Golden State Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton (#5) makes a 24-foot three-point jumper in a WNBA game at Chase Center on Tuesday, August 4th, 2026, in San Francisco, CA. (Photo credit Michael Villanueva)
By Michael Villanueva
SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden State Valkyries (21-9) ran it back with the Toronto Tempo (10-20) on Tuesday night just two days ago, on Sunday, after hosting and beating them by 17 points, 96-79. That win brought Golden State to a 2-0 season series lead on Toronto. So with that, once again, the Valkyries would beat Tempo, 92-82, as Chase Center and Ballhalla celebrated South Asian Heritage Night.
In their last game on Sunday, Valkyries Janelle Salaun would have herself a game. She would lead Golden State with her 24 points and three rebounds, and finish with two assists in the win over Toronto. Salaun’s effort coming off the bench was exactly what the Valkyries needed to win the game. Salaun shot nine for 15 with three-pointers, but just missed her career-high of 26 points on July 8th at Toronto.
Toronto entered this game on a six-game losing streak. Tempo was just, well, looking for their “tempo” and to turn things around this season. They were led by Nyara Sabally with her 19 points, eight rebounds, and one assist. Her presence and efforts in the paint were able to keep Toronto in the game, but not enough to overcome Golden State’s 29-point fourth quarter. Toronto started with guards Kiki Rice, Julie Allemand, forwards Laura Juskaite, Maria Conde, and center Nyara Sabally.
Valkyries guard Veronica Burton contributed to the team’s win with 17 points, two rebounds, and six assists. Valkyries were also perfect on the second chance points, going five for five, and finishing with 13 points in that category. So with that, head coach Natalie Nakase sent out guards Veronica Burton, Gabby Williams, forwards Cecilia Zandalasini, Kayla Thornton, and center Kiah Stokes.
Just like Sunday’s game, Ballhalla had a different look for their fans. The Valkyries played on the Chase Freedom Custom Court, the first-ever Valkyries’ custom court and the only one dropped in the WNBA this season so far. For every made Valkyries shot, Chase Freedom will donate $1,000 to the Golden State Community Foundation to support youth development and education across the Bay Area. The Valkyries generated a $49,000 donation after 33 field goals and 16 free throws made.
Valkyries Cecilia Zandalasini would get the game going with a step-back three-pointer, giving an early spark to Golden State. Then teammate Kayla Thornton would knock down back-to-back three-pointers and push the score to 9-2. In fact, the first four baskets for Valkyries were all three-pointers. However, Toronto was determined to turn things around, and they did thanks to Tempo Marina Marbey, who would finish with ten points in the first quarter. At the end, it would be 25-24, Golden State holding onto a one-point lead.
Toronto, at the start of the second quarter, would knock down shots and focus more on their defense. In fact, the first five minutes of this quarter were all Toronto, as they would drop 14 points while Golden State had none in that time, to give Tempo the lead by 13 points, 38-25. However, with four minutes left, Golden State wasn’t gonna let Toronto go on a scoring run in their home. The Valkyries would cut Tempo’s lead down to four points, 40-33.
By halftime, it would be Toronto holding a one-point lead at 42-41. Tempo’s Maria Conde would lead her team with her 11 points, four rebounds, and two assists in this game. Valkyrie’s Janelle Salauan is once again playing great against Toronto so far, with her eight points and one rebound in this close one.
Coming into the third quarter, both teams were ready to make offensive moves and take control of the game. Although Toronto and Golden State would have impressive scoring runs, it would be Valkyries starting to take the lead with their 31-point performance. Especially Salaun, who is still going strong and attacking the paint. To end the third, she would see an opening and drive to the paint, with the foul and get the and-one, for a three-point play in the paint. Valkyries would take the lead, 72-68.
Going into the final quarter of the game, Valkyries’ defense would tighten up on Toronto’s offensive possessions to try and put this game away. With 5 minutes left in the game, the Valkyries held an eight-point lead on Tempo. Golden State would make some tough buckets to hold the lead. Valkyries Gabby Williams, trying her best to close this game out, drove to the paint and got her layup to go in.
With a minute left, no time outs for Tempo, and the lead at seven points for the Valkyries. One more clutch bucket would send Tempo back to Toronto with another loss. Then Tempo Marina Mabrey would foul Valkyries Kayla Thornton, and that would send her to the line for two free throws. Those free throws would ultimately be the dagger as time ran out for Toronto. Giving Golden State their second straight win, and the final score was 92-82. The Valkyries were led by Janelle Salaun again, with her 21 points on 4-for-6 at the three-point range.
The Golden State Valkyries will get a three-day rest before heading on to the road. They’ll head to the College Park Center and face off against the Dallas Wings. They’ll play against each other on Friday, August 7th, at 6:30 p.m. This will be the second time these two teams face each other, with Golden State winning the first one on June 17th, with the final score being 91-80.
Cincinnati Reds Sal Stewart (left) doesn’t need to take off any more after sprouting wings and scoring against the Sacramento A’s and pitcher Hogan Harris (right) in the bottom of the eighth inning at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati on Tue Aug 4, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento Athletics carried a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning and were six outs from ending a miserable five game skid Tuesday night at Great American Ballpark. Cincinnati never needed a hit to take it away. Two leadoff walks and three wild pitches unraveled the A’s bullpen, allowing the Reds to score twice and escape with a 5-4 victory. The loss extended the Athletics’ losing streak to six games after they had entered the series with five consecutive defeats.
J.T. Ginn gave the A’s exactly what they needed in his return from the injured list. Making his first start since recovering from a blister on his right middle finger, Ginn held Cincinnati scoreless through four innings and finished with six innings, five hits, three earned runs, two walks and five strikeouts over 91 pitches. His return followed a season in which he had already carried two no-hit bids through at least six innings, making him the first Athletics pitcher to do that twice in one year since Mark Mulder in 2001.
The Green and Gold gave Ginn the lead in the fourth. Tyler Soderstrom opened the inning with a double and scored when Jeff McNeil lined a single into right field. McNeil had also singled in the second, giving him 999 career hits after beginning the game three shy of 1,000. He now stands one hit away from a milestone that has been building across nine major league seasons.
The A’s doubled down in the fifth. Donovan Walton drew a leadoff walk, Henry Bolte singled and Lawrence Butler reached on a force play. Butler then stole second, placing two runners in scoring position for Jacob Wilson. The shortstop delivered a two-run double to left, scoring Walton and Butler for a 3-0 advantage.
Cincinnati erased it in the bottom half. Héctor Rodríguez drew a walk, Matt McLain doubled and Elly De La Cruz sent a two-run single into left. A wild pitch moved De La Cruz to third, and Sal Stewart’s sacrifice fly tied the game. Ginn recovered to finish the inning, then retired the Reds in order in the sixth.
Bolte helped the Athletics move back in front in the seventh while celebrating his 23rd birthday. He collected his second single, stole second and scored when De La Cruz’s throw to first sailed off target on Butler’s grounder. Bolte later added another single in the ninth, completing a three-hit birthday performance after entering the game batting .191 on the road.
Brady Basso protected the 4-3 lead with a perfect seventh, but the eighth became the turning point. Hogan Harris issued consecutive walks to De La Cruz and Stewart before striking out former Athletic JJ Bleday. Tyler Stephenson’s fly ball moved both runners ahead, and Harris bounced a pitch that allowed De La Cruz to score. Another slippery offering during Eugenio Suárez’s plate appearance brought Stewart home with the deciding run. Elvis Alvarado replaced Harris and threw a third wild pitch, though Cincinnati could not add to the lead.
The A’s still had a final chance against Emilio Pagán. Alika Williams beat out an infield single with one out, and Bolte’s two-out single moved him to second. Butler represented the go-ahead run, but Pagán struck him out to end it. The Athletics finished with eight hits and two stolen bases, yet another promising start disappeared before the final out.
Game 2 Wednesday brings Athletics left-hander Jacob Lopez, who is 5-4 with a 5.79 ERA and 61 strikeouts, against Reds right-hander Rhett Lowder, who is 3-7 with a 5.42 ERA and 70 strikeouts. First pitch is set for 3:40 p.m. Pacific.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.
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.
The New York Yankees are expecting big things from top prospect George Lombard Jr in the next few years. Lombard started at shortstop and batted eighth on Tue Aug 4, 2026 .(facebook.com photo)
That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:
#1 How will the New York Yankees use top prospect George Lombard Jr. after promoting him to the majors and optioning Anthony Volpe to Triple-A?
#2 What impact will the blockbuster trade deadline deals—such as the Red Sox acquiring Adley Rutschman and the Dodgers adding Tarik Skubal—have on the postseason race?
#3 How did Alec Burleson’s three-home-run performance help the Cardinals defeat the Yankees 13–7, and what does the loss mean for New York’s playoff outlook?
#4 What were the biggest winners and losers from Monday’s MLB trade deadline, and which teams improved their chances of reaching the playoffs?
#5 Which players and teams are expected to make the biggest headlines during Tuesday night’s MLB schedule following the flurry of trade deadline moves?
Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby can set the tone for the Raiders defense this season (AP file photo)
Las Vegas Raiders podcast Rich Perez:
#1 How did quarterback Kirk Cousins perform in Tuesday’s practice, and what progress did rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza show while continuing to develop behind the veteran starter?
#2 Which defensive players stood out during the Raiders’ recent padded practices, and how did Maxx Crosby set the tone for the defense?
#3 What have coaches and teammates said about the competition in the Raiders’ secondary after several interceptions and pass breakups early in training camp?
#4 How has the increased physicality since the Raiders put on pads affected position battles along the offensive and defensive lines?
#5 Which Raiders players addressed the media on Tuesday, and what were the biggest takeaways from their comments about the team’s progress through training camp?
Cal Berkeley’s football head coach Tosh Lupoi at the podium, discussing expectations for the upcoming Golden Bears football season at California Memorial Stadium on Tuesday, August 4th, 2026, in Berkeley, California. (Photo credit Michael Villanueva-SRS)
By Michael Villanueva
BERKELEY – “Give me a C!, C!, give me a A!, A!, give me a L!, L!, what’s that spell? CAL!” On a nice Tuesday afternoon, the University of California, Berkeley welcomed everyone back to the California Memorial Stadium for the football team’s Media Day. The school revealed some new eateries coming to the season, head coach Tosh Lupoi shared some insight on himself and the team, and brought out players to talk and discuss the upcoming season and expectations.
The season starts one month from today. The Golden Bears are getting ready for their camp, staying sharp on their academics, and embracing the new culture from their former defensive coordinator to their new head coach, Tosh Lupoi. Coach Lupoi and the players came into their media day, practically ready and wanting the season to start now.
With Cal bringing in new players from the portal, this year is the most players the team got from the portal (38 players). It was only right that the Golden Bears bring in new eateries for their fans and all who come to their games. Starting the eateries, the Golden Bears introduced their new ‘OG Salt and Pepper Smoked Brisket with house-made sweet & spicy pickles’. They also showed and debuted their new vegetarian item, the Edamame Dumplings. Fans can grab these items at the stadium and cheer on their Bears as they fight for the win.
After that, Cal Berkeley brought out head coach Tosh Lupoi to the podium for his press conference. Coach Lupoi remained resilient and fired up for the season. He talked about how he prepares his players to become the best version of themselves, whether that’s being a player or just themselves. He also talked about his old defensive coordinator mentality and transferring that to the head coach role.
“To win every battle that is approaching and present,” said head coach Tosh Lupoi. Coach Lupoi would later on and explain how he wants his players to stay focused in every circumstance. Through the ups and downs of Cal football history. He wants his players to always be in the moment and to come out victorious. He understands the struggles and circumstances that will come with it being his first year as a head coach at Cal.
Coach Lupoi’s impact on Cal has already played a big factor. Especially when it came to the players in the portal choosing Cal to continue their education and play football. “Coach Lupoi’s legacy and what he brings to the table is why I chose Cal,” said linebacker Solomon Williams. Williams had spent two seasons at Texas A&M before choosing Cal to play at in the portal.
The players are getting ready to head to the camp. Some of the players are already wanting to suit up and play for Cal. “I’m excited to play week 1 because that’s what sets the tone and our expectations, especially getting the win… getting the win would most definitely set everything in the right direction,” said linebacker Jayden Wayne. So with that, it’s safe to say that Cal football is back and ready to get California Memorial Stadium rocking again.
The California Golden Bears will start off the season in week 1 hosting a familiar school, the UCLA Bruins. The Golden Bears and the Bruins share a long history, especially since these two schools used to be in the same conference, the Pac-12. A “Battle of the West Coast California” will start off the season for coach Lupoi and the Bears. Last year Cal went 7-6, and with new leadership, players, and mentality. This year’s squad looks ready and determined to put up a better record. This game will be on Saturday, September 5th, right back here in the stadium at 7:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel was happy to return to the 49ers as he met with the press on Sat Aug 1, 2026 at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara (San Francisco Chronicle photo)
San Francisco 49ers podcast David Zizmor:
#1 How will Deebo Samuel’s return change the 49ers’ offensive game plan, and what role do you expect him to play alongside players like Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, and Mike Evans?
#2 With Ricky Pearsall sidelined, how important is Deebo Samuel’s experience and versatility to the 49ers’ chances of competing for another Super Bowl?
#3 Do you think bringing Deebo Samuel back on a one-year deal was the right move by general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan, and what are your expectations for his 2026 season?
Shea Langeliers (23) of the Sacramento A’s and currently on the IL and out for the rest of the season gave it his all in 2026 and was voted the starting catcher for the American League during last month’s All Star Game in Philadelphia. Langeliers if he had not got injured might be playing for another team before the MLB trade deadline. (AP photo)
The Trade Frenzy is over, and the A’s Front Office was on Vacation
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
Amaury Pi-González
True, nobody was expecting the A’s to acquire pitcher Tarik Skubal from the Tigers, but they were as quiet as anybody that I can remember when it comes to an important trade deadline. (Tarik Skubal was born in Hayward) considered the most talented pitcher in the game, was acquired by the Los Angeles Dodgers. I think Rob Manfred, the Commissioner, should give the World Series Trophy to the Dodgers by the end of this month; why wait?
The A’s are still a developing team. Catchers were in high demand. A’s All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers underwent a successful medial meniscectomy and PRP injection in Los Angeles on July 28, which is expected to end his 2026 season. I consider him the best all-around A’s player, one of the best catchers in baseball. Shea is having his best season, hitting .263 with 23 homeruns and 51 runs batted in. Defensively, his metrics are among the best for catchers.
As far as catchers go. I was very surprised that the Baltimore Orioles traded their great catcher, Adley Rutschman, to the Boston Red Sox. The Orioles made the postseason in 2024, and less than two years later, Rutschman became the best catcher traded this weekend.
Not long ago, Rutschman was considered the face of the Orioles franchise. Good catchers are usually not traded because once a catcher changes teams, he will have to learn how to receive and work with pitchers that he has never worked with. Although some great catchers were traded. Perhaps the best example was Gary Carter, a Hall of Fame catcher.
Carter was traded from the Montreal Expos to the New York Mets, but it was not during a trade deadline but months after the season ended, on December 10, 1984. I have followed the Orioles since I was a kid and was their ball boy and sometimes bat boy during the Orioles Spring Training in Miami, back in the day. In other words, since my teen years, the Orioles have been my first love in baseball and the team deep in my heart.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum has been open for 87 years, established and dedicated in June 1939, and there are twenty (20) catchers inducted in Cooperstown.
Catching is the one position that takes a load mentally as well as physically, and then you have to guide your pitcher to execute the pitch you want; a catcher is like having another manager, but on the field.
The phrase “tools of ignorance” is most frequently credited to a major league catcher; according to some historical and baseball sources, it is attributed to fellow catcher Bill Dickey. But it was said because of all the gear that a catcher has to wear, it doesn’t take anything away from intelligence. And execution, directing the pitcher on every pitch he receives.
True that the A’s did not make any news in this trading cycle, but nobody really expected them to do much, maybe anything. They have other priorities; after all, this is a franchise in the middle of transition, not only players, but stadiums, cities, billionaires like Mark Cuban investing in the franchise; who knows, Cuban could own the A’s sooner than you think.
We get it: the A’s are not only a team not contending, 22 games under. 500 while owning penultimate place, but a team that still feels like they cannot keep up with the herd. The A’s have a very good young and aggressive lineup, but they forgot one very important side of the game: pitching, unless you are planning to win most games 15 to14.
Quote: The catcher is in the middle of everything. He sees it best. -Johnny Bench
Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Oakland Ballers Jeter Ybarra won the knock out round against the Red Pocket Mobiles sending the Ballers dugout onto the field to celebrate at Raimondi Park in Oakland on Sat Aug 2, 2026 (photo by Oakland Ballers)
By Lewis Rubman
OAKLAND–For all the on field sound and fury of this week in Oakland Ballers baseball, the most significant event may have occurred behind closed doors. On the Pioneer Baseball League’s players’ Monday day off, its owners got together and voted to place a new team in Irvine, CA in 2027. Ballers co-founder and CEO Paul Freedman announced the decision on the team’s You Tube channel during the team’s You Tube broadcast of the Wednesday game. The following is the text of the statement the circuit released on its website the following day:
The Pioneer Baseball League, a Major League Baseball Partner League, is coming to Orange County. The Irvine City Council voted Tuesday to approve a five-year agreement with Innovation Baseball Partners (IBP), clearing the way for a yet-to-be-named Pioneer Baseball League club to begin play at Great Park Baseball Stadium in the summer of 2027.
The agreement gives IBP the rights to operate the ballclub at the Great Park facility, including branding and advertising inside and outside the stadium, and calls for upgrades to the ballpark’s food and entertainment offerings.
“We’re thrilled to bring a new baseball team to Orange County. Innovation Baseball Partners takes pride in tailoring our teams to the communities we represent,” said IBP co-founder Paul Freedman. “Irvine is a hub for innovation with a diverse and growing population, and we know we can build something special out of Great Park.”
Under the terms of the deal, IBP will provide a minimum of $25,000 annually in community benefit programming. City officials project the partnership will generate approximately $368,000 in annual revenue for the Great Park Facility.
Central to the club’s plan is a ballpark experience drawing on the stadium cultures of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan and the Korea Baseball Organization in South Korea. Fans can expect coordinated crowd participation, energetic in-game entertainment, and a menu blending iconic Asian street foods and local craft beverages with traditional ballpark fare.
“IBP is designing a premium ballpark experience from the ground up, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome them to the Great Park,” said Irvine Councilmember William Go, Chair of the Great Park Board. “This partnership will bring elite entertainment to our City without the elite price tag, tailored for the people who live here.”
IBP also owns and operates two existing PBL clubs, the Long Beach Coast and Yuba-Sutter Freebirds. The group has built its model around affordable, family-oriented ballpark experiences.
Founded in 1939, the Pioneer Baseball League is an MLB Partner League , with player eligibility limited to those with no more than two years of professional experience. Great Park Baseball Stadium, which has hosted collegiate and amateur events in the past, will now serve as the home of the region’s newest professional club.
Details on the club’s official branding, final venue agreements, and player signings will be released in the coming months. Fans can follow updates and join the priority ticket waitlist at www.ocbaseballclub.com.
Many aspects of this document puzzled me. As I have pointed out several times in my contributions to Sports Radio Service, the Pioneer League was founded in 1939, but the Pioneer Baseball League’s first season was considerably later. MLB’s website does little to clarify this muddle, stating in its definition of partner leagues, “Since 1939, the Pioneer Baseball League had operated in the Mountain West region as an MLB-affiliated league. Beginning in 2021, the Pioneer League became a Partner League with clubs in Montana, Idaho, Utah Colorado and California
There are two problems with that quoted assertion. The first is that the Ballers and the Yolo Highwheelers were the first California based teams in the circuit, and their initial season was 2024. The second is that the Pioneer Baseball League definitely is not “now in its 87th year.” During 1993, I attended Pioneer League— not Pioneer Baseball League—games in Billings, Medicine Hat, and Idaho Falls. Take a look at these images from the Billings Mustangs’ program of that season.
What is the precise relationship between Mr. Freedman, the league, the Ballers, the new team in Irvine, and the Yolo Highwheelers, for that matter. I’m not impugning anyone’s integrity, nor do I have any serious legal knowledge of what constitutes criminal conflict of interest. Clearly, I need some clarification, and I think I share that need with my readers.
From what I can gather from a few online searches, it seems as though conflict of interest is endemic among MLB Partner Leagues. I found an article by Casey Dills, “The Rise of MLB Partner Leagues: Creation, Importance, and Impact on Professional Baseball,’” published on LinkedIn, that outlines the problem. The Ballers’ recent stock offering, also gives me pause. If, however, we recognize that the PBL is a training league, a three month try out camp in which players can hone and showcase their skills, the appearance of conflict of interest disappears.
The flip side to that is that wins and loses lose much of their importance and become part of the spectators’ entertainment experience, an emotional stadium giveaway. Teamwork and winning are, after all, marketable skills that the players can use if and when they advance to affiliated teams.
It’s not just for players for which the PCL serves as a try out camp. The league also tests new rules there. The Knock Out Round is one example; the pitch call challenge is another. Although that rule has some advantages, reading Dale Zimmerman, Chenyang Li, and Riley Post’s study, “On the Association of Umpire Performance with Age and Experience in MLB,” in the Spring 2026 issue of Baseball Research Journal gave me pause. Although I’m no statistician—indeed, I wasn’t able to finish reading the piece—I believe that these two sentences cast serious doubt on the value of current ABS (Automatic Balls and Strikes):”[A] pitch is determined to be incorrectly called if 1) the probability that the pitch was in fact a strike is over 90% and the umpire called it a ball or 2) the probability that that pitch was is fact a ball is over 90% and the umpire called it a strike.” A margin of error that large strikes me as outweighing the costs of change a real life game into a video game. I’d welcome feedback from any of my statistical savvy readers, the Pioneer Baseball League, or the Ballers.
When we get to my report on the Ballers-Mobiles game of Sunday, August 2, we’ll get an idea of how casually those who execute the cyberfication of the game take these statistical ground rules.
One thing is clear; I can’t offer any informed speculations about the I impact of the forthcoming Irvine franchise on the PBL’s financial stability, its effect on the Ballers’ level of play, or the permanence of the Ballers in Oakland.
Writing that last sentence sent a chill down my spine, not just for the legitimate reason that the Baller franchise is premised on the promise never to leave The Town, but also because on Sunday, July 26, the Ballers had celebrated Halloween in July at Raimondi Field (remember that baseball is a sport rife with superstition). But it was on Tuesday the 28th at Marysville’s Bryant Field that the real horror story unfolded.
Blowing an early two run lead is no nightmare on Elm Street. Indeed, squandering leads early and often is part of the PBL’s DNA. But going on to lose, 20-10, with after the sun has set and the temperature is in the 90s to a team that took the field at 18-42 for the season might very well qualify as a nocturnal panic. And that’s what happened to the Ballers as they started their three night, three game series against the erstwhile Yolo Highwheelers, now known as the Yuba-Sutter Freebirds.
T GREAT SPORTS BUSINESS
After bringing home Oakland’s first pro baseball championship in three-plus decades, the Oakland Ballers are expanding beyond the diamond. With a 10-year license in place at historic Raimondi Park and owners like Billie Joe Armstrong and to turning Oakland’s only pro sports team into a year-round business.
Winning pitcher: Isaiah Williams Losing pitcher: Reed Butz (0-1,11.57)
The only bright spots in the evening’s debacle were that after falling behind 19-4, the B’s outscored the F-Bids, 6-2 and that Tremayne Cobb was in uniform and off the injured list. He didn’t see any action but did warm up with the team and would return to the lineup the next evening, Wednesday July 29.
Even that bounce back 9-4 victory left some doubt about whether or not the nightmare was over; the Freebirds outscored the B’s, 2-1, from the fifth through the ninth frame.
Winning pitcher: Christian Díaz (1-0, 2.35) Losing pitcher: Mark López ((0-3)
Cobb went only one for five on his return to action, but that included a run producing double to right center in the second. Oakland’s dynamic shortstop went 0-2 as a substitute DH on the 30th and hasn’t played since then. His status remains a serious concern. In short, the doubt about the B’s ability to consolidate their winning trend turned out to be justified.
That Thursday defeat at the hands of lowly Freebirds was the type of sobering experience that could drive you to drink.
Winning pitcher: Information not available. Losing pitcher: Griffin Smith (1-5)
Time: 2:39 Attendance: 403
I began this chronicle with some comments on the baleful effects of computer technology on the PBL, so it might be fitting for me to end my coverage of the games in Marysville, the most cyber dependent site in the league.Bryant Field
Is the only venue in the circuit that goes full ABS. The home plate umpire does not call balls and strikes, subject to challenges that are settled by ABS; he reads the ABS report on the scoreboard and calls out the result. Box scores from Marysville show up on the PBL’s website without the umpires’ last names, just their first name and initial, nor do they include who got the won, the lost, or the save. The failure of the reports isn’t necessarily the effect of the complete dependence on the ABS, but, as Thoreau said, “Some circumstantial evidence is very strong, as when you find a trout in the milk.”
The Ballers convincing win on returning home on the last day of July raises some troubling questions about both the nature of the PBL and the on field performance of the B’s..
RedPocket Mobiles (1-15,13-51) 000 001 100 2 3 0
Oakland Ballers (6-10,28-36) 100 102 03x 7 10 0
Winnng pitcher: Charlie Hurley (2-5) Losing pitcher: Blayne Huter (3-2)
Time; 2:50 Attendance: 3,012
The RedPocket Mobiles, the Ballers’ victim Friday evening are a barnstorming team. They have no home ballpark, nort even a temporary or rolling one. They have, in short, no community. What does that tell us about the league’s commitment to community development?
The final score was a comfortable 7-2 in favor of the home team, but it wasn’t all that easy a win. RedPocket closed the gap between the two outfits to 2-1 after five and a half frames. It took a three run explosion in the bottom of the eighth before the Ballers’ advantage could be considered moderately secure by PBL standards.
Another point of concern were newcomer Julio Rosario’s three walks to the five batters he faced in seventh, a disappointment mitigated by his having struck out the other two. The Ballers once more demonstrated their penchant for shooting themselves in the foot when Mitchell Sanford ran into a third out that ended the home second in his first game at Raimondi. He, too, mitigated his error by smacking a drive into the the Mobiles’ bullpen that accounted for the three crucial Baller runs in the eight.
On a more lighthearted note, it was Grateful Dead Night, and the Ballers adopted the ad hoc pseudonym and jersey of Oaksterdam Blazers. They sold the latter at $70 each. The event lifted the crowd’s spirits and gained the team reams of press coverage.
The Ballers began August by celebrating a different sort of trip; it was Public Transit Day at the ballpark.
The Ballers jumped off to an early lead of 5-0 after two innings and, even against a placeholdere team like the Mobiles, found themselves on the short end of 6-5 contest in the middle of the fifth. Each time committed two errors, all of them charged to infielders, and several runners reached base on hits that could have been scored as errors. I chalked some, but not all, of those plays to the hard infield, baked dry by the current heat wave.
Oakland staged a 2025 comeback win over the Mobiles to close out the series on Sunday, August 2. Down biy the East Coast working person’s score of nine to five, Esai Santos worked a walk, and a glimmer of hope that all was not lost began to arise. But Jaden Collura smacked a grounder to RedPockets first sacker Jordan Harrison-Dudley, whose fielding deficits would make Moose Skowron look like Vic Power. For all his weaknesses as a fielder, Harrison-Dudley made an accurate throw to shortstop Spence Coffman at second. And Coffman dropped the ball! An Allgeyer singled clogged the basepaths. Jeter Ybarra, who already had a couple of roundtrippers to his credit for the afternoon, smoked the ball into the right center field batting cages. (Nice touch, that). It was his 29th four bagger of the year. It was only fitting that he should hit the deciding “home run”of the KO Inning. And he did.
RedPocket Mobiles (1-17,13-53) 005 100 111 9 13 1
Oakland Ballers (8-10,30-36) 001 001 013 9 13 1
There was no winning or losing pitcher. Oakland won in the first round of the Knock Out Inning, 1 (Jeter
Ybarra)-0 (Kishon Frett)
The manner in which the Ballers won the Shoot Out at the KO Corral is further evidence of the faults of that way of settling ties. The countdown clock on the score board hadn’t been reset when Kishon Frett began taking swings and the balls tossed his way. It was lucky for the B’s that RedPockets’ standard bearer’s five outs disqualified him. Otherwise, he would have had at least an extra minute left before the two minutes allotted knockout round batters would have expired.
The coming week will see three more games between the Mobiles and the Ballers, all starting at 6:35.Then it’s off to Marysville for three games robo-umped ball.
Texas Rangers fans and a San Francisco Giant fan were reaching and waiting for Giants Jung Hoo Lee’s home run ball in the top of the third inning at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Mon Aug 3, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
The San Francisco Giants (47-65) took to the road for a matchup with the Texas Rangers (55-57) Monday evening amid a well-published myriad of changes for the Giants. The Giants got what they have needed so badly in many of their losses, an early lead. Going into the fourth inning they had a 3-0 lead.
Logan Webb pitched six spotless innings giving up only five hits. They scored a couple of runs in the second inning adding one more in the third, a Jung Hoo Lee solo home run.
Lee would hit a second home run in the eighth inning extending the San Francisco lead to 4-0. Lee would sacrifice Grant McCray home and the Giants were looking for a shut-out going into the bottom of the ninth inning.
The Rangers foiled the possible shut-out when Ezequiel Duran hit a solo home run but San Francisco did come away with the 5-1 win.
GAME RECAP
San Francisco starting pitching Logan Webb had a three strike-out inning to open the game. Each pitcher had a walk in the first inning but no hits going into the second inning.
The Giants would light up the scoreboard in the second inning scoring two runs. Daniel Susac reached second on a Ranger error and would score when Drew Gilbert singled. Osleivis Basabe sacrificed Gilbert home for a second run and a 2-0 San Francisco lead.
The Giants continued pounding the ball with a third run, a Lee solo home run in the third inning. The Giants Logan Webb gave up a couple of singles in the bottom of the third but no runs and added one more strikeout. After three innings the Giants got the early start they had been looking for.
Rangers starting pitcher Cal Quantrill gave up a single in the fourth inning, no runs and Logan Webb had the same result with one single in the inning.
Both pitchers had quality innings in the fifth and sixth innings. Going into the seventh innings there were pitching changes for both teams. For Texas Ben Peoples relieved Quantrill and for San Francisco Sam Hentges relieved Webb. Both pitchers got through the inning and San Francisco took the 3-0 lead into the eighth inning.
San Francisco’s Lee hit his second home run of the game in the eighth inning and the Giants were weaving their way toward a shut-out now with a 4-0 lead. Both teams had six hits through eight innings but it was the Giants that had the timely hits.
The game went into the ninth inning and the Giants were three outs away from winning the first game of the series. Lee had been instrumental in this game and would add another RBI sacrificing Grant McCray, who had walked, home.
San Francisco was looking at a 5-0 shut-out win to open this series. The Rangers had something else in mind and with one out the shut-out was snuffed in thanks to an Ezequiel Duran solo home run.
It has been a tough start for the Rangers committing five errors in this game, not their finest hour but they did avoid the shut-out. Their offense was equally sub-par. The final was 5-1 in favor of San Francisco.
GAME NOTES
The Giants dominated in game one of the series from start to finish. They scored early and the work on the mound from Logan Webb was terrific. Webb kept the Rangers’ offense under control limiting hard contact and preventing any big innings. Webb gave the Giants the chance to play from in front for a change.
San Francisco capitalized on scoring opportunities while the Rangers did not cash in with runners on base. The Giants played a far cleaner game defensively while the Ranger struggled with five errors. This was one of the best all-around games San Francisco has played recently.
San Franciscos’ Logan Webb pitched through six innings allowing five hits, no runs, one walk and eight strikeouts. Webb was relieved by Keaton Winn in the seventh inning going 2/3 s of an inning. Sam Hentges would relieve Winn in the seventh inning closing out the inning and would also pitch through the eighth. It was some solid work from the mound in this game.
Quantrill pitched through six innings as well. He allowed four hits, three runs, one earned run, one walk and four strikeouts.
San Francisco had a great start in game one and would be looking to score early in the second game of the series Tuesday. This was key to their win Monday night. Blade Tidwell will take the mound for the Giants in game two.
Tidwell was traded to the Giants by the New York Mets on July 30th of 2025. He had a shoulder injury that prevented him from debuting with the Giants in 2025. Tidwell will be returning to the big leagues for the first time since late April where he was operating out of the bullpen. Tidwell’s ERA is 3.00. The Rangers MacKenzie Gore will start Tuesday. He has a 6-9 win/loss record and a 4.77 ERA. First pitch for this game is scheduled for 5:05 PM.
Former San Francisco Giant Luis Arraez has been traded to the Philadelphia Phillies on Sun Aug 2, 2025 (Philadelphia Phillies AI photo)
SF Giants deadline trade report: Giants clear vets and improve farm at deadline, Arraez to Phils, Ray to Padres and Mahle to Braves
The Trade Deadline has come and gone, and the Giants have somewhat cleaned house with a flurry of moves.After their 5-4 loss to the Padres in San Diego yesterday, the Giants dealt starting pitcher Tyler Mahle to the Atlanta Braves for relief pitcher Anthony Molina.
Mahle was brought in on a one-year deal over the off-season, but has had a nightmare season for the Giants. Mahle went 3-9 with a 5.13 ERA over 18 starts with the Giants. Mahle is going to a band box in Truist Park. Perhaps, the Braves can find something to fix him that the Giants could not.
Now, to the trades we all expected to happen. Luis Arraez, who was too good to be true for the Giants this season, was traded alongside relief pitcher Caleb Kilian to the Philadelphia Phillies for right-handed pitchers Marty Gair and Ramon Marquez.
As much as the Giants will miss Arraez’ bat and glove, the latter of which came to life under the tutelage of infield coach Ron Washington, Marquez was the Phillies’ number-four prospect. Marquez is 6-1 with a 1.68 ERA with the Single-A Clearwater Thrashers and High-A Jersey Shore BlueClaws. Marquez is expected to be in the major league by 2028.
The Giants have dealt left-hander Robbie Ray to the San Diego Padres for two of the Padres’ top-10 prospects. The Giants received right-handed pitcher Miguel Mendez, who was the Padres’ number-four prospect, as well as shortstop Joniel Hernandez.Mendez, who is expected to be in the big leagues by next season, has had a rough season with the Double-A San Antonio Missions, as he has gone 2-2 with a 4.79 ERA.
Hernandez hit .316 in the Dominican Summer League.Heliot Ramos was dealt to the New York Yankees for left-handed pitching prospect Henry Lelane, and shortstop Kaeden Kent. Yes, the latter is the son of Hall-of-Fame second-baseman Jeff Kent. That means the Giants now have Barry Bonds’ nephew, Peyton Bonds, and Jeff Kent’s son,
Kaeden Kent, in their minor league system.“My heart was beating hard when I saw [the trade o]n the TV, but I feel like I’m in a good spot,” said Ramos. “If they trade it for me, it’s because they want me, obviously So I’m very proud. I mean, it’s the Yankees.”It has been a roller coaster for Ramos, who went from being one of the top prospects in Baseball to falling off completely. He finally sprang to life under Bob Melvin in 2024, and even went to the All-Star Game that season.
Ramos hit 22 home runs in 121 games for the Giants in 2021, followed by 21 last season.Lelane was 4-1 with a 2.77 ERA for the Single-A Tampa Tarpons and High-A Hudson Valley Renegades this season. Lelane and Kent are expected to be in the major league by 2028.
A bit surprising was the fact that the Giants traded left-handed reliever Erik Miller, along with outfield prospect Carlos Guiterrez, to the Boston Red Sox for infielder Marcelo Mayer. Miller had a 2.76 ERA for the Giants this season, and even showed potential to be the team’s closer.
Well, that is the business of Baseball.Pitchers Blade Tidwell, Tristan Beck and Carson Seymour have been called up, as the Giants will begin a three-game series against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas Monday night.
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