A’s beat Red Sox 4-1 gives James Kaprielian his first Major League victory

Oakland A’s starter James Kaprielian pitches to the Boston Red Sox line up in the first inning at Fenway Park in Boston Wed May 12, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (23-15) sent James Kaprielian to the Hill Wednesday night to face the Boston Red Sox (22-16). Kaprielian was making his first Major League start. The young man from Southern California had his family in attendance, and he had to have some butterflies in his stomach at the start of the game.

The Red Sox welcomed him by scoring a run in the first inning. Kaprielian worked his way out of a jam and threw about 30 pitches in the frame. He settled down and kept the Red Sox off the board the next four innings. The A’s offense put four unanswered runs on the board, and James won his first game in the big leagues. 

The Red Sox drew first blood in the bottom of the first. Marwyn Gonzalez, who loves to hit against the A’s, got things going with a double to right field. Kaprielian walked Alex Verdugo and gave up a single to J.D. Martinez. The Red Sox had the bases loaded with no out and the chance for a big inning. Kaprielian retired the next two hitters. He walked Christian Vasquez to force in a run. Hunter Renfroe struck out to end the inning. Boston led 1-0 after one inning of play.

The A’s tied the game in the top of the fourth. With two out, Stephen Piscotty singled. Sean Murphy doubled to drive in Piscotty. The A’s scored two more in the top of the fifth. Mitch Moreland singled to start the rally. A’s shortstop Elvis Andrus doubled to center to send Moreland to third.

Jed Lowrie grounded out 6-3. Moreland scored on the play, Andrus advanced to third. Andrus scored when Eduardo Rodriguez committed a balk. The A’s led 3-1 midway through the fifth inning. Oakland added a run in the top of the seventh when Matt Olson blasted his eighth of the year. 

A’s manager Bob Melvin turned the pitching chores over to his bullpen after the fifth inning. Burch Smith pitched two perfect innings. With Lou Trivino pitching in the eighth, the Red Sox mounted a threat. With one out and men on at second and third, Red Sox catcher Christian Vasquez grounded out to Lowrie who threw to Olson.

Xander Bogaerts committed a baserunning blunder as he tried to score from third on the play. A’s first baseman, Matt Olson, threw home to nail Bogaerts trying to score. The A’s led 4-1 after eight complete.

The A’s summoned lefty Jake Diekman from the bullpen to close out the game in the ninth. Jake retired the Red Sox 1-2-3 to preserve the win for Kaprielian.

Game Notes: With the win, the A’s are now 23-15 for the year. The Red Sox are 22-16. 

Kaprielian worked five innings and allowed one run and four hits. He struck out six and walked three. Kaprielian’s father was in attendance to watch his son start his first game in the Majors. The A’s acquired James in a trade with the Yankees in 2017. The trade sent Sonny Gray to New York. The Yankees picked Kaprielian in the first round of the 2016 draft. Kaprielian missed two years of playing time due to arm injuries. 

The A’s will be attempting to sweep the Red Sox on Thursday. The A’s pitching shut down the vaunted Boston offense allowing them three runs in the first two games of the series.

The A’s will send Sean Manaea to the hill on Thursday. Manaea was outstanding in his last performance. Garrett Richards will pitch for Boston. 

The game will start at 4:10 pm on Thursday.

Giants day off report: Giants open four game series in Pittsburgh Thursday night

San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi is seen here in as the Los Angeles Dodgers general manager in this Nov 9, 2016 photo said that he will be looking for left handed hitting for the Giants when the trade deadline comes around in July (AP News file photo)

By Jessica Kwong

The San Francisco Giants enjoyed a day off on Wednesday after a 4-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday to sweep the two-game series and safeguard their spot at the top of the NL West. They now lead the San Diego Padres by two games and the Los Angeles Dodgers by three games.

Holding a 22-14 record, the Giants are tied at the most wins with the St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland A’s and Boston Red Sox. San Francisco and St. Louis, with a .611 win percentage, are the best in the league.

The Giants are on the road to face the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds before returning to Oracle Park to host the defending champion Dodgers. First pitch for Thursday’s game at PNC Park is at 3:35 p.m.

On Tuesday, Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi spoke about the MLB trade deadline more than two months away, in light of how well the team is doing now. Zaidi said that last year the organization talked quite a bit about adding a left-handed bat which could have been the difference. The Giants ended up finishing last season a pitch away from making the playoffs.

“A lot of the best pieces in July are if you add a complementary piece that really addresses an area of need and can really clean up the roster. We’ll be looking at all those things,” Zaidi said on KNBR’s “Tolbert, Krueger & Brooks” show.

“It’s really early and I don’t see ourselves positioning as a buyer or a seller, but we’re in this to be competitive,” he continued. “You like to reward a clubhouse and a group that’s playing well like the way our guys are right now.”

The Giants spent much of Tuesday also celebrating a home run by right fielder Drew Robinson in their Triple-A affiliate Sacramento River Cats. Robinson’s solo homer in the top of the second inning was cheered across the minor and major leagues because it was his first since he lost an eye in an attempted suicide in April 2020.

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Golden State Warriors podcast with David Zizmor: Warriors come back on Suns remain in 8th in Western Conference

The Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins who scored 38 points against the Phoenix Suns is congratulated by forward Draymond Green (23) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue May 11, 2021 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 The Golden State Warriors (37-33) were down but staged a comeback holding the Phoenix Suns (48-21) to just 18 points in the fourth quarter and scored 30 to win it 122-116.

#2 One of the keys to the Warriors offense was Andrew Wiggins who scored 38 points the Suns just couldn’t shut his shot or his offense down.

#3 It’s a tight spot for that last and final eighth spot in the Western Conference that the Warriors are holding onto they host the New Orleans Pelicans (31-38) on Friday night at the Chase Center and hope to keep winning to stay alive for a playoff position.

Join David each Wednesday for the Warriors podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings strong second half gets them win over OKC 122-106

Sacramento Kings guard Terence Davis (9) guards Oklahoma City Thunder guard Svi Mykhailiuk (14) in the first quarter at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Tue May 11, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings (31-38) were back in action on Tuesday night. The Kings last played on Sunday in Sacramento against the Oklahoma City Thunder (21-49). On Tuesday, they were matched up against those same Thunder. The Kings would play the Thunder in three of the last five games after Tuesday night. On Tuesday, the Kings downed the Thunder 122-106. However, before we talk about Tuesday’s matchup let’s discuss the Kings win against the Thunder on Sunday.

Flashback Sunday: The Kings have handled the Thunder in 2021. On Sunday, it was no different. The Kings managed to bet the Thunder by a convincing margin 126-98. The key to the King’s victory was defense. This year, the theme in Kings victory has been defense. If the Kings are competent on the defensive end they have a chance to win. The Kings downed the Thunder on Sunday by keeping them below 100 points.

Tuesday night game recap: The Kings were set to take on the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday at 7 PM PST in Sacramento. It would be the Kings third game in the last game against the struggling Oklahoma City Thunder.

In the first half, the Thunder outplayed the Kings. Specifically, in the first quarter where the Thunder outscored the Kings 32-27. For a team without much offensive firepower, the Thunder boomed on offense. In the second quarter, the Thunder didn’t slow down.

Yet, the Kings managed to outslug the Thunder in the second quarter. The Kings outscored the Thunder 35-33 in the second quarter to close the gap heading into halftime. The Thunder would enter halftime up 65-62 looking to snap the losing streak against the Kings.

In the second half, the Kings had plans for the Thunder. The Kings came out of the gate in the third with authority as they pummelled the Thunder by outscoring them 41-18. It may well have been the best quarter the Kings have played this season as the defensive intensity and offensive output had greatly increased from the first half.

The third quarter would give the Kings momentum and catapult them to a 102-83 lead heading into the final 12 minutes. In the fourth quarter, it was merely academic. The Kings offense cooled and the Thunder outscored them 23-19 in the final quarter.

However, that comeback would fall woefully short. The Kings beat the Thunder for the third straight time by the final of 122-106. In the game, the Kings got solid performances from Terence Davis, Buddy Hield, and Delon Wright who all scored more than 20 points.

Davis seems to have taken on more of a scoring role in the absence of De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton. Davis led the Kings scoring 27 points on Tuesday night. For the Thunder, they were led in defeat by Kenrich Williams who scored 20 points.

Up Next: The Kings head to Memphis on Thursday to take on the Memphis Grizzlies at 5 PM PST. The Kings have three games remaining on the season as they are 2.5 games back of the 10th place Spurs in the standings.

Warriors fourth quarter rally stuns Suns 122-116; Wiggins top scorer with 38 points for Golden State

The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) takes a shot against the Phoenix Suns Devin Booker at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue May 11, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

For the second night in a row, the Golden State Warriors (37-33) faced one of the top teams in the NBA, the Phoenix Suns (48-21). The Suns entered the game, still smarting from a 123-110 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday night. If the Suns were to win, they would be just one game behind the Utah Jazz in the race for first place in the Western Conference.

If Utah and Phoenix finish with identical records, Phoenix would be Division champs as they won the season series from the Jazz. The Warriors needed a win to remain in eighth place in the Western Conference. The eighth-place would give the Warriors two chances to make the final eight teams for the Western Conference title. If the Warriors finish in ninth or tenth, one loss will send them home.

Things did not go well for the Warriors in the first half. Phoenix, as so many teams have done, had two men defending Stephen Curry. The Warriors needed someone to step up and fill the void if Curry was shackled. Andrew Wiggins was the man. Wiggins finished the night with 38 points to lead the Warriors to an exciting 122-116 win.

 In the first quarter, the teams played a very face-paced, competitive game. The Warriors led 21-20 when Phoenix went on a 16-2 run to lea 36-23. The Suns were making threes, and the Warriors were not. The Suns connected on six threes. Phoenix led 38-29 after the first 12 minutes of action.

Things didn’t get better for Golden State in the second period. The Suns led by 15 points, 55-40, about halfway through the period. Kent Bazemore, Andrew Wiggins, and Juan Toscano-Anderson helped the Warriors close the gap to a eight-point deficit, 66-58 at the end of the first half.

The Suns Jae Crowder led his team with 17 points. Crowder knocked down five shots from behind the three-point arc. The 36-year-old veteran point guard, Chris Paul, had 11. Devin Booker had nine. Andrew Wiggins kept the Warriors in the game with 21. Kent Bazemore pitched in with 14. Curry finished with four points. He was 0-for-5 from downtown.

The Warriors knew they had to make adjustments to get Curry open so that he could attempt three-point shots. The Suns knew that the Warriors love to put their opponents away in the third quarter. Neither team would wilt in the quarter.

Curry made his only three-pointer of the night to bring the Dubs within six, 70-64. The Suns Devin Booker held to nine points in the first half, took over the Phoenix offense. Booker poured in 22 points while the rest of the Suns tallied just ten. The Warriors won the quarter 34-32 but still trailed by six, 98-92 heading into the final 12 minutes of play. 

The Warriors had to find a way to stop the Phoenix offense in the fourth quarter. Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, and Juan Toscano-Anderson were the players that held Phoenix to 18 points. The Warriors started the final 12 minutes with their second unit.

Wiggins and Jordan Poole each made a three to tie the game 103-103. Curry made a bucket to tie the game at 105-105. Phoenix went ahead 110-107 with three minutes left. Wiggins connected on a three to tie the game again. Chris Paul responded with a three to put Phoenix ahead 113-110.

Toscano-Anderson made his only three of the night to tie the game at 113-113. Jordan Poole gave the Warriors their first lead since they led 21-20 in the first period. Wiggins made a two-point bucket to give the Warriors a five-point lead 118-113 with 1:21 left.

The Suns Jae Crowder made his sixth three of the night to close within two, 118-116 with 1:10 left. Curry made a floater. Curry made a floater. Golden State led 120-116. The Suns, running out of time, fouled Jordan Poole. Poole made both free throws to seal the win for the Warriors 122-116.

Game Notes and Stats: With the win, the Warriors are 37-33 for the year. They have two games left on the schedule. They meet the New Orleans Pelicans Friday night and finish the season against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies trail the Warriors by 1/2 game in the race for the eighth spot in the conference. Sunday’s game should be a barnburner.

Andrew Wiggins was the player of the game for Golden State. Wiggins finished with 38 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Wiggins was 17-for-24 from the floor, and he connected on two threes. Green finished with a triple-double.

His numbers were 11 points, ten rebounds, and 11 assists. The Warriors rarely lose when Green has a triple-double. Poole had 20 points. Poole made three threes. Kent Bazemore had another solid game on both ends of the court.

Bazemore finished with 17 points. For most players scoring 21 points in a game would be a big night. For Curry, it was an off night. Curry tallied 21 points, three rebounds, and six assists. He was seven-for 22 from the floor, and he made one three in 11 tries. Toscano-Anderson finished with seven points, five rebounds, and six assists. He made one three, but it was huge when it happened in the fourth quarter. 

As a team, the Warriors made 47 field goals in 95 attempts. They were 11-for-40 from behind the three-point arc. They outrebounded the Suns 51-40. The Warriors recorded 33 assists on 47 field goals. 

Devin Booker led the Suns with 34 points. Chris Paul had 24, and Jae Crowder finished with 20.

The Warriors play the New Orleans Pelicans Friday night at the Chase Center. Zion Williamson will not play. The Pelicans’ star forward due to an injury he suffered last week against the Warriors in Crescent City. The game will start at 6:30 pm

Barracuda conclude regular season with 3-1 loss to Silver Knights

by Marko Ukalovic

LAS VEGAS, Nev–The Henderson Silver Knights defeated the San Jose Barracuda 3-1 in the ‘Cuda’s regular season finale on Tuesday evening at Orleans Arena.

San Jose finished the regular season on a four-game losing streak as they whimper into the play in-game of the Pacific Division playoffs on May 18th. Henderson have won three games in a row and finish the regular season with three games against the Bakersfield Condors.

Henderson (24-12-0-0) drew first blood late in the first period. Paul Cotter sent a shot in on ‘Cuda goalie Zachary Sawchenko that was kicked out to the left slot and Ben Jones skated in and cleaned up the rebound beating Sawchenko with a wrist shot for his seventh goal of the season at the 13:32 mark.

Jones snapped an 11-game goal less draught.

Chaz Reddekopp and Zach Hayes danced the tango at the 14:17 mark in a spirited battle at center ice.

San Jose (15-15-4-2) out shot Henderson 17-9, but were left frustrated heading into the first intermission as Silver Knights goalie Logan Thompson was perfect in the opening 20 minutes.

Henderson doubled its lead on the power play early in the second period. Gage Quinney found ‘Cuda killer Dann O’Regan in the right slot and his shot ricochet off the skate of Jacob Megna through the five-hole of Sawchenko for O’Regan’s team leading 14th goal of the season at the 3:47 mark.

O’Regan, whose goal proved to be the game winner, scored six goals and 10 points against his former team this season.

San Jose finally solved the riddle known as Thompson late in the middle frame. Brandon Coe sent a pass down to Maxim Letunov down the right end line. Letunov quickly spun around and centered a pass to the back post where Evan Weinger slammed home a one-timer past the five-hole of Thompson for his fourth goal of the season at the 19:40 mark.

Weinger snapped a five-game goal less draught.

The Barracuda had a chance to tie the game up late in the third period when they had a five-on-three power play opportunity with 3:23 left in the third period. However, they weren’t able to generate any quality scoring chances as the Silver Knights ended the threat by killing off both penalites.

Jake Leschyshyn sealed the deal for Henderson with an empty net goal at the 19:20 mark. The 2017 second round draft pick of the Vegas Golden Knights scored his fifth goal of the season.

Thompson finished the game stopping 26 of the 27 shots he faced to earn his 15th win of the season and fourth versus the ‘Cuda this season. Sawchenko (1-3) made 27 saves on 29 shots in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose was 0-for-4 on the power play. Henderson went 1-for-3.

The Barracuda have given up a power play goal in seven straight games and 11 out of its last 12.

Mason Primeau received the secondary assist on Jones’ goal in the first period. Mason is the son of former San Jose Sharks player Wayne Primeau, who played for the Sharks from 2003-2006.

San Jose finished the season with a 5-9-3 record on the road.

The announced attendance was 2,021.

The Three Stars of the Game were: 1) O’Regan 2) Jones 3) Thompson

UP NEXT: The Barracuda will play in the play-in game on Tuesday 5/18. Team and time TBD.

Oakland Wins Game One Against Boston 3-2

Oakland A’s players share congratulations after defeating the Boston Red Sox in game 1 of the three game series on Tue May 11, 2021 at Fenway Park in Boston (@Athletics photo)

Oakland Wins Game One Against Boston 3-2

By Barbara Mason

Tuesday evening the Oakland A’s took on the Boston Red Sox at the storied Fenway Park in the first of a three game series. Both teams sit in first place in their respective divisions. The series will be a challenge for the A’s. This is probably the toughest series that they have faced all year, even tougher than Tampa Bay.

Ramon Laureano is back in the lineup which is great news for Oakland. They will have to call on all their resources to match up with Boston. The Red Sox have some heavy hitters; one of them Martinez who sacrificed in the first inning driving in Verdugo. After one inning the Red Sox had taken a 1-0 lead thanks to J.D. Martinez.

Chris Bassitt was on the mound for Oakland and Nathan Eovaldi pitched for Boston. With the exception of the one run in the first inning both pitchers were having solid performances through the first three innings.

It was quiet for the A’s until the fourth inning. Seth Brown walked and Matt Olson singled bringing Brown in and the game was tied 1-1. This was proving to be a highly contested ball game. Through six innings Chris Bassitt had nine strikeouts as this game remained deadlocked.

Boston’s Darwinzon Hernandez would take over on the mount in the top of the seventh inning. The A’s had a great chance in the seventh inning with Olson on third, Lowry on first with no outs. Matt Chapman singled and Matt Olson scored to break the tie 2-1. That’s all it took and after 16 pitches the Red Sox made a pitching change bringing in veteran Adam Ottavino. Elvis Andrus would single and Chapman scored to extend the lead to 3-1 in favor of Oakland.

The seventh inning was a good one for Boston as Rafael Devers homered cutting into Oakland’s lead 3-2. This game was going down to the wire.

It was a quiet eighth inning for both teams. The A’s could get nothing going in the top of the ninth and so the game was in the hands of Jake Diekman and he came through. The Red Sox made some noise in the ninth inning but came up short and the A’s won game one of the three game series.

Giants, Webb knock off Rangers 4-2; SF best record in baseball 22-14

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Tuesday, May 11, 2021

San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb picked up the win against the Texas Rangers at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Tue May 11, 2021 (@SFGiants photo)

San Francisco got a quality start from Logan Webb on Tuesday, as the Giants defeated Texas 4-2 in interleague play at Oracle Park.

Webb struck out a career-high 10 in six innings as the Giants swept the two-game set from the Rangers, who are 0-5 against National League opponents this season.

Webb (2-3) earned his first win in his last three starts. He surrendered two runs and three hits. Jake McGee threw a perfect ninth inning for his 10th save.

Brandon Belt and Mike Yastrzemski each drove in runs for San Francisco.

Rangers starter Jordan Lyles (1-3) gave up two runs in five innings, while logging six strikeouts. Lyles won his first start of 2021, but has since dropped three straight decisions.

David Dahl hit his third home run of the season for the Rangers. His shot to left-center cut the Giants’ lead to 4-2. But the San Francisco bullpen responded with three scoreless innings.

Joey Gallo’s run-scoring groundout gave Texas a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. The Giants responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the first on an RBI double by Yastrzemski and a base hit by Belt,

San Francisco added two more runs in the sixth on Texas third baseman Charlie Culberson’s throwing error.

The Rangers were 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position, helping San Francisco maintain MLB’s best home record at 14-4. The Giants have won five of their last six games at Oracle Park, but are 8-10 on the road,

Belt left the game in the eighth inning with what was called “mild tightness” in his left side. Giants manager Gabe Kapler called the move “precautionary.” San Francisco second baseman Donovan Solano, who has been on the injured list since April 22 with a calf strain, took BP and ground balls on Monday. He’s expected to go on a rehab assignment while the Giants are on the road.

The Giants open a four-game series in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. Right-hander Anthony DeSclafani (2-1, 2.40) will start the series opener for San Francisco,

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Oakland A’s Stadium Soap Opera – MLB to A’s “Build It or Relocate-“

The Oakland A’s could become the Las Vegas A’s if the Howard Terminal plan falls apart for a downtown stadium in Oakland. Vegas came up as one of the top cities the A’s could relocate to. The A’s have been in Oakland since 1968. ( photo from the Las Vegas Review Journal)

Oakland A’s Stadium Soap Opera – Built It or Relocate-

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–Major League Baseball instructed the Oakland Athletics to explore relocation options as the team tries to secure a new waterfront park in hopes of keeping the team at Oakland, where they have played since 1968. AP Reported that MLB released a statement Tuesday expressing its longtime determination that the current Coliseum site is “not a viable option for the future vision of baseball.”

A’s President Dave Kaval remains hopeful of a stadium deal, but there is beginning to be a time crunch; “we’re going to immediately start working with the league on exploring other markets and working hand in hand with them to identify which ones make the most sense and pursuing that right away,” A’s President Dave Kaval told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. “We need to keep our options know. People know, we can’t even keep the lights on here at the Coliseum.”

The goal had been to inaugurate the Howard Terminal Park in 2023, but now, even if approved by the City of Oakland City Council this summer, it would not be ready until the year 2027. So, you can draw your own conclusions, but to me it seems the City of Oakland is more focus on giving their citizens a guaranteed salary than keeping the Major League franchise in their city.

Again, we see how local politics could kill another stadium proposal, a few years ago it was Fremont, here in the Bay Area. For us who have lived most of our lives in the Bay Area, if the Athletics leave, we should not be that surprised. Remember how long it took for the San Francisco Giants to get their new park.

Las Vegas would make the most sense, they could play at their AAA park where the Aviators play, until they finish the construction of their new park and they will still be in the Western Division, but there are other options if they move out of Oakland. Other cities that were mentioned for an A’s relocation Portland, North Virginia, Vancouver, Charlotte, and Montreal.

If you wonder if rebuilding at the Coliseum location was a possibility (like many have said in the past) MLB said in a statement today “it is not a viable option for the future vision of baseball.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for all the play by play of Oakland A’s baseball with Manolo Hernandez Douen on the A’s flagship station 1010 KIQI LaGrande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Daniel Dullum: Medina Spirit will run in the Preakness; Five no hitters in MLB so far

John Velazquez rides Medina Spirit leading Florent Geroux on Mandaloun and Flavien Prat riding Hot Rod Charlie in the 147th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, in Louisville Kentucky on Sat May 1, 2021. It was announced on Tue May 11th that Medina Spirit will be allowed to race in the Preakness on Sat May 15th. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

1 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit has been allowed to race in the Preakness on Sat May 15th it was announced by horse race officials on Tuesday after testing positive for medicated ointment

2 Nationals broadcaster accused of sexual misconduct; Another no-hitter in MLB, that’s 4 or 5 depending on who you ask

3 Russell Westbrook breaks Big O’s record for triple-doubles

4 Flag football on the table as possible Olympic sport

5 Lightning make NHL history by starting all-Black line against Florida Panthers

6 Tim Tebow looking for one more comeback – as tight end with Jaguars

Daniel Dullum does Headline Sports podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com