Tag: mlb

Giants return to cold and foggy San Francisco for big 3-2 win over Tigers; Canha comes through with RBI sac fly in 9th

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Mark Canha(16) of the San Francisco Giants gets the waterworks after hitting a walk off sac fly to score Michael Conforto for the gamer against his old teammates the Detroit Tigers at Oracle Park in San Francisco in the bottom of the ninth on Fri Aug 9, 2024 (AP News photo)

Friday, Aug. 9, 2024

Oracle Park

San Francisco, California

Detroit Tigers 2 (55-62)

San Francisco Giants 3 (60-58)

Win: Tyler Rogers (2-4)

Loss: Jason Foley (3-4)

Time: 2:28

Attendance: 33,037

By Stephen Ruderman

The Giants returned home after an insane day and incredible win in Washington, D.C. Thursday to beat the Detroit Tigers Friday night thanks to three sacrifice flies, including a walk-off sacrifice fly by Mark Canha, 3-2. 

The Giants won one helluva 10-inning game played under the gun, as everyone was trying to get out of Washington, D.C. before Tropical Storm Debby hit. The Giants were able to get out of town, and returned to the cold and foggy confines of San Francisco.

It has always felt great for players to get back to San Francisco after a trip to the hot and humid conditions of the Midwest and East Coast during the Dog Days of Summer. However, considering everything that went down Thursday, there’s a very good chance that the Giants got in very late, and thus, they would have some jetlag Friday night.

Friday night, the Giants would kick off a seven-game homestand with a 2012 World Series rematch against the Detroit Tigers on this cold and foggy night at Oracle Park. Left-hander Robbie Ray took the mound for his fourth start of the season, and he pitched a scoreless top of the first inning to open things up.

Giu Urshela led off the top of the second with a double to left field. Urshela got to third on a wild pitch, and he scored on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Vilade to put the Tigers on the board.

The Tigers went with the bullpen game Friday night, and Beau Brieske was the opener. Brieske was solid over three no-hit innings against a tired and jet-lagged Giants’ offense, as he struck out five. 

Ray pitched a scoreless top of the third, and he pitched his first 1-2-3 inning of the night in the top of the fourth. Former Dodger Kenta Maeda came in, and he threw three perfect innings from the fourth through the six.

Javier Baez doubled to lead off the top of the fifth, and then he stole third and scored on an error to make it 2-0. Ray escaped further damage in the top of the fifth, and he was able to get out of a jam in the top of the sixth unscathed.

Ray was a bit shaky Friday night, as he only pitched one 1-2-3 inning, but he still gave the Giants a solid quality outing. Ray gave up two runs and five hits over six innings, while walking five and striking out seven.

The Giants were getting no-hit as the game went to the bottom of the seventh, but that ended when Tyler Fitzgerald lined a base-hit to left-center field off Maeda to start the inning. Heliot Ramos then singled Fitzgerald over to third, and the Giants had runners at the corners with nobody out.

Michael Conforto came to the plate, and he got the Giants on the board with a sacrifice fly to left. Maeda retired the next two, and the game went to the eighth with Detroit still up 2-1.

Landen Roupp, who was called up prior to the game, pitched 1-2-3 innings in the seventh and eighth, and Maeda returned to the mound for the Tigers in the bottom of the eighth.

Mark Canha lined a base-hit the other way to right to start the bottom of the eighth, and he got to third on a base-hit by Brett Wisely. Patrick Bailey then tied the game with a sacrifice fly to center.

Submariner Tyler Rogers came in for the Giants in the top of the ninth, and he threw a 1-2-3 inning. That sent the game to the bottom of the ninth still tied, and the Giants had a chance to win it.

Jason Foley, who came in for Maeda to finish the bottom of the eighth, was back out for the bottom of the ninth for Detroit. Heliot Ramos was the first up, and hit a ground ball up the middle just to the right of second base to second-baseman Colt Keith. However, Keith kicked it, and Ramos was aboard to start the inning.

Michael Conforto walked, and Matt Chapman was hit in the head to load the bases. Thankfully, Chapman was wearing a helmet, and he stayed in the game after he was checked on.

Tigers Manager A.J. Hinch brought in the veteran and former Giant, Shelby Miller. Mike Yastrzemski hit a ground ball to first, and Ramos was out at the plate on a 3-2 fielder’s choice.

The bases remained loaded for Mark Canha, who grew up a Giants fan, and who was playing in his first home game as a Giant in the park he came to as a kid. With the count 2-2, Canha flew out to just shy of the warning track out in left, and Conforto came in to score the winning run for a magical moment that Canha would never forget.

Tyler Rogers was the winning pitcher, and Jason Foley was the loser.

Not a single run scored Friday night on a base-hit, and four of the five runs scored in this game came on sacrifice flies.

It was another big win for the Giants, who have now won 11 of their last 14 games to tie their season-high two games over .500 at 60-58. They are now just two games back of the Mets, who were shut out 6-0 in Seattle Friday night, for the third wild card spot in the National League.

The Giants will try to get to three games over .500 for the first time this season Saturday afternoon. Logan Webb (9-8, 3.42 ERA) will be on the mound for San Francisco, and the Tigers will go with another bullpen game with their opener still to be determined. First pitch will be at 1:05 p.m.

National League Wild Card Standings:

1. Padres 65-52 +3.5

2. Diamondbacks 64-53 +2.5

3. Mets 61-55 —

Braves 60-55 0.5

Cardinals 60-57 1.5

GIANTS 50-58 2.0

Cubs 58-60 4.0

Pirates 56-59 4.5

Reds 56-60 5.0

Giants News and Notes:

  • Closer Camilo Doval was sent down to Triple-A Sacramento following his blown save in Washington yesterday. Doval had been one of the best closers in Baseball over the last two years, and he went to the All-Star Game last year in Seattle.

Doval got off to a great start this season, but after a blown save in which he gave up two earned runs on May 21 in Pittsburgh, things went downhill for him. He gave up four runs in a blown save against the Yankees on June 2, and continued to struggle over the next two-plus months afterwards.

  • Bob Melvin announced prior to the game that Ryan Walker will be the interim closer while Doval gets things together in Sacramento. Walker is 7-3 with a 2.24 ERA this season, and he has shined in some big situations, which has earned him the trust from his skipper to be the closer as the Giants continue to battle through this pennant race.
  • Catcher Jakson Reetz was also optioned to Sacramento. Right-handed reliever Landen Roupp was called back up, and catcher Curt Casali was activated off the Paternity List following the birth of his son, Cole.
  • According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Giants are open to a long-term deal with Matt Chapman. Chapman, who was signed in Spring Training this season, has been great at the hot corner, as well as in the clubhouse. While Chapman was signed to a three-year deal, he does have an opt-out after next season.
  • As the Giants and Tigers square off in this 2012 World Series rematch, the Giants will have their 2014 world champion reunion prior to Saturday’s game. In attendance will be a variety of players, coaches, trainers and front office members from the team that won the Giants’ third world championship in five years.

Former players in attendance will be Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner, Brandon Belt, Hunter Pence, Joe Panik, Tim Hudson, Michael Morse, Jeremy Affeldt, Gregor Blanco, Travis Ishikawa, George Kontos, Javier Lopez, Jake Peavy, Ryan Vogelsong, Yusmeiro Petit, Juan Perez, Sergio Romo, Andrew Susac, Jean Machi, Ehire Adrianza, Gary Brown, Juan Gutierrez, Chris Heston and Brandon Hicks.

Former coaches in attendance will be Ron Wotus, Dave Righetti, Tim Flannery, Mark Gardner, Shawon Dunston. Taira Uematsu, who is still on the Giants’ coaching staff, will also take part in the ceremony.

Final Thoughts:

For the third time this season, I gave up on this team, and for the third time, they have come right back to prove me wrong. 

I said at the start of the season that the Giants would get off to a slow and frustrating start over the first two-to-four months of the season and then get it together, but after their brutal 2-5 road trip to start the second half, the Giants were six games under .500 at 49-55 and five and a half games back of the Padres for the third wild card spot.

I just felt that there was no way. The frustrations amongst the players over how Farhan Zaidi was running things were clearly mounting for the third-straight year, and this team seemed poised to collapse just as they did the last two years.

However, something feels different this time, and I really think it’s the manager. Gabe Kapler may have been the most laissez-faire manager in the history of the game. This is the guy who told his players that his preferred way of communication was texting, even if his players were in the same room with him. With the frustrations with Farhan mounting, and a manager that players felt they could not really talk to, the last two years ended in utter disaster, and by the end of last season, Kapler had completely lost the clubhouse.

I don’t know for a fact that Bob Melvin has made the difference this season, but I highly suspect he has. With this team on the verge of collapsing in the second half for the third year in a row, Melvin has been a stabilizing force that has held this team together, and they have turned things around to win 11 of their last 14.

I trashed Farhan for his moves at the Trade Deadline on July 30. He didn’t trade Blake Snell for prospects, and the best he got offensively was Mark Canha. Then on Aug. 2, Snell threw his no-hitter in Cincinnati. Thursday, Canha went 4-for-5 to lead the Giants to their biggest win of the season, and he walked off Friday night with a sacrifice fly.

Farhan knows the Giants most likely have to go to the Playoffs for him to keep his job, and so far his moves have paid off. The Giants are now back at their season-high two games over .500 at 60-58, and they trail the Mets by just two games for the third wild card.

I definitely feel a lot more excited right now, but this team is very streaky, and they have a long 44 games still in front of them. Right now, the Giants are benefiting from having the easiest schedule in Baseball, but the real test of this team is going to come when the schedule gets much more difficult when they go to Seattle on Aug. 23.

When the Giants start their three-game series in Seattle against the Mariners on Aug. 23, they will suddenly have one of the hardest schedules in Baseball the rest of the way with 30 of their final 33 games coming against teams over .500. 

I really do believe in this team’s ability to go to the Playoffs, and the Giants have shown that they can beat the elite teams in Baseball this season, but they really need to continue to take advantage of the easy schedule in front of them over the next 13 days and get a lot of momentum going into what is going to be a very difficult final 33 games.

As of right now, I just don’t know if the Giants are going to go to the Playoffs. This is baseball, and anything can happen, but the one thing I do know is that the offense is going to have to collectively stay hot and keep getting the big RBI hits with runners in scoring position if they want to go to the Playoffs. 

The Giants’ rotation has been solid all season, and with the real Blake Snell finally showing up and Robbie Ray back, the rotation is the best it’s been all season. However, Camilo Doval’s struggles have dampened what has otherwise been a pretty good bullpen. If Doval can get it together in Sacramento and return to his old self, the Giants could suddenly have one of the best seventh-eighth-and-ninth-inning trios in all of Baseball. Ryan Walker in the seventh; Tyler Rogers in the eighth; and the Camilo Doval we know in the ninth will be absolutely lethal

The Giants are a young good team with some growing pains, and they have an offense that is capable of staying hot the rest of the way. All the moves have been made, and this clubhouse has remained strong following the moves at the deadline. They are gelling together and showing what they are capable of.

All we can do at this point is sit back and see what this team does over their final 44 games, but if the offense stays consistent, and if Doval can come back and be his old self, this team will stand a good chance of getting into October Baseball.

A’s Competitive But Drop Game One Against Blue Jays 3-1

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Darell Heraniz is congratulated in the Oakland A’s dugout in the top of the third inning after connecting for a solo home run against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Fri Aug 9, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Oakland A’s (48-69) played a competitive game against the Toronto Blue Jays (54-62) but came up short losing 3-1 Friday night. The A’s had tied up this game in the third inning off a Darell Hernaiz home run but the Blue Jays went on to score two more runs one of them their second home run of the game, a Spencer Horwitz solo homer.

Game recap: The Blue Jays were first up on the board in the first inning taking a 1-0 lead. George Springer hit a long ball to center field for the early lead. Toronto had both Daulton Varsho, who was thrown out trying to reach third, on base and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also on base but Spence got out of the inning with minimal damage.

It was a three up three down inning for Mitch Spence in the second inning and this game went on to the third inning. Darell Hernaiz tied up this game with a blast to left center, a solo shot.

In the sixth inning, the Blue Jays took back the lead 2-1. Alejandro Kirk grounded into a fielder’s choice to third and Guerrero Jr. scored. After the third inning run, the Oakland A’s did not score through five innings and only had four hits and one walk. They did have opportunity but many of their hits came with two outs.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Blue Jays hit their second home run of the game taking a 3-1 lead. Spencer Horwitz homered, a solo shot to right and Oakland had one last chance to make a move in this game in the ninth inning. When it was all said and done, Oakland finished the game with six hits and the Blue Jays extended their’s to ten hits.

Oakland pitcher Mitch Spence went 5 2/3 innings finishing with eight allowed hits, two earned runs and two strike outsl. T.J. McFarland finished the fifth inning. The Blue Jays Jose Berrios went seven innings allowing six hits, one run and had eight strikeouts. A pretty good game for Berrios.

Game notes: Friday the A’s went into a three game series with the Blue Jays at Roger Centre in Ontario. Oakland is coming off a series win over the Chicago White Sox winning the third game after trailing for most of the game. The A’s scored three runs in in the seventh inning to win the game and the series.

The Blue Jays just won a series from the Baltimore Orioles at home. Last Saturday against the Yankees, pitcher and Friday’s starter Jose Berrios gave up six runs in what was unquestionably one of his worst outings this season.

The A’s Friday night wanted an upset after coming on strong after the break going 11-7 the second best in the AL. Oakland was the underdog and indeed lost in a two run game. Despite that they have won some impressive games from the Dodgers and the Giants.

They have also won series off the Angels and the Astros, much of it due to some great pitching. Mitch Spence has turned things around on his last three outings while Jose Berrios has not been good at all in the month of July posting a 6.08 ERA.

Berrios fortunately had turned the tables on the A’s with some decent pitching on Friday going seven innings allowing just the one home run to Hernaiz in the third inning. A’s starter Mitch Spence went 5.2 innings pitched well enough to win but didn’t get the run support.

Saturday the A’s will be looking to tie up this series in game two. Osvaldo Bido (9-8, ERA 4.35) will take the mound for the Athletics. For the Blue Jays, Yariel Rodriguez will get the nod. He has a 1-4 record and a 3.96 ERA. First pitch for game two is scheduled for 12:07 PM PT and will air on NBC Sports California.

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Will AASEG’s take over at Coliseum give Oakland a chance at getting an expansion team?

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FILE – Fans walk outside of the Oakland Alameda Coliseum before a baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants in Oakland, Calif., Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023. The Oakland Athletics have reached a tentative agreement to sell its half of the Coliseum to a private Black development group for $125 million. The Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, announcement paves the way for the African American Sports & Entertainment Group to build in a long neglected part of the San Francisco Bay Area city. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu,File)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 With the Oakland A’s selling their half of the Oakland Coliseum to the African American Sports Entertainment Group (AASEG) can the Coliseum property now be developed to house a major league franchise or will the Coliseum be a location that will not attract future sports franchises?

#2 AASEG plans to build a giant sports and entertainment complex on the Coliseum grounds. So far the pro soccer teams Oakland Roots and Oakland Soul have committed to play there. It’s very unlikely that Oakland as Mayor Sheng Thao was hoping for will get a Major League Baseball franchise. East Oakland is somewhere MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred does not want to return to and after as Manfred said Howard Terminal was over and done with Manfred decided to move the team out of Oakland.

#3 AASEG was created to enhance the economic path to equality for the black community which is the goal for East Oakland. If AASEG can successfully build a giant sports and entertainment complex at the Oakland Coliseum and lure just one professional sports franchise they would have made a start to turn things around but after losing the Raiders, Warriors and now the A’s it’s looking like a long shot to impossible.

#4 The Oakland A’s after losing two out of three to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Coliseum turned around and took two out of three from the Chicago White Sox. The Sox ended their 21 game losing streak on Tuesday night.

#5 The A’s open up a three game series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night. Both teams are in last place. The Jays have won four of their last ten games and the A’s five of their last ten. How do you see the beginning of this road trip.

Join Jeremiah Salmonson for the A’s podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: 2024 The Final Season of the A’s at the Coliseum- (Part X) ‘A’s 20-game winning streak

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Miguel Tejada former Oakland A’s shortstop was part of the 2002 A’s team and huge part of the A’s history (USA Today file photo)

2024 The Final Season of the A’s at the Coliseum- (Part X) ‘A’s 20-game winning streak

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

According to Major League Baseball archives, the longest American League winning streak is 22, held by the 2017 Cleveland Indians. In 2022, the Cleveland Indians changed their name to Cleveland Guardians. The Oakland A’s are second with a 20-game winning streak. In 2022, A’s players Miguel Tejada, Mark Mulder, and Tim Hudson, among others, were in Oakland as the A’s honored that great 20-game winning streak team.

Dominican shortstop Miguel Tejada said the 2002 winning streak is among the most incredible memories of his 16-year career in the major leagues. Tejada, who was an All-Stat six times, a two-time winner of the Silver Slugger Award, and the prominent league leader in runs batted in 2004, played for the Athletics from 1997 to 2003, then went on to play for the Orioles, Astros, Padres, and Giants.

Miguel Tejada won the 18th consecutive games of that 20-game record-setting streak when he hit a walk-off home run at the Oakland Coliseum over the left field fence from a pitch thrown by Twins Eddie Guardado. “Nunca se me olvidará ese momento” trans-“I will never forget that moment”. Ironically, it will also be the Twins, not in Oakland but in Minnesota, on September 6 when they shut out the A’s to end that winning streak. Manager Art Howe was part of the ‘Moneyball’ A’s that broke an American League record by winning 20 contests in a row.

The most incredible winning streak in Athletics history, from Philadelphia to Kansas City to Oakland, belongs to Oakland. The streak began in Oakland and ended in Minnesota. It began at Oakland on August 13 against the Blue Jays and lasted until September 6 when they beat the Twins in Minnesota, 20 consecutive in the win column.

From the electrifying clinching home run by Scott Hatteberg for the 20th consecutive win against Kansas City on September 4, 2002, to all the cast of players from Barry Zito, who won the American League Cy Young that season, to shortstop Miguel Tejada won the league’s Most Valuable Player Award to Manager Art Howe. 2002 Oakland A’s were among the most exciting teams in history, prompting Hollywood to make “Moneyball” released in 2011.

Moneyball – Film synopsis: Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), the Oakland A’s general manager, one day has an epiphany: Baseball’s conventional wisdom is all wrong. With a tight budget, Beane must reinvent his team by outsmarting the richer ball clubs.

Joining forces with Ivy League graduate Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), Beane prepares to challenge old-school traditions. He recruits bargain-bin players whom the scouts have labeled flawed but have game-winning potential. Based on the book by Michael Lewis.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play voice on the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants win insane 9-5 game in 10 innings to escape tropical storm and take series in D.C.

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San Francisco Giants Jerar Encarnacion heads home after a tenth inning bunt single by Brett Wisley against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in DC on Thu Aug 8, 2024 (AP News photo)

Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024

Nationals Park

Washington, D.C.

San Francisco Giants 9 (59-58)

Washington Nationals 4 (52-64)

Win: Camilo Doval (4-1)

Loss: Robert Garcia (2-4)

Save: Camilo Doval (23)

Time: 3:26 (2:02 rain delay)

Attendance: 12,423

By Stephen Ruderman

The Giants battled through one helluva game in D.C. that featured two rain delays and went 10 innings to pull off their biggest win of the season, as they won it 9-5 to win this four-game series against the Nationals and get back over .500 for the first time since the end of May.

As the Giants tried to get back over .500 for the first time since an off day on May 30, today’s game would be played under unusual circumstances. With Tropical Storm Debby closing in on Washington, the game was moved up four hours, and there was an urgency to get this thing in. However, with spotty storms out ahead of the main storm itself, that was going to make things quite difficult.

They were already up against the clock in this one. Little did anyone know just how crazy this game would be.

It was a matchup of left handers. DJ Herz took the ball for the Nationals, and the red-hot Tyler Fitzgerald would lead things off. Fitzgerald went hitless last night, but he wasted no time today, as he lined a double to left field to start the game.

Michael Conforto and Matt Chapman both walked with one out, and that brought up Mark Canha. Canha worked the count full, but on the payoff, he was wrung up on a changeup a few inches off the plate by Home Plate Umpire Stu Scheurwater.

It was a call that would most likely have not been made if this game was not up against the clock, but Scheurwater most likely wanted hitters to swing the bat today. Bob Melvin, who Scheurwater threw out after a foul tip call on April 21, let Scheurwater know just how he felt, and Melvin was tossed out of the game.

The Giants were able to get a run when Jerar Encarnacion walked following Melvin’s ejection, but the Giants certainly felt that they should have had at least two runs.

Kyle Harrison made the start for the Giants, and the Nationals responded in the bottom of the first. Alex Call walked with one out and stole second. With two outs, Keiburt Ruiz fisted a base-hit to left field, which scored Call to tie the game.

Herz pitched a scoreless top of the second, and Harrison threw a 1-2-3 bottom of the second. After Michael Conforto singled to start the third, the rains came, and the tarp was pulled onto the field.

The game resumed, and after Canha singled with two outs in the top of the third, Mike Yastrzemski put the Giants back ahead with a ground rule double to left-center.

Harrison then threw a scoreless innings in the bottom of the third and fourth, and Eduardo Salazar did the same in the top of the fourth. After Jacob Barnes threw a scoreless inning for Washington in the top of the fifth, the Nationals made some noise in the bottom of the fifth.

Luis Garcia lined a base-hit to center to start the bottom of the fifth and stole second. Jacob Young sacrificed Garcia over to third, and CJ Abrams got Garcia in with a sacrifice fly to right to tie it at 2-2.

After Abrams’ sacrifice fly, Harrison was out of the game. Harrison did alright through four and two thirds innings. He only threw 61 pitches, but sitting through the rain delay earlier most likely shortened his outing, as that can take a toll on starting pitchers.

Sean Hjelle finished the bottom of the fifth for the Giants, and Barnes threw another scoreless inning in the top of the sixth. Jordan Hicks came in for the Giants in the bottom of the sixth, and pitched through a base-hit and a walk for a scoreless inning.

The game then started to somewhat move along, as former Giant Derek Law pitched a scoreless top of the seventh for the Nationals. Erik Miller was brought in for the bottom of the seventh. Ildemaro Vargas would be the first hitter Miller would face. Vargas hit a fly ball to deep left field, and left-fielder Michael Conforto leapt up at the wall to take away a home run from Vargas. For Miller, he ended up pitching a 1-2-3 inning. Despite all the scoreless innings, there didn’t seem to be that many 1-2-3 innings in this one.

The rain started to come down again as the game moved to the eighth. Canha led off the top of the eighth against Law and hit a sharp ground ball to third that hit off the glove of Ildemaro Vargas, and Canha reached on an infield hit. First Base Umpire and Crew Chief Mark Carlson called for the tarp, and the game went into its second rain delay.

Law voiced his displeasure with Carlson. Perhaps Law wanted the delay before the inning started, but he would just have to settle for it coming after Canha’s infield hit.

Law was back out after the second delay ended, and he ended up throwing a scoreless inning. Ryan Walker then threw a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the eighth.

Kyle Finnegan came in for Washington in the top of the ninth. With one out, Tyler Fitzgerald lined a base-hit to left for his second hit of the game. Heliot Ramos walked, and he and Fitzgerald executed a double steal of second and third. Conforto then walked to load the bases, but Chapman struck out for the second out.

The rain started coming down again, and with two outs and the bases loaded, it would be up to Mark Canha. Finnegan got ahead in the count 1-2, and then Canha got a high fastball and lined it the other way to left for a base-hit. Two runs scored to give the Giants the lead, but after right-fielder Alex Call’s throw home went into the camera well, Conforto scored, and it was 5-2.

It was Canha’s fourth hit of the game, and at that point, the biggest hit for the Giants this season. He was originally awarded second base, but upon review, it was determined that that Call made the throw after Canha had reached third—the rule is that the runners advance two bases at time of a throw that goes out of play—and Canha was awarded third.

The Giants were three outs away from their biggest win of the season and getting back to over. 500,, as Camilo Doval came in for the bottom of the ninth. However, with Doval in, it would get dramatic.

The rain kept falling, and it got heavy, as the stadium lights shined off the infield dirt. This was an official game, but with two rain delays already in the books; a tropical storm on its way; and the fact that suspending this game and playing it at a later date would require some drastic shifts in the two games’ schedules, they kept playing.

Doval walked two, but he also got two outs. The left-handed-hitting Luis Roberts was at the plate, and Doval got ahead 1-2. Doval was a strike away, but Roberts took a 1-2 98-MPH cutter at the top of the zone and hit a home run the other way to the corner in left to tie the game. How Roberts hit that ball out the other way through the rain, I’ll never know, but Doval had blown his fifth save of the season.

The Giants were a strike away from their biggest win of the year and getting back over .500, but it was immediately snatched from them out of thick rainy air. Fortunately, Doval was at least able to get this game to the 10th.

As Robert Garcia, who finished the top of the ninth, threw his warmup pitches, the grounds crew at Nationals Park spent several minutes putting new dirt in the infield. The rain had stopped for the most part, and with dry new dirt in the infield, we were a go for the 10th.

Of course, Jerad Encarnacion, who made the final out in the top of the ninth, was the automatic runner at second for the 10th. Yastrzemski led off the inning by hitting a ground ball to short. Encarnacion foolishly took off for third, and was going to get nailed, but the throw from shortstop CJ Abrams was offline, so everyone was safe.

Brett Wisely was up, and Bob Melvin, who had been sitting either in his office or the runway between the clubhouse and the dugout since his ejection in the very first inning all those hours ago—and who I assume was still managing the game under the shadows—put on the safety squeeze. Wisely got the bunt down and reached first, and Encarnacion scored to give the Giants their lead back.

Patrick Bailey also laid down a bunt, and as Garcia attempted to nab Yaz at third, the throw was dropped by Vargas at third. The bases were now loaded, but Garcia retired the next two.

Conforto then came up with two outs, and he blooped a fastball off the fists into left for a base-hit, and two scored to make it 8-5. Joan Adon came in, and Chapman singled to center to score Bailey and make it 9-5

Taylor Rogers would be the man tasked with closing this baby out in the bottom of the 10th, and he threw a 1-2-3 inning to end this insane game.

When it was all said and done, Camilo Doval got the win, despite blowing the save, and Robert Garcia suffered the loss.

You really have to hand it to the Giants for grinding through this game. They scored nine runs without a single home run, and they went 5-for-21 with runners in scoring position.

Considering the circumstances this game was played under; the Giants’ status in this pennant race; and the ups and down of this wild game itself, they truly showed the fight and resilience of a playoff team.

The Giants improve to 59-58, and with the Braves suffering their fifth-straight loss, the Giants now trail the Braves by two and a half games. However, the Mets won their game to leapfrog the Braves for the third wild card spot, so the Giants are three out. A gain of a game would have been nice, but you can’t complain about a gain of a half game.

The Giants return home for a 2012 World Series rematch against the Detroit Tigers in a series that will feature a 2014 Giants reunion. The series will start tomorrow night with Robbie Ray (2-1, 4.40 ERA) taking the ball for the Giants. First pitch will be at 7:15 p.m.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Chapman homers and Snell goes 6 innings in 7-4 win in DC

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San Francisco Giants Matt Chapman (left) get a congratulatory hand shake from third base coach Matt Williams after hitting a home run in the top of the fifth inning at Nationals Park in DC on Wed Aug 7, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca:

#1 Heilot Ramos and Matt Chapman both contributed with a home run a piece in the top of the fifth inning at Washington’s Nationals Park in a three run 7-4 win. Michael talk a bit about the Ramos and Chapman homers.

#2 The homers by Ramos and Chapman broke a 3-3 tie in the fifth inning and it seems the Giants are getting those clutch hits at critical times.

#3 Ramos is swinging hot bat as Ramos hit a home run in second straight game and Chapman nearly scored a cycle he needed just a triple to accomplish it.

#4 The Giants are going well they have won nine of their last 12 games. Mike Yastrzemski also added some run production with a solo home run and an RBI triple. Talk about how Yastrzemski’s offense has made a difference in the line up.

#5 One more thing about Blake Snell he was coming off the no hitter to pitch against the Nationals and on Wednesday and turned out another successful outing going six innings, gave up four hits, three runs, one walk and eight strike outs. He certainly has recovered from his long injury.

Join Michael for the San Francisco Giants podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

White Sox’ 21-game losing streak is over, but their record-threatening issues persist

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By Morris Phillips

OAKLAND–It took a whole month, but the White Sox shed that onerous 21-game losing streak on Tuesday night, avoiding the possibility of a mind-bending seventh, consecutive series in which they were swept.

That’s good. That’s great, really. But the challenges that put the South Siders in such a precarious position persist. After two runs in the first inning on Wednesday afternoon, eight, empty frames followed along with a 3-2 loss. The occasion of the final ChiSox game in Oakland was a bust, like the tiny Coliseum crowd, the 14-game losing spell that ended June 6, the 0-17 run following the All-Star Break, and the frustrating season as a whole.

Whatever happens next, started happening 11 hours after the Sox emptied the dugout with sheepish grins in celebration of their 5-1 win. No jumping around in a near empty Oakland Coliseum, coincidently another well-known place for baseball strife.

Instead, the youthful Sox kept it cool and applauded themselves for hanging in there without berating each other because of the losing. After recounting their saga for the media inside their less-burdened clubhouse, the Sox made a quick trip to their San Francisco hotel to prepare for the series matinee finale and sleep.

“I don’t hide away from blame. Blame is what it is. I’ve got the position, the office, that’s the chair. I would never blame our players for this season. That’s not my makeup.” -Pedro Grifol, CWS manager

Wednesday morning at 11:00 am, trade deadline acquisition Miguel Vargas was not where he needed to be and cranky, bench coach/fungo master Eddie Rodriguez was ready to light up the 22-year old infielder when Vargas materialized for warm-ups at 11:06 am.

“You said you’d be here at 11 o’clock. Everything’s picked up,” Rodriguez barked.

After a short discreet conversation, Rodriguez relented, and a fielding exercise unfolded with the veteran coach hitting grounders to the 6’3″ Vargas. The young Cuban got an opportunity to assume an everyday, middle infield role with the Dodgers in 2023, but his bat was underwhelming. He hit .195 with seven home runs in 81 games, and was demoted in July and spent the remainder of that season with Triple-A Oklahoma City. His defense wasn’t elite either, as he committed five errors as the Dodgers’ second baseman.

On Wednesday, fielding grounders didn’t change much. Vargas batted leadoff as the designated hitter, going 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. He was filmed after Monday’s loss sitting dejectedly outside the Sox dugout, likely trying to process his fate as a star minor leaguer given a chance to impact the contending Dodgers, but suddenly traded to Chicago to contemplate his baseball future with a moribund franchise. The White Sox envision that Vargas can settle in, but everyone in Chicago knows that plan has a limited shelf life.

Gavin Sheets gained a measure of notoriety as the son of Larry Sheets, who started all 21 games for the Orioles during their notorious, 1988 losing string that torpedoed that season. The Orioles posted a winning record and contended in 1989, which is something the father and son have discussed in their daily phone calls the last month. Gavin admitted the phone calls have been critically important for his resolve as he navigates a nearly two-month stretch without hitting a home run.

On Wednesday, Sheets broke a hitless streak with a pair of base hits while hitting seventh in the lineup. But his homerless streak reached 43 games, which is troubling for a guy billed as a power-hitting first baseman. Sheets has enjoyed some nice stretches across four seasons in Chicago, but right now, his 43 home runs in 1,173 career at-bats is a glaring negative.

Luis Robert has struggled to gain traction after missing 53 games earlier this season with a hip flexor. He came into Wednesday hitting .149 over his last 17 games with one homer over his last 21 games. The Cuban product is a performer with impressive history in Oakland, as well as a breakout season in 2023. But right now, he’s a prisoner of his thoughts.

“When you’re going well, you don’t have to think about anything,’’ he said. “When you’re struggling, that’s where the spiral goes. You have to get back to how things feel and your process.”

“I think he’s pressing,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “His swings in the strike zone are down. People forget how young this kid is. He’s learning the game. He has inconsistencies now.”

Davis Martin, in his second ever big league start on the road, was Wednesday’s bright spot for the Sox. Martin navigated six innings and kept the power hitting A’s from adding to their 148 home runs in just 115 games. Martin allowed two hits and a walk in a season-best six innings. Afterward, he exuded confidence.

“(Tommy John surgery) is hard. Sometimes you don’t have the feel for stuff,” Martin said. “The fact you can have some success in the big leagues post-TJ brings a lot of confidence the next week and the week after that. Just going forward, it’s a really good starting point for me to build off of and go from there.”

The Sox have 45 games remaining, starting with a series on Friday against the Cubs back home at Guaranteed Rate Field. They need to win 13 of those to avoid finishing with a worse record than the 1961 Mets that finished 40-120.

Thirteen wins shouldn’t be too taxing, except:

The Sox have won just 17 times at home (17-40).

And they’ve won just 11 times on the road (11-49).

And Thursday started with the hardly unexpected news that Grifol was let go after compiling a record of 89-190 in less than two seasons after he replaced Miguel Cairo to start 2023.

Stayed tuned. The losing streak has ended, but another one could be coming like a wind storm gathering off Lake Michigan. If so, it won’t be pretty for Chicago.

Snell strikes out eight in six innings, and offense comes to life for Giants in somewhat-dramatic 7-4 win over Nats

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Blake Snell delivers against the Washington Nationals in the bottom of the third inning at Nationals Park in DC on Wed Aug 7, 2024 (AP News photo)

Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024

Nationals Park

Washington, D.C.

San Francisco Giants 7 (58-58)

Washington Nationals 4 (52-63)

Win: Blake Snell (2-3)

Loss: Jake Irvin (8-10)

Save: Camilo Doval (22)

Time: 2:36

Attendance: 13,310

By Stephen Ruderman

It came with a little bit of drama, but the Giants clicked on all cylinders Wednesday night, as the offense was able to combine power with some timely RBI hits, and Blake Snell delivered another strong quality outing for his second win to get the Giants back to .500 with a much-needed 7-4 win over the Nationals in D.C.

The Giants were unable to get back over .500 Tuesday night, as they lost a tough one 11-5. The Giants’ offense, which has been home run happy since their three-game set in Cincinnati over the weekend, jumped out to a 4-0 lead Tuesday night, but was unable to catch up after the Nationals pounded Hayden Birdsong for seven runs.

Wednesday night would be another overcast and humid night in our nation’s capital, as the Giants looked to get back to .500 again. The Giants scored in the top of the first inning in each of the first two games of this series. However they were unable to do so tonight against Nationals’ starter Jake Irvin, who pitched a scoreless top of the first.

Blake Snell took the ball for the Giants Wednesday night, as he was coming off his long-awaited first win as a Giant in his last start, in which all he really did was throw a no-hitter.

Snell made history in his last two starts. In his previous start prior to his no-hitter on Friday, he struck out 15 over the first six innings of the first game of the Giants’ doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies on July 27, becoming the first pitcher in Modern National League/American League History to do so.

Perhaps expecting him to accomplish another sort of historic achievement would be a tall order, but the Giants had every reason to feel confident with him on the mound. Spoiler Alert: He did not pitch another no-hitter tonight. Juan Yepez singled and stole second with two outs in the bottom of the first, but Snell ended up pitching a scoreless inning regardless.

Matt Chapman doubled to lead off the top of the second, but of course the Giants wasted it, as Irvin retired the side. Snell then threw a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the second.

Irvin retired the first two men he faced in the top of the third, but the Giants avoided the 1-2-3 inning when LaMonte Wade reached on a bloop single. Heliot Ramos singled back to the mound, and a pair of hits that did not go very far suddenly put runners at first and second with two outs.

Michael Conforto has been swinging the bat better as of late, and he came up with a chance to get a key RBI hit with a runner in scoring position. Conforto fisted a ball out into shallow center field, which Nationals’ center-fielder Jacob Young was unable with, and Wade scored to put the Giants on the board.

Next up was Matt Chapman. Chapman hit a chopper to third that Trey Lipscomb charged and threw to first. Chapman was called out by First Base Umpire Stu Scheurwater, which meant that the inning was over. However, after the Giants challenged the play, Chapman was safe, and Ramos scored to make it 2-0.

The Giants may have struck first, but just like last night, the Nationals struck back with a crooked number. Snell walked Jacob Young to start the bottom of the third and allowed him to get to second when he tried to pick Young off at first, but threw the ball away.

Young got to third on a ground out by CJ Abrams, and that brought up Alex Call, who got Young in with a base-hit to left. The Nationals were on the board, and then Juan Yepez gave them the lead with a home run just fair down the left field line.

Mike Yastrzemski tied the game with a home run to right-center in the top of the fourth, and Snell settled back down in a scoreless bottom of the fourth. With one out in the top of the fifth, Heliot Ramos flipped a home run to the Giants’ bullpen in left-center to put them back ahead.

Two batters later, Chapman hit a home run of his own to almost the exact same spot in the Giants’ bullpen in left-center. The Giants manufactured a pair of runs, so of course they had to hit three home runs. Anyway, Snell followed it up with a 1-2-3 shutdown inning in the bottom of the fifth.

In the top of the sixth, the Giants were at it again. Jose Ferrer came in for Irvin to start the inning, and he immediately hit Tyler Fitzgerald. Yastrzemski then pulled a bullet down the right field line for a triple that scored Fitzgerald and extended the Giants’ lead to 6-3.

Jerar Encarnacion was next up, and he joined the hit parade with a base-hit up the middle to center, which scored Yastrzemski to make it 7-3. See, there’s a couple of manufactured runs for you. They can still do it.

Snell threw a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth, and his night was over. He may not have struck out 15 or thrown a no-hitter, but he still pitched a quality outing, and other than the three-run bottom of the third, quite a strong inning. Snell gave up just four hits and struck out eight. Simply put, the Giants are getting the real Blake Snell now.

Eduardo Salazar replaced Ferrer to finish the top of the sixth, and Salazar came back out to throw a 1-2-3 top of the seventh.

Erik Miller was the new pitcher for San Francisco in the bottom of the seventh, and he ran into trouble after a one-out triple by Riley Adams. Miller was able to get a brief reprieve when Young flew out to shallow center and was unable to get Adams in.

Though maybe it would have been for the best if Adams scored, because it would have been a rally killer, and it would still be a three-run game. With the rally still going, Miller walked Lipscomb on four pitches, and Abrams poked one off the end of the bat for a base-hit to left, which knocked in Adams to make it 7-4.

Now the tying run was at the plate, and Bob Melvin went out to bring in Ryan Walker. Alex Call lined a base-hit to left, and things were now starting to get a little scary. Juan Yepez was up and worked the count full. On the payoff pitch, Walker got Yepez to strike out swinging at a beautiful filthy slider right on the outside corner, and the crisis was averted.

Everyone could take a deep breath, and the game moved to the eighth. Tanner Rainey threw a 1-2-3 inning for Washington in the top of the eighth, and submariner Tyler Rogers did the exact same for the Giants in the bottom of the inning.

After Joan Adon then threw a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the ninth for the Nationals, it was time for Camilo Doval in the bottom of the ninth. Doval pitched his first 1-2-3 inning in over a month on Monday, so he had to make it dramatic Wednesday night.

Doval hit Keibert Ruiz to start the inning, and Young singled to right to put runners at first and second and bring the tying run up to the plate with nobody out. Here we go again.

Luis Robert Jr. pinch-hit and moved the runners over to second and third, and Abrams walked to load the bases with one out. It was now time to be scared again.

After Giants Pitching Coach Bryan Price came out for a chat, Alex Call stepped up to the plate as the potential winning run. With the year that Doval has had, it was time to fear the worst. However, on the very first pitch, Call chopped into a 6-4-3 double play, and just like that, the game was over. Disaster was averted, and the Giants were back to .500.

Blake Snell got his second win; Jake Irvin took the loss; and Camilo Doval picked up his 22nd save, though he did not make it easy.

Wednesday night’s game was a healthy mix of power and timely situational hitting for the Giants, and as I’ve said many times, they will have to consistently keep getting the timely RBI hits the rest of the way if they want to go to the Playoffs.

Heliot Ramos and Mike Yastrzemski both hit two-hit nights, and Matt Chapman had three hits. As for Tyler Fitzgerald, since he’s been on a tear, and everyone wants to know how he did, he went 0-for-3. It happens.

The Giants are indeed back to .500, as they improve to 58-58. With the Braves’ 10-0 shellacking at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers, the Giants are now three and a half games back of Atlanta for the third wild card spot.

Thursday is getaway day, and the Giants can take the series and cap off a 5-2 road trip with a win. Kyle Harrison (6-5, 4.09 ERA) will take the mound for the Giants, and DJ Herz (2-4, 4.27 ERA) will start for the Nationals.

Remember, with the outskirts of Tropical Storm Debby coming into D.C. later Thursday, the game has been moved up to 12:05 p.m. in Washington, and a very-early 9:05 a.m. in San Francisco.

National League Wild Card Standings:

*1. Diamondbacks 63-52 +2.0

*2. Padres 63-52 +2.0

  1. Braves 60-53 —

Mets 60-54 0.5

Cardinals 59-56 2.0

GIANTS 58-58 3.5

Pirates 56-57 4.0

Cubs 57-60 5.0

Reds 55-59 5.5

*Tiebreaking procedures taken into effect.

A’s take series with 3-2 getaway win over White Sox

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Oakland A’s reliever Mason Miller (right) gets a hug from catcher Kyle McCann (left) after retiring the Chicago White Sox in the top of the ninth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Wed Aug 7, 2024 (AP News photo)

Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

Oakland, California

Chicago White Sox 2 (28-89)

Oakland Athletics 3 (48-68)

Win: T.J. McFarland (2-1)

Loss: Touki Toussaint (0-2)

Save: Mason Miller (16)

Time: 2:14

Attendance: 6,964

By Stephen Ruderman

OAKLAND–We weren’t going to see history today at the Coliseum, but it was still a beautiful day for a baseball game, and the Oakland A’s rewarded the faithful who showed up with a 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox to take the series in a Wednesday matinee.

Tuesday night, the A’s suffered the misfortune of being the team that the White Sox beat to snap their historic 21-game losing streak. Wednesday, the A’s still had a chance to take the series behind their young right-hander, Joey Estes.

Estes started the afternoon inning with a 1-2-3 top of the first inning. Davis Martin made the start for White Sox, and he also pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the first.

Andrew Vaughn doubled to right field to start the top of the second and advanced to third base on an error. That brought up Andrew Benintendi, who hit a home run to right-center to give the White Sox a 2-0 lead.

The A’s had a rally for free going against Martin in the bottom of the second. However, Martin struck out the side, and the A’s were unable to come through.

Both pitchers threw 1-2-3 innings in the third. Estes had to deal with a pair of two-out singles in the top of the fourth, but Nicky Lopez grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning. Martin then threw another 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fourth.

Both pitchers pitched scoreless innings in the fifth, and Estes was done after five innings. Estes was a bit shaky, as he gave up six hits, but he limited the damage to two runs.

Will Klein pitched a 1-2-3 top of the sixth for Oakland, and Martin did the same for Chicago in the bottom of the sixth to cap off his afternoon. Martin went six shutout innings, giving up just a pair of hits and striking out four. The fact that he was done after six innings and 82 pitches was a bit surprising, but hey, I’m not the manager.

The A’s were trailing 2-0 going to the seventh, and they were nine offensive outs away from losing two-straight to a team that had just snapped a 21-game losing streak. T.J. McFarland pitched a scoreless top of the seventh for Oakland, and when Touku Toussaint came in for the White Sox in the bottom of the seventh, the A’s finally pounced.

Brent Rooker lined a base-hit to left to lead off the inning, and Abraham Toro walked with one out. That brought up Armando Alvarez, who flipped a base-hit to left. Rooker scored, and the A’s were on the board. Zack Gelof then flipped a base-hit to left, and Toro scored to tie the game. After a fielder’s choice moved the runners to second and third, Lawrence Butler gave the A’s the lead with a sacrifice fly to left.

Tyler Ferguson came in for the A’s in the top of the eighth, and he pitched a 1-2-3 shutdown inning. John Brebbia then pitched a scoreless bottom of the eighth.

Mason Miller, who last pitched on July 22 against the Houston Astros before breaking his left pinkie finger, was activated off the 15-Day Injured List prior to today’s game, and he came in for the top of the ninth to try and notch down the save. Miller didn’t miss a beat, and he threw a 1-2-3 inning to close it out

“I’m just excited to be back and part of the group,” said Miller, who didn’t pitch in a rehab assignment and convinced the A’s he was ready to go after throwing live batting practice on Monday. “

T.J. McFarland got the win; Touki Toussaint took the loss; and Mason Miller got the save.

The A’s improve to 48-68, and they will head north of the border to play the Toronto Blue Jays for three this weekend. After a day off Thursday, the two teams will kick off a three game series Friday night. Mitch Spence (7-7, 4.40 ERA) will make the start for Oakland, and the Blue Jays have yet to announce who they will go with.

First pitch will be at 7:07 p.m. in Toronto, 4:07 p.m. back home in Oakland.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: The one “Must See” Baseball Game this Year in the Bay Area

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The Oakland A’s will be giving away an Oakland Coliseum replica at the last home game on Thu Sep 26, 2024 against the Texas Rangers the final home game in Oakland history for the A’s before moving to Sacramento in 2025 (Oakland A’s photo)

The one “Must See” Baseball Game this Year in the Bay Area

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–The last game of the Oakland A’s at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum is scheduled for September 26 against the Texas Rangers. It will be a Thursday afternoon game, with the first pitch at 12:37.

Fans in attendance will receive a Replica Coliseum Stadium, a memorable giveaway to remember the stadium many of you and your family have visited for generations. It has been a popular spot for sports and entertainment in the Bay Area for over 50 years.

For that historic last game at the Oakland Coliseum, the A’s might open the Mount Davis seats in center field, approximately 12,000 extra seats. The decision is imminent. One way or another, it will be a sellout, and the following day, three million people in the Bay Area will tell you they were there and were part of history.

It always happens like that. But it is “all good”, It is the last time you will hear vendors walking by your seat selling hot dogs, beer, and popcorn or welcoming you at the entrance with a friendly smile like Kenny Keltz did for years; this is part of the experience of attending a baseball game in Oakland.

The people who worked at the Coliseum are part of our community; they live, work, and pay taxes like everybody. September 26 will be an extraordinary day in Oakland, where the Oakland A’s have played and won numerous championships, including Four World Series.

The only other California team to have won in their park more is the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have played in Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium since 1958 and have five World Series titles. The Dodgers were recently here and some of the media from LA share the nostalgia of the Oakland Coliseum, and they will never return to watch a game here.

Understandably, A’s fans are distraught for the A’s to leave town. Baseball is a generational sport; kids were raised going to these games with their parents and friends, and after all, it is not every day that a Major League team leaves the city and place they have played for over a half-century.

Of course, people are upset for many reasons, which we all know, from ownership to poor leadership by politicos in Oakland City Hall and all reasons in-between that we are very familiar with, at least those of us who made our home in the Bay Area.

But this last game at Oakland should be a memorable game, as we will close the book inside our brains of attending games here. For me although I have broadcasted for a total of five different major league teams (including the Giants) and traveled with them, the Oakland Coliseum has been my baseball home since the early 1970’s and I always comeback to work here, because this is my home and I love the Bay Area. It will be a sad day, but a memorable and unforgettable day, at least for me. September 26, will be the One Must See Baseball game in the Bay Area in 2024.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play voice on the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com