Sports

Giants back to .500 with win over D-backs

Published

6 years ago

June 5, 2018

San Francisco, CA – One game and a half games out of first place in the National League West, is a good way to welcome back Madison Bumgarner. Tomorrow the southpaw will take the mound for his first start of the season.

Nothing more special than coming back to a team that’s winning. Four home runs capped of a barrage of seven hits that came in one frame. Coming off a sweep, the Giants continued their winning streak with a 10-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“We missed him, no question about it,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He’s excited about coming back. We’re a better club with him. That really improves this rotation. It’s good to get our guys back.”

For the first time this season, both Andrew McCutchen and Brandon Crawford hit back-to-back home runs to start the fourth. McCutchen led off the inning with a solo shot to cut the lead in half. Crawford followed with his own solo home run and tied the game 2-2.

Pablo Sandoval followed with a single while Zack Godley gave up walks to both Hunter Pence and Gorkys Hernandez to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Alen Hanson doubled driving in both Sandoval and Pence to extend their lead 4-2. Joe Panik was hit by pitch and that knocked Godley out of the game.

“He got clipped for a couple back-to-back home runs and then just lost maybe a little bit of command,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “He started to fall behind hitters and there was a run of batters where there were several base runners on. The big hit was Hanson. I thought that was a mistake over the plate with two strikes. Just a very unfortunate timing.”

A wild pitch by Fernando Salas and Hernandez scored. Buster Posey got in on the action and hit a RBI double scoring in both Hanson and Panik making it a 7-2 game. The hits kept coming, Sandoval led off the fifth with a solo home run to extend San Francisco’s lead 8-2.

Crawford led off the seventh with a double and Sandoval drove him in with his third hit of the game. Sandoval recorded a three-hit game tonight, he homered and hit two RBI singles. Pinch-hitter Nick Hundley provided the insurance run when he homered in the eighth.

“When asked was the team having fun, Sandoval responded, “It’s the Giants way.”

“That’s the good thing; we took advantage in that inning,” he explained. “McCutchen hit that home run and after that Crawford, and then we’re working and working every pitch to score more. After they scored two, McCutchen really awakened us.”

What seemed like a slow start escalated quickly. A pitcher’s duel through three fames ended with Arizona scoring two runs at the top of the fourth. Paul Goldschmidt singled on a sharp line drive to left field. Jake Lamb walked and Ketel Marte cleared the bases with a double to left field driving in Goldschmidt and Lamb to make it a 2-0 game.

However, the power hitting from the Giants dominated the D-backs who currently hold first place in the NL West. Back to .500 San Francisco, Arizona was no match for the surging Giants. continues their winning streak when their ace takes the mound tomorrow. Bumgarner who has been out since March 23rd with a broken pinkie on his left hand.

Notes – The Giants selected catcher Joey Bart (Georgia Tech) with their first round selection (2nd overall) in the 2018 MLB Draft. Standing 6’3, 225 pounds Bart is the highest draft selection the Giants have made since they picked first baseman Will Clark out of Mississippi State University with the second overall pick in 1985.

“The emotions were definitely high, there was a lot of uncertainty there especially close to the pick. The pick was already in and I was like ‘well dang, I hope the Giants pick me, I really want to be there.”

In 2018, Bart led the ACC in batting average (.359), finished second in the slugging percentage (.632) and hits (79) and finished in the top 10 in home runs (16), runs scored (55), and on-base percentage (.471). Defensively, he had a career-best .992 fielding percentage and only two passed balls, which were tied for lowest among ACC starting catchers.

At the conclusion of the regular season, Bart was named the ACC Player of the Year–the first Georgia Tech player to win it since Mark Texeira in 2000. He was also named a first team All-American, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and he was an all-ACC first team selection. With winners still to be announced, Bart is a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award, the Dick Howser Trophy and the Johnny Bench Award.

“It was unreal to workout at AT&T Park, the wind and air is so much cooler. To feel that thin air compared to here in Atlanta. Its such a different feeling, I enjoyed hitting out there, it was so much fun.”

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Rajah Caruth: Young Trailblazer of NASCAR

Imagine you’re only 22 years old and already making a name for yourself in NASCAR, one of the most thrilling sports in the US. That is the life of Rajah Kirby Caruth, an American professional stock car racing driver.

Published

4 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Rajah Kirby Caruth, an American professional stock car racing driver. (File Photo)

By Tamara Shiloh

Born June 11, 2002, in Washington, DC, he was drawn to the sport as a child after seeing the Disney Pixar film “Cars.”

Caruth dreamed of tooling around the track like the main character in “Cars,” Lightning McQueen. His enthusiasm grew when his parents surprised him with a trip to the NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway when he was 12.

In 2018, while keeping busy with school, sports and a summer job, Caruth and his family held fundraisers so that he could buy an iRacing simulator. Then, at age 16, he traded a real driver’s license to race virtually in the eNASCAR Ignite Series, which led to him being recruited by the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program.

His first big opportunity came in 2019 when he competed in a “Legends” car at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Bojangles’ Southern Shootout and recorded two top-third in the semi-pro points.

People began to recognize Caruth’s talents. In 2020, he stepped up to the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series and became the first African American to win at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in a late model race. The next year, he won at Tri-County Motor Speedway and picked up his fourth overall late model victory.

Then, he became the first person of color to win at the South Carolina track.

In 2021, Caruth announced he would compete full-time in the ARCA Menards Series East for Rev Racing, where he finished third in the standings, including a series of top-five finishes. He made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut on a bigger stage as well.

Then, in 2022, thing really took off. A new chapter found Caruth at NASCAR’s unofficial Triple A league with GMS Racing, where he drives full-time for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, with a sponsorship from The Wendell Scott Foundation. After a few setbacks, he broke into the top 10 several times, finishing at a career-high 6th at Darlington Raceway.

Fast-forward to 2024, and Caruth’s took the third major step in his career. He is now driving full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Spire Motorsports and has been making the news for putting on stellar performances. Oh, and he won at Las Vegas: his first career victory.

From an impressionable young racing fan to a professional NASCAR driver, Caruth is charting a new path, creating history, and inspiring people to always remember that if you have the talent, the drive, and most of all, the heart, anything can be achieved.

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Salesian Coach Knew Angel Jackson Could Play in WNBA

Back in 2019, Salesian Girls Basketball Head Coach Stephen Pezzola made a bold prediction about one of his players, Angel Jackson. “If she keeps putting in the work like she did for us, she could be in the WNBA,” the coach said. That turned out to be very true. Last month, the Las Vegas Aces selected Jackson with the 36th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She is the second player from an Historically Black College or University, or HCBU, to be selected in the draft in 20 years.

Published

5 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Angel Jackson. Photo courtesy of Jackston State.

The Richmond Standard

Back in 2019, Salesian Girls Basketball Head Coach Stephen Pezzola made a bold prediction about one of his players, Angel Jackson.

“If she keeps putting in the work like she did for us, she could be in the WNBA,” the coach said.

That turned out to be very true. Last month, the Las Vegas Aces selected Jackson with the 36th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She is the second player from an Historically Black College or University, or HCBU, to be selected in the draft in 20 years.

Jackson’s success came as little surprise to Pezzola, who last year led the Pride to their 8th North Coast Section championship since he took over the program in 2008-2009. In 2019, Pezzola commended Jackson as “a very coachable kid” from the time she arrived at Salesian.

Tomekia Reed, her coach at Jackson State, shared similar sentiments, noting Jackson worked “very hard” to reach this moment.

“She came into our program doing great things and never looked back,” Reed told the Clarion Ledger. “She has trusted our leadership as we were able to develop her into an amazing player. I have watched her improve tremendously over the years.”

The 6’-6” Jackson played three seasons at the University of Southern California before transferring to Jackson State. She was ranked 10th in the NCAA in blocked shots and averaged 10 points per game in her final college season.

She finished her collegiate career with 1,047 points and was twice named Southwestern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

As the 36th pick, Jackson was the final pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. In a television interview, Jackson said she didn’t expect to be picked, and called the moment “surreal.”

“It made me feel so appreciative that HBCU is getting back on the map again,” she said.

All she could do in that moment was cry.

“I called my mom immediately, and she started crying,” Jackson said. “It was the best moment you can feel as a young lady.”

There’s no stopping Jackson now. “The sky is the limit,” she said.

Her high school coach agrees.

“I knew that Angel could do it,” Coach Pezzola told the Richmond Standard this week. “We are so proud of Angel and what she has accomplished. It was an honor and joy to coach Angel at Salesian.”

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Oakland WNBA Player to be Inducted Into Hall of Fame

The Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame (MESHOF) announced that it will induct Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, a former WNBA player and Oakland Technical High School graduate at its inaugural Curt Flood Platinum Award Ceremony in February. Gray-Lawson’s Platinum Award is part of the Hall of Fame’s 24th Annual Bay Area induction and award ceremony, where four other retired professional athletes will be honored.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Photo Courtesy of Alexis Gray Lawson.

By Post staff

The Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame (MESHOF) announced that it will induct Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, a former WNBA player and Oakland Technical High School graduate at its inaugural Curt Flood Platinum Award Ceremony in February.

Gray-Lawson’s Platinum Award is part of the Hall of Fame’s 24th Annual Bay Area induction and award ceremony, where four other retired professional athletes will be honored.

The banquet and ceremony will be held from 5:45 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24, at the George P. Scotlan Convention Center at Oakland’s Marriott Civic Center Hotel.

“I am truly honored to receive this incredible nomination,” said Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, who, along with college teammate Devanei Hampton, lead Oakland Tech to its second consecutive state title in 2005. “It took a village to raise me and get me here, and I truly am excited to continue the legacy.”

Gray-Lawson, a “second team” Parade All-American and an All-State honoree, as a senior in ’05, was chosen for the California Interscholastic Federation sportsmanship award. She only lost one game throughout her four-year career in high school. Her jersey was retired at Oakland Tech and placed in the National High School Hall of Fame as a four-time All-City recipient, averaging 17.2 points per game during her career.

Gray-Lawson received scholarships in volleyball, softball, and basketball before deciding to travel up College Avenue to the University of California, Berkeley. There, she played in more basketball games (143) than any other player in Golden Bears’ history. She finished her career as the Bears all-time 3-point leader (211), and she is ranked third in scoring with 1,982 points.

An All-Pac 10 and honorable mention All-American in 2010, Gray-Lawson also was the top player at 5’8” or under for the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award. Later that year, she was a third-round pick of the Washington Mystics in 2010 and played with the Phoenix Mercury of the Women’s National Basketball Association in 2011 and 2012. She also played professionally overseas in Turkey and Israel.

Other inductees are Clifford Ray (Basketball); Lee Lacy (Baseball); Spencer Haywood (Basketball); and Mohinder Singh Gil (Track & Field).

Organizers say the event promises to be a “historic and celebratory evening,” and iconic personalities from across the professional sports industry and its various disciplines will attend.

The no-host cocktail hour begins at 5:45 p.m.; dinner at 6:45 p.m.; and the ceremony at 7:45 p.m. All times are prompt. General tickets are $250.00; Seniors (65 and older) $150.00, and students $50. This includes dinner and the ceremony. Tables of 10 are available as well, and early purchase is recommended.

MESHOF is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring athletes from all corners of the globe who have made significant contributions to the world of sports and broadening the public’s understanding of the contributions people of color have made to professional sports; and to provide educational life skills and mentorship opportunities for deserving youth. Proceeds will help maintain the City of Oakland’s Curt Flood Field, Oakland Parks & Recreation, and MESHOF’s after school and mental health initiatives.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.multiethnicsportshof.com. For additional information, please contact: Arif Khatlib @ afrosportshall@aol.com or India Alston @ india@beamcreativehouse.com