Tag: Sports Radio Service

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O: Derrick Hill joins Marlins after short stint with Giants; After no hitter is Giants Snell back on track? plus more news

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Former San Francisco Giant Derrick Hill was designated for assignment and picked up by the Miami Marlins. Hill who grew up in Northern California as a Giants fan was traded to the Miami Marlins. Hill had played on 21 games this season with the Giants and Texas Rangers. (Getty photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Former San Francisco Giant outfielder Derrick Hill has found a new home with the Miami Marlins. Hill joined the Marlins on Saturday. Hill was placed on waivers by the Giants on Friday. Hill didn’t stay in San Francisco very long he joined the Giants on July 23rd going 3 for 12 until his release on Friday. Hill played for the Texas Rangers and Giants in 21 games. Hill batted .255, with three home runs and seven RBIs.

#2 Giants starter Blake Snell three Major League Baseball’s third no hitter of this season Friday night at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. The closest the Cincinnati Reds got to a hit was in the ninth inning when the Red Elly Del La Cruz hit a ball to right center in the gap that was chased down by right fielder Mike Yastrzemski that helped preserve the no hitter. Snell had a difficult start of the season does the no hitter pretty much mean he’s back on track.

#3 The St Louis Cardinals who were looking for a shot in the arm got one when they acquired outfielder Tommy Pham from the Chicago White Sox. In Pham’s first at bat since joining the Cards he got a standing ovation in his first at bat since returning to the team that first signed him in 2006. Pham said the ovation gave him goose bumps and that he’ll remember it the rest of his life. The Cards have won four of their last ten games are in second place in the NL Central and are five and half games out of first place.

#4 Charlie, your right about the New York Yankees Aaron Judge clubbed a 477 foot home run in the first inning of Friday night’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. Judge collected his 41st home run of the season off Jays pitcher Jose Berrios. On Saturday in the second inning when Judge came up to the plate Jay’s manager John Schneider didn’t take any chances and walked Judge with the bases empty in his first at bat of the game. Yankees rained boos down on the Jays for walking

#5 According JMP Securities analyst Mitch Germain said that the Oakland A’s financing their share of the construction costs for the Las Vegas ballpark is in a holding pattern. Germain said the A’s have hit a roadblock. This has been going on for sometime that A’s owner John Fisher needs to come up with his share of the construction costs. Bally’s who just bought out Standard General’s share at $4.6 billion is going forward with their plans for a Casino and Hotel ballpark or no ballpark. But one thing for sure the A’s obligation for financing the park is in a holding pattern.

Join Charlie O’s for Headline Sports podcasts Sundays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Dodgers win with a vengeance Saturday after losing 3 straight games beat A’s 10-0

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Oakland A’s right fielder Lawrence Butler (4) takes a sliding catch on a fly ball hit by the Los Angeles Dodgers Cavan Biggio in the top of the sixth inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Sat Aug 3, 2024 (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Los Angeles Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty was razor sharp in his outing against the Oakland A’s keeping a hot hitting line up off balance as the Dodgers and Flaherty threw a shutout for a 10-0 win on Saturday night.

#2 The win helped snapped the Dodgers three game losing streak. The Dodgers had lost Friday’s game against the A’s 6-5 and the that they lost to a last place club and have been struggling fired them up for their big Saturday victory.

#3 The Dodgers Shohei Ohtani is having quite a series against the A’s with a three run ninth inning home run on Friday and three stolen bases on Saturday night. Ohtani now has 31 stolen bases and 33 home runs.

#4 Flaherty who was just acquired last Tuesday had his biggest outing for the Dodgers pitching six innings, allowing five hits and no runs. Flaherty struck out seven hitters.

#5 The A’s hope to salvage this three game series Sunday at the Oakland Coliseum as they will face Dodgers starter RHP River Ryan (1-0, 0.82) and the A’s will start Osvaldo Bido (2-2, ERA 5.00) for a 1:05pm PT first pitch.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play voice on the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Reds get 4 home runs and six innings of shutout ball from Greene to defeat Giants Saturday

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Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene deals against the San Francisco Giants in the top of the first inning on Saturday Aug 2, 2024 at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati (AP News photo)

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips:

#1 Cincinnati Reds Tyler Stephenson hit two of the Reds four home runs in the Reds 6-4 win over the Giants Saturday.

#2 Reds starter Hunter Greene now 8-4 and extended his scoreless streak to 21 games. Greene pitched six innings of shutout ball against on Saturday.

#3 Greene’s six straight starts in a season giving up one or no runs matches former Reds pitcher Johnny Vander Meer in 1938.

#4 The Giants starter Kyle Harrison dropped his record to 6-5 and lost a tough game going 3 2/3 innings allowing six runs and six hits for the loss.

#5 Reds closer Alex Diaz shut the door on the Giants in the ninth pitching one inning, one hit and one earned run and no strikeouts.

Morris Phillips is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Dodgers’ Explosive 9th Evened Up the Series 1-1 after a Dominating Shutout Victory 10-0 over the Athletics; Ohtani steals 3 bases

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Oakland A’s second baseman Darrell Hernaiz (2) can’t make the catch as the Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani (17) steals second base in the ninth inning for his third stolen base of the game at the Oakland Coliseum on Sat Aug 3, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Los Angeles Dodgers (64-47) tied the three-game series at one game apiece versus the Oakland Athletics (46-66) with an overwhelming 10-0 win in front of a large, mostly LA crowd..

More than 35,000 fans gathered into the Oakland Coliseum to see the Northern/Southern California battle on the diamond. The largest seat-fillers of the season came to see Shohei Ohtani who did not disappoint the Dodger faithful, as he had two hits, three stolen bases and an RBI. He joined the 30/30 club (homers/stolen bases) after his three swipes.

The game got off to a slow start, as neither team scored a run the first two innings. However, the Dodgers got on the scoreboard in the top of the third frame with two of their many runs.

Second baseman Gavin Lux sliced a two run single two leftfield, putting the visitors up 2-0. Cavan Biggio and Teoscar Hernandez both crossed the plate. That early action was the only scoring that happened most of the game, until later innings.

The Athletics best opportunity to score was in the bottom of the sixth inning. Oakland had the bases loaded with no outs. That scenario was orchestrated on an error, basehit and walk. It looked like the home team was going to come back, then blow the game open. Unfortunately, they had two ground outs and a strikeout, while no player scored a run. Absolutely a regrettable juncture of the game for the Athletics.

Two innings later the floodgates began to open for the Dodgers. In the top of the eighth inning Kike Hernandez drilled a RBI double to left, plating rightfielder Jason Heyward. The lead was 3-0, until center fieldr Andy Pages knocked in Hernandez on a single up the middle of the field.. After 7 1/2 innings, Dodgers 4, A’s 0.

The top of the ninth was the nail in the coffin, as Los Angeles added six more runs to their total. Amed Rosario replaced Lux and promptly belted an rbi single, scoring Ohtani. Catcher Will Smith’s RBI base hit added another tally to the scoreboard. Teoscar Hernandez made it home on that hit. Heyward followed that up with another RBI single, with Rosario scoring. Kike Hernandez knocked in Smith, making the score 8-0.

Mercilessly, the last two runs came on a wild pitch, with Heyward scoring, and Nick Ahmed’s single brought in Kike Hernandez for the final run. However, Kike was not finished.for the evening. When Hernandez took the field in the bottom of the ninth inning, he was positioned on the pitcher’s mound.

Hernandez not only survived, he preserved the shutout, and only gave up one hit. He capped off a night where he went 3-4, Double, Walk, two RBIs, and a scoreless inning from the bump. Although an impressive pitching line, he was not eligible for a save, Starter Jack Flarety (8-5) got credit for the win.

The two teams will play the rubber game to determine the winner of the series, Sunday Afternoon (1:07 PM PDT) here at the Coliseum. The projected starters will be Oakland’s RHP Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 5,00) vs. Dodgers’ RHP River Ryan (1-0, 0.82)

A’s give up six runs in the ninth inning as they fall to Dodgers 10-0

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Photo courtesy of Oakland A’s.

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)

OAKLAND- The A’s after winning the first game of the series looked to have repeat success against one of the best teams in the league the Dodgers.

Mitch Spence got the start for A’s who heading into this game had a 7-6 record. On the other side of the things the Dodgers started Jack Flaherty who after being acquired from the Tigers was making his first start for the blue-and-white.

It would be a quite game until Gavin Lux broke the ice with a two-run single in the third inning that put the Dodgers up.

After those runs both teams couldn’t get much offense going as both Spence and Flaherty pitched solid games.

The next runs didn’t come until the eighth inning when Enrique Hernández doubled on a line drive to left field that got one run home. Andy Pages followed that up in the eight with a single that also got a run home making it a 4-0 game.

Down in the game the A’s would need to keep the Dodgers off the board to have any hope of coming back. Unfortunately for Oakland the opposite ended up happening.

With Kyle Muller on the mound Muller struggled greatly, giving up six earned runs and effectively ending the game.

Amed Roasrio was the first Dodger to put up runs in the ninth on a fielder’s choice followed up by a single from Will Smith.

Jason Hayward and Hernández racked up RBI’s of their own with singles making it now an 8-0 ballgame. The ninth would come on a wild pitch that got Heyward across home plate. With the final run in the game coming from former Giant Nick Ahmed who singled to get Hernández home.

Spence ended up with the loss in this one despite only giving up two of the ten runs. Flaherty on the other hand in his first start as a Dodger looked great pitching six innings and giving up no runs with seven strikeouts.

The loss knocks the A’s down to 46-66 and the win brings the Dodgers up to 64-47.

The A’s will look to bounce back tomorrow in the final game of this home series at 1:07 p.m. The announced started for tomorrow’s game are for the Dodgers River Ryan and for the A’s Osvaldo Bido.

Harrison hammered for six runs on four big flies, as Reds win weird, boring game 6-4

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San Francisco Giants starter Jordan Hicks works against the Cincinnati Reds in the bottom of the sixth inning at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati on Sat Aug 3, 2024 (AP News photo)

Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024

Great American Ballpark

Cincinnati, Ohio

San Francisco Giants 4 (55-57)

Cincinnati Reds 6 (53-57)

Win: Hunter Greene (8-4)

Loss: Kyle Harrison (6-5)

Save: Alexis Diaz (22)

Time: 2:14

Attendance: 32,602

By Stephen Ruderman

The San Francisco Giants stayed in their frustrating prison between one and six games under .500, as they once again failed to get back up to .500 after Kyle Harrison was hammered for six runs on four big flies in just three and two thirds innings by the Cincinnati Reds, who won this all-around weird, boring game 6-4.

After Blake Snell pitched the 18th no-hitter in franchise history Saturday night to improve the Giants’ record to 55-56, it seemed they would have their spark to get up to .500. They were going to need it, as they came into Saturday’s game 2-10 when they had been a game under .500.

Hunter Greene made the start for the Reds and struck out the side in a 1-2-3 top of the first inning. Harrison took the hill for the Giants following a solid start against the Rockies on July 25. It was a bit odd that it took him eight days to make his next start, but here he was Saturday night, and he pitched a scoreless inning in the bottom of the first.

The Giants wasted a rally for free against Greene in the top of the second, and Tyler Stephenson got the Reds their first run and hit of this series with a solo home run to right-center field with one out in the bottom of the second. Greene pitched a 1-2-3 top of the third, and India homered to left with two outs in the bottom of the third to make it 2-0.

Greene pitched another scoreless inning in the top of the fourth, and then things imploded for Harrison in the bottom of the fourth. Spencer Steer and Ty France both singled to put runners at first and second to start the inning. That brought up Stephenson, who hit a three-run home run to center, his second home run of the game, to open Cincinnati’s lead to 5-0.

Harrison struck out the next two men he faced, but Stuart Fairchild clubbed a low-hanging line -drive home run off the left field foul pole to make it 6-0. Harrison had given up six runs on four home runs in just three and two thirds innings, and he was done after just 73 pitches.

That comes with pitching at Great American Ballpark, which is the second-most live ballpark in all of Baseball next to Coors Field. It happened to Harrison, who just had to hang with it.

Hunter Greene pitched two more 1-2-3 innings in the fifth and sixth to cap off a one-it, one walk and 11-strikeout performance. Greene certainly would have continued into the seventh had he not thrown 100 pitches.

Sean Hjelle, who finished the bottom of the fourth, threw a scoreless bottom of the fifth, and Jordan Hicks, now back in the bullpen, survived a two-out double in the bottom of the sixth.

Justin Wilson came in for Cincinnati in the top of the seventh, and that seemed to be what the Giants needed, as Matt Chapman doubled to lead off the inning. However, Reds’ center-fielder TJ Friedl bobbled the ball while trying to barehand the carom off the wall, which allowed Chapman to take third base, and shortstop Elly De La Cruz threw it into the Giants’ dugout. So a double and a pair of errors all on one play gave the Giants their first run.

The fact that an official scorekeeper was allowed to give out two errors on a play here in 2024, well I won’t get into that. Anyway, Michael Conforto followed that mess up with a solo home run the other way to left to make it 6-2.

Hicks pitched another scoreless inning in the bottom of the seventh for the Giants, and Tony Santillian retired the first two men he faced in the top of the eighth for Cincinnati. That brought up the Giants’ young slugger, Jerar Encarnacion, who hit a bomb the other way to right-center to make it 6-3.

The Giants had cut the deficit in half, and in the bandbox known as Great American Ballpark, they were right back in it. After left-hander Taylor Rogers pitched a scoreless bottom of the eighth, Chapman led off the ninth with a home run to left-center off Reds’ closer Alexis Diaz to make it 6-4.

However, Diaz set down the next three, and the Reds won it 6-4.

Ten runs scored in this game. Nine of them came on seven home runs, six of them solo home runs; and the other came on a double and two errors all on one play. Just a boring but weird game all around.

Hunter Greene got the win; Kyle Harrison took the loss; and Alexis Diaz got the save.

The Giants fall to 55-57, and they remain stuck in this endless cycle between one and six games under .500. The good news is that they can’t get any more than six games under .500, as they are 6-0 when six games under .500. However, when it comes to being just one game under, the Giants are now 2-11 when they have a chance to get back up to .500.

Well, the Giants can still win the series with a win Sunday. Left-hander Robbie Ray (1-1, 4.82 ERA) will make his third start of the season for the Giants, and he will be opposed by right-hander Carson Spiers (4-2, 3.46 ERA) first pitch 9:05am PT.

Stanford Cardinal football podcast with Michael Roberson: Can Daniels and Ayomanor make the difference on offense this season?

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Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels (14) passes against Washington during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

On Stanford Cardinal football podcast with Michael Roberson:

#1 The Stanford Cardinal were 3-9 last season the were tied with Arizona State for last place in the Pac 12.

#2 Now that the Cardinal are in the ACC where do you think they’ll be ranked going into the 2024 season?

#3 In poll of 170 members of the media for ACC.com the Florida State University (FSU) were predicted to win it all and for Stanford they were predicted to finish last in the poll.

#4 Stanford will need some growth at quarterback Junior Ashton Daniels started ten times last season he threw for 2247 yards, 11 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, can Daniels have a break through in the ACC and raise Stanford’s position in the rankings. He certainly will need to come out with a strong offense and beat some challenging ACC teams?

#5 Maxwell Award candidate from last season wide receiver WR Elic Ayomanor is someone that Daniels will be looking to throw to. With Ayomanor’s credentials and with last year’s experience Daniels and Ayomanor could be not only an exciting one two combination but excite the ACC if they can turn it around from last season?

Michael Roberson covers Stanford Cardinal football for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Season-high crowd watches A’s outslug Dodgers 6-5

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Oakland A’s Brent Rooker (25) celebrates with JJ Bleday (33) after hitting a two run bottom of the fifth inning home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Oakland Coliseum on Fri Aug 2, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Friday, August 2, 2024

Oakland’s offense was sparked by three home runs Friday, as the Athletics survived a late scare and hung on for a 6-5 interleague win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Coliseum.

The Dodgers (63-47) still maintain a four-game lead in the NL West, while Oakland (46-65) occupies the AL West cellar. The announced crowd of 21,060 was a season-high for the lame-duck A’s.

Oakland, 9-4 since the All-Star break, led the majors with 45 home runs in July and didn’t slow up as the calendar flipped to August.

Brent Rooker’s two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning – his 27th – capped a four-run rally that included an RBI double by JJ Bleday and a run-scoring triple by Miguel Andujar, giving the A’s a 6-2 lead.

In the top of the ninth, Shohei Ohtani smacked a 416-foot drive to right for his 33rd home run of the season, a three-run shot with two out that pulled Los Angeles to within 6-5. A’s reliever Tyler Ferguson responded by getting Will Smith to hit into a game-ending groundout.

Ohtani’s homer snapped an 0-for-15 slump, but the Dodgers still lost for the fifth time in their last six games.

Los Angeles opened the scoring in the top of the first on Teoscar Hernandez’s two-run home run to left-center off A’s starter Joey Estes (5-4). It was the 23rd homer for Hernandez.

The Athletics tied the game at 2-2 with a pair of solo home runs in the bottom of the fourth Shea Langeliers cranked a 432-foot blast to left, and two batters later, Seth Brown connected with a 420-foot shot to deep right-center. It was the 21st homer for Langeliers, and the 10th for Brown. Both were hit off Dodgers starter Gavin Stone (9-5).

Estes worked six innings, giving up two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out six. Austin Adams, the third of five A’s pitchers, threw a 2/3 scoreless inning to pick up his 21st hold.

Stone, the first of five LA hurlers, struck out five, but also surrendered five earned runs on eight hits and a walk in four-plus innings.

Before the game, A’s infielder Darell Hernaiz (ankle) was reinstated from the 60-day injured list, and infielder Brett Harris was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas. Right-hander Luis Medina was transferred to the 60-day IL to create the roster spot for Hernaiz.

On Saturday, right-hander Jack Flaherty (7-5, 2.95), who was acquired by Los Angeles from Detroit before the trade deadline, will start for the Dodgers. The Athletics will counter with right-hander Mitch Spence (7-6, 4.47). Game time is 6:07 Pacific.

Bay FC picks up key win edge Club America 2-1 at Pay Pal Park

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Aug 2, 2024; San Jose, CA, USA; Bay FC defender Maddie Moreau (24) and Club America forward Noemi Granados (6) battle for the ball during the first half at PayPal Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

SAN JOSE–Bay FC had a familiar face return to PayPal Park on Friday night as Scarlett Camberos, who recently departed from the club, returned with her new team Club America for the NWSL x Liga MXF Summer Cup. Head coach Albertin Montoya went with a slightly more experienced lineup than we’d seen previously in the Cup, but Maddie Moreau, who has certainly impressed over the course of the tournament, remained in the starting 11. Bay FC picked up the win Friday night just getting by Club America 2-1.

Bay FC Starting XI: Rowland, Dydasco, Menges, Beattie, Moreau, Malonson, Pickett, Bailey, Hill, Boade, Castellanos

Club America Starting XI: Panos, Rodriguez, Granados, Guerrero, Hernandez, Orejel, Avilez, Enciso, Luebbert, Palacios, Camberos

The game started off with quite a bit of physicality and it seemed to center around Tess Boade early in that regard, which isn’t unordinary with her style of play. Bay were creating chances in the opening minutes but Club America were defending responsibly.

Moreau got her second professional goal just seven minutes into the match, when the ball landed at her feet with an empty net directly in front of her. She has been earning Montoya’s trust, and it’s well deserved.

Camberos launched an attack for Club America in the 10th minute, but her former teammate Emily Menges defended her perfectly kicking the ball out for a corner that was caught by Katelyn Rowland. In the 18th minute, Bay had another prime scoring opportunity as the ball went straight through the box but nobody was there to tap it into the netting.

Moments later, the ball found Kiki Pickett, but her shot went wide of the goal. Club America got their best opportunity to this point in the match in the 23rd minute when they were able to cross it across the box a couple of times, but were unable to make anything of it.

Besides Camberos, it seemed like their most involved player was Nicolette Hernandez who fired a shot on target whenever she got an opportunity to do so. Noemi Granados nearly gifted Bay a goal in the 25th minute as she slipped with the ball at her feet, handing it to Boade who created a 2-on-1 rush with Rachel Hill but Club America was able to recover defensively.

Camberos scored in her return to PayPal Park in the 29th minute off of a pass from Sarah Luebbert. It was a moment that seemed somewhat inevitable, and she was able to accomplish it very early on. Bay FC had been playing well up until the goal, and it was vital that they didn’t let a single moment derail their performance.

The summer of Moreau nearly continued with a goal in the 38th minute, but her shot went just wide. The first half came to an end after 45 minutes, with no stoppage time and a 1-1 tie.

Joelle Anderson and Jordan Brewster entered the match to start the second half for Bay FC with Boade and Menges coming out as a result. Deyna Castellanos tried to restore her team’s lead in the 48th minute with a powerful shot from outside of the box, and although a diving Sandra Panos wasn’t able to get in front of it, it went just wide of the goal.

Club America nearly got a lead of their own when Luebbert got behind the defense but was slightly tripped up and ended up falling into the goal while Rowland gathered the ball. Rachel Hill was taken down inside the box in the 50th minute, but to the dismay of the crowd, a foul wasn’t called by the official. Bay FC regained the lead in the 53rd minute, as a Jen Beattie header placed the ball right on the goal line following a corner and Dorian Bailey toe-poked it into the goal.

Club America attempted to equalize it in the 55th minute with a header of their own, but it went just over the crossbar. Castellanos came out in the 60th minute for Princess, while Aylin Avilez came out for Miah Zuazua.

Princess immediately got a scoring chance in the 61st minute, but her touch knocked the ball slightly out of reach of a shot and as a result, Panos was able to take away her shooting angle. Granados and Leubbert came out for Club America in the 64th minute with Nancy Antonio and Natalia Mauleon entering the match.

Albertin Montoya made another change in the 68th minute when Caprice Dydasco came out for Savy King. Bailey got another opportunity in the 70th minute but once again, her first touch was too heavy and the ball bounced to the goalkeeper Panos.

Camberos nearly got her second of the night in the 77th minute, but the shot went wide of the goal. Rowland went down in the 82nd minute and received some medical attention before getting back up to her feet and remaining in the game.

A collision between Princess and Sabrina Enciso in the 88th minute saw Enciso go down in considerable difficulty before she ultimately got back up and stayed in the match.

There were four minutes of stoppage time awarded at the 90-minute mark, meaning a Bay FC victory was very close, they just needed to hang on for a few more minutes. Moreau seemed to be cramping up around this point in the match, as she went down for a moment while by herself but got back up and played with no further difficulty.

Camberos was tackled inside the box in the 92nd minute, but once again the official decided there was no foul on the play. Time eventually ran out for Club America, and Bay FC walked away with their first and only victory of the Summer Cup, with a 2-1 final score at PayPal Park.

Blake Snell no-hits Reds in Cincinnati for long-awaited first Giants’ win

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San Francisco Giants starter Blake Snell was dealing against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati as seen here in the bottom of the sixth inning on Fri Aug 2, 2024 (AP News photo)

Friday, Aug. 2, 2024

Great American Ballpark

Cincinnati, Ohio

San Francisco Giants 3 (55-56)

Los Angeles Dodgers 0 (52-57)

Win: Blake Snell (1-3)

Loss: Andrew Abbott (9-8)

Time: 2:16 (1:00 rain delay)

Attendance: 28,075

By Stephen Ruderman

Blake Snell made history again Friday night, as he threw a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark in the most impressive and improbable way to finally get his first win as a Giant.

The Giants were coming off a much-needed 5-1 homestand, which was capped off by a complete game shutout by Logan Webb in a 1-0 win over the Oakland A’s on Wednesday. Friday night, the Giants were back on the road in the band box known as Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati to take on the Cincinnati Reds.

With thunderstorms around Cincinnati, there was a delay of exactly one hour prior to the start of the game. Then the Reds and their starter, Andrew Abbott, took the field.

With one out in the top of the first inning, Mark Canha drew a walk in his first plate appearance as a Giant, and Matt Chapman singled to left field with two outs. Patrick Bailey then popped out to first base, and the Giants were unable to come through.

Blake Snell took the ball Friday night in what would be his first start since the Giants chose not to sell him at the Trade Deadline. After an abysmal start to his season, Snell has been nails in his last five starts.

Snell took a perfect game into the seventh inning against the Minnesota Twins in the first half finale on July 14. Then in the first game of the Giants’ doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies this past Saturday, he struck out 15 in six innings, becoming the first pitcher in Modern National League/American League History to strike out 15 in the first six innings of a game.

However, Snell was still lacking that elusive first win as a Giant. He would have a challenge going against a young jumpstart Reds’ team in Great American Ballpark, one of the most live parks in all of Baseball. Snell got his night off to a nice start, as he struck out the side with a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the first.

Abbott retired the first two Giants he faced in the top of the second, but with two outs, Casey Schmitt hit a bomb into the second deck out in left field to put the Giants on the board. Marco Luciano then lined a base-hit to left, and Tyler Fitzgerald doubled to left to score Luciano and make it 2-0.

Abbott pitched a scoreless top of the third and a 1-2-3 top of the fourth. Snell, meanwhile, threw a scoreless bottom of the second, as well a pair of 1-2-3 innings in the third and fourth.

Fitzgerald and Canha singled to start the top of the sixth. After Heliot Ramos struck out swinging for the first out, Reds Manager David Bell pulled Abbott for Buck Farmer, who got out of the inning unscathed.

Snell struggled a bit in the bottom of the fifth after he issued a pair of walks, but that would be it, and the Giants kept their 2-0 lead going to the sixth. Farmer and Snell both pitched 1-2-3 innings in the sixth, and as the game went to the seventh, you couldn’t help but notice that the Reds still had a bagel in the hit column.

Fitzgerald hit a home run to left-center off Nick Martinez with one out in the top of the seventh to make it 3-0. Snell then threw a nine-pitch 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the seventh.

Sam Moll threw a 1-2-3 top of the eighth for Cincinnati, and Snell came back out for the bottom of the eighth.

Jeimer Candelario would be the first man Snell would face in the bottom of the eighth. Candelario worked the count full, but Snell perfectly placed a 97-MPH fastball right at the knees for strike three. TJ Friedl flew out to left, and Stuart Fairchild grounded out to short, as Snell had pitched through the eighth inning for the first time, ever, in his great career.

After Fernando Cruz threw a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the ninth for the Reds, Snell, who had thrown 108 pitches, came out for the bottom of the ninth to try and finish the job. It would be the first time that Snell would ever pitch in the ninth inning in his career.

The first hitter for Cincinnati was Santiago Espinal, who struck out swinging for the first out. Jonathan India then grounded out back to the mound on the first on the first first pitch, and Snell was now an out away from history.

It was fitting that the final man up would be the Reds’ young star, Elly De La Cruz. You would have expected a long and spirited at-bat, but Cruz swung at the first pitch and hit a semi-low-hanging fly ball out to right-center, and as Giants’ right-fielder Mike Yastrzemski waltzed over to his right to make the catch, Blake Snell had his no-hitter.

Snell was hugged by his catcher, Patrick Bailey, and they were instantly joined by their teammates, who had poured out of the dugout to celebrate at the mound. It was a magical night for Snell and the Giants.

This was the 18th no-hitter in Giants’ franchise history, and the 10th in San Francisco. This was the Giants’ first no-hitter since Chris Heston no-hit the New York Mets at Citi Field on June 9, 2015.

Two Giants’ pitchers have come within an out of a no hitter since: Matt Moore on Aug. 25, 2016 against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, and Alex Cobb against these very Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 29 last year. However, neither could complete the job.

What’s also impressive is that after Logan Webb’s complete game shutout against the A’s on Wednesday the Giants have gotten back-to-back complete game shutouts from their starters.

As for Snell, he threw 114 pitches, walked three and struck out 11. Snell has won two Cy Young awards, which makes it all the more baffling that he had not even pitched eight full innings in a game prior to Friday night.

And yes, Snell finally got his first win as a Giant. Andrew Abbott took the loss for Cincinnati.

The Giants have now won six of their last seven, as they improve to 55-56. They will have a chance to get back up to .500 with a win Friday night. The problem is that the Giants are 2-10 when they’ve had a chance to get back up to .500 this season. Though perhaps Friday night was the spark that will finally truly get things going for this team.

The Giants will try to get back up to .500 for the third time this season with left-hander Kyle Harrison (6-4, 3.69 ERA) on the mound. Opposing Harrison for the Reds will be right-hander Hunter Greene (7-4, 2.97 ERA) for Saturday night. It will be a nationally-televised game on FOX, as the first pitch will be at 7:15 p.m. in Cincinnati, and 4:15 p.m. back home in San Francisco.

Giants News and Notes:

This is the first time that Giants’ pitchers have thrown back-to-back complete game shutouts since Livan Hernandez and Jason Schmidt threw complete game shutouts on Aug. 19 and 20, 2002.

Lost in all of this is the plethora of roster moves the Giants made prior to the game.

David Villar was sent back to Sacramento, and Derek Hill was designated for assignment.

Mark Canha was of course activated onto the roster after the Giants acquired him from the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday. Canha went 2-for-3 in his Giants’ debut Friday night.

The Giants called outfielder Jerar Encarnacion from Sacramento. Encarnacion hit .352 with 10 home runs in just 33 games for the River Cats. Encarnacion started tonight and went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts.

Sean Hjelle was activated off the Bereavement List.