Tag: Sports Radio Service

Sacramento A’s podcast Daniel Dullum: Butler and Serven get some offense but A’s fall short to O’s 8-5

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Saracmento A’s first baseman Tommy Tanks White (47) get the put out on Baltimore Orioles base runner Blaze Alexander (23) in the top of the third inning at Sutter Health Field in West Sacramento on Sun Aug 30, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s podcast Daniel Dullum:

#1 Lawrence Butler drove in two runs early in the first inning for Butler has been making the difference of late?

#2 Brian Serven hit a two-run home run in the third inning. Serven has been seeing the ball very well of late talk about his hitting.

#3 Jeff McNeil doubled in a run in the second inning. What did that hit give the A’s in terms of momentum against Orioles starter Chris Bassitt?

#4 Jeffrey Springs started on the mound for the A’s. What happened after he allowed Coby Mayo’s three-run homer and Gunnar Henderson’s second home run?

#5 With Lawrence Butler, Brian Serven, Jeff McNeil, Zack Gelof, and Alika Williams among the A’s contributors, what ultimately went wrong for Sacramento as Baltimore scored seven unanswered runs to win 8–5?

Daniel Dullum does the Sacramento A’s podcasts Sundays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

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. 

MLB The Show podcast Charlie O: Crow-Armstrong first Cub in 150 years to homer in 1st, 2nd and 7th innings; How Soto’s return impacts Mets; plus more news

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Chicago Cubs Pete Crow Armstrong set a record by becoming the first Cub to hit a home run in each of the first, second, and seventh innings a first in the franchise’s 150 year history on Sat Aug 29, 2026 against the Cincinnati Reds. (AP file photo)

MLB The Show podcast Charlie O:

#1 Pete Crow-Armstrong hit homers in the 1st, 2nd, and 7th innings, finishing with three home runs, four hits, and six RBIs in Chicago’s 17–5 win. More significantly, he became the first Cubs player in 125 years to accomplish the particular three-homer feat in the franchise’s 150-year history, according to reports.

#2 Juan Soto’s return: After missing about a month, what impact could Juan Soto’s return have on the Mets as they enter the final stretch of the 2026 season?

#3 Dodgers-Tigers: What ninth-inning sequence allowed the Tigers to defeat the Dodgers 2–1, and why has Los Angeles’ recent record in one-run games become a concern?

#4 Sal Stewart:Stewart hit his 29th home run and drove in two runs. His second RBI gave him 101 RBIs, breaking the Cincinnati Reds’ rookie single-season RBI record, which had stood for 73 years. He surpassed Frank Robinson’s previous Reds rookie mark.

#5 Royals’ surge: How did Michael Wacha’s dominant start help Kansas City defeat Cleveland, and what does the Royals’ recent run mean for the AL playoff race?

Join Charlie O for MLB The Show Sundays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast Marko Ukalovic: Giants-Braves in make up rain out game Monday night

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San Francisco Giants righthand starter Anthony Molina will get the call against the Atlanta Braves on Mon Aug 31, 2026 at Truist Field in Cobb County GA (Getty file photo)

San Francisco Giants podcast Marko Ukalovic:

Marko discusses the San Francisco Giants vs. Atlanta Braves game on Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. The matchup is a makeup game at Truist Park, scheduled for 6:05 p.m EDT and 3:05pm PDT

#1 Can Rafael Devers continue his recent offensive production and give the Giants an early lead against the Braves?

#2 How will Jung Hoo Lee perform at the plate and in the field against Atlanta’s pitching?

#3 Can Bryce Eldridge, coming off a four-hit, four-RBI performance against Arizona, carry that momentum into the Braves game?

#4 What impact did Logan Webb have after getting ejected standing up for Tony Vitello who got ejected from Friday’s night game on a foul ball that was called fair by the third base umpire?

#5 The Giants will start RHP Anthony Molina (1-0 ERA 2.89) he’ll be opposed by Braves RHP Bryce Elder (8-7 ERA 3.95) Monday night for a rain out make up game first pitch 3:05pm PDT.

Marko Ukalovic does the San Francisco Giants podcast each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento A’s game wrap: Henderson Hijacks A’s Early Lead in 8-5 Baltimore Sweep

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Baltimore Orioles first baseman Coby Mayo fields a Sacramento A’s grounder in the bottom of the first inning at Sutter Health Field in West Sacramento on Sun Aug 30, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Mauricio Segura

WEST SACRAMENTO–Gunnar Henderson needed only four at-bats to turn a promising Sacramento Athletics Sunday afternoon into a frustrating finish. The Baltimore shortstop went 4-for-4 with two home runs, a triple and five RBI, powering the Orioles past the A’s 8-5 and finishing a three-game sweep.

Henderson put Baltimore ahead first with a solo homer, but the Athletics answered immediately. Henry Bolte singled, Zack Gelof drew a walk and Lawrence Butler ripped a two-run double to bring both runners home. Butler’s hit pushed his hitting streak to eight games, continuing a stretch in which he had been one of Sacramento’s hottest bats. He had been batting .354 with five homers and 13 RBI over his previous 18 games, while Bolte had hit .317 during August and ranked among the major-league rookie leaders in hits.

The A’s kept stacking hits against former Athletics starter Chris Bassitt. Brian Serven singled and later scored on Jeff McNeil’s RBI double. Tommy White doubled, and Serven followed with a two-run homer to right-center, stretching the lead to 5-1. It was an especially productive swing for a catcher who had made the most of his chances with men aboard; before the game, Serven was batting .400 with runners in scoring position, and all four of his previous home runs had come with runners on base.

Then Henderson and Coby Mayo changed the game in a hurry.

Pete Alonso and Henderson opened Baltimore’s fourth-inning rally with singles, and Mayo followed with a three-run homer to left-center that cut the A’s advantage to 5-4. One inning later, Blaze Alexander singled, Alonso drew a walk and Henderson sent a three-run homer to right field for a 7-5 Orioles lead. Jeffrey Springs was removed after that swing, ending his outing at 4 2/3 innings with six hits, seven runs, one walk and six strikeouts.

The loss dropped Springs to 3-13 and extended his personal losing streak to 13 games. He had already been carrying one of the roughest stretches in Athletics history, with 30 home runs allowed over his previous 20 starts and a 12-game losing streak that was tied for sixth-longest in franchise history before this outing. His day also followed a season-long problem for Sacramento pitching: the A’s had allowed a major-league-high 205 homers before the game.

Once Baltimore moved ahead, the Athletics never found another run. Butler drew a leadoff walk in the fifth, but Donovan Walton grounded into a double play. Alika Williams singled with two outs in the sixth and was stranded. Anthony Nunez, Josh Walker and Yennier Cano handled the final outs for Baltimore, with Cano retiring Jonah Heim, Bolte and McNeil in order in the ninth.

Henderson was not finished after the two homers. Pete Alonso was hit by a pitch in the eighth and replaced by Jackson Holliday, and Henderson drove Holliday home with a triple to center for the final run. Henderson also had his fingerprints on the defensive side, fielding Butler’s bases-loaded grounder to end an Athletics threat and helping turn a double play later in the game.

Sacramento finished with nine hits but only five runs, while Baltimore scored eight times on seven hits. Serven went 2-for-4 with two RBI, Bolte had two hits, Butler drove in two and McNeil supplied an RBI double.

The A’s closed the month at 8-19 after beginning the day with the lowest winning percentage in the majors for August, and the defeat dropped them to 25-44 at home. Baltimore improved to 68-69 and moved within one game of the final American League wild-card spot.

The A’s now head to Texas, where left-hander Gage Jump (6-8, 4.69 ERA, 97 K) gets the opener against Jacob deGrom (9-9, 4.21 ERA, 159 K), with first pitch set for 5:05 p.m. Pacific.

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.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Baseball Superstitions are how you spell relief

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Former Chicago Cub outfieler Moises Alou seen here trying to make a catch but fan Steve Bartman made contact with the ball first during game 6 of the NLCS playoffs on Oct 14, 2003 at Wrigley Field. Alou said one of his superstitions before games was to pee in his hands to help build calluses to get a better grip on the bat. (photo from ChicagoTribune)

Baseball Superstitions are how you spell Relief

That’s Amaury News and Commentary:

By Amaury Pi-González

In a game where the overwhelming majority of players fail to accomplish what they set their minds to, there is some kind of “relief” for the mind. That relief comes in the form of Superstitions. A .333 average means the player gets a hit roughly once every 3 at-bats. Legendary Hall of Fame players like Eddie Collins and Paul Wagner played in the Major Leagues for decades, both hit for a lifetime .333 average, and failed most of the time at the plate.

Superstitions aren’t limited to hitters or pitchers, but since the mind game is mostly between the two (the interaction is always with the pitcher throwing the ball to a hitter while everybody else stands still), here are some famous players I have met and watched play who resort to superstitions.

Luis Tiant. During my conversations with Tiant, he always smiled when I brought up the topic of his “Supersticiones,” and he took them seriously. I think “El Tiante” had many of these unexplainable things. 1-Always arrived at the park dressed in white. 2-Would smoke a good Cuban cigar all the time prior to the game. 3-Always had a solid gold chain around his neck, as he and his good friend pitcher Miguel Cuellar were devoted Catholics. To me, Tiant was funny most of the time, and as a Cuban-born myself, and not superstitious, I came to understand it as the mindset of a player making his living in one of the toughest sports in the world.

Dagoberto Blanco (Campy) Campaneris, also born in Cuba like Luis Tiant, became the first major leaguer to play all nine positions in a single game. His superstition was truly unique.  But if you think all Cuban players are superstitious, you are wrong; Campaneris was not. The closest Campy came to that was in 1972, when he and his teammates all grew facial hair and then went on a big winning streak; that same year, the A’s won the World Series, his first of three in a row, under the incomparable owner Charles O Finley.

Baseball fans know many players and their superstitions; some have nothing to do with the play on the field, like Wade Boggs, the “Chicken Man,” who ate fried chicken before every single game for good luck and even published a book in 1984 titled “Fowl Tips”. No, Wade Boggs never did a commercial for Kentucky Fried Chicken. Colonel Sanders appeared in his own commercials back then; he did not like to spend money.

Few others worth mentioning:

-Turk Wendell, a reliever who brushed his teeth in between innings.

-Justin Verlander, future Hall of Fame pitcher, ordered the same Taco Bell meal before every start. No, he never did any advertising for Taco Bell.

-Sandy Koufax had the same-day superstition of not shaving on the day scheduled to pitch; his teammate Don Drysdale did the same.

-Moisés Alou told me during a pre-game interview with the Giants that he peed on his hands to build calluses to improve his grip with his hands and did not use batting gloves.  I do not know if that was superstitious, but it was one of the most unusual things a player ever told me, so I listed it here. I have written about this as a member of SABR (Society for American Baseball Research),I have never heard any other player do this “ritual.”

Quote: I have only one superstition: “touch all the bases when I hit a home run”. -Babe Ruth

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.

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 Jose Earthquakes post game report: Dynamo-Quakes battle to a 0-0 match at Shell Energy Stadium

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San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Ronaldo Vieira (14) had his foot on the futbol against the Houston Dynamo at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston on Sat Aug 29, 2026 (San Jose Earthquakes X photo)

By William Espy

The San Jose Earthquakes were back on the road on Saturday, as they visited Houston, Texas to face off against the Houston Dynamo.

All-in-all it was a fairly uneventful 0-0 draw that saw the Dynamo fail to record a shot on target throughout the night. The Earthquakes on the other hand, failed to get a ball past the Dynamo’s goalkeeper, Jonathan Bond. They did register four shots on target though, which were courtesy of Ousseni Bouda, Reid Roberts, Nick Fernandez, and the debuting Eduard Löwen.

On the bright side for the Earthquakes, Angus Gunn recorded his first clean sheet in the MLS, although that’s mainly credited to the defense in front of him, as he wasn’t forced to make a single save.

In less than ideal news, the Earthquakes have now gone seven-straight games without a win, although they’ll certainly be happy to have at least picked up a single point to keep their playoff push heading in the right direction.

Statistically, the Earthquakes likely deserved the win considering they led in possession, had 525 total passes with an 88.2% accuracy rate, and finished with an expected goals of 1.4.

The Earthquakes’ attention now turns to another Texas team, as they’ll visit Austin FC next weekend to conclude their Lone Star road trip.

Cardinal bid Aloha to the Rainbow Warriors 37-27, on Opening Day on the Farm

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Cardinal linebacker Gabe Kaminski (left) sacks Hawaii Rainbow Warriors quarterback Micah Alejado (right) at Stanford Stadium. (photo by Honolulu Star Advertiser)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. –As the Stanford Cardinal (1-0) opened the 2026 season on Pacific Islander Heritage Day, they dispatched the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (0-1), 37-27, on a sunny Saturday Afternoon in the Bay.

Although the visitors from the middle of the Pacific Ocean won the coin flip, they were generous guests and deferred possession of the ball until the second half. The Cardinal did not do much with their immediate gift, and returned it to the sender. Neither team did anything on their initial possessions.

However, midway through the first quarter Stanford went on an 89-yard drive, resulting in them being first to affect the scoreboard. The series was topped off with a two-yard touchdown by junior running back Micah Ford. The 7-0 score remained until the end of the first stanza.

In the second quarter the Rainbow Warriors made it deep into enemy territory. They were in the “red zone,” then eventually the goal line. Hawaii was able to capitalize on that great field position less than five minutes into the period. Running back DeVon Rice scampered into the end zone three yards from scrimmage. Hawaii tied the game 7-7.

Less than a minute later, Stanford was able to respond to the equalizing score by the Rainbow Warriors. Senior QB Davis Warren converted a 6-yard TD pass to freshman WR Atticus Joseph, to put the home team back up by seven, 14-7. Right after the 2-minute timeout, the Cardinal tried to extend their lead before recess, but it was denied.

Senior kicker Emmet Kenney lined up for a 33-yard FG, but Hawaii thought otherwise and blocked the kick attempt. Despite Hawaii taking over possession of the ball, no one scored before the halftime whistle. The Cardinal led !4-7 after 30 minutes of play.

Early in the second half, the opposite half of Stanford’s special teams unit managed to put two points on the scoreboard, on a blocked punt by Charlie Eckhardt. As the ball rolled out of the end zone, it resulted in a safety, garnering two points for Stanford, somewhat making up the three points they lost before the half. They were up by nine points, 16-7, early i n the second half.

Just under six minutes later, the Cardinal extended the advantage to 16 points 23-7), after Micah Ford;s second rushing touchdown (2 yards). That score managed to last nearly 10 minutes, and remained at that score after 45 minutes of game play, Stanford led 23-7, after three quarters.

In the final quarter, Hawaii showed that they did not fly five hours over the Pacific Ocean to just lie down against their California foes on the mainland. The Rainbow Warriors forged a 20-0 in just under 16 minutes of the fourth quarter, giving them a 27-23 lead late in the game. The Hawaii section of the stadium was amped up at the point of the game, and the theme of the contest was so apropos with their momentum.

However, within the last two minutes of the battle, Ford was able to calm the tide and comfort most of the 23,222 fans in the stands, after scoring his third rushing touchdown of the game. The Cardinal went back up by three points, 30-27.

With just over a minute left in regulation, the Cardinal sealed the game on a fumble-six. Senior linebacker Tevarua Tfiti scooped up the fumbled ball and returned it 31 yards for the dagger touchdown. That play put them back up by double -digits, 37-27, and put the game to rest.

After the allotted 60 minutes elapsed, the Cardinal had won game one of the season by 10 points, 37-27.

The Cardinal will next be in action Friday, September 4, as they host the Miami Hurricanes at 6 PM PT on ESPN. Hawaii will fly back home to host UNLV Saturday September 5 at 7 PM LT on the CW.

Sacramento A’s game wrap: A’s Keep Coming but Orioles Lock the Door 5-3

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Baltimore Orioles first baseman Coby Mayo (16) puts out Sacramento Athletics’ Henry Bolte, left, during the second inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif.Sara Nevis/AP Photo/Sara Nevis

By Mauricio Segura

WEST SACRAMENTO–Two late rallies stalled the Sacramento A’s just short of catching up to the Baltimore Orioles, as the Orioles took the 5-3 win. The A’s loaded the bases in both the sixth and seventh innings, then put the tying runs in scoring position in the ninth before their comeback finally ended.

The loss dropped the Green and Gold to 53-83. They had already clinched a fifth consecutive losing season, the franchise’s longest such run since six straight from 1993-98, despite having won four of their previous six games.

Starter Jack Perkins gave the A’s a workable start. He retired Baltimore in order in the first and escaped the second with a double play and a strikeout. Trouble began in the third when Coby Mayo drew a walk and advanced after Perkins threw away a pickoff attempt.

Colton Cowser moved Mayo to third with a fly ball, and Leody Taveras followed with a ground-rule double for the game’s first run. Perkins kept it there by striking out Jackson Holliday and Pete Alonso. Cowser added his 13th homer in the fifth, a solo shot to center that gave Baltimore a 2-0 lead. Perkins finished five innings with four hits allowed, two runs, four walks and five strikeouts.

Baltimore widened the gap against José Suarez in the sixth. Dylan Beavers and Mayo each singled, then Taveras drove both home with his second double of the game. Taveras finished with two doubles, three RBIs, a walk and a stolen base, supplying most of the Orioles’ offense.

Down 4-0, the A’s finally answered. Jonah Heim drew a walk, Jeff McNeil and Zack Gelof singled, and Lawrence Butler earned a bases-loaded walk to score Heim. Donovan Walton was then hit by a pitch with the bases full, forcing home McNeil and cutting the deficit to 4-2. Shane Baz was removed after 5 2/3 innings, and Alex Hoppe got Max Muncy on a grounder to leave three runners aboard.

The seventh may have hurt even more. Heim singled, Henry Bolte doubled him to third, and McNeil drew a walk with one out. Baltimore turned to Yennier Cano, who struck out Gelof and Butler back-to-back to strand another full set of bases. That was a costly miss for an A’s lineup that created plenty of traffic but struggled to convert it.

The Athletics pushed again in the eighth. Walton drew a one-out walk, Muncy followed with another, and Carlos Cortes delivered an RBI single to right to make it 4-3. But Heim grounded into an inning-ending double play, another opening gone before the A’s could pull even.

Baltimore gained breathing room in the ninth without a hit. Cowser reached on Gelof’s fielding error and raced to third when Butler’s throw also got away. Elvis Alvarado then uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Cowser to score for a 5-3 lead. The A’s still made one last run at it. McNeil singled with one out and Butler singled with two outs, then McNeil stole third while Butler took second. Tommy White grounded out to end it.

Butler’s steal was his tenth of the season, giving him 12 home runs and ten steals. He needed that one swipe to join Marcus Semien as the only Athletics this century with three straight seasons of at least ten homers and ten stolen bases. McNeil added two more hits after beginning the game batting .354 since the All-Star break, third-best in the majors among hitters with at least 100 plate appearances. Bolte also collected two hits, including a double, continuing an August in which he began the game batting .313.

The series wraps Sunday at 1:05 p.m. Pacific, with Baltimore sending Chris Bassitt (5-4, 4.74 ERA, 51 K) and Jeffrey Springs (3-12, 6.08 ERA, 92 K) for Sacramento.

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 Second Game Report: Marte and 5 relievers shutdown D-Backs 7-2 in night cap

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San Francisco Giants starter Yunior Marte throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second game of a doubleheader at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sat Aug 29, 2026 (AP News photo)

By William Espy

SAN FRANCISCO–Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants on Saturday night closed out the second game of the doubleheader with the Giants splitting the double dip with a 7-2 win on Saturday night after losing the front game. After a ceremony to honor the career of Jeff Kent by retiring his number, it was time for the second game of the day.The Giant

23-year-old Yunior Marte was on the mound for the Giants, making his MLB debut. Despite giving up a walk to the lead-off batter, Lars Nootbaar, the young pitcher was able to get through his first inning with relative ease.

Jonah Cox drew a lead-off walk for the Giants in the bottom of the first inning, then stole both second and third base, putting him 90 feet away from home plate. Bryce Eldridge then drove in the run, giving the Giants an early 1-0 lead.

Marte then retired the Diamondbacks in order in the second inning, continuing a strong start to his Major League debut.

The 23-year-old’s first career strikeout came against veteran catcher James McCann, but the Diamondbacks got their first hit of the evening in the top of the third inning, when Ildemaro Vargas narrowly beat out a ground ball to the pitcher.

Moments later, the visitors tied things up, as Nootbaar hit a ball to left field that ricocheted out of Grant McCray’s glove and allowed Vargas to score from first base. Officially, the play was credited as an RBI double for Nootbaar. After walking Corbin Carroll, the Giants were able to get out of the inning despite runners on first and second.

Cox continued his strong start to the night with a weak single to get the Giants’ offense going in the bottom of the third inning. Then, with two outs, he was on the move again, stealing second base for the second time in the game. Bryce Eldridge then struck out looking to end the inning. Despite a lengthy conversation with the umpire regarding the pitch, he opted not to use an ABS challenge to try to overturn the call.

Tim Tawa tried to get the Diamondbacks’ offense rolling with two outs in the top of the fourth with a double off the left-field wall, but McCann went down on strikes for the second time to end the inning.

Marte was pulled in the top of the fifth inning after retiring two, with Reiver Sanmartin taking over on the mound.

The Giants’ offense came out hot in the bottom of the fifth inning, as McCray hit a lead-off single which was followed up by a walk for Osleivis Basabe. Christian Koss then advanced both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice.

At this point, the Diamondbacks made a call to the bullpen of their own, bringing Gerardo Carrillo into the game to face Drew Gilbert, who immediately drew a walk to load the bases for Rafael Devers. On the first pitch he saw, Devers singled to right field, putting the Giants back in front, 2-1.

Eldridge then drove in a pair of runners with a single to right field, making it a 4-2 ballgame.

Jung Hoo Lee then earned a walk of his own to load the bases once again. The Giants wouldn’t be able to capitalize any further, as the Diamondbacks escaped the inning with no additional damage.

Trent Harris took over on the mound for the top of the sixth inning, and after he retired the side, the Diamondbacks made another pitching change of their own, bringing in Derek Law.

The Diamondbacks cut into the Giants’ lead in the top of the seventh inning, as Max Kepler and McCann got themselves on base against Jason Foley. Vargas then singled with an awkward hit to left field that allowed Kepler to score, making it 4-2. The next batter, Waldschmidt, grounded out but advanced the runners into scoring position, putting immense pressure on the Giants, who pulled Foley in favor of Carson Seymour.

With a full count against Nootbaar, Seymour was able to strike him out to end the inning and escape a potentially disastrous situation.

Gilbert drew a walk to start the bottom of the seventh inning, and after a strikeout by Devers, Eldridge joined Gilbert on base with a one-out single. Jung Hoo Lee then singled to left-center, driving in Gilbert from second base and restoring the Giants’ three-run lead. Drew Cavanaugh struck out with runners on first and second to end the inning.

Devers and Eldridge added an RBI apiece in the bottom of the 8th to extend the Giants’ lead to 7-2, securing the victory.

Giants will have Sunday off and fly to Atlanta for a rain out make up game on Monday Aug 31st at 3:05pm PDT at Truist Park in Cobb County GA. Starters for San Francisco and Atlanta to be announced.

San Francisco Giants front game wrap: Tugboat’s Oracle debut wasted by bullpen in Diamondbacks’ 7-1 win

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San Francisco Giants Bryce Eldridge (8) is tagged out by Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gaberial Moreno (14) in the bottom of the fourth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sat Aug 29, 2026 (AP News photo)

Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026

Oracle Park

San Francisco, California

Arizona Diamondbacks 7 (73-64)

San Francisco Giants 1 (55-81)

Win: Merrill Kelly (9-12)

Loss: Matt Wilkinson (0-2)

Time: 2:38

Attendance: 39,190

By Stephen Ruderman

SAN FRANCISCO–Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson pitched six-plus shutout innings in his Oracle Park debut, but Ryan Walker came in, and Lars Nootbaar hit a grand slam in the top of the seventh inning to power the Diamondbacks to a 7-1 win behind a strong seven-inning start by Merrill Kelly.

Of course, this was the first game of a unique doubleheader. The Giants are headed to Atlanta to play their makeup game against the Braves on Monday, and the Giants needed their off-day in between a three-timezone trip back east, per MLB rules.

Now, to clear a few housecleaning items here. Or, shall we say a housecleaning item. Of course we had the controversy last night with Nolan Arenado’s double that bounded over the third base bag. Balls that bound over the bag are not reviewable, but Tony Vitello and Logan Webb both thought it was a foul ball. Both were ejected—Vitello by Alan Porter, and Webb by Roberto Ortiz—for arguing after the end of the inning. When Ron Wotus took out the lineup card Saturday, he had a few choice words for Porter, and was promptly tossed. Wotus, like Webb last night, showed that he had the Giants’ rookie skipper’s back.

Once that was all settled, Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson, who was brought up as the 27th man on the Giants’ roster for the doubleheader, took the ball for his third big league start, and his first home start here at Oracle Park. It was an exciting opportunity for Giants’ fans—and yours truly—to get their first in-person look at a real throwback. Tugboat is a lot like David Wells. A big fat left-handed finesse guy with a low-90s fastball. However, their secondary pitches are different.

This one was a pitcher’s duel from the very get go. Wilkinson and Diamondbacks’ starter matched zeros through the first six innings. 

When Wilkinson would strike out a guy, the fog horn went off. You know, because he’s Tugboat. With Wilkinson being a finesse guy, he only struck out four. Though that’s what kept his pitch count down, and allowed him to go as long as he did.

Wilkinson had only given up three hits through the first six innings, and was back out for the seventh. However, after he walked Gabriel Moreno and Geraldo Perdomo to start the inning, he was done.

In came Ryan Walker, and I think you all know where this is going. Arenado reached on a fielder’s choice, in which Perdomo was out at second base. Tim Tawa then walked to load the bases. Lars Nootbaar pinch-hit for Jose Fernandez, and hit a grand salami into the water to give the Diamondbacks a 4-0 lead.

Fans have shown their frustration this season with sporadic booing of the Giants’ bad play. When Walker walked off the field to end the top of the seventh, he was showered with a whole chorus of boos.

Kelly finished off his day with a one, two, three bottom of the seventh. He gave up just two hits, and struck out seven.

Seth Lonsway came in to make his major league debut in the top of the eighth. Lonsway struck out Ildemaro Vargas on three pitches to start his big league career, and got lengthy applause for his first pitch and first strikeout.

The Diamondbacks did tack on a run in the eighth, and two more in the ninth off Lonsway. However, with the doubleheader, it was quite important for Lonsway to eat up a pair of innings. It wasn’t the greatest major league debut, but Lonsway certainly did his job. 

The Giants got on the board against Taylor Clarke in the bottom of the eighth when Jung Hoo Lee—on his bobblehead day—singled in Rafael Devers. Brandyn Garcia then ended it with a one, two, three inning in the bottom of the ninth.

Merrill Kelly got the win, and Tugboat got a major league hardnosed loss. 

With this loss, the Giants have fallen to 55-81, and have officially clinched their fifth-straight non-winning season. It is the first time in their 144-year history that the Giants have had five-straight non-winning seasons. That is correct. It has never happened before. They had their first blown ninth-inning six-run lead, and their first five-season non-winning streak in just four days. What a season!

Hall-of-Famer Jeff Kent will have his number retired prior to the second game, which will get underway at 7:05 p.m.

Roster moves:

Spencer Bivens was sent back to Triple-A Sacramento to make room for Seth Lonsway.