That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: 49ers head to Dallas Sunday; Raiders in Cincinnati Saturday; MLB lockout update; plus more

San Francisco 49ers cornerback Emmanuel Moseley (4) picks off a pass for an interception intended for Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Ben Skowronek (18) at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Sun Jan 9, 2022. The 49ers advanced to the NFC playoffs Sun Jan 16, 2022 against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury’s:

#1 The San Francisco 49ers on the last day of the season needed to defeat the Los Angeles Rams in a game that could not have been scripted any better. Winning on a field goal in the fourth quarter 27-24 and now advance to the NFC Playoffs for this Sun Jan 16th in Arlington against the Dallas Cowboys.

#2 The Las Vegas Raiders were another team that just got into post season battling it out with the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football. With the game all tied 32-32 in overtime and no time left the Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson booted a 47 yard field goal that got the Raiders into post season 35-32 in a game that was almost scripted for a Hollywood movie. The Raiders had their share of tragedies this season but bounced back winning their last four games to get into post season.

#3 Amaury, why aren’t the owners and players talking in MLB from the sound of it spring training in February and March could be put on hold until something is agreed upon. Feb 26th is the first spring training game and it looks in question.

#4 The St Louis Cardinals announced they have canceled their annual winter warmup Bill Dewitt III the Cardinals team president said unfortunately due to the current circumstances of the lockout the planning of the winter warm up has been canceled. This was an opportunity to allow fans to interface with Cards players. Baseball is huge in St Louis so you can imagine many Cardinal fans will be disappointed.

#5 In the MLB Baseball Hall of Fame voting Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens it was reported on ESPN will not get enough votes to make the Hall of Fame and former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling who was 16 votes short last year will be much shorter last year due to that dark cloud of steroid use.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for News and Commentary Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cardinals stay undefeated with 17-10 defensive win over 49ers

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyle Murray (1) looks for a receiver against the San Francisco 49ers defense at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Sun Oct 10, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Marko Ukalovic

GLENDALE, Ariz.–It was a battle of the defenses down in the desert.

In the end it was the Arizona Cardinals defense that came through en route to a 17-10 win over the San Francisco 49ers in a NFC West battle on Sunday afternoon at State Farm Stadium.

San Francisco have lost three games in a row. Arizona remained the NFL’s only undefeated team as they haven’t started out 5-0 since 1974, and the fifth time in franchise history, when the franchise was in St. Louis.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Trey Lance, the third pick in this year’s draft, made his first NFL start due to Jimmy Garopollo’s calf injury. After a nice run for 14 yards resulting in a first down and completing a 16 yard pass to fullback Kyle Juszczyk. second pass attempt over threw Travis Benjamin as Cardinals safety Budda Baker was playing center field and made the interception.

Arizona (5-0) capitalized on the turnover. Quarterback Kyler Murray led an eight play, 66 yard drive that resulted in a one yard touchdown run by James Connor. The touchdown was set up when Murray threw a swing pass to Rondale Moore end around run for 26 yards to the 49ers one yard line.

San Francisco (2-3) had their second possession stalled at the Arizona 33 yard line when Lance’s quarterback keeper was stopped by Arizona’s swarming defense.

The 49ers were also without their Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle as the team placed him on injured reserved with his own calf injury that will sideline him for at least two more additional games.

Arizona went up 10-0 late in the first half when Matt Prater kicked a 21 yard field goal with 5:27 left in the second quarter.

Lance didn’t get any help from his receivers during the first half. Deebo Samuel wasn’t able to catch a ball thrown to him behind the line of scrimmage that resulted in a big loss. Mohamed Sanu dropped a pass through his hands that would have been a first down on the 49ers fourth possession.

The 49ers had a chance to tie the game early in the second quarter as Lance led the offense on a 13 play, 93 yard drive where they had first and goal inside the five yard line. On fourth and goal, Lance scrambled to right but was stopped at the one yard line by Cardinals linebacker Isiah Simmons as the Niners turned the ball over on downs.

Nick Bosa recorded his fifth sack of the year when he sacked Murray for a 13 yard loss with 26 second left in the second quarter, that helped stop the final drive of the half for the Cardinals. Arizona tried a 61 one yard field goal to end the half but Prater missed badly wide right.

Penalties plagued the 49ers on offense in the second half. They had five holding penalties, (three on the first drive in the second half that resulted in a punt) and a false start.

San Francisco finally got on the board late in the third quarter. Lance pitched the ball Samuel and the wide receiver made nice move to run for a 13 yard touchdown to cut Arizona’s lead to 10-7.

Lance led the six play, 59 yard drive with 1:42 left in third quarter.

San Francisco went for a fourth and one near midfield with under 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter but a sneak by Juszczyk who took the snap under center was stopped a yard short the Cardinals defense.

The Cardinals defense had pressure on Lance for most of the second half altering his throws and tipping balls to the ground.

Arizona scored a late touchdown in the fourth quarter when Murray found DeAndre Hopkins on a fade route inside the end zone as Hopkins leaped over 49ers corner back Josh Norman to put the Cardinals up 17-7 with 5:13 left.

San Francisco received a 47 yard field goal from Joey Slye with 4:12 left to cut the lead to a one score game. However, the 49ers never got the ball back as Arizona made two first downs on their ensuing possession to close out the game.

Lance finished 15 for 29 with 192 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. He led the 49ers in rushing 89 rushing yards on 16 carries as head coach Kyle Shanahan tailored the offense with plenty of run calls for the rookie quarterback.

Murray finished the game 22 for 31 with 291 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.

Hopkins led all wide receivers with six catches and 87 yards with one touchdown. Samuel led the 49ers in receiving with three catches for 58 yards on nine targets.

GAME NOTES: San Francisco was 3-11 on third down conversions. Arizona was 3-10.

Cardinals tight end Maxx Williams was injured in the second quarter after a reception with a lower body injury after receiving a tackle by Emmanuel Mosley. He was carted off the field and did not finish the game.

This was the first game that Arizona’s offense had back to back three and outs.

UP NEXT: San Francisco has a bye in week six. They return to action on Sunday 10/24 as they host the Indianapolis Colts at 5:20pm at Levi’s Stadium.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: The Ultimate Baseball Face-off – Dusty Baker vs Tony LaRussa

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker (left) and Chicago White Sox manager Tony LaRussa meet at Minute Maid Field in Houston on Thu Oct 7, 2021 for game 1 of the ALDS (file photo NBC Sports)

The Ultimate Baseball Face-off – Dusty Baker vs Tony LaRussa

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The American League Divisional Series is an attractive one. Two of the best hitting teams in all of baseball with very good pitching also. Manager Dusty Baker of the AL Western Division Champion Houston Astros, who will host Tony La Russa Manager of the Chicago White Sox Champion of the AL Central Division. Two excellent managers, who both return to the show after a few years of “unemployment”.

The two managers cut their teeth here in the Bay Area, Tony (The Hall of Famer) with the Athletics and Dusty (The Players Manager) with the Giants, they are two “old school” managers, not necessarily going by today’s super hyper stats of high-velocity pitches and hits, infield shifts, launch angle and all the other stuff which some media and fans overdose these days. Both not afraid of using the bunt, sacrifice, or as well as the hit and run or ‘run and hit’ and very much manage with their guts in-game situation.

Tony LaRussa is the active manager with the most wins ever 2,821, which places him second all-time behind the legendary owner and manager of the Philadelphia Athletics, Connie Mack who won a total of 3,731 baseball games.

Dusty Baker occupies No.12 in the all-time managers in wins with 1,987. Having covered both managers and traveled with them, there is a rivalry between both, the two oldest managers in baseball this season, Tony 77, Dusty 72.

They both speak conversational Spanish. In the 1980’s I recorded “El Show de Tony LaRussa” which was a three minute inside pregame show for radio. Tony would talk about the previous game with his take as a manager. With Dusty, many times I interviewed him including in the late 1990s when he was managing the Giants including 2002 when he won the National League Pennant and lost the World Series to the LA Angels.

This American League Divisional Series begins this Thursday, October 7 at Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros, who finished the season with 95-67 winning the West, while the Chicago White Sox ended with 93-69. This is the best-of-5 and Houston owns home-field advantage. Prediction: It will be a 5 game series. Houston is a much experienced postseason-proven team than Chicago. They didn’t clinch until the last week of the regular season.

Chicago White Sox won the Central Division (the weakest in baseball, second-place Cleveland Indians finished 13 games from Chicago). The Sox had their share of injuries, but they were never really challenged, they are a dynamic and mostly young ball club, which many critics believe (before the season) that LaRussa would be “too old” to win with this young group of players, but he proved those guys wrong and here is another Tony LaRussa team in the postseason.

Some great hitters for Houston in the series: José Altuve, Carlos Correa, Jordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, Yuliesky Gurriel, who just won the league batting title with a .319 average, which today is the equivalent of hitting .340 decades ago, a breakthrough year for Kyle Tucker who was a First Round pick in the 2015 Draft, for the Astros and ended this season with his best numbers at 24 years of age, hit .294 with 30 home runs and 92 RBI. Their rotation is solid and a good bullpen to complete the game.

The Chicago White Sox can swing it with anybody. Tim Anderson, José Abreu, Yoán Moncada, Luis Robert, César Hernández, Eloy Jiménez, Yasmani Grandal, some of the names that can hit and hit for power. A very good pitching staff with Carlos Rodón, Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, Dylan Cease, and a very strong bullpen with Craig Kimbrel and Liam Hendricks to close the game.

I give the edge to Houston in 5 games, but if Chicago wins, they have the potential to run the table and go all the way and win the World Series.

About the Wild Card game: (Note) I never liked the Wild Card game, just one game to decide a season. The LA Dodgers won 106 games this year and finished second. The first team ever to finish with 106 wins and not win their division. The Dodgers play the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, Oct 6.

The winner advances, the other team goes home. Just image winning 106 games and getting eliminated in the first round of the postseason? Something is not right here. This is not the NFL. Solution? Wild Card should be the best of 3 games. Just reduce the season to 152 games instead of 162 to even the whole year schedule, so the World Series doesn’t end by Thanksgiving Day. Who really likes the ‘due or die games’? Fans and especially, television, who usually score very good ratings.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez call post season baseball on CBS Spanish radio and reported for Telemundo TV and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Robinson’s story inspirational; Yaz seeing the ball well

San Francisco Giant Mike Yastrzemski pictured getting congratulated by teammate Thario Estrada after hitting a two run third inning home run at Chase Field in Arizona on Sat Jul 3, 2024. Yastrzemski hit two home runs on Fri Jul 16th in St Louis at Busch Stadium (AP file photo)

On the Giants podcast with Morris:

#1 Drew Robinson will be working with the San Francisco Giants. Robinson known for his attempted suicide and lost sight of one of his eyes an inspirational story about his comeback and his coming to work for the Giants.

#2 In the series in St Louis Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski went deep a couple times on Friday in St Louis and has been seeing the ball well. 64 hits, 14 homers and batting .236.

#3 The Giants had their five game win streak come to an end on Saturday after a 3-1 loss to the Cardinals no Giants hit a home run in that contest.

#4 The Giants hold a one game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers who are just a game behind San Francisco do you so these teams battling for first place all the way till the end of the season?

#5 Speaking of the Dodgers Morris four game series starts tonight in LA as the Giants and Dodgers match up this could be one of those traditional grudge matches

Join Morris for the Giants podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Bader wins it on a infield single for the Cardinals 2-1

The St Louis Cardinals Harrison Bader who beat out an infield RBI single that scored pinch runner Jose Rondon for the go ahead run the seventh inning on Sun Jul 18, 2021 at Busch Stadium in St Louis (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

Things did not start off well for the San Francisco Giants and it ended on a squibber up the first base line.

Harrison Bader beat out an infield single that saw John Brebbia just a second late to the base that allowed pinch runner Jose Rondon to score from third base, as the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Giants 2-1 at Busch Stadium.

Matt Carpenter led off of the bottom of the seventh inning with a ground-rule double off of Brebbia, and Rondon was called on to run for Carpenter, and he went to third on a Paul DeJong fly out to right field and then scored without a throw on the infield hit by Bader.

The Giants loaded the bases in the top of the first inning against Wade LeBlanc, but the left-hander was able to get Wilmer Flores by striking him out looking and then got out of the jam, when he got Brandon Crawford to fly out for the final out of the inning.

DeJong gave the Cardinals the lead in the bottom of the third inning, as he hit a solo home run off of Johnny Cueto to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.

That lead would last all of one-half inning, as Darin Ruf hit an upper deck solo home run to tie up the game for the Giants.

Once again, the Giants loaded the bases in the top of the sixth inning, as Donovan Solano singled to lead off the inning, then Mike Yastrzemski followed it up with a single of his own that sent Solano to third base. Ryan Helsley then came on to replace LeBlanc, and was able to get Lamonte Wade, Jr., to strikeout for the first out and then Wilmer Flores flew out to centerfield and it was not deep enough for Solano to score from third base.

Helsley then walked Crawford intentionally and then Mike Tauchman was not able to relive his magic of his grand slam against the Texas Rangers on June 8, as he struck out to end the inning and stranded the bases loaded.

Cueto ended up going five innings, allowing just one run on two hits, walking one and striking out five and he did not fare in the decision.

When Cueto got Bader to fly out to Austin Slater for the first out in the bottom of the third inning after DeJong hit his 13th home run of the season, it gave Cueto 2,000 career innings and he became the eighth active pitcher to join that elusive club.

LeBlanc, like Cueto also went five innings, as he allowed one run on five hits, walking and struck out three before giving way the bullpen.

Genesis Cabrera won his second game of the season, as he pitched the seventh inning, walking one and striking out two.

Despite allowing two walks to the first two batters of the top of the ninth inning, Alex Reyes was able to regroup to get the next three batters to end the game and pickup his 22nd save for the victorious Cardinals, who won four of six this season over the Giants.

NOTES: Cueto became the seventh pitcher born in the Dominican Republic to reach the 2,000 career inning milestone, joining Juan Marichal (3,507.1), Bartolo Colon (3,461.2), Pedro Martinez (2,827.1), Ervin Santana (2,461.0), Pedro Astacio (2,196.2) and Joaquin Andujar (2,153.0).

UP NEXT: Kevin Gausman will return to the team and take the ball in the opener of a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Monday night, as he looks for his 10th win of the season, while the Dodgers will send Tony Gonsolin to the mound.

Giants Webb coming off shoulder strain; pitch count will be watched Friday night

San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb throwing against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sat May 29, 2021 at Dodgers Stadium Los Angeles will be the starting pitcher against the Washington Nationals on Fri Jul 9, 2021 at Oracle Park (AP file photo)

By Jessica Kwong

The San Francisco Giants had the day off on Thursday after losing two of the last three games in the series against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Giants won 5-2 on Wednesday at Oracle Park to avoid being swept.

San Francisco (54-32) are still first in the NL West but are tied on the most wins in the league.

The Giants start a three-game series against the Washington Nationals on Friday before facing the Cardinals after the All-Star break on July 16 at State Farm Stadium. First pitch at Nationals Park is at 6:45 p.m.

San Francisco plans to start with right-handed pitcher Logan Webb on Friday. Giants manager Gabe Kapler announced on Wednesday that Webb, who has been out since May 29 due to a right shoulder strain, will come off the injured list. He did not give any indication of how many innings Webb might pitch. Webb will likely take Long’s spot in the rotation but it is unlikely he will throw more than 50 to 60.

The Giants’ pitching for the opener against Washington will likely include right-handed pitcher Tyler Beede, who was off the 60-day injured list on Tuesday. Beede had Tommy John surgery in March 2020 and completed a 12-start rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento. He finished with a 6.56 ERA.

In unfortunate news, the Giants’ director of Dominican Republic Operations, Pablo Peguero, died unexpectedly on Wednesday, the organization announced yesterday evening. He died in his home in Santo Domingo at the age of 68. Peguero was with the Giants for the past 18 years and was a ‘beloved member of the Giants family and has been synonymous with baseball in the Dominican Republic for decades,” the team’s President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi said in a statement.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Cardinals-Giants open series at Oracle with matinee

St Louis Cardinals starter Kwang Hyun Kim puts his all into this pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks Wed Jun 30, 2021. Kim will be the starting pitcher of record Mon Jul 5, 2021 at Oracle Park in San Francisco against the Giants (AP News file photo)

On the Giants podcast with Morris:

#1 Morris after the San Francisco Giants (53-30) trip in Los Angeles they had better outcome in their meeting with the Arizona Diamondbacks (23-63) at Chase Field over the four game series.

#2 The one opponent the Giants need to really get up for is the Los Angeles Dodgers (53-31) who they started this road trip with getting swept in two games.

#3 Lots of credit to the Giants Austin Slater for an outstanding performance on Saturday night hitting two home runs in helping the Giants cause in their narrow 6-5 win.

#4 The Giants open up a six game homestand against the St Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals anytime your coming towards the All Star break with a half game margin in the standings over the Dodgers it’s hair raising.

#5 The St Louis Cardinals (41-44) will be starting Kwang Hyun Kim (2-5 ERA 3.75) the Giants will start Kevin Gausman (8-2 ERA 1.68) for Monday afternoon’s game at Oracle Park. Morris you’ll be on hand for this game how do you see these two teams matching up?

Join Morris for the Giants podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com