is 55 will have the operation in less than a week.
#4 Former Seattle Mariner Ichiro Suzuki has his No.51 retired in a pregame ceremony in Seattle before facing the Tampa Bay Rays. Ichiro said to the crowd, “What’s up Seattle!” and added “Iam so grateful to be here today to receive this highest of honors.”
#5 Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hit his 40th home run of the season on Saturday night against the Toronto Blue Jays in a 9-1 win. Ohtani hit a 417 foot shot off Jays starter Chris Bassitt which gave the Dodgers a three run lead.
San Jose Earthquakes forward Preston Judd celebrates his game winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps with his teammates and fans at PayPal Park on Saturday AUG 9, 2025. (San Jose Earthquakes)
by Marko Ukalovic
SAN JOSE — Preston Judd has made the most of his opportunities when his number is called.
Judd scored the game winning goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time in the second half as the San Jose Earthquakes pulled out a 2-1 upset victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday evening at PayPal Park.
Jamal Ricketts, who came into the match as a sub in the third minute of stoppage time, set up Judd’s late match magic when he went around a defender and crossed the ball over the middle from left to right. DeJuan Jones, one touched it back into the middle of the box before Judd blasted it in from point-blank range for his fifth goal of the season.
“I’ve been saying it all year. Whenever I get in, I want to make a difference. We were winning 1-0, but even then, I wanted to get the second goal to hopefully help the team win. I got in a position where I helped the team win in the 94th minute,” Judd said.
San Jose snapped a six-match league winless streak and seventh overall as well as moved up to the eighth spot in the Western Conference. Vancouver had its three-match point streak snapped and remained in second place, four points behind San Diego.
Vancouver (13-6-6-45 points) put themselves behind the eight ball early in the match as they went down a player in the 27th minute when Édier Ocampo picked up his second yellow card of the match after knocking down Vitor Costa just outside the box resulting in a red card and an automatic ejection. Ocampo recorded his first yellow card in the 20th minute with a hard foul.
San Jose (8-10-8-32 points) were left wondering in the 30th minute on an apparent foul inside the box by Vancouver’s Andres Cubas after making contact with Chico Arango causing Arango to fall to the turf. Referee Timothy Ford let the play go as no penalty was called on the play.
The Whitecaps got caught with their hand in the cookie jar one too many times in the 50th minute. Triston Blackmon tripped up Costa inside the box resulting in a penalty. After a short video review that confirmed the penalty on Blackmon, Josef Martinez scored his co team-leading 11th goal of the season after converting the penalty kick with a right footed shot off of the left post and into the back of the net past Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka.
Martinez has scored five goals in four career games against Vancouver.
A minute later Quakes goalkeeper Daniel made a point-blank save with his right leg when he challenged an unmarked Daniel Rios who was left wide open inside the middle of the box after Vancouver quickly attacked on the ensuing kickoff.
Daniel kept his bid for a clean sheet with a timely diving save off of a Jayden Nelson right-footed shot from the left side of the box in the 71st minute.
Vancouver scored the equalizer in the 88th minute thanks to a lucky break. Blackmon lofted a ball out to Brian White who was able to volley the ball to himself. On the same play Quakes defender Bruno Wilson slipped and fell that led to a breakaway for White. The Whitecaps leading scorer chipped the ball past Daniel for his team leading 12th goal of the season.
“Giving up a goal, up a man, that late, it’s frustrating. We never got out of the game. Right away we started attacking. We were pushing for that goal. We know we needed the goal. Our attitude on the field showed that we were going to score a goal. I felt it. I believed in it. I think a lot of the players believed that we were going to score a goal to win that game. It showed and it worked out,” Judd reiterated.
Daniell finished with two saves on three shots to earn his eighth win of the season. Takaoka made three saves on five shots on target in the losing effort.
“A tough game, but we’ve been in a lot of those games this year and been on the other side of it as well,” said San Jose Earthquakes head coach Bruce Arena. “I’m pleased with the win. If we’re a team that has any interest in being in the playoffs, we have to win these home games, so this is critically important.”
GAME NOTES: San Jose finished the match with five corner kicks. Vancouver had three.
The Earthquakes improved their record against the Vancouver Whitecaps to 11-12-12 all-time in MLS regular season play with an 8-2-8 (26 GF, 16 GA) record at home.
The Quakes moved up to eighth in the MLS Western Conference standings with 32 points (8-10-8). Vancouver Whitecaps FC remained second in the West with 45 points (13-6-6).
Bruce Arena won his 270th regular-season game, extending his MLS record among head coaches. The late great Sigi Schmid is second with 240.
The Quakes earned their first home victory in league play since May 3, a 4-1 win over Portland.
The team celebrated Portuguese Heritage Night at PayPal Park, with Lisbon native Bruno Wilson starting at center back for the Quakes. Wilson played his youth football at Oeiras and Sporting Clube de Portugal before playing as a professional with SC Braga, CD Tondela and FC Vizela.
Cristian Espinoza made four key passes tonight to extend his MLS lead (86). He remains tied for second in the league in assists (12).
Daniel’s two saves ran his total to 82, good for sixth in MLS.
With 48 goals in 26 matches, San Jose is currently third in MLS in total goals. Only San Diego FC (50) and Inter Miami CF (49) have outscored the Quakes in 2025.
The Earthquakes’ attack is back up to first in the league in expected goals (53.92). The Philadelphia Union is second (52.23).
Whitecaps newly acquired midfielder Thomas Müller will be introduced at a press conference on Thursday by the Whitecaps as he hopes to make his Vancouver debut in their next match against the Houston Dynamo on August 17th.
UP NEXT: San Jose plays its inaugural match against San Diego FC on Sunday August 17th at 4:00pm at PayPal Park.
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix throws against the San Francisco 49ers defense in the first pre season game on Sat Aug 9, 2025 at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara (AP News photo)
San Francisco 49ers podcast podcast David Zizmor:
#1 Jarrett Stidham threw for two touchdown passes after seeing Denver Bronco quarterbacks Bo Nix and Broncos starters struggle against the San Francisco 49ers defense. Stidham led the way in the pre season opener for a Bronco 30-9 win.
#2 The two teams worked out in a joint practice on Thursday as the starters from both teams got plenty of work in. The 49ers during the game played just a few starters and the Broncos used their starters for just a few series.
#3 Second game of the pre season 49ers are in Las Vegas against the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Sat Aug 16, 2025
A’s Bats Erupt Early to Power Past Orioles 11-3 in Statement Win
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento Athletics didn’t waste any time reminding the Baltimore Orioles crowd that this wasn’t going to be an ordinary night at Camden Yards as the A’s blasted the O’s 11-3 on Saturday.
The first two pitches they saw didn’t even matter, Lawrence Butler worked a leadoff walk, and on the very next at-bat Shea Langeliers unloaded on a Brandon Young fastball, sending it on a low, screaming line into the left field seats. Just like that, the Green and Gold were up 2-0, and the tone was set.
Of course, the Orioles had an answer of their own in the bottom half. Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg opened with back-to-back singles before Gunnar Henderson launched a center-field shot that flipped the score in Baltimore’s favor, 3-2. For a moment, it looked like we might be in for one of those punch-counterpunch slugfests that test the stamina of both teams.
But instead, the Athletics turned it into a one-sided hitting clinic.
Langeliers got the rally started again in the third with a sharp single, and Nick Kurtz followed with another hit to set the table for Brent Rooker. Rooker didn’t miss, swatting his 24th home run of the season into the Baltimore night and reclaiming the lead, 5-3. Tyler Soderstrom, who seems determined to hit in every game he plays, doubled to extend his streak to ten straight, eventually scoring on a Darell Hernaiz sacrifice fly.
By the time the fifth inning rolled around, the Sacramento lineup decided it was time to bury Baltimore under a mountain of hits. Kurtz and Rooker kicked things off with another one-two punch, Rooker’s double plating a run.
The inning snowballed from there, JJ Bleday drew a walk, Hernaiz reached on a pitcher’s error, and Luis Urías brought home another with a single. That chased Young’s replacement Yaramil Hiraldo from the game, but the fresh arm didn’t slow the A’s.
Gio Urshela drilled a two-run double, Langeliers banged a ground-rule double to plate another, and the scoreboard blinked an eye-popping 11-3 by the time the Orioles could stagger back to the dugout.
Jack Perkins, meanwhile, quietly steadied the game for Sacramento after a bumpy first inning. Once he got the ball with a lead, he went to work, forcing weak contact and letting his defense back him up. The Orioles, who’d looked ready to slug along early, were suddenly reduced to a string of harmless fly balls and frustrated strikeouts.
Baltimore’s biggest problem wasn’t just that Sacramento was hitting, it was that the A’s lineup spread the damage around. Langeliers was a menace at the plate with three hits, including the opening home run, and drove in four.
Rooker was equally destructive with a homer and a double. Kurtz chipped in two singles, Urshela added a two-run double, and Urías joined the fun with two hits and two RBIs. Even the outs had sting to them, as several lineouts were ripped right at Baltimore fielders.
After the offensive explosion, the A’s bullpen kept things airtight. Michael Kelly took over in the seventh and, aided by a fine grab from Soderstrom in foul territory, kept the Orioles from building even a whisper of a rally. Hogan Harris slammed the door in the ninth with two strikeouts, ensuring the Athletics didn’t need to sweat the late innings.
For Sacramento, this was the blueprint game, patience at the plate, punishing mistakes, and pitching that tightens as the night goes on. They made an Orioles team fighting to stay in the playoff picture look like they were still in spring training mode.
The win also underscored the balance in the Athletics’ lineup. No single player carried the load; instead, they produced an assembly line of base runners and timely extra-base hits. They scored in four different innings, tallied 15 hits, and walked five times, giving their pitchers a cushion big enough to land a jumbo jet.
The Orioles, for their part, had no answer after the first inning. Henderson’s three-run blast was their only real highlight. Once Perkins and the bullpen adjusted, Baltimore went down in order in four separate innings and never truly threatened again. Even when they did put a man on, The A’s defense snuffed it out.
For fans of the Green and Gold, it was the kind of night that offers both entertainment and reassurance. Sacramento didn’t just win; they dictated every inning after the first. If this version of the Athletics shows up consistently, they’re going to make life miserable for opposing pitchers from now until the season’s final day.
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–The streaking Sparks arrived at Ballhalla having scored at least 100 points in each of five wins over their last six games. All that offense came to a halt Saturday night with an uncurteous assist from the Valkyries.
The hosts clamped down, holding Los Angeles to 32 percent shooting in a 72-59 win that was critical for playoff positioning. The Valkyries clinched the season series between the clubs with a third win in four meetings, and created a one game cushion in the fight for the eighth and last playoff seed.
The visitors were essentially limited to a credible offensive showing in the second quarter then through two surges in the third quarter. That brought the Sparks to within 43-40 with 4:52 remaining in the quarter but they would get no closer the remainder of the game. The Valkyries closed beautifully, surviving a scoreless finish over the final 3:41 without relinquishing their double-digit lead.
Veronica Burton was a two-way menace with a team-best 16 points along with suffocating defense on Kelsey Plum, who was limited to 4 points and one made basket. In the season-opener, Plum exploded for 37 points, but this time was left visibly flustered.
“We were really connected defensively,” Burton said. “The communication was at an all-time high, we were in our shifts. Obviously I was guarding her a lot but I never felt like I was on an island.”
“Just Vee understanding the game plan, asking questions at shootaround… We understand the talent of Kelsey Plum, scorer on all three levels. Credit to Vee, and credit for her teammates having her back,” coach Natalie Nakase said.
The Valkyries scoring was characteristically balanced Cecila Zandalasini contributing 14 points, all in the first half, and Janelle Salaun adding 11. Twelve made threes were most damaging to the Sparks with Zandalasini leading the way with four of those. Also, the Sparks were plagued by turnovers early with eight of their total of 12 coming in the game’s first 15 minutes.
Dearica Hamby led Los Angeles with 15 points, and Julie Allemand and Rae Burrell scored 10.
Julie Vanloo was greeted with a warm welcome in her return to Chase Center after her controversial release following her return from the Eurobasket tournament. Vanloo had two points and four rebounds in 13 minutes for the Sparks.
Steph Curry and his wife Ayesha were present in support of family friend Cameron Brink. Brink had five points and two rebounds off the bench.
The Valkyries conclude their home stretch on Monday at 7:00pm against the Connecticut Sun.
Carson Whisenhunt #88 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Washington Nationals in the second inning at Oracle Park on August 09, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
DOWNTOWN SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants and Nationals played game two of their three-game series on Saturday afternoon at Oracle Park. The Giants fell behind early and weren’t able to mount a comeback, falling to the Nationals 4-2 in the matinee affair.
Carson Whisenhunt wasn’t sharp from the get-go on Saturday, giving up a leadoff homer to James Wood in the top of the first inning. Whisenhunt would only go four innings, surrendering three runs — all on home runs — and giving up five hits while walking three.
“I didn’t have my best stuff,” Whisenhunt said after the game. “The home runs, I left pretty much through the middle of the plate. Just got to be a little better.”
Bob Melvin shared Whisenhunt’s sentiments after the game, chalking it up to a few missed pitches and a lack of command.
“Well, they [Nationals] were on his fastball,” Melvin said postgame. “They hit some fastballs for homers, so I think his stuff was as good as we’ve seen it today. But just kind of middle-middle… three fastballs and they hit three homers off [those pitches].”
On the other hand, the bullpen came in and pitched well, all things considered. Carson Seymour came in to relieve Whisenhunt and threw three innings of one-run ball, giving up four hits in his relief. Matt Gage, who served as the opener on Friday, came in to finish the game, throwing two scoreless innings while allowing two hits in his appearance.
In the end, the Giants’ offense wasn’t able to get enough done to mount the comeback they needed. However, just as he did on Friday, Rafael Devers got the Giants on the board with a solo home run in the sixth inning.
After the game, Bob Melvin spoke to Devers’ ability to get deep into counts and lay off tough pitches en route to some of the solid at-bats he’s been having.
“… He’s just a really good hitter who knows what his strengths are, and the fact that he does hit the ball the other way allows him to lay off some pitches when he’s feeling good.”
The Giants’ only other run came in the eighth inning when pinch hitter Wilmer Flores hit a sacrifice fly to center field to give the Giants their second run of the game. That was all she wrote for the Giants as they fell by the final of 4-2 while amassing eight hits total.
The Giants fell to 59-58 with the loss as the Nationals improved to 45-70.
On Sunday, the Giants and Nationals will play the rubber match at 1:05 p.m. PST at Oracle Park. Justin Verlander (1-8, 4.29 ERA) is set to go for the Giants as the Nationals counter with MacKenzie Gore (4-12, 4.29 ERA).
Kai-Wei Teng #66 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Washington Nationals in the top of the second inning at Oracle Park on August 08, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
DOWNTOWN SAN FRANCISCO — Having lost their last eight home games and in desperate need of a home skid-snapping win, the Giants took care of the Nationals 5-0 at Oracle Park on Friday night.
Rafael Devers and Casey Schmitt headlined the offense on Friday night, but it was opener Matt Gage and longman Kai-Wei Teng who put the Giants on solid footing in the victory.
Bob Melvin and the Giants elected to go with Gage as the opener on Friday, and it worked perfectly. Gage worked a clean first inning while striking out one Nationals hitter.
Then came the longman out of the pen, Kai-Wei Teng. Teng, who made the majority of his 25 appearances out of the bullpen for Triple-A Sacramento this year, tossed five innings of scoreless baseball on Friday. Teng scattered three hits and a walk across his five innings while striking out four in his outing.
“It looked like he was on it right away for having to sit there and wait for the second inning,” Melvin said after the game. “A little different for him. He pitched some relief a little bit here, but you get a little anxious as a starter and you have to sit down there for an inning, and he looked like he was throwing strikes right away with his breaking ball and used his fastball better today. So it was really good.”
After Teng, the Giants got scoreless innings from Joey Lucchesi and José Buttó before Tristan Beck came in to close the game in the ninth inning. Beck got three fly balls to right field to end the game with a clean top of the ninth.
The Giants’ defense was on full display as well. Logan Gilbert and Rafael Devers stood out, both making spectacular plays in the field behind the Giants’ pitching staff.
Gilbert, who was also making his MLB debut on Friday, made a fantastic diving catch to end the third inning that took him to the edge of the grass and onto the warning track near the right-field line.
“… You get an open angle from right field, right-handed hitter, and I can kind of see that he was getting beaten a little bit,” Gilbert said after the win. “So I was able to get a better jump based off that, but I almost lost my footing in the dirt once I went over the line. So thankfully I was able to hold onto the ball.”
Devers added more sparkling defense as he turned a 3-6 double play and got a crucial out at home on a 3-2 putout as he was sliding to his right with the infield in.
After the game, Bob Melvin told me that Devers has been putting in a lot of work at first base and has been looking good.
“You watch him work, especially these night games — he’s working, and then he’s taking his batting practice, and he’s going back out there again. So whether it’s picks in the dirt, whether it’s turns to second, you try to create as many plays as he hasn’t seen, and he’s working through all of ’em, and you just see him more and more comfortable every day. If you can play third base in the big leagues, which he has, you’re going to be able to play first pretty well, but it’s just all the different plays, cutoffs, and relays — stuff like that — that he hasn’t been through before. But he’s looking pretty good over there right now.”
On the offensive end, the Giants put pressure on the Nationals’ staff all game long. The Giants totaled 10 hits and four runs on the night. Rafael Devers got the Giants going with a solo home run in the first inning that sailed over the right-center field wall. The shot traveled 427 feet and was a no-doubter off the bat of the Giants’ early deadline acquisition. Matt Chapman kept the party going in the first inning adding an RBI single that scored Willy Adames from second base. Casey Schmitt added two runs for the Giants in the sixth inning with a two-run moonshot to left field that went 374 feet but with a 40-degree launch angle. Patrick Bailey capped the scoring with an RBI infield single that scored Jung Hoo Lee from second after the Nationals failed to cover home when catcher Drew Millas pounced on the ball in front of the plate.
It was a classic Giants win where they got good pitching and timely hitting to seal the deal.
The Giants improved to 59-57 on the season and are now four games back of the New York Mets for the third wild card spot and eight games back of the L.A. Dodgers in the NL West.
Carson Whisenhunt (1-0, 4.35 ERA) will go for the Giants as the Nationals send Brad Lord (2-6, 3.42 ERA) to the hill on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. PST at Oracle Park.
Drew Gilbert makes his MLB debut
Acquired in the Tyler Rogers trade to the New York Mets, outfield utility man Drew Gilbert made his first appearance in the orange and black on Friday, getting the starting nod in right field. Gilbert didn’t disappoint defensively, recording five outs and making one spectacular diving catch.
After the game, Gilbert told me it was a dream come true and appreciated the fan support after his diving catch.
“… I don’t want to say it’s good to get it out of the way, but definitely awesome to get a win, that’s for sure… very cool experience.”
Gilbert went on to talk about the reception from fans in his later at-bats: “That was a super cool, super cool moment. Obviously, the at-bat doesn’t end how you want, but either way I’ll have that memory for the rest of my life. So I really appreciate the fans for that. And they brought it tonight, and they were behind us.”
At the plate, Gilbert went 0-for-4 but isn’t letting that faze him.
“… You’re going to be a little amped up in your debut, right? So I don’t want to say you throw results out the window, but you take everything with a little grain of salt just because it is an experience that you haven’t really felt, probably playing in front of 30-plus thousand people.”
Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) goes for a lay up against the Seattle Storm’s forward Ezi Magbegor (13) in first half WNBA action at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Fri Aug 8, 2025 (AP News photo)
By Rich Perez
The Las Vegas Aces (17-14) won their third game in a row beating a tough Seattle Storm (16-15) team and moving into a tie with the Indiana Fever for fifth place in the standings at Michelob ULTRA Arena.
At one time in the third quarter, the Aces had a 19 point lead that the Storm slashed tying up the game in the fourth quarter. There had been a huge swing in the game but the Aces fought back and came out with the 90-86 win handing the Storm their fourth loss in a row.
Game recap: The Aces got a nice start to open this game. After the first ten minutes of play Las Vegas had a 23-17 lead and A’Ja Wilson already had nine points. The Arena was really fired up at full capacity. The Aces have an amazing fan base and they are playing a lot of games at home in August which is a great way to finish off the regular season.
Mid-way through the second quarter Wilson had already hit 11 points. They needed to continue to control the points in the paint and so far in this game they were 14-4 in the paint.
The Aces continued to extend their lead and at the half they had continued to dominant and led 47-36 their largest lead of the game. The Aces had out-rebounded the Storm and outscored them in the second quarter 24-19.
Wilson finished the first half with 18 points and 5 rebounds. Chelsea Gray had scored ten points in the half and Nalyssa Smith was having a solid game with six points and seven rebounds. None of the Storm had scored double digits.
Las Vegas had a great start to the third quarter taking as much as a 19 point lead but as the quarter wore on there was a real shift in the game. The Storm systematically chipped away at the Las Vegas lead and when the quarter came to an end that 19 point Las Vegas lead had been cut to a 71-63 lead.
The Storm roared to life in the fourth quarter tying up the game at 75 with just over five minutes left in the game. It was a new ball game. The Aces fought back and began to push their lead back out and with 4:37 left in the game had taken an 80-75 lead.
Las Vegas had to tighten up and they were having some untimely turnovers which really hurt. The Aces were getting possessions but not cashing in on them. This game was going down to the wire. Since the tie the Aces had gone on a 7-1 run.
With only three minutes left in the game the Storm had no choice but to turn their defense up and risk fouling. Seattle had a couple of fouls at the end that turned into four Las Vegas points. With under two minutes left in the game the Aces were clinging to an 86-81 lead.
It was crunch time and Young answered the call hitting a three with 51 seconds left on the clock. The Storm answered back and with 23 seconds left in the game Las Vegas was leading 90-86.
Wilson was playing with five personal fouls in one crazy game. With 5.4 on the clock Seattle’s Brittney Sykes missed an attempted three and that was the ball game. Las Vegas had pulled this game out winning 90-86.
The was a terrific win for the Aces with five players in double digits. The high was Wilson with 29 points and 12 rebounds. Young finished with 26 points and five rebounds. Chelsea Gray chipped in 13 points and Nalyssa Smith with ten. It was another good game for Jewell Loyd off the bench hitting ten points. The Aces are now tied with the Indiana Fever in fifth place.
Game notes: Friday night the Aces battled the Storm in Las Vegas and moved into sole position of fifth place. This was a huge game for the Aces. The finish line for the 2025 season looms in the distance for the Aces.
Wilson was celebrating her 29th birthday and Wilson got a birthday gift for a win Friday night after beating the Storm. The Aces got a win against the Valkyries for a second time in a row last Wednesday 78-72 in San Francisco. Seattle has been struggling losing their last four games.
The Aces will be back in action this Sunday in Las Vegas taking on the Connecticut Sun and looking for their fourth win in a row. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 6:00 PM.
Baltimore Orioles Gunnar Henderson tosses the bat away after drawing a walk as Sacramento A’s catcher Shea Langeliers holds ball four in his glove in the bottom of the first inning at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Fri Aug 8, 2025 (AP News photo)
Orioles Fly Away From Athletics 3-2 in Weekend Series Opener
By Mauricio Segura
The A’s spent much of Friday night at Oriole Park trying to solve Baltimore’s pitching. The game that started with a thunderous roar from the Orioles ended with a quiet pop to left, leaving the A’s just a run shy of evening the score 3-2.
The tone was set almost immediately. After a scoreless top of the first where Carlos Cortes, Brent Rooker, and Nick Kurtz were retired in order, J.T. Ginn took the mound and looked sharp early, striking out the first two hitters he faced. But what appeared to be a smooth inning unraveled quickly.
The O’s Gunnar Henderson drew a two-out walk, and Adley Rutschman made the most of it, launching his ninth homer of the season into the right-center seats to give Baltimore a 2-0 lead. Before Ginn could regroup, Ryan Mountcastle added another long ball to center, and the A’s were suddenly staring at a 3-0 deficit.
The second inning brought no relief for Sacramento’s bats, as Shea Langeliers grounded out, Tyler Soderstrom struck out, and Darell Hernaiz’s two-out walk went nowhere after Lawrence Butler lined out to right. Ginn, however, bounced back, striking out two in a perfect bottom of the frame to keep the game within reach.
Sacramento had its first real chance in the top of the third. Gio Urshela and Luis Urías started things off with back-to-back singles, putting runners on first and second with no outs. But a sharply turned double play by Baltimore’s middle infield killed the momentum, and the rally fizzled when Rooker was hit by a pitch but Kurtz struck out for the second time in the game.
Ginn continued to navigate trouble, working around another Gunnar Henderson single in the third and holding Baltimore scoreless through the fourth and fifth. Meanwhile, the A’s offense finally scratched the scoreboard in the top of the fifth. Butler led off with a double to left, moved to third on Urshela’s groundout, and came home on a sacrifice fly from Urías, trimming the deficit to 3-1.
The sixth brought more scattered opportunities. Kurtz singled, Soderstrom followed with another hit, but a fielder’s choice ended the inning without a run. The bullpen took over from there, with Ben Bowden delivering a clean sixth and Tyler Ferguson erasing a seventh-inning walk with a double play ball to keep Baltimore stuck at three runs.
In the eighth, Sacramento made its move. Facing Yennier Cano, Rooker flied out before Kurtz picked up his third hit of the night, a single to right. Langeliers grounded out, moving Kurtz into scoring position, and Soderstrom came through again, driving a single to left to score Kurtz and cut the Orioles’ lead to 3-2. Hernaiz grounded out to end the inning, but the Green and Gold had life.
Elvis Alvarado set Baltimore down in order in the bottom half, setting the stage for one last chance in the ninth. Keegan Akin took over for the Orioles, and the A’s sent up pinch-hitter Colby Thomas for Butler. Thomas swung through strike three, Urshela grounded back to the mound, and Urías put a good charge into a fly ball but found Dylan Carlson’s glove in left to end it.
Saturday in Baltimore, the A’s send RHP Jack Perkins (0-0 ERA 3.97) to the mound to matchup against Orioles RHP Brandon Young (0-5 ERA 5.88).
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.
Athletics’ Nick Kurtz is called out on strikes during the third inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Alyssa Howell)
Sacramento A’s podcast Lincoln Juarez:
#1 A’s starter J.T. Ginn surrendered back-to-back home runs in the first inning of the series opener in Baltimore that ended up costing the A’s the win.
#2 Tyler Soderstrom drove in Nick Kurtz on an RBI single to make it a one-run-game in the eighth inning and continues to stay more consistent at the plate.
#3 The A’s put up seven hits but got held to just two runs Friday night in Baltimore. How good of a sign is it, though, to see the offense continue to rack up hits the last few weeks?
#4 Saturday in Baltimore, the A’s send RHP Jack Perkins (0-0 ERA 3.97) to the mound to matchup against Orioles RHP Brandon Young (0-5 ERA 5.88), what can we expect from the A’s starter in game two of the series?
#5 Friday morning the A’s released photos of concrete being poured at the stadium site in Las Vegas to try and excite fans. How far along, really, are the A’s on this process of the relocation?
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.
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