San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Giants-Yankees series review; Giants open up series with Dodgers with a bang

Photo credit: @SFGiants

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris:

#1 The New York Yankees’ Luke Voit was a one-man hitting machine, going 6-12 in the series against the Giants and went 3-4 on Sunday in the Yankees’ 11-5 win over the Giants.

#2 It seemed all series long that the Giants weren’t going to get anything going and they even had first baseman Brandon Belt playing right field during this series.

#3 The Yankees got strong pitching from their starter Domingo German, who pitched six innings and gave up four runs.

#4 It almost looked like once the Yankees scored two runs in each of the first, second and third innings, they grew their confidence?

#5 It’s game one of the three-game series between The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, for L.A., Kenta Maeda (3-2, 5.20 ERA), and for San Francisco, Jeff Samardjiza (2-1, 3.00 ERA), Monday night at Oracle Park.

Morris Phillips does the Giants podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Giants home opener hopes to bring successful homestand today

Photo credit: sfchronicle.com

On the Giants podcast with Michael:

#1 The Giants went 2-5 on their first road trip of 2019. Anything manager Bruce Bochy should be concerned about or is this something that will chalked up as experience?

#2 The Giants’ bright spot was when first baseman Brandon Belt hit a game-winning home run on Monday night for a win.

#3 Meanwhile, the Dodgers took their opening homestand, winning five of seven. Will the Dodgers be dominant much like the last two seasons this year?

#4 How important is it for Kevin Pillar to play for the Giants and be back in the Bay Area after playing most of his major league career in Toronto?

#5 In the Pillar deal, did the Giants make a good deal in sending Alen Hanson, Derek Law, and Juan De Paula to the Blue Jays?

Michael Duca does the Giants podcasts each Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

LA Cops look for Dodger fan who beat down victim in parking lot; No video of attack

Reyna family photo: Rafael Reyna victim of a Sunday March 31st Los Angeles Dodgers parking lot beating which fractured his skull was breathing on his own and reportedly has gain consciousness as of Tuesday. Captain Bill Hayes of the LAPD says that Reyna’s condition is improving.

By Jeremy Harness

Los Angeles police have released information with a brief description of the two suspects one of who beat victim Rafael Reyna, 45, a Dodgers fan in the Dodgers parking lot last week as the Dodgers were hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks. According to witnesses a Hispanic man wearing Dodgers fan gear in his 20s attacked Reyna and fractured Reyna’s skull. The suspects were seen driving away in what is described as a white SUV.

The Reyna family which includes Reyna’s wife Cristel through their attorney are asking the Dodgers to increase and improve security after the beating. Reyna was on life support but as of Tuesday is breathing on his own “As of Tuesday we became aware that Mr. Reyes was removed from the ventilator and that he is breathing on his own and is regaining consciousness,” according Los Angeles police captain Bill Hayes.

Former O.J. Simpson attorney and now the Reyna family attorney Carl Douglas met with the media outside Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center and asked, “This tragedy urges the question what has the Los Angeles Dodgers done?” when referring to security improvements in the team’s parking lot since eight years ago when San Francisco Giants fan Bryon Stow was also beaten and left with skull injuries.

David Lira, who was on the Stow legal team during the Stow family’s lawsuit that saw them win $18 million from suspects Marvin Norwood and Louis Sanchez and the Dodgers, said that the Reyna beating is just too familiar to what happened to Stow eight years ago.

“The facts between this incident and the Stow case are eerily similar,” Lira told the media during a press conference.

Lira added saying that the parking lot is poorly lit and has a lack of security.

Cristel said that she was on facetime with Reyna during the assault and said that the sound of the fracture sounded like a “baseball bat hitting a ball.” Police continue to investigate saying that the suspect was also accompanied by a female companion who was wearing Dodgers fan gear. There was no video of the attack that took place in Lot 3.

Jeremy Harness covers Major League Baseball for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: Lechler to go into Hall as Raiders punter for 13 seasons; Raiders sign Grant at wide receiver; plus more

Photo credit: @TDenFamilia

On the Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 Former Oakland Raider Shane Lechler can look forward to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame after the five year wait . He played in 206 games for the Raiders and missed only two games in 13 seasons. In those 13 seasons, Lechler called Oakland his home. A seven-time Pro Bowler, he was one of the best punters in NFL history.

#2 Wide receiver Ryan Grant has signed with the Oakland Raiders. Grant formerly with the Indianapolis Colts signed with Oakland on Wednesday Grant’s deal is worth one year, $2.5 million.

#3 You can’t win them all the A’s, who won the first two games against the visiting Boston Red Sox on great pitching, and delivered two shutouts, but they dropped game three of the four-game series to the Red Sox. However, the A’s have been delivering excitement each night.

#4 The Giants had some troubles on this road trip, but still, they have gone 2-5 thus far. They have concluded their road series with the Dodgers with a 5-3 loss. They have their home opener on Friday, can they get back on track with some home cooking?

#5 The Sacramento Kings might be making changes again and knowing how much Kings owner Vivek Ranadive and general manager Vlade Divak like Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton. Do you see Walton getting fired by the Lakers as rumored and going to the Kings, which means Kings head coach Dave Joerger will get the boot at season’s end?

Headline Sports with Tony R is heard each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Bullpen can’t hold onto lead as Giants fall to Dodgers late 5-3

Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Harness

The San Francisco Giants gave a gallant effort in this three-game series against the defending National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers, but in the end, they came up just a bit short, dropping the series by virtue of a 5-3 loss at the hands of their intra-state rivals at Dodger Stadium Wednesday night.

They surprised LA in the first game but dropped the second game, but they were in position to take the third – and the series – when starter Derek Holland left the game into the hands of a bullpen that has shown to be capable this young season.

The Giants held the lead into the seventh inning with a 3-2 lead when righty reliever Reyes Moronta ran into immediate trouble. He gave up a leadoff double to catcher Austin Barnes but seemed to get things back on track by punching out pinch hitter Alex Verdugo.

After a walk, he got Justin Turner to fly out and was one strike away from getting out of the inning. But that’s when David Freese, whose heroics led the St. Louis Cardinals to the World Series title in 2011, lined one off the wall in right-center to bring in two runs and give the Dodgers a 4-3 advantage.

“Reyes has been so good over the past year and this year, but give them credit,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He just mis-located a fastball in the end.

“We have a good bullpen, so that’s going to have to be out strength, holding on to those games.”

The Dodgers added another run in the eighth, when Chris Taylor’s double, which landed in the same area as Freese’s did an inning earlier, brought in Cody Bellinger.

The two-run cushion was more than enough for closer Kenley Jansen, who nailed down his third save of the season with a perfect ninth inning, as the Dodgers took the three-game series.

Derek Holland had a solid outing against the Dodgers Wednesday night. The crafty left-hander went five innings and surrendered only a pair of runs on three hits, walking four and striking out seven in taking the tough no-decision.

The Giants will return to Oracle Park to host its home opener against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday afternoon at 1:35 pm.

Bellinger hits grand slam in Dodgers’ 6-5 win over Giants

Photo credit: brobible.com

By Jeremy Kahn

With a chance to possibly tie up the game, Pablo Sandoval ended the game with one swing of the bat.

Cody Bellinger hit a towering grand slam in the bottom of the third inning, as the Los Angeles Dodgers hung on to defeat the San Francisco Giants 6-5 at Dodger Stadium.

Madison Bumgarner committed a throwing error on a Russell Martin come backer that Brandon Belt was unable to dig out.

Bumgarner then walked Hyun-Jin Ryu on four pitches, and then Enrique Hernandez singled in Martin and then Bumgarner regrouped to get Justin Turner and Corey Seager; however, Bumgarner then gave up a single to A.J. Pollock and then Bellinger launched a Bumgarner offering over the center-field wall to give the Dodgers a 5-0 lead.

Ryu was cruising along until he gave up a single to Gerardo Parra in the top of the sixth inning and then Bumgarner hit his first home run of the season, a two-run blast into the left field bleachers.

Despite allowing the home run to Bumgarner, Ryu went seven innings, allowing two runs on six hits, not allowing a walk and striking out five, as he won for the second time in as many starts on the season.

It was the 18th career home run for Bumgarner, tying him for 20th place all-time for home runs by a pitcher.

Those five runs allowed by Bumgarner were unearned, as he went six innings, allowing five hits, walking two and striking out four; however, he saw his record fall to 0-2 on the season.

Turner gave the Dodgers what proved to be the deciding run in the bottom of the seventh, as he hit a sacrifice fly that scored Martin, who doubled to lead off the inning and went to third on a throwing error by Steven Duggar on a pinch-hit single by Alex Verdugo.

Things began to get interesting in the top of the ninth inning, as Evan Longoria doubled to lead off the inning against Yimi Garcia, then Buster Posey walked and that would be the end of the night for Garcia, as closer Kenley Jansen came on to face Brandon Crawford, who reached on a throwing error by Jansen that loaded the bases with nobody out.

Jansen then walked Yangervis Solarte to narrow the Dodgers lead down to 6-3, and then after Joe Panik struck out for the first out of the inning, Parra hit a two-run single to cut the lead down to 6-5 and put the tying run on third base.

Unfortunately, Sandoval grounded into a double play to end the game and even up the three-game series.

NOTES: Kevin Pillar was acquired by the Giants from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Alen Hanson, Derek Law and Juan De Paula.

Pillar, 30, spent the first seven seasons with the Blue Jays. This season, Pillar is 1-for-16 in his first five games this season.

To make room for Pillar on the roster, the Giants designated outfielder Michael Reed for assignment.

Pillar, who grew up in the Los Angeles suburb of West Hills in the San Fernando Valley struck out in the top of the eighth inning.

UP NEXT: Derek Holland makes his second start of the season on Wednesday night, as he takes the ball against Ross Stripling, who is also making his second start of the season.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Giants must depend on young outfield and hitting in Dodgers series

Photo credit: @SFGiants

On the Giants podcast with Morris:

#1 Four games amount to three loses as the Giants scored only five runs.

#2 The Giants utility players Conner Joe and Michael Reed started in the opening series in San Diego. Reed went 0-7 and Joe went 0-4. The Giants will really be depending on Joe and Reed to come off the bench and help with the hit production.

#3 The Padres got some decent pitching out of starter Chris Paddock, who went five innings, two hits, one run, one walk, and seven strikeouts.

#4 Giants starter Jeff Samardzija went five innings, three hits, one run, four walks, and two strikeouts in a 3-1 loss.

#5 The Giants open up with the Dodgers tonight in L.A. The Dodgers already have scored 14 runs in three games and lead the NL West with a 3-1 record.

Morris does the Giants podcasts and game recaps each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports with London Marq: Machado locked in, will Pads shop for more big signings?; Donaghy uncovered fixed NBA games; Baseball superstars still unsigned; plus more

Photo credit: @TimFromPuyallup

On Headline Sports with London Marq:

#1 Manny Machado signed baseball’s biggest contract with the San Diego Padres on Tuesday for 10 years and $300 million. What does this do for the Padres and how does someone like Machado get away from the Dodgers?

#2 Former NBA official Tim Donaghy was accused of betting on basketball, but it was never really revealed how he fixed games until an ESPN report saying that Donaghy was paid to fix games and got paid to do it. Some of the top NBA officials came from Philadelphia and Donaghy was from those parts. The influence as to why was simple…money!

#3 Baseball superstars Dallas Keuchel, Bryce Harper and Craig Kimbrell are still free agents looking for that longterm lucrative contract and all three are not in a MLB spring training camp holding out until some big league team comes calling with boatloads of money in the neighborhood of $300 million. At this early stage of spring training, are they fooling themselves or are they onto something?

#4 One of the first African American pitchers in baseball history, Dan Newcombe passed away on Tuesday at age 92. Newcombe joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1949. He finished his ten-year career with the Dodgers at 149-90 and an ERA of 3.56. Former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda said he was the best hitting pitcher he ever saw.

#5 Knowing that San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who has announced his retirement after this season, was it a matter of Bochy losing his magical touch in the last few seasons or he just simply doesn’t have the talent on the Giants roster to win a World Series again–much like he did previously?

London Marq does the Sports Headlines podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Former pitcher Wetteland up on child sex abuse charges; NFL Championships game predictions; plus more

Photo credit: @nypost

On the Headline Sports podcast with London:

#1 Former Major League pitcher John Wettland, who pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, New York Yankees and Texas Rangers, was arrested for continuous sexual abuse with a child under 14. The abuse was reportedly to have taken place between 2004-2009.

#2 NFL Championships game and the road to the Super Bowl. London makes his predictions: New England and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC.

#3 In the NFC Championship: The Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints. One of these teams are just one game shy of getting into the Super Bowl.

#4 The Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck will be replacing the Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers in the Pro Bowl. In the regular season, Luck completed passes 67.3 percent of the time for 4,593 yards and 39 touchdowns.

#5 The NHL All-Star game will be in San Jose on Saturday, January 26 without Alex Ovechkin, who’s the Washington Capitals star.

London Marq does the Headline podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com each Wednesday

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Can Nats re-sign Harper?; Brewers reach out to Giants for Bumgarner; Mets get Davis from Astros; plus more

Photo credit: @jnevn

On That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:

#1 What would it mean for the Washington Nationals in 2019 if they were able to re-sign Bryce Harper?

#2 Would the Dodger Manny Machado be in a deal for Bryce Harper seem possible or practical for both Dodgers and Nats?

#3 The Milwaukee Brewers have expressed interest in San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner. Will the Giants part with the lefty who was a big part of their World Series success?

#4 The New York Mets get JD Davis from Houston, sending catcher Kevin Palwecki to Houston who turned around and later got dealt to Cleveland. Palwecki will get more time behind the plate in Cleveland. As the Mets signed catcher Wilson Ramon to a two-year, $19 million deal.

#5 The Astros’ Dallas Keuchel is being floated on the free agency market. It shouldn’t take long before a team goes out and signs him.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez is the Spanish play-by-play voice for the Oakland A’s and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com