Tag: mlb

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Who is the legitimate home run king?

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Former Milwaukee Brewer the late Henry Aaron is still regarded as the home run king (left) stands next to Oakland A’s Spanish play by play announcer Amaury Pi Gonzalez (right) in this 1976 photo at the Oakland Coliseum (photo from Amaury Pi Gonzalez)

Who is the Legitimate Home-run King?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

In the history of major league baseball, nobody ended a career with more Home runs than Barry Bonds (762) and nobody won more Most Valuable player awards than Barry Bonds, a total of seven. However, Barry Bonds can no longer be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the writers (BBWAA).

Players voted by the BBWAA are considered the very best and considered the most prestigious vote for Hall of Fame election. Bonds ended his 10-year run with 66 percent of the vote, short of the minimum 75 percent required. “Today’s Game Ballot” is a new committee for a way to vote a player into Cooperstown.

Under this system, Barry Bonds might have a shot this December, but the jury is still out. It comprises a group of ex-players in the Hall of Fame, executives, and veteran media members. It is very similar to the “Era Committee” once called the “Veterans Committee” which inducted players such as Orlando Cepeda, among others.

Barry Bonds will be considered with others that have fallen off the ballot, most recently, like Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro and Mark McGuire, the “usual suspects” during the steroids era.

In 2005, these (plus other players and baseball executives) had to appear in front of the House Committee on Government Reform in an 11-hour hearing in Washington, D.C. This House Committee was to pressure baseball to toughen its policy against steroids.

2002 was the last season for Barry Bonds, who played for 22 years in the major leagues and his failure to make it during the regular Baseball Writers of America ballot has created a feeling that he is a ‘persona non-Grata ‘ and tainted for life because of the accusations.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports Bonds admitted receiving the “cream and clear” substances from his personal trainer during the 2003 baseball season, however, denied he knew they were steroids during his testimony on December 4, 2003, to a federal grand jury.

Henry (Hank) Aaron played for 23 years in the major leagues and ended with a total 755 home runs, second behind Barry Bonds, holds many of baseball records, and was elected to The Baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 1982 by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Aaron received 97.8 % of the vote. Aaron holds MLB records for the most career runs batted in (RBIs) 2,297, extra base hits 1,477 and total bases with 6,856 and is one of only four players to have at least 17 seasons with 150 runs batted in. Also in the top five of other hitting departments.

On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hit his 715 career home run, breaking Babe Ruth’s legendary record of 714 homers, arguably one of the top moments in Major League Baseball.

During his last season in the majors (1976) I interviewed Hank Aaron as he came to Oakland with the Milwaukee Brewers, he was a gentleman and one of the greatest players ever, very humble and very measured when he spoke. Truly an American icon.

Hank Aaron had an unblemished and distinguished career, born in the south had to face racism since he was a boy in Mobile, Alabama all the way to the big leagues, and to this day many across the country still consider Hank Aaron the legitimate Home run King.

This year at the July 24 Induction Ceremony in Cooperstown the BBWAA electee David Ortíz will join Golden Era Committee electees Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Orestes (Minnie) Miñoso and Tony Oliva. Plus early Baseball Era Committee electees Bud Fowler and Buck O’Neill.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame Museum and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants pull out 7-4 11-inning win over Phils

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The San Francisco Giants Joc Pederson runs the bases after hitting an 11th inning two run homer against third baseman Alex Bohm (left) and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizen’s Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia on Tue May 31, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Tuesday, May 31, 2022

In a game that lasted four hours and 52 minutes, San Francisco used an 11th inning rally to beat Philadelphia 7-4 at Citizens Bank Park.

Donovan Walton’s run-scoring double broke a 4-4 tie, and Joc Pederson iced it with a two-run homer, driving in Walton. Walton drove in Joey Bart, who was placed at second.

Jose Alvarez (2-1), the eighth pitcher to enter the game for the Giants, struck out two and walked two over the last 1 1/3 innings to get the win.

Andrew Bellatti (1-2) surrendered all three San Francisco runs in the top of the 11th. In the Phillies’ 11th, after Odubel Herrera was placed on second base, Johan Camargo fouled out to first, Kyle Schwarber walked, Bryson Stott struck out, and Bryce Harper was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Alvarez struck out Roman Quinn swinging to end the game.

San Francisco had taken a 4-3 lead in the top of the 10th when Wilmer Flores scored on a fielding error. The Phillies extended the game in the bottom of the 10th on a two-out RBI single by Alec Bohm.

The Giants took a 3-1 lead in the top of the fifth on a two-run double to right by Luis Gonzalez, and Mike Yastrzemski’s sacrifice fly to center. Philadelphia came up with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 3-3. J.T. Realmuto had an run-scoring single, and Rhys Hoskins (who singled) scored when Herrera grounded into a double play.

Gonzalez was 4-for-5, leading the Giants’ 12-hit attack. San Francisco starter Jakob Junis went 4 1/3 innings, giving up an earned run on three hits and two walks while striking out three. Jarlin Garcia, John Brebbia, Jake McGee, Tyler Rogers, Dominic Leone and Camilo Duval also saw action out of the Giants’ bullpen.

Phillies starter Ranger Suarez lasted 4 1/3 innings, giving up two earned runs on five hits and three walks. He struck out five.

Carlos Rodon (4-4, 3.60) starts for the Giants on Wednesday, facing the Phillies’ Aaron Nola (2-4, 3.56); first pitch is at 2:05 PDT.

A’s Bats continue to nap Montas suffers fifth loss Astros win 3-1 at Coliseum

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Houston Astros’ Chas McCormick hits a home run in front of Oakland Athletics catcher Sean Murphy during the eighth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Tue May 31, 2022 (AP News photo)

Houston. 3. 7. 0

Oakland. 8. 1

Tuesday May 31, 2022

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–One of the anomalies of this year’s version of the Oakland Athletics (20-32) is the difference between their performance on the road and what they do at home. The A’s are 7-19 at the Coliseum; behind the Chicago Cubs who just ahead of the A’s for the worst record at their home park at 8-17.

Tueday’s starting pitcher for the green and gold, Frankie Montás, is an anomaly within that anomaly. He took the mound dropped his record to 2-5, 3.20.

His opponent, Houston Astro starter Cristián Javier, also has fared better at home than when travelling. He’s now 3-2, 2.43 and was fantastic 0.38 in Arlington when facing the Texas Rangers.

In the end, Javier would escape with a no decision, Montás would throw seven beautiful innings and leave in the eighth, trailing 2-1. He took the loss in Oakland’s tough 3-1 defeat at the hands of the visitors in front of a crowd of 3,469 fans.

Tuesday’s confrontation began with confusion. Action was stopped for several minutes during Houston’s first at bat when Montás asked the umpires to verify the pitch count as shown on the scoreboard.

They decided that the scoreboard had it right. When the home team came to bat, Tony Kemp led off by depositing a fly ball on the running track just to the left of the right field foul line for a double.

The Curse of the Lead Off Double struck again, and Kemp died on second. The A’s, who seldom miss a chance to miss a chance, wasted Elvis Andrus’s one out stand up double to left in the second.

Andrus connected for another two bagger, taking a 79 mph slider into the left field seats on a bounce with two down in the bottom of the fourth with the score still tied at zero. This time, his effort wasn’t wasted. Sheldon Neuse followed him with a four pitch walk, and Cristián Pache’s single to center drove Andrus in with the game’s first run.

A 3-2 walk to Kemp loaded the bases and brought Jeff Lowrie to the plate with a relatively good chance to blow the game relatively open. It also gave him a chance to strand three runners, which is what he did, fouling out to first on a 2-2 count.

Yordán Alvarez opened the fifth with a single to short that seemed to have been deflected by Montás’s glove. A nifty catch by Pache of Yuri Gurriel’s drive to deep right center granted the A’s pitcher a momentary reprieve before Jeremy Peña lined a single to center to put runners on first and second.

Montás fanned Castro for the second out. Then Chas McCormick sent a single to left that scored Alvarez to tie the game.

But that wasn’t the end of the play. Everyone on base tried to advance, and Peña was thrown out in a rundown between third and home, leftfielder Luis Barrera to catcher Sean Murphy to second Tony Kemp to third Sheldon Neuse back to catcher Murphy to short Elvis Andrus who made the tag not your typical 7-2-4-5-2-6 put out if your scoring at home. That ended the inning.

Phil Maton relieved Javier in the top of the fifth. He had gone four frames and allowed one run, which was earned, on four hits and walks, striking out three. His pitch count was 85, and 47 qualified as strikes.

Oakland quickly jumped on Maton with a single to right by Ramon Laureano and a double to the same field by Seth Brown that sent the base runner to third. But Murphy smacked a grounder to third, and Laureano was cut down at the plate.

Barrera flew out to left center, bringing Andrus, who had gone two for two, to the plate. His fly out to left center closed the inning, and the A’s lost a golden opportunity to regain their brief and slender lead.

Montás retired the Astros to a conga beat (i.e., 1-2-3) in the sixth.

The Athletics faced Ryne Stanek in the home half of that stanza and achieved only a walk and a stolen base by Neuse.

Montás began to show signs of tiring when he had completed 6-1/3 innings of work. Yordan Alvarez and Guriel smacked solid singles, putting runners on first and second. The Peña hit a double play ball that Neuse, moving to his left, bobbled, loading the bases with ´stros. But, tired or not, Montás kept his cool and got Castro to hit into an inning ending 4-6-3 twin killing.

It was Rafael Montero’s turn to face the A’s in the seventh. All the Oaklanders could manage against him was a lead off single to right by Laureano, who seems at last to be hitting his stride.

Chas McCormick drove Montás from the box before he could get an out in the eighth. His blast to straight away center field, over the 400 foot sign, carried 422 feet and came on 97 mph fastball, Montás’s 98th offering of the night. He left, having yielded two runs, both earned, on seven hits and not a single walk, having struck out five. He deserved a better fate.

Zach Jackson was his replacement. He issued free passes to Jose Siri, Jose Altuve, and Michael Brantley, with a gratuitous wild pitch to Altuve thrown into the bargain. It looked as though home plate umpire Manny González was squeezing Jackson on some of his pitches to Brantley.

But there was no doubting his calls on his fourth straight walk, which allowed Siri to stroll home with Houston’s third tally. That was it for Jackson, and it was Sam Moll who had to face Alvarez with the bases still loaded and no outs.

The lefty came through, retiring Alvarez on a foul to third and getting Gurriel to go down swinging before Jeremy Peña grounded into a third to second force out to keep the A’s in the game. Moll, too, stayed in the game, pitching to one man, Jason Castro, and striking him out looking.

Héctor Neris was Houston’s fourth reliever in as many innings. He retired the side in order, notching two strikeouts in the process.

Lou Trivino took over for Moll and looked sharp mixing his fast ball and a curve to strike out McCormick. He mixed his pitches well against Siri, who also went down swinging.

Ryan Pressly, looking for his ninth save in 11 opportunities, faced the top of the Oakland batting order in the last chance ninth. Kemp lined a solid single to right, making him two for four for the night. Jed Lowrie flew out to left center. Laureano fell behind 0-2 quickly and just as quickly bounced into a game ending 6-4-3 double play. Time of game 3:23.

The win went to Montero, now 3-0 ,0.44. Pressley was credited with the save and brought his ERA down to 2.25. On Wednesday it will be Justin Verlander (6-2, 2.03) for the Astros against A’s starter Cole Irvin (2-2, 3.15) to wind up the series tomorrow at 12:37.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Montas focusing on pitching despite being on trade block

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Oakland A’s pitcher Frankie Montas gives up the ball to manager Mark Kotsay in the bottom of the seventh on Tue May 10, 2022 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. Montas gets the start tonight against

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary:

#1 Oakland A’s starter Frankie Montas has an amazing splitter that’s kept hitters off balance. Montas in his last ten starts has an 3.28 ERA and has 60 strikeouts under his belt.

#2 Montas has been on the trade block since spring training opened in February and is still with the club but the A’s seem to be waiting for the right offer if they going to move him.

#3 The Houston Astros Yordan Alvarez left very little doubt about with his two home runs which totaled 913 ft combined. Alvarez 6’5 who wears No. 44 reminds some of the reporters who covered Monday’s game of Willie McCovey.

#4 I know you had a chance to speak to Astros manager Dusty Baker before tonight’s game Dusty’s club is loaded the Astros have the best ERA in the American League at 2.86 and are hitting a team .226 batting average Dusty has lots to be proud about.

#5 Amaury taking a look at the starting pitchers for tonight for the Astros righthander Cristian Javier (3-2, ERA 2.43) and for the A’s righthander Frankie Montas (2-4, 3.28) a 6:40 pm first pitch.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead Spanish play by play announcer for Oakland A’s baseball on flagship station Le Grande 1010 KIQI San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Kapler takes anthem protests one game at a time; Can A’s improve attendance as Astros and Red Sox pay a visit to Coliseum

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San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler takes a stroll to the Giants dugout after making a pitching change in the top of the eighth inning against the New York Mets on Mon May 23, 2022 at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Gabe Kapler San Francisco Giants manager made headlines when he said he would not be on the field for the national anthem but made an exception for the Memorial Day game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

#2 The Oakland A’s continue to suffer at the gate their draws have been around 8,000 plus tops and bottoming out around 3,000 on a Thursday night against the Texas Rangers.

#3 What a week for the Los Angeles Angels Shohei Ohtani on Sunday Ohtani homered twice, but the Angels lost by just a run in a slugfest against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Big A in Anaheim 11-10 in a back and forth game. No doubt Ohtani is doing it all this season for the Halos.

#4 There is no doubt Amaury that the Cincinnati Reds outfielder Tommy Pham who returned from his three day suspension on Monday and San Francisco Giants outfielder Joc Pederson as strange as that situation is Pham felt that Pederson cheated in Fantasy Football and Pham said there was a lot of money at stake and hence the bad blood between the two. How dangerous is a situation like this when there is money lost between players and they have to play together professionally.

#5 Amaury, talk about the warm pitched that bounced that was thrown by Los Angeles Angels pitcher Michael Lorenzen one of the warm up pitches went up and hit teammate catcher Kurt Suzuki in the neck. Suzuki was helped off the field but once in the dugout passed out on Saturday night. Suzuki went to the hospital and a few hours later returned to the ballpark and said he was available to play the next day in Sunday’s game.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Oakland A’s lead play by play announcer heard on Le Grande 1010 KIQI San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Longoria delivers long ball for Giants in comeback win over Reds 6-4

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The San Francisco Giants Evan Longoria celebrates his three run home run in the top of the eighth in the Giants dugout against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati on Sun May 29, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the SF Giants podcast with Morris:

#1 Morris very little doubt that the San Francisco Giants (25-21) Evan Longoria is in a very good place hitting four home runs in his last four games.

#2 Longoria’s home runs were crucial as the Giants wanted to avoid getting swept by the Cincinnati Reds (16-31) with a 6-4 win on Sunday morning. The Giants took some tough defeats on Friday 5-1 and 3-2 on Saturday.

#3 The Reds were in the drivers seat for awhile with a 2-0 lead and Reds pitcher Tyler Mahle throwing seven innings of no hit ball before Longoria and the Giants made their comeback.

#4 Alex Cobb Giants starting pitcher threw well in his own right allowing just two runs, four hits, eight strikeouts.

#5 The Giants are in Philadelphia for a three game series and Logan Webb (5-1, 3.54) and the Phillies (21-26) will start Kyle Gibson (3-2, 3.94) a 4:05 pm PDT start.

Join Morris for the Giants podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

SF’s Eighth Inning Surge Beats Reds 6-4; Giants avoid getting swept

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San Francisco Giant Evan Longoria circles the bases after hitting a three run homer in the eighth inning to help defeat the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati on Sun May 29, 2022 (AP News photo)

Eighth Inning Surge Beats Reds 6-4

By Barbara Mason

It has been a tough start for the San Francisco Giants (25-21)on this most current road trip. Dropping two games in a row to the Cincinnati Reds (16-31) was a bit of a shocker to most. The Reds are simply not a good team: they are a club that the Giants should be able to handle.

The second game of this series was a tough loss for San Francisco with some curious decisions made in the ninth inning which may have cost them the game although they had numerous opportunities to come away with this contest. It was a team effort in this loss with 11 runners left stranded when all was said and done.

San Francisco took on the Reds in game three hoping to avoid the sweep. It was not looking good for the Giants until the eighth inning. The Reds again took the early lead in the second inning. Kyle Farmer scored off a Albert Almora Jr. single for the early 1-0 lead.

In the sixth inning the Reds extended their lead. Tyler Naquin doubled driving in Joey Votto for a 2-0 lead and this game was looking like more of the same.

The Giants broke this game wide open in the eighth inning. They saved the best for last. Tommy LaStella scored off a Pederson single followed by a home run by Evan Longoria driving in Wilmner Flores and Joc Pederson taking a 4-2 lead.

San Francisco was not finished: Luis Gonzalez would double driving in Thairo Estrada and Brandon Crawford for a 6-2 lead.

The Reds made some noise in the ninth inning when Albert Almora Jr. hit a home run and Farmer scored but that was it for the Reds and the Giants avoided the sweep. The Giants managed to win this game but again the Reds had more hits than San Francisco but the good new was that the Giants were back on the winning track.

Monday the Giants will take on the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Logan Webb (3-1, 3.54) will take the mound for San Francisco. For Philadelphia Kyle Gibson (3-2, 3.94) will get the nod. First Pitch is scheduled for 1:05 at Citizens Bank Ballpark.

Giants Drop A Second Game to the Reds 3-2; Pham suspended three games for pre game slap on Pederson

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The Cincinnati Reds Kyle Farmer (17) high fives teammate Tyler Stevenson after hitting a first inning three run home run at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Sat May 28, 2022 (AP News photo)

Giants Drop A Second Game to the Reds 3-2

By Barbara Mason

Saturday afternoon the San Francisco Giants (24-21) took on the Reds (16-30) in Cincinnati. After losing Friday’s game 5-1, the Giants were looking to bounce back against a team that quite frankly is not a very good one. They couldn’t pull it off losing by a run 3-2 at Great American Park in Cincinnati.

The Reds got on the board in the first inning when Kyle Farmer hit a home run driving in Brandon Drury and Tyler Stephenson for an early 3-0 lead.

The Giants loaded the bases in the second inning but came up empty. In the third inning Yastrzemski would score on a Joc Pederson double for their first run of the game.

San Francisco scored in the sixth inning when Evan Longoria hit a solo home run still trailing 3-2. The Giants had 12 hits to the Reds 5. They had many opportunities in this game but failed to capitalize. One of the most glaring downfalls for the team were the 11 runners on base that failed to score.

The most disappointing inning in this game was the ninth. Curt Casali singled and Yastrzemski walked. With two outs, Wilmer Flores singled and the Giants had the chance to load the bases yet again in this game. Pinch runner Joey Bart was waved home and thrown out at the plate and that was the ball game.

Right fielder Aristides Aquino made a magnificent throw to catcher Tyler Stephenson for the out and the win for Cincinnati in a surprising move by San Francisco.

Post game notes: Major League Baseball announced before Saturday’s game that the Reds outfielder Tommy Pham had been suspended three games Fri-Sun for slapping San Francisco Giants outfielder Joc Pederson in the face before Friday night’s game.

The slapping by Pham stemmed by a Fantasy Football League dispute in the off season. Pham took exception to what Pederson had wrote in explaining that he did not stash players while one of his players was on the IL.

Pham said that Pederson’s comments were disrespectful and there is a code to follow in Fantasy Football, “We had too much money on the line, so I look at it like there’s a code,” and that Pederson was “messing with my money.”

Pham who was with the San Diego Padres last season and Pederson who was with the Atlanta Braves showed a screen shot of what he sent to the Padres joking about the Padres struggle in the final months of the season.

Pham wrote to Pederson saying that Pederson did not know Pham that much to be joking about the Padres struggles like that. Pederson said he knew four or five of the guys on the Padres at the time and it was a joke and for laughs.

Pham however didn’t take it that way and confronted Pederson on Friday and slapped him in the face during batting practice. Pederson said it was a lighthearted joke he knew some of the guys over at the Padres and Pederson said he meant no harm.

But since the slap there might be some unspoken bad blood with Pederson’s teammates who didn’t appreciate Pham slapping their teammate before Friday’s game and they just might be waiting on Pham when the Reds come to San Francisco Jun 24-26 at Oracle Park.

Tomorrow the Giants will take on the Reds in game three of this series. They will try to avoid being swept in this final game. Alex Cobb (3-2, 6.25) will take the mound for San Francisco. For the Reds Tyler Mahle (2-5, 6.32) will get the nod. First pitch is 8:35 AM.

Rangers six run fifth inning rally buries A’s in 11-4 loss at Coliseum

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Oakland A’s rightfielder Ramon Laureano slide on his knees to reach a shallow hit ball to no avail by the Texas Rangers Charlie Culberson in the top of the fifth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Sat May 28, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s (19-30) were back in action on Saturday afternoon in Oakland. The A’s played the same as the Texas Rangers (22-23) on Friday night in their last game. The A’s were defeated at home by the final of 8-5. In the first game of the series on Thursday, the A’s also lost by the final of 4-1.

On Saturday, it was game three of a four-game series that was set to begin at 1:05 PM PST. Set to on the mound was Zach Logue for the A’s and Taylor Hearn for the Rangers. Saturday saw the A’s lose their third straight game by the final of 11-4.

On Saturday, the Rangers got off to a quick start on offense. Neither the first or second innings were anything to write home about. However, then came the 3rd inning. The Rangers bats came alive in the third as they scored four runs.

Corey Seager hit a two-run home run off A’s starter Zach Logue to give the Rangers the early lead. Following that, Adolis Garcia went back to back with Seager with a solo homer to put the Rangers up 3-0. The Rangers weren’t done yet as Nathaniel Lowe would hit an RBI triple to wrap up the scoring in the 3rd inning.

In the bottom of the 4th inning, the A’s would get on the board themselves with an RBI single from Sheldon Neuse to make the score 4-1. The Rangers would add to that scoring surge in the 5th inning with six more runs.

Andy Ibanez and Kole Calhoun would each have an RBI single in the 5th inning but it was Marcus Semien and his grand slam that was the exclamation mark. At this point in the game, the Rangers were up 10-1 in the game and all A’s fans were looking for was a little life from the squad.

In the bottom of the 5th inning, the A’s would add a second run on a Ramon Laureano solo shot to left field. However, the momentum would turn back to the Rangers soon after.

In the 6th inning, the Rangers would get their last run of the game on a Marcus Semien bases-loaded walk to make it an 11-2 game. The A’s managed to get out of that inning to hold the Rangers to just one run.

Sheldon Neuse would get another RBI single in the 6th inning to make it an 11-3 game. The rest of the way the A’s scored one more run on a fielder’s choice out on Elvis Andrus and Ramon Laureano scored. It was a rough go-around for the A’s who have really struggled this series against the Rangers.

The win went to Rangers starter Taylor Hearn (3-3, 5.36) who didn’t pitch a great game but well enough for the win. He tossed 6.0 innings giving up eight hits and three runs. The loss went to A’s starter Zach Logue (2-4, 5.47) who really struggled in 2.1 innings giving up seven hits, four runs, and two home runs. No save was recorded.

Up Next: The A’s finish out the four-game series against the Rangers on Sunday afternoon at 1:05 PM PST.

Reds beat Giants 5-1, real fireworks preceded the game

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The Cincinnati Reds Tommy Pham (left) was taken out of the line up before Fri May 27, 2022 game at Great American Ball Park for slapping San Francisco Giants Joc Pederson (right) in the face during batting practice (file photos from TULANEFML)

By Daniel Dullum
Friday, May 27, 2022

All of the action in Cincinnati seemed to take place before the Reds hosted the San Francisco Giants on Friday.

After the game had been delayed for two hours due to inclement weather in the Cincinnati area, the lowly Reds eventually prevailed 5-1.

Joc Pederson, who was in the middle of a pregame dispute with Cincinnati’s Tommy Pham, drove in the only San Francisco run while going 1-for-3.

Giants starter Carlos Rodon (4-4) took his third straight loss, walking three and striking out two while giving up three earned runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. Graham Ashcraft (1-0) got the win, while Art Warren earned his third save.

Off the field, Pederson got into a pregame disagreement with Pham, leaving Pham as a pregame scratch from the Cincinnati lineup. Pederson, meanwhile, remained in the Giants’ lineup.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that during pregame batting practice, Pham got into an argument with Pederson. The incident ran its course quickly, and Cincinnati manager David Bell stayed in the outfield to speak with Pham after both teams resumed their warmup activities.

Reportedly, according to The Athletic, Pham slapped Pederson over a disagreement involving their fantasy football league. Pham claims that Pederson was the instigator. The two players have never been teammates.

MLB is investigating the incident.

Before the game, Giants manager Gabe Kapler released a statement explaining his decision to discontinue participating on the field for the playing of the national anthem in the aftermath of the mass shooting at a elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that claimed 21 lives.

Kapler said, in part, that he would only start coming out for the Star-Spangled Banner if he “felt better about the direction of our country.” He also criticized “police officers who had weapons and who receive nearly 40 percent of the city’s funding” for failing to stop the shooter for an hour after parents asked the police to intervene.

Kapler also criticized politicians for their suggestion that ‘locked doors and armed teachers’ would provide a solution. In his online blog, Kapler wrote, ‘Every time I place my hand over my heart and remove my hat, I’m participating in a self-congratulatory glorification of the ONLY country where these mass shootings take place.

“On Wednesday, I walked out onto the field, I listened to the announcement as we honored the victims in Uvalde,” Kapler continued. “I bowed my head. I stood for the national anthem. My brain said drop to a knee, my body didn’t listen. I wanted to walk back inside; instead, I froze. I felt like a coward.”

Adding to the strangeness of the day, the Giants tried to bring in pitcher Jake McGee, who had just been activated from the injured list. But McGee wasn’t on the lineup card given to the Reds and the umpires. So, McGee wasn’t allowed to pitch, and Jose Alvarez came in to pitch instead, giving up two more runs.

Because of the nearly two-hour rain delay, the Reds held a pregame fireworks show to honor local noise ordinances.

On Saturday, Alex Wood (3-3, 4.82) starts for the Giants, while Vladimir Gutierrez (0-6, 8.70) is on the mound for Cincinnati. Game time is 12:10 PDT.