The Nightcap - 8/31: A's Rout Red Sox, Giants Fall in Wrigley, Stanford Survives Scare

It was a night that will not be soon forgotten at the Coliseum, as the A's pounded out 20 runs (yes, 20) to defeat the Red Sox by 18 runs. 

Not the same story for the Giants, though. MadBum struggled, and Alfonso Soriano burned the Giants en route to a 6-4 loss at Wrigley Field.

And how about some college football? The Stanford Cardinal began their season at home against San Jose State, and barely escaped with a 20-17 victory. A shaky start, but hopefully better things are yet to come.

Read more »

Countdown to the NBA Season - 8/31

Well, we've reached the last day of August. Just two more months until Halloween, when the Warriors will being their season against the Phoenix Suns down in Arizona. In the meantime, indulge yourselves in these NBA headlines of the day:

- Lakers to Retire Shaq's Jersey - Well it's about time. How many of you still miss the Kobe-Shaq days?

- The Worst Division in the NBA - The answer may surprise you, because it contains arguable the best team in the NBA.

- Who are the Smartest Spenders in the NBA? - These answers won't surprise you because those teams are perennial contenders for a reason.

Read more »

Stanford Beats San Jose State 20-17 in a Close Call

San Jose State gave Stanford a good scare in their 2012 opener, as the Cardinal snuck out of Stanford Stadium with a 20-17 victory.

After Stanford jumped out to a 17-3 lead at half time, the Spartans exploded in the third quarter to erase the defecit, as quarterback Blake Jurich ran for a touchdown and Noel Grigsby caught another.

Kicker Jordan Williamson gave Stanford a 20-17 lead with a 20-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter that they would keep for the rest of the game. The teams exchanged punts for most of the fourth quarter, until junior safety Ed Reynolds intercepted a David Fales pass to seal the game with under two minutes to play.

The main question on everyone’s mind heading into the game was how the Cardinal would fare in the wake of two-time Heisman Trophy finalist Andrew Luck’s departure to the NFL. Junior quarterback Josh Nunes, who was named Luck’s replacement less than two weeks ago, put on a solid performance, completing 16-26 passes, including a beautiful 11-yard touchdown pass to Drew Terrell in the first quarter.

While Nunes was solid, it was the Cardinal’s ground attack that carried the offense. Stepfan Taylor rushed for 124 yards and a first quarter touchdown, including a beautiful 38-yard scamper on the team’s opening drive. Anthony Wilkerson and Resmound Wright added their efforts, combining for 29 yards between the two of them.

Stanford’s defense struggled a bit in the absence of starting middle linebacker Shayne Skov, allowing 216 passing yards. Still, the front seven was solid, allowing only 63 rushing yards.

Defensive back Usua Amanam put on an excellent individual performance, notching two sacks, one of them a huge play that slowed a threatening San Jose State drive in the fourth quarter.

Kicker Jordan Williamson also impressed in his first showing after a shaky performance in last year’s bowl game, hitting a 46-yard field goal as time expired in the first half and that 20-yarder in the fourth quarter.

Despite the victory, head coach David Shaw must be concerned after his team’s performance. The Cardinal were expected to win big over the Spartans, and we’ll look to see if Stanford performs better next Saturday against Duke.

Read more »

A's Annihilate Red Sox 20-2 to Open the Series

Yes, you read that right. A's: 20, Red Sox: 2

The final score from the O.Co Coliseum on Friday night was 20-2 in favor of the A's, an absolute spanking.

But first, what will be forgotten from this night was Brandon McCarthy's fantastic performance, scattering eight hits for two runs in six and a third innings. The Red Sox actually threatened to score first, as they had runners in scoring position in each of the first two innings, but McCarthy was able to get out of the jams unscathed,

Now, the fun part. How did the A's score their twenty runs?

It was a four run second inning that kick-started it all; an RBI each by Brandon Moss and Jonny Gomes, followed by a two-run shot off the bat of Josh Donaldson, who has homered in each of his last three games.

Moss and Gomes would deliver again with a pair of RBIs to make it 6-0. Moss would continue his huge night with a blast deep into right in the fifth, a two-run shot that made it 8-1 A's.

But we're not even close to done yet. Backup catcher George Kottaras smacked a solo shot in the sixth, a prelude to the nine-run seventh inning that was to come.

In the seventh, the A's would string together a long series of hits to make it 14-2. Then, Josh Reddick launched his first career grand slam, breaking the wide-open game even wider-open: 18-2 Athletics.

George Kottaras would put the cherry on top of the sundae in the eighth, with his second home run of the night.

The A's scored a season-high twenty runs on Friday night, and they will look to continue their success tomorrow night against these same Red Sox.

Read more »

Complete Raiders Roster Transactions

Like all NFL teams, the Oakland Raiders had to trim their roster down to 53 players at 6 p.m. local time today. 

The transactions were announced a few hours ago, and here they are, courtesy of a press release by the Raiders:

Transaction	Pos.	Player (exp)
Waived	LB	Kaelin Burnett (R)
Waived	K	Eddy Carmona (R)
Waived	WR	Derek Carrier (R)
Waived	WR	Brandon Carswell (R)
Reserve/PUP (knees)	LB	Aaron Curry (4)
Waived	DE	Hall Davis (1)
Waived	TE	Kyle Efaw (R)
Waived	DL	Dominique Hamilton (R)
Waived	OL	Kevin Haslam (3)
Reserve/Injured (hamstring)	TE	Tory Humphrey (5)
Waived	OL	Nick Howell (1)
Waived	LB	Chad Kilgore (R)
Reserve/Injured (toe)	P	Marquette King (R)
Waived	OL	Dan Knapp (R)
Waived	WR	Eddie McGee (1)
Waived	C	Colin Miller (1)
Waived	RB	Lonyae Miller (1)
Terminated	WR	Roscoe Parrish (8)
Waived	WR	Travionte Session (R)
Waived	LB	Nathan Stupar (R)
Waived	S	Curtis Taylor (3)
Reserve/Injured (hip/groin)	S	Brandon Underwood (3)

Read more »

Complete 49ers Roster Transactions

The 49ers trimmed their roster from 75 to 53 players today, meaning that many players would receiving some bad news.

One of them, safety Colin Jones, was traded to the Carolina Panthers for a seventh round draft pick.

Here are the others who were cut, highlighted by quarterback Josh Johnson, running back Rock Cartwright, and Stanford product Chris Owusu:

OLB Ikaika Alama-Francis
OLB Eric Bakhtiari
RB Rock Cartwright
G/T Derek Hall
ILB Joe Holland
DT Tony Jerod-Eddie
OLB Cam Johnson
QB Josh Johnson
DT Matthew Masifilo
CB Anthony Mosley
TE Kyle Nelson
G/T Al Netter
WR Chris Owusu
WR Nathan Palmer
T Mike Person
TE Konrad Reuland
LB Kenny Rowe
WR Brett Swain
S Michael Thomas
T Kenny Wiggins
LB Michael Wilhoite

Read more »

49ers Release Josh Johnson

The 49ers have released quarterback Josh Johnson, who they signed this offseason as one of their backup quarterbacks.

Their quarterback depth chart now consists of: Alex Smith, Colin Kaepernick, and Scott Tolzien.

Johnson is among several 49ers who will be cut tonight, as NFL teams must trim their rosters down to 53 players.

Check back with us later tonight for a full list of cut players and roster moves.

Read more »

Red Sox Visit the Coliseum: Preview, Lineups

The A's have won six games in a row, including a sweep of the Cleveland Indians, and return home to face the Boston Red Sox, who essentially traded half their team away to the Dodgers earlier this week.

Brandon McCarthy (7-5, 3.12 ERA) takes the hill coming off a strong performance in Tampa Bay, when he allowed just two runs in seven innings. 

He will opposed by the veteran Aaron Cook (3-7, 4.76 ERA), who has struggled in the month of August.

Roster Moves

The A's recalled reliever Pedro Figueroa and have optioned right-handed pitcher Jim Miller back to Triple A Sacramento. Figueora has a 1.20 ERA in 11 appearances for the A's this season.

Lineup - A's (73-57) vs. Red Sox (62-70)

1. Coco Crisp (S) CF
2. Stephen Drew (L) SS
3. Josh Reddick (L) RF
4. Yoenis Cespedes (R) LF
5. Brandon Moss (L) 1B
6. Jonny Gomes (R) DH
7. Josh Donaldson (R) 3B
8. George Kottaras (L) C
9. Cliff Pennington (S) 2B

Read more »

Giants Expected To Add Players to the Roster

It's the time of year when teams can expand their rosters to 40 from 25. The Giants aren't expected to use all of the surplus roster spots, but you can expect them to make a few moves to bolster the depth of their current rosters.

So far, the notables appear to be Aubrey Huff, Xavier Nady, and Brad Penny. Others will also be promoted, but as for Gary Brown's status, a call-up seems unlikely. In fact, he injured his should last night (Thursday), and manager Bruce Bochy has stated multiple times before that he doesn't seem him getting a September call-up.

-Barring a move to acquire an extra outfield bat tonight (unlikely), Nady would presumably receive a good amount of starts in left field for the Giants, as the combination of Gregor Blanco, Justin Christian, and Carlos Peguero have failed to provide any consistency from that spot.

Read more »

NHL, NHLPA Hit Roadblock in Negotiations

Donald Fehr, executive director of the NHLPA

If you don't follow the NHL then you probably aren't aware that the league and the players association are still trying negotiate and renew the old collective bargaining agreement. This is a very similar situation to what happened with the NFL and NBA last summer. If no deal is made by September 15, then the start of the season will be delayed at the least.

Just less then two hours was all the NHL and the NHLPA met for on Friday to discuss the labor dispute. There are not any meetings scheduled in the future, which concerns some. However, both sides agreed that negotiations could resume at any time.



How this affects the Sharks

If there is a full season lockout, there will be some damage to teams in the NHL. We could see some of the players sign one-year deals with clubs in Europe including natives such as Michal Handzus and Martin Havlat. Expect the younger guys and rookies to be sent down to the AHL affiliate in Worcester, Massachusetts, to develop and stay in top condition.

The Sharks open their preseason September 26 against Vancouver, and open the regular-season in Anaheim on October 12.

Read more »

Bumgarner Struggles as Giants Fall to Cubs

The "friendly confines" weren't exactly kind to Madison Bumgarner, who allowed five runs on six hits in just four innings pitched as the Giants fell 6-4 to the Cubs at Wrigley Field,

Alfonso Soriano, who rejected a trade to the Giants earlier this year, did much of the damage for Chicago with an RBI double in the first and a two-run home run in the third.

The Cubs would lead 5-0 after three innings, as Wellington Castillo's double brought in two more runs.

San Francisco would rally to close it to a 6-4 deficit in the eighth, thanks to RBIs by Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval, and Hunter Pence, but Cubs close Carlos Marmol would finish them off in the top of the ninth to secure the win for Chicago.

Read more »

Niners Trade Colin Jones to Panthers

The San Francisco 49ers have traded special-teams player Colin Jones to the Carolina Panthers for a seventh round pick, according to Scout.com.

Jones recorded six tackles in 13 games last season. He was drafted by the Niners in the sixth round of last year's draft.

Read more »

Harrison Barnes Could Be the Warriors' Future Star

Harrison Barnes... Will he be the future star? Right now, in the off-season, as I say literally everyday, it is so hard to predict. Who's to say whether Perry Jones III won't be the best player, or Anthony Davis won't a bust.

Post-draft reports indicated the Warriors did outstandingly in the NBA draft, selecting 3 valuable players that will make an immediate impact, positive of course.

In the summer league, Barnes proved that he and Thompson can make a good combination. Their three pointers were endless, in rows. Defenders had their heads spinning deciding which side of the floor to run to. Barnes and Thompson really will form a key duo that no one has forseen. Barnes may not be the best rookie out there this year, but he will certainly develop into a great player.

Maybe in a few year, Barnes will really know the game. If he's not afraid to drive to the basket by that time, then maybe, just maybe, he will be the all-star. What do you think? Comment Below.

Read more »

Giants Start Series at Wrigley: Game Preview, Lineups

The Giants did their job against the Astros by sweeping them in a three-game series.

Now they'll look to repeat that performance against the 50-80 Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Madison Bumgarner (14-8, 2.93 ERA) will pitch for the Giants. He will look to rebound after a sluggish performance against the Braves in his previous start.

He will be opposed by Chris Volstad (1-9, 6.28 ERA), who, as you can probably tell by his stats, should not be much of a threat.

I'll repeat the same thing I wrote at the start of the series against the Astros: anything short of a sweep against the Cubs would be considered a disappointment.

Lineup - Giants vs. Cubs 11:20 AM

CF Pagan
2B Theriot
3B Sandoval
C Posey
RF Pence
1B Belt
SS Arias
LF Blanco
P Bumgarner

Read more »

How Klay Thompson Can Fit Into Monta's Shoes

Thompson's scoring output nearly matched Monta Ellis after Ellis was traded. In drafting Thompson, I knew that Monta's reign in Golden State would come to an abrupt end.
Klay Thompson is nowhere near as skilled, athletic, or experienced as Ellis, but he can become more like him. In being able to drive the ball and handle the ball more, Thompson will be taken seriously as a shooter, and a finisher at the basket.

Defenders won't know what to do when closing out on him. With Jarrett Jack and Curry tossing him the ball, Thompson shouldn't have any problem scoring adequate numbers compared to Monta Ellis.

If Ellis was 6'7 and still was able to play with the same intensity, he would end up scoring even more. He was regarded, in my books, as one of the best post-up guards in the NBA. It would have been even better if he was taller.
Klay should have the ability to easily take guards that are smaller than him. Thompson knows what he's doing in the post.

If Klay plays hard, practices, and helps Curry take the Warriors to the playoffs, his hard work will pay off and he will be regarded as a threat, and potential all-star.

Read more »

What's on Tap - 8/31: Stanford Begins Football Season, Giants at Wrigley, A's Back Home

Can you believe that college football is already upon us?

The 21st-ranked Stanford Cardinal will begin their post-Andrew Luck era tonight in their season opener as they play host to San Jose State. Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM.

But first, some good ole-fashioned afternoon baseball at Wrigley Field, as the Giants take on the woeful Chicago Cubs at 11:20 AM. 

The A's return home to face off against the Boston Red Sox, who appear to be spiraling out of control at the moment. First pitch? 7:05 PM.

Stay tuned for recaps of these games on this beautiful Friday by the Bay.

Read more »

The Nightcap - 8/31: A's, Giants Complete Sweeps, NFL Preseason Wraps Up

The Giants and A's took "taking advantage of weaker teams" to a whole new level this week, sweeping the woeful Astros and Indians, respectively.

The A's pounded the Indians 12-7 early this morning, hitting four long balls against Cleveland pitching.

As for the Giants, they won comeback-style again in Houston, thanks to Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence.

MLB Standings - Giants (74-57) 4 and 1/2 games ahead of Dodgers, A's (73-57) a game up in the AL Wild Card, four games back of Rangers in division.

-------------

Switching gears to the NFL, as the Raiders and Niners wrapped up their preseason tonight.

Colin Kaepernick impressed for the 49ers, who hammered the Chargers 35-3 in Candlestick.

But it was a different story for the Raiders, who were the recipient of a good ole-fashioned beatdown. It was an unimpressive performance overall, as the Seahawks thwarted Oakland 21-3. 

Read more »

Raiders Get Pummeled by Seahawks in Final Preseason Game

If it wasn't for Eddy Carmona's 31 yard field goal with 15 seconds left in the game, the Raiders would have been shut out by the Seahawks tonight. That said, this 18 point loss ends Oakland's preseason at a disappointing record of 1-3.

The Raiders played an excruciatingly bad overall game and it stands as a poor performance to lead them into the regular season. The Seahawks had nearly triple the total yards of the Raiders, as Oakland only racked up 101 to Seattle's 334. Granted, Carson Palmer and the first team only played one drive at the beginning of the game, but the Oakland squad should be playing much harder, especially because they are all striving to make the teams' final 53 man roster that will be announced tomorrow before six o'clock in the afternoon.

Fans also did not get a chance to see the Terrelle Pryor that they saw last week against Detroit, the one who threw for 137 yards, and 2 touchdowns, and also took it on the ground for 90 yards and a touchdown. Instead, they saw Pryor throw for 55 yards and no touchdowns tonight. Many including myself, were hoping that Pryor would follow up last week's game with another outstanding performance and make his case to be the second string quarterback behind Carson Palmer.

However, with Matt Leinart returning to the field and already having experience as a solidified back-up playing under veteran quarterbacks like Kurt Warner and Matt Schuab, it doesn't seem likely that Terrelle will be able to take his job. Speaking of Leinart, the team was glad to have him back, as he played through a lacerated right index finger tonight and was throwing with the precision that we're used to seeing.

Star running back Darren McFadden was held out of the game, and wisely so, as the team wants him to be fully healthy for the regular season.

Oakland hopes to put this preseason behind them and start their promising regular season on September 10th, against the San Diego Chargers.

Read more »

Niners Blast Chargers 35-3 in Final Preseason Game

Yes, it's just the preseason. But yes, it sure does feel good to crush another NFL team.

The San Francisco 49ers poured it on against the Chargers at Candlestick on Thursday, scoring five touchdowns en route to a 35-3 victory.

Alex Smith played five snaps and never attempted a pass, setting the stage for Colin Kaepernick to steal the show. According to CSN's Mattt Maiocco, Kaepernick had his best performance in a 49ers' uniform.

Kaepernick completed 12 of 18 throws for 158 yards, including beautifully thrown touchdown passes to Delanie Walker and A.J. Jenkins.

Josh Johnson would enter in the second half, going 9 for 14 for 125 yards. He also threw two touchdowns, one of them a quick hitch to rookie Nathan Palmer who outran everybody for a 51-yard score.

The Niners would score the first 35 points of the game, before Nick Kaeding would break the shutout with a field goal in the fourth quarter.

With the preseason over, the Niners will a little more than a week to prepare for the first regular season game against the Green Bay Packers next Sunday.

Read more »

Pence and Sandoval Fuel A Comeback Win to Complete the Sweep

Road games are like the new home games for a lively Giants’ away offense. Comebacks are a rarity at the spacious AT&T Park, but twice in the past three days the Giants have come back from early devastates.

Ryan Vogelsong fell into an early hole. Jason Castro and Jimmy Paredes both knocked in a run to charge two runs to Vogelsong’s line after only the first inning. The Astros would add to that total in the next frame, as Matt Dominguez smacked a leadoff triple to put Vogelsong into another messy situation. Brian Boguesevic plated him with a sacrifice fly to centerfield to extend the Astros lead, 3-0.

And the Astros weren’t about to stop. Tyler Green lined a leadoff home run in the very next inning. However, Vogelsong would settle in after surrendering the homer which would be key because the Giants offense have a comeback in their back pockets.

A three-run fifth inning really set the table. Angel Pagan, Marco Scutaro, and Pablo Sandoval each collected an RBI in the inning. Though the three-run charge was just the peek of a strong comeback from San Francisco.

The Giants crafted another three-run inning in the seventh. Sandoval tied the game with a two out RBI single, his second RBI of the game, and Hunter Pence drove in two on a broken bat single.

For good measure the Giants scattered two more runs. Joaquin Arias smashed a solo home run in the eighth, and Brandon Belt recorded his third career four hit game which ended with an RBI double in the ninth frame.

Vogelsong struck out seven and walked one over six innings to masshis 12th win of the season.

Read more »

Countdown to the NBA Season: 8/30

Pre-season good enough? Well that hasn't started yet, but it's still a nice though that the preseason is much closer than the regular season. Baseball anyone? Our blog site has plenty of capable writers giving you up-to-date news about the Bay Area baseball teams. That's another way to fill the void of NBA basketball, isn't it? Even if it's not, the month of August has passed by quickly, and the countdown continues to go...

NBA News and Buzz:

- Who has the best chance of stopping the King?

- Who will be the next Jeremy Lin? (Yes, they're already talking about this..)

Not much news today, as the main headlines of the NBA were the D-League games. This is Tej Kamaraju signing off for today. Good night!

Read more »

Tell it Goodbye to the Houston Astros: A History

The National League will no longer be represented in Texas after this season. With the Giants playing their last common league game with the 'Stros today, I felt it was a good time to pay my last respects to Houston by looking back at the history between the two teams.

The Giants lead the overall series with a record of 374-343. In their first match-up, the Houston Colt 45's bested Gaylord Perry's Giants by a score of 7-0 in Houston on May, 11, 1962. The very next day, the Giants got revenge for the lopsided loss with Juan Marichal throwing a shutout in an 11-0 game. A week later, on May 18th, 1962, the 45's played their first game in San Francisco. They proved to be rude guests, beating the Boy's By the Bay 3-2.

On May 14th, 1965 the Giants played their first game against the re-branded Houston Astros. Gaylord Perry took the hill for the Giants and got some personal vengeance against the 'Stros, as he led the way in a 2-1 victory.

The Giants enjoyed their most successful season against Houston in 1965, when the Black and Orange ran up a 15-3 record. On the flip side of the coin, the year our boys would most like to forget is pretty fresh in the minds of many current Giants players as well as fans. In 2008, only Matt Cain would be able to best the Spacemen; the Giants posted a pitiful 1-7 mark. The biggest blowout the Giants ever served the Astros was on April, 13, 1991. Behind Kevin Mitchell's two homers, the Giants crushed them 16-2.

The two teams have never faced each other in the postseason, but three games stick out in my mind between the franchises:

On September 18th, 2001, The Giants lost to the Astros 3-2 after Robb Nen failed to convert a save. Earlier in the game, Andres Galarraga -- the "Big Cat" -- hit a homer over the left field bleachers. However, these are just minor footnotes. The real story of the game is how Giants fans held candles before the game to honor the people who died in the 9-11 attacks. You see, this was the first game back for the Giants after the tragedy, and it meant so much more than baseball.

On October 4th, 2001, The Giants beat the Astros 10-2 in a huge game for two teams fighting for a playoff berth. This game, however, was about one man. In his last at bat of the game, Giants superstar Barry Bonds hit his 70th homer of the season, tying the single season record.

On June 13th, 2012, Giants ace Matt Cain took the mound for the San Francisco Giants. Jordan Schafer led off the game for the lowly Astros and Cain struck him out on four pitches. Jose Altuve would go down to the strikeout on three. For years, San Francisco fans have believed that Cain was perfect. On this night, the rest of the baseball world have to agree.

For many Giants fans this will be the last time we think about the Houston Astros. Sure, we will play them every now and then, but it will be the same feeling as any other American League scrub. So tonight as you watch the game, raise a glass to NL baseball in Texas, and let's hope like hell that Vogelsong can bring us win #375 against the 'Stros.

Read more »

Giants Look to Sweep Astros: Preview, Lineups

The Giants will look to sweep the three-game series in Houston before heading to Wrigley Field tomorrow afternoon. 

Ryan Vogelsong (11-7, 2.90 ERA) will look to get back on track. Vogelsong has been struggling as of late, and will look to regain some of his early-season dominance.

The highly mediocre Jordan Lyles (3-10, 5.47 ERA) will pitch for the Astros. Lyles got his first win in over two months last Friday when he defeated the woeful New York Mets.

Bottom line is, nothing short of a sweep would be a disappointment for the Giants. 

Lineup - Giants (73-57) vs. Astros (40-90). First pitch at 5:05 PT.

CF Pagan

2B Scutaro

3B Sandoval

C Posey

RF Pence

1B Belt

LF Blanco

SS Crawford

P Vogelsong

Read more »

A's Complete Sweep of Indians with 12-7 Pounding

The Oakland A's did what all good teams should do: beat up on the weaker ones.

There was a strong possibility that the A's could sweep the Indians in their four-game set this week, and they did, finished off with a Thursday afternoon 12-7 beating.

It was the long ball that won the game for the A's today, as four different players smacked it out of Jacobs Field. Coco Crisp tied the game at 1-1 in the third with a solo shot.

They would take the lead in the fourth with a five-run inning. George Kottaras cleared the bases with a double, then Cliff Pennington drove him in with a two-run homer to make it 6-1 A's.

But they weren't done just yet. Josh Reddick, who hit third in the lineup , hit his 27th homer of the year in the fifth - another two-run shot. 

They would score twice more in the sixth, once in the seventh, and Josh Donaldson capped it off with a solo homer in the ninth. 

The Indians did score enough runs to make it a contest, and the final score was 12-7 Oakland.

Despite not pitching particularly well, Jarrod Parker (9-7) got the win. He gave up five runs in five innings, but the offense was able to pick him up on this afternoon. 

Read more »

3 Reasons Why Joaquin Arias Should Be The Giants' Everyday Shortstop

The Giants have had their share of issues, but none of those problems are quite like shortstop. Joaquin Arias had provided the thump lately, while Brandon Crawford has flashes the leather. 

However, Arias deserves the starting job. 

Here are three reasons why:

Platooning Isn’t Effective

In the Giants’ situation, platooning seems like the only plausible solution to having two average utility infielders. Not so fast. While Arias hits southpaws far better than right-handers, Crawford doesn’t hit righties much better than he does, which is the pretty much the point of using a platoon.

Granted, playing time is inconsistent for both of them and the numbers ultimately boil down to whose on a hot streak. The difference is small, however. Arias owns a .263 WOBA against right-handers while Crawford’s WOBA checks in at .273. So a ten point separation exists between the two. Is that small difference actually enough to use a platoon rather than just having Crawford give Arias a breather every few days? Not really.

Name some playoff bound teams that employ the platoon tactic. It’s tricky seeing that there are none. The Dodgers have Hanley Ramirez, the Nationals have Ian Desmond, the Reds have Zack Cozart, and the Cardinals have the veteran Rafael Furcal. The difference is immense, obviously, and platooning isn’t an easy approach to juggle, specifically in the postseason where riding the hot bat ultimately overshadows any alternative approach.

Arias is a Tad Better With RISP

Clutch might not be a big piece of the pie in terms of importance, but Arias’s late game heroics have paid dividends of late. In respect, Crawford has come up with some crucial hits in his own right, it’s just not represented by his .348 OPS with RISP and two outs. Arias’s OPS in the same situation checks in at .529. However, his .200 batting average doesn’t paint the picture of much of a clutch hitter, neither does Crawford’s .105 average. If you want to go by the stats, Arias has a slight edge. If you want to go by a general standpoint, Arias still has the advantage, although Crawford’s few clutch hits should be taken into account as well.

Big hits come from the unexpected in big situations. Arias has fit that bill of late. The Giants, who struggled to scratch out the big hits, have been craving his knack of coming with the big knock of late.

Will it continue? Time will only tell.

Defensive Would Remain Neutral 

Crawford has been exceptional with the glove. There’s no denying that. However, Arias hasn’t been too shabby with the leather, either.

 Before drawing any comparisons, you must take into consideration that the majority of Arias’s action has come at the hot corner while all of Crawford’s action has come at shortstop. So it’s tough to determine whose better given the minimal sample sizes.

But it’s worth a shot

Crawford’s range is off the charts illustrated by his plus five UZR. Additionally, his RngR stands at 4.1 compared to Arias’s -1.8 RngR at shortstop. Crawford has the edge, but Arias’s quick throwing release and steadiness to make the routine plays makes up for his average range.

So I’m throwing a bunch of stats at you. Exactly what do they mean, though?

Defensive is key to the success of the Giant’s pitchers. The entire pitching staff boasts 45.6 ground ball percentage which is about average, so nifty infield defense is a necessity. In retrospect, nifty wasn’t quite what you would call the Giants’ defense a few months ago when they led the N.L in errors. And a lot of those errors were just routine plays. However it isn’t such of a weak spot these days.

In short, defense is a big piece of the puzzle for the Giants. When the hitting isn’t effective, pitching and defense have to be effective. While Crawford might have a better overall defensive portfolio, the Giants wouldn’t lose much by putting Arias at that spot everyday.

Read more »

Ranking Warriors' Back Court

The best backcourts in the NBA include the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Golden State Warriors?
Yes it's true. Since the unpopular, but good trade of Monta Ellis, the Warriors' backcourt looks promising. With Stephen Curry being able to handle the basketball, Klay Thompson is the sharpshooter and go to guy, with unlimited range. The backcourt forms a perfect combo because they know how to handle the situation, and no one is fighting over control of the offense. Thompson also stands at 6'7. Enough said?

Vs. Lakers: Against the Lakers, the Warriors don't really have a good chance of beating them with these lineups. Again, it's veteranship vs skill and talent, and Kobe has both of those. You can't put a price on fundamentals and skill. The clear winner here are the Lakers.

Vs. Heat: While Wade is a great player, Mario Chalmers is a selfish, wanting-all-the-credit ball-hog, who's just classless. He's a good player at times, but Curry can easily knock him off, without getting into an altercation. Thompson and Wade would be a fun matchup to watch. They're both young and explosive, and Thompson has height on Wade, but he knows how to get to the basket. In the end, the all-star veteran wins it, but the Warriors have the Heat beat in the backcourt. 

Vs. Celtics: The Celtics are very underrated this season. I don't analyzers realize how good they're going to be. Yes, they've lost Ray Allen, but they signed Jason Terry to come off the bench, and they have Avery Bradley waiting on the sidelines. Can Thompson, Jack, Rush, and Curry handle Rondo, Bradley, and Terry? Or is it too much for them. This one is an interesting matchup. Comment Below.

Vs. Bobcats: Come on, now.

Technically, the Warriors wouldn't beat any of these teams easily, except the Cats, but if you think about it, if the Warriors backcourt can keep it close and put up a run for the other team's money.. Then it shouldn't be hard to be crushing the other teams scoring wise. By this logic, the Warriors are another tough team to beat in the backcourt.

Read more »

MLB Investigating Melky Cabrera's Agents

USA Today is reporting that the MLB is investigating Sam and Seth Levinson acted as the middle-men by introducing former major-league catcher Paul Lo Duca to steroid distributor Kirk Radomski.

The Levinson's are the agents for Melky Cabrera, who is currently serving a 50-game suspension for taking PEDs. 

Here is more courtesy of an excerpt of an MLB.com article:

According to USA Today, Lo Duca alleges that he was introduced to Radomski by the Levinsons. When the Mitchell Report was released in December 2007, it documented copies of three checks to Radomski for $3,200 each. USA Today reported that it has a copy of one check from a joint account between Lo Duca and Sam Levinson imprinted with the address of the agent's Brooklyn offices.Radomski is a former Mets clubhouse attendant; Lo Duca played for the Mets in 2006 and '07.

Read more »

A's Look to Sweep Indians in Cleveland: Game Preview

There's nothing like some early morning baseball to start off your day.

The A's will look to sweep the Indians on the road after decisive wins in the first three games of the series.

Jarrod Parker (8-7, 3.52 ERA) will toe the rubber for the A's, and he will take on Justin Masterson (10-11, 4.60 ERA) of the Indians.

Parker has followed up a three-game slide with consecutive quality starts. After tossing eight scoreless frames vs. Cleveland on Aug. 19, the righty didn't factor into the decision on Friday in Tampa Bay, where he allowed three runs in six innings. (h/t MLB.com)

A's vs. Indians, 9:05 PT

Read more »

What's on Tap - 8/30: A's Look for Sweep, Giants in Houston, NFL Preseason

A busy Thursday in the world of Bay Area sports, with all baseball and football teams in action.

Leading us off will be the Oakland A's, who will look to sweep a four-game set in Cleveland. You're going to have to get up early for this one - first pitch is at 9:05 PT (that's AM).

Ryan Vogelsong will look to regain some of his success from early on in the year as the Giants take on the abysmal Astros. That game commences at 5:05 PT.

On to football...

One final tuneup before the real games begin. The Niners will take on the Chargers at Candlestick, while the Raiders will be up in Seattle to face the Seahawks. Kickoff for both games is scheduled for 7:00 PT.

Stay tuned for previews and recaps of these games,

Read more »

Writers Wanted: Calling All NFL/NCAA Fans

With the NCAA and NFL seasons about to begin, we here at "The World of Bay Area Sports" would like to cover every aspect of the brilliant games that await us.

So, if you have any interest in NCAA football or the NFL, and would like to give a shot at writing about it, we would love to have you join our team here on the blog.

Specifically, we are looking for writers to cover the Bay Area's football teams (Niners, Raiders, Cal, Stanford), but anyone with knowledge of football (regardless of the team) is more than welcome to join.

How do I get started? Simply send an email to eriche3383@gmail.com stating your interest in writing for this blog. We promise that you will receive a prompt reply.

Read more »

The Nightcap - 9/29: Giants, A's Continue to Dominate

Needless to say, both the Giants and the A's are taking care of business against weaker opponents. 

Hunter Pence's three-run homer made the difference for the Giants in Houston, as they defeated the Astros 6-4. 

Josh Donaldson did the same for the A's. His three-run homer propelled the A's comeback against the Indians in Cleveland, as Oakland continues their hot stretch. 

MLB Standings - Giants up by 3.5 games on Dodgers in NL West, A's take over top spot in AL Wild Card. 

Read more »

Countdown to the NBA Season: 8/29

The NBA season is now close to 2 months away. As fans sit around wondering how to fill the void, maybe they consider doing something. Maybe taking up the sport, basketball. Who knows? Maybe you're good! Until the NBA season starts, you guys should try watching some NHL games, the season starts a little bit earlier. No? Think about the joyous occasions that one could have. It's nearly as satisfying as an NBA game!

NBA News and Buzz:

- Chalmers thinks he's the best PG (Told you! Chalmers is arrogant, and wants all the credit for being mediocre)

- Don Nelson talks Maui for Retirement? (Sounds great, Where do I sign up?)

- Martell Webster Finds a New Home (A great fit for him. The Wizards do need a good sharpshooter to play consistent basketball.)

- Is Chicago a Rejuvenation Option for Michael Redd? (Maybe, without Derrick Rose, the Bulls are in need of some guards, and fast!)

- 3 vs 3 Tournaments we want to see

Read more »

Pence Propels Giants to 6-4 Victory in Houston

Led by a four-run first inning capped off by a three-run homer from Hunter Pence, the Giants beat the Astros, 6-4. 

The wheels fell off early for Barry Zito, however. Signs of an Astros outburst loomed after Zito allowed a run in the bottom of the second inning. Not only did the Astros hit him hard, but Zito's command was all over the place leading to a abnormally high pitch count early. Those signs of a wobbly outing from Zito proved to be spot on. The southpaw allowed four straight hitters to reach base, and allowed one more before being summoned for George Kontos. The end result was 2 1/3 innings pitched, three earned  runs, and seven hits. 

Kontos saved the day, however. He was thrown into the fire, and delivered, logging 2 2/3 perfect innings. His four punch outs shouldn't be overshadowed, either. 

Pablo Sandoval drove in the white hot Angel Pagan to put the Giants on top early, 1-0. Buster Posey followed Sandoval with a walk, and Pence plated them all with a towering three-run homer, his second with the Giants. 

Joaquin Arias has been white hot in his own right. Fresh off delivering a game tying double on Tuesday night, he blew the game open in sixth frame with a two-run triple. The triple came as a result of an error on the play before. 

Guillermo Mota pitched for the first time in over three months. He appeared to be a bit rusty, allowing one run in under an inning pitched. 

Read more »

Donaldson Leads A's to Victory Against Indians

It wasn't a shutout by any means - the Indians scored twice in the second inning and twice in the eighth, but a win is a win and the A's will surely take it.

It was Josh Donaldson who was the hero on this particular night. With the A's down 2-0 and two runners on base, he crushed a 3-2 pitch over the left field wall for a three-run homer.

The put the A's in front, and they would never look back. They would add on with runs in the sixth, seventh, and ninth to take it 8-4.

Yoenis Cespedes and Josh Reddick both had three-hit games, and each also knocked in a run as well.

Travis Blackely pitched 5.2 solid innings, allowing two runs on three hits. The A's bullpen held down the fort to earn a victory for the Australian lefty.

Read more »

Warriors' Best and Worst Case Scenarios

The Warriors are blessed with a hopefully healthy roster, and amazing talent, as well as younglings who are very capable. The only thing they need to worry about now is injury. If the units come together, the Warriors will for sure make a post-season run.

Best Case:

1. Warriors end up in 5th place. The Warriors have the potential to pass the Nuggets, Mavericks, Jazz, and other teams to get to the 5th cede. They have the most explosive lineup that us fans have seen in a while. They could end up getting further than expected, because of fresh legs, and never getting tired.

2. Warriors beat Heat, Lakers, Thunder: In doing this, the Warriors will gain a lot of respect. They will be recognized as one of the teams to look out for on the prowl. This means that other teams should be intimidated by their style of play. Half the game is you're mentality, and how you think.

3. Curry and Bogut go 100%: If this happens, injury free, Bogut and Curry are bound to form a deadly combo. Instead of fearing injury, they can fear not scoring 40 points combined for night. Together, injuryless, they may be able to take the Warriors a lot further than analysts are saying.

Worst Case: I'm pretty sure must people know what these are.

1. Bogut goes down: Without Bogut, the Warriors are forced to start Festus Ezeli. Let's be honest here. Although he provides a strong defensive presence, his offensive skill level and though process is nowhere near Bogut's. The Warriors need Bogut's offensive IQ and skill to make the playoffs.

2. Curry goes down: This one isn't as big of a deal. Although Curry is an important part to the Warriors game, Jarrett Jack has proved that he can be a valuable asset, and a more than adequate PG, in the place of a star. Still, the Warriors don't want this happening.

3. Bob Myers wants out: For some strange reason, if this happens, the Warriors will no longer be adding depth to their roster, or making smart trades. They will be in a lot of trouble if Myers unexpectedly leaves. 

Read more »

Best Giants Hitters of the AT&T Park Era

Buster Posey is having an MVP type season from behind the plate and perhaps the best season ever by a San Francisco backstop. This actually got me thinking about who has had the best seasons for the black and orange. I went over names like Mays, McCovey, and Marichal, but despite them being legends, I was drawing a blank on how to compare them to the guys I've personally watched from the bleachers.

I didn't want a good topic to die, so instead I changed the question; who are the best Giants hitters to play in AT&T Park? I decided to pick one great season as the best by McCovey Cove and one runner up. I also decided that each player could only count once per position, because otherwise you'd just get to see Barry Bonds, Jeff Kent, and Buster Posey over and over again. Without further ado, let the debate begin-

Catcher:

Buster Posey (2012): AVG- 328/ HR- 19/ RBI- 80

The season isnt even over for him and already he is hands down the best offensive force the Giants have seen behind the plate in AT&T. With his next homer he will join Bengie Molina as the only Giants catchers to hit 20 plus homeruns in a single season at Third and King. He's still 15 RBIs off of Molina's 2008 pace, but he has already tied Bengie's 2009 total. If Buster can finish the season strong he has a real chance to be the first Giants catcher to win the MVP.

Runner Up:

Bengie Molina (2008): AVG-292/ HR- 16/ RBI- 95

1ST Base:

Aubrey Huff (2010): AVG- 290/ HR- 26/ RBI- 86

The Giants pitching staff and Buster Posey were the main reasons that San Francisco stunned the baseball world and won the 2010 World Series, but Aubrey Huff was their heart and soul. He was their misfit. He was the player no one wanted. He was the guy that the Giants only signed because they had been turned down by Nick Johnson and Adam LaRoche. He's also the guy who pulled a thong out of his pants in front of Willie Mays and 1.5 million fans.

Runner Up:

JT Snow (2000): AVG- 284/ HR- 19/ RBI- 96

2ND Base:

Jeff Kent (2000): AVG- 334/ HR-33/ RBI- 125

Love him or hate him, Jeff Kent was an unbelievable offensive force for the Giants at second. This was one of the harder seasons to pick because Kent had an amazing season in 2002 as well, clubbing 37 homeruns. However, his career high average and 12 steals made the 2000 season his best. He was always the reluctant Robin to Bonds' Batman, but in 2000 he also got to walk away with the NL MVP.

Runner Up:

Ray Durham (2006): AVG- 293/ HR- 26/ RBI- 93

3RD Base:

Pablo Sandoval (2009): AVG-330/ HR- 25/ RBI- 90

In 2009, Pablo Sandoval became the best Giants third baseman since Matt Williams. He gave the boys by the bay a little hope for a bright future. The Panda destroyed NL pitching and was robbed of an All Star appearancethat year, but he finished 7th in MVP voting. It's ironic that Sandoval would follow up this amazing season with such a poor 2010 -- the same year that the Giants won the World Series -- since he had been the light at the end of bad offense tunnel. The Giants haven't made the postseason in a year that the Panda's been good, so lets hope that that trend ends this year.

Runner Up:

Pedro Feliz (2006): AVG- 244/ HR- 22/ RBI- 98

Shortstop:

Rich Aurilia (2001): AVG- 324/ HR- 37/ RBI- 97

If Rich Aurilia had chosen any other season to have his career year he might have been the NL MVP. He just had the bad luck to be 36 homers behind the league leader that year. Still, Aurilia would lead the league in hits, make his only All Star team, and hit the most homeruns by a Giants shortstop. Aurilia would never again come close to these numbers because of eye problems, but he will go down as one of the most beloved players in San Francisco Giants history thanks to this epic season.

Runner Up:

Omar Vizquel (2006): AVG- 295/ Triples- 10/ SB- 24

Leftfield:

Barry Bonds (2001): AVG- 328/ HR- 73/ RBI- 137/ BB- 177

Having to pick one Bonds season was almost impossible, so I'm going to cheat on my own rules and list two other seasons for the homerun king:

(2002): AVG- 370/ HR- 46/ RBI- 110/ BB- 198

(2004): AVG- 362/ HR- 45/ RBI- 101/ BB- 232

Barry Bonds was the greatest player I have ever seen. He was never my favorite Giant, but I do have his jersey in my closet, and the most joy I've ever experienced first-hand at a game was when he broke the homerun record.

Runner Up:

Melky Cabrera (2012): AVG- 346/ HR- 11/ RBI- 60

Centerfield:

Andres Torres (2010): AVG- 268/ HR- 16/ RBI- 63/ SB- 26

I must admit, when 2010 started I wasn't rooting for Andres Torres to fail, but I was rooting harder for Aaron Rowand to stay the starter. Rowand was one of my favorite players and Torres was just a fourth outfielder. Well, even I must admit that Torres proved me wrong. His 2010 was the best season a Giants centerfielder has turned in since the team left Candelstick. Torres' numbers don't even tell the whole story, since he was arguably their most clutch hitter and the only one who could wreak havoc on the bases. Torres was everything you could hope for in a centerfielder, and the player I was the most wrong about before a season started.

Runner Up:

Aaron Rowand (2009): AVG- 261/ HR- 15/ RBI-64

Rightfield:

Ellis Burks (2000): AVG- 344/ HR- 24/ RBI- 96

I have to admit, I don't remember much about Ellis Burks in 2000. His workman ways were always overshawdowed by the bigger stars of Jeff Kent, JT Snow, and Barry Bonds. He didn't make the All Star team, and when the season ended he signed with Cleveland. Only then did I really appreciate him. For two and half years, Burks was the Giants rightfielder. He was great in black and orange, but we were just so spoiled with amazing hitters that he never got his due.

Runner Up:

Reggie Sanders (2002): AVG- 250/ HR- 23/ RBI- 85/ SB- 18

BEST OF THE REST:

C- Benito Santiago (2002): AVG- 278/ HR- 16/ RBI- 74

C- Mike Matheny (2005): AVG- 242/ HR- 13/ RBI- 59

3B- David Bell (2002): AVG- 261/ HR- 20/ RBI- 73

SS- Juan Uribe (2010): AVG- 248/ HR- 24/ RBI- 85

LF- Pat Burrell (2010): AVG- 266/ HR- 18/ RBI- 51

CF- Angel Pagan (2012): AVG- 290/ HR- 7/ SB- 21

RF- Jose Cruz Jr (2003): AVG- 250/ HR- 20/ RBI- 68

Read more »