BY DANIEL GLUSKOTER Two outs away from solidifying their postseason aspirations with a doubleheader sweep of San Diego, the Giants saw their dreams turn to nightmares as the Padres got to Sam Coonrod for three runs in the bottom of the seventh in a 6-5 loss punctuated by a three-run …
Read More »Manaea’s gem and Olson’s bat smoke Astros, extend lead to 6.5
BY DANIEL GLUSKOTER In one of the best pitching duels of the season, the A’s closed out their most important series of 2020 with a 3-1 win over the Houston Astros, firmly putting themselves in the drivers seat in the race for the AL West championship. The win, their fourth …
Read More »A’s walk-off against Halos in 10th stretches lead to 4 1/2 games
BY DANIEL GLUSKOTER Mark Canha’s tenth inning sacrifice fly drove in the winning run Sunday afternoon to give the A’s a 5-4 comeback win over the Los Angeles Angels in the rubber match of a three game series at the Coliseum. The win made Oakland the first team in the …
Read More »Neutral court advantage could create surprises in NBA bubble
BY J.A. SCHWARTZ A wise collection of gentlemen once upbraided me about my powers of prognostication, suggesting, “Your crystal ball ain’t so crystal clear.” Be that as it may, and based on the most recent efforts made in that regard (my prediction of the Padres beating the Twins in the …
Read More »Streaking A’s brawl past Astros 7-2 for ninth straight win
BY DANIEL GLUSKOTER The streaking A’s remained undefeated in August, completing a weekend sweep of the Houston Astros 7-2 at the Coliseum Sunday afternoon in a game highlighted by the first true benches-clearing brawl of the Covid era. Tempers flared in the seventh after Oakland’s Ramon Laureano was hit by …
Read More »Gallo’s blast helps Texas salvage final game against Giants
BY DANIEL GLUSKOTER Joey Gallo’s three-run home run in the seventh-inning off Tyler Anderson led the Texas Rangers to a 9–5 win over the Giants Sunday afternoon at Oracle Field. Gallo’s blast, his third of the year, capped a three hit day and allowed Texas to escape San Francisco with …
Read More »National League gearing up for a truncated 60-game sprint
BY J.A. SCHWARTZ As of this writing, the delayed MLB season is set to commence in a matter of days. It’s still entirely possible that circumstances driven by the COVID-19 pandemic may prevent games from actually being played, but until that becomes reality, a preview of what the season may …
Read More »Astros, Yankees and Twins favored to fight it out for AL flag
BY J.A. SCHWARTZ As the COVID-19 pandemic looms over the competitive sports landscape in the US, Major League Baseball will become the first of the four major leagues to attempt to stage contests, though they will do so without fans to witness them. Starting Thursday, July 23, the latest Opening …
Read More »NFL’s hypocrisy on full display with Juneteenth and Kaepernick
BY J.A. SCHWARTZ On June 19th, 1865, a proclamation was read in the city of Galveston, Texas. Union Army General Gordon Granger declared that by federal order, all slaves in Texas were now free. The date would ultimately become known as “Juneteenth”, in recognition of its historic significance. On June …
Read More »Kaepernick’s stance might finally be resonating four years later
BY J.A. SCHWARTZ After first being moved to protest police brutality during the 2016 preseason, Colin Kaepernick stated that his decision to sit during the national anthem of the 49ers third preseason game was motivated by his desire to bring attention to issues that resonated with him following the death …
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