Pittsburgh Pirates Connor Griffin slides into third base after hitting a triple against the Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brock Burke at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Sat May 2, 2026 (AP News photo)
MLB The Show podcast Charlie O:
#1 How significant is the Pittsburgh Pirates tying an MLB record with seven consecutive walks in one inning, and what does it reveal about both their offensive patience and the Cincinnati Reds pitching struggles?
#2 What has fueled the early success of the Philadelphia Phillies under interim manager Don Mattingly, and can this momentum be sustained over a longer stretch of the season?
#3 With Boston Red Sox fans publicly protesting ownership and leadership decisions, how much influence can fan sentiment realistically have on organizational change in MLB?
#4 Why are big-spending teams like the New York Mets struggling so heavily early in the season, and what factors separate them from division leaders like the Atlanta Braves?
#5 What do recent standout performances—like Shōta Imanaga’s dominant pitching and Ian Happ’s offensive surge—suggest about the Chicago Cubs’ chances of maintaining their strong run?
New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza walks in the dugout before the Mets meeting with the Chicago Cubs on Sun Apr 19, 2026 at Wrigley Field in Chicago (AP News photo)
MLB The Show podcast Lincoln Juarez:
#1 What factors have contributed to the New York Mets’ 12-game losing streak, and what changes might be necessary to turn their season around?
#2 How could the inconsistency of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ bullpen impact their chances of competing in a tight NL Central race this season?
#3 What are the potential economic and competitive implications of the Kansas City Royals’ proposed $1.9 billion ballpark project and public funding approval?
#4 Which standout individual performances from April 20 (such as multi-home run games or breakout hitting performances) could signal emerging stars or lineup changes?
#5 How might key pitching matchups and scheduled games (like Yankees vs. Red Sox or Dodgers vs. Giants) shape early-season momentum for contending teams?
LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874
From the second you step in the front door, the sounds of Latin America will gently seduce your ears and continue as you relax outdoors with your favorite cocktail enjoying the view. The wonderful flavors and aromas of our cuisine will not disappoint.
We use only the finest, freshest, local ingredients in every dish and every dish is prepared to order. Enjoy live mariachi music weekly and on special occasions, catch balet folklorico dance performances among other live entertainment. Come visit us and have a great time! Enjoy fast, friendly service, fantastic food & cocktails, music and allow us to share our beautiful Mexican heritage with you.
LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant at 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874.
San Diego Padres pitcher German Marquez was dealing against the Pittsburgh Pirates pitching six and striking out four at PNC Park in Pittsburgh in the Padres 5-0 win on Mon Apr 6, 2026 (AP News photo)
That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:
#1 Can the San Diego Padres carry their momentum into Pittsburgh? After an emotional series win over Boston, highlighted by late-game heroics, the Padres cooled off a hot Pirates team shutting them out 5-0 on Monday.
#2 Will the Washington Nationals’ pitching struggles continue against the Cardinals? With one of the worst ERAs in baseball early on, this series could reveal whether Washington can stabilize or spiral further.
#3 How will the Dodgers vs. Blue Jays matchup play out with star power on both sides? With hitters like Freddie Freeman heating up and strong pitching matchups, this game was one of the day’s marquee contests as the Dodger squashed the Jays on Monday night baseball 14-2.
#4 Can the Tampa Bay Rays build momentum after returning to Tropicana Field? After a long absence due to stadium damage, their home opener brings both emotional energy and long-term franchise questions.
#5 Which teams will maintain early-season momentum—or collapse—after a wild weekend of results? With surprising sweeps, extra-inning thrillers, and tight games across the league, Monday’s slate will test which trends are real.
Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame
LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874
From the second you step in the front door, the sounds of Latin America will gently seduce your ears and continue as you relax outdoors with your favorite cocktail enjoying the view. The wonderful flavors and aromas of our cuisine will not disappoint.
We use only the finest, freshest, local ingredients in every dish and every dish is prepared to order. Enjoy live mariachi music weekly and on special occasions, catch balet folklorico dance performances among other live entertainment. Come visit us and have a great time! Enjoy fast, friendly service, fantastic food & cocktails, music and allow us to share our beautiful Mexican heritage with you.
LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant at 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874.
Sacramento A’s starter Jeffery Springs will make the start against the Houston Astros on Tue Sep 23, 2025 at Sutter Health Field in West Sacramento (AP file photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Barbara Mason:
#1 The Sacramento A’s on Sunday were trounced in the last leg of their road trip against the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-0 at PNC Park. The Pirates Jared Triolo and Joey Bart both hit a home run and got four hits in the slugfest.
#2 For Triolo it was his seventh homer of the season and it landed in the left center field bleachers off A’s pitcher Mitch Spence.
#3 To add insult upon injury the Pirates Joey Bart slugged a three run home run off A’s reliever Osvaldo Bido to make it 10-0 in the bottom of the fifth.
#4 For the A’s Spence went 3.1 innings allowing seven runs, nine hits and reliever Bido allowed three runs, four hits in 2.2 innings of work.
#5 The A’s return back to Sacramento and this will be their final homestand for the 2025 season. The A’s will be hosting the Houston Astros starting Tuesday night. Starting pitchers for the Astros RHP Cristian Javier (2-3 ERA 4.45) for the A’s LHP Jefferey Springs (10-11 ERA 4.17) first pitch 7:05pm PT
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Pittsburgh Pirates Joey Bart circles the bases after hitting a three run bottom of the fifth inning home run against the Sacramento A’s at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Sun Sep 21, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s Silenced in Pittsburgh as Pirates Dominate 11-0
By Mauricio Segura
The A’s had a dismal Saturday afternoon running headfirst into a Pittsburgh Pirates buzzsaw that chewed them up and spit them out in an 11-0 loss. From the very first inning, it was clear this one was not going to go the Green and Gold’s way.
Mitch Spence got the start for Sacramento and had trouble from the jump. After quickly collecting two outs in the bottom of the first, he gave up a single to Bryan Reynolds, walked Spencer Horwitz, and then watched Andrew McCutchen slap an RBI single to right.
Nick Gonzales followed with a double, and suddenly the A’s were in a 2-0 hole. Still manageable, but a negative vibe could be detected at this point as it lowered like a mist over the visiting dugout.
The A’s bats made contact but had nothing to show for it. Lawrence Butler flied out to start the game, but Brent Rooker and Nick Kurtz responded with back-to-back singles, hinting at a rally. Tyler Soderstrom’s strikeout and Jacob Wilson’s routine flyout ended that early threat. That sequence would pretty much sum up the day, squandered chances and little to no pressure on the Pirates’ pitching staff.
Pittsburgh kept adding on. In the second inning, Jared Triolo launched a two-run homer after Nick Yorke reached on a fielder’s choice. That made it 4-0, and the A’s offense continued to look like it had left its bats back in Sacramento.
By the time the fourth inning rolled around, the Pirates put the game on ice. Joey Bart singled, Yorke doubled, and Oneil Cruz ripped a two-run single to right. Another RBI hit from Triolo pushed the score to 7-0, and Spence’s day was done. He was lifted after just 3.2 innings, tagged for seven runs on 10 hits.
Osvaldo Bido tried to steady the ship out of the bullpen, but the Pirates were not slowing down. In the fifth, McCutchen drew a walk, Jack Suwinski doubled, and then Bart struck again, this time with a three-run homer that stretched the lead to 10-0. Bart, who entered the game with just three home runs on the season, looked like an All-Star against Sacramento pitching, finishing with a homer, a double, and three runs scored.
The A’s, on the other hand, went down meekly inning after inning. They scattered a handful of singles, Rooker had two, MacIver chipped in one late, and Schuemann reached in the seventh, but never advanced a runner past second base.
By the eighth, the Pirates tacked on one more for good measure when Jared Triolo doubled and later scored on a groundout. It was insult on top of injury for Sacramento, like waiting in line for a nice five-star restaurant, but having the maître d not let you in because he doesn’t like your new tie.
In total, the Athletics managed seven hits, all singles except for Brett Harris’s eighth-inning double, but not a single one came through in the clutch. They struck out 11 times and left eight runners stranded. Pittsburgh’s pitching staff, led by starter Mike Burrows and relievers Carmen Mlodzinski, Yohan Ramírez, and Dauri Moreta, completely shut down the lineup.
It’s back to Sacramento now for a three-game stint against the Astros beginning Tuesday, then the final three-game weekend series with the Royals. It’s been a fun season for sure.
Starting pitchers for the Astros RHP Cristian Javier (2-3 ERA 4.45) for the A’s LHP Jefferey Springs (10-11 ERA 4.17) first pitch 7:05pm PT
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Sacramento A’s starter Luis Morales pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the bottom of the first inning at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Sat Sep 20, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s go quiet in Pittsburgh as bats freeze against Pirates pitching
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento Athletics rolled into Pittsburgh’s PNC Park Saturday night with the swagger expected of a club that had taken seven of its last eight. But baseball has a way of humbling even the hottest teams, and Saturday night, the bats of the Green and Gold fell silent in a 2-0 loss to the Pirates.
From the first pitch at 6:42 p.m., it was clear the A’s weren’t going to find many friendly bounces. Bubba Chandler, Pittsburgh’s rookie right-hander, entered the night with a 5.66 ERA but looked like he was back on the Florida showcase circuit, mowing down the A’s lineup with a calm efficiency that belied his numbers.
Chandler punched out six Sacramento hitters through five innings, including a first-inning one-two-three of Lawrence Butler, Brent Rooker, and Nick Kurtz, all swinging or fouling into outs. That set the tone for the kind of night it would be.
Luis Morales, the A’s own rookie arm, took the mound with a 4-1 record and a crisp 3.08 ERA. He didn’t implode, but he also didn’t have much room for error. Morales surrendered just four hits in his outing, but two left the yard.
Nick Yorke struck first in the second inning with a solo shot to left, his first in the big leagues, giving the home crowd something to cheer about and putting the A’s in an early hole. An inning later, Bryan Reynolds added his 16th homer of the season, this one a blast to right-center that doubled the Pirates’ lead.
And that was all Pittsburgh needed. The rest of the night belonged to their bullpen, which combined with Chandler to scatter just three Sacramento hits, Wilson’s double in the second, Harris being plunked in the third, and nothing else that resembled a threat. From the fourth inning on, the A’s never put a runner past first base.
Shea Langeliers, who has been one of baseball’s hottest hitters since the All-Star break with 18 home runs and 34 extra-base hits in that stretch, couldn’t find the spark. He struck out three times, leaving his bat mostly ornamental.
Rooker, fresh off reaching the 30-homer plateau for the third straight season, also wore the collar, fanning in all four trips. Even Kurtz, the rookie phenom whose 33 long balls have him leading all Major League first-year players, looked mortal as he went down swinging twice and grounded out weakly once.
The A’s had some defense to hang their hats on. Jacob Wilson, Sacramento’s other Rookie of the Year candidate, doubled in the second and made several sharp plays at shortstop, including a heads-up throw to catch Yorke trying to stretch his luck on the bases in the fourth.
Morales himself settled after the Reynolds blast, retiring seven of the final eight he faced. But when your offense can’t get out of neutral, tidy defense and solid pitching performances turn into footnotes instead of headlines.
By the seventh, the game had the feel of inevitability. Pirates reliever Braxton Ashcraft entered and didn’t blink, striking out five of the nine hitters he faced. Dennis Santana came on in the ninth to finish it, needing just a groundout, a flyout, and one more strikeout of Rooker to slam the door shut.
The 2-0 defeat was the A’s 82nd of the season, officially guaranteeing a fourth straight losing campaign, something the franchise hasn’t endured since the dark days of 1993 through 1998. Yet, perspective matters. This team had already secured more wins than any A’s club in the past four years, and the Green and Gold still boast a pair of rookies in Kurtz and Wilson who look like franchise cornerstones.
Baseball fans in Sacramento won’t take much solace in moral victories, but they can at least see the outlines of a competitive future. For now, though, the reality is simple: when the A’s don’t homer, they don’t win. They are 46-9 this season when out-homering opponents, but just 10-46 when the other side takes them deep more often. Saturday fell squarely in that latter column.
The series wraps up Sunday with a day game before the A’s return home to close out 2025 against Houston and Kansas City. The Pirates, long out of the playoff picture, were just playing spoiler. And on this night, spoil they did.
Starting pitchers for Sunday: For Sacramento RHP Mitch Spence (3-5 ERA 4.48) for Pittsburgh RHP Mike Burrows (2-4 ERA 4.10) first pitch 10:35 am PT.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Sacramento A’s second baseman Zack Gelof is laid out with a dislocated left shoulder while surrounded by A’s manager Mark Kotsay, the trainer and teammates in the bottom of the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Fri Sep 19, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Lincoln Juarez:
#1 Lawrence Butler’s three-run homer in the fifth inning powered the A’s past the Pirates Friday night. It was his 21st home run of the year.
#2 Luis Severino picked up his seventh win of the season Friday night throwing five innings allowing one earned run.
#3 Nick Kurtz tied Jose Canseco for the most home runs by an A’s rookie with his 33rd of the season Friday night.
#4 The A’s have won seven of their last eight games after taking game one against the Pirates.
#5 Looking ahead to the rest of the weekend Luis Morales will start for the A’s and the Pirates have yet to announce a starter for Saturday.
#6 Zack Gelof dislocated his shoulder in the bottom of the fifth inning and will miss the rest of the season.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Sacramento A’s Lawrence Butler (4) is greeted at home plate by teammates Carlos Cortes (26) and Zack Gelof (20) after hitting a three run home run in the top of the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Sat Sep 19, 2025 (AP News photo)
Athletics Grind Out Narrow 4-3 Win Over Pirates
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento A’s had to claw their way through mistakes, momentum swings, and a stubborn Pittsburgh Pirates lineup, but when the dust settled at PNC Park, they escaped with a 4-3 victory Friday night.
A’s starter, Luis Severino, labored through early trouble after Darell Hernaiz’s throwing error opened the door for a three-run first inning capped by Bryan Reynolds’ RBI single and Nick Gonzales’ sacrifice fly. Down 3-0 before they even picked up a bat in the second, the Green and Gold looked like they might be in for a long night. Instead, they steadied themselves, relying on power and patience to flip the script.
Nick Kurtz put Sacramento on the board with his 33rd home run of the season in the fourth, then Lawrence Butler delivered the knockout punch an inning later, launching a three-run blast to right-center that put the A’s ahead 4-3.
From there, the bullpen took control. Elvis Alvarado, Brady Basso, Justin Sterner, and Michael Kelly combined to cover the final four innings, striking out six and stranding runners in scoring position to preserve the one-run edge.
The ninth was not without drama: Rafael Flores doubled to lead off for Pittsburgh, and a Bryan Reynolds grounder moved pinch-runner Alexander Canario to third with only one out. But Kelly refused to buckle. After walking Andrew McCutchen to set up the force, he induced Tommy Pham into a game-ending double play, with Brett Harris starting a crisp 5-4-3 turn that sealed the win.
While Sacramento managed only six hits and struck out ten times, their ability to capitalize on two swings, the homers from Kurtz and Butler, proved the difference. The Pirates, meanwhile, outhit the A’s and forced multiple delays due to injuries and substitutions, but they never answered after their early burst.
Sacramento’s offense showed just enough pop, the bullpen showed resilience, and the defense, shaky at the start, tightened when it mattered.
Saturday’s starters for Sacramento Luis Morales (4-1 ERA 3.08) and Pittsburgh has not announced a starter first pitch 3:40pm PT.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.
A Fenway Park groundskeeper helps prepare the field before the Sacramento A’s and Boston Red Sox Wed Sep 17, 2025. The A’s and Sox completed their three game series on Thu Sep 18, 2025. (AP News photo)
A’s Hold Steady in 5-3 Win Over Red Sox
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento A’s wasted no time setting the tone, launching an early offensive surge that carried them to a 5-3 win over the Boston Red Sox. Lawrence Butler got the Green and Gold rolling with a leadoff double in the top of the first, and Brent Rooker followed with his 30th home run of the season, a no-doubt shot into the left-field seats that put Sacramento ahead 2-0 before many fans had settled into their seats.
Nick Kurtz added a double, and Tyler Soderstrom’s RBI single pushed the lead to three runs. Though the Red Sox scratched one back in the bottom half on a Trevor Story sacrifice fly, J.T. Ginn settled in and delivered a composed start, working into the seventh inning and handing the game to a bullpen that has quietly become one of the best in the majors since the All-Star break.
Boston briefly threatened in the second when David Hamilton’s solo homer cut the lead to 3-2, but Sacramento’s defense and Ginn’s efficiency quieted the bats through the middle innings. Jacob Wilson’s RBI single in the third widened the gap to 4-2, and in the seventh Butler manufactured a run with a single, stolen base, and hustle around the bases, scoring on a Trevor Story error.
That insurance tally loomed large after Story went deep in the eighth to trim the deficit to 5-3, but Hogan Harris slammed the door in the ninth, striking out Nick Sogard to seal it.
For Sacramento, the formula was clear: timely power, clean defense, and steady pitching. Rooker’s 30th blast gave the A’s three players at or near the 30-homer plateau, a reminder of how dangerous this lineup has become in the second half.
Ginn’s line, six innings, two runs, wasn’t flashy, but it was exactly what manager Mark Kotsay needed from a rotation that has struggled with length all season. The bullpen, with Harris earning the save, continued its dominance since the All-Star break, a stretch in which it owns one of the best ERAs in baseball.
The victory reflected the resilience of a team that once lost 20 of 21 games earlier this year but has since played above .500 ball. The Athletics are 30-24 since the All-Star break, their best second-half showing since 2019.
The offense, now among the league leaders in doubles and slugging, looks nothing like the light-hitting squad from the past five years. Sacramento’s road record has climbed back to .500, ensuring their best showing away from home since 2021.
Butler’s speed and all-around game, Kurtz’s rookie power numbers, Wilson’s steady bat, and Rooker’s consistency have created a balanced attack that opposing pitchers can’t take lightly. Even as the standings show the A’s with a sub .500 record, the trajectory is upward.
Thursday’s win in Boston was another snapshot of a team starting to find its identity, a group no longer defined by its rebuilding struggles but by its growing core and knack for grinding out wins.
It’s onto Pittsburgh as the A’s will face the Pirates on Friday night at PNC Park and the A’s will start RHP Luis Severino (6-11 ERA 4.82) the Pirates have not announced a starter yet.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
San Francisco Giants Patrick Bailey congratulates Jung Hoo Lee after Lee scored on a double by Dominic Smith in the top of the ninth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Wed Aug 6, 2025 (AP News photo)
San Francisco Giants podcast Morris Phillips:
#1 Dominic Smith slugged a ninth inning double that got the San Francisco Giants the lead as the Giants picked up a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.
#2 Giants Jung Hoo Lee hit a double to right field off Nat’s pitcher Dennis Santana. Smith was pinch hitting for Christopher Koss that scored Lee on a double to right that put the Giants up 3-2 and Patrick Bailey added to the lead with an RBI single.
#3 The Giants got the relief pitching they were looking from Ryan Walker who struck out three batters in order in the eighth. Closer Randy Rodriguez also pitched a perfect ninth to get his third save of the season.
#4 Giant starter Robbie Ray in in six innings of work and allowed two runs and six hits.
#5 Giant starter Kai-Wei Teng is probable on the mound for San Francisco with a 0-0, 13.50 ERA. The Nationals will start Jake Irvin with a 8-6 win/loss record and a 4.89 ERA. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 7:15 PM this Friday night.
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