Featured
Ishikawa’s Walk-off Homer, Giants Back In The World Series
San Francisco, CA – Another story book ending for a team that will return to the World Series for the third time in five years. Their unconventional ways of winning is something that’s not available on DVD or by script. It’s good old fashion baseball, simply unpredictable. The Giants have continued their quest in the even years with a different cast of characters each time.
Every year has been completely different, this year injuries harbored the teams chances of maintaining a full roster so they went to the minors to fill some crucial positions and to no avail, San Francisco proved their naysayers wrong by beating the Cardinals 6-3. Once again they hold the title of the National League Champions.
“They have been battle-tested and they know how to handle themselves on this type of stage,” said Giants manager Bruce Bochy. “And then add the kids we brought up, then [Travis] Ishikawa, I mean what a great story. He gets released and then we sign him, he goes to Fresno, comes up, he’s our everyday left fielder and ends up getting the home run to get us to the World Series.”
“It’s gratifying,” Ishikawa said. “If there’s an organization I’d want to do it for, it would be this one. You know obviously, drafting me and sticking with me for so many years and giving me the opportunity to be apart of the 2010 World Series, and obviously having left for a couple of years.”
Michael Morse tied the game 3-3 in the eighth with a solo home run off Pat Neshek. Morse belted the fifth postseason, pinch-hit home run in the history of the franchise and the first since J.T. Snow went deep as a pinch-hitter on October 5, 2000 in game 2 of the National League Division Series against the New York Mets. Heading into the ninth San Francisco rallied a comeback when Pablo Sandoval leadoff the inning with a single.
Pinch-runner Joaquin Arias replaced Sandoval. Closer Michael Wacha walked Brandon Belt putting two on with one out. Ishikawa went yard with a three-run homer to break the tie. The win gave San Francisco the 4-1 victory in the NLCS and a trip to face the Kansas City Royals in the best of seven series. St. Louis put up a good fight but it wasn’t enough as they feel victim to this team twice, back in 2012 and tonight.
“It doesn’t get any better,” Bochy said. “What a group. No one has any will stronger than us.”
The Giants provided great defense to back Madison Bumgarner’s rocky start in the first. He surrendered back-to-back singles to both Jon Jay and Matt Holiday. Jhonny Peralta hit a line drive to third baseman Pablo Sandoval who rallied a double play throwing to shortstop Brandon Crawford who picked off Jay at second to end the inning stranding two.
“I felt like I made some decent pitches,” said Bumgarner. “They got some good swings on them and hit them hard. They could’ve been some better pitches but I certainly had to try to lock it in a little better after that.”
Bumgarner found himself in another jam in the third when he walked both Tony Cruz and Matt Carpenter. Jay knocked a bloop double to left field driving in Cruz making it a 1-0 game. But Joe Panik took Adam Wainwright deep to right field for a two-run shot giving San Francisco a 2-1 lead bottom of the inning.
Panik hit his first career home run and was the first since Buster Posey did it during game 4 of the World Series in 2010. Unfortunately for the NLCS MVP, Bumgarner didn’t recover anytime soon. He yielded two solo home runs to both Adams and Cruz putting the Cardinals back on top 3-2. Bumgarner came into the series having allowed just four home runs in 10 postseason games and nine starts.
Sandoval leadoff the fourth with a double, Wainwright walked Hunter Pence and Brandon Belt hit a line drive to second baseman Kolten Wong who tagged Sandoval off second resulting in a double play. Sandoval tied Lance Berman for the 6th longest streak in MLB history for reaching base safely in 23 straight postseason games.
“This means a lot,” Sandoval said. “This crowd, they’ve meant a lot. We tried to do everything we could all the way back to the offseason and Spring Training.”
St. Louis battled until the end. They had an opportunity to take the game away but the brilliant mind of Bochy ended that. Closer Santiago Casilla walked Adams, gave up a single to Randal Grichuk and a fielder’s choice advanced pinch-runner Daniel Descalso to third. Grichuk stole second and Casilla walked Cruz to load the bases. Jeremy Affeldt came in to replace Casilla and forced pinch-hitter Oscar Taveras to line out to end the inning, stranding three.
“We have an awesome group,” said Bumgarner. “It’s fun to battle.”
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Alameda County
DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland
Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.
Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.
City Government
Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall
At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.
Special to The Post
At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.
Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.
Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”
According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.
“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”
When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.
At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”
While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.
On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.
“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.
The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.
-
Activism4 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of March 27 – April 2, 2024
-
#NNPA BlackPress4 weeks ago
Beloved Actor and Activist Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. Dies at 87
-
Community1 week ago
Financial Assistance Bill for Descendants of Enslaved Persons to Help Them Purchase, Own, or Maintain a Home
-
Activism3 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of April 3 – 6, 2024
-
Business2 weeks ago
V.P. Kamala Harris: Americans With Criminal Records Will Soon Be Eligible for SBA Loans
-
Activism2 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of April 10 – 16, 2024
-
Community2 weeks ago
AG Bonta Says Oakland School Leaders Should Comply with State Laws to Avoid ‘Disparate Harm’ When Closing or Merging Schools
-
Community1 week ago
Oakland WNBA Player to be Inducted Into Hall of Fame