Las Vegas Aces Brianna Turner (21) tries to pass after a rebound defended by Golden State Valkyries’ Veronica Burton (22) and Kiah Stokes (41) in the first half of a WNBA basketball game in San Francisco, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
By Michael Roberson
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — The Golden State Valkyries (5-3) received a second half beatdown, 91-81 from the defending champion Las Vegas Aces (5-3) in the City by the Bay Sunday at Chase Center.
The Aces got on the board first to begin the contest. After that, there were four ties and three lead changes within the first ten minutes of the game. Gabby Williams (8) and Jackie Young (7) led their respective teams to a two point first quarter finish, with the home team up by two, 23-21.
The second stanza produced two additional ties and nine lead changes. However, the margin after two quarters was the same two points, but in the reciprocal form with the visitors in the lead, 43-41.
At the half, Williams (10) was the Golden State player in double-figures, while the Aces had two hoopers. A’ja Wilson scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and teammate Jackie Young added ten points.
The second half would be all Aces, which would be awesome in many card games, but the Sin City team parlayed that into an 18-point lead during the third period, and as much as 24 in the fourth quadrant.
Despite those vast leads, the Valkyries continued to fight back. Williams continued to lead the way for Golden State (12) in the third quarter, but the defending champs were keeping the team by the Bay at bay at that point in time. After 30 minutes of WNBA action, the Valkyries trailed by 18 points, 72-54.
Despite being behind by three touchdowns and a field goal, the Valkyries displayed strong pride and cut the deficit to single digits multiple times late in the game. Even with thal valiant effort, Las Vegas eventually won the game by 10 points, 91-81.
Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 20 points, while Janelle Salaun offered 16 points, and Kayla Thornton put up 12 points. The Ace were led by superstar A’ja Wilson’s 28 points and 15 rebounds. Jackie Young contributed 23 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, while NaLyssa Smith chipped in 15 points and nine rebounds.. Stephanie Talbot also tallied ten points and seven rebounds.
The victory for the Aces evened both teams’ records (5-3) and maybe previewed an eventual playoffs battle in the future.
The Valkyries will next be in action Tuesday, June 2, as they host the expansion Portland Fire at 7 PM PT on KMAX/KPIX+. The Aces will head down to Southern California, on the same date, taking on the Sparks at 7 PM PT on The Spot.
San Francisco Giant Casey Schmitt (left) congratulates Willy Adames (front right) after hitting a grand slam in the top of the fifth inning at Coors Field in Denver (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
The San Francisco Giants (23-36) bats came to life in a huge offensive effort beating the Colorado Rockies (22-38) in game three of their series 19-6 Sunday at Coors Field.
They did lose the series but hopefully they will take this momentum into their next series that gets underway Monday against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Giants were hitting lights out finishing with 25 hits which included a Willy Adames grand slam. All but one player in today’s lineup had at least a hit.
Game recap: San Francisco was looking to get on top of the Rockies in the first inning and that is exactly how this game got underway. The Giants got an excellent start in game three.
Rafael Devers doubled and Jung Hoo Lee who has had an amazing series singled Devers home for an early 1-0 lead. Starter Robbie Ray gave up two singles in the bottom of the inning but got out of it leaving two Colorado runners stranded.
The bottom of the San Francisco batting order continued to produce with Bryce Eldridge and Daniel Susac hitting back to back doubles in the top of the second inning. The Susac double drove Eldridge home extending their lead to 2-0.
The Rockies cut the Giants lead in half in the bottom of the second inning. Kyle Karros doubled reaching third on a wild pitch from Ray. Karros would score on a Fulford foul and the Rockies trailed 2-1
With the score so very close, San Francisco would be looking for some insurance runs as this game went into the third inning. Neither team was able to score in the third inning so both teams went into the fourth inning with the Giants looking for more runs and the Rockies looking to at the very least tie up this game.
The fourth inning was a busy one for San Francisco. Eldridge doubled followed by Susac getting hit by a pitch. There was a pitching change for the Rockies with Gordon being relieved by Brennan Bernardino.
Gordon had allowed six hits and four runs. Casey Schmitt singled driving Eldridge home and San Francisco was slowly pushing out their lead now with a 3-1 tally. They would add one more run before the top of the inning ended taking a 4-1 lead.
The Rockies got uncomfortably close in the bottom of the fourth inning. Karros led off the bottom of the fourth with a single and a Chad Stevens walk. Both Karros and Stevens scored, Stevens scoring on a Ray throwing error. Ray was very obviously fatigued already with 94 pitches but got out of the inning.
Going into the top of the fifth inning the best was yet to come for the Giants. When the dust had settled, the Giants had seven hits in the fifth inning. Jung Hoo Lee and Matt Chapman had back-to-back doubles. Drew Gilbert tripled driving Chapman home, the Chapman double had driven Lee home and the Giants now had a 6-3 lead.
The Giants pushed the score out with a seventh run when Schmitt singled Gilbert home. Colorado was doing everything they could to get out of the inning with two outs. The Giants continued to put runners on base and with the two outs had the bases loaded with Adames at the plate.
Adames came through with a grand slam pushing the San Francisco lead out to 11-3 and the Giants were rolling. The Rockies were able to score two runs in the bottom of the inning but continued to trail 11-5.
Eldridge led off the top of the 6th inning with a solo homer the team already with 16 hits in the game and a 12-5 lead; some absolutely amazing work at the plate for San Francisco. The score remained 12-5 going into the top of the seventh inning.
There were more hits for the Giants in the top of the seventh. Rafael Devers doubled followed by a Luis Arraez single that brought in another run for the Giants 13-5. Lee continued to tear it up with his fourth hit of this game, another RBI and a 14-5 San Francisco lead.
There was no stopping the offensive attack the Giants were waging. The Rockies were able to score one run in the bottom of the inning but not much else with two innings left in the game.
San Francisco continued their hitting ways into the eighth inning with more hits, more runs leading 17-6. The memorable moment in the inning was Jonah Cox making not only his first hit in the majors but also celebrating his first run. What a breath of fresh air for the Giants. Lee had his fifth hit of the game and this would be a game the Giants would not soon forget.
The Giants Jesus Rodriguez hit the teams’ third home run in the top of the ninth inning capping off one crazy game that saw the team finish with 25 hits.The final was 19-6. Lee had 5 hits, and Devers and Eldridge each had four hits. Schmitt finished with three hits and Adames had the Grand Slam bomb.
Game notes: After struggling through the first two games of their series with the Rockies losing both games on Friday and Saturday the Giants salvaged the series with at least one win to avoid a sweep. The Giants needed to wake up those bats in Sunday’s game.
In Saturday’s game they were trailing 8-0 before they even got on the scoreboard in the eighth inning. In the opening game of the series Friday San Francisco let the Rockies back into the game after taking a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning.
San Francisco scored two runs in the top of the ninth but had total breakdown on the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning allowed five hits and five runs for a Colorado walk-off win taking a 2-0 series lead.
The Giants will now head out to Milwaukee for a tough assignment, a series with the National League Central leaders the Brewers. This series gets underway Monday night with first pitch scheduled for 4:40 PM. The Giants will feature Landon Roupp on the mound. Roupp has a 5-5 win/loss and a 3.30 ERA. The Brewers will start Shane Drohan (2-1). Right now he has a 2.63 ERA.
Hotel Nikko San Francisco offers calm, refined luxury rooted in Japanese-inspired service and a restorative, wellness-focused guest experience in the heart of the city
Indoor pool – Glass enclosed rooftop pool
ANZU Restaurant Only Japanese Breakfast Buffet in San Francisco
Kanpai Sushi Lounge (refined, experiential dining element within the hotel)
Feinstein’s at the Nikko (on-site entertainment venue with live music and cabaret)
Spacious, modern guest rooms (clean design with subtle Japanese influence and tech-enabled comfort)
Summer Movies at the pool- All summer long they will be hosting a “dive in movie theater” on Friday and Saturday nights featuring kids movies for families.
Hotel Nikko 222 Mason Street near Union Square downtown San Francisco call 415-394-1111 for reservations and tell em Sports Radio Service sent you.
San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello (center) lifts starting pitcher Adrian Houser (12) in the bottom of the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver on Sat May 30, 2026 (AP News photo)
Giants: Too late to save
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez
At the eve of the month of June, the San Francisco Giants find themselves in fourth place in the NL Western Division,15 games out of first place.
In the history of Major League Baseball, no team has made the postseason with the numbers the Giants are entering the month of May. The Giants should begin today thinking about next year (if there is one), as it is increasingly likely that, in 2027, the players will be locked out by MLB owners.
In my opinion, this 2026 season is a wash. The team must begin making decisions now for the future. What would they do? They are in Colorado, playing the worst team in the National League, after losing the first two of a three-game series.
The team keeps drawing well because Oracle Park is a great ballpark, and the fans are loyal, paying for the $20 beer and all the other stuff that comes with it. It is a party atmosphere, especially during weekend afternoon games. Although this season doesn’t look like they will win 81 games, as last season, which, although it is not a great record, is exactly a .500 team, they have the dubious possibility of finishing last in the division.
The last time the Giants finished last was in 2017, when they went 84-98 in the Western Division.
The best slogan for the San Francisco Giants at this time during this 2026 season could be described in one very common sentence: in all sports, ” Wait ’till next year.”
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.
LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874
From the second you step in the front door, the sounds of Latin America will gently seduce your ears and continue as you relax outdoors with your favorite cocktail enjoying the view. The wonderful flavors and aromas of our cuisine will not disappoint.
We use only the finest, freshest, local ingredients in every dish and every dish is prepared to order. Enjoy live mariachi music weekly and on special occasions, catch balet folklorico dance performances among other live entertainment. Come visit us and have a great time! Enjoy fast, friendly service, fantastic food & cocktails, music and allow us to share our beautiful Mexican heritage with you.
LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant at 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874.
San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames (left) fields a throw as Colorado Rockies Jake McCarthy (31) steals second base in the bottom of the seventh inning at Coors Field in Denver on Sat May 30, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
It had been a nightmare of a series for the San Francisco Giants (22-36) losing game two to the Colorado Rockies (22-37). San Francisco did not get on the scoreboard until the top of the eighth inning. They denied Colorado the shutout but lost the game 8-3. Tomorrow they will be fighting to avoid a second sweep in a row. On top of their struggles at the plate they were not all that great from the mound.
Game recap: It was a quiet first inning for the Giants going three and out. The Rockies made a lot of noise in the bottom of the first. They loaded the bases with one out. San Francisco pitcher Adrian Houser walked Jake McCarthy and Hunter Goodman.
A Willi Castro single drove McCarthy home for the first run of the game. A second run was scored when Ezequiel Tovar hit an infield single again loading the bases. Adrian Houser hit Sterlin Thompson and a second run scored giving the Rockies an early 2-0 lead. San Francisco finally got out of the inning but it had been an awful start in this game for the Giants.
The second inning was another quiet inning for San Francisco. Matt Chapman doubled, but the one hit was all San Francisco could manage. Colorado went three and out and the Giants seemed to have a handle on the game going into the third inning.
The Giants had a hit in the third inning, a single from Eric Haase but other then hitting home runs, one hit per inning will not get the job done. Colorado threatened in the bottom of the third inning but San Francisco held on getting out of the inning with no damage. The Giants were yet to get up on the scoreboard.
The Giants continued to struggle at the plate going three and out in the fourth inning. The Rockies extended their lead in the bottom of the fourth inning scoring two more runs. Jake McCarthy homered with Edouard Julien on base; Colorado now with a 4-0 lead.
The Giants only had three hits through four innings while the Rockies had ten. The Giants were not only falling short at the plate there was also trouble on the mound. Adrian Houser was relieved after 3 2/3 innings. He had allowed eight hits and four earned runs and was relieved by Sam Hentges.
The top of the fifth inning was another one-hit inning for the Giants as they continued to wallow through the game. Not much was going San Francisco’s way. On the other hand the Rockies added another run to their tally in the fifth inning. Colorado had two singles in the inning and two more walks. Edouard Julien scored taking their lead to 5-0.
There was another pitching change for the Giants in the fifth inning. Brubaker relieved Hentges who had allowed two hits, one run and two walks in 1 1/3 innings of work. Brubaker dismissed the Rockies three and out to end the sixth. He had two strikeouts in the inning.
It had been a terrific game for the Rockies Ryan Feltner who pitched six full innings throwing only 63 pitches in what may have been one of his best games this season. He was relieved in the seventh inning by Brennan Bernardino. Feltner had allowed four hits, no runs and no walks.
The bottom of the seventh inning was more good times for the Colorado Rockies. Ryan Borucki relieved San Francisco’s Brubaker only to give up a home run to Kyle Karros and extend the Rockies lead to 6-0. Colorado was relentless scoring two more runs in the seventh pretty much breaking the game wide open leading 8-0 and working towards a shutout. Borucki had allowed four hits and three runs.
With one out in the top of the eighth inning, San Francisco at long last got up on the scoreboard when Drew Gilbert homered to right center with Bryce Eldridge on base. There would be no shutout for the Rockies but the bad news was that the Giants were three outs away from losing game two trailing 8-2.
San Francisco was able to score a third run in the ninth inning when Matt Chapman singled Jung Hoo Lee home. The final was 8-3 in favor of Colorado. The Rockies finished with 14 hits, the Giants had nine hits the majority of them in the later innings. The Giants just couldn’t get the job done from the start of the game.
Game notes: Friday night the Giants dropped a real heartbreaker in the first game of the series with the Rockies. Going into the ninth inning in Friday nights game San Francisco had a slim lead 4-3 but pushed that lead out when Rafael Devers tripled driving in Arraez.
Matt Chapman followed that up with a single that drove in Devers and the Giants took a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth. They were two outs away from winning game one. The Rockies had other plans for the outcome of this game. Colorado tied up the game off a Hunter Goodman home run with two runners on base.
The Rockies finished off San Francisco with yet another home run off the bat of Ezequiel Tovar with Willi Castro on base for the walk-off win 8-6. The Giants offense was good enough finishing with 12 hits. It all came crashing down in the bottom of the ninth inning when Caleb Kilian allowed five hits, five runs in 2/3 of an inning. As the top of the ninth finished, the Giants were in a very good place.
The Giants had played a good game and the returning Jung Hoo Lee had a terrific game with four hits and two runs. When it was looking so good for San Francisco the game turned sideways with a most discouraging finish.
Game three in this series will get underway Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 12:10 PM. Robbie Ray will get the start for the Giants. He has a 3-6 win/loss record and a 4.60 ERA. The Rockies will send Tanner Gordon (0-0 ERA 5.84). San Francisco will be looking for a win Sunday in an effort to avoid another sweep after getting swept in their last series earlier this week against the Diamondbacks.
New York Yankees Paul Goldschmidt (48) slugs a first inning home run off Sacramento A’s starter Luis Severino (not pictured) in the top of the first inning at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Fri May 29, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Tony Harvey:
#1 How much of an advantage do the Yankees gain from facing former Yankee pitcher Luis Severino, given their familiarity with his pitching style?
#2 Which star player is more likely to have the biggest offensive impact: Aaron Judge for New York or Brent Rooker for the Athletics?
#3 Can the Athletics reverse their recent home struggles in Sacramento against one of baseball’s strongest teams, or will the Yankees continue their winning momentum?
#4 What role will the hitter-friendly conditions at Sutter Health Park play in the outcome, and which lineup is better built to take advantage of the ballpark?
#5 The Athletics took a series from the Yankees earlier in April. Will this matchup be a chance for New York to even the score, or can the Athletics prove their earlier success was no fluke?
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.
Carolina Hurricane players congratulate goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) after eliminating the Montreal Canadiens in game 5 of the Stanley Cup Eastern Finals in Raleigh Carolina on Fri May 29, 2026 (AP News photo)
NHL Stanley Cup Finals podcast Mary Lisa:
#1 Can Carolina’s dominant playoff defense slow down Vegas’ balanced attack?
#2 The Hurricanes have lost only one playoff game and have been one of the stingiest defensive teams in the postseason, while Vegas enters the Final on a six-game winning streak after sweeping Colorado. Which goaltender will make the bigger impact in Game 1?
#3 Carolina’s Frederik Andersen has been outstanding throughout the playoffs, while Vegas has received strong play from Carter Hart during its run to the Final. Will Vegas benefit from extra rest, or will the layoff create rust?
#4 The Golden Knights finished their conference final days before Carolina clinched its berth, giving Vegas more recovery time but also a longer break from game action. Can Carolina capitalize on home-ice advantage early in the series?
#5 Because Carolina finished with the better regular-season record, the Hurricanes host Games 1 and 2. Establishing control at home could set the tone for the entire Final. Which star player will seize the spotlight in the Stanley Cup Final opener? Will it be Vegas captain Mark Stone and center Jack Eichel, or Carolina leaders such as Jordan Staal and Taylor Hall who drive their team to an early series lead?
San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Keaton Winn is bewildered after giving up two hits and two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver on Fri May 29, 2026 (AP News photo)
San Francisco Giants podcast Lincoln Juarez:
#1 Tough loss for the San Francisco Giants dropping an 8-6 decision to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field San Francisco dropping their fourth straight Friday night.
#2 Colorado snapped a five game losing streak including getting swept in three games to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Giants started out the contest with a 4-1 lead but that disappeared quickly when the Rockies scored twice in the bottom of the eighth and five times in the bottom of the ninth to come away with a 8-6 win.
#3 Earlier the Giants reassigned their third base coach Hector Borg to a Player development staff. The Giants special assistant to baseball operations Ron Wotus will be the Giants third base coach. Wotus had been a coach with the Giant previously and has experience as a third base coach.
#4 The Giants while they got the hitting the relief pitcher got caught up in the Rockies rally when reliever Keaton Winn pitched 1.1 innings allowed two hits and two runs in the eighth and ninth reliever Caleb Winn pitched 0.2 and got clobbered allowing five hits and five runs for the loss.
#5 It’s back to the drawing board for San Francisco matching up with Colorado on Saturday. Starting pitcher for the Giants RHP Adrian Houser (2-4 ERA 5.30) for the Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-1 ERA 6.30) first 6:10pm PDT.
Former San Francisco Giants third base coach Hector Borg (80) greets Casey Schmitt at third base after hitting a home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wed May 20, 2026. Borg was been replaced and reassigned by the Giants on Fri May 29, 2026. (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
San Francisco (22-34) was sitting pretty going into the bottom of the ninth leading the Colorado Rockies (20-37) 6-3. A couple of home runs later, the Rockies waltzed away with the walk off win 8-6 Friday night. It was a heartbreaker for the Giants, and a tough outing for closer Caleb Kilian who gave up five hits and five runs.
Game recap: Each team had a runner on base in a scoreless first inning. Colorado took the first lead of the game in the bottom of the second inning 1-0. Throwing errors resulted in the Rockies run. Ezequiel Tovar stole home and Edouard Julien stole second reaching third base on a San Francisco error. This was not the start that the Giants wanted to see.
San Francisco rallied in the third and fourth innings. Willy Adames sacrificed Bryce Eldridge home to tie up the game at one apiece. The fourth inning yielded two runs for the Giants taking a 3-1 lead. Daniel Susac sacrificed Matt Chapman home in the third inning. Going into the fourth inning another run for San Francisco. Harrison Bader singled Jung Hoo Lee home and the Giants had the 3-1 lead.
The Rockies starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen went 3 2/3 innings giving up five hits, three runs and two walks. He had two strikeouts and was relieved by Jaden Hill. San Francisco also had a pitching change in the fifth inning. Logan Webb pitched 4 1/3 innings giving up three hits, one run, three walks with five strikeouts. He was relieved by Matt Gage.
Jung Hoo Lee made the catch of the game in the outfield in the fifth inning robbing the Rockies of a certain run. With two outs and two runners on base, Troy Johnston slugged a ball into right field, but Lee made a miraculous catch sprawled out on the field ending the inning, the score remaining 3-1 in favor of the Giants. Lee upon his return had been doing it all night already with two two hits and one run.
The Giants had a great opportunity in the top of the sixth inning with two runners on base but two outs. Willy Adames struck out for the third out and San Francisco squandered the chance to extend their lead.
San Francisco took the 3-1 lead into the top of the eighth inning. The Giants had Chung Hoo Lee on third with one out. Bryce Eldridge drove Lee home on a sacrifice fly and San Francisco was getting the job done leading 4-1 and Lee had his second run of the game.
Colorado put the Giants on alert in the bottom of the eighth inning. They were not finished by a long shot. With two outs Ezequiel Tovar sent a Keaton Winn pitch out of the park with Troy Johnston on base and just like that the score was 4-3 in favor of San Francisco. The game had become uncomfortably close with a single inning left to play.
The Giants got an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning when Rafael Devers tripled driving in Luis Arraez and it was then that San Francisco went on a hitting frenzy. After the Devers triple, Matt Chapman singled followed by a Jung Hoo Lee single his fourth of the game.
The Chapman single drove in Devers and it was looking oh so good for San Francisco. The Rockies finally got out of the inning but were three outs away from losing the first game of the series.
The Giants Caleb Kilian came in to close out the ninth inning. The Rockies were trailing by three runs and put two runners on base with no outs. When it was looking so promising for the Giants two outs away from the win it all went sideways.
Hunter Goodman hit a home run with Jake McCarthy and Tyler Freeman on base and this game was tied 6-6. Now the Giants would need to fight to survive and see the tenth inning. There would be no tenth inning for San Francisco. Ezequiel Tovar hit his second home run of the game with Willi Castro on base and that was the ball game, a walk off and a 8-6 win for Colorado.
Game notes: It has sure been an interesting couple of days for San Francisco. In the news right now Hector Borg is out as third base coach being re-assigned to another role with the team. Ron Wotus will return to the coaching box until further notice. That coaching position has been shaky at best for the past two seasons.
Some of Borg’s decisions cost the Giants runs and right now they need all the runs that they can get. There was some good news for San Francisco as they completed the first game of a three-game series with the Colorado on Friday night.
The positive news for San Francisco was the reinstatement of pitcher Logan Webb and right fielder Jung Hoo Lee. Webb started Friday’s game had a good outing pitching 4.1 allowed three hits and one earned run. Lee had a great night against the Rockies with four hits and two runs scored.The Giants can really use both of these guys right now.
Over the weekend the Giants were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks and with Friday’s loss are now 13 games below .500. They will be looking to get back on track as they take on Colorado again on Saturday at Coors Field.
The Giants suffered a devastating loss in game one Friday when it looked like they would come away with a win only to lose in a walk off. Saturday they will be looking to even up this series. Adrian Houser will take the mound for the Giants. His win/loss record is 2-4 with a 5.30 ERA. The Rockies probable starter will be Ryan Feltner. He has a 1-1 win/loss record and a 6.30 ERA. First pitch for this game is scheduled for 6:10 PM.
Rendering of the proposed Sacramento Major League Baseball ballpark to be built in West Sacramento that was presented by The Barn in West Sacramento Group during a press conference on Fri May 29, 2026 (Renderings presented by The Barn West Sacramento Group)
By Mauricio Seguura
WEST SACRAMENTO–West Sacramento did not just raise its hand for Major League Baseball on Thursday. It walked to the plate with renderings, money, political muscle, tribal investment, real estate, baseball names, and a message that was hard to miss: this region does not want to be a temporary stopover. It wants a permanent franchise.
The press conference at The Barn in West Sacramento launched the “Sacramento Pitch,” a formal regional campaign to land an MLB expansion team after the Athletics leave for Las Vegas. The speakers included Fulcrum Property founder and Greater Sacramento Economic Council board chair Mark Friedman, Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty, West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero, Greater Sacramento Economic Council President and CEO Barry Broome, former MLB manager Dusty Baker, former MLB player Derek Lee, and other civic and baseball voices tied to the effort.
Friedman framed the day as the beginning of a long campaign, saying Sacramento had quietly spent the past year building partnerships, investments, and a stadium vision so it would be ready when MLB opens the expansion door. McCarty leaned into the urgency of the moment, saying the region had announced a local ownership group, laid out financing, and begun making its case.
Guerrero’s message was rooted in West Sacramento’s readiness, arguing that MLB is already seeing the area’s energy, civic pride, and capacity through its current role as host to the Athletics. Baker, a Sacramento-area native and one of baseball’s most respected voices, gave the effort its emotional spine, saying he has long believed Sacramento is a major-league city and pointing to the region’s baseball roots, loyal fans, and growing footprint.
The proposal itself is not a napkin sketch, which is what makes this worth taking seriously. The plan centers on a 35,000-to-40,000-seat ballpark in West Sacramento’s Bridge District, adjacent to the current Sutter Health Park site, paired with a larger mixed-use development of housing, hotels, retail, office space, restaurants, and entertainment.
The broader Bridge District covers 180 acres and is already zoned and entitled for millions of square feet of development, with part of that vision already built. Friedman controls roughly 50 acres, giving Sacramento something several rival markets still have to chase: a site that is not theoretical.
The money stack is also unusually specific for an expansion bid. Local leaders say they have assembled about $1.8 billion in public and private commitments. West Sacramento is expected to provide up to $1 billion through tax increment financing, hotel taxes, and related tools, with officials saying the plan would not affect the city’s general fund or require a taxpayer vote.
The private side includes $250 million each from the United Auburn Indian Community and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, plus land and equity commitments from Friedman and the Sacramento Kings/River Cats side, each valued around $150 million. The campaign is also seeking additional limited partners.
But there is still one enormous empty chair at the table: a lead investor. That is the difference between a strong civic pitch and a real MLB franchise bid. Expansion fees are expected to land somewhere above $2 billion, possibly $2.5 billion or more, and MLB will want an ownership group with the financial strength to build, operate, absorb early losses, and still look stable on league letterhead.
Sacramento’s current pitch sets the ball neatly on the batting tee. Now it needs someone wealthy enough to take the swing and hit the ball.
So what are the chances? Better than they were a week ago, but there are still too many obstacles to give a solid assesment. Sacramento has a real case because it has land, public financing, tribal investment, a proven minor-league history with the River Cats, a top-20 media market, a metro population around 2.7 million, and only one existing major pro franchise in the Kings.
The Athletics’ temporary stay also gives Sacramento a live audition no other contender has. The problem is that Nashville, Salt Lake City, Portland, Charlotte, Raleigh, Orlando, Vancouver, and Montreal are not standing around holding bake sales. Some have stronger corporate bases, louder national buzz, or years of expansion groundwork.
Sacramento’s path improves dramatically if attendance for the Athletics strengthens, if a billionaire lead investor emerges, if the city keeps proving it can execute infrastructure without drama, and if MLB truly wants one Western expansion partner.
Two questions that have never been fully addressed, or even seriously considered, are what happens to the River Cats, who have played at Sutter Health Park for the past 25 years, and what Vivek Ranadivé makes of all this. Ranadivé owns both the River Cats and the Sacramento Kings, and the renderings of the proposed new stadium appear to show condominiums on the site where the current ballpark stands, also controlled by him.
For now, Ranadivé has not publicly laid out his position. But it is not hard to imagine that he would be reluctant to give up his ballpark, his team, or a valuable piece of downtown Sacramento real estate without a fight or a significant payout.
The other unanswered question involves the Giants. Let’s be honest: San Francisco has long wanted to maintain control over the Northern California baseball market. Three years of A’s baseball in Sacramento may be tolerable. But what would the Giants say about a permanent MLB team playing just 80 miles east of Oracle Park? And would they really remain passive if that possibility started to look real? Only time will tell, but if anyone can be an effective middleman in those negotiations, it’s Dusty Baker.
The bid is no longer a pipe dream. It is credible.
But credibility only gets Sacramento into the batter’s box. To hit the home run, the city still needs three things: a major investor, strong crowd support, and the kind of polished financial certainty that makes MLB owners stop nodding politely and start paying serious attention.
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
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Carolina Hurricanes Logan Stankoven (22) scores on Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) in the first period during game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals at the Bell Centre in Montreal (photo by Canadien Press via AP)
NHL Stanley Cup Playoff podcast Len Shapiro:
#1 Len before we begin the Stanley Cup Playoff podcast between the Canadiens and Hurricane could you just talk about the sad suicide of former San Jose Shark and NHL great Claude LeMieux. Hockey is a very physical game and LeMieux who not only delivered some big hit himself was no doubt hit as well. Concussions have been suspected as a cause of suicides by NHL players?
#2 How did the Hurricanes manage to score three first-period goals in under three minutes against the Canadiens?
#3 What impact did Frederik Andersen’s shutout performance have on Game 4 and the series overall?
#4 Which Canadiens players struggled the most during the 4–0 loss at Bell Centre?
#5 How important was Sebastian Aho’s power-play goal in setting the tone for Carolina’s victory?
#6 What adjustments do the Canadiens need to make before Game 5 to avoid elimination from the Eastern Conference Final?
