San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Sandoval hopes to win a roster spot and return to the show after 3 seasons; Flores could get less ABs with Soler in line up; plus more news

Former San Francisco Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval (who doesn’t look like this anymore) hopes to swing into a roster spot for the 2024 season after signing a minor league deal. Sandoval is seen here taking a hack against the Los Angeles Angels in the fifth inning at Anaheim Stadium on Tue Aug 18, 2020. He was released by the Giants the following month Sep 2020 (AP file photo)

On the SF Giants podcast with Michael:

#1 Long gone are those Giants championship players Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, or even Sergio Romo but coming back to try and win a roster spot is Pablo Sandoval who hasn’t played in the show for three seasons. He last played with the Atlanta Braves in 2021. Sandoval wants this one bad and says he’ll even take a minor league job in Sacramento if he doesn’t make the big club for opening day.

#2 With Sandoval’s return he could help coach some of the younger players on the roster like shortstop Marco Luciano and outfielders Luis Matos and Heliot Ramos. He much of a plus is that having Sandoval around?

#3 Michael, with Jorge Soler in the line up now it’s expected that Wilmer Flores will get less at bats. Flores will get less at bats facing left handed pitching with Soler capable to face leftys. Flores says that it makes the team better and it’s known that it was Flores and Thairo Estrada who convinced Soler to come join the Giants.

#4 Outfielder Mike Yastrzemski says he’s feeling much better after coming off shoulder surgery. Yastrzemski says he throwing 90 feet and he has no restrictions on hitting.

#5 Austin Slater who had an elbow clean up procedure and had to have his ulnar nerve transposed, has no hitting restriction and is now throwing 150 feet.

#6 Giants pitcher Alex Cobb threw some pitches off the mound since having hip surgery. Cobb had a 12 pitch session and threw all fastballs on Monday and he threw off the mound once again on Tuesday. How much of welcome will it be for Cobb to be back in the rotation.

Michael Duca does the San Francisco Giants podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants shutout by Dodgers 7-0

Photo credit: SF Giants opener John Brebbia pitches against the Dodgers on September 23, 2023. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)

By: Mary Anne

The San Francisco Giants played their third game with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night. The Giants were shutout by the Dodgers 7-0 at Dodger Stadium. San Francisco fell to 77-78, while Los Angeles improved to 95-59.

The Giants’ starting lineup featured Austin Slater, Thairo Estrada, J.D. Davis, Wilmer Flores, Mitch Haniger, Marco Luciano, Luis Matos, Tyler Fitzgerald, Patrick Bailey, and John Brebbia. Brebbia (3-2, 3.53 ERA) took the loss after pitching just 1 1/3 innings and giving up one hit, one earned run, one walk, one strikeout, and one home run.

After a scoreless first inning, Los Angeles got on the board in the bottom of the second inning. J.D. Martinez homered on a fly ball to center field for a 1-0 lead.

The Dodgers tacked on two runs in the bottom of the third inning. J.D. Martinez doubled on a line drive to Luis Matos. Mookie Betts and Max Muncy scored to make it a 3-0 game.

The Dodgers added two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Freddie Freeman doubled on a line drive to Luis Matos. Austin Barnes scored to extend the Dodgers’ lead to 4-0 as Mookie Betts went to third base. Max Muncy then singled on a fly ball to Tyler Fitzgerald. Betts scored to expand the Dodgers’ lead to 5-0 as Freeman went to third base.

The Dodgers got two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Mookie Betts doubled on a line drive to Mike Yastrzemski. David Peralta and Austin Barnes scored to widen the Dodgers’ lead to 7-0.

Notes
The Giants recalled Heliot Ramos from Triple-A Sacramento after placing Scott Alexander on the 15-day injured list with a left hamstring strain — retroactive to September 22.

As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, we remember on this day in 1956, Ozzie Virgil Sr. made his MLB debut as the league’s first player from the Dominican Republic. Virgil Sr. played in the MLB from 1956 to 1969 as a utilityman. Three of Virgil Sr.’s stints were with the New York/San Francisco Giants (1956-57, 1966, and 1969).

Up Next
The Giants and Dodgers will wrap up their rivalry series on Sunday at 4:10 p.m. Pacific. The Giants’ starter is TBD, while the Dodgers’ starter is Lance Lynn (12-11, 5.92 ERA).

Fitzgerald gets first MLB RBI in Giants’ 7-2 loss to Dodgers

Photo credit: Los Angeles Dodgers’ J.D. Martinez, second from right, heads to first for a solo home run as San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Kyle Harrison, left, watches along with catcher Blake Sabol, second from left, and home plate umpire Erich Bacchus during the fourth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

By: Mary Anne

The San Francisco Giants began a four-game series with their biggest rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers, on Thursday night. The Giants lost a 7-2 heartbreaker to the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

John Brebbia (3-1, 3.41 ERA) took the loss for the Giants. San Francisco fell to 76-77, while Los Angeles improved to 94-58.

The Giants’ starting lineup featured LaMonte Wade Jr., Wilmer Flores, Joc Pederson, Michael Conforto, Thairo Estrada, Mike Yastrzemski, Marco Luciano, Blake Sabol, Tyler Fitzgerald, and Kyle Harrison. Harrison pitched for 5 1/3 innings and gave up three hits, two earned runs, one walk, two strikeouts, and one home run.

After two scoreless innings, Los Angeles got on the board first. Enrique Hernandez was out on a sacrifice fly to Mike Yastrzemski. Chris Taylor scored for a 1-0 Dodgers lead in the bottom of the third inning with two outs.

The Dodgers doubled their lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. J.D. Martinez homered on a fly ball to right field for a 2-0 lead.

The Giants finally got on the board in the top of the fifth inning. Tyler Fitzgerald walked, and Mike Yastrzemski scored to cut the Dodgers’ lead to 2-1. Marco Luciano went to third base, while Blake Sabol went to second base.

The Giants tied the ballgame in the top of the sixth inning. Joc Pederson homered on a fly ball to center field to even the score 2-2.

The Dodgers regained their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. J.D. Martinez was out on a sacrifice fly to Mike Yastrzemski. Will Smith scored for a 3-2 lead with two outs.

Fast forward to the bottom of the seventh inning as the Dodgers extended their lead, thanks to a wild pitch by Luke Jackson. Chris Taylor scored first for a 4-2 lead. James Outman went to third base. Outman later scored to make it 5-2.

The Dodgers expanded their lead in the bottom of the eighth inning. J.D. Martinez singled on a sharp line drive to Tyler Fitzgerald. Freddie Freeman scored for a 6-2 lead. Chris Taylor singled on a ground ball to Michael Conforto. Max Muncy scored to make it 7-2. Miguel Rojas went to second base.

Notes
Tyler Fitzgerald made his MLB debut with the Giants on Thursday. Fitzgerald’s family cheered after he walked to record his first MLB RBI.

The Giants recalled Tristan Beck and Marco Luciano from Triple-A Sacramento while selecting Tyler Fitzgerald after optioning Sean Hjelle to yesterday’s Triple-A Sacramento postgame, placing Brandon Crawford on the ten-day injured list with a right hamstring strain, and placing Paul DeJong on unconditional release waivers.

Up Next
The Giants and Dodgers will meet again Friday night at 7:10 p.m. Pacific. The Giants will start Sean Manaea (6-6, 4.82 ERA). The Dodgers haven’t announced tomorrow’s starter yet.

Giants survive wild 11-10 game over Rockies

Photo credit: @SFGiants

By: Mary Anne

The San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies concluded their four-game series on Sunday. The Giants survived a wild 11-10 game over the Rockies at Coors Field. San Francisco improved to 76-74, while Colorado fell to 56-93.

The Giants’ last dance in Denver began with a starting lineup with Mike Yastrzemski, Thairo Estrada, Joc Pederson, Michael Conforto, J.D. Davis, LaMonte Wade Jr., Mitch Haniger, Patrick Bailey, Brandon Crawford, and Sean Manaea. Manaea pitched 5 1/3 innings and gave up eight hits, two earned runs, three strikeouts, and one home run.

After four scoreless innings, San Francisco got on the board first. Mitch Haniger doubled on a line drive to Brenton Doyle. J.D. Davis scored for a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning.

The Giants took a commanding lead in the top of the sixth inning. Joc Pederson doubled on a sharp line drive to Hunter Goodman. Thairo Estrada scored for a 2-0 lead. J.D. Davis singled on a ground ball to Nolan Jones. Pederson scored to make it a 3-0 game as Michael Conforto went to second base. Mitch Haniger doubled on a sharp fly ball to Brenton Doyle. Conforto and Davis scored to make it 5-0 as LaMonte Wade Jr. went to third base. Brandon Crawford homered on a fly ball to right center field. Wade Jr. and Mitch Haniger scored to expand the Giants’ lead to 8-0. Estrada capped the top of the sixth inning’s scoring with a single on a line drive to Doyle. Mike Yastrzemski scored to extend the Giants’ lead to 9-0.

The Rockies finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning. Hunter Goodman homered on a line drive to left center field. Nolan Jones scored to reduce the Giants’ lead to 9-2. Brenton Doyle homered on a fly ball to left field. Brendan Rodgers and Alen Trejo scored to cut the Giants’ lead to 9-5.

The Giants added to their lead in the top of the seventh inning. Patrick Bailey doubled on a sharp line drive to Hunter Goodman. Austin Slater and J.D. Davis scored to put the Giants up 11-5.

The Rockies made it a five-run game in the bottom of the seventh inning. Brendan Rodgers singled on a line drive to Mitch Haniger. Ezequiel Tovar scored to lower the Giants’ lead to 11-6 as Hunter Goodman went to second base.

The Rockies picked up the pace in the bottom of the ninth inning but fell just short. Hunter Goodman was out on a sacrifice fly to Austin Slater. Elehuris Montero scored to slash the Giants’ lead to 11-7 with one out. Kris Bryant reached on a fielding error by Camilo Doval. Nolan Jones scored to slice the Giants’ lead to 11-8 as Brendan Rodgers went to third base. Elias Diaz sealed the scoring with a single on a ground ball to Mike Yastrzemski. Rodgers and Sean Bouchard scored to put down the Giants’ lead to 11-10.

Notes
Thairo Estrada achieved a new personal best — a career-high 22 stolen bases.

The Giants wished a special 86th birthday to former Giant Orlando Cepeda. Cepeda, also known as the Baby Bull and Peruchin, played in San Francisco from 1958 to 1966.

Up Next
The Giants will continue their road trip against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. Pacific. The starters haven’t been confirmed yet.

Webb throws gem, but Giants fall 3-2 to Rockies

Photo credit: si.com

By: Mary Anne

The San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies played the second game of the four-game series on Friday. The Giants dropped a 3-2 decision to the Rockies at Coors Field. San Francisco fell to 75-72, while Colorado improved to 54-92. Camilo Doval (6-5, 2.98 ERA) took the loss for the Giants.

The Giants’ lineup featured Mike Yastrzemski, Thairo Estrada, J.D. Davis, Michael Conforto, LaMonte Wade Jr., Mitch Haniger, Patrick Bailey, Brandon Crawford, Luis Matos, and Logan Webb. Webb pitched for eight innings and gave up four hits, one earned run, and six strikeouts.

After a scoreless first inning, San Francisco got on the board in the top of the second inning. Patrick Bailey grounded into a force out to Chase Anderson and Ezequiel Tovar. Michael Conforto scored for a 1-0 Giants lead. LaMonte Wade Jr. was out at second base, while Bailey went to first base with two outs.

The Rockies finally got on the board in the bottom of the eighth inning. Ezequiel Tovar singled on a line drive to Austin Slater. Ryan McMahon scored to tie the ballgame 1-1. Tovar went to second base.

The Giants regained the lead in the top of the ninth inning. Wilmer Flores walked. J.D. Davis scored for a 2-1 lead. LaMonte Wade Jr. went to third base, while Patrick Bailey went to second base.

The Giants’ lead was short-lived as the Rockies took the lead in the bottom of the ninth inning. Elehuris Montero singled on a ground ball to Mike Yastrzemski. Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Jones scored for a 3-2 lead. Montero went to second base. Yastrzemski committed a throwing error. Moreover, San Francisco challenged the play for a home-plate collision, and the call on the field was upheld.

Notes
The Giants optioned Kyle Harrison and Casey Schmitt to Triple-A Sacramento. Ross Stripling returned to San Francisco from rehab and was reinstated from the 15-day injured list.

The Giants recognized and celebrated the cultures, achievements, and celebrations of their Hispanic players, employees, and community members for Hispanic Heritage Month.

The Giants celebrated Roberto Clemente, a Latin American hero and one of the greatest baseball players of all time, on Roberto Clemente Day.

Up Next
The Giants and Rockies will meet again on Saturday at 5:10 p.m. Pacific. Keaton Winn (1-2, 3.55 ERA) will start for the Giants, but the Rockies haven’t named a starting pitcher yet.

Giants avoid shutout with ninth-inning double in 6-1 loss to Padres

Photo credit: San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Kyle Harrison, right, waits to face the next batter as San Diego Padres’ Xander Bogaerts, left, rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the second inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

By: Mary Anne

The San Francisco Giants continued their series against the San Diego Padres on Saturday. The Giants lost to the Padres 6-1 at Petco Park. San Francisco fell to 70-66, while San Diego improved to 64-73.

The Giants’ starting lineup featured Austin Slater, Thairo Estrada, Wilmer Flores, Mitch Haniger, Patrick Bailey, J.D. Davis, Paul DeJong, Casey Schmitt, Wade Meckler, and Kyle Harrison. Harrison (1-1, 4.70 ERA) took the loss after pitching 5 2/3 innings and giving up six hits, six earned runs, two walks, five strikeouts, and four home runs.

The Padres got on the board first. Juan Soto homered on a fly ball to center field for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.

The Padres tripled their lead in the bottom of the second inning. Xander Bogaerts homered on a fly ball to center field for a 2-0 lead. Gary Sanchez homered on a fly ball to center field for a 3-0 lead.

The Padres doubled their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Garrett Cooper homered on a fly ball to left center field. Juan Soto and Xander Bogaerts scored for a commanding 6-0 lead.

The Giants wrapped up the scoring in the top of the ninth inning. Austin Slater doubled on a sharp line drive to Fernando Tatis Jr. Casey Schmitt scored to cut the Padres’ lead to 6-1. Wade Meckler went to third base.

Notes
Wilmer Flores achieved a career-high 20 home runs in the Giants-Padres game Friday.

Up Next
The Giants and Padres will finish their series on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. Pacific. Alex Cobb (7-5, 3.57 ERA) will start for the Giants, while Seth Lugo (5-6, 3.67 ERA) will start for the Padres.

Giants edge Braves 4-3, avoid sweep

Photo credit: Luis Matos #29 of the San Francisco Giants celebrates a home run with teammate Johan Camargo #10 during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on August 20, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

By: Mary Anne

The San Francisco Giants concluded their three-game series against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday afternoon. The Giants edged the Braves 4-3, preventing the home team from a sweep.

The Giants improved to 65-59, while the Braves fell to 80-43. Giants pitcher Camilo Doval (5-3, 2.29 ERA) won, while Braves pitcher Kirby Yates (7-1, 2.96 ERA) lost.

The Giants’ starting lineup featured Austin Slater, Thairo Estrada, Wilmer Flores, Patrick Bailey, J.D. Davis, Heliot Ramos, Luis Matos, Johan Camargo, Casey Schmitt, and Jakob Junis. Junis pitched just 1 2/3 innings and gave up two hits, two runs, one strikeout, and one home run.

After a scoreless first inning, San Francisco got on the board first, but Atlanta took the lead. Luis Matos homered on a fly ball to left-center field for a 1-0 Giants lead in the top of the second inning. Orlando Arcia homered on a fly ball to left field, and Kevin Pillar scored to make it 2-1 Braves in the bottom of the second inning.

The Giants regained the lead in the top of the third inning. Wilmer Flores homered on a fly ball to left field, and Thairo Estrada scored to give the Giants a 3-2 lead.

The Braves tied the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. Ronald Acuña Jr. stole third base and scored to tie the game 3-3. Eddie Rosario went to second base. Patrick Bailey committed a throwing error.

The Giants regained the lead for good in the top of the ninth inning. Joc Pederson walked, and Michael Conforto scored for a 4-3 lead. Thairo Estrada went to third base, and Wilmer Flores went to second base.

Notes
The Giants placed Brandon Crawford on the ten-day injured list — retroactive to August 19th — with a left forearm strain and recalled Luis Matos from Triple-A Sacramento.

Up Next
The Giants will start a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday at 3:40 pm Pacific. The Giants’ starting pitcher is TBD and the Phillies named Aaron Nola (10-8, 4.58 ERA) as starting pitcher.

Giants drop 6-5 decision to Braves

Photo credit: Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

By: Mary Anne

The San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves played their middle game on Saturday. Georgia was on San Francisco’s mind on Logan Webb Day or Webby Day. San Francisco (64-59) dropped a 6-5 decision to Atlanta (80-42) at Truist Field.

Giants pitcher Tyler Rogers (4-5, 2.73 ERA) took the loss after pitching two innings and giving up two hits, two earned runs, three strikeouts, and one home run.

The Giants’ starting lineup consisted of LaMonte Webb Jr., Wade Meckler, Wilmer Flores, Joc Pederson, Michael Conforto, J.D. Davis, Blake Sabol, Johan Camargo, Thairo Estrada, and of course, Logan Webb. Webb pitched six innings and gave up nine hits, four earned runs, five strikeouts, and one home run.

The Giants wasted no time getting on the board. LaMonte Wade Jr. homered on a fly ball to right field for a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.

The Giants doubled their lead in the top of the second inning. Johan Camargo grounded into a forceout that went from Nicky Lopez to Orlando Arcia. J.D. Davis scored for a 2-0 lead. Blake Sabol went to second base, while Camargo went to first base with one out.

The Braves tied the game in the bottom of the second inning. Eddie Rosario doubled on a line drive to Joc Pederson. Matt Olson scored to cut the Giants’ lead in half to 2-1. Marcell Ozuna went to third base. Orlando Arcia grounded out and went from Johan Camargo to LaMonte Wade Jr. Ozuna scored to tie the game 2-2 with two outs.

The Giants took a two-run lead in the top of the fourth inning. J.D. Davis was out on a sacrifice fly to Ronald Acuna Jr. Joc Pederson scored for a 3-2 lead with one out. Thairo Estrada singled on a line drive to Eddie Rosario. Michael Conforto scored for a 4-2 lead. Johan Camargo went to second base.

The Braves made it a one-run game in the bottom of the fourth inning. Travis d’Arnaud doubled on a sharp line drive to Michael Conforto. Eddie Rosario scored to cut the Giants’ lead to 4-3.

The Braves tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Ronald Acuna Jr. homered on a fly ball to right field to tie the game 4-4.

The Giants challenged a force play in the top of the sixth inning and the call on the field was upheld. Johan Camargo grounded into a double play that went from Nicky Lopez to Orlando Arcia to Matt Olson. Michael Conforto scored for a 5-4 lead. J.D. Davis went to third base, as Blake Sabol was out at second base and Camargo was out at first base with two outs.

The Braves responded in the bottom of the eighth inning. Eddie Rosario homered on a fly ball to center field. Luke Williams scored for a 6-5 lead.

Notes
The Giants placed Ross Stripling on the 15-day injured list — retroactive to August 17th — with a mid-back strain.

The Giants placed Ryan Walker on the paternity list.

The Giants recalled Sean Hjelle and Casey Schmitt from Triple-A Sacramento.

Up Next
The Giants and Braves will wrap up their series on Sunday at 10:35 am Pacific. The Giants’ starting pitcher is TBD, while the Braves named Max Fried (4-1, 2.57 ERA) their starting pitcher.

Giants lose 4-1 to Angels in a pitcher’s duel

Photo credit: si.com

By: Mary Anne

The San Francisco Giants wrapped up their road series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Wednesday night. The Giants lost to the Angels 4-1 in the series finale at Angel Stadium. San Francisco fell to 62-53, while Anaheim improved to 58-58.

Tristan Beck (3-1, 3.03 ERA) took the loss after pitching three innings and giving up two hits, three earned runs, two walks, two strikeouts, and one home run. Beck entered the game after Sean Manaea (3-3, 5.10 ERA) pitched four innings and gave up one hit, one earned run, one walk, and six strikeouts.

The Giants’ starting lineup consisted of LaMonte Wade Jr., Thairo Estrada, Wilmer Flores, Joc Pederson, J.D. Davis, Michael Conforto, Patrick Bailey, Brandon Crawford, Luis Matos, and Ryan Walker. Walker pitched one inning and gave up one hit and three strikeouts.

After one scoreless inning, San Francisco got on the scoreboard. Brandon Crawford was out on a sacrifice fly to Mickey Moniak. Michael Conforto scored for a 1-0 Giants lead with two outs.

Neither team added to the scoreboard until the Angels finally got on the board with a four-run sixth inning. Brandon Drury singled on a line drive to Joc Pederson, who committed a fielding error. Luis Rengifo scored to tie the game 1-1. Shohei Ohtani went to third base, while Drury went to second base. Mike Moustakas homered on a fly ball to right field. Drury scored to put the Angels up 4-1.

Notes
Giants infielder Wilmer Flores improved to a 20-game on-base streak on Wednesday.

Giants bullpen catcher Alex Burg turned 36 on Wednesday.

The Giants made two roster moves on Wednesday. Outfielder Heilot Ramos was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento, while outfielder A.J. Pollock was placed on the ten-day injured list with a left oblique strain.

The Giants’ Rogers brothers have been putting up almost identical numbers. Taylor (2.52 ERA) has 46 strikeouts and a 1.09 WHIP, while Tyler (2.54 ERA) has 45 strikeouts and a 1.09 WHIP — both statistics are as of August 9, 2023.

Up Next
The Giants will return home to host the Texas Rangers on Friday at 7:15 pm Pacific. The Giants haven’t announced who will start for them, but Jon Gray (7-5, 3.72 ERA) will pitch for the Rangers.

MLB The Show podcast with Stephen Ruderman: Codero suspended for rest of season for domestic violence by Yanks; Angels IL problem; plus much more

New York Yankee pitcher Jimmy Codero has been suspended for the rest of the 2023 season including the post season for domestic violence. Details of what happened has not been disclosed by the Yankees. Codero’s suspension started immediately according to the Yankees. (AP News photo)

On the MLB podcast with Stephen:

#1 The New York Yankees suspended pitcher Jimmy Cordero for domestic violence. The Yankees in a statement said they are aware of Cordero domestic violence policy violations saying “there is no justification for domestic violence.” Cordero is suspended for the remaining 76 games and the post season. Cordero a 3.86 ERA with 34 strikeouts and ten walks. No details of the domestic violence charge was disclosed.

#2 The Los Angeles Angels Mike Trout is out with a fracture left wrist and was put on the ten day IL, Anthony Rendon was injured after fouling a ball off his left leg and is suffering from a shin contusion and did not suffer an fractures, finally Angels star pitcher Shohei Ohtani will not play in the All Star game due to a blister in his last outing and had a cracked finger nail in his last start.

#3 On Tuesday Chicago Cubs manager David Ross took all he could after the Cubs saw a four run lead and beat the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Park in Milwaukee. There were frustrations in the 11th inning when Cubs first base coach Mike Napoli shouted his disagreement with plate umpire Erich Bacchus on third strike call on Cubs hitter Dansby Swanson. Ross came out onto the field to argue and was also tossed out by Bacchus. The Cubs did come back to win it in 11, 7-6.

#4 Stephen talk about second baseman Thairo Estrada he’s suffering from a left hand fracture that will sideline him from two to six weeks. Estrada was hitting .272 with 79 hits, 9 home runs and 31 RBIs. The Giants will replace him with Casey Schmitt and Brett Wisley at second.

#5 What are the chances? The organization Schools over Stadiums has launched a petition campaign to put a bill on the ballot to stop the state of Nevada from using $380 million in public money to finance a new Las Vegas A’s ballpark at the Tropicana location. The campaign needs over 25,000 signatures in four Nevada districts to get the measure on the ballot and over 1 million votes to end the state’s public funding of the Las Vegas ballpark money Schools over Stadiums say should be used for education.

Join Stephen Ruderman for the MLB podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com