Chargers Draft Clemson’s Mike Williams

April 27, 2017

The Chargers surprised many in the 1st round of the NFL Draft on Thursday in Philadelphia by selecting Clemson Wide Receiver Mike Williams with the #7 pick.

Williams was a part of Clemson’s national championship team last season. He had 98 receptions for 1,361 yards and 11 touchdowns. During the Tigers’ win over Alabama in the National Championship Game, Williams caught 8 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown.

“I love the pick,” Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said. “We put in a lot of work, we like him, he was No. 1 on our board.”

Most pundits thought the Bolts would select a defensive player with their first round pick. In fact, General Manager Tom Telesco recently suggested that the overall talent in this year’s draft was better on the defensive side of the ball, rather than the offensive.

Ironically, 7 of the first 10 1st round picks on Thursday night were offensive players.

Williams was not in attendance on Thursday night. He was back in Vance, South Carolina watching on television with his family and friends.

As for the Rams, they do not have a draft pick until the 2nd round, which starts on Friday. The Rams traded their 2017 1st round pick to the Titans in order to acquire Jared Goff last year.

Halos Get Back To .500

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April 27, 2017

The Angels made it four in a row on Thursday at the Big A, with a 2-1 victory over the A’s. The Halos completed a three-game sweep of Oakland, and evened their record at 12-12 on the season.

Ricky Nolasco pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up 1 run on 3 hits, striking out 4 and walking 2. He improved his record to 2-2 on the season. Bud Norris earned the save, his 4th of the season.

In the 6th inning, Nolasco got Jaff Decker to pop out and Matt Joyce to groundout. However, Jed Lowrie and Khris Davis walked, then Yonder Alonso reach on an error by Cliff Pennington. That loaded the bases for Ryon Healy. Mike Scioscia brought in Blake Parker, who struck out Healy, which ended the threat.

Kendall Graveman (2-1) took the loss for the A’s. He pitched 6 innings, giving up 2 runs on 6 hits, while striking out 4.

Both Angel runs came in the 1st inning. Albert Pujols singled home Mike Trout, and CJ Cron doubled in Pujols, and that was all the offense the Angels needed.

The only Oakland run came in the 4th inning came on an RBI single from Yonder Alonso. That was just 1 of 3 hits the A’s generated on the night.

Blake Parker, David Hernandez, Jose Alvarez, and Norris did not allow a single run or hit in 3 1/3 innings of work.

The Angels now travel to Texas to open a 3-game series with the Rangers on Friday. Daniel Wright will be in the hill for the Halos, while the Rangers will go with Nick Martinez.

Dodgers Beat Giants In 10

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April 27, 2017

The Dodgers exploded for 4 runs in the 10th inning on Thursday afternoon at AT&T park and defeated the Giants 4-1. LA split their four games series with San Francisco, with each team winning two games each.

Julio Urias made his 2017 debut, allowing just 1 run in 5 2/3 innings for LA, despite receiving a no-decision. Urias allowed four hits, walked four and struck out four.

Kenley Jansen (1-0) got credit for the victory. He pitched the 9th inning, and struck out the side.

“I felt good, I felt confident,” Urias said. “I felt like what I did last year was able to help me build confidence for this year.”

Giants starter Matt Moore allowed one run and two hits in seven innings, walking three and striking out eight. Corey Gearrin (0-1) took the loss for San Francisco.

The Dodgers got off to a strong start on a solo homer from Corey Seager in the 1st inning. However, the Giants would tie things up in the 6th inning when Christian Arroyo delivered an RBI single that scored Brandon Belt, which tied the game at 1-1.

After losing to the Giants in 10 innings on Wednesday night, the Dodgers turned the tables less than 24 hours later in the 10th inning Thursday afternoon. Andrew Toles drove in pinch-runner Ross Stripling with the bases-loaded, which broke the tie. Kike Hernandez followed with a sacrifice fly, and after an intentional walk to Corey Seager, Justin Turner delivered an RBI single. Chris Taylor capped the rally with a based-loaded walk.

The Dodgers return home on Friday to begin a 3-game set with the Phillies. Kenta Maeda will be on the hill for LA (1-2; 8.05 ERA), while the Phillies will go with Jerad Eickhoff (0-1; 2.55 ERA).

Giants Rally To Beat Dodgers

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April 26, 2017

The Dodgers had a 3-0 lead on Wednesday night at AT&T Park, but gave it all back and lost to the Giants 4-3.

Hunter Pence hit a sacrifice fly with the bases-loaded in the 10th inning to complete the Giants rally. San Francisco avoided matching their worst 22-game start in franchise history.

Gorkys Hernandez singled off of Ross Stripling to open the 10th, then stole 2nd base. Connor Gillaspie walked, then Nick Hundley sacrificed, which allowed Hernandez to beat Adrian Gonzales’ throw to 3rd base. That loaded the bases for Pence.

San Francisco didn’t record it’s first hit until the 6th inning. Alex Wood pitched 6 shutout innings for LA, yielding only that 1 hit.

However, the Giants would start their rally against Sergio Romo in the 7th. Christian Arroyo hit a 2-run shot to left center field to make it 3-2.

In the 8th, Mike Morse hit a pinch-hit home run against Pedro Baez, and the game was tied 3-3. That set the stage for Pence’s heroics.

“Up 3-0, we’ve got to close it out,” Skipper Dave Roberts said. “I liked the guys in the spots that they were in for the last nine outs of the game. It just didn’t work out.”

All the Dodger offense came in the 6th inning. Corey Seager hit a solo home run, Chase Utley provided an RBI single, and Andrew Toles hit into a fielder choice, scoring Yasmani Grandal.

The Dodgers will try to salvage a split of the four game series on Thursday afternoon at AT&T Park. Julio Urias will make his 2017 debut for LA, and Matt Moore will go for San Francisco (1-3; 5.87 ERA).

Ducks Rally But Oilers Win Game 1

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April 26, 2017

Adam Larsson scored the go-ahead goal with 4:40 left in the 3rd period, and the Oilers got by the Ducks in game 1 of their second round series at the Honda Center on Wednesday night. Edmonton now has a 1-0 lead in the best-of-7 series.

Patrick Eaves and Jakob Silfverberg scored 3rd period goals for Anaheim to rally the Ducks from a 3-1 deficit to tie the game. Larsson’s game-winner was his 2nd goal of game. Leon Draisaitl added an empty-netter with 1:05 left to secure the victory.

The Oilers were 2 for 5 on the power play, getting a pair of goals from Mark Letestu. The first tied the game 1-1 at 6:22 of the 2nd period, and his 2nd gave Edmonton a 2-1 a little over 6 minutes into the 3rd.

After a scoreless first period, Ryan Getzlaf got the Ducks on the board 37 seconds into the 2nd period with a power play goal of his own. John Gibson made 27 saves on the night in a losing effort for Anaheim.

Cam Talbott made 33 saves for the Oilers, who are making their 1st playoff appearance since 2006.

Cam Fowler and Hampus Lindholm returned from injury for the Ducks, but Sami Vatanen sat out his 4th straight game with an upper-body injury.

Game 2 will be Friday night in Anaheim. The Ducks lost in regulation for the first time in 19 games. The last time that happened was March 10.

Matt Shoemaker Finally Gets First Win

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April 26, 2017

Matt Shoemaker pitched 5 solid innings for the Angels on the way to his first victory of the season, and the Halos defeated the A’s 8-5 on Wednesday night at the Big A.

“Wins are always great, but the satisfaction is that we won,” Shoemaker said. “It was a tight game up to that point. Just had to battle to get through five. Winning after that, that was the great thing right there.”

Bud Norris pitched a scoreless 9th inning to earn his 3rd save of the season.

Sean Manaea (1-2) got through just two innings before taking the loss. He allowing three runs before his night ended after only 34 pitches because of left shoulder tightness. Manaea retired the first three batters he faced, then allowed three runs on four hits in the second inning.

The Angels fell behind 2-0 in the 1st inning on a 2-run single from Yonder Alonso. However, a Danny Espinosa double, a Cameron Maybin RBI single, and an RBI double from Martin Maldonado put the Angels back in front 3-2. The Halos would tack on one more in the 5th when Albert Pujols delivered an RBI single to right, scoring Mike Trout.

A solo shot in the 6th inning by Yonder Alonso made it 4-3, however, the Angels produced a 4-run 7th inning to put the game out of reach. Former Angel Matt Joyce hit a 2-run homer in the 8th inning, but it wasn’t enough.

The Angels improved to 11-12 on the season. They’ll try to even their record at .500 on Thursday night at the Big A. Ricky Nolasco (1-2, 4.76 ERA) will oppose the Athletics’ Kendall Graveman (2-0, 2.00 ERA).

Hayward & Jazz Top Clippers in Game 5

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April 25, 2017

The Jazz shoved the Clippers to the bring of elimination of Tuesday night at Staples Center with a 96-92 victory in game 5 of their 1st round series. The Jazz have taken a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Gordon Hayward scored 27 points, Rodney Hood had 14, and Joe Johnson had a clutch 14 as Utah won it’s 2nd game on the road in the series.

Chris Paul tried to keep the Clippers in it with his 28 points and 9 assists, but it wasn’t enough. JJ Reddick also scored 26 for LA.

Neither team shot the ball well. The Jazz shot 43% and the Clippers only 42%. However, Utah dominated a number of other important categories.

The Jazz outscored the Clippers 34-28 in the paint, and outrebounded them 43-34. Utah’s bench also outscored LA 36-16, in what has become a familiar pattern in the series.

Utah took the game’s first double-digit lead early in the fourth on a 3-pointer by Hood that made it 69-58.

The Clippers rallied from an 11-point deficit to tie the game, but they could never take the lead. The Jazz countered with 8 straight points caped by Hayward’s 3-pointer.

Paul and Hayward were called for double technical fouls with 40 seconds to go. Paul had already pushed Hayward in the back after they got tied up scrambling for a rebound in front of Utah’s bench. Hayward made both shots for a 90-85 lead.

Joe Johnson’s step back jumper extended Utah’s lead to 92-87. That put the game out of reach, as the Clippers could never recover. Blake Griffin watched from the bench with his right foot encased in a black walking boot.

The Jazz will try to close things out on Friday night in Salt Lake City. A victory for Utah would send the Clippers home, and vault the Jazz into the 2nd round against the Warriors.

Kershaw Gets Dodgers Back In Win Column

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April 25, 2017

As usual, Clayton Kershaw stopped the bleeding for the Dodgers. This time, he gave another strong start in San Francisco, to guide the Dodgers to a 2-1 victory over the Giants.

Kershaw pitched 7 innings, giving up just 1 run on 6 hits while striking out 7. The Dodger’s ace improved to 4-1 on the season while throwing 90 pitches. Kenley Jansen earned his 5th save of the season, giving up 2 hits during his 4-out effort.

Ty Blach (0-1) took the loss for the Giants. He was starting in place of the injured Madison Bumgarner, and pitched 5 innings, giving up both Dodger runs on two hits while striking out 2.

The Giants took a 1-0 lead in the 3rd inning on an RBI single from Buster Posey. That scored Blach, but Kershaw would get Brandon Crawford to ground out back to the mound, and that would minimize the damage. The Giants didn’t reach 2nd base against Kershaw after the 3rd inning.

The Dodgers tied it up in the 4th on an RBI single by Yasiel Puig, which scored Justin Turner. Adrian Gonzales followed by hitting into a fielder’s choice at 1st base, which scored Justin Turner. That gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead and that’s all the offense they needed.

With Joc Pederson placed in the DL with a groin injury, the Dodgers recalled Cody Bellinger from Oklahoma, and started him in left field. Bellinger is considered the best offense prospect in the Dodgers farm system. He went 1-3 in his major league debut.

“I wanted it to be as soon as possible, but I didn’t really expect it,” Bellinger said. “I’m ready for the task at hand. We’ll see where it goes.”

Kershaw also pitched through a brief scare in his right leg. At one point, Kershaw’s right foot bothered him as he broke out of the batter’s box on a ground out.

The Dodgers and Giants will go at it again on Wednesday nigh tat AT&T Park. The Dodgers will give the ball to Alex Wood (1-0, 3.29 ERA), while the Giants go with Johny Cueto (3-1, 5.25 ERA),

Angels Walk Off Against A’s in 11

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April 25, 2017

Kole Calhoun delivered a walk off RBI single to score Danny Espinosa in the bottom of the 11th inning, and the Angels defeated A’s 2-1 in 11 innings on Tuesday night at the Big A.

This one was scoreless until extra innings, when both teams were finally able to get on the board against the bullpen. Josh Phegley hit a solo shot off of Jose Alvarez in the 10th inning. However, Mike Trout countered with a solo shot of his own in the Halo half of the 10th inning to tie the game.

Brooks Pounders (1-0) got credit for the victory after pitching a scoreless 11th inning. Ryan Madson (0-2) took the loss for Oakland after giving up the game-winning hit to Calhoun

JC Ramirez had a strong start for the Angels, going 7 innings, giving up just 2 hits an striking out 7. Jesse Hahn was just as good for the A’s, going 8 inning and giving up a single hit, while striking out 6.

Neither team could advance a base runner past 2nd base after a combined 60 plate appearances.

The Angels improved to 10-12 on the season. Manager Mike Scioscia got his 1,500th career victory.

Both teams will be back at it on Wednesday night at the Big A. The Angels will go with Matt Shoemaker (0-1; 4.98 ERA) while the A’s will counter with Sean Manea (1-1 4.43 ERA).

Dodgers Woes Continue In San Francisco

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April 24, 2017

It doesn’t matter if its right-handed or left-handed pitching. The Dodger offense can’t seem to hit either, and it happened again on Monday night in a 2-1 loss to the Giants at AT&T Park.

Matt Cain beat the Dodgers for the first time in 4 years, pitching a 2-hit shutout over 6 innings, and improving to 2-0 on the season. Cain had not thrown six innings without allowing a run since July 7, 2015. The last time Cain beat the Dodgers was on May 5, 2013. Mark Melancon pitched the 9th to picked up his 4th save of the season for San Francisco.

Joe Panic produced a 2nd inning sacrifice fly, and Hunter Pence added an insurance run with an RBI single in the 7th.

The Dodgers only run of the game came on a fielder’s choice that Chris Taylor hit into during the 8th inning. Chase Utley scored on the play.

Hyun-Jin Ryu fell to 0-4 on the season, despite a strong start for the Dodgers. Ryu went 6 innings, giving up just 1 run on 5 hits, and striking out 3. He has lost his last six starts since Sept. 12, 2014, still seeking his first victory since August 31, 2014.

Sergio Romo pitched the 8th inning for LA, and the former Giant got a taste of the NL West rivalry from the Dodger side of things. Fans chanted “Beat Ro-mo!” when he was on the mound.

The win snapped a four game losing streak for the Giants. The Dodgers on the other hand have lost six straight games in San Francisco.

Game 2 of the series will be on Tuesday night, with Clayton Kershaw (3-1; 2.54 ERA) on the hill in attempt to stop the bleeding for the Dodgers. Madison Bumgarner was supposed to start for the Giants, but after injuring his shoulder in a dirt bike accident and going to the DL, San Francisco will start Ty Blach. He’ll be making his first start of the season.