Tag: Chicago Cubs

Robbie Ray Pitches His Way to Fifth Win As Giants Beat Cubs 3-1

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San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin (right) congratulates starting pitcher Robbie Ray (left) as he returns to the dugout after the first inning after retiring the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Wed May 7, 2025

By Barbara Mason

After playing a crazy game Tuesday night winning in 11 innings and scoring nine runs in the 11th the Giants picked up where they left off winning game three 3-1 beating the Chicago Cubs.

The Giants did win the series losing game one but taking the next two games. San Francisco starting pitcher Robbie Ray continued the stellar play we have seen from him all season.

He has not lost a game this season and now has a 5-0 win/loss record. Wilmer Flores had an exceptional game with three hits one RBI and one run in four at bats.

Game recap: The Giants picked up where they left off Tuesday night taking an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. It was really good to see Wilmer Flores single driving Mike Yastrzemski home and putting the Cubs on notice from the beginning of the game.

The Giants extended their lead scoring a couple more runs in the fourth inning taking a 3-0 lead. Matt Chapman led off the inning with a walk followed by another single off the bat of Flores. LaMonte Wade Jr. doubled Chapman home from second base and a 2-0 lead. Christian Koss singled Flores home but Wade Jr. was thrown out at home plate in an effort to score a third run in the inning.

The Cubs were able to get up on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning. Pete Crow-Armstrong doubled Nico Hoerner home for the one run and that would be the only run the Cubs were able to generate for the remainder of the game. The final was 3-1 in favor of the Giants winning the series for San Francisco. The Giants finished the game with nine hits and the Cubs had only four.

Giant’s starting pitcher Ray was spotless in fact the team has not lost a game with him on the mound. He finished six innings allowing three hits, one run, two walks with five strikeouts. Camilo Doval, Tyler Rogers and Ryan Walker relieved and closed out this game. Walker allowed one hit but that was all Chicago could get off some great San Francisco relief pitching. Ray now has a 5-0 win/loss record and a 2.84 ERA. He has been a major bright spot for San Francisco this season.

Game notes: After a crazy four-hour extra innings game Tuesday the Giants finished up their series with the Cubs with a series win taking two out of three games. After losing game one in the series on Monday 9-2, the Giants turned it all around in game two on Tuesday scoring the most runs in a single inning in Wrigley Field history with nine.

The 11th inning was the straw that broke the camel’s back as San Francisco crossed home plate nine times to win the game 14-5.

The question was answered; how will the Giants come into game three after the offensive display we saw yesterday they didn’t score nine runs in one inning but ended up getting a two run 3-1 win. As the Giants get a satisfying two out of three game series win at Wrigley.

The Giants have now won their eighth series this season as they leave the windy city and head for a series with the Minnesota Twins. The probably pitcher for the Giants will be RHP Jordan Hicks (1-3 ERA 6.03) and the RHP Twins Bailey Ober (4-1 ERA 3.72) will get the nod. The temperatures are expected to soar into the mid-eighties so toasty but void of the wind the Giants had to contend with in Chicago a 5:10pm PDT first pitch.

Giants Destroy Cubs In Eleventh Inning 14-5

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By Barbara Mason

In one crazy game the San Francisco Giants (23-14) beat the Chicago Cubs (22-15) 14-5 in 11 innings. When it looked like Justin Verlander would win his first game as a Giant, the Cubs tied up this game at 5-5. It would go into the 11 inning when the Cubs unleashed a barrage of hits, (6 hits, 2 sacrifices, and a walk). They scored nine runs in the eleventh. This was the most runs in a single inning in Wrigley Field history.

Game recap: The Giants got going early scoring in the second, third and fourth innings taking a 5-0 lead. San Francisco had two runs in the second inning taking an early 2-0 lead. Matt Chapman scored the first run of the day after walking and advancing home via a Cubs error. Patrick Bailey hit a sacrifice fly driving Wade Jr. home for the 2-0 tally. The Giants had a great start in this game.

San Francisco added two more runs in the third inning taking a 4-0 lead. Jung Hoo Lee who has been terrific hit a home run with Willy Adames on base. Not to be outdone the Cubs Miguel Amaya hit a two run home run (Swanson was on base) cutting the San Francisco lead in half 2-4.

The Giants would add one more run in the fourth inning for a 5-2 lead. Brett Wisely hit a sacrifice fly and Heliot Ramos would score. The Cubs would creep a little closer in the fifth inning scoring a single run when Dansby Swanson scored off a infield single off the bat of Jon Berti.

Neither team would score in the sixth, seventh or eighth innings. This game went into the ninth inning with the Giants holding onto a 5-3 lead. With San Francisco on the verge of tying up this series the Cubs put the brakes on it by scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Justin Turner singled Crow-Armstrong home followed by a Kyle Tucker single driving Carson Kelly home tying up this game 5-5.

The tenth inning got underway and San Francisco was unable to score with one runner, Wilmer Flores, on base. The Cubs had runners at the corners with one out and a very real opportunity to win game two.

The Cubs couldn’t cash in and the game went into the eleventh inning. The Giants got a great start in the inning with runners on second and third and no outs. A Patrick Bailey single brought Christian Koss home.

A Brett Wisely sacrifice gave San Francisco a second run when Heliot Ramos scored. The Giants still had no outs with the bases loaded threatening to extend their 7-5 lead. San Francisco was relentless scoring on a reviewed score and the Giants had a 8-5 lead.

The hits just kept on coming. When the dust had settled Patrick Bailey, Brett Wisely, Willy Adames, Mike Yastrzemski, Jung Hoo Lee, Matt Chapman and Wilmer Flores had all crossed home plate for a 14-5 win tying up the series.

Justin Verlander went five innings allowing five hits, three runs, two walks and three strikeouts. Relief pitchers Randy Rodriguex, Camilo Doval and Tyler Rogers each pitched an inning with Rodriguez allowing only one hit. This was a hard fought game going into the 11th inning. It all fell apart for the Cubs in the top of the 11th. Verlander had finally realized his first win as a Giant.

Game notes: The Giants were looking for a little payback after losing game one of their three game series with the Cubs getting punished 9-2. The Cubs had a five-run sixth inning to take the first game of the series. Both teams have the same record at the start of Monday night’s game. Verlander still struggling to pick up his first win ended up leaving after five innings surrendering five hits and three earned runs.

The San Francisco Giants finished the game with 16 hits and a whole lot of payback in this win. The rubber game of this series will get underway tomorrow with first pitch scheduled for 11:20 AM. Robbie Ray will take the mound for the Giants with a 4-0 win/loss record and 3.05 ERA. The Cubs will start Ben Brown who come into this game with a 3-2 win/loss record and a 4.88 ERA.

San Francisco Giants podcast Stephen Ruderman: Giants end 3 game losing streak with huge win over Cubs 14-5

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San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey (left) and pitcher Hayden Birdsong (right) discuss things over in the bottom of the sixth inning at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Mon May 5, 2025 (AP News photo)

San Francisco Giants podcast Stephen Ruderman:

The San Francisco Giants are playing a good team in the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field both team started Tuesday with records of 22-14. Monday’s tough 9-2 loss for the Giants is not indicative of the way they’ve playing of late. As they came back with nine runs in the top of the 11th on Tuesday night for a 14-9 win.

The Giants ran into a tough patch losing a two game series to the San Diego Padres and then dropping the first game on Monday’s game in Wrigley. The Giants got some pay back smacking the Cubs around Wrigley and snapping their three game loss streak.

Stephen Ruderman is a San Francisco Giants beat writer at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cubs Score Five Runs In Sixth Inning Beating San Francisco 9-2

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Chicago Cubs Carson Kelly (15) rounds the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning as the San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman (foreground) can only watch at Wrigley Field in Chicago Mon May 5, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco Giants (22-14) kept pace with the Chicago Cubs (22-14) going into the fourth inning. With the game tied, the Cubs made their move scoring 2 runs taking a 4-2 lead. The sixth inning was the killer for the Giants. The Cubs scored five runs winning the game 9-2. Chicago’s defense was superb finishing the game with 9 hits and put out an equally dangerous offensive effort.

Game recap: Two quick opening innings took this game into the third inning. The Giants had one hit in the first two innings, a single by Matt Chapman in the second but that was it for the offense. The Cubs also had two quiet innings to start the game.

The Giants went three up, three out in the third inning but the Cubs Dansby Swanson doubled in the bottom of the third followed by top of the order batter Ian Happ who hit a two run home to right center taking a 2-0 lead. The Giants had an error in the first that would be followed by more infield problems.

San Francisco tied up the game in the fourth inning when Luis Matos homered to left center driving Matt Chapman home for the 2-2 score. The Giants rally was stopped short when the Cubs pushed the score back out to 4-2.

With two outs the Giants were almost out of the inning but the Cubs Nico Hoerner singled, Dansby Swanson singled and Nicky Lopez singled in an offensive flurry. Swanson’s single drove in base runners Crow-Armstrong and Hoerner who both scored for the 4-2 tally. San Francisco had a second Giant’s error in the inning. San Francisco finally got out of the inning but the damage had been done.

The Cubs had more in store for the visiting Giant’s. Chicago went crazy in the fateful sixth inning scoring five runs and taking a 9-2 lead. Carson Kelly got the inning going with a solo home run.

The Cubs would extend their lead when they loaded the bases with no outs. Relief pitcher Spencer Bevins had a rough time loading the bases and walking in another run for a 6-4 lead. Hoerner sacrificed and a third run crossed home plate.

Chicago finished off the inning with a Seiya Susaki single that drove in both Nicky Lopez and Dansby Swanson for a 9-2 lead going into the seventh inning.

A quiet seventh and eighth inning took San Francisco into the top of the ninth inning down to their last three outs. The Giants went quietly into the night losing game one to Chicago 9-2. The four errors San Francisco had contributed to this loss. The Giants have had quite a time with errors this season; already 20 so far.

San Francisco Giant’s starting pitcher Landen Roupp went 5.0 innings finishing with five hits, two earned runs, no walks and four strikeouts.

Game notes: Monday evening the Giants took on the Cubs kicking off a six game road trip. San Francisco has dropped into third place in the National League West but is within a game and half of first place. Both clubs have good records but Chicago is holding down first place in the National League Central , three full games ahead of the second place Reds. The Cubs won their series with the Brewers over the weekend and the Giants also won their weekend series against the Colorado Rockies. The opening game of this game was pretty clear that the Cubs have the pitching which they got out of starter Matthew Boyd and plenty of hitting with a five run rally in the bottom of the sixth.

Tuesday the Giants Justin Verlander (0-2 ERA 4.38) will take another crack at it on the mound looking for his first win as a Giant. The Cubs will start Colin Rea 2-0 who comes in with a 1.46 ERA. First pitch for this game is scheduled for 4:40 PM

6th inning bases loaded no outs

MLB podcast Charlie O Sun May 4, 2025: Red Sox Casas out for season with left knee injury; Rangers Seagar returns after hamstring injury; plus more MLB news

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Boston Red Sox Triston Casas is carted off the field after clipping his foot with Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Ryan, Casas went down and injured his left knee on Fri May 2, 2025 at Fenway Forcing Casas to miss the rest of the 2025 season.

Headline Sports podcast Charlie O Sun May 4, 2025:

#1 Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas will be out for the rest of the season due to a ruptured left patellar tendon Saturday. On Friday night Casas was safe on a check swing that Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Ryan miscued for an error. Casas stomped hard on the first base bag. Casas’ left foot hit Twins first baseman Ty France’s foot and fell down on his left knee. Casas had to leave the game on a stretcher.

#2 The Texas Rangers activated All Star shortstop Corey Seagar. Seagar had been on the ten day IL and returned on Saturday. The Rangers sent infielder Jonathan Orenelas was optioned to Triple A Round Rock. The Rangers missed Seagar who had been out with a right hamstring strain against the Sacramento A’s on April 22.

#3  San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis who was hit with a pitch on Friday in the left forearm by Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller. Keller hit Tatis with a 93 mph sinker pitch. Padres manager Mike Shildt said x-rays proved negative. Tatis has been suffering with swelling, soreness but the contusion has improved and the medical staff cleared him to play on Saturday.

#4 Right hand pitcher Craig Yoho was sent down the minor leagues Triple A Nashville on Saturday. On Thursday Yoho walked four batters and gave up five runs in one inning of relief. In return the Brewers brought up right hand pitcher Elvin Rodriguez before their game against the Chicago Cubs.

#5 The Sacramento A’s had a successful road trip that puts the A’s over .500 at 12-7. The A’s have the winningest road record in baseball surpassing the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants who are second and third respectively for winning road records. One of the keys to success in a season is winning on the road.

Join Charlie O for Headline Sports each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

MLB podcast with Michael Duca Fri May 2, 2025: Ex- Yankee Mariano Rivera and wife named as defendants in church civil suit child abuse case; Man in PNC fall listed as critical; plus more MLB news

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Former New York Yankee Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera and his wife Clara have been named as defendants in a civil lawsuit claiming their responsible for an older child abusing a younger child in the church the Riveras own Westchester County New York (photo from Mariano Rivera Instagram)

MLB podcast with Michael Duca:

#1 Former New York Yankees Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera and his wife Clara have been accused of being a non protector a girl that was abused by an older child at Rivera’s church that they own in Westchester County in New York. The Rivera’s were added to a defendants list in a civil lawsuit by the girl and the mother stating that the girl was abused in 2018. It is important to note that the Rivera’s have not been charged with any crime.

#2 A scary and tragic fall took place at PNC Park in Pittsburgh during Wednesday night’s game between the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates. A man fell above the 21 foot Roberto Clemente wall in right field. The training staffs from the Cubs and Pirates attended to the man and he was taken from the right field warning track on a cart. Pittsburgh Public Safety, Pittsburgh Police and EMS said the man was listed in critical condition and listed it as an accident.

#3 Kansas City Royals left hand pitcher Noah Cameron took a no hitter into the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in his big league debut. Cameron was called up to replace pitcher Cole Ragans who is out with a sore groin. Cameron stayed in until the Rays Curtis Mead broke up the no hitter with a base hit to left field. Royals manager Matt Quataro came out and replaced Cameron and the next day (Thursday) he was demoted to the triple A Omaha. Cameron became the first pitcher who debuted to go seven innings since the Toronto Blue Jays Nick Kingham who got two outs in the seventh against the St Louis Cardinals on April 29, 2018.

#4 The Colorado Rockies ended the month of April with a 2-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. It didn’t make a difference the Rockies still went down with the losingest April in the history of Major League Baseball going 5-25. The Rocks had a eight game losing streak going until they snapped the skid on Wednesday. Last season the White Sox had won just six games in the month of April.

#5 The Sacramento A’s who started the 2025 season in the cellar have got a bump up in their last homestand they took out of three from the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox. On this current road trip they took three out of four from the Rangers and have improved their home record to 6-9 and moving five games over .500 on the road record to 11-6. For the A’s has it been getting the key hits? The right kind of pitching? and to manager Mark Kotsay’s credit just great managing?

Join Michael Duca Fridays for the MLB podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

MLB podcast with Michael Roberson Sun Apr 6, 2025: Are torpedo bats legal?; Dodgers fall short of season opening consecutive win record; plus more MLB news

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Austin Wells of the New York Yankees hits a home run in the first inning of the Yankees’ game against the Milwaukee Brewers on March 29. The Yankees went on to win 20-9. Wells was using what some have dubbed a “torpedo bat.” Angelina Katsanis/AP

MLB podcast Michael Roberson Apr 5, 2025:

#1 Michael, talk about the torpedo bat. It has more mass one the barrel and gives players an advantage of impact as the bat meets the ball. The torpedo does what the traditional bat doesn’t. Is this bat legal and is it a better advantage say than the corked bat?

#2 The Los Angeles Dodgers were 8-0 going up against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night but it was sloppy baserunning that caught the Dodgers flatfooted and they wound up losing in a nail biter 3-2. The Dodgers were within two games of tying the Brooklyn Dodgers 1955 start of ten wins in a row.

#3 Cleveland Guardians Jose Ramirez had himself a Friday night slugging three home runs and making Cleveland history in hitting three homers in one ball game. Ramirez hit homers in the first, fifth and ninth innings.The Guardians ended up besting the Los Angeles Angels

 #4 Micahel, Friday’s home opener for the San Francisco Giants wound up being a marathon going 11 innings as the Giants edged the Seattle Mariners at Oracle Park 10-9. The other story was Giants veteran starter Justin Verlander who struggled in 2 1/3 innings of work surrendering five hits and three earned runs. Verlander also struggled in his last outing. It was Verlander’s first start at Oracle Park since the 2012 World Series 13 years ago when he was with the Detroit Tigers.

#5 Michael wanted to ask you about the Sacramento A’s opening homestand. The A’s got swept in all three games to the Chicago Cubs and all three contests were not even close. The A’s so far have faired better on the road as they are so far 3-2 getting two wins in Seattle and one in Colorado. It should also be mentioned the A’s have not sold out any of the three games in Sacramento.

Michael podcasts MLB Headline Sundays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: A’s fail to sell out opening home series; Vegas officials approve land permits for A’s ballpark

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Rendering of the A’s Las Vegas ballpark as shown during Mar 6, 2025 at the Las Vegas Stadium Authority meeting (image by negativ)

Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum:

#1 The first three games at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento the Athletics didn’t sell out. The A’s were near the 14,014 capacity on Monday night’s opener with 12,119 but the were far from it on Tuesday with 10,000 plus and for a Wednesday day game when only 9,000 plus showed up.

#2 Some A’s fans that traveled from the Bay Area came up only to check out the new digs and stayed a few innings on Wednesday and left to go back to the Bay.

#3 The issue during the A’s opening home series against the Chicago Cubs was brought up as to whose to blame for the A’s relocation. Was it owner John Fisher’s fault as former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao said at the time the city of Oakland and the A’s were so close to a deal at Howard Terminal and they just backed out saying they had a binding deal with the Rio in Las Vegas?

#4 Was it the fault of Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred who some say wanted the A’s out of Oakland and wanted the Bay Area to be a one team market rather than a two team market and could he have been influenced to move the team by the San Francisco Giants who would have the market all to themselves?

#5 On Wednesday the Clark County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the land permits for the A’s Las Vegas ballpark as the A’s move a step closer to beginning construction for their $1.75 billion ballpark. The A’s are hoping to have the park ready in Vegas by 2028.

Daniel Dullum does the A’s relocation podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

M’s just get by A’s 2-1 to take three game set; Athletics home opener Monday in Sacramento vs. Cubs

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Sacramento A’s baserunner Miguel Andujar (22) slides underneath Seattle Mariner shortstop JP Crawford who throws to first to complete a double play in top sixth inning at T Mobile Park in Seattle on Sun Mar 30, 2025 (AP News photo)

Mariners Edge Athletics in Tense Pitchers’ Duel, 2-1

By Mauricio Segura

Under a chilly March sky at T-Mobile Park, the Seattle Mariners narrowly secured a 2-1 victory over the Sacramento Athletics, bringing their early-season record to 2-2. Julio Rodríguez delivered the decisive hit: a pivotal two-run homer in the sixth inning, his first longball of the season, electrifying the Seattle faithful and providing just enough offense for a resilient Mariners squad.

For most of the game, pitching controlled the tempo. Athletics left-hander JP Sears practically matched Mariners starter Bryan Woo pitch-for-pitch, both hurlers maneuvering through five innings without surrendering a run. Sears held Seattle hitters in check until Rodríguez changed the momentum of the game with his towering shot to left field, scoring Victor Robles and putting Seattle ahead for good.

The green and gold got on the board first, thanks to first baseman Tyler Soderstrom. Continuing his scorching start to the season, Soderstrom launched his third home run: a solo blast in the fourth inning, highlighting his early-season .467 batting average and team-leading four RBIs. Despite Soderstrom’s valiant effort, the Athletics struggled offensively, stranding multiple runners in scoring position throughout the game.

Outstanding defensive plays from both teams ensured the game remained close. Mariners left fielder Randy Arozarena was particularly active, including a key catch on JJ Bleday’s sharp line drive in the sixth, helping stall a potential Athletics rally. Meanwhile, Athletics right fielder Lawrence Butler consistently covered significant ground, notably catching multiple sharp flyouts from Mariners hitters Mitch Garver and Donovan Solano to keep the score tight.

The game reached a tense peak in the ninth inning when Mariners reliever Andrés Muñoz took the mound to close things out. After Athletics catcher Tyler Soderstrom singled to spark a flicker of hope, Muñoz quickly shut the door by striking out Gio Urshela, sealing the win for Seattle.

With the loss, the Athletics are even at 2-2, mirroring their rivals’ tight early-season competition. While their offense struggled overall, collecting just four hits, the Sacramento squad has bright spots to build on, notably Soderstrom’s standout performance.

Next up, the A’s will make their long-awaited debut in Sacramento with their home opener at Sutter Health Park. They’ll host the Chicago Cubs on Monday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. The newly upgraded ballpark, now the smallest in Major League Baseball by capacity, will offer fans an up-close look at the team’s next chapter, as excitement builds for big-league baseball in California’s capital.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of publications as well as his own, Golden Bay Times, and is honored to provide A’s away coverage to Sports Radio Service for the 2025 season.

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: A’s last homestand in Oakland open three game series with Yankees tonight

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Oakland A’s Zack Gelof connects for a eighth inning one run double against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Wed Sep 18, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The A’s are coming off a two out three game series win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field it’s another series where the A’s won showing they have lots of talent to compete with the talent they have for next season.

#2 On Wednesday the A’s Tyler Soberstrom homered and Zack Gelof double to break a tie in the eighth inning as the A’s beat the Cubs by two runs 5-3.

#3 Ironically for the Cubs the loss helped the Milwaukee Brewers clinch NL Central title for the third season in a row.

#4 A’s reliever Tyler Ferguson pitched a scoreless seventh inning and reliever Michel Ortanez struck out two in the eighth inning, and Brent Rooker went two for three and an RBI in the A’s win. Proving once again team work has been the success of the second half of this A’s season.

#5 Tonight (Friday) represents the first of the last six games in Oakland history that comes to an end next Thursday. The A’s open up a series with the New York Yankees and will never play at the Oakland Coliseum again leaving decades of history behind.

Jeremiah Salmonson does the A’s podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com