Still photo of the Las Vegas A’s ballpark construction site at the former Tropicana Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas at 9:10AM Sat Aug 9, 2025. Some cement and pilings have been installed. (A’s live stream)
Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast Daniel Dullum:
#1 Reports from the A’s Las Vegas ballpark construction actual cement is being poured into the foundation of the dugout portion of the grounds.
#2 The pilings have been constructed where the cement has been poured a large pile of dirt sits in the middle of the construction site.
#3 The A’s have filed permits worth over $157 million that have been filed with Clark County. The permits allow the constructing of the concrete at the lowest level of the ballpark to the upper main concourse with the primary steelwork.
#4 There have been questions if A’s owner John Fisher has been able to come up with his share of the $1.75 billion construction cost. At the groundbreaking ceremony in July A’s team president Mark Badain said the A’s have the money or they wouldn’t be doing the groundbreaking.
#5 The A’s said that they would be scheduling a project update at the Las Vegas Stadium Authority on Aug 21st. Expected to attend are Las Vegas Stadium Convention and Authority CEO Steven Hill, A’s executive Sandy Dean, and Badain.
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.
Photo credit: San Francisco Giants pitcher Justin Verlander acknowledges the crowd after striking out Washington Nationals’ Nathaniel Lowe in the first inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Sunday, Aug 10, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group via AP)
By Vince Cestone
SAN FRANCISCO–The San Francisco Giants had visions of getting back into the National League Wild Card race after an inspiring 4-2 road trip, but they came back to earth at the end of their home series against the Washington Nationals on Sunday in a 8-0 shutout loss.
The Giants currently sit four games out of the third and final Wild Card spot. In terms of the math, it looks doable. But in the eye test, the Giants look like they are a trek across the Sahara Desert away from reaching the postseason.
The Giants fell back to .500, 59-59. It was more of the same–wasted opportunities after getting the leadoff hitter on, a plethora of strikeouts, and a sub-.500 team with younger and more-exciting talent running circles around a seemingly-sluggish Giants team.
The top of the first inning started off great for the Giants. Verlander struck out the side, and in doing so, notched his 3500th career strikeout. A great feat for a great pitcher. But then, the trouble started.
“The rest was awful,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “I mean we have 40,000 people here, and we don’t give them anything to root for the entire game other than that. So, unfortunately, that probably is as disappointing a game as he had all year.”
Unfortunately for the Giants, the game was lost in the second inning. With runners at second and third and nobody out, Verlander struck out Nationals first baseman Brady House and got center fielder Jacob Young to ground out to second with the infield in.
But then, Verlander hung a 3-2 slider to James Wood, which he lined down the first base line for a 2-run double. Verlander had made Wood look silly on a couple of fastballs up in the zone earlier in the at-bat.
Then, CJ Abrams launched a two-run homer off the right-field foul pole on a similar hanging, 2-strike slider. The Nationals were up 4-0, but it may as well been 20-0.
The Nationals would add on lone runs in the fourth and sixth inning, followed by two unearned runs in the seventh.
Abrams would end the day 2-for-5 with a home run and a single. Former Giant Paul DeJong continued to torture the Giants with a 3-for-5 day.
The Giants had no answer for Nationals starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore, who pitched six shutout innings, striking out 10 Giants. 40,089 Giants fans at Oracle Park had very little to cheer about on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in the city.
“I’m frustrated that our fans come out and support us every night, and we gave them literally nothing today,” Melvin said.
The Giants could only scatter three hits for the game.
The highlight of the game for the Giants? A scoreless ninth inning from Christian Koss, a position player who came in to save the bullpen.
The Giants will try to get right against the San Diego Padres on Monday night at Oracle Park. Ace Logan Webb will try to get the Giants back into the win column.
Time is running out for the 2025 season, and if the Giants don’t want to be a team on the outside looking in for the eighth time in the last nine years, they’ll have to find that jetliner in an oasis to get them across the Sahara.
Or will that jetliner be another mirage?
Starting pitchers for Monday night the San Diego Padres have not announced a starter and the Giants will be going with RHP Logan Webb (10-8 ERA 3.24) first pitch at 6:45pm PT.
Jen Pawol makes baseball history as the first female umpire to work an MLB game in history working the first game of a doubleheader between the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins at Loan Depot Park in Miami on Sat Aug 9, 2025 (AP News photo)
MLB The Show podcast Charlie O:
#1 Jen Pawol made baseball history becoming the first female to work a MLB regular season game. Pawol’s made her umpiring debut on Saturday’s first game of a doubleheader between the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins. Pawol worked first base and had a relatively quiet first game.
#2 New York Yankees reliever Devin Williams battled against the Houston Astros in a 5-3 loss on Friday night allowing three runs in the tenth inning. The Astros Carolos Correa got a base hit and Taylor Trammell hit a two run home run for a 5-2 score. Williams has allowed four home runs in his last eight appearances.
#3 Hall of Famer and former New York Yankee Mariano Rivera tore his Achilles tendon while chasing a fly ball at an Old Timer’s game on Saturday. Rivera will need surgery. Mariano’s agent Fern Cuza said that Rivera who is 55 will have the operation in less than a week.
#4 Former Seattle Mariner Ichiro Suzuki has his No.51 retired in a pregame ceremony in Seattle before facing the Tampa Bay Rays. Ichiro said to the crowd, “What’s up Seattle!” and added “Iam so grateful to be here today to receive this highest of honors.”
#5 Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hit his 40th home run of the season on Saturday night against the Toronto Blue Jays in a 9-1 win. Ohtani hit a 417 foot shot off Jays starter Chris Bassitt which gave the Dodgers a three run lead.
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix throws against the San Francisco 49ers defense in the first pre season game on Sat Aug 9, 2025 at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara (AP News photo)
San Francisco 49ers podcast podcast David Zizmor:
#1 Jarrett Stidham threw for two touchdown passes after seeing Denver Bronco quarterbacks Bo Nix and Broncos starters struggle against the San Francisco 49ers defense. Stidham led the way in the pre season opener for a Bronco 30-9 win.
#2 The two teams worked out in a joint practice on Thursday as the starters from both teams got plenty of work in. The 49ers during the game played just a few starters and the Broncos used their starters for just a few series.
#3 Second game of the pre season 49ers are in Las Vegas against the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Sat Aug 16, 2025
A’s Bats Erupt Early to Power Past Orioles 11-3 in Statement Win
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento Athletics didn’t waste any time reminding the Baltimore Orioles crowd that this wasn’t going to be an ordinary night at Camden Yards as the A’s blasted the O’s 11-3 on Saturday.
The first two pitches they saw didn’t even matter, Lawrence Butler worked a leadoff walk, and on the very next at-bat Shea Langeliers unloaded on a Brandon Young fastball, sending it on a low, screaming line into the left field seats. Just like that, the Green and Gold were up 2-0, and the tone was set.
Of course, the Orioles had an answer of their own in the bottom half. Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg opened with back-to-back singles before Gunnar Henderson launched a center-field shot that flipped the score in Baltimore’s favor, 3-2. For a moment, it looked like we might be in for one of those punch-counterpunch slugfests that test the stamina of both teams.
But instead, the Athletics turned it into a one-sided hitting clinic.
Langeliers got the rally started again in the third with a sharp single, and Nick Kurtz followed with another hit to set the table for Brent Rooker. Rooker didn’t miss, swatting his 24th home run of the season into the Baltimore night and reclaiming the lead, 5-3. Tyler Soderstrom, who seems determined to hit in every game he plays, doubled to extend his streak to ten straight, eventually scoring on a Darell Hernaiz sacrifice fly.
By the time the fifth inning rolled around, the Sacramento lineup decided it was time to bury Baltimore under a mountain of hits. Kurtz and Rooker kicked things off with another one-two punch, Rooker’s double plating a run.
The inning snowballed from there, JJ Bleday drew a walk, Hernaiz reached on a pitcher’s error, and Luis Urías brought home another with a single. That chased Young’s replacement Yaramil Hiraldo from the game, but the fresh arm didn’t slow the A’s.
Gio Urshela drilled a two-run double, Langeliers banged a ground-rule double to plate another, and the scoreboard blinked an eye-popping 11-3 by the time the Orioles could stagger back to the dugout.
Jack Perkins, meanwhile, quietly steadied the game for Sacramento after a bumpy first inning. Once he got the ball with a lead, he went to work, forcing weak contact and letting his defense back him up. The Orioles, who’d looked ready to slug along early, were suddenly reduced to a string of harmless fly balls and frustrated strikeouts.
Baltimore’s biggest problem wasn’t just that Sacramento was hitting, it was that the A’s lineup spread the damage around. Langeliers was a menace at the plate with three hits, including the opening home run, and drove in four.
Rooker was equally destructive with a homer and a double. Kurtz chipped in two singles, Urshela added a two-run double, and Urías joined the fun with two hits and two RBIs. Even the outs had sting to them, as several lineouts were ripped right at Baltimore fielders.
After the offensive explosion, the A’s bullpen kept things airtight. Michael Kelly took over in the seventh and, aided by a fine grab from Soderstrom in foul territory, kept the Orioles from building even a whisper of a rally. Hogan Harris slammed the door in the ninth with two strikeouts, ensuring the Athletics didn’t need to sweat the late innings.
For Sacramento, this was the blueprint game, patience at the plate, punishing mistakes, and pitching that tightens as the night goes on. They made an Orioles team fighting to stay in the playoff picture look like they were still in spring training mode.
The win also underscored the balance in the Athletics’ lineup. No single player carried the load; instead, they produced an assembly line of base runners and timely extra-base hits. They scored in four different innings, tallied 15 hits, and walked five times, giving their pitchers a cushion big enough to land a jumbo jet.
The Orioles, for their part, had no answer after the first inning. Henderson’s three-run blast was their only real highlight. Once Perkins and the bullpen adjusted, Baltimore went down in order in four separate innings and never truly threatened again. Even when they did put a man on, The A’s defense snuffed it out.
For fans of the Green and Gold, it was the kind of night that offers both entertainment and reassurance. Sacramento didn’t just win; they dictated every inning after the first. If this version of the Athletics shows up consistently, they’re going to make life miserable for opposing pitchers from now until the season’s final day.
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.
Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) goes for a lay up against the Seattle Storm’s forward Ezi Magbegor (13) in first half WNBA action at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Fri Aug 8, 2025 (AP News photo)
By Rich Perez
The Las Vegas Aces (17-14) won their third game in a row beating a tough Seattle Storm (16-15) team and moving into a tie with the Indiana Fever for fifth place in the standings at Michelob ULTRA Arena.
At one time in the third quarter, the Aces had a 19 point lead that the Storm slashed tying up the game in the fourth quarter. There had been a huge swing in the game but the Aces fought back and came out with the 90-86 win handing the Storm their fourth loss in a row.
Game recap: The Aces got a nice start to open this game. After the first ten minutes of play Las Vegas had a 23-17 lead and A’Ja Wilson already had nine points. The Arena was really fired up at full capacity. The Aces have an amazing fan base and they are playing a lot of games at home in August which is a great way to finish off the regular season.
Mid-way through the second quarter Wilson had already hit 11 points. They needed to continue to control the points in the paint and so far in this game they were 14-4 in the paint.
The Aces continued to extend their lead and at the half they had continued to dominant and led 47-36 their largest lead of the game. The Aces had out-rebounded the Storm and outscored them in the second quarter 24-19.
Wilson finished the first half with 18 points and 5 rebounds. Chelsea Gray had scored ten points in the half and Nalyssa Smith was having a solid game with six points and seven rebounds. None of the Storm had scored double digits.
Las Vegas had a great start to the third quarter taking as much as a 19 point lead but as the quarter wore on there was a real shift in the game. The Storm systematically chipped away at the Las Vegas lead and when the quarter came to an end that 19 point Las Vegas lead had been cut to a 71-63 lead.
The Storm roared to life in the fourth quarter tying up the game at 75 with just over five minutes left in the game. It was a new ball game. The Aces fought back and began to push their lead back out and with 4:37 left in the game had taken an 80-75 lead.
Las Vegas had to tighten up and they were having some untimely turnovers which really hurt. The Aces were getting possessions but not cashing in on them. This game was going down to the wire. Since the tie the Aces had gone on a 7-1 run.
With only three minutes left in the game the Storm had no choice but to turn their defense up and risk fouling. Seattle had a couple of fouls at the end that turned into four Las Vegas points. With under two minutes left in the game the Aces were clinging to an 86-81 lead.
It was crunch time and Young answered the call hitting a three with 51 seconds left on the clock. The Storm answered back and with 23 seconds left in the game Las Vegas was leading 90-86.
Wilson was playing with five personal fouls in one crazy game. With 5.4 on the clock Seattle’s Brittney Sykes missed an attempted three and that was the ball game. Las Vegas had pulled this game out winning 90-86.
The was a terrific win for the Aces with five players in double digits. The high was Wilson with 29 points and 12 rebounds. Young finished with 26 points and five rebounds. Chelsea Gray chipped in 13 points and Nalyssa Smith with ten. It was another good game for Jewell Loyd off the bench hitting ten points. The Aces are now tied with the Indiana Fever in fifth place.
Game notes: Friday night the Aces battled the Storm in Las Vegas and moved into sole position of fifth place. This was a huge game for the Aces. The finish line for the 2025 season looms in the distance for the Aces.
Wilson was celebrating her 29th birthday and Wilson got a birthday gift for a win Friday night after beating the Storm. The Aces got a win against the Valkyries for a second time in a row last Wednesday 78-72 in San Francisco. Seattle has been struggling losing their last four games.
The Aces will be back in action this Sunday in Las Vegas taking on the Connecticut Sun and looking for their fourth win in a row. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 6:00 PM.
Baltimore Orioles Gunnar Henderson tosses the bat away after drawing a walk as Sacramento A’s catcher Shea Langeliers holds ball four in his glove in the bottom of the first inning at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Fri Aug 8, 2025 (AP News photo)
Orioles Fly Away From Athletics 3-2 in Weekend Series Opener
By Mauricio Segura
The A’s spent much of Friday night at Oriole Park trying to solve Baltimore’s pitching. The game that started with a thunderous roar from the Orioles ended with a quiet pop to left, leaving the A’s just a run shy of evening the score 3-2.
The tone was set almost immediately. After a scoreless top of the first where Carlos Cortes, Brent Rooker, and Nick Kurtz were retired in order, J.T. Ginn took the mound and looked sharp early, striking out the first two hitters he faced. But what appeared to be a smooth inning unraveled quickly.
The O’s Gunnar Henderson drew a two-out walk, and Adley Rutschman made the most of it, launching his ninth homer of the season into the right-center seats to give Baltimore a 2-0 lead. Before Ginn could regroup, Ryan Mountcastle added another long ball to center, and the A’s were suddenly staring at a 3-0 deficit.
The second inning brought no relief for Sacramento’s bats, as Shea Langeliers grounded out, Tyler Soderstrom struck out, and Darell Hernaiz’s two-out walk went nowhere after Lawrence Butler lined out to right. Ginn, however, bounced back, striking out two in a perfect bottom of the frame to keep the game within reach.
Sacramento had its first real chance in the top of the third. Gio Urshela and Luis Urías started things off with back-to-back singles, putting runners on first and second with no outs. But a sharply turned double play by Baltimore’s middle infield killed the momentum, and the rally fizzled when Rooker was hit by a pitch but Kurtz struck out for the second time in the game.
Ginn continued to navigate trouble, working around another Gunnar Henderson single in the third and holding Baltimore scoreless through the fourth and fifth. Meanwhile, the A’s offense finally scratched the scoreboard in the top of the fifth. Butler led off with a double to left, moved to third on Urshela’s groundout, and came home on a sacrifice fly from Urías, trimming the deficit to 3-1.
The sixth brought more scattered opportunities. Kurtz singled, Soderstrom followed with another hit, but a fielder’s choice ended the inning without a run. The bullpen took over from there, with Ben Bowden delivering a clean sixth and Tyler Ferguson erasing a seventh-inning walk with a double play ball to keep Baltimore stuck at three runs.
In the eighth, Sacramento made its move. Facing Yennier Cano, Rooker flied out before Kurtz picked up his third hit of the night, a single to right. Langeliers grounded out, moving Kurtz into scoring position, and Soderstrom came through again, driving a single to left to score Kurtz and cut the Orioles’ lead to 3-2. Hernaiz grounded out to end the inning, but the Green and Gold had life.
Elvis Alvarado set Baltimore down in order in the bottom half, setting the stage for one last chance in the ninth. Keegan Akin took over for the Orioles, and the A’s sent up pinch-hitter Colby Thomas for Butler. Thomas swung through strike three, Urshela grounded back to the mound, and Urías put a good charge into a fly ball but found Dylan Carlson’s glove in left to end it.
Saturday in Baltimore, the A’s send RHP Jack Perkins (0-0 ERA 3.97) to the mound to matchup against Orioles RHP Brandon Young (0-5 ERA 5.88).
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.
Athletics’ Nick Kurtz is called out on strikes during the third inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Alyssa Howell)
Sacramento A’s podcast Lincoln Juarez:
#1 A’s starter J.T. Ginn surrendered back-to-back home runs in the first inning of the series opener in Baltimore that ended up costing the A’s the win.
#2 Tyler Soderstrom drove in Nick Kurtz on an RBI single to make it a one-run-game in the eighth inning and continues to stay more consistent at the plate.
#3 The A’s put up seven hits but got held to just two runs Friday night in Baltimore. How good of a sign is it, though, to see the offense continue to rack up hits the last few weeks?
#4 Saturday in Baltimore, the A’s send RHP Jack Perkins (0-0 ERA 3.97) to the mound to matchup against Orioles RHP Brandon Young (0-5 ERA 5.88), what can we expect from the A’s starter in game two of the series?
#5 Friday morning the A’s released photos of concrete being poured at the stadium site in Las Vegas to try and excite fans. How far along, really, are the A’s on this process of the relocation?
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.
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll is pretty thrilled after the defense pick off a pass for an interception against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle on Thu Aug 7, 2025 in the first pre season game for Las Vegas (AP News photo)
Las Vegas Raiders podcast Rich Perez:
#1 How special has it got to be to have Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith return back to their old haunt in Seattle at Lumen Field.
#2 Carroll felt right at home while coaching the Raiders to a 23-23 tie. Carroll spoke to many Seattle Seahawks players before the game during warm ups.
#3 Carroll said of being able to play in Seattle for the first pre season game, “It was cool to be here. I loved it here,” Carroll said. “But it didn’t translate to something crazy for me. It was just an opportunity to play in a great setting. Thanks to the league for putting us in this game.”
#4 As far as the game was concerned Raiders starting quarterback Adrian O’Connell went 18-30 for 205 yards and one touchdown and two interceptions.
#5 Raiders next will host the San Francisco 49ers in pre season game #2 on Sat Aug 16th at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Talk about this match up it’s not a regular season game but the 49ers fans travel well so there should be lots of excitement for this one.
San Francisco Giants Patrick Bailey congratulates Jung Hoo Lee after Lee scored on a double by Dominic Smith in the top of the ninth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Wed Aug 6, 2025 (AP News photo)
San Francisco Giants podcast Morris Phillips:
#1 Dominic Smith slugged a ninth inning double that got the San Francisco Giants the lead as the Giants picked up a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.
#2 Giants Jung Hoo Lee hit a double to right field off Nat’s pitcher Dennis Santana. Smith was pinch hitting for Christopher Koss that scored Lee on a double to right that put the Giants up 3-2 and Patrick Bailey added to the lead with an RBI single.
#3 The Giants got the relief pitching they were looking from Ryan Walker who struck out three batters in order in the eighth. Closer Randy Rodriguez also pitched a perfect ninth to get his third save of the season.
#4 Giant starter Robbie Ray in in six innings of work and allowed two runs and six hits.
#5 Giant starter Kai-Wei Teng is probable on the mound for San Francisco with a 0-0, 13.50 ERA. The Nationals will start Jake Irvin with a 8-6 win/loss record and a 4.89 ERA. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 7:15 PM this Friday night.