Tag: mlb

San Francisco Giants podcast with Stephen Ruderman : Giants Chapman homers beat Reds by six runs 8-2 at Great American

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Francisco Giants Matt Chapman runs the bases after hitting a two run home run in the top of the eighth inning at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati on Sun Aug 4, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Stephen Ruderman:

#1 San Francisco Giants Matt Chapman belted 17th home run of the season that helped the Giants in their six runs win over the Red Legs 8-2.

#2 The Giants had Tyler Fitzgerald and LeMonte Wade Jr both hit a home run as the Giants took two out of three from the Reds.

#3 The Giants in the bottom of the sixth avoided the Reds from tying up the game when Chapman barehanded a ground ball hit by TJ Friedl and throwing out Elly De La Cruz at first base.

#4 Taking a look at Chapman’s home run again Chapman hit a two run blast off Reds pitcher Carson Spiers who dropped his record to 4-3.

#5 Giants open a four game series in Washington on Monday night starting pitcher for the Nationals Patrick Corbin (2-8, ERA 5.88) and for the Giants Logan Webb (8-8, ERA 3.49) first pitch 3:45pm PT.

Stephen Ruderman is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Ray strong over five innings, as Giants pull away with five-run eighth en route to 8-2 win

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Francisco Giants Matt Chapman connects for a single in the top of the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati on Sun Aug 4, 2024 (AP News photo)

Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024

Great American Ballpark

Cincinnati, Ohio

San Francisco Giants 8 (56-57)

Cincinnati Reds 2 (53-58)

Win: Robbie Ray (2-1)

Loss: Carson Spiers (4-3)

Time: 2:55

Attendance: 27,692

By Stephen Ruderman

The Giants have now won seven of their last nine, Robbie Ray gave a strong five-inning, nine-strikeout performance, and the Giants pulled away with a five-run top of the eighth inning to put an 8-2 beating on the Reds and take the series in Cincinnati on Sunday.

After Blake Snell’s no-hitter on Friday, the Reds beat the Giants in a weird and boring game Saturday night. Sunday, the Giants had a chance to take the series on a clear and sunny Sunday afternoon at Great American Ballpark.

Unfortunately for Giants’ and Reds’ fans, many of them would not be able to watch today’s game. Why? Because it was on Roku, which requires a paid subscription. Way to grow the game, Rob!

Anyway, Carson Spiers made the start for the Reds, and he got the afternoon started with a 1-2-3 top of the first inning. Robbie Ray made his third start of the season for the Giants, and he, too, pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the first.

After the Giants went scoreless in the top of the second, Jeimer Candelario put the Reds on the board with a two-out solo home run to left field in the bottom of the second. On the very next pitch, Santiago Espinal followed it up with a home run of his own to left-center to make it 2-0.

After Spier pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the third and Ray threw a scoreless bottom of the third, the Giants were ready to strike in the top of the fourth. Tyler Fitzgerald lined a base-hit to left to start the inning, and with one out, Matt Chapman tied the game with a home run to center field.

Ray threw a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fourth, and Spiers threw a scoreless top of the fifth. Ray ran into some trouble in the bottom of the fifth when Espinal singled to lead off the inning and stole second and third. The Reds were in perfect position to retake the lead with Espinal at third and one out, but Ray got out of it by striking out the side.

That would be it for Ray, who had thrown 86 pitches. Still, he gave the Giants exactly what they needed, as he struck out nine over five innings.

The momentum stayed in the Giants’ dugout, and they immediately seized on that momentum in the top of the sixth. On the first pitch of the inning from Spiers, LaMonte Wade gave the Giants the lead with a home run to right.

Ryan Walker came in for San Francisco in the bottom of the sixth, and he was immediately in trouble after he hit Elly De La Cruz to start the inning. Cruz got to third with one out, but Walker retired the next two he faced, and the Giants kept their 3-2 lead going to seventh.

Tony Santillan, who finished the top of the sixth for Spier, combined with Sam Moll for a scoreless inning in the top of the seventh. Erik Miller retired the first two men he faced in the bottom of the seventh, but after a two-out walk to Joey Wiemer, Bob Melvin went to Tyler Rogers, who hadn’t pitched in eight days. Rogers got Tyler Stephenson to ground out, and we went to the eighth.

Moll stayed in for Cicinnati in the top of the eighth. After a one-out single by Wade, Reds Manager David Bell pulled Moll for Fernando Cruz. Cruz would face the red-hot Fitzgerald, who was named the National League Rookie of the Month in July, and Fitzgerald hit his 11th home run of the year out to left-center to extend the Giants’ lead to 5-2.

For the Giants, they were just getting started. Patrick Bailey walked, and Chapman doubled to put runners at second and third. The Giants had been getting home run happy at Great American Smallpark, but after Bell brought in Yosver Zulueta, Michael Conforto lined a double off the end of the bat to left-center to score a pair and make it 7-2.

The Giants manufactured a pair of runs, which made this particular writer happy. Young slugger Jerar Encarnacion nearly hit one out to center, but it went off the wall, and Encarnacion had to settle for a measly RBI double that made it 8-2.

Rogers has been used quite a bit this season, but he hadn’t been used in eight days, so Melvin decided to leave him in in the bottom of the eighth of a six-run game to get some work in. Rogers didn’t disappoint, as he threw a shutdown 1-2-3 inning.

The Giants put runners at first and second against Zulueta to start the top of the ninth, but they were unable to further add on to their lead. Spencer Bivens came in for the bottom of the ninth, and pitched a scoreless inning to close it out.

It looks like the Giants needed to play the Rockies for four and then go to Great American Smallpark for three to get the offense back on track. The Giants got big days from Wade, Fitzgerald, Chapman and Conforto. Wade and Conforto each went 3-for-5; Fitzgerald went 2-for-4; and Chapman went 2-for-5. Conforto in particular had a good series, as he has gone 5-for-8 in his last two games.

For the housekeeping notes: Robbie Way got the win; and Carson Spiers got the loss.

The Giants have now won seven of their last nine, as they improve to 56-57. The Diamondbacks were losing 4-0 to the Pirates in Pittsburgh, but they have since come back to take a 5-4 lead. If the Pirates can come back late, the Giants will be just three and a half games back of the Diamondbacks for the third wild card.

The Giants will not head to our nation’s capital to take on the Washington Nationals for a four-game set. The Giants are 2-11 when they have a chance to get back up to .500, but perhaps it could be different in the series opener Monday night.

Logan Webb (8-8, 3.49 ERA) will be on the mound, fresh off his complete game shutout on Wednesday, and he will be opposed by the long-time veteran left-hander, Patrick Corban (2-11, 5.88 ERA), who has had a miserable season. First pitch will be at 6:45 p.m. in D.C., and 3:45 p.m. back home in San Francisco.

Giants News and Notes:

Heliot Ramos, who jammed his right thumb during the Giants’ doubleheader against the Rockies on July 27, was out of the lineup Sunday. Ramos has since gone 3-for-21, all singles. He is listed as day-to-day.

As mentioned above, Tyler Fitzgerald was named the National League Rookie of the Month for July, which was capped off by an incredible week in which he hit eight home runs in ten games.

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O: Derrick Hill joins Marlins after short stint with Giants; After no hitter is Giants Snell back on track? plus more news

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Former San Francisco Giant Derrick Hill was designated for assignment and picked up by the Miami Marlins. Hill who grew up in Northern California as a Giants fan was traded to the Miami Marlins. Hill had played on 21 games this season with the Giants and Texas Rangers. (Getty photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Former San Francisco Giant outfielder Derrick Hill has found a new home with the Miami Marlins. Hill joined the Marlins on Saturday. Hill was placed on waivers by the Giants on Friday. Hill didn’t stay in San Francisco very long he joined the Giants on July 23rd going 3 for 12 until his release on Friday. Hill played for the Texas Rangers and Giants in 21 games. Hill batted .255, with three home runs and seven RBIs.

#2 Giants starter Blake Snell three Major League Baseball’s third no hitter of this season Friday night at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. The closest the Cincinnati Reds got to a hit was in the ninth inning when the Red Elly Del La Cruz hit a ball to right center in the gap that was chased down by right fielder Mike Yastrzemski that helped preserve the no hitter. Snell had a difficult start of the season does the no hitter pretty much mean he’s back on track.

#3 The St Louis Cardinals who were looking for a shot in the arm got one when they acquired outfielder Tommy Pham from the Chicago White Sox. In Pham’s first at bat since joining the Cards he got a standing ovation in his first at bat since returning to the team that first signed him in 2006. Pham said the ovation gave him goose bumps and that he’ll remember it the rest of his life. The Cards have won four of their last ten games are in second place in the NL Central and are five and half games out of first place.

#4 Charlie, your right about the New York Yankees Aaron Judge clubbed a 477 foot home run in the first inning of Friday night’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. Judge collected his 41st home run of the season off Jays pitcher Jose Berrios. On Saturday in the second inning when Judge came up to the plate Jay’s manager John Schneider didn’t take any chances and walked Judge with the bases empty in his first at bat of the game. Yankees rained boos down on the Jays for walking

#5 According JMP Securities analyst Mitch Germain said that the Oakland A’s financing their share of the construction costs for the Las Vegas ballpark is in a holding pattern. Germain said the A’s have hit a roadblock. This has been going on for sometime that A’s owner John Fisher needs to come up with his share of the construction costs. Bally’s who just bought out Standard General’s share at $4.6 billion is going forward with their plans for a Casino and Hotel ballpark or no ballpark. But one thing for sure the A’s obligation for financing the park is in a holding pattern.

Join Charlie O’s for Headline Sports podcasts Sundays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Dodgers win with a vengeance Saturday after losing 3 straight games beat A’s 10-0

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Oakland A’s right fielder Lawrence Butler (4) takes a sliding catch on a fly ball hit by the Los Angeles Dodgers Cavan Biggio in the top of the sixth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Sat Aug 3, 2024 (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Los Angeles Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty was razor sharp in his outing against the Oakland A’s keeping a hot hitting line up off balance as the Dodgers and Flaherty threw a shutout for a 10-0 win on Saturday night.

#2 The win helped snapped the Dodgers three game losing streak. The Dodgers had lost Friday’s game against the A’s 6-5 and the that they lost to a last place club and have been struggling fired them up for their big Saturday victory.

#3 The Dodgers Shohei Ohtani is having quite a series against the A’s with a three run ninth inning home run on Friday and three stolen bases on Saturday night. Ohtani now has 31 stolen bases and 33 home runs.

#4 Flaherty who was just acquired last Tuesday had his biggest outing for the Dodgers pitching six innings, allowing five hits and no runs. Flaherty struck out seven hitters.

#5 The A’s hope to salvage this three game series Sunday at the Oakland Coliseum as they will face Dodgers starter RHP River Ryan (1-0, 0.82) and the A’s will start Osvaldo Bido (2-2, ERA 5.00) for a 1:05pm PT first pitch.

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

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Reds get 4 home runs and six innings of shutout ball from Greene to defeat Giants Saturday

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene deals against the San Francisco Giants in the top of the first inning on Saturday Aug 2, 2024 at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati (AP News photo)

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips:

#1 Cincinnati Reds Tyler Stephenson hit two of the Reds four home runs in the Reds 6-4 win over the Giants Saturday.

#2 Reds starter Hunter Greene now 8-4 and extended his scoreless streak to 21 games. Greene pitched six innings of shutout ball against on Saturday.

#3 Greene’s six straight starts in a season giving up one or no runs matches former Reds pitcher Johnny Vander Meer in 1938.

#4 The Giants starter Kyle Harrison dropped his record to 6-5 and lost a tough game going 3 2/3 innings allowing six runs and six hits for the loss.

#5 Reds closer Alex Diaz shut the door on the Giants in the ninth pitching one inning, one hit and one earned run and no strikeouts.

Morris Phillips is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Dodgers’ Explosive 9th Evened Up the Series 1-1 after a Dominating Shutout Victory 10-0 over the Athletics; Ohtani steals 3 bases

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Oakland A’s second baseman Darrell Hernaiz (2) can’t make the catch as the Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani (17) steals second base in the ninth inning for his third stolen base of the game at the Oakland Coliseum on Sat Aug 3, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Los Angeles Dodgers (64-47) tied the three-game series at one game apiece versus the Oakland Athletics (46-66) with an overwhelming 10-0 win in front of a large, mostly LA crowd..

More than 35,000 fans gathered into the Oakland Coliseum to see the Northern/Southern California battle on the diamond. The largest seat-fillers of the season came to see Shohei Ohtani who did not disappoint the Dodger faithful, as he had two hits, three stolen bases and an RBI. He joined the 30/30 club (homers/stolen bases) after his three swipes.

The game got off to a slow start, as neither team scored a run the first two innings. However, the Dodgers got on the scoreboard in the top of the third frame with two of their many runs.

Second baseman Gavin Lux sliced a two run single two leftfield, putting the visitors up 2-0. Cavan Biggio and Teoscar Hernandez both crossed the plate. That early action was the only scoring that happened most of the game, until later innings.

The Athletics best opportunity to score was in the bottom of the sixth inning. Oakland had the bases loaded with no outs. That scenario was orchestrated on an error, basehit and walk. It looked like the home team was going to come back, then blow the game open. Unfortunately, they had two ground outs and a strikeout, while no player scored a run. Absolutely a regrettable juncture of the game for the Athletics.

Two innings later the floodgates began to open for the Dodgers. In the top of the eighth inning Kike Hernandez drilled a RBI double to left, plating rightfielder Jason Heyward. The lead was 3-0, until center fieldr Andy Pages knocked in Hernandez on a single up the middle of the field.. After 7 1/2 innings, Dodgers 4, A’s 0.

The top of the ninth was the nail in the coffin, as Los Angeles added six more runs to their total. Amed Rosario replaced Lux and promptly belted an rbi single, scoring Ohtani. Catcher Will Smith’s RBI base hit added another tally to the scoreboard. Teoscar Hernandez made it home on that hit. Heyward followed that up with another RBI single, with Rosario scoring. Kike Hernandez knocked in Smith, making the score 8-0.

Mercilessly, the last two runs came on a wild pitch, with Heyward scoring, and Nick Ahmed’s single brought in Kike Hernandez for the final run. However, Kike was not finished.for the evening. When Hernandez took the field in the bottom of the ninth inning, he was positioned on the pitcher’s mound.

Hernandez not only survived, he preserved the shutout, and only gave up one hit. He capped off a night where he went 3-4, Double, Walk, two RBIs, and a scoreless inning from the bump. Although an impressive pitching line, he was not eligible for a save, Starter Jack Flarety (8-5) got credit for the win.

The two teams will play the rubber game to determine the winner of the series, Sunday Afternoon (1:07 PM PDT) here at the Coliseum. The projected starters will be Oakland’s RHP Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 5,00) vs. Dodgers’ RHP River Ryan (1-0, 0.82)

A’s give up six runs in the ninth inning as they fall to Dodgers 10-0

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo courtesy of Oakland A’s.

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)

OAKLAND- The A’s after winning the first game of the series looked to have repeat success against one of the best teams in the league the Dodgers.

Mitch Spence got the start for A’s who heading into this game had a 7-6 record. On the other side of the things the Dodgers started Jack Flaherty who after being acquired from the Tigers was making his first start for the blue-and-white.

It would be a quite game until Gavin Lux broke the ice with a two-run single in the third inning that put the Dodgers up.

After those runs both teams couldn’t get much offense going as both Spence and Flaherty pitched solid games.

The next runs didn’t come until the eighth inning when Enrique Hernández doubled on a line drive to left field that got one run home. Andy Pages followed that up in the eight with a single that also got a run home making it a 4-0 game.

Down in the game the A’s would need to keep the Dodgers off the board to have any hope of coming back. Unfortunately for Oakland the opposite ended up happening.

With Kyle Muller on the mound Muller struggled greatly, giving up six earned runs and effectively ending the game.

Amed Roasrio was the first Dodger to put up runs in the ninth on a fielder’s choice followed up by a single from Will Smith.

Jason Hayward and Hernández racked up RBI’s of their own with singles making it now an 8-0 ballgame. The ninth would come on a wild pitch that got Heyward across home plate. With the final run in the game coming from former Giant Nick Ahmed who singled to get Hernández home.

Spence ended up with the loss in this one despite only giving up two of the ten runs. Flaherty on the other hand in his first start as a Dodger looked great pitching six innings and giving up no runs with seven strikeouts.

The loss knocks the A’s down to 46-66 and the win brings the Dodgers up to 64-47.

The A’s will look to bounce back tomorrow in the final game of this home series at 1:07 p.m. The announced started for tomorrow’s game are for the Dodgers River Ryan and for the A’s Osvaldo Bido.

Season-high crowd watches A’s outslug Dodgers 6-5

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Oakland A’s Brent Rooker (25) celebrates with JJ Bleday (33) after hitting a two run bottom of the fifth inning home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Oakland Coliseum on Fri Aug 2, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Friday, August 2, 2024

Oakland’s offense was sparked by three home runs Friday, as the Athletics survived a late scare and hung on for a 6-5 interleague win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Coliseum.

The Dodgers (63-47) still maintain a four-game lead in the NL West, while Oakland (46-65) occupies the AL West cellar. The announced crowd of 21,060 was a season-high for the lame-duck A’s.

Oakland, 9-4 since the All-Star break, led the majors with 45 home runs in July and didn’t slow up as the calendar flipped to August.

Brent Rooker’s two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning – his 27th – capped a four-run rally that included an RBI double by JJ Bleday and a run-scoring triple by Miguel Andujar, giving the A’s a 6-2 lead.

In the top of the ninth, Shohei Ohtani smacked a 416-foot drive to right for his 33rd home run of the season, a three-run shot with two out that pulled Los Angeles to within 6-5. A’s reliever Tyler Ferguson responded by getting Will Smith to hit into a game-ending groundout.

Ohtani’s homer snapped an 0-for-15 slump, but the Dodgers still lost for the fifth time in their last six games.

Los Angeles opened the scoring in the top of the first on Teoscar Hernandez’s two-run home run to left-center off A’s starter Joey Estes (5-4). It was the 23rd homer for Hernandez.

The Athletics tied the game at 2-2 with a pair of solo home runs in the bottom of the fourth Shea Langeliers cranked a 432-foot blast to left, and two batters later, Seth Brown connected with a 420-foot shot to deep right-center. It was the 21st homer for Langeliers, and the 10th for Brown. Both were hit off Dodgers starter Gavin Stone (9-5).

Estes worked six innings, giving up two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out six. Austin Adams, the third of five A’s pitchers, threw a 2/3 scoreless inning to pick up his 21st hold.

Stone, the first of five LA hurlers, struck out five, but also surrendered five earned runs on eight hits and a walk in four-plus innings.

Before the game, A’s infielder Darell Hernaiz (ankle) was reinstated from the 60-day injured list, and infielder Brett Harris was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas. Right-hander Luis Medina was transferred to the 60-day IL to create the roster spot for Hernaiz.

On Saturday, right-hander Jack Flaherty (7-5, 2.95), who was acquired by Los Angeles from Detroit before the trade deadline, will start for the Dodgers. The Athletics will counter with right-hander Mitch Spence (7-6, 4.47). Game time is 6:07 Pacific.

Blake Snell no-hits Reds in Cincinnati for long-awaited first Giants’ win

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Francisco Giants starter Blake Snell was dealing against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati as seen here in the bottom of the sixth inning on Fri Aug 2, 2024 (AP News photo)

Friday, Aug. 2, 2024

Great American Ballpark

Cincinnati, Ohio

San Francisco Giants 3 (55-56)

Los Angeles Dodgers 0 (52-57)

Win: Blake Snell (1-3)

Loss: Andrew Abbott (9-8)

Time: 2:16 (1:00 rain delay)

Attendance: 28,075

By Stephen Ruderman

Blake Snell made history again Friday night, as he threw a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark in the most impressive and improbable way to finally get his first win as a Giant.

The Giants were coming off a much-needed 5-1 homestand, which was capped off by a complete game shutout by Logan Webb in a 1-0 win over the Oakland A’s on Wednesday. Friday night, the Giants were back on the road in the band box known as Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati to take on the Cincinnati Reds.

With thunderstorms around Cincinnati, there was a delay of exactly one hour prior to the start of the game. Then the Reds and their starter, Andrew Abbott, took the field.

With one out in the top of the first inning, Mark Canha drew a walk in his first plate appearance as a Giant, and Matt Chapman singled to left field with two outs. Patrick Bailey then popped out to first base, and the Giants were unable to come through.

Blake Snell took the ball Friday night in what would be his first start since the Giants chose not to sell him at the Trade Deadline. After an abysmal start to his season, Snell has been nails in his last five starts.

Snell took a perfect game into the seventh inning against the Minnesota Twins in the first half finale on July 14. Then in the first game of the Giants’ doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies this past Saturday, he struck out 15 in six innings, becoming the first pitcher in Modern National League/American League History to strike out 15 in the first six innings of a game.

However, Snell was still lacking that elusive first win as a Giant. He would have a challenge going against a young jumpstart Reds’ team in Great American Ballpark, one of the most live parks in all of Baseball. Snell got his night off to a nice start, as he struck out the side with a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the first.

Abbott retired the first two Giants he faced in the top of the second, but with two outs, Casey Schmitt hit a bomb into the second deck out in left field to put the Giants on the board. Marco Luciano then lined a base-hit to left, and Tyler Fitzgerald doubled to left to score Luciano and make it 2-0.

Abbott pitched a scoreless top of the third and a 1-2-3 top of the fourth. Snell, meanwhile, threw a scoreless bottom of the second, as well a pair of 1-2-3 innings in the third and fourth.

Fitzgerald and Canha singled to start the top of the sixth. After Heliot Ramos struck out swinging for the first out, Reds Manager David Bell pulled Abbott for Buck Farmer, who got out of the inning unscathed.

Snell struggled a bit in the bottom of the fifth after he issued a pair of walks, but that would be it, and the Giants kept their 2-0 lead going to the sixth. Farmer and Snell both pitched 1-2-3 innings in the sixth, and as the game went to the seventh, you couldn’t help but notice that the Reds still had a bagel in the hit column.

Fitzgerald hit a home run to left-center off Nick Martinez with one out in the top of the seventh to make it 3-0. Snell then threw a nine-pitch 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the seventh.

Sam Moll threw a 1-2-3 top of the eighth for Cincinnati, and Snell came back out for the bottom of the eighth.

Jeimer Candelario would be the first man Snell would face in the bottom of the eighth. Candelario worked the count full, but Snell perfectly placed a 97-MPH fastball right at the knees for strike three. TJ Friedl flew out to left, and Stuart Fairchild grounded out to short, as Snell had pitched through the eighth inning for the first time, ever, in his great career.

After Fernando Cruz threw a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the ninth for the Reds, Snell, who had thrown 108 pitches, came out for the bottom of the ninth to try and finish the job. It would be the first time that Snell would ever pitch in the ninth inning in his career.

The first hitter for Cincinnati was Santiago Espinal, who struck out swinging for the first out. Jonathan India then grounded out back to the mound on the first on the first first pitch, and Snell was now an out away from history.

It was fitting that the final man up would be the Reds’ young star, Elly De La Cruz. You would have expected a long and spirited at-bat, but Cruz swung at the first pitch and hit a semi-low-hanging fly ball out to right-center, and as Giants’ right-fielder Mike Yastrzemski waltzed over to his right to make the catch, Blake Snell had his no-hitter.

Snell was hugged by his catcher, Patrick Bailey, and they were instantly joined by their teammates, who had poured out of the dugout to celebrate at the mound. It was a magical night for Snell and the Giants.

This was the 18th no-hitter in Giants’ franchise history, and the 10th in San Francisco. This was the Giants’ first no-hitter since Chris Heston no-hit the New York Mets at Citi Field on June 9, 2015.

Two Giants’ pitchers have come within an out of a no hitter since: Matt Moore on Aug. 25, 2016 against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, and Alex Cobb against these very Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 29 last year. However, neither could complete the job.

What’s also impressive is that after Logan Webb’s complete game shutout against the A’s on Wednesday the Giants have gotten back-to-back complete game shutouts from their starters.

As for Snell, he threw 114 pitches, walked three and struck out 11. Snell has won two Cy Young awards, which makes it all the more baffling that he had not even pitched eight full innings in a game prior to Friday night.

And yes, Snell finally got his first win as a Giant. Andrew Abbott took the loss for Cincinnati.

The Giants have now won six of their last seven, as they improve to 55-56. They will have a chance to get back up to .500 with a win Friday night. The problem is that the Giants are 2-10 when they’ve had a chance to get back up to .500 this season. Though perhaps Friday night was the spark that will finally truly get things going for this team.

The Giants will try to get back up to .500 for the third time this season with left-hander Kyle Harrison (6-4, 3.69 ERA) on the mound. Opposing Harrison for the Reds will be right-hander Hunter Greene (7-4, 2.97 ERA) for Saturday night. It will be a nationally-televised game on FOX, as the first pitch will be at 7:15 p.m. in Cincinnati, and 4:15 p.m. back home in San Francisco.

Giants News and Notes:

This is the first time that Giants’ pitchers have thrown back-to-back complete game shutouts since Livan Hernandez and Jason Schmidt threw complete game shutouts on Aug. 19 and 20, 2002.

Lost in all of this is the plethora of roster moves the Giants made prior to the game.

David Villar was sent back to Sacramento, and Derek Hill was designated for assignment.

Mark Canha was of course activated onto the roster after the Giants acquired him from the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday. Canha went 2-for-3 in his Giants’ debut Friday night.

The Giants called outfielder Jerar Encarnacion from Sacramento. Encarnacion hit .352 with 10 home runs in just 33 games for the River Cats. Encarnacion started tonight and went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts.

Sean Hjelle was activated off the Bereavement List.

Oakland A’s Relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: Memories shared as A’s play last two months at Coliseum; A’s say they can finance Vegas park but where is the money?

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Oakland Coliseum at twilight as the Oakland A’s will play their final two months (August-September 2024) at the Coliseum before moving into their temporary home at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento for the 2025 season. (file photo by the Las Vegas Review Journal)

On the Oakland A’s Relocation podcast:

#1 Daniel, final two months for the A’s playing in the Oakland Coliseum since 1968. As the final date of Sep 26th comes closer it’s hard to believe after over 50 years the A’s will no longer occupy the Coliseum.

#2 In the course of the wind down of the Coliseum the A’s will be sharing lots of memories from their years of winning three straight World Series from 1972-74, going to the World Series three years in a row from 1988-1990 and winning the 1989 World Series.

#3 One of the big memories is when the A’s won 20 straight ball games which was part of a movie Money Ball starring Brad Pitt as A’s general manager Billy Beane.

#4 The latest was that A’s owner John Fisher’s business partner Sandy Dean said that the A’s are working on securing funding which would amount to $500 million for Fisher’s share. Fisher had been trying to secure the funding since the MLB owners last December voted to move the A’s to Vegas. Fisher has until December 2024 to finance his end of the construction costs or the SB1 bill that publicly finances the park will be dead. Gaming & Leisure Properties Inc. and Bally’s have taken a leading role in making sure the stadium will be built. It’s yet to be seen as Fisher needs to come up with the construction financing.

#5 In talking with employees who work at the Oakland Coliseum most have not heard from A’s management about what their futures will be like be it contractors or A’s employees regarding work in Sacramento next season. Most likely the Sacramento Rivercats will be deciding a great portion of how the front office will be handled since it will save Fisher money on paying employees.

Join Daniel Dullum for the A’s Relocation podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com