Aces Fall To .500 Losing To Phoenix 76-70

Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleagh Cooper (2) goes for the lay up against the Las Vegas Aces center Elizabeth Kitley (33) and Aaliyah Nye (13) during the first half at ULTRA Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas on Sun Jun 14, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Rich Perez

The Las Vegas Aces (5-5) lost a tough one falling to the Phoenix Mercury (8-4) 76-70 Sunday afternoon. The team has really struggled without their star A’Ja Wilson who is projected to return this coming Tuesday.

The team had 22 turnovers conceding 22 points on those turnovers. With poor ball protection winning seldom becomes reality. This has been a very disappointing start to the season so far. They missed open shots from start to finish. Chelsea Gray finished with the team high of 20 points.

Sunday afternoon, the Aces took on the Mercury at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas. The Aces had been struggling although did win their last matchup with the Dallas Wings Friday 88-84.

The Aces lost their ace A’Ja Wilson in a losing effort against the Los Angeles Sparks last Wednesday night when she suffered a head injury getting accidentally hit in the face by the Sparks Dearica Hamby while Hamby was driving to the basket.

Wilson missed Sunday’s game but has a return date for this Tuesday June 17 when the Aces take on the powerhouse Minnesota Lynx. It has not been the season we are used to seeing from Las Vegas. Their usual chemistry is just missing something and it is more than likely that the absence of Wilson has a whole lot to do with it.

After the first ten minutes of play this game was tied at 20. The Mercury took some fairly significant leads throughout the second quarter, as much as eight points, but the Aces continued to battle back. At the half, the Mercury were holding onto a 43-39 lead. Las Vegas was stubbornly hanging around, within striking distance for most of the quarter.

It started to fall apart in the third quarter when the Mercury took an 11 point lead with 3:22 left. Head Coach Becky Hammond called a time-out looking to get the Aces back on track. The Aces were having success from beyond the arc shooting 41% to the Mercury’s almost 35% but they needed more success driving the basket.

This had been a very physical game on both ends of the court for both teams. The Aces were just missing too many open shots. After three quarters the Mercury were up by six points 60-54.

Going into the fourth quarter the Aces needed stops and they really needed to settle down shutting down the turnovers, already with 14. Chelsea Gray had the team high with 18 points and both Jackie Young and Jewell Loyd had double digits through three quarters.

With 8:19 left in the game it was a two-point lead for the Mercury 60-58. Ball protection continued to falter as the Aces continued to turn the ball over now with 19. The Aces had conceded 22 points on turnovers.

Every time Las Vegas got close the Mercury pushed the lead back out. Las Vegas had not led since the first quarter. as the clock began to wind down with only 4:16 left on the clock. It came down to crunch time.

With 3:37 left in the game and the Mercury leading 71-67 the Aces had to play each possession with precision, each possession without turnover and start making those open shots. Time was not on the Aces side and with 21 turnovers it’s near to impossible to win a game.

The Las Vegas bench was not very productive with only 14 points to the Mercury’s 25 points off the bench. With under a minute left in the game Phoenix had a 76-70 lead and the Aces would fall to a 5-5 record in yet another disappointing loss.

Kim Stokes had a great defensive game finishing with 14 rebounds as well as Chelsea gray with 10 rebounds. It was without doubt the 22 turnovers that turned the tide in this game.

Now the Las Vegas Aces go back to the drawing board. They look forward to the return of Wilson as they go on the road to take on the red-hot Minnesota Lynx next Tuesday night. Wilson is projected to return for that game. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

MLB The Show podcast Charlie O: Late pitcher Skaggs says he got drugs from teammate Wade Miley says family; Sox pitcher Crochet strikes out Yanks Judge 3 times; plus more news

Former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Wade Miley (22) has been accused in a deposition of supplying teammate the late pitcher Tyler Skaggs with drugs. Miley in the deposition denied supplying Skaggs with any drugs (AP file photo)

MLB The Show podcast Charlie O:

#1 The late pitcher of the Los Angels Angels and Arizona Diamondbacks Tyler Skaggs who died of a overdose of fentanyl, oxycodone and alcohol according to an autopsy report from July 1, 2019 Skaggs had died in a Texas hotel room as a member of the Angels. Skaggs was a teammate of left hand pitcher Wade Miley with the Cincinnati Reds.

#2 Further According to a court deposition Skaggs family had questioned Skaggs about his drug use and that Skaggs had admitted taking drugs and that he got them from Miley when they played for the Diamondbacks. Miley said he did not provide Skaggs with any drugs according to a court deposition. The deposition is part of a motion filed by the Angels for the Skaggs family to drop a lawsuit filed by the Skaggs family.

#3 In an extra inning win for the Boston Red Sox in Friday night’s 2-1 game against the New York Yankees. The Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet came out and held the Yankees to a shutout in 8.1 innings of work allowing four hits, striking out seven and striking out Aaron Judge three times. Crochet worked the count on hitters, kept them off balance and had good stuff that made the saying “good pitching beats good hitting” stand up.

#4  Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Endy Rodriguez will have his right elbow get a platelet rich plasma injection. Rodriguez’s elbow is in pain and he got a second opinion from Los Angeles Dodgers Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. Dr. ElAttrache said that after getting the injection Rodriguez will need to get four weeks of complete rest before he can start working out. Said Pirates manager Don Kelly.

#5 Mon Jun 23rd morning bright and early at 8:00AM PDT the Sacramento A’s will be holding a groundbreaking ceremony at the old Tropicana in Las Vegas to get shovels in the ground for the new ballpark. According to A’s president Mark Badain groundbreaking took place in April but this is an official ceremony to make it official. Some members of the press questioned why is this groundbreaking being held at 8AM which is quite a bit early than usual press conferences or ribbon cuttings. Some say with the least amount of press it’s less questions about per say did the A’s come up with the construction costs yet.

Charlie O does the MLB The Show podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Dodgers Even Series Beating Giants In A Blow-Out 11-5

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani looks after he hits a home run in the bottom of the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Sun Jun 15, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

After winning game one in their three game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers (42-29), the San Francisco Giants (41-30) got pounded Saturday in game two 11-5. The Los Angeles Dodgers evened up the series with a great offensive effort ; much improved over Friday night’s game.

Shohei Ohtani had a couple of home runs and the Dodgers scored five runs in the second inning and three in the sixth. The Giants were quiet offensively until the ninth inning when Casey Schmitt hit a grand slam with the bases loaded.

Schmitt had back-to-back grand slams, the one Friday and then in this game. The Dodgers Kiki Hernandez gave up the grand slam along with four hits and three walks.

Game recap: After a poor offensive effort in Friday’s game, the Dodgers got their first run in the first inning. A solo shot from Shohei Ohtani gave Los Angeles the early 1-0 lead.

The Dodgers had an impressive second inning scoring five runs and taking a 6-0 lead. Andy Pages singled Teoscar Hernandez home extending their lead to 2-0.

Michael Conforto doubled Max Muncy home followed by a Mookie Betts double that scored two runs Pages and Conforto. The final Los Angeles run in the second was a Will Smith sacrifice bringing Ohtani home giving the home team a 6-0 lead.

The Dodgers did not take their foot off the pedal scoring again in the third inning. Hyeseong Kim singled to center bringing Max Muncy home for a 7-0 lead. The roles had certainly been reversed in game two with the Dodgers offense coming to life through the first half of the game.

San Francisco helped their rival along the way with seven walks through five innings. The Giants starting pitcher Landon Roupp only pitched 1 2/3 innings allowing for hits, six runs and five walks before being relieved by Spencer Bivens.

He really struggled with no strikeouts. On the other hand the Dodgers Clayton Kershaw was having an easy time with only 58 pitches through five innings.

Home run #25 for Shohei Ohtani came in the bottom of the sixth inning, his second of the game for a 8-0 Los Angeles lead. The Dodgers would follow that up with a two run home run off the bat of Teoscar Hernandez and a 10-0 tally.

Clayton Kershaw was relieved in the eighth inning by Michael Kopech. Kershaw had a great seven innings allowing three hits, no runs, one walk and five strikeouts. He certainly got the job done Friday night.

The Dodgers had their third home run of the game in the eighth inning off the bat of Miguel Rojas. The game went into the top of the ninth inning and San Francisco was down to their last three outs.

With only three hits so far in the game there was little chance for the Giants but it did get interesting when Kiki Hernandez took the mound to close out the game. He loaded the bases. gave up a grand slam, three walks and was positively awful. He was relieved by Anthony Banda who closed out the game. The final was 11-5.

Game notes: The Giants won the first game of their series with the Dodgers Friday night 6-2 via a Casey Schmitt grand slam in the third inning. Although it was early in the game, the Giants held on adding another run in the eighth inning for the win. Friday San Francisco starting pitcher Logan Webb had a great game pitching seven innings. Los Angeles did not have the best game in game one and got even in the series in game two. San Francisco finished up the game with 10 hits while the Dodgers only had two hits on Friday. For Saturday night the Giants clobbered the Dodgers 10-5.

Saturday, the Giants will be looking to win game three and the series. With this win, the Dodgers took back sole possession of first place in the National League West. First pitch for game three is scheduled for 4:00 PM and can be viewed on ESPN. Kyle Harrison will take the mound for San Francisco with a 1-1 win/loss record and a 4.56 ERA. Dustin May will start for the Dodgers with a 3-4 win/loss record and a 4.46 ERA.

Golden State Valkyrie game wrap: Valkyries Weather the Storm, 76-70 inside Chase Center; Golden State wins third straight game

Even the Golden State Valkyrie bench couldn’t contain themselves in their third straight win over the Seattle Storm at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sat June 14, 2025 (Golden State Valkyrie X photo)

By Michael Roberson

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — The Golden State Valkyries (5-5) won their third consecutive game, while ending the Seattle Storm’s (6-5) 3-game streak, 76-70, on a pleasant evening in the City by the Bay.

Golden State has Chase Center in their favor, as they have had sellouts (18,064) in all four of their WNBA home games in their inaugural season.

Seattle actually made the arena an overcast setting, as they got off to a 4-0 start to the game. After that, the Valkyries came back, and both teams had five lead changes and one tie during the initial stanza.

Golden State led by six points, which was their advantage after the quarter ended, 21-15. Although Seattle led by four early, they would never be in front again during the contest.

In the second quarter, the home team expanded their lead to as high as 15. Veteran guard Skylar Diggins hit a three late in the quarter, cutting the deficit to seven, keeping them in the contest. However, the Valkyries went on an 8-0 run, putting them back up to 15. They would keep their margin in double-digits at recess, 44-31.

Midway through the W battle, both team a one player with double-figure scoring. Kayla Thornton had 11 points and 8 rebounds after 20 minutes of gametime. Skylar Diggins topped the Storm with 10 points.

In the second half, the Valkyries led by a whopping 22 points, but had to hold on at the end of the game. Thornton added six more points to her total, and had a double-double (17/10) after three quarters. Two others eclipsed 10+ points, Temi Fagbenle (14) and Carla Leite (12) and helped the cause. Ezi Magbegor chipped in ten points and Diggins 16, at the 3/4 mark of the game. Golden State led 64-50.

In the final portion of the event, Seattle stormed back, cutting the deficit as low as four, less than a minute in regulation time. Seattle committed an offensive foul while attempting to get within 2 on a basket, three on a shot beyond the arc, or a miraculous four-point play.

Neither scenario came to fruition, as an attempted pick and roll was called a foul on the screener. Thornton politely drained two free throws, sealing the highly contested battle, 76-70.

Thornton led the Valkyries with 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Fagbenle chipped in 16 points and seven rebounds, and Leite added 14 points. Diggins led the Storm with 21 points, Alysha Clark posted 11 points and Magbegor offered ten points and six Rebounds. Stanford legend Nneka Ogwumike had a great reception by the Bay Area crowd, but had a subpar game with six points, five rebounds and saddled with four fouls.

The Valkyries will next be in action in Dallas, taking on the Wings Tuesday, June 17 at 7:00 PM Central Time 5:00 PM Pacific. The Storm take their cloud down to Southern California, as they take on the Los Angeles Sparks on the same date, at 7:00 PM PT.

Golden State Valkyries podcast Michael Villanueva: Valkyrie Rises Locks In Against Storm; Golden State wins 3rd straight game

Golden State Valkyries fans lights up Chase Center as the fourth quarter begins. With 18,064 people in the bay, this was the team’s fifth sell-out. (Michael Villanueva of Sports Radio Service is credited with the photo)

On the Golden States Valkyries game podcast Michael Villanueva:

#1 Given how both teams have changed since opening night, what were the most important lessons learned from the Valkyries’ performance against the Storm?

#2 Michael which Golden State player stood out the most in this match up, and is that player beginning to establish herself as a reliable leader for this new squad?

#3 Given Kayla’s double-double, how did the Valkyries’ tempo and control change as a result of her effective rebounding and scoring?

#4 How well did Golden State’s zone coverage strategy work to break Seattle’s rhythm for the majority of the game, and what does it tell about the Valkyries’ coaching changes?

#5 Following an excellent game tonight, the Valkyries will focus on Dallas when they play the Wings on Tuesday, June 17 at 5 p.m. PT. What impact do you think tonight’s momentum will have on that matchup?

Golden State Valkyries podcast are heard with WNBA analyst Michael Villanueva at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast Daniel Dullum: Set your alarm clocks A’s will break ground at 8AM Monday Jun 23rd in Vegas

This image shows a rendering of the baseball club’s proposed stadium in Las Vegas. AP photo

Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum:

#1 Daniel, the Athletics groundbreaking will be held at the old Tropicana Casino and Hotel on Monday June 23 at 8:00AM. Some question the time of the ribbon cutting being unusually early by press conference standards.

#2 Some said it could be a tactic to keep the amount of press away that will ask about A’s owner John Fisher’s construction costs and if he paid his share of the $1.75 billion yet?

#3 Do you look at this groundbreaking as a closer step to getting the stadium constructed or is this ceremony being done to keep the pressure off of the Las Vegas Stadium Authority when questioned when are there going to be shovels in the ground.

#3 A’s president Mark Badain said that construction for the Vegas ballpark started back in April and the A’s wanted to make Mon Jun 23rd ribbon cutting a celebration for the A’s and local officials.

#4 VIPs expected to attend the groundbreaking Mon Jun 23rd, A’s owner John Fisher, Badain, Las Vegas Stadium Authority president Steven Hill, Nevada State Legislature, members of the Clark County Commission and Governor Joe Lombardo.

#5 The Stadium Authority report says the construction of the park will take 32 months and is expected to be ready opening day 2028.

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

Sacramento A’s game wrap: Green and Gold Silence; Royals Behind Long Ball and Stellar Pitching in 4-0 win

Sacramento A’s pitcher Jacob Lopez delivers to the Kansas City Royals line up in the bottom first inning at Kaufman Stadium at Kansas City on Sat Jun 14, 2025 (AP News photo)

Green and Gold Silence Royals Behind Long Ball and Stellar Pitching

By Mauricio Segura

In a sharp and steady Saturday matinee showing at Kauffman Stadium, the Sacramento Athletics rode a power surge and airtight pitching to a 4-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals, shutting down Kansas City with clinical precision and just enough flash to keep things interesting.

The green and gold wasted little time getting on the board. After Tyler Soderstrom drew a walk to open the second inning, Max Muncy launched a two-run shot to left field, his fifth of the year, putting the Athletics up 2-0. It was a no-doubt line drive that never considered staying in the park.

Soderstrom later proved his value again in the fourth, working another walk, swiping second base, and scoring on a Luis Urías double to left. That made it 3-0, giving the A’s just enough cushion to settle into cruise control.

Lawrence Butler added an exclamation mark in the seventh with a solo blast to dead center, his tenth of the season. It was the only hit the Athletics managed off Kansas City reliever Daniel Lynch IV, who had just replaced starter Michael Lorenzen. The green and gold didn’t do much else after that, but they didn’t need to.

The Royals, meanwhile, could barely touch A’s pitching. They scattered just five hits and never advanced a runner past third. A disengagement violation in the third gave Kansas City its only brief spark when Maikel Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. advanced into scoring position with two outs. But Vinnie Pasquantino flew out to right, ending the threat.

Pasquantino, in fact, struck out three times, part of a larger struggle for Kansas City’s offense. Athletics pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts, and no Royal reached base more than once except for Garcia, who doubled and singled.

Athletics starter Jacob Lopez kept the Royals guessing with four crisp innings. Michael Kelly took over in the fifth and was equally effective, getting help from center fielder Denzel Clarke, who chased down deep flies from Jac Caglianone and Freddy Fermin in the seventh to maintain the shutout. Hogan Harris closed the door in the ninth, striking out Pasquantino once more and stranding a Mark Canha single that barely broke the infield.

On a day where offensive action was sporadic, Soderstrom quietly put together a strong performance: two walks, a stolen base, a run scored, and solid defense in left. Denzel Clarke also contributed on both sides of the ball, reaching base and covering serious ground in center.

The Athletics, who entered the series looking to shake off recent inconsistencies, now have their 28th win of the season and will look to build on this momentum to go back home with a sweep tomorrow afternoon.

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.

NHL Stanley Cup Finals podcast Mary Lisa: Oilers with home ice can capitalize on Panthers in game 5 Saturday

Edmonton Oilers Corey Perry (90) gets his shot stopped by the Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) in third period action of game 4 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final in Sunrise FL on Thu Jun 12, 2025 (AP News photo)

On the NHL Stanley Cup Finals podcast Mary Lisa:

#1 In the first 20 minutes the Edmonton Oilers were behind the Florida Panthers by three goals in the next 20 minutes the Oilers made up for lost time and tied up the game 3-3. Talk about the shots.

#2 The Oilers would take the lead but gave up the tying goal to the Panthers in the last few seconds of regulation that forced overtime with the score at 4-4. You saw four consecutive goals.

#3 Leon Drasaitl once again was the hero of the contest in game 4 scoring the game winning goal in overtime 5-4 on Thursday night. It was Draisaitl’s fourth overtime finals goal a NHL record.

#4 Edmonton Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said that games like this were exhausting, “Two good teams playing as hard as they are, playing the right way. Obviously with what’s on the line, it’s stressful. There’s a lot on the line, but it is fun and I think our guys are having fun, enjoying this moment.”

#5 Game 5 will be back in Edmonton at Rogers Arena Saturday night at 5:00pm PDT. The Oilers will have home ice and could go up 3-2 on the other hand the Panthers could go up 3-2. It’s an evenly matched final.

Mary Lisa does the NHL Stanley Cup Finals podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Orlando edges it out 1-0 on Banda 58th minute goal over Bay FC at Pay Pal Park

Forward Racheal Kundananji (9) gets a kick away for Bay FC against the Orlando Pride at Pay Pal Park in San Jose on Fri Jun 13, 2025 (Bay FC X photo)

By William Espy

SAN JOSE–Bay FC hosted the reigning NWSL champions, the Orlando Pride, on Friday night. The Pride haven’t been as dominant as they were last season, but they were still second in the league entering the matchup, behind only the Kansas City Current. The Pride were good enough to get by Bay FC 1-0.

Emmie Allen made her first ever start in goal for Bay FC, against a very dangerous attack that included Barbra Banda and Ally Watt just to name a couple.

Bay FC Starting XI: Allen, Malonson, Hubly, Dahlkemper, Dydasco, Bebar, Pickett, Huff, Oshoala, Kundananji, Lema

Orlando Starting XI: Morehouse, Dyke, Nadaner, Sams, Pickett, Yates, McCutcheon, Marta, Costantino, Banda, Watt

Taylor Huff got the best chance of the opening minutes, as she forced Anna Morehouse to make a diving save in the 10th minute, denying the Bay FC rookie of her long-awaited first-career goal. Ally Watt was taken down by Rachael Kundananji in the 13th minute in a hard collision, which likely could’ve seen the Bay FC forward given a yellow card, but she escaped with just a foul. Asisat Oshoala was getting called for multiple fouls early in the match as well, as a result, she was given a final warning by referee Muhammed Hassan less than half an hour into the game.

Marta nearly got the Pride on the board with a great run into the box in the 26th minute, but her shot went wide of the goal. Karlie Lema was shown a yellow card in the 30th minute when she pulled down a Pride player. Allen made her first save on a shot from point-blank range in the 31st minute. It would remain a deadlock heading into half-time, tied at 0-0.

Banda went down in the 51st minute with an apparent ankle injury after getting tangled up with two Bay FC defenders. After a couple of minutes, she ended up remaining in the game. Caprice Dydasco hit the crossbar in the 57th minute right after a corner kick, nearly giving the home side a go-ahead goal. After the referee called a foul, Orlando played a quick free kick, allowing Banda to get behind the defense, and she scored, making it 1-0.

Bay started bringing pressure late in the second half, getting shots through to Morehouse consistently, but with just 15 minutes remaining, they still trailed by a goal. Morehouse dropped the ball off of a corner in the 78th minute after being bumped by her own defender; however, the shot by Penelope Hocking was blocked, and the follow-up chance by Kundananji went over the goal. Caroline Conti nearly got an equalizer in the 82nd minute, but Morehouse was able to tip it over the bar.

Bay FC brought a lot of fight to the end of the game, but ultimately they weren’t able to get an equalizer and ended up falling to Orlando with a final score of 1-0.

Schmitt Grand Slam Spurs Giants Win Over Dodgers 6-2

Top of the third inning the San Francisco Giants Casey Schmitt belts a grand slam home run as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith looks on. It was Schmitt’s first career grand slam. It was the first game of the three game series on Fri Jun 13, 2025 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco Giants (41-29) beat the Los Angeles Dodgers (41-29) in game one of their series 6-2 Friday night. Willy Adames got a solo home run in the first inning for the first lead of the game. In the third inning Casey Schmitt unleashed a 423 foot shot to left center with the bases loaded; the grand slam gave the Giants a 5-1 lead. Andrew Knizner hit his first home run as a Giant, the third home run for the Giants in this game.

The Giants started off the week with a series win over the Colorado Rockies. Friday night, after facing the worst team in baseball, they faced one of the best teams in baseball, the Dodgers fighting with the Giants for first place in the National League West.

The Dodgers had a tough series to start off their week taking on the San Diego Padres. They won game one in extra innings, got crushed in game two 11-1 but won game three winning the series.

This is the first time these two rivals have faced each other this season. The Giants were missing Matt Chapman out with a hand injury and Patrick Bailey with a neck issue both out for a 10-day IL.

The Dodgers have a slew of injuries although their main players will be in action Friday night. San Francisco will have their hands full facing the likes of Shohei Otani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Teoscar Hernandez and Max Muncy.

All of these guys have impressive batting averages but every one of them is capable of hitting the ball out of the park. This series could prove to be a dogfight between these two teams who have had a longstanding rivalry. It’s always a great competitive series when these two teams matchup. The Giants have tied for first place in the division with Friday night’s win. Los Angeles had a different outcome in mind.

Game recap: Willie Adames got the Giants up on scoreboard 1-0 in the first inning with a solo home run to right center as he continues the amazing path he has been on.

The Dodgers threatened in the second inning with two runners on the corners with one out. Los Angeles was 90 feet away from tying up this game. Andy Pages hit a sacrifice fly allowing Will Smith to score from third base and this game was tied 1-1.

With two outs in the top of the third inning, the Giants had the bases loaded with Casey Schmitt at the plate. Schmitt came through hitting a grand slam driving Jung Hoo Lee, Wilmer Flores, and Heliot Ramos home for a 5-1 San Francisco lead. The Dodgers Yamamoto was struggling on the mound with not only the home runs but he already had walked four.

The Giants took the 5-1 lead into the top of the sixth inning. Logan Webb faced the top of the Dodger lineup in the bottom of the inning and had only given up 1 hit through six innings. Webb was having an impressive game.

San Francisco had back to back hits in the seventh inning. Dominic Smith singled followed by a double from Flores and San Francisco had runners on second and third. Schmitt struck out leaving the runners stranded but the Giants kept their lead intact going into the bottom of the seventh inning. The Dodgers Teoscar Hernandez hit a solo home run in the seventh but that would be it for Los Angeles still trailing 5-2.

It was a memorable game for Andrew Knizner hitting his first home run as a Giant in the top of the eight inning extending the Giants lead to 6-2. Tyler Rogers relieved Logan Webb in the bottom of the eighth inning. Webb had a terrific game allowing two hits, two runs, three walks and four strikeouts.

Ryan Walker came in to close out the game for San Francisco. There were two down in the bottom of the ninth inning with Hernandez at the plate, the Dodgers last hope . He struck out and that was the ball game 6-2. The Giants and the Dodgers now have the exact same record deadlocked for first in the National League West.

First pitch for game two of this series is scheduled for 7:10 PM Saturday night. Los Angeles will be looking to even up this series while the Giants would like nothing better than to take a 2-0 lead in the series. Landan Roupp will take the mound for the Giants with a 4-4 win/loss record and a 3.29 ERA. The Dodgers plan on starting the veteran Clayton Kershaw. He has a 1-0 win/loss record and a 4.35 ERA.