Tag: St.Louis Cardinals

A’s Baseball podcast Lincoln Juarez: A’s start final month of season in another slump

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Sacramento A’s starter Luis Severino has shown vast improvement since the All Star break. Despite the 2-1 loss in St Louis Tuesday Severino has improved his ERA. (AP file photo)

A’s Baseball podcast Lincoln Juarez:

#1 The A’s opened up the final month of the regular season losing two of three in St. Louis to the Cardinals. The offense could only come up with one run in each of the final two games.

#2 Luis Severino threw five shut-out innings Tuesday night in St. Louis but the A’s eventually fell to the Cardinals 2-1. He only allowed three hits as well.

#3 Jeffrey Springs also pitched very well Wednesday night in the A’s 5-1 loss to the Cardinals, allowing just two runs on five hits while striking out four.

#4 Looking ahead to the weekend, the A’s are in Anaheim for a three game set against the Angels and at this point it just seems like they are trying to get through the last month of the season however they can and build onto next year.

#5 The A’s putting out on social media some footage of walls being put up at the stadium site in Las Vegas saying, “We’re going vertical”. Interesting to see the progress being made out at the site.

Lincoln Juarez does the Sacramento A’s podcasts Fridays 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. 

Sacramento A’s podcast Jeremiah Salmonson: A’s Mason Barnett makes start against Angels Friday

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Sacramento A’s pitcher Mason Barnett is the starting pitcher against the Los Angeles Angels on Fri Sep 5, 2025 at the Big A in Anaheim to open a three game series (photo from A’s instagram)

Sacramento A’s podcast Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 St Louis Cardinal Wilson Contreras got three hits, four RBIs and the Cards Nolan Gorman slugged a home run and the Cards pitcher Matthew Liberatore threw for five and one third innings as the Cards beat the Sacramento A’s Wednesday night 5-1 at Busch Stadium in St Louis.

#2 Libertore picked up his seventh win of the season and the Cards Jo Jo Romero got the last four outs to pick up his seventh save of the season.

#3 The Cards Gorman hit a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to pick up his 14 of the year. Gorman also had two base hits in the contest.

#4 The A’s Nick Kurtz hit an opposite field homer in the top of the eighth for his 28th of the season. For Kurtz it was his 14 opposite field home run this season.

#5 The A’s are off Thursday and are in Anaheim Friday night at the Big A to face the Los Angeles Angels. Starting pitcher for the A’s RHP Mason Barnett (0-1 ERA 11.25) the Angels have not announced a starter as of yet. First pitch 6:35pm PT.

Join Jeremiah Salmonson does the A’s podcasts Thursdays 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. 

Sacramento A’s game wrap:Contreras Crashes the Party as Sacramento’s Late Rally Falls Short 5-1

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St Louis Cardinals Wilson Contreras celebrates after hitting a two run triple in the bottom of the eighth inning against the Sacramento A’s at Busch Stadium in St Louis on Thu Sep 4, 2025 (AP News photo)

Contreras Crashes the Party as Sacramento’s Late Rally Falls Short

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics were looking to shake off the dust and get something going at Busch Stadium on Thursday night, but despite a late spark, they couldn’t claw back from a steady St. Louis Cardinals squad. The game felt more like a chess match than a slugfest for most of the night until Willson Contreras flipped the board with a monster performance, powering the Cards to a 5-1 win over the Sacramento A’s.

Things started off quietly enough, with both teams going scoreless through the first two innings. Sacramento’s lefty Jeffrey Springs was in control early, keeping the Cardinals guessing and escaping a second-inning jam with runners on the corners. The A’s offense, meanwhile, looked more like they were hitting with pool noodles than bats, managing just two baserunners through the first three frames.

It wasn’t until the bottom of the third that the Cards cracked through, and guess who made the noise? That’d be Contreras. After a Masyn Winn single and Iván Herrera walk, Contreras stepped up and roped a two-run single to right. Brent Rooker tried to play hero with a strong throw, but Contreras was gunned down trying to stretch it into a double. Still, damage done. Cards up 2-0.

From that point, the game had a sluggish rhythm. Sacramento had a chance to answer in the top of the fourth after Rooker singled and swiped second, but a pair of flyouts and a strikeout stranded him. The A’s had runners in scoring position again in the seventh, but came up empty after Zack Gelof grounded out and Carlos Cortes was erased on a force play. If there was a theme to the night for Sacramento, it was missed opportunities, and not in the poetic, coming-of-age movie way.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals kept doing just enough. Nolan Gorman sent a solo shot into the Missouri sky in the bottom of the seventh, giving St. Louis a 3-0 cushion and reminding everyone that even low-scoring games can turn on a single pitch.

Finally, in the top of the eighth, Sacramento fans got something to cheer about. Rookie Nick Kurtz stepped in and launched his 28th homer of the season into left field, cutting the lead to 3-1. Rooker followed with his second double of the night and things started to feel a little different.

Tyler Soderstrom singled to put runners on the corners, and suddenly the tying run was at first. But just as quickly as the moment swelled, it popped. Gelof struck out, and Hernaiz grounded out after a failed challenge at first.

The bottom of the eighth? That’s when Contreras buried it.

After a leadoff groundout and a walk to Winn, the A’s intentionally walked Lars Nootbaar, a smart move on paper. But with two outs and runners on first and second, Contreras stepped up and lasered a triple to center, clearing the bases and putting the game effectively out of reach at 5-1. That brought his RBI total to four for the night. Not bad for a guy who also played first base all game, a position he’s still relatively new to.

In the ninth, Lawrence Butler tried to ignite one final rally with a leadoff single, but Brett Harris rolled into a double play and Langeliers grounded out to seal the deal.

For Sacramento, the night was frustrating. They had ten hits, just one fewer than the Cardinals, but went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base. Brent Rooker continued to rake, collecting his 36th double and adding a single, while Nick Kurtz’s solo shot was the only tally on the scoreboard. Butler chipped in three hits of his own, but it wasn’t enough.

Defensively, the A’s didn’t boot the ball around. No errors. And Springs gave them a respectable start. But they just couldn’t string the hits together when it counted. That’s been the story of the season in too many games like this one: a solid outing, flashes of potential, but no finish.

Meanwhile, St. Louis didn’t do anything flashy outside of Contreras’ bat and Gorman’s bomb, but they were efficient. And in a game where every hit mattered, that was the difference.

A’s have Thursday off will take on the Los Angeles Angels Friday night at the Big A in Anaheim. Starting pitcher for Sacramento RHP Mason Barnett (0-1 ERA 11.25) no pitcher has been announced for the Angels.

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. 

Sacramento A’s game wrap: Athletics Miss Their Chance in St. Louis as Cardinals Capitalize Late for 2-1 win

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St. Louis Cardinals’ Victor Scott II, left, grounds out as Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz handles the throw during the eighth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
 (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Athletics Miss Their Chance in St. Louis as Cardinals Capitalize Late for 2-1 win
By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics ran into a familiar frustration: timely hits from the other side, a bullpen mistake at the wrong moment, and bats that just couldn’t find enough holes. The St. Louis Cardinals made the most of their opportunity, turning one swing from Iván Herrera into the difference in a 2-1 defeat for the Green and Gold Tuesday night.

For the first five innings, this game felt like it belonged to the A’s. Luis Severino set the tone early, retiring batters with a mix of sharp fastballs and well-placed breaking stuff. He allowed a few singles but escaped any real damage, highlighted by picking off Nathan Church in the third inning. Severino looked completely in control, striking out three and keeping the Cardinals from generating any real momentum.

Meanwhile, the A’s did their best to scratch across a run against St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas. In the top of the third, JJ Bleday doubled and advanced to third after a misplay in right field by Church. That opened the door for Nick Kurtz, who smacked a sharp double of his own to score Bleday and give Sacramento a 1-0 lead. It was the kind of at-bat that showed why Kurtz has quickly become a vital piece in the middle of the order.

Sacramento threatened again in the fifth when Zack Gelof doubled and moved to third, but the A’s failed to cash him in. Jacob Wilson’s popup ended the inning and kept it a one-run game. That inability to tack on runs turned out to be the theme of the night. Time after time, the A’s got men on base but couldn’t string together the hits needed to break the game open.

Severino’s night ended after five scoreless innings, and manager Mark Kotsay turned to the bullpen. That’s where things unraveled. Hogan Harris came on in the sixth and immediately allowed a leadoff walk to speedster Victor Scott II. A sacrifice bunt and a soft grounder moved Scott to third with two outs. With first base open, the A’s still chose to pitch to Herrera. The Cardinals catcher made them pay, crushing a two-run homer to center field off reliever Michael Kelly. Just like that, Sacramento’s slim lead had evaporated.

From there, the A’s couldn’t find an answer. Matt Svanson and JoJo Romero shut them down over the final three innings, allowing just one walk and striking out two. Sacramento’s last chance came in the eighth when Jacob Wilson drew a two-out walk, but pinch-runner Max Schuemann was stranded after Brent Rooker popped out. The ninth brought more of the same: three quick outs, capped by Shea Langeliers going down on strikes and pinch-hitter Colby Thomas grounding out to end it.

It was the type of loss that gnaws at a team. The Athletics outhit the Cardinals early, had runners in scoring position multiple times, and still couldn’t find that one clutch knock to put the game out of reach. Instead, the story became a single mistake pitch and a wasted gem from Severino, who deserved far better than a no-decision.

Starting pitchers for Wednesday for Sacramento LHP Jefferey Springs (10-9 ERA 4.17) for the Cardinals Matthew Liberatore (6-11 ERA 4.32) first pitch 4:45 pm PT at Busch Stadium St Louis.

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.

Bleday and Gelof Power Sacramento to 11-3 Win Over Cardinals

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Athletics’ JJ Bleday follows through on a two-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Monday Sept. 1, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP/Jeff Roberson)

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics rolled into Busch Stadium on Sunday afternoon with a chip on their shoulder and left with a resounding 11-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, fueled by a pair of timely home runs and a relentless offensive push. What started as a tight pitcher’s duel unraveled quickly once the Green and Gold bats came alive in the fourth inning, changing the game’s complexion in a hurry.

Luis Morales set the tone early for Sacramento, working through traffic in the first inning after Lars Nootbaar’s leadoff single. Despite a wild pitch that moved the runner into scoring position, Morales regrouped to fan Nolan Gorman and leave the Cardinals empty-handed. That early escape gave the Athletics a chance to settle in, though the bats needed time to wake up. For three innings, Sonny Gray looked sharp for St. Louis, keeping the A’s quiet while Morales matched him with his own clean frames.

Everything shifted in the top of the fourth. Darell Hernaiz reached on a single, and JJ Bleday punished a pitch over the right-field wall for his 11th homer of the year, putting Sacramento on the board. Moments later, Zack Gelof followed with a blast of his own to right-center, suddenly turning a scoreless tie into a 3-0 A’s advantage. The Cardinals answered quickly with a solo shot from Iván Herrera in the bottom half, but Morales once again steadied himself by retiring the next three hitters to hold the damage to a single run.

The Athletics kept applying pressure. In the sixth, Hernaiz doubled and came home on a Colby Thomas single before Bleday went deep again, crushing his second homer of the afternoon and extending the lead to 5-1. While Morales tired in the bottom half, allowing a run-scoring single by Masyn Winn, Justin Sterner entered to snuff out a brewing rally and protect a 5-2 cushion.

Sacramento’s knockout punch came in the seventh. Lawrence Butler worked a walk, Jacob Wilson lined a single, and Brent Rooker split the gap with a ground-rule double to score one. Tyler Soderstrom then added an RBI knock of his own, and suddenly it was 7-2 with the Cardinals gasping for air. Two innings later, the A’s turned Busch Stadium into their own batting practice facility. Bleday reached on an error, Gelof doubled, and after a fielder’s choice scored a run, Butler and Wilson combined for back-to-back hits to make it 9-2. Soderstrom capped the rally with a two-run double, pushing the advantage to 11-2 and sending much of the St. Louis crowd heading for the exits.

The Cardinals tried to scrape together a rally in the ninth. Thomas Saggese doubled and came home on a pinch-hit single by José Fermín, trimming the deficit slightly, but it was far too little, far too late. Scott McGough, closing things down for Sacramento, silenced the final three hitters in order to seal a dominant win.

Bleday finished with two home runs and three RBIs, pacing the offense with authority. Gelof added a homer, a double, and two runs scored, while Butler and Wilson each reached base multiple times and crossed the plate with consistency. Soderstrom’s three hits and three RBIs rounded out a balanced attack that saw nearly every spot in the lineup contribute. Morales picked up the win despite some control hiccups, striking out five and allowing just two runs across five and two-thirds innings before turning it over to the bullpen.

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. 

Sacramento A’s podcast Mauricio Segura: A’s open six game road trip in St Louis; Morales gets the start for Sacramento Monday

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Sacramento A’s pitcher Luis Morales will get the start against the St Louis Cardinals on Mon Sep 1, 2025 at Busch Stadium in St Louis (AP file photo)

Sacramento A’s podcast Mauricio Segura:

#1 The Texas Rangers Joc Pederson doubled with three RBIs. Ranger pitcher Jacob deGrom struckout six batters and pitched shutout ball for five innings in the Rangers 9-6 win over the Sacramento A’s. What did A’s starter JT Ginn need to do try and shut the Rangers hitting down?

#2 The loss was a sweep as the A’s lost all three game to the Rangers and just couldn’t really get past the Rangers throughout the series. How did you see the A’s hitting in the series?

#3 deGrom had been struggling he was 0-4 in his last five starts resulting in Ranger losses. deGrom’s last win was back on July 22 in deGrom first appearance since the All Star break. deGrom had skipped a start during that stretch due to shoulder fatigue. Despite deGrom’s earlier struggles he’s got experience and he gave the A’s line up fits?

#4 It’s getting rough for the A’s, they have now been swept nine times this year and this was the first time they were swept at home since May 19-22 by the Los Angeles Angels. The Rangers swept Sacramento in Texas for the first time this year. How frustrating how it got to be for Sacramento to have been swept that amount of times.

#5 On Monday the A’s open a six game road trip starting in St Louis. Starting pitcher for the A’s Monday Luis Morales (2-0 ERA 1.19) and for the St Louis Cardinals former A’s pitcher Sonny Gray (12-7 ERA 4.19) first pitch 11:115AM PT. How do you see this match up and can the A’s get it moving again on this road trip?

Join Mauricio Segura filled in for Barbara Mason who does the A’s podcasts Mondays 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. 

Headline Sports podcast Jessica Kwong: Marlins 8 game win streak need one more win for club record; Bucs Davis gets gamer to beat Cards 1-0; plus more news

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Miami Marlins Kyle Stowers circles the bags and praises the good Lord after hitting a solo home run in the second inning against the Minnesota Twins on Tue Jul 1, 2025 at LoanDepot Park in Miami (AP News photo)

Headline Sports podcast Jessica Kwong:

#1 The Miami Marlins continued their winning streak on Tuesday night with a 2-0 shutout win over the Minnesota Twins. The Marlins picked up their eighth straight win and are on win away from the club record set in 2008 of nine straight wins.

#2 Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis knocked in the game’s only run on Tuesday night to defeat the St Louis Cardinals 1-0 and also defeated the Cardinals 5-0 on Wednesday night. Pirates starter Paul Skenes has not had a winning decision in six starts. Just the same Skenes and the Pirates will take the win.

#3 Cardinals have scratched first baseman Wilson Contreras and third baseman Nolan Areando from Wednesday’s game versus the Pirates. Contreras injured his left hand and is suffering a contusion when he got hit by Pirates starter Paul Skenes. Arenado was injured with jammed right middle finger and has missed two games in a row. Cards manager Oilver Marmol said he’s hopeful that Contreras and Areanado will be able to return on Friday.

#4 Former San Francisco Giant outfielder and Texas Ranger Kevin Pillar announced his retirement from MLB on the “Foul Territory” show. Pillar also spent the first of his seven years with the Toronto Blue Jays and last played with the Texas Rangers and was released back in late May.

#5 Houston Astro Yordan Alvarez is on the IL with a hand injury the right hand was broken on Tuesday and Alvarez is seeing a specialist to try to resolve the issue. Alvarez sat for two month and started working out in June and took swings at the Astros complex last Monday. Alvarez said he was suffering pain on Wednesday. Alvarez is hitting .210, 3 home runs, 18 RBIs, 21 hits.

Jessica Kwong does Headline Sports every other Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants Pecked and Beaten by the Cardinals 6-1 in the Final game of the season; lose series (2-1), finish two games below  .500 in contest #162

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San Francisco Giants starter Hayden Birdsong was dealing early in the game keeping the St Louis Cardinals off balance striking out 11 hitters. Things fell apart in the top of the fifth when Birdsong had left and gave up three unearned runs. (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — The San Francisco Giants (80-82) finished the 2024 season on a sour note, by losing the last game 6-1 and series (2-1) of the year to the St. Louis Cardinals (83-79) in front of 32, 248 disappointed fans, Sunday Afternoon by the Bay at Oracle Park.

On a Noon start time and a pleasant 62 degrees in the City. the Giants were aiming to win the series and achieve the safe .500 status. However, the 6-1 loss put their record to two games below .500. at 80-82, instead of 81-81.

“Regardless of what our record was, it would have been disappointing, based on what we felt the team was all about at the beginning of the season.” Stated Giants Manager Bob Melvin about not reaching .500. “Either if it were 81-81 or 80-82 it still was not going to feel much better, regardless.”

The game itself got off to a slow start, as no one scored until the third inning. Unfortunately that happened to be the road team from the Midwest. The Cardinals went up 1-0 off the bat of second baseman Brendan Donovan, as he belted a solo home run to right field, near McCovey Cove.

Two innings later, Donovan was at it again as a run producer. This at bat he hit an RBI single, scoring shortstop Thomas Saggese. The Cardinals temporarily led 2-0. Then left fielder Alec Burleson duplicated the previous feat with his own RBI single. He plated Pedro Peges, putting them up 3-0 after 5 innings of play.

In the top of the sixth stanza, St. Louis decided to double their score, while still simultaneously shutting out the Giants. Third baseman Jose Fermin continued the RBI single barrage by knocking in outfielder Michael Siani, expanding the lead to four.

Burleson repeated his last plate appearance with–you guessed it–another RBI single; however, this line drive scored two runners (Jordan Walker & Fermin). The Birds from the LOU were up a whopping 6-0 at that juncture of the game.

The Giants did show enough pride to prevent an embarrassing shutout at the Oracle Park Finale in the bottom of the seventh inning, second baseman Brett Wisely was on the other end of the ever so common RBI single. His hit brought in infielder Casey Schmitt, eliminating the Goose Egg the Giants were facing as season’s end.

After seven innings, San Francisco was finally on the scoreboard and had two innings to mount a dramatic final comeback. That did not come to fruition, so the Giants had to settle for a 6-1 loss, and the distinction of finishing the season below the magic .550 line. This imaginary line delineates a winning or non-winning season in all sports.

That’s a WRAP for the 2024 MLB season for the two Bay Area teams. In the 2025 season, the Giants will have the nine county region all to themselves, as the the now former cross-Bay neighboring Oakland Athletics, will be relocating to the State Capital city of Sacramento, with the final destination being in Las Vegas in 2028 with their former roommate, the Raiders.

Giants fight through seesaw battle to beat Cardinals 6-5 for 80th win

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San Francisco Giants Tyler Fitzgerald scores from first base as St Louis Cardinals catcher Pedro Pages waits for the throw in the bottom of the eighth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sat Sep 28, 2024 (AP News photo)

Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024

Oracle Park

San Francisco, California

St. Louis Cardinals 5 (82-79)

San Francisco Giants 6 (80-81)

Win: Ryan Walker (10-4)

Loss: Matthew Liberatore (3-4)

Save: Spencer Bivens (1)

Time: 2:51

Attendance: 36,328

By Stephen Ruderman

The Giants fought through a seesaw battle, and eventually got lucky to take the lead on almost the exact same error that won them Game 3 of 2014 NLCS, as they beat the Cardinals 6-5 to win their 80th game Saturday.

With the Cardinals’ 6-3 win in the series opener Friday night, the Giants have failed to finish over .500 for the seventh time in the last eight years. However, they still had a chance to finish at .500 for the second time in the last three years if they could win their final two games.

Blake Snell was originally set to go Saturday, and he said he would have gone had the Giants been playing a team in playoff contention, but Tristan Beck took the ball instead. The reason Snell was scratched Saturday is unknown, and this writer can only speculate, but considering that Scott Boras is his agent, that could explain a lot of things.

The Cardinals got on the board in the top of the first inning off Beck. With runners at second and third and nobody out, longtime Giant killer Paul Goldschmidt knocked in Masyn Winn with a sacrifice fly to left field.

Andrew Pallante took the ball for the Cards, and the Giants’ offense woke back up and was ready to go. Mark Canha doubled to center, and he got to third on an infield hit by Heliot Ramos. LaMonte Wade then lined a base-hit the other way to left, and Canha scored to tie the game. Jerar Encarnacion followed that up with an infield hit, and Ramos scored to give the Giants the lead.

Beck settled down after his rough tough of the first, and he ended up going four innings.

The Giants scored two more runs off Pallante in the bottom of the fourth to extend their lead to 4-1. With one out, Patrick Bailey singled in 2024 Willie Mac Award winner Matt Chapman, who had doubled to lead off the inning. Bailey then stole second, and he scored on a double by Casey Schmitt.

The Cardinals got their second run of the day in the top of the fifth against Sean Hjelle. It could have been more, as the Cards had runners at the corners with one out, but Hjelle was able to retire the final two to limit the damage to just one run.

Pallante ended his day with a one, two, three bottom of the fifth, and Camilo Doval pitched a scoreless inning in the top of the sixth. Matt Chapman led off the bottom of the sixth with a double off Chris Roycroft, and he scored two batters later on a sac fly by Patrick Bailey to make it 5-2.

Left-handed flamethrower Erik Miller has had a solid rookie season for the Giants. Miller made his major league debut all the way back on Opening Day on March 28 in San Diego with a one, two, three inning, and has been a reliable arm in the Giants’ bullpen all season.

However, Miller was unable to record a single out in the top of the seventh. Miller faced four batters, and the Cardinals had two runs in with the tying run standing at second.

Tyler Rogers then came in, and the Cardinals tied the game on a base-hit by Jordan Walker. The Cardinals loaded the bases with one out, but Rogers being the gamer that he is, retired the next two to keep the game tied.

Kyle Leahy, who finished the bottom of the sixth for Roycroft, threw a one, two, three inning in the bottom of the seventh. Bob Melvin then brought in his closer, Ryan Walker, for the top of the eighth. Walker ran into trouble, but he got out of it and kept the game tied going to the bottom of the eighth.

Left-hander Matthew Liberatore was then summoned for St. Louis in the bottom of the eighth. Liberatore set down the first two hitters he faced, but Tyler Fitzgerald reached on a ground ball back to the mound.

Brett Wisely then came up, and Melvin put on the bunt, which would set almost an exact replica of the end to Game 3 of the 2014 NLCS in motion. The Giants won that game when Gregor Blanco laid down a bunt in between the mound and home plate, a little bit on the third base side, that Cardinals’ left-hander Randy Choate winged down the right field line.

Wisely bunted the ball to almost the exact same place, though a bit closer to home plate, and like Choate, Liberatore threw it down the right field line. Fitzgerald scored all the way from first, and the Giants retook the lead. The only difference on the throws was that Choate’s throw was to the left of the first-baseman, and Liberatore’s throw was to the right of the first-baseman.

If you’re wondering why Melvin brought in Walker for the eighth, it was so that Spencer Bivens, who has had a solid rookie season following a long journey to the big leagues, could get his first major league save. Thomas Saggese lined a base-hit to center to lead off the top of the ninth, but Bivens settled down to retire the side in order, and indeed he got his first big league save.

Ryan Walker got the win in this bullpen version of musical chairs; Matthew Liberatore got the loss; and as you just saw, Spencer Bivens got his first-career major league save.

The Giants indeed got their 80th win, as they improve to 80-81. In 2022, the Giants finished right at .500 for the first time in their 140th year of existence. With a win Sunday, the Giants can finish at .500 for the second time in the last three years.

It’s kinda like how the Giants won the World Series for the first time in 56 years in 2010, and won it all again two years later in 2012, though nowhere near as cool or special. This would be more meh, but still interesting.

Hayden Birdsong (5-5, 4.66 ERA) will look to finish his up-and-down rookie season on a high note, as he will take the ball for the Giants in the season finale Sunday. Rookie Michael McGreevy (2-0, 2.40 ERA) will make the start for the Cardinals.

As has been the custom since 2015, every game in Baseball on the final day of the regular season starts at the same time, though anywhere between five and 20 minutes past the top of the hour. First pitch for the Giants and Red Birds Sunday will be at 12:05 p.m PDT.

Cards 4 runs in fifth is all the damage needed to defeat Giants 6-3 at Oracle Park

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San Francisco Giants starter Landen Roupp (65) is removed in the top of the four inning by Giants manager Bob Melvin (left) against the St Louis Cardinals at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Fri Sep 27, 2024 (AP News photo)

St. Louis (82-78). 101 400 000. 6. 13. 0

San Francisco (79-81). 030 030 000. 3. 9. 1

Time: 2:46

Attendance: 35,101

September 27, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–Although neither team in this Friday night’s game between the playoff eliminated St. Louis Cardinals and your equally frustrated San Francisco Giants had any much to win or lose, one of them, of necessity, had to win or lose. It turned out to be the Giants had to lose, by a score of 6-3.

Before the action began, the Giants announced that they had reinstated right handed reliever Randy Rodríguez from the paternity list. He entered the game in the top of the sixth as San Francisco’s third pitcher and threw a perfect inning. Fellow starboard hurler Mason Black was optioned to the River Cats to make room for him.

The Giants also presented Matt Chapman with the Willie Mac Award for being the team’s most inspirational player. He was the 44th recipient of the award named for number 44, Willie McCovey. It would be hard to find significance in that coincidence. Maybe if he’d have made a splash hit into the cove, it would have been less of a stretch.

Although little was at stake for the teams as a whole, the contest presented a chance for several players to position themselves for 2025. One of those was the Giants’ starting pitcher, Landen Loupp, who needed to show he was sturdy enough and less reliant on his curveball, to join next year’s rotation.

He wasn’t successful. In his 3-2/3 innings on the mound he allowed all six St. Louis runs. All were earned, but one of them was posthumous, coming on a triple to left center by Lars Nootbarr off Taylor Rogers that drove in Nolan Arenado, who had smacked a double into the left field corner.

Those six runs were the only ones St. Louis could muster all night. After Rodríguez finished his work, Camilo Doval and Austin Warren continued to stymie the Cardinals, although the latter allowed them three hits in his two innings of work.

How did some of the other Giants whose proximate future was in doubt stack up against the Cards tonight? Tyler Fitzgerald, playing shortstop, let a ground ball bounce off his chest for an error in the top of the fifth.

Two innings later, there was no shock and awe fanfare for Camilo Doval when he followed Rodríguez to the hill, but he retired all three Cardinals he faced before the crowd sang “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” Héliot Ramos, who has been suffering from the Jinx of the Rookie All-Star. at least as far as his hitting is concerned, went 0-5 with two strikeouts, lowering his batting average to .270..

Miles Mikolas, a 37 year old veteran control specialist of six MLB seasons and three more with the Yomiuri Giants started for the Cardinals and earned his tenth win of the season, against 11 losses. He surrendered three runs, all earned, on seven hits, one a 430 foot home run to center with Michael Conforto on base that put the Giants up 2-1 in the second.

Mike Yastrzemski’s two bagger to right with Brett Wisley, who had singled, increased their lead to 3-1. It would be the last time a Giant batter crossed the plate. In at least one way, Mikolas’s performance was typical of him. His earned run average remained unchanged at 5.35.

The visitors from the Gateway City sent four more pitchers to the mound, each for an inning. They were, in order, John King, Andrew Kitteridge, Matthew Liberatore, and Ryan Helsely. The last two were the only ones to allow a hit (one apiece). Kitteridge and Liberatore each struck out one batter, and Helsely, two.

The Giants now are 2-10 at Oracle Park in September.

Home plate umpire Jacob Metz threw St. Louis DH Matt Carpenter out of the game in the top of the ninth for arguing a ball-strike call. The Cards had another setback when they appealed Michael Siani’s having been called out on Ramos’s throw to Chapman while trying to advance on Brandon Donovan’s hit to left. Replay confirmed the call.

The Giants will try to even this three game series Saturday, the 28th at 1:05. They’ll throw Blake Snell (5-3, 3.12) against the Cardinals, who will entrust their fate to André Pallante (8-8, 3.71).