Photo credit: @sportingnews
On the Warriors podcast with David Zizmor:
Talk about how the Warriors Kevin Durant dominated on offense Monday night in Game 1 in Houston with 37 points coming in with his second-highest total for the postseason. His opponent, the Rockets’ James Harden, finished with his second-highest total of 41 points. It looked like Harden against five Warriors players.
David Zizmor does the Warriors podcasts each Tuesday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
photo @SFGiants: San Francisco Giants hitter Andrew McCutchen swings for one of his two doubles on Monday night at AT&T Park against the visiting Cincinnati Reds
On the Giants podcast with Michael and Morris:
The Cincinnati Reds came into AT&T Park on Monday night after sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers in four games and with a six game winning streak but ran into the Giants who had a six game losing streak until they snapped it on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-0.
With the win it picked up the Giants spirits and hitting as well on Monday they got help from Andrew McCutchen, Brandon Crawford, Buster Posey Brandon Belt, and Evan Longoria all who hit for doubles. Belt hit an eighth inning home run his seventh of the season with nobody out to help provide for the Giants offense.
The Giants got the 10-7 win and got their run production early three in the first, one in the second, two in the third, and later three in the sixth which helped because the Reds put seven runs on the board which in most circumstances is good enough to win a ball game normally.
Michael Duca and Morris Phillips do the Giants podcast weekly at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
Photo credit: sfgate.com
On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips:
The Giants, after dropping six straight games, finally got a win and took some of the pressure from a six-game skid in Pittsburgh with a 5-0 shutout being the pitching of Derek Holland, who went six-plus, four hits, no runs and seven strike outs. Holland’s five walks was the most he has given up thus far this season.
The Giants provided great defense behind Holland and didn’t commit an error. The team is leading the National League in errors with 31. The Giants also look forward to getting pitcher Madison Bumgarner healthy again.
Bumgarner threw off the mound tonight at AT&T Park before the Giants meeting with the Cincinnati Reds. Bumgarner will continue to rehab until his scheduled start on May 25th some 11 days from now. Meanwhile, the Reds, who are in last place, have recently found their way to the win column putting together a six-game win streak coming into AT&T tonight. The Reds have simply improved with good hitting and good defense.
Morris Phillips does the SF Giants podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
CESAR’S SALAD DAY
By Tony “Le Tigre” Hayes
Cesar Gutierrez – IF – 1967, 1969 – # 17
SAN FRANCISCO–He Was a Giant?
This slight 5’9″, 150 pound infielder – who spent parts of two seasons swinging and missing as a Giant – was alternately nicknamed, “Bandito” (he was a nifty base stealer) and “Cocoa” (for an undying love of Hershey bars).
But “The Enigma” would have equally worked for Gutierrez — especially in reference to the right-handed hitter’s perplexing batting results in the Majors.
Though he was a minor league career .299 hitter and even won a Triple-A batting title as a Giants farmhand, the Venezuelan was an underachieving big league batsman, hitting a moribund .235 in 223 MLB contests.
Gutierrez was practically an automatic out.
That is… with the exception of one stunning performance by Gutierrez as a Detroit Tiger in 1970, when the normally feeble swinger set a modern day big league record for most hits in a game without recording an out.
He batted 7-for-7, in a 9-8, 12-inning Tigers win at Cleveland in the night-cap of a double header (6/21/70).
Cesar batted safely off all six Cleveland pitchers that day.
He collected two singles off the Tribe’s Rick Austin (in his MLB debut), mashed a double and single off Dennis Higgins, laced another single off Fred Lasher, stroked another single against Dick Ellsworth and capped his day with yet another single off the losing pitcher Phil Hennigan.
Astonishing Gutierrez’s six singles and one double that day, fell just one short of the grand total of hits Gutierrez amassed as a Giant when he batted .182 in 33 contests.
Why Was He a Giant?
With the sure-handed Hal Lanier holding down shortstop in SF, Gutierrez was the back up to begin the 1967 campaign. but didn’t hang around long – spending most of the season at Triple-A Phoenix.
Coincidently he thrived in the desert, winning the Pacific Coast League batting crown with a .322 average.
Before & After
After spending all of 1968 back in the minors, Gutierrez made the Giants big club on Opening Day in 1969, but failed to get his bat in gear once again.
The Giants cut ties with Gutierrez later that season, trading the then 26 -year -old to the Tigers to complete an earlier deal for rubber-armed reliever Don McMahon.
Gutierrez finally got his shot to play in the bigs in 1970 and was Detroit’s starting shortstop for most of the season. But save his one heavy volume hit day – Gutierrez did not impress at the plate (.243).
He failed to hit a home run and to make matters worse, Gutierrez had more errors (23) than he did RBI (22). After the Tigers’ disappointing fourth place finish, the Bengals closed the curtains on the Gutierrez experiment.
He Wasn’t Omar Vizquel… But
After starting his Giants career 0-for-10, Gutierrez delivered his first two big league hits off of former 20-game winner Chris Short of Philadelphia in a 9-1 loss at Candlestick Park (9/29/67).
Giants Footprint
Since Gutierrez’s magical day at the plate in 1970, only two players have stroked seven hits in a game. They each have ties to the Orange & Black.
In 1975, as a member of the Pirates, future Giant Rennie Stennett batted 7-for-7 in a regulation 9-inning game.
Then in 2017, current SF player Brandon Crawford batted 7-for-8 in a 12-inning game.
Tony the Tiger Hayes does the Giants features. Catch him at http://www.sportsradioservice.com.
Photo credit: nhl.com/capitals
On the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff podcast with Len Shapiro:
The Washington Capitals are off to a fast start with a series 2-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Capitals dominated in Game 2 on the Tampa Bay ice on Sunday with a four-goal 6-2 win. Alex Ovechkin says the team doesn’t panic under pressure and say the Caps are playing the system and doing it the right way.
The Lightning down 1-0 saw the Capitals turn on the red lamp with three goals in the second period and two more goals in the third period. The Lightning just couldn’t get any kind of defense going nor could they get back into the game to answer the Capitals on their goal scoring.
The two clubs match up again on Tuesday night this time for Game 3 in Washington, which is a tall task to ask of the Lightning to try and come back down two. The Lightning more than likely will attack like a cornered animal and will need Game 3 to feel some semblance of this third round of the playoffs.
Len Shapiro does the NHL Stanley Cup playoff podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
@benzobrist18 photo: Ben Zobrist of the Chicago Cubs displays one of his banned black shoes from MLB on his hitting stick
On the MLB The Show podcast with Daniel Dullum:
1 Giants’ on six-game skid after losing to Pittsburgh on RBI HBP.
2 Padres designate Chase Headley for assignment.
3 Matt Harvey has a decent debut for Cincinnati.
4 Cubs’ Ben Zobrist busted by MLB for wearing traditional black cleats.
Daniel Dullum does the MLB The Show podcast each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
Photo credit: @Capitals
On the Eastern Conference Finals playoff podcast with Matt:
#1 The Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin’s early game power play goal help the Capitals to a 4-2 win past the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night in Tampa Bay.
#2 It was 80 degrees outside of Tampa Bay’s Amalie Arena at the start of Friday night’s Game 1 contest. Both teams needed a lot of hydration before and during the game.
#3 The Caps’ Ovechkin, who got a power play goal and an assist on Friday was one of the key reasons why the Caps are this far in the Eastern Conference finals.
#4 The Bolts are not to be underestimated they lost the opener in Game 1 Round 2, but bounced back by winning four straight over the Boston Bruins to advance to Round 3.
#5 Talk about the Caps goaltender Braden Holtby’s job in net with one goal allowed in 19 saves.
Matt Harrington does the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff podcast each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
photo google.com photo: Western Conference Final offers contrasting goaltending styles in Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and Winnipeg Jet goalie Conner Hellebuyck
On the Stanley Cup Western Conference Playoff podcast:
#1 Our broadcast colleague Matt Harrington said at the start the Winnipeg Jets were going to win the series against the Nashville Predators what do you think of Matt’s prediction?
#2 The Jets are a young team and in game 7 they got scoring help from Tyler Myers and Paul Statsny in the Jets four goal win over Nashville 5-1 on Thursday night.
#3 Jets head coach Paul Maurice said that they won four games in Nashville in regulation his only concern was winning with young players against a physical experienced Predator team.
#4 Preds goalie Pekka Rinne gave up two goals on seven shots and lasted only 10:47 in the fastest pull of any goalie in a game 7 playoff.
#5 Finally this is a big series coming up for the Jets who will play a well rested Vegas team. How big will this series be for Canada and two of the best teams in the Western Conference
Joe Lami does the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
Photo credit: @mega_webnetwork
On the SF Giants podcast with Michael:
The San Francisco Giants who are on a four-game losing streak after dropping four straight to the Philadelphia Phillies after sweeping the Atlanta Braves in three games in Atlanta. What is wrong with the Giants? They’re thus far 3-4 on this road trip with three more games to go as they open tonight in Pittsburgh and they’re a .500 ball club.
Four loses on the road is not outside of what you would expect if they had gone 2-1 or 1-3, you might feel a little bit better about that, you might think the Giants flip flopped after winning a sweep then getting swept in four.
What is a surprise in this series in Philadelphia, the Giants, who were hitting well at home and who had been tearing it up in Atlanta, got into one of the top offensive ball parks in the National League, Philadelphia, and they didn’t hit. They didn’t hit at all. They got a couple home runs on Thursday. They jumped off to a 3-0 lead, but the Phillies’ pitching bore down and the Giants couldn’t add any more runs and the Phillies came back and won the game.
Michael Duca does the Giants podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
yelp.com photo: Hana Zen at Pier 39 San Francisco by night fall and home of some of San Francisco’s best Japanese Cuisine
Cast: Michael Duca (host), Morris Phillips, Amaury Pi Gonzalez, Jeremy Kahn, and Lee Leonard (producer). Our thanks to Alvin and Angie Louie, the owners of Hana Zen Japanese Grill and Sushi Bar on Pier 39 at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, for hosting Sportstalk Radio. Tonight, we were treated to Hana Zen’s famous California Sushi Rolls, Ahi Tuna, Chicken Teriyaki, Calamari, and their wonderful miso soup.
Also, you can enjoy their sushi rolls, sashimi, and other Japanese favorites. Hana Zen also offers filet mignon, New York steak, and try their famous Lava Rock cooking right at your own table. In addition, you can enjoy some green tea ice cream at the end of your meal.
On the podcast, Sportstalk covered the Golden State Warriors and their second round playoff opponent, the New Orleans Pelicans. The San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s both who lost in huge laughers on Monday night 11-0 for the Giants in Philadelphia and the A’s crushed in Oakland 16-1 by the World Champion Houston Astros. The cast explores what to expect from either team for May 2018.
