Stanford Wins Big Over Duke 50-13

Stanford bounced back from a shaky performance last week with a convincing 50-13 victory over the Duke Blue Devils.

Senior wide receiver Drew Terrell got things going early for the Cardinal, returning a punt 76 yards for a touchdown barely more than a minute into the game.

After Terrell’s touchdown, the Cardinal never looked back. Running back Stepfan Taylor carried the load on the ground, racking up 78 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.

Josh Nunes was solid under center in his second career start, completing 17 of 31 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns to Terrell, Levine Toilolo, and Jamal Rashad-Patterson respectively.

On the other side of the ball, the defense played very well all game. Happy to have middle linebacker Shayne Skov back after serving his one-game suspension, the Cardinal’s front seven held Duke to only 29 rushing yards.

The secondary impressed as well, as sophomore safety Jordan Richards intercepted a tipped pass to end Duke’s first drive of the second half, and junior Ed Reynolds returned another for a touchdown later in the third quarter.

Kicker Jordan Williamson also came through for Stanford by hitting three field goals in the first half, the longest from 35 yards out.

This game was reassuring for Stanford fans after the team only beat San Jose State by three points a week ago. The Cardinal will be tested at home next Saturday in their first conference game of the year against USC.

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So Nice A's do it Twice

A's use same formula from last night to dominate the Marineros again.

Brett Anderson is continuing his dominance by imposing his will against the M's and the rest of the American League. What was most impressive is the fact Brett didn't have his best stuff today and only surrendered one unearned run.

Once again Kottaras dealt the big blow with a two run home run after Cespedes created his own run (double, stolen base of third and a single).

The A's look for the sweep tomorrow as Tommy Milone looks to improve from his last start.

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Giants Waste Cain's Solid Outing, Fall 3-2 To Dodgers

It was labeled as a must win game for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and they lived up to the pressure, winning 3-2, and taking a game back in the National league west.

The highly hyped game was your classic west coast contest. Pitching, defense, a little more pitching, and timely hits secured the win for the Dodgers. Matt Cain and Chris Capuano matched each other pitch for pitch, out for out, yet neither factored into the decision, as Ronald Belisario earned his fifth win of the season for Los Angeles.

Cain was on cruise control through the first five innings. He yielded the Dodgers to just two hits over that span, and his pitch count remained low. The Dodgers, however, evened the game at one in the sixth inning. Ironically, Chris Capuano sparked the one out rally with a single. Mark Ellis followed him with a single, and Shane Victorino hit a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield which was easily deep enough to score Capuano from third.

Capuano was steady all afternoon. The southpaw allowed just five hits and walked three. He instantly settled down after surrendering three hits and a run in the first, yielding the Giants’ bats to just one hit until the seventh inning where he saw Brandon Belt break the tie game with a hard liner back to the mound that scored Buster Posey from third.

The back and forth duel continued when the Dodgers battled back in the eighth frame.

 Juan Rivera led the inning off with a double down the right field line. The catcher, A.J. Ellis moved him over with a sacrifice bunt back to the mound. The biggest play in this entire sequence though, came from the dugout. The skipper Don Mattingly elected to pinch run Rivera for the speedy Alex Castellanos when Rivera reached third base. It would paid dividends just a few pitches later when Cain threw a wild pitch that skipped away from the catcher, and Castellanos slid across the plate to beat the toss from Posey by inches. In all likelihood, the slow footed Rivera wouldn’t have scored the tying run.

It turned into a bullpen battle in the eighth when Capuano was lifted for Belisario. Despite walking two, Belisario retired the Giants unscathed. His essence to shut the Giants down was pivotal, as the meat of the Dodgers lineup was due up in the ninth with a chance to break the tie.

Jeremy Affeldt replaced Casilla in the ninth, and he dug himself into a deep hole early when he allowed a leadoff triple to Adrian Gonzalez. Hanley Ramirez, who had eight RBIs against the Giants in nine games in a Dodgers’ uniform coming into the game, cashed in for his ninth RBI off them with an RBI double. Ramirez’s clutch hit proved to be the difference in the close game.

Matt Cain was strong, but he received minimal run support. Sound familiar? He pitched 7.1 innings, permitted just two runs, and struck out five.

Jake Dal Porto Covers the Giants for The World Of Bay Area Sports

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Cal Struggles, But Manages First Win at Memorial Stadium

The Cal Bears certainly didn't put on a great performance. But the fans who came out to their game got to see quite a show.

Keenan Allen returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown (after fumbling it), Isi Sofele ran for 104 yards and a touchdown as Cal beat Southern Utah 50-31. The Golden Bears didn't play too well, but they dominated in the second and fourth quarters.

Cal led just 20-17 after the third quarter, but they managed to put up 30 points in the fourth. Allen returned the punt for a touchdown, and Marc Anthony had a pick-6. Oh, and reserve running back Daniel Lasco ran for a 77-yard touchdown.

After trailing 3-0 after one, Cal did well in the second quarter. Zach Maynard struggled, but Sofele and wide receiver Chris Harper helped ignite the offense. Cal led 20-3 and it looked like that would be the score at halftime.

But, Southern Utah went for a Hail Mary on the last play of the first half. Quarterback Brad Sorensen heaved a pass, and SUU receiver Cameron Morgan tipped it. He brought it in with one hand and gained possession, completing a spectacular play and scoring.

Unfortunately for the Thunderbirds, it didn't matter. Cal picked up their first win at Memorial Stadium, although I'm sure coach Jeff Tedford isn't happy.

Why? Because if the Bears play like this against Ohio State next week, they won't be going home happy.

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Cain Looks To Pad N.L West Lead Against Dodgers: What to Watch For, Lineups

The Giants bumped their lead in the National League West to 5.5 games last night after prevailing 5-3 behind Marco Scutaro’s two-run single. The Giants look to extend that hefty lead today with Matt Cain on the mound.

Cain surrendered five runs to the Cubs nearly a week ago. He will oppose Chris Capuano who allowed two big home runs to the Diamondbacks in a 5-4 loss in his last start.

Andre Ethier.... Adrian Gonzalez.....

Ethier comes into Saturday’s game with a .472 (25-53) batting average off Matt Cain. And the sample size isn’t tiny either. However, none of those 25 hits have resulted in home runs, and only three are extra base hits. Gonzalez, though, is hitting .321 (18-56) off Cain, with four home runs and 13 RBIs. Nine of his 18 hits off Cain are have been for extra bases.

Angel Pagan Is Hotter Than the Sun

OK, maybe I’m over-exaggerating, but the above statement isn’t far from the truth. The Giants’ center fielder is hitting .341 over the past 20 games. Not to mention that he has scored 22 runs, collected nine doubles, three triples, and one home run during that span as well. Pagan is 2-7 off Chris Capuano lifetime.

Cain Back Home

Cain should receive a warm welcoming when he trots out to the mound in the first inning considering that he hasn’t made a home start since August 11th. During his four road starts since the 11th, he posted a 2.96 ERA, and went 4-0. However, home should be a welcoming site for Cain, who boasts a stellar 2.24 ERA in his friendly confines. The Dodgers though, won’t be quite as welcoming. Despite finding success against them this season (14IP 2.57 ERA), his career stats aren’t as respectable (4-8, 3.45 ERA).

Beating Up The N.L West

In their last 16 games against N.L West foes, the Giants have won 12 of them. That trend should seemingly work in their favor, as their 24 remaining games are against N.L West teams.

Kemp Out

There’s not much to say here. Details of why Kemp is out of today’s lineup are unavailable, but my best guess is that his hamstring in tightening up again.

Lineups

Giants

1. Angel Pagan (S) CF
2. Marco Scutaro (R) 2B
3. Pablo Sandoval (S) 3B
4. Buster Posey (R) C
5. Hunter Pence (R) RF
6. Joaquin Arias (R) SS
7. Brandon Belt (L) 1B
8. Gregor Blanco (L) LF
9. Matt Cain (R) P

Dodgers

1. Mark Ellis (R) 2B
2. Shane Victorino (S) CF
3. Adrian Gonzalez (L) 1B
4. Hanley Ramirez (R) SS
5. Andre Ethier (L) RF
6. Luis Cruz (R) 3B
7. Juan Rivera (R) LF
8. A.J. Ellis (R) C
9. Chris Capuano (L) P

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What's on Tap - 8/8: Cain Looks to Wear Down Dodgers, College Football Saturday, etc.

It's one of those days where you can just kick back, sit on your couch all day, and marvel at the numerous sporting events that will come across your television screen.

We'll kick it off (literally) at high noon with some Cal Football. The Golden Bears take on Southern Utah at Memorial Stadium, as they hope to shake off a bad loss to Nevada last week.

Then, it's off to AT&T for some Dodgers-Giants baseball. After beating LA 5-3 last night, Matt Cain and the Giants will look to send the sellout crowd home with something to cheer about. First pitch is at 1:00 PM.

More baseball comes your way next at 6:00 PM as the A's take on the Mariners from Safeco Field in Seattle. The infallible Brett Anderson and his 0.90 ERA will look to shut down the meager Seattle offense.

And last but not least, the Stanford Cardinal take the field at Palo Alto against the Duke Blue Devils. Stanford looked awfully shaky last week, beating San Jose State by just a field goal and consequently falling to the No. 25 ranked team in the nation. Kickoff is at 7:30 PM.

Keep it here throughout the day as we keep you up-to-date with previews, recaps, analysis, and much more.

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The Nightcap - 9/8: Giants Beat LA, A's Beat Felix

Marco Scutaro delivered the clutch hit on Friday night to beat the Dodgers 5-2, as the Giants took the first of this pivotal three-game series.

The A's pulled it out against Felix Hernandez up in Seattle. George Kottaras provided the signature hit with a three-run homer, as the A's ended their three-game skid with a 6-1 victory.

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Giants Build On NL West Lead With Huge Win Over Dodgers

Marco Scutaro has had some big hits over his long career. And his hit tonight will rank as one of his biggest hits ever.

Scutaro had a go-ahead two-run single in the seventh inning, Tim Lincecum pitched 6 1/3 solid innings and the Giants beat the Dodgers 5-2 in the opener of a three-game series between the two teams.

Adam Kennedy homered for the Dodgers, who are now 5.5 games behind the Giants. Lincecum walked seven batters (one in every inning), but he pitched well and had great fastball command. He located his fastball inside, and kept Adrian Gonzalez, Matt Kemp and others off-balance all night.

Lincecum didn't get the win, but Santiago Casilla did. Casilla came into a one-out, two on jam, but he got Matt Kemp to ground out and he fanned Hanley Ramirez with a great pitch. Jeremy Affeldt and Sergio Romo pitched well to end the game, and Romo got his 10th save of the year by pitching 1.1 scoreless innings.

Matt Cain (13-5, 2.98 ERA) takes the ball for San Francisco tomorrow, while Chris Capuano (11-10, 3.63 ERA) pitches for the Dodgers.

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A's Beat Felix Hernandez as AJ Griffin Deals

The A's found a way to beat Felix Hernandez and the Mariners tonight and end their three game losing streak. Beating the Mariners in the second half of the season has not been the easiest tasks for most ball clubs let alone beating Felix Hernandez. AJ Griffin, the A's bullpen and George Kottaras provided all the fire power they needed.

The A's scored early on a error by Eric Thames that was pretty inexcusable especially with two outs. He let a single get by him allowing Seth Smith to score from first.

Seattle would tie it in the second on a Brendan Ryan single to Josh Reddick,  which would be the only run allowed by Griffin tonight. Griffin did a great job giving the A's another solid start. His ability to mix pitches and keep batters guessing will keep him in the majors for a long time to come. I'm guessing he will sleep easy tonight knowing he beat Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez.

The big turning point in the game came on a three run home run by George Kottaras. He's making a great push to be the everyday catcher just based on his ability to be the power catcher the A's have lacked for a few years. The A's would add a few more runs on a Josh Donaldson double and Stephen Drew single in the fifth.

A shout out to Cliff Pennington (4-4) and Stephen Drew (2-4) who are continuing to play like their career numbers say they should.

The A's played like the better team and this is something they will need to do the rest of the season in order to make it to the Playoffs.

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Lincecum, Giants Look to Pad N.L West Lead Against Dodgers: Preview, Lineups

With the N.L West on the line, the Giants will start a pivotal weekend series against the Dodgers tonight. Tim Lincecum will get the ball in game one.

Lincecum pitched 6.1 innings against the Cubs in his last start on Saturday, allowing just two runs. In 17.2 innings this year, Lincecum owns a 2.55 ERA off the rival Dodgers.

Lincecum's counterpart will be Josh Beckett who was acquired in a trade from Boston in late August. Beckett yielded the Diamondbacks to just one run over 6.2 innings in his first home start in the Dodger blue.

Note(s)

- The Giants called up pitcher Yusmeiro Petit today as an extra arm in the bullpen.

- Xavier Nady's status remains questionable after suffering a left hamstring strain on Wednesday
night.

- Brandon Belt will make his first start in left field tonight.

Lineups

Dodgers
1. Mark Ellis (R) 2B
2. Shane Victorino (S) LF
3. Adrian Gonzalez (L) 1B
4. Matt Kemp (R) CF
5. Hanley Ramirez (R) SS
6. Andre Ethier (L) RF
7. Adam Kennedy (L) 3B
8. A.J. Ellis (R) C
9. Josh Beckett (R) P
   
Giants   
1. Angel Pagan (S) CF
2. Marco Scutaro (R) 2B
3. Pablo Sandoval (S) 3B
4. Buster Posey (R) 1B
5. Hunter Pence (R) RF
6. Brandon Belt (L) LF
7. Hector Sanchez (S) C
8. Brandon Crawford (L) SS
9. Tim Lincecum (L) P

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Doan Signs Extension with Coyotes, According to Report

Well, there goes the last chance for the Sharks to sign a quality free agent.

Shane Doan, who has spent his entire illustrious career with the Phoenix Coyotes has decided to stay in Phoenix.

Reports indicate that he has signed a four-year, $21.5 million deal with the Coyotes.

The Sharks were one of several teams interested in Doan's services, which included the L.A. Kings and Vancouver Canucks.

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Will Matt Leinart Ever Be a Starting Quarterback in the NFL?

Matt Leinart has always been a question mark in the NFL. Good enough to play in the league as a back-up, but does he have what it takes to make the jump and become a full time starting quarterback? Well...

First off, he's very knowledgeable. He's got seven years of NFL experience under his belt, while learning from some of the game's best, as he backed up Kurt Warner (future hall-of-famer), Matt Schuab, and Carson Palmer. Schuab and Palmer might not be considered elite, but both have intangibles and mechanics that can be learned by a young newcomer like Leinart.

However, things haven't always gone his way. Leinart never got much playing time in Arizona when he played under Warner (not surprising) and his short stint with Houston didn't go well. After starting quarterback Matt Schuab went down with a broken bone in his right foot late into the season last year, Matt Leinart was presented a golden opportunity to start for the playoff-hoping Texans and show the league what he's made of.

However, in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Leinart wound up on the sidelines too, as reports later revealed he had a broken collarbone. Rookie TJ Yates then took over and finished out the Texans' season strong and helped them reach the postseason.

And now, Leinart is in Oakland, playing yet another back-up role with the Raiders. It's unlikely that he'll start over Carson Palmer, the veteran QB who was acquired from Cincinnati last season. At least he is ahead of Terrelle Pryor on Oakland's depth chart, but with Leinart's luck, don't be surprised if Pryor makes the leap and snags his job, especially after we saw glimpses of excellence in him during the preseason.

It's sad to see this all happen to Matt Leinart, who, believe it or not, was once a Heisman-winning quarterback for the USC Trojans. Hopefully his hard work and patience will guide him to finding a starting role for himself, that he can keep for years to come.

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Dan Straily Called Up From Triple A

Update: Susan Sussler is reporting that the A's have called up Dan Straily to the team. It is likely that he will be in their starting rotation.


As an update to our earlier story on replacing Brandon McCarthy. According to Joe Stiglich, Dan Straily has been removed from his next AAA playoff start.

Dan Straily flew with #Athletics to Seattle, I'm told. Don't have it confirmed he'll replace McCarthy in rotation, but obvious candidate.
— Joe Stiglich (@joestiglich) September 7, 2012

All signs are pointing towards Straily starting five days from tomorrow against the Angels. That would pin him against Dan Haren. Now the only question is whether or not the A's will score more than one run.

Straily's stats in three starts for the A's this year:
1-0 W-L; 17 IP; 3.18 ERA;  17SO

Win or lose its nice to know the A's are willing to bring up another key prospect in a pivotal part of the season.

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How Does the A's Pitching Staff Deal With the Loss of Brandon McCarthy?

First and foremost all of our thoughts are with Brandon McCarthy and his family. Based on a statement released by Billy Beane and the Athletics, it appears McCarthy is in stable condition.

In the past thirty days the A's have lost their two most veteran pitchers on the staff. After losing Bartolo Colon, it was easy to say things were okay as Brett Anderson stepped up and took on the role as the ace of the staff. Now that McCarthy appears to be out as well, the big question is who will step up and provide the depth that McCarthy added to our staff?

The current staff looks like this:

- Brett Anderson
- Jarrod Parker
- Tommy Milone
- AJ Griffin

The easy choice is to convert Travis Blackley back to a starter and have him make four starts in September. Based on the current schedule, he is likely to face the Angels, Orioles, Yankees and Rangers, respectively.

While he's pitched well this year, I'm not thrilled on throwing him out against teams with extremely potent offenses.

One other possibility to fill the void is the "king of strikeouts", Dan Straily. People are clamoring over the fact they want to see him pitch, but we must realize that he is a rookie pitcher that will exceed his innings pitched in a season. The Dan Straily from three months ago might not be the Dan Straily of September.

In short, while the pitching staff has fallen on hard times there's enough viable replacements to make 4 starts in September and help carry the Oakland Athletics back to the playoffs.

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MLB Power Rankings With a Twist

As a kid, I had two major loves; baseball and comic book villains. The heroes were always one- dimensional and had more flash than substance (like the NFL), but the villains were deep and took a lot more time to grow attached to (like MLB). I wanted to write an MLB power ranking, but those are a dime a dozen. You, my dear readers, deserve a better class of writer. So join me, villainous friends, as I give you all 30 baseball teams and the fiends who would wear their caps proudly-

1. Cincinnati Reds (83-55)/ The Juggernaut

In the heartland, a seemingly unstoppable, red-clad being is in the middle of a rampage. Amid broken beer barrels, a huge fist nearly takes the head offof a man wearing an eye patch. Small blue bears and red birds flee before this powerful monster.

2. Washington Nationals (84-52)/ Bane

"Ahhh, you thinking pitching is your ally." A bat is broken and thrown into a discarded pile of tomahawks. Bane Strasburg puts his boot on the MLB logo's neck when Talia Al Rizzo puts his hand on the giant's shoulder. "That's enough, you've reached your punching limit tonight..."

3. Texas Rangers (81-55)/ Magneto

"Tell me Charles, have you ever been so close to victory that you can taste it? Have you ever been so certain you've won only to have glory snatched away at the last moment? I get San Francisco being mad; I mean, I did kind of destroy the Golden Gate Bridge. But for the life of me, I don't know what I did to St. Louis."

4. New York Yankees (77-59)/ Kingpin

"I know I'm getting up there in age, but I still rule this city, dammit! I have a great new plan: I'll tell everyone I'm going to cut back on my spending, lure them into a false sense of security, then -BAM- I'll buy the AL Central! Now stop making jokes about how I look like a skinny Sabathia and tell the Dodgers to enjoy their shopping spree."

5. San Francisco Giants (77-60)/ Two-Face

"What Melky did was completely wrong. He should give up his All Star Game MVP..."

*Flips Coin

"He was trying to help the team, and he is going to win the batting title..."

*Flips Coin

"Lincecum is terrible, he needs to cut his hair and move to the bullpen..."

*Flips Coin

"But the kid's got two Cy Young's, and the 2010 playoffs..."

*Flips Coin

"Beat LA"

*Flips Coin

"BEAT LA"

6. Atlanta Braves (77-60)/ Doctor Doom

With the Fantastic Four of the Phillies rotation dead and defeated, Dr Doom and his tomahawk bots set the nation's capital in their sights. There is no doubt in his mind that he can chip away at his foes and regain his rightful place as the most feared being in the east.

7. Baltimore Orioles (76-60)/ Venom

All those years waiting and plotting his return has led Venom not to be satisfied with mere victory, but a desire to see his enemies suffer. Venom strikes from the shadows and does not allow his prey to escape once he has them in his grip. He's fast, he's strong, and he will not go away without a fight.

8. St. Louis Cardinals (74-63)/ Ra's Al Ghul

When future Hall-of-Famers Tony LaRussa and Albert Pujols departed, many thought the Cards were dead. A rookie mistake, as all they needed was a dip in the lazarus pit to be able to replace the unreplacable. If you doubt the power of the lazarus pit, just ask yourself -- what other reason can there be for Carlos Beltran staying healthy...?

9. Chicago White Sox (74-62)/ The Joker

"Do I look like a guy with a plan? Let my manager and ace pitcher leave to Miami, make no real upgrades in the lineup, and instead decide to rely on Adam Dunn - who hit .159 - and Alex Rios - who hit 13 homers - to be main-stays in the lineup. Watch the other criminals make plans with Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols, then take those plans and turn them on themselves by having a better record than both. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

10. Oakland A's (76-60)/ Ozymandias

"Why didn't Brad Pitt play me in the Watchmen movie? What I'll do is trade away the A's best players, and let the best free agents walk away. I'll start rookies and washed up rejects. At first the team will stink. We will only have one all star -a relief pitcher- and then when all hope seems lost, we will win enough games to make the playoffs and finally be able to move to San Jose. The best part is, you can't stop me -- this all happened 48 games ago..."

11. Tampa Bay Rays (75-62)/ The Riddler

"Riddle me this! How do you make your move in the AL East?" Answer: With constant infield shifts.

12. Los Angeles Dodgers (73-65)/ Galactus

Galactus: devourer of bad contracts.

13. Los Angeles Angels (74-63)/ General Zod

"ALL KNEEL BEFORE GENERAL TROUT!"

14. Detroit Tigers (73-63)/ Doomsday

The two most deadly things in the universe are Doomsday and Verlander.

15. Pittsburgh Pirates (72-64)/ The Lizard

The Pirates want to be good so badly. Will they be held back by the demons of losing, whom they all know could jump out at any time?

16. Milwaukee Brewers (67-69)/ Kraven the Hunter

Kraven used a magic potion to make himself stronger and faster. Ryan Braun also used something to make himself stronger and faster.

17. Seattle Mariners (67-71)/ Scarecrow

Other teams are afraid of King Felix, but the Mariners' hitters are more afraid of home plate.

18. Philadelphia Phillies (66-71)/ Red Skull

Even the best pre-season plans can be derailed by a group wearing red, white, and blue.

19. Arizona Diamondbacks (68-72)/ Bizzaro

When they were playing well, they wanted to trade their best player; when things went badly, they refused to move anyone.

20. New York Mets (65-72)/ The Penguin

They used stolen money to fund their group, but they still don't have the bats...

21. San Diego Padres (64-75)/ Mr. Freeze

If they can't make the playoffs, then all the other good teams must feel their pain by joining them in a cold winter of no postseason.

22. Kansas City Royals (61-75)/ Harley Quinn

When will they stop being a joke?

23. Toronto Blue Jays (61-75)/ Metallo

Metallo's body was destroyed and his brain put in a robot. The Blue Jays are wondering how he stayed so healthy.

24. Boston Red Sox (63-75)/ Lex Luthor

They spent all the money in the world, but couldn't win against their more powerful foes. Their new plan is to pout.

25. Miami Marlins (60-77)/ Mysterio

Spiderman likes to call him Fishbowl Head, but I think comparing him to the Marlins is a little harsh. After all, he's never done anything as evil as their owners.

26. Minnesota Twins (60-77)/ Sabretooth

Despite being able to attack non-stop, neither the Twins nor Sabretooth seem to know how to stop anyone else from beating them.

27. Colorado Rockies (56-79)/ Doctor Octopus

They both have insane plans that don't work, to solve problems they created.

28. Cleveland Indians (58-79)/ Bullseye

Even Daredevil can seethat  this team needs a major overhaul. Let's start by getting rid of Chief Wahoo...

29. Chicago Cubs (51-85)/ Poison Ivy

Of course, if the ivy was poisoned, I think several fans would have eaten it by now...

30. Houston Astros (42-95)/ Mad Hatter

Who is the Mad Hatter? Anyone who paid $20 for a Houston hat.

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What's on Tap - 9/7: Giants, A's Back in Action

Hope we were able to keep you company yesterday, a day that will go down as one of the worst in sports programming history.

Anyways, the good news is that both the Giants and A's are back in action tonight, and we will be all over it with previews and recaps.

The Giants take on the Dodgers at AT&T in a pivotal series. Tim Lincecum and Josh Beckett, two marquee pitchers, will duke it out in a battle between two rivals. First pitch is at 7:15 PM.

After being swept by the Angels, the A's will look for some wins up in Seattle. It will not be easy for them tonight though, as they will have to solve the puzzle that is Felix Hernandez. First pitch is at 7:10 PM.

Once again, stay tuned for previews and recaps of these games.

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The Nightcap - 9/6: McCarthy Recovering From Surgery, Raiders Sign Hagan

The lack of games on this Thursday did not make it a boring day on this sports blog.

A's pitcher Brandon McCarthy had surgery after being hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Erick Aybar on Wednesday. Fortunately, he is expected to make a full recovery. 

The Raiders signed wide receiver Derek Hagan. What value does he add to the team? Find out here. 

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Countdown to the NBA Season: 9/7

"LeChoke Sucks!" "Kobe doesn't pass the ball!" "Kevin Durant has small arms, haha!" Just stop. I know NBA fans have rivalries with each other, but there's no need to directly insult players of tremendous talent. Have a rivalry, fine. Don't bring the players, who work as hard as they can, everyday, into it. They have enough problems going on. They keep training, and training, and training, waiting for that opening night game..

NBA News and Buzz:

- Which Players Will Ruthlessly Pull Down Rebounds?

- 5 NBA Veterans Who Are Soon To Be Washed Up?

- Scalabrine Retires (Although many made fun of him, Scal didn't take the hatred personally, but he kept his head up, and that's admirable)

- Does T-Mac Have ANY Fuel In The Tank?

- Is Shaq Done Yet?

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Warriors: An Open Letter to Mark Jackson

Dear Marc Jackson,

        
Ever since your autograph signing, I knew that the Warriors were in good hands. While I do understand that it is very tough to be a rookie coach, and still do well, I want the Warriors to make the playoffs. As do 100,000 other angry fans. I believe that I am speaking for everyone when I say that the time has finally come. It's now or never. If your Warriors aren't successful this season, the fan base will begin to deteriorate, and eventually become like the Bobcats. Nobody wants that.

I'm glad that you are able to coach defense, but that's not the important thing. As long as you believe that your coaching styles are effective to the skill levels of all the star shooters on your team, then the Warriors will not have a problem winning. They just need to get it done on the defensive end. Most sharpshooters, however, play defense quite well. Hopefully this season will be the best in a while. Aiming for the 7th or 8th seed is a reasonable goal.

"Mama, there goes that man," Hopefully, that's about a Warrior this year. 

Best of Luck,
Tej Kamaraju 

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Dissecting Jarrett Jack's Role for the Warriors

When Bob Myers sent Dorell Wright to the 76ers, most Warrior fans were probably thinking that they were lucky just to get rid of him. Getting Jarrett Jack, a PG of putting up some big numbers, was a huge bonus. Upon hearing this news, many were ecstatic. Jack is going to bring more to the table than one would expect. He has a huge role as backup PG.

First of all, Jack is a true PG with true court vision. If Curry goes down, then Jack and Thompson should also be a good backcourt pairing. Thompson is a static SG who knows what his role is and won't try to deviate from it. He will only improve. With Jack's right-on-the-money passes, there's no way he and Thompson won't work together.

Next, he and Curry would also work as a backcourt in periods of time. Yes I understand, this is like the Curry-Ellis arrangement. Keep in mind, however, that Ellis and Curry were able to win some games in their stint of seasons together. Jack will really allow Curry to shine at the SG spot where he really wants to play. You can't deny what Curry is - A spot up, stone cold shooter with a beautiful stroke.

The biggest role, perhaps, of Jarrett Jack, however, would probably be assists. He will lead the Warriors in assists this year, as he will always be the PG. The fact that he's a bench player, doesn't matter. Another good trait of this veteran is that he's a crowd pleaser. He may fill even more seats in the building.

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Warriors Hire Bob Beyer as Assistant Coach, According to Reports

Matt Steimetz of CSN is reporting that the Golden State Warriors have hired Bob Beyer as an assistant coach.

Beyer will replace Wes Unseld Jr., who left the Warriors to join the Orlando Magic coaching staff. Coincidentally, Beyer has been an assistant on the Magic for the past five seasons.

Before joining the Magic, Beyer was an assistant coach at the college ranks, working under Bob Knight at Texas Tech from 2001-2003.

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