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SF Giants start post-Gabe Kapler era on familiar note in loss to Dodgers

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:32:45 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — The post-Gabe Kapler era started the same way his tenure ended: in defeat.With interim skipper Kai Correa at the helm, the Giants’ bats were bleak as ever against Dodgers starter Lance Lynn, while Los Angeles’ powerful lineup lit up San Francisco rookie starter Keaton Winn for a trio of home runs (Will Smith, Freddie Freeman, J.D. Martinez).Final score: 6-2.1) No .500 finishIt was an inevitability that became a reality Friday night: the Giants will finish 2023 with a worse record than in 2022.That’s the kind of stagnation that can get a manager fired, and guess what — it did.The Giants needed to sweep the Dodgers this weekend to avoid securing a losing record, but the homer barrage against San Francisco’s rookie starter meant that dream died in the first game of the series. They have finished better than .500 only once — in their 107-win 2021 — in five seasons under Farhan Zaidi.Good news: They can’t finish any worse than Zaidi’s f...

Unresponsive dog rescued from Napa house fire, expected to survive

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:32:45 GMT

(KRON) -- Crews responded to a fire at a single-family home on Friday morning, the Napa Fire Department announced on Facebook. Firefighters initiated an "offensive attack" and entered the residence to search for any potential victims. Fire crews located an unresponsive dog and got the pet out of the home, officials said. They quickly began to administer oxygen to the dog (pictured below).Crews had to administer oxygen to a dog after rescuing it from a structure fire Friday morning (Napa Fire Department).(Napa Fire Department)Shortly after, the dog was able to begin breathing on its own. He was taken to a nearby veterinarian for further evaluation.Officials said the dog is expected to make a full recovery. NFD did not specify where in Napa this fire occurred. Cal Fire LNU crews also assisted in the response.

Smoke Harris punt return TD highlights Louisiana Tech’s 24-10 win over UTEP

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:32:45 GMT

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Smoke Harris returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown, Louisiana used several breaks en route to a key score on the first play of the fourth quarter and the Bulldogs defeated UTEP 24-10 on Friday night.Louisiana Tech went 65 yards in five plays to open the game, going up 7-0 as Tyre Shelton scored on a one-yard run. An 85-yard catch-and-run by Cyrus Allen set up the score. Harris was in the end zone 1:19 later, bursting up the left hashmark before veering to the right sideline and racing to a 14-0 lead. It was 17-7 at halftime and 17-10 in the third quarter when the Bulldogs started a drive on their 35. They were promptly stopped on third down but a facemask penalty kept the drive alive. A 37-yard run by Shelton helped La Tech get in the red zone but again they were stymied only to have a Miners player get a personal foul for taking his helmet off after a tackle for a loss. With renewed downs, on the next play Tru Edwards made a nice...

Defending WNBA champion Aces score final 11 points, beat Wings 64-61 for sweep, return to finals

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:32:45 GMT

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — A’ja Wilson had 13 points and 13 rebounds, including a tying layup late, and the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces advanced to the finals for the third time in four years, scoring the game’s final 11 points to beat the Dallas Wings 64-61 on Friday night.Alysha Clark made a tiebreaking free throw with 1:45 left. Jackie Young added two more free throws with 2 seconds remaining — after the Wings had missed two potential go-ahead shots — and Las Vegas completed a three-game sweep.The Wings, hosting a semifinal game for the first time since the franchise moved from Tulsa to North Texas in 2016, had a 61-53 lead when Arike Ogunbowale made a running layup with 4:59 left. They didn’t score again.Ogunbowale, who finished with a game-high 18 points, came up short on a 3-pointer as time expired.Chelsea Gray finished with 15 points while Young and Kelsey Plum each had 11 for the Aces.Natasha Howard added 14 points for the Wings, while Teaira McCowan had 10 points an...

Defending champion Aces return to WNBA Finals, beat Wings 64-61 to complete sweep

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:32:45 GMT

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — A’ja Wilson had 13 points and 13 rebounds, including a tying layup late, and the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces advanced to the finals for the third time in four years, scoring the game’s final 11 points to beat the Dallas Wings 64-61 on Friday night.Alysha Clark made a tiebreaking free throw with 1:45 left. Jackie Young added two more free throws with 2 seconds remaining — after the Wings had missed two potential go-ahead shots — and Las Vegas completed a three-game sweep.The Wings, hosting a semifinal game for the first time since the franchise moved from Tulsa to North Texas in 2016, had a 61-53 lead when Arike Ogunbowale made a running layup with 4:59 left. They didn’t score again.Ogunbowale, who finished with a game-high 18 points, came up short on a 3-pointer as time expired after Dallas was able to call timeout and get one more shot.Even though Dallas was focused defensively on Wilson, ending her WNBA record string of three co...

Urquidy brilliant in emergency start, pitches Astros to crucial 2-1 win over Diamondbacks

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:32:45 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — José Abreu hit a two-run double, José Urquidy pitched six shutout innings in an emergency start and the Houston Astros held off the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-1 on Friday night.Gold Glove shortstop Jeremy Peña made a diving play that kept the Astros ahead in the eighth, and the defending World Series champions strengthened their position in the American League playoff race. Houston holds the final wild card and could still catch Texas atop the AL West. The Diamondbacks trailed 2-0 going into the ninth before Alek Thomas reached with one out on an error by second baseman Jose Altuve. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. struck out but Gabriel Moreno followed with an RBI double off the left-center fence that was just shy of a homer.Ryan Pressly then coaxed a weak groundout from Jace Peterson for his 31st save.The loss denied Arizona a chance to clinch a postseason berth, but the D-backs are still in good position to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017. They’re in the secon...

Silas Bolden has 2 TDs to help No. 19 Oregon State beat No. 10 Utah 21-7

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:32:45 GMT

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — Silas Bolden caught a 27-yard touchdown pass and ran 45 yards for another score and No. 19 Oregon State handed No. 10 Utah its first loss of the season with a 21-7 victory Friday night. Damien Martinez added an early touchdown dash and the Beavers (4-1, 1-1 Pac-12) rebounded from last weekend’s close loss to No. 16 Washington State. Utah (4-1, 1-1) was still without quarterback Cam Rising, who warmed up with the team but was in street clothes at kickoff. Rising, a sixth-year senior who has led the Utes to back-to-back Pac-12 titles, tore his left ACL during the Rose Bowl in January and needed surgery. He has been practicing with the team, splitting reps with Nate Johnson, but hasn’t been cleared to play. Johnson, making his third straight start, completed just three of 12 passes for 35 yards before he was replaced with Bryson Barnes in the third quarter. Last weekend after Utah’s 14-7 victory over UCLA, Johnson apologized on social media for the la...

Daniel gets first major league win as Angels beat A’s 5-1 in Oakland’s 111th loss

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:32:45 GMT

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Davis Daniel pitched five scoreless innings for his first major league win, helping the Los Angeles Angels beat Oakland 5-1 on Friday night and sending the Athletics to their 111th loss.Chase Silseth returned from a concussion to make his first start since Aug. 26 and allowed one run and two hits in four innings. He had been sidelined since he was hit by an errant throw from third baseman Trey Cabbage.Daniel (1-1), a 26-year-old right-hander who made his major league debut on Sept. 7, completed the four-hitter. He struck out two and walked one in his third big league appearance.Mickey Moniak, who had been out since Sept. 5 with left back tightness, hit a two-run homer in the fifth off Ken Waldichuk (4-9).David Fletcher and Nolan Schanuel had RBI singles in the fourth, and the Angels got another run when left fielder JJ Bleday bobbled Schanuel’s hit and then hooked his throw wide of third for a double error.Oakland (49-111) is on a 3-12 skid, and has the ...

Column: The Chicago Cubs’ playoff fate could be decided Saturday after a gut-wrenching loss to the Milwaukee Brewers

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:32:45 GMT

After another tough one-run loss Friday night at American Family Field, the Chicago Cubs found themselves on the brink of elimination with two games remaining.A season marked by wild swings was about to end, perhaps as soon as Saturday night in Milwaukee.Manager David Ross said after the gut-wrenching 4-3, 10-inning loss to the Brewers that the feeling in the clubhouse was no different than it had been the last week or so.“Same as it’s been,” Ross said. “We’ve got to win every game. It’s been that way for a while now. I know the score.”In a season as crazy as this, the possibility of overtime seemed like the perfect ending for a Cubs team that has gone from 10 games under .500 to playoff contender to potentially collapsing with 14 losses in 20 games down the stretch.The Miami Marlins’ suspended game against the New York Mets on Thursday meant the Cubs could have forced them to play the final inning Monday to beat them out for t...

Emerging election issues in New Jersey include lawsuits over outing trans students, offshore wind

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:32:45 GMT

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Republicans are seizing on flashpoint issues in this year’s election, aiming to energize voters over the state’s lawsuits against school districts to stop them from outing transgender students to their parents as well as stoking skepticism toward offshore wind turbines.Both subjects are turning up in GOP talking points, fueling the party’s hopes of expanding Republican victories from two years ago when they netted seven seats in the Assembly and Senate. All 80 seats in the Assembly and all 40 in the Senate are up for grabs this November, with mail-in ballots already going out to voters. Democrats have a nearly million-voter registration advantage over Republicans, and they also controlled the redistricting process last year when they had little incentive to redraw maps unfavorably to their party. Democrats, meanwhile, are pointing to what they said was a lesson learned from a close gubernatorial race in 2021: Focus on affordability, ...