Tag: Sports Radio Service

Kings Pull a Second Upset of the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-113

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Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (11) take the ball to the hoop against the Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) and guard Max Strus (1) in the first half at Rocket Arena in Cleveland on Sun Apr 6, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Sunday afternoon the Sacramento Kings (37-40) pulled off a second upset of the Cleveland Cavaliers (62-15) this season 120-113. Zach LaVine came unhinged finishing with 37 points. He was on fire hitting seven triples going 7 of 11.

Demar DeRozan scored 28 points and Domantas Sabonis finished with 27. Sacramento hit 14 three’s. The Kings outscored the Cavaliers in the third quarter 35-22 setting the stage for the upset. This win will go a long way towards their fight for a playoff spot.

As this game finished up, the Phoenix Suns lost to the New York Knicks 112-98. The Suns loss gives the Kings a three-game lead for tenth place and they still have a shot to move into ninth place with a little help from the Mavericks.

Game recap: The Sacramento Kings had a great start in the opening quarter leading 31-27 after the first 12 minutes of play. Domantas Sabonis spearheaded a great start scoring 15 points with four rebounds.

Zach LaVine chipped in seven points and the Kings were waiting on DeMar DeRozan to get his engine working. It had been an excellent start for Sacramento and the true test for the Kings would be to keep the pressure on Cleveland and dictate the pace of the game going into the second quarter and beyond.

The Cavaliers took the lead throughout the second quarter and had led by as many as seven points. When the quarter came to an end, the Cavaliers had outscored Sacramento 30-25. The Kings had continued to shave the Cleveland lead and it paid off for them.

The Kings sure know what is at stake right now. and they were playing like it. At the buzzer Keon Ellis hit a triple (43-ft) to trail by a single point 56-57 as the first half came to an end. Sabonis continued to lead the scoring for Sacramento finishing the first half with 19 points and eight rebounds. Zach LaVine was following suit hitting 15 points and DeMar DeRozan was on the edge of double digits with eight points.

Going into the third quarter the Cavaliers hung onto the lead throughout most of the quarter until the final two minutes when the Kings turned it all around. With 53 seconds left on the clock, the Kings had taken a 10-point lead 87-77.

At the end of three quarters, the Sacramento Kings had taken a 91-79 lead. DeMar DeRozan had really heated up finishing the quarter with 19 points. Sacramento had to hold on for one more quarter to pull their second Cleveland upset of the season.

The Kings held on in the fourth quarter but the Cavaliers started to chip away at the Sacramento lead and at 7:47 it was a tie game at 96. The Kings were holding onto their lead but not extending it and they paid for it when the Cavaliers took the lead at 7:04 101-100.

For nearly the next two minutes this was a one-point game or tied with both teams trading the lead. At 6:06 the Kings had pushed back their lead to 105-101 and this game was going down to the wire. With under two minutes left in the game the Kings had taken a 116-111 lead in this nail-biter. As time expired, the Sacramento Kings had beaten the Cleveland Cavaliers for a second time this season.

Game notes: Sunday afternoon the Kings took on the hottest team in the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers and shocked the NBA world with a second win of the season over the Cavaliers .

The Kings finally got a win on Friday in Charlotte beating the lowly Hornets 125-102 and face a major challenge against the giants of the NBA. While the Kings were hardly favored in this game, they did beat Cleveland last month March 19 by the score of 123-119 in a thriller.

Sacramento were without the services of Keegan Murray who is out with a back issue. The Kings relied on Trey Lyles who had seven points and Doug McDermott who did not play but were around to pick up the slack in the front court.

While this game doesn’t have huge meaning for the Cavs a win would have meant a home court advantage for the duration of the playoffs. For the Kings this win means a whole lot more as they are fighting to retain their tenth place position in the Western Conference.

After this wild win, the Sacramento Kings will jump on a plane and head into Detroit to take on the Pistons on Monday night, their final road game of the regular season. Tipoff for the Detroit matchup is scheduled for 4:00 PM PDT at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

San Francisco Giants game wrap: Wilmer and Giants sweep Mariners and are in first place and off to 8-1 start with 5-4 walk-off win

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San Francisco Giants hitter Wilmer Flores (right) swings for walk off single in the bottom of the ninth inning as Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (left) looks on at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sun Apr 6, 2025 (AP News photo)

Sunday, April 6, 2025

Oracle Park

Seattle Mariners 4 (3-7)

San Francisco Giants 5 (8-1)

Win: Camilo Doval (1-0)

Loss: Gregory Santos (0-1)

Time: 2:43

Attendance: 41,060

By Stephen Ruderman

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants won their seventh their seventh in a row and swept the Mariners with a 5-4 win, as Wilmer Flores pinch-hit and won the game with a walk-off base-hit to right-center field, which staked the Giants to an 8-1 start and first place in the National League West.

Aaron Hicks, who is back in the rotation for the start of this season, took the mound for his second start. Hicks got Victor Robles to ground out to Willy Adames at short to start the game. However, with one out, Julio Rodriguez came to the plate, and just as he did with one out in the top of the first inning Friday, J-Rod hit a home run to give the Mariners an early 1-0 lead. However, this one was a no-doubter, unlike the cheapie he hit in the first inning on Friday.

Bryan Woo took the mound for the Mariners, and the Giants were unable to make anything of a two-out, two-strike double by Jung Hoo Lee in the bottom of the first. Aaron Hicks had to wiggle his way out of a two-out rally in the top of the second, and Woo threw a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the second.

Cal Raleigh hit a home run of his own in the top of the third to make it 2-0, and after another 1-2-3 inning by Woo in the bottom of the third, there were some people who thought it was going to be one of those days for the Giants. However, these are the 2025 Giants, and as they would quickly see, today would not be one of those days.

Hicks finally settled down with a 1-2-3 top of the fourth, and Willy Adames led off the bottom of the fourth with a base-hit to left-center. You could definitely feel that the Giants were a-coming. after Adames’ base-hit. Lee took another nice two-strike swing for a base-hit to left, and the Giants were in business with runners at first and second with nobody out.

Matt Chapman flew out to right, but Heliot Ramos lined a base-hit to right that knocked in Adames and put the Giants on the board. Mike Yastrzemski came up and hit a home run to left-center, and just like that, the Giants were ahead 4-2.

Hicks followed that up with a scoreless top of the fifth. Adames helped with an incredible play to his left to take away a base-hit from J-Rod with one out.

The Mariners got runners to first and second with one out against Hicks in the top of the sixth, and Bob Melvin went to Randy Rodriguez. Ryan Bliss came up and lined a base-hit to left, and Luke Raley scored to make it 4-3. Unfortunately, to compound matters, the throw from left-fielder Luis Matos skipped off the glove of Patrick Bailey, which put the tying and go-ahead runs both in scoring position with just one out.

However, Rodriguez was not fazed, as he got out of the inning with the Giants still ahead. As for Hicks, he went five and a third, while giving up three runs and six hits. He walked one and struck out five.

Woo ended his day with a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth. He gave up four runs and five hits, and he walked one and struck out six.

Tyler Rogers came in for the seventh, which was a bit surprising considering all five of his previous appearances came in the eighth inning. However, it was no problem for Rogers, who threw a 1-2-3 inning.

After Carlos Vargas pitched a scoreless inning for Seattle in the bottom of the seventh, the lefty, Erik Miller, was summoned by Melvin for the top of the eighth. Former Giant Donovan Solano and Mitch Garver both hit base-hits to start the inning, and the Mariners were in business right away Not to worry, however, as an infield fly and a 5-4-3 double play off the bat of Bliss took Miller out of the inning unscathed.

Eduard Bazardo threw a scoreless bottom of the eighth, and with the fact that Giants closer Ryan Walker had pitched the last two days, it was old closer Camilo Doval who got the ball for the ninth.

Victor Robles singled the other way to left with one out, and he got to second on a ground out by J-Rod. Melvin elected to intentionally walk Raleigh to get to the 2-for-13 Randy Arozarena. Doval got Arozarena to a 2-2 count, but Arozarena was able to beat a good slider at the bottom of the zone and line a double down the left field line to tie the game.

Doval got beat on a good pitch, and after the rough outings he had last season that led him to lose the closer’s job, it wasn’t unreasonable to fear that a big inning would be coming from the Mariners, especially after a walk to Miles Mastrobuoni. Doval then got Mitch Garver to pop out to third, and the game stayed tied 4-4 going to the bottom of the ninth, where the Giants were in a perfect position for another walk-off win.

Mariners Manager Dan Wilson brought in Gregory Santos for the bottom of the ninth. Santos walked Yastrzemski on four pitches to start the inning, and he fell behind 2-0 to Matos. After taking a strike, Matos reached on a fielder’s choice.

Patrick Bailey came up, and things were about to go nuts. Bailey hit a towering fly ball down the right field line that this writer thought was going to be a walk-off bomb into the water from his view in the press box. While it came close to clearing the 24-foot-high Willie Mays wall in right, Mariners’ right-fielder Victor Robles ran like the wind to his left to make a spectacular catch, as he went hard up against the netting and tumbled back into play.

Robles was down and in severe pain. He rolled the ball back towards the infield, which allowed Matos to advance 180 feet all the way to third. Trainers from both teams came out to check on Robles, who held his left arm in agony as he was carted off the field on a stretcher.

While Robles was being tended to, Melvin challenged whether it was a catch, but it was confirmed that Robles’ feet were over the field of play as he caught the ball. The Mariners then challenged that Robles had gone out of play after the catch, which was quite clear. As a result, Ramos was sent back to second, as a fielder going out of play after a catch is only a one-base award.

The loss of 90 feet would not be an issue. Wilmer Flores pinch-hit for Christian Koss, and he lined a base-hit to right-center that easily scored Matos to win it.

The Giants are now off to just their fifth 8-1 start in franchise history, and their second in San Francisco. The other was their wire-to-wire 100-win season of 2003, a season that ended quite painfully might I add.

Camilo Doval should have been rewarded for his slider with a strikeout and the save, but Arozarena had other plans. Instead, Doval was rewarded with his first win of the year, Gregory Santos took the loss.

Terry Francona’s Cincinnati Reds will come into town for three games starting tomorrow night. The Giants took two out of three from the Redlegs to start the season in Cincinnati, and they will hope for the same magic and success this week in their own ballpark.

It will be an opening day rematch on the mound in the series opener tomorrow night. Giants’ ace Logan Webb (1-0, 3.00 ERA) will get the start, and he will be opposed by Reds’ right-hander Hunter Greene (0-1, 2.25 ERA). First pitch will be at 6:45 p.m., which has been the custom for night games on mondays through thursdays at Oracle Park since 2019, but six years later, I am still not used to it.

Oh yeah, before I forget, the Giants are first place. Have a good day, folks!

Sacramento A’s recap: Soderstrom, Butler, and the Long Ball Show, but A’s Fall 12-5 in Coors Field Slugfest

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Colorado Rockies Ezequiel Tovar (right) is thrilled after hitting a double as Sacramento A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson holds the baseball in the bottom of the second inning at Coors Field on Sun Apr 6, 2025 (AP News photo)

Soderstrom, Butler, and the Long Ball Show, but A’s Fall in Coors Field Slugfest

By Mauricio Segura

The thin air of Coors Field once again served as a launchpad, but this time, it launched the Athletics straight into a granite wall of Rockies offense, cold and unmovable like the mountains behind them. Despite continuing their season-long home run streak and getting early fireworks from Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler, the green and gold dropped Sunday’s rubber match to the Rockies, 12-5.

Tyler Soderstrom wasted no time extending the A’s power streak to ten games, the longest season-opening run in franchise history. With two outs in the top of the first, Soderstrom’s two-run blast to right, his fourth of the season, gave the Athletics an early 2-0 lead and showcased the rookie’s knack for clutch power. He now leads the club in go-ahead homers.

Rookie starter Joey Estes, looking to rebound from a rough Opening Day outing, was once again roughed up. He gave up six runs across three innings, including a solo shot to Brenton Doyle in the bottom of the first. Doyle wasn’t done either. His two-run double in the second turned the tide and ignited a five-run Colorado rally that knocked the A’s on their heels.

Estes, who tied a career high by allowing nine hits in his previous start, couldn’t find rhythm in his Coors debut. After his ERA ballooned to 13.50, manager Mark Kotsay handed the reins to Mitch Spence in the fourth. Spence fared little better, yielding another run as Tovar and Doyle, Colorado’s 1-2 punch, continued to hammer the gaps.

Still, the A’s weren’t entirely silenced. Lawrence Butler, red-hot this series, crushed his first homer of the season in the fifth, a no-doubter to center that briefly narrowed the gap to 7-4. It was Butler’s sixth hit in two games, part of a much-needed turnaround for the outfielder who started the season batting .167 through seven games.

Miguel Andujar added three hits, including an RBI single in the fourth. The left fielder, who entered the game on a modest three-game hitting streak, quietly continues to be one of the A’s more consistent bats, now batting .304.

But whatever momentum the Athletics generated was flattened in the bottom of the eighth. The Rockies sent ten men to the plate, piling on five runs against Spence and T.J. McFarland. Ezequiel Tovar, who doubled twice and drove in three, delivered a two-run single in the inning to put the game out of reach. By the time Hunter Goodman’s two-run knock made it 12-4, the damage was done.

The A’s added one more in the ninth on Butler’s RBI single, but that was little consolation in a game where pitching woes once again told the story. Estes is now winless in his last four starts dating back to 2024, and Spence has surrendered ten earned runs over 6.2 innings this year.

Notably, Jacob Wilson’s contact streak ended after 33 plate appearances without a strikeout. He finally struck out, fanning once in the first inning and again in the ninth to end a remarkable run, the longest by an Athletic since Billy Burns in 2016. Wilson did add a single earlier in the game, extending his season-opening hit streak to ten games.

The loss dropped the Athletics to 4-6, still trying to find consistency after being swept at home by the Cubs. They’ll return to Sutter Health Park Monday to open a six-game homestand, starting with a series against the Padres. Luis Severino is expected to take the mound, still in search of his first win in green and gold.

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.

MLB podcast with Bruce Macgowan: Manfred says torpedo bat good for baseball; Dodgers Snell on 15 day IL shoulder inflammation; plus more MLB news

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Dodgers starting pitcher Blake Snell, who struggled at times against the Atlanta Braves on April 2 at Dodger Stadium, has been placed on the injured list. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

MLB podcast with Bruce Macgowan:

#1 Major League Commissioner Rob Manfred said that the torpedo bat is “absolutely good for baseball.” After all the attention that the torpedo bat has created Manfred addressed it’s legitmacy saying, “I believe that issues like the torpedo bat and the debate around it demonstrate the fact that baseball still occupies a unique place in our culture,”

#2 Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell has been placed on the 15 day IL suffering from left shoulder inflammation. Snell now 1-0 ERA 2.00 in two starts this season. Snell signed with the Dodgers for five years for $182 million.

#3 Due to weather issues the times have changed for the New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers times have been moved up. Wind chills have been forecasted for Monday and Tuesday to be in the 20s. The game that was scheduled from Monday has been moved up from 6:40pm to 3:10 and for Tuesday and Wednesday now at 1:10pm.

#4 Milwaukee Brewers left hand pitcher Nestor Cortes has been placed on the 15 day IL with a flexor strain in his left elbow. The Brewers pitching staff is depleted of their starting pitcher. With Cortes on the shelf the Brewers have Freddy Peralta as their only healthy starting pitcher in the starting rotation.

#5  Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani threw a 26 pitch session on Saturday before the Dodgers played the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. Ohtani making a step closer to returning as a starter for the Dodgers. Ohtani has been out of the pitching rotation since Sep 19, 2023 this was his second bullpen session.

Bruce Magowan is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast with Stephen Ruderman: Giants go after the sweep today at Oracle Park; Mariners last in AL West

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San Francisco Giants Matt Chapman stands on second base after hitting an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Oracle Park San Francisco Sun Apr 6, 2025 (AP News photo)

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Stephen Ruderman:

#1 Matt Chapman hit two double for RBIs on Saturday night and that help contribute to the San Francisco Giants to pick up their second win in this three game series against the Seattle Mariners and now are on a six game win streak.

#2 In a pre game ceremony on Saturday Chapman received his fifth Gold Glove Award from his 2024 performance at third base.

#3 Jung Hoo Lee contributed also with a double for a run in the fourth inning. In the fifth inning both Lee and Chapman hit doubles which helped give the Giants a two run lead.

#4 Giants pitcher Robbie Ray now 2-0 started Saturday and allowed one run, four hits, walked five hitters, in six innings of work. Ray was the 2021 AL Cy Young Award winner when he pitched in Seattle.

#5 M’s and Giants conclude this three game set Sunday at Oracle Park starting pitcher for the M’s Bryan Woo (1-0 ERA 1.50) for the Giants Jordan Hicks (1-0 ERA 0.00) how do you see this match up, also will the Giants be able to sweep this one or can the Mariners put their should into this one and avoid losing this series?

Stephen Ruderman is a San Francisco Giants beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s Stun Rockies With Triple Play and Long Ball Barrage in 7-4 Comeback Win

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Sacramento A’s Jacob Wilson reaches second base after hitting a double for two RBIs in the top of the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver on Sat Apr 5, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Mauricio Segura

What began as a historic defensive feat for the Colorado Rockies ended as a thunderous offensive statement from the Sacramento A’s, who powered their way to a 7-4 comeback win Saturday night at Coors Field. Fueled by a relentless late-inning surge and capped by a dominant ninth from flame-throwing closer Mason Miller, the green and gold captured their second straight win in Denver.

The highlight reel started early for Colorado, who turned the first triple play of the 2025 Major League season in the top of the second. With runners on first and second, Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson grounded sharply to third baseman Ryan McMahon, who initiated a textbook 5-4-3 triple play. It was a moment of defensive brilliance, but the Rockies’ good fortune would be short-lived.

Sacramento starter JP Sears, who carried a career 1.80 ERA against the Rockies into the game, again kept them largely in check. Sears allowed three runs over six solid innings, using a mixture of command and guile to keep Coors Field’s hitter-friendly environment from becoming a launching pad.

Trouble found Sears in the second inning, when Kyle Farmer’s two-out double set up Sean Bouchard’s first homer of the year, a no-doubt two-run blast to left. Colorado tacked on another in the third, capitalizing on a walk and double-play ball to bring home Brenton Doyle for a 3-0 lead.

Then came Sacramento’s slow, steady comeback.

A fourth-inning wild pitch from Germán Márquez scored Lawrence Butler to get the A’s on the board. In the sixth, JJ Bleday and Shea Langeliers both drew walks before Tyler Soderstrom laced an RBI double. Márquez exited, and Jacob Wilson greeted reliever Jimmy Herget with a go-ahead two-run double to left, putting the A’s up 4-3.

That sixth inning outburst was no fluke, the A’s have been living and dying by the long ball. Coming into the night, 58.6% of their runs had come via homers, the fifth-highest mark in the majors. Saturday’s game only padded that stat.

In the seventh, Brent Rooker continued his hot start to the season by blasting his fourth home run, a solo shot to center. Two batters later, Langeliers, who now has three homers on the year, crushed a two-run bomb to give the A’s a commanding 7-3 lead.

Lawrence Butler had himself a night, going 3 for 4 with a double, single, walk, and a caught stealing. The speedy right fielder is now batting .400 against the Rockies in the series and flashed some aggressive base running that kept the Rockies’ defense alert.

Jacob Wilson also extended his season-opening hit streak to eight games and remains one of only two players in the majors without a strikeout this season. His plate discipline and clutch contact continue to impress, and Saturday’s two-run double proved vital.

The Rockies tried to claw back in the eighth with a solo homer from Ryan McMahon, but their rally fizzled when Kyle Farmer flew out to end the inning.

Then came the closer, Mason Miller.

The electric right-hander closed the door with his third save of the year, striking out two in the ninth while allowing a single and a wild pitch. Miller has now struck out eight of the 11 batters he’s faced this season and remains unscored upon.

Despite a rocky 3-5 start to the year, the A’s have now taken two straight at Rocky Mountain altitude, showcasing the same scrappy resilience they showed in Friday’s extra-innings victory.

The A’s next be looking for the sweep Sunday behind A’s right-hander Joey Estes 0-1 ERA 13.50 vs. Rockies starter RHP Chase Dollander 0-0 ERA 0.00 first pitch 12:10pm PDT.

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.

San Francisco Giants game wrap: Chapman hits RBI doubles twice as Giants beat Mariners 4-1 at Oracle

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San Francisco Giants Matt Chapman (26) swings for a fourth inning RBI double against the Seattle Mariners at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sat Apr 5, 2025 (AP News photo)

Seattle (3-6) 000 010 000. 1. 7. 0

San Francisco (7-1). 002 020 00x. 4 10. 0

Time: 2:27

Attendance: 40,886

Saturday, April 5, 2025

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–Your San Francisco Giants continued on their winning ways. with this evening’s 4-1 victory over. the struggling Seattle Mariners. The brisk game was quite a change from Friday afternoon’s grueling 11 inning slugfest and its plethora of missing opportunities.

Starting pitcher Robbie yielded Seattle’s only run, which was earned, and came on Dylan Moore’s 411 foot homer to center in the top of the fifth. The Giants’ lefty allowed three other hits while earning the win, which left his record at 2-0, 3.18. 54 off his 88 offerings were deemed strikes Hyram Birdsong allowed two hits in as many innings, and Ryan Walker gave a hit while blanking the visitors in the ninth to earn his third save of the young season.

Jung Hoo Lee went three for four, including a pair of doubles. Matt Chapman also hit a couple of two baggers. He looked elegant in the field and drove in two runs to raise his batting average to .310 on this, his bobblehead day. Héliot Ramos’s eighth inning single gave him at least one hit in each of San Francisco’s games this season.

Víctor. Robles ahd Dylan Moore. had two hit games for the Mariners, who used three pitchers in their losing effort. Bryce Miller (0-2, 5,73) started and took the loss, going 5-1/3 frames and allowing all four Giants runs. All of them were earned, and they came on seven hits and three free passes. Trent Thorton allowed a hit in his 2/3 of. an inning pitched, and Jesse Hahn allowed two hits in two innings.

Sunday, at 1:05pm PDT the M’s Bryan Wood (1-0,1.50) will toe the rubber for Seattle against their hosts’ Jordan Hicks (1-0, 0.00). After that, Cincinnati comes to town.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Torpedo Bats the talk of Baseball — The Bats at Cooperstown

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Jared Smith speaks about the torpedo bat during an interview at Victus Sports in King of Prussia on Wed Apr 2, 2025 (AP News photo)

Torpedo Bats the talk of Baseball —The Bats at Cooperstown

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

BREAKING NEWS. Torpedo bats are here and have not been affected by the recent tariffs. The “torpedo” bats, with their unique shape resembling a bowling pin, are manufactured by several companies, including Victus, Marucci, Chandler Bats, and are legal under MLB rules. Yankee Jazz Chisolm, who averaged 12 home runs per season during his six-year career in the majors, hit three home runs in the opening three-game series of 2025 against Milwaukee. Chisolm used the torpedo bats and said, “It doesn’t feel like a different bat. It just helps you in a little way”.

Could the Torpedo Bats be the star of the show in 2025? The MLB players’ union expects a lockout by team owners after the CBA expires following the 2026 season. It is not like the production of home runs is decreasing; home runs have increased in recent seasons, especially since 2016, with a surge in 2019. This is not only because of the bats, but we have to consider that hitters are more sophisticated in their approaches, and even this increase could be partly due to changes in the baseball.

I know you are saying it is too early to talk about the possible Lockout after the 2026 season since the 2025 season just got underway, and that could be true. But we might have a record number of home runs with these bats for this 2025 season. The MLB season with the most combined home runs across all 30 teams was 2019, with a total of 6,776 home runs. Do we accredit the Torpedo Bats if this 2025 season ends with 6,777 home runs or 7,000? Time will tell, and we could play Detective Colombo if we discover evidence that these bats are more powerful, making a difference.

These are some of the most famous bats in history. They are at The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, NY.

-Babe Ruth’s Louisville Slugger. This is an iconic bat

-Honus Wagner’s JF. Hillerich & Son Co, bat. Used by Honus Wagner in the early 20th century.

-Reggie Jackson’s Adirondack Big Stick. This made the Adirondack Company a world brand for bats.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY, has a significant collection of baseball bats, with over 2,000 bats representing various eras and players, and there are great moments of legendary hitters who used these bats. This national museum keeps adding baseball memorabilia; there was also an exhibit called Viva Baseball!, which recognizes the contributions of Latino baseball players. From the great Pirates #21 Roberto Clemente to other legendary Latino players from Cuba, Puerto Rico, México, Venezuela, Colombia, Dominican Republic, and other countries.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, is a must for every baseball fan. I have visited, and I strongly recommend you take a trip to beautiful upstate New York. On my trip to New York, I took the train from Grand Central Station, Manhattan, to Albany, where I rented a car and then drove to Cooperstown. It is a beautiful countryside drive of about 70 miles. There were also two Amtrak trains from NY to Cooperstown every day, as well as two trips on the weekend. Visiting always brings me back memories, like knowing that my mentor, Rafael “Felo” Ramírez, who when I was 10 year old kid used to listen to him on the radio in Cuba’s Professional Winter League, and was fortunate of working with him, broadcasting postseason games in 1998 for the Spanish US and Latino American, networks. Felo is in Cooperstown as Ford C.Frick Broadcaster.

The museum in Cooperstown is open 7 days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 pm, and extended hours during the summer. Admissions are $30 for adults, seniors 65 and over, $24 for juniors (ages 7-12) $21, and free for active or (like yours truly) retired card-carrying military personnel. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.

Trivia: The first professional baseball bat, a Louisville Slugger, was created by J.F. Hillerich in the 1880s, specifically for Pete Browning, a ballplayer nicknamed “The Louisville Slugger”.

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

Sharks fall 5-1 to Kraken in final matchup

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San Jose Sharks vs Seattle Kraken on Saturday April 5th at SAP Center (via sanjosesharks/)

By Madison Montez

SAN JOSE–The Seattle Kraken scored three times in the second period and buried the San Jose Sharks 5-1 at SAP Center. The Kraken got the first lead of the game, with five minutes left of the first, Jared McCann scored his 19th of the season. They extended their lead to two, three minutes later, when Andre Burakovsky scored his tenth goal of the season. San Jose cut into that lead when Will Smith scored his 14th of the season. With the assists, Celebrini and Toffoli extend their point streaks to back to back games.

The Kraken extended their lead three times during the second period. The first was when Chandler Stephenson scored his 13th of the season at 7:39 of the second period. They extended their lead even further when Jaden Schwartz scored his 24th of the season. After letting in four goals, the Sharks brought in backup goaltender Georgi Romanov. Romanov let in his first goal at 18:07 of the second, Jared McCann with his 20th of the season, second of the night, putting him on hat-trick watch.

San Jose had trouble staying out of the box in tonight’s game, the Sharks committed three penalties while Seattle only committed two. Each team’s power-play was put to the test but neither team could capitalize. Both teams weren’t top ten in power-play rankings. San Jose is 22nd in the league and Seattle is 25th in the league.

Seattle dominated in nearly every aspect of the game. They registered 22 shots, had a 54.9 faceoff percentage, had ten penalty minutes, 14 blocked shots, and six steals. While Seattle had those stats, San Jose registered 24 shots, had a 45.1 faceoff percentage, 15 blocked shots, and three steals.

Alexander Georgiev was Saturday night’s starting goalie. After sitting out due to an injury, Georgiev’s first game back ended in a loss. In the loss, his record now moves to 7-18. For Seattle, Joey Daccord was Saturday night’s starting goalie. Daccord recorded the win, making 23 saves on 24 shots.

THREE STARS OF THE GAME:

  • 1. Jared McCann, 2G, 1A
  • 2. Shane Wright, 1A
  • 3. Joey Daccord, 1 GA

The Sharks will be back in action on Monday April 7th hosting the Calgary Flames for the final time this season.

Utah HC Shoots Down NHL Leading Jets 4-1 Keeping Wild Card Hopes Alive

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Utah Hockey Club center Clayton Keller (9) shoots and scores on the Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) in the first period at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Sat Apr 5, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–Utah took a 3-0 lead into the 3rd period and held off the league’s #1 team to remain mathematically in the hunt for the final Wild Card spot for a 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets.

If you ask Utah head coach André Tourigny or any of the players, they will emphatically tell you that every game is a playoff game and that there is no quit in this team. Saturday afternoon they had a chance to prove it against the top squad in hockey, the Winnipeg Jets.

Utah grabbed an early power play opportunity just a few minutes into the game when Winnipeg defenseman Dylan Samberg went to the box for tripping against Dylan Guenther. Just 7 seconds later, the Jets turned over the puck behind their own net and Barrett Hayton fed it to captain Clayton Keller who cashed it in for his 26th goal of the season. With 11 seconds remaining in the frame, Winnipeg forward Mark Scheifele went to the sin bin for holding against Sean Durzi which set Utah up with another power play to begin the second period.

Less than a minute into the middle period, Keller fired off a cross-ice pass to linemate Dylan Guenther who immediately found the stick of Hayton in front of the net who knocked the puck in for his 19th of the season. At 16:57 of the second period, Utah defenseman Mikhail Sergachev sent a pass from the defensive blue line to Kevin Stenlund who received it at the offensive blue line and smashed a shot over the shoulder of Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck from the top of the faceoff circle for his 13th goal of the season to make it 3-0 for the home team heading into the final frame.

Nearly two minutes into the third period, Utah cracked open the door for a Winnipeg comeback when Olli Määttä was whistled for hooking against Nino Niederreiter. On the ensuing power play, Utah goalie Karel Vejmelka turned away two rapid fire shots from Kyle Connor and Cole Perfetti, but was out of position when Mark Scheifele drove home the final rebound for his 38th goal of the season, closing the gap to 3-1. Vejmelka, playing his career high 20th consecutive start, closed the barn door the rest of the way, saving 32 of 33 shots overall for his 23rd win of the season. At 17:19 of the third, Nick Bjugstad would put the game away for good collecting his 6th goal of the season into an empty net, assisted by Stenlund and Määttä.

In the locker room, Stenlund talked about defeating his former club, the top-ranked team in the NHL. “It shows how good of a team we are when we play the right way, play our way. It was a good game.” With regard to the third period, Stenlund said, “[Winnipeg] pushed a bit into us early, but I think we controlled it pretty well. We got one goal and I think they had some chances, but not many.”

Captain Clayton Keller was asked about scoring his 500th career NHL point during the game. “It’s cool. I honestly had no idea coming into the game, so I was a bit surprised. Lots of hard work and sacrifice. So many people in my life sacrificed for me to get to this level so I’m just super thankful for everything that they’ve done for me, my teammates, and my coaches. There are so many people that have helped me get to where I am. I still feel like I have a lot more to give, and I’m just getting started.” About playing the NHL’s top team, Clayton said, “We had a good start and we played with a lot of speed. They’re a great team, tough to play against, and they have great players. The third maybe got away from us a little bit, but [Vejmelka] was unreal as usual, kept us in the game, and made key saves at the right times. It’s a good feeling to win at home.”

Head coach André Tourigny opened his post-game media session by saying, “We played rock solid. (Karel Vejmelka) again was really solid. But I think as a team, we played really solid. I think in the third (period), we got on our heels a little bit. But I won’t let that reflect on our game because we played against a really good team and we played a hell of a game. I’m really proud of the guys.” He offered particular praise for special teams. “Both were really good. (Winnipeg’s) power play is excellent, so the way our PK played (was good). Our power play produced; but more than that, they gave us momentum. They played, they attacked, they were under their toes. They played really solid. I think (Clayton Keller’s) play, not just on the power play but 5-on-5 play; he had a rock solid game. Captain; showed up; huge in a big game.” When asked about what he learns when playing a team like Winnipeg, Bear continued, “I like the fact that we’re not scared. We’re taking it the right way: ‘OK, let’s get at it.’ We want that and we believe in ourselves. We have no complex against those teams. We beat Winnipeg twice this year; how we played against Dallas, how we played against L.A., how we played against Colorado. All those games were hard-fought games. I think that showed the character of our team and the leadership of our team. That’s why we love our team.”

About those playoff chances, Tourigny said of his team, “They don’t want to hear anything. They just want to play, and play good. They are locked in. They’re straight on in what we have to do and play and win games. That’s it. They’re the easiest team to coach in the league right now. They’re tuned in, they’re locked in. We just need to lead a plan and they’re tuned in. They’re great.”

Next up for Utah is a visit from the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night at 7:00pm.