Tag: Sports Radio Service

MLB The Show podcast Charlie O: Caminero’s 40th homer send Rays to the post season; Brewers pour it on with 20 runs trouncing Reds; plus more news

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Junior Caminero hit a walk off home run for the Tampa Bay Rays on Sat Sep 12, 2026 to help clinch the Rays into the post season. (file photo from spectrum bay news 9)

MLB The Show podcast Charlie O:

#1 How significant was Junior Caminero’s walk-off 40th home run in sending the Tampa Bay Rays to the 2026 postseason?

#2 Can the Milwaukee Brewers’ 20–0 rout of the Reds signal that they are the NL team to beat heading into October?

#3 How much does Atlanta’s 11-inning win over Philadelphia strengthen the Braves’ grip on the NL East?

#4 Can the Arizona Diamondbacks keep their momentum and overtake the Padres in the NL wild-card race?

#5 What impact will the latest injury news—including updates on Jesús Luzardo, Byron Buxton, Yordan Alvarez and the Dodgers—have on the playoff races?

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

Giants Fall To Padres, 6-4; SF swept by San Diego as Pads win 7th straight game; Devers out for season

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San Diego Padres’ Manny Machado, right, hits a two-run home run in front of Giants catcher Andrew Kizner, left, during the second inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Sunday, Sept 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

By Maggie Akins

The San Francisco Giants have now been swept nine times this season. Their second against the San Diego Padres. 

The Padres sealed it with a final score of 6-4 at Oracle Park on Sunday evening. 

The Padres added to their resume, keeping themselves in playoff contention in the current sixth wild-card spot. Since the Giants are out of playoff contention, for the rest of the season they will be trying not to have 100 losses and are giving their young guns experience.

The Giants did have positives from start to finish besides the loss. They did not make it an easy win for the Padres and were fighting for runs on the board and continuously had batters in scoring position till the last pitch. 

OF Scott Bandura made his MLB debut after getting called up from Sacramento earlier today, following the news that Rafael Devers will be out for the remainder of the season due to a core muscle injury. 

“Just getting to be here is outstanding for him,” Manager Tony Vitello said. “He can tell his grandkids it was the hardest hit line drive of all time, and he ended up scoring on it too.”

Devers was put on the 60-day injury list and is expected to be back for spring training. Vitello noted pregame that Devers has been battling with this injury all year. 

“He wanted to keep playing, but this was mapped out a while ago,” Vitello said. 

Bandura secured his first major league hit in the sixth inning after hitting a single down center field. Christian Koss hit a single and brought home Bandura. His two previous strikeouts didn’t matter anymore to him and his parents in the crowd.

RHP Logan Webb started on the mound this afternoon with a 8-8 record and a 4.10 ERA. 

Webb’s first inning was not what Giants fans were hoping to see from their ace. The Padres tallied up five runs in the first two innings with their attacking offense led by Fernando Tatis Jr. Jackson Merrill carried the big weight with a double bringing home Tatis and Dustin Harris. 

Webb still managed a good outing, only allowing one run in the fourth inning.

“For today, he was, I thought, really good, if not exceptional, for three ining and not very good for two innings,” Vitello said. “Just for the series, the one continual theme was they were good at preparing for our starters, so takes two to tango.”

With the Padres’ early lead, it was enough to carry over the win, not scoring again after the fourth inning. 

Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson came in for relief in the sixth inning. He walked onto that mound and did his thing, shutting out the Padres’ scoring throughout his outing. Trent Harris came in to close out the game in the ninth inning.

RHP Nick Pivetta made his return for the Padres, starting on the mound with a 2-2 record and a 3.43 ERA. Pivetta was recently activated off the injured list, missing five months with a right elbow flexor strain. 

Up next, the Giants face the St. Louis Cardinals in St. Louis on Monday, first pitch at 4:45 p.m. Giants starting pitcher will be RHP Landen Roupp (9-13, 4.00 ERA) against Cardinals LHP Quinn Matthews (1-3, 4.11 ERA)

In other news

Jackson Flora, the Giants’ fourth overall pick, was promoted to the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels today.

The Giants announced that Rafael Devers will be lost for the rest of the season due to a core injury. Devers before the injury was having quite a run agianst the Padres in this last series which included a grand slam home run on Friday night at Oracle Park. Devers for the season hit .258, 36 home runs, 143 hits and 96 RBIs.

Sacramento A’s game wrap: Butler Has Last Word as A’s Steal an 8-7 Thrill

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Lawrence Butler runs the bases after hitting a first inning home run for the Sacramento A’s against the Seattle Mariners at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Sun Sep 13, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Mauricio Segura

WEST SACRAMENTO–In nine innings, two Lawrence Butler home runs and one furious comeback turned a four-run deficit into an 8-7 win over the Seattle Mariners. Butler’s second shot was a game-winning walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth, sending Zack Gelof home ahead of him and giving the Sacramento A’s the season series against the Mariners, seven games to six.

Gelof and Butler gave the A’s a dream start by going back-to-back in the first inning against Bryce Miller. Gelof drove a fly ball over the wall in left, and Butler followed with one to right-center for a 2-0 lead. The pair already belonged to a notable group before the game, joining Henry Bolte as three Athletics with at least ten home runs and ten stolen bases this season, only the eighth time in franchise history the club has had three such players.

Seattle erased the lead in the third. Jhonny Pereda doubled, and Randy Arozarena followed two batters later with a two-run homer to left. The Mariners then worked over Jacob Lopez in the fourth. Josh Naylor singled, Michael Arroyo walked and Weston Wilson loaded the bases with a single. Pereda’s sacrifice fly scored Naylor, J.P. Crawford brought home Arroyo with an infield single, and Arozarena greeted reliever Scott Blewett with another single that scored Wilson for a 5-2 Seattle advantage.

The Mariners added another run in the fifth when three walks helped bring Cal Raleigh home. Luis Medina took over with the bases loaded and struck out pinch-hitter Lazaro Montes, but Pereda drew a bases-loaded walk before J.P. Crawford grounded into a force play. At 6-2, Seattle appeared to have firm control.

The A’s changed the game in the seventh. Alika Williams opened the inning with a ground-rule double and Bolte was hit by a pitch. An Athletics challenge overturned the call on Jeff McNeil’s ground ball, turning it into an infield single and loading the bases. Gelof followed with a walk that scored Williams, and Butler’s groundout brought Bolte home.

Then Shea Langeliers, one day after being reinstated from the injured list following right-knee meniscus surgery, stepped up as a pinch hitter against Seranthony Domínguez. Langeliers lined a ball to right that deflected off Domínguez, scoring McNeil and Gelof to tie the game 6-6. Langeliers had undergone surgery after suffering a torn meniscus and had only returned to the active roster one day earlier.

Seattle answered in the eighth. Arozarena hit his second homer of the game, this one off Hogan Harris, to put the Mariners back in front 7-6. The A’s nearly answered in the bottom half when Williams doubled and reached third on Dominic Canzone’s throwing error, but Andrés Muñoz struck out Bolte and retired McNeil to keep Seattle ahead.

Elvis Alvarado handled the ninth without allowing a run, giving the top of the Athletics order one final chance. Gelof singled to left, bringing Butler to the plate as the potential winning run. Butler ended the discussion himself, lifting a two-run homer to right-center for his second homer of the game and an 8-7 victory.

The finish gave the Athletics their first season-series victory over Seattle since 2020 after dropping the previous five, a meaningful reversal against a division opponent that had given them trouble for years.

After Monday’s off day, the A’s open a three-game set at Tampa Bay on Tuesday, with Jack Perkins (3-11, 6.53 ERA, 119 K) facing Griffin Jax (7-10, 3.99 ERA, 103 K) at 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. 

Las Vegas Raiders podcast Rich Perez: Cousins becomes 15th QB to throw 301st career TD pass as Raiders defeat Dolphins 27-13

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Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) and quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) share congratulations after a first half touchdown pass at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sun Sep 13, 2026 (AP News photo)

Las Vegas Raiders podcast Rich Perez:

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins delivered in a big way throwing his 301st career touchdown pass puting himself as the 15th quarterback in NFL history to do so as the Raiders defeated the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas 27-13 for win number one of the 2026 season.

Cousins threw two touchdown passes to running back Ashton Jeanty who had quite a day himself rushing for 102 yards and had six receptions adding 45 more yards to his total. Jeanty who suffered an ankle injury August 23 had no pain and ran like he never missed a step.

This was Cousins first start since being traded to the Raiders in the off season from the Atlanta Falcons. Cousins came right out of the shoot throwing a touchdown pass in each of the first and second quarters and leading the Raiders to a 17-6 half time lead which set the tone for the rest of the game.

Cousins finished the contest with 21 for 30 passes for 160 yards for three touchdowns and was intercepted two times. With Cousins 301st touchdown pass he now moves into 14th place eclipsing former Denver Bronco quarterback John Elway.

Up next for the Raiders they start a two game road trip in week 2 Sep 20th against the Los Angeles Chargers and week 3 against the New Orleans Saints Sep 27th. The Chargers lost Sunday 26-14 to the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium the Chargers and head coach Jim Harbaugh continue to struggle.

The Saints lost by one point 31-30 to the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit. The Saints look like a ready for showtime team week 3 in New Orleans could be a handful for the silver and black.

Rich Perez does the Las Vegas Raiders podcasts after every home and away game for the 2026-27 season at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento A’s game wrap: Mariners Turn the Dial to Nineteen; Seattle explodes on Sacramento pitching 19-1

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Sacramento A’s catcher Jonah Heim (right) attempts to make the put out on the Seattle M’s baserunner Michael Arroyo in the top of the fourth inning at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Sat Sep 12, 2026 (AP News photo)

Mariners Turn the Dial to Nineteen

By Mauricio Segura

WEST SACRAMENTO–The Seattle Mariners wasted little time putting the Sacramento Athletics in a hole so deep that they almost ended up playing the Beijing Tigers! The Mariners pounded out a 19-1 win behind five home runs, 22 hits and a lineup that produced runs in six different innings Saturday night.

Dominic Canzone opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the first after J.P. Crawford singled. One inning later, Randy Arozarena delivered the bigger blow. Weston Wilson singled, Crawford was hit by a pitch, and Arozarena sent a three-run homer to left-center to make it 5-0.

That ended Gage Jump’s outing after two innings. The rookie left-hander allowed five runs on five hits, including two homers. The early damage continued a season-long problem for the Athletics, who had already allowed 218 home runs before the game, second most in the majors.

The A’s showed a brief sign of life in the third. Henry Bolte drew a leadoff walk and reached third when Bryan Woo made a throwing error on Jeff McNeil’s fielder’s choice. Shea Langeliers then brought Bolte home on another fielder’s choice, trimming the deficit to 5-1. It was a notable return for Langeliers, who had been reinstated from the injured list after recovering from surgery on a torn meniscus in his right knee.

Seattle quickly erased any thought of a comeback. Michael Arroyo doubled in the fourth and scored on Wilson’s single. Arozarena followed with another RBI single, stretching the lead to 7-1. In the fifth, Josh Naylor singled and Cole Young followed with a two-run homer to right-center.

Woo did the rest from the mound. The right-hander worked six innings, allowing one run on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts. The Athletics managed only one run against him despite putting runners at the corners in the first and again creating trouble in the third.

The Mariners were nowhere near finished. Arroyo hit a solo homer in the seventh, and Crawford followed later in the inning with a two-run shot after Wilson doubled. That pushed Seattle’s lead to 12-1.

The eighth inning turned the game into a rout. Victor Robles reached on an error, Julio Rodríguez singled, and Naylor doubled home Robles. Young drove in Rodríguez with a single, Arroyo singled home pinch-runner Brock Rodden, and Lazaro Montes drew a bases-loaded walk to force in another run. Seattle sent ten batters to the plate and scored four times.

By then, the Athletics had begun emptying the bench and rearranging the field. Carlos Cortes eventually moved from the outfield to the mound. He had already pitched eight times this season, making him the only position player in Athletics history to pitch more than five times in one season.

Seattle added three more runs in the ninth against Cortes. Cal Raleigh, Rodríguez and Rodden drew consecutive walks before Young lined a two-run single to left. Arroyo followed with a sacrifice fly, giving him another RBI in a game in which he also doubled, homered and singled.

Wilson finished with five hits, while Young drove in five runs. Crawford, Arozarena, Canzone, Young and Arroyo all homered. The Athletics, meanwhile, were held to five hits and did not score after the third inning.

The series wraps Sunday with left-hander Jacob Lopez (6-4, 4.78 ERA, 104 strikeouts) going for the Athletics against Seattle right-hander Bryce Miller (4-9, 4.22 ERA, 101 strikeouts), with first pitch set for 1:05 p.m. Pacific and the A’s hoping the scoreboard gets a much quieter workout.

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. 

San Jose Earthquakes match wrap: Munie’s goal is all Quakes need to defeat Houston at Pay Pal Park 1-0

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San Jose’s Jamar Ricketts (right) receives a pass as the Dynamo’s Ibrahim Aliyu defends SaturdayMatthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

By William Espy

SAN JOSE–The San Jose Earthquakes were back at home on Saturday night as they hosted the Houston Dynamo in a massively important game as the end of the season rapidly approaches. The Quakes only score came from Daniel Munie at the 38th minute good enough to end up winning the match 1-0 at Pay Pal Park.

The game started out very physical, which was clear when Ronaldo Vieira was shown a yellow card in the very first minute.

The Earthquakes were generating chances early in the match, but weren’t able to get them on target very often. Either they would end up in a strong scoring position but fail to get a shot away, or they would be well off target.

In the 19th minute, the Quakes got their second yellow card of the night, this time it was given to Beau Leroux. At the same time, Jamar Ricketts was also shown a yellow card of his own.

Ousseni Bouda nearly gave the Earthquakes the lead in the 32nd minute with a great shot from inside the box, but it bounced off the post and back into play.

The Earthquakes opened the scoring in the 38th minute when Daniel Munie was able to get one past Jonathan Bond for his fifth goal of the season.

A massive goal-line scramble nearly saw Houston get an equalizer in the 60th minute, but between the Quakes’ defense and a big save by Angus Gunn, they were able to keep the ball out of the net.

Leroux and Niko Tsakiris left the match in the 69th minute, with Ian Harkes and Nick Fernandez taking their place, in the Quakes’ first substitutions of the night. The Dynamo got their first yellow card of the night when Bouda was taken down just outside the box by Augustin Resch. Eduard Lowen nearly converted on the free kick, but the ball went just wide of the net.

Bouda and Lowen left the match in the 82nd minute for Jack Skahan and Luka Jovanovic. The Dynamo tried heavily for an equalizer in the 88th minute, but Gunn made a pair of big saves to maintain San Jose’s lead. Those saves would end up being key, as the Earthquakes held on to win 1-0.

Balanced Offense Propels Spartans to Win Over Mustangs 

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San Jose State Spartans running back Jabari Bates answers questions from the media postgame, with a 163-yard rushing performance against the Cal Poly Mustangs on September 12.

By Sean Mentzer

SAN JOSE–On the opening possession, Spartans quarterback Luke Weaver fumbled trying to navigate out of the pocket on third down, giving the Mustangs the ball on the Spartans’ 32-yard line. However, the Spartans answered back, forcing the Mustangs into a turnover with an interception by sophomore Greco Carillo in the end zone. 

The Spartans’ closest attempt to scoring was a 42-yard field goal that missed wide right by Trajan Sinatra.

A scoreless first quarter saw both teams try to establish their run game, but they produced little, with 39 rushing yards combined. 

The Mustangs broke the scoreless tie with a touchdown from Fidel Pitts. The Mustangs missed the PAT on the same side of the field Sinatra missed his 49-yard attempt. 

The Spartans answered back immediately. The passing game jolted the offense to life as the second quarter began. A 39-yard pass to Jordan Anderson set the offense up in the red zone, where a touchdown pass to Carson Clark gave the Spartans the lead.

The second quarter ended with two more field goals from Sinatra, extending the Spartans’ lead to seven.

The Mustangs wasted no time scoring to open up the second half. A quick two-minute drive was capped off by a Jaden Green touchdown to tie the game.

Halfway through the third quarter, Anthony Ivey returned a punt to the Mustangs ‘ 49-yard line, and the Spartans offense got right back to work. Jabari Bates’ running helped set up a touchdown to Cooper Hoch, giving the Spartans the lead back. 

A run-heavy drive by the Mustangs tied the game 20-20 at the start of the fourth quarter. The ensuing kickoff return by Dominique McKenzie placed the offense at the Mustangs’ 44-yard line, but only mustered a field goal, giving San Jose State a three-point advantage. 

As the Mustangs built up a persistent drive looking to take the lead, a jump ball thrown to the end zone was intercepted by Caleb Womack. 

“It was just a great overall call by our coordinator [Bojay Filimoeatu], got me to drop back to the deep half,” Womack said. “We had the D-line just pressuring the quarterback, made him just throw the ball up, and at that point, got back to the receiver days and had to go up and get the ball.”

Bates’ tough running didn’t slow down, bringing the Spartans to midfield where Weaver threw a 41-yard pass to Clark for his second touchdown of the game. 

“He just keeps his head down and goes,” quarterback Luke Weaver said about Bates. “He doesn’t complain about anything, he doesn’t sub himself out, and that’s really a testament to him.”

“Well, he’s one of our best players,” Spartans Head Coach Ken Niumatalolo said. “And people get confused by his size; watch him in the weight room. He’s one of the strongest guys on the team pound for pound.”

The Spartans’ defense did a strong job containing Mustangs’ dual-threat quarterback Anthony Grigsby Jr., who entered tonight’s game with 96 rushing yards on the season, getting four sacks and seven tackles for loss. 

The Spartans’ passing game fueled the offense all night, even when the running game came alive in the second half. Bates finished the night with 27 carries for 163 rushing yards. Maintaining that offensive balance will remain key for the Spartans when they host Fresno State on September 19.

San Francisco Giants game wrap: Giants fall short despite another spirited effort in 7-6 loss to Padres

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San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller (left) and catcher Luis Campusano (right) share congratulations after defeating the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sat Sep 12, 2026 (AP

San Francisco Giants game wrap:

Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026

Oracle Park

San Francisco, California

San Diego Padres 7 (80-68)

San Francisco Giants 2 (62-87)

Win: Michael King (11-9)

Loss: Cesar Perdomo (0-1)

Save: Mason Miller (36)

Time: 2:33

Attendance: 40,146

By Stephen Ruderman

SAN FRANCISCO–The fall sunshine shone on Oracle Park for another beautiful day for baseball, as Giants made another late charge Saturday, but a late mistake by Shea Whitcomb proved costly, and the Padres once again held on for a 7-6 win.

After the Giants came back to finally get their first sweep of the season on Wednesday, they nearly pulled off another one Friday night, but fell just short. However, the momentum remained, and the Giants looked to capitalize on it, and play spoiler against the Padres, who came into Saturday with a half-game lead for the third wild card spot in the National League.

Cesar Perdomo made his third start of the season, and survived a jam in the top of the first inning. Michael King took the ball for San Diego, and the Giants got to work on him right away.

Drew Gilbert singled to lead off the bottom of the first, and up came the white-hot Rafael Devers. Devers hit his 37th home run of the season to give the Giants a 2-0 lead. Devers also got his 97th and 98th RBIs of the season. He is two away from being the first Giant to have 100 RBIs in a season since Buster Posey in 2012.

The Padres responded in the top of the second. With the bases loaded and two outs, Dustin Harris grounded a base-hit the other way to left to tie the game.

Shea Whitcomb hit a home run out to the Giants’ bullpen in left-center to put the Giants back ahead. Though, once again, the Padres had a response, and tied the game in the top of the third on a home run by Jackson Merrill.

Perdomo and King got off to similar starts, but they would go in completely different directions in the third. King went on to retire 14-straight after Whitcomb’s home run. As for Perdomo, the Padres tacked on a run in the fourth, and another one in the fifth to take a 5-3 lead.

Perdomo was done after four and two thirds. In addition to the five runs, Perdomo gave up ten hits.

Fernando Tatis Jr. hit an absolute missile halfway up into the bleachers in left off Joel Kuhnel to start the top of the sixth to make it 6-3.

After Reiver Sanmartin finished the top of the sixth, Jason Foley was the man for the top of the seventh. The Padres had runners at first and second with two outs for Tatis, who hit a ground ball to Whitcomb at third. Whitcomb thought he could tag Xander Bogaerts, who was the lead runner at second. Whitcomb then looked over to Bogaerts, and without his eye on the ball, it went under his glove into left field. A run scored, and it was now 7-3.

Plain and simply, it was a rookie mistake by Whitcomb, who was notably flustered. For a young player like Whitcomb, it can be a learning experience.

The Giants now trailed 7-3. Hey, the Giants came back from down 6-1 to win on Wednesday, and almost came back from down 7-1 last night. 7-3 should be no problem.

The Giants would finally end King’s streak of 14-straight batters set down, when Jonah Cox singled to lead off the bottom of the seventh. However, that was immediately followed up by a double play.

So much for that. At least there were still two innings remaining. Bradgley Rodriguez came in for the bottom of the eighth. Drew Cavanaugh led off the inning with his first big league home run to right.

Alright, it was now 7-4. Christian Koss lined a base-hit to left, and Drew GIlbert hit one out to right that bounced into the water to make it 7-6. Now, it was exciting.

However, Adrian Morejon came in and set down the next three to end the inning. Mason Miller then came in to do his thing in the bottom of the ninth. By his thing, I of course mean that Miller threw a one, two, three inning to notch down the save.

Despite these two losses to the Padres, this is a Giants’ team with a lot of fight in them. To play this way against a talented Padres’ team that could very well find themselves in the Playoffs, that is no small feat for the 2026 San Francisco Giants.

Michael King got the win, and Cesar Perdomo was dealt his first big league loss.

The Giants fall to 62-87.

Logan Webb (8-8 ERA 4.10) will take the ball on his football jersey day late Sunday night, as the Giants will look to avert the sweep. Nick Pivetta (2-2 ERA 3.43) will go for San Diego.

I said “late,” because Sunday’s game is the NBC Sunday Night Game of the Week. That means first pitch will be at 4:20 p.m PDT.

Bears Pull Off Upset Over Syracuse 21-18

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Cal Bears quarterback Jaron-KeaweSagapolutele (3) takes the football for a keeper against the Syracuse Orange defense at the GMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse NY on Sat Sep 12, 2026 (Cal Bears photo)

By Barbara Mason

Saturday afternoon the California Bears (1-1) traveled to JMA Wireless Dome in a week two matchup with the Syracuse Orange (1-1). The Cal Bears (1-1) running back Adam Mohammed to lead the ground game with 19 carries for 74 yards and the Orange running back freshman Shavane Anderson carried nine times for 18 yards as the Bears picked up their first win with a 21-18 win.

In a scare in last week’s game, Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele hurt his ankle in last week’s loss to UCLA. He was a bit off in that game after the injury was ready in Saturday’s game. Syracuse quarterback Steve Angeli returned after a torn achilles ended last season’s campaign. He was back, healthy and ready to roll passed for 306 yards, one touchdown and was intercepted three times.

The Cal defense kept this game manageable keeping Syracuse out of the end zone in the opening quarter. The Orange were able to score a field goal with Tripp Woody kicking a 25 yarder taking a 3-0 lead onto the second quarter. The Orange would kick a second field goal in the second quarter taking a 6-0 lead. Syracuse scored the first touchdown of the game taking a 12-0 lead when the 2-point conversion failed.

Cal scored their first touchdown of the day in the second quarter driving downfield finishing with a 14 yard pass from Sagapolutele to Chase Hendricks at 7:15 followed by a successful extra point and the score was 12-7 in favor of the Orange going into halftime.

The Bears turned the ball over on downs at mid-field to start the third quarter. The ensueing Syracuse drive was stalled when Cal intercepted an Angeli pass and very nearly took it into the end zone. They started their drive deep in Orange territory finishing it off with a 2-yard touchdown taking their first lead of the game 14-12. The Orange took back the lead 18-14 with 1:38 left in the quarter.

Going into the fourth quarter it was a 4-point ball game. It was all Cal in the final quarter, the Orange unable to score. Kingston Lopia had his second interception of the game taking it into the end zone for a pick-six.

GAME RECAP

The Syracuse Orange took an early 3-0 lead in the first quarter of the game. Tripp Woody kicked a 25 yard field goal but the remainder of the quarter was a quiet one for the Cal offense.

Their defense was able to keep the Orange out of the end zone keeping this game extremely manageable but the offense was struggling both on the ground and in the air. Adam Mohammed had been unable to get going and Keawe Sagapolutele was also struggling.

Syracuse’s offense turned the heat up in the second quarter. They again scored an early field goal in the quarter. At 14:44 Woody scored a 33-yard field goal and the Orange had a 6-0 lead.

The first touchdown of the game was scored at 8:50 extending the Syracuse lead to 12-0. Steve Angeli threw a 23 yard pass to Daunte Bacheyie for the score but the 2-point attempt failed.

Mid-way through the quarter the Bears answered back as Sagapolutele completed three passes in the drive. Sagapolutele completed a 45-yard pass to Ian Strong moving Cal to the Orange 33-yd line and the Bears were in business. He completed a 14 yard pass to Chase Hendricks for their first touchdown of the game and Cal was on the scoreboard.

With two minutes left in the first half, Cal drove from their own 27-yard line deep into Syracuse territory. With two minutes left in the quarter then Bears were operating from the Orange 37 yard-line.

Cal could not advance the ball and the Orange took over with 1:41 left in half. Syracuse got hit with an unsportsmanlike penalty their second of the day pinning them on their own 9-yard line. With 1:22 left on the clock the Bears took over on their own 40 yard-line still with three time-outs.

They would drive down to the Syracuse 37-yard line. They squandered two time outs and a first down was foiled by a penalty and that would close out the drive. The Orange would take the 12-7 lead into the third quarter.

California would keep this game a one-score game thanks to another Orange penalty that negated a 71-yard return in the closing minute of the second quarter. The Bears had avoided falling even further behind and penalties were hurting Syracuse. Cal had to get their playmakers going in the second half.

The Bears would start the third quarter on their 25-yard line. They turned the ball over on downs at midfield and Syracuse was back in business. Angeli would throw an interception and Cal very nearly took the ball the length of the field.

A touchdown saving tackle set the Bears up deep in Syracuse territory. Cal was knocking on the door, threatening to take the lead, first and goal from the one yard. The interception had led to their first lead of the game 14-12 when Sagapolutele completed a two yard pass to Jordan King, and Cal had their second touchdown of the day. As the third quarter wound down the Orange’s Ju Juan Johnson rushed for two yards with a two-point conversion again failing giving Syracuse the lead back 18-14.

The Orange drove deep into Cal territory to start the fourth quarter. Syracuse went on fourth and one and it looked as if the Bears had recovered a fumble but was called for 12-men on the field and the Orange were looking for more points. The Bears not only kept them out of the end zone but also denied them a 31-yard field goal and the score remained 14-12 with a lot of time, 9:30, remaining in the game.

The Bears had a great drive going in the fourth quarter but stalled out when Sagapolutele was sacked for a nine yard loss and they were forced to kick pinning Syracuse inside their 15.

A Cal pick six on an Angeli pass gave the Bears a 21-18 lead with 4:51 left in the game. The interception did not deter Angeli who drove downfield completing 3 passes operating from the Cal 24-yard line with 2:00 left on the clock.

Another missed field goal for the Orange and Cal had a very real chance to win this game. It was up to the defense to put this one away and that’s exactly what they did intercepting the ball for a third time shutting down Syracuse in a wild and wooly game 21-18. They were physical and tough defensively and despite some really down moments in the first half they persevered. Head Coach Tosh Lupoi had his first win.

GAME NOTES

Cal played a mixed but encouraging first half of football. While they did trail 12-7 at the half, this game was still very much within reach. They had started slowly but settled down and scored a touchdown in the second quarter keeping themselves in the game. They did miss scoring opportunities when they missed a 47-yard field goal in the first half as well as stalling out in Syracuse territory.

This was new Head Coach Tosh Lupoi’s first win at the helm. This was actually a bit of a slopping game for both teams. Angeli threw three interceptions which paved the way for the Bears. The Orange finished the game with 15 penalties which hampered them the entire game.

Cal showed amazing resilience in this game and the defense came up huge forcing the three interceptions two of them by safety Kingston Lopa. Sagapolutele had a far improved game over last week throwing for 182 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Great decision-making on his part. Cal did get stronger as the game went on scoring in the second, third and fourth quarters. Syracuse was held scoreless in the final quarter. When you look at the stats, the Orange dominated the yardage with 436 yards to the Bears 247.

The bottom line is that it was the defense that won this game for the Bears. The offense had some trouble sustaining drives failing to cash in on some scoring opportunities but when push came to shove they also showed resilience. Things are looking up for the California Bears.

Next Saturday the Bears will take on Wagner at California Memorial Stadium. This will be the team’s home opener. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 PM.

Sacramento A’s podcast Tony Harvey: A’s Donavon slugs two run 10th inning walk off homer does in M’s 6-5 at Sutter Health

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Sacramento A’s Lawrence Butler swings for a two run home run in the bottom of the third inning off the Seattle M’s starter George Kirby at Sutter Health Park in Seattle on Fri Sep 11, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s podcast Tony Harvey:

#1 Sacramento A’s Donavon Walton’s two run walk off home run put the A’s over the top with a 6-5 win over the Seattle Mariners at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento. Walton getting the home run off M’s reliever Eddie Bazardo.

#2 Earlier in the game the A’s got scoring help in the bottom of the first inning with Jeff McNeil hitting an RBI double scoring Henry Bolte to make 1-0 later in the inning Max Muncy got a infield hit that scored McNiel making it 2-0.

#3 In the third inning Lawrence Butler hit his 14th home run of the season a two run home run off Mariners starter George Kirby as the A’s took a 4-2 lead.

#4 With the score tied 4-4 in the last of the tenth you saw it M’s releiver Eddie Bazardo gave up a cookie and Walton took him deep and the A’s who are on a run having beat the M’s in Seattle three of four and two out of three to the Blue Jays in Sacramento and open this series with the M’s with a 6-5 razor close win.

#5 M’s and A’s go at it again Saturday night first pitch 6:40 pm PDT at Sutter Health Park starters for Seattle RHP Bryce Miller (4-9 ERA 4.22) for Sacramento LHP Jacob Lopez (6-4 ERA 4.78).

Tony Harvey does the Sacramento A’s podcasts each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

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.