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Oakland A’s booed for walking Shohei Ohtani, but Mark Kotsay gets last laugh

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:59:41 GMT

OAKLAND – The Oakland A’s were booed heartily in both the fifth and ninth innings Saturday – mainly by spectators wearing red — when manager Mark Kotsay elected to intentionally walk Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani.Kotsay and the A’s didn’t necessarily care. Knowing how dangerous Ohtani is with a bat in his hands, their decision to walk Ohtani was an easy one.“The one guy in their lineup that can really beat you is Shohei,” Kotsay said, “and at that point, both instances with first base open, we’re not gonna let him beat us.”The decision worked out both times.After the A’s walked Ohtani in the fifth inning to put runners on first and second with one out, starting pitcher Paul Blackburn got Brandon Drury to ground into a 5-4-3 double play.  Then in the ninth, with Michael Stefanic on third base and two outs, the A’s again put Ohtani aboard, and closer Trevor May got Drury to fly out to center field and end the game as Oakland held onto a 2-1 win.“We were fortun...

Trying to follow near-no-no, Alex Cobb says SF Giants are in ‘playoff mode’

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:59:41 GMT

SAN DIEGO — It was a couple weeks ago, in Philadelphia, that Alex Cobb felt the tide of the Giants’ season turn. The temperature dropped. Football was on the televisions in the clubhouse. Gone were the dog days; the final push for the postseason was here.“That always brings you that little bit more of adrenaline,” he said, “knowing that you’re getting to the end of the road of the season.”Perhaps it’s no coincidence, then, that in his next start, he twirled the gem of his career. A few feet of air between Spencer Steer’s two-out line drive and the outstretched glove of Luis Matos in right field was all that separated him from a no-hitter. He dug deep and found 131 pitches, the most he’s ever thrown in one game.Five days later, he will take the mound again Sunday for the finale of the Giants’ four-game series against the Padres.Nobody is expecting another 8⅔ innings of no-hit ball, right? “I hope not,” Cobb chuckled. &...

Bay Area team named greatest prep football squad of all-time by ESPN

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:59:41 GMT

(KRON) -- The Bay Area has produced a number of prep football stars throughout the years. Think Tom Brady (Junipero Serra High School), Marshawn Lynch (Oakland Tech) and Davante Adams (Palo Alto High School).As for teams, there isn't much debate on who the dominant Bay Area high school football program is. De La Salle High School in Concord, at one point, won 151 straight games from 1992 to 2004.In a list released last week, ESPN named its top 50 high school football teams of all time. The 2001 De La Salle High School was named No. 1 on the list by the network. What will Stanford, Cal’s farthest travel be for an ACC game? De La Salle went 12-0 that year. Its state championship win over Long Beach Poly (ranked No. 50 on ESPN's list) marked the program's 117 straight win -- a streak that dates back to the early 1990s. The 2001 Spartans had Maurice Jones-Drew, a running back who ended up starring at UCLA and becoming a second-round NFL draft pick in 2006 to the Jacksonville Jaguars."...

Ewers and No. 11 Texas start slow and finish strong in 37-10 season-opening win over Rice

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:59:41 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas beating Rice looked quite different that anyone might have expected. Still, the No. 11 Longhorns will take a win that turned from a grinder into a rout.Quinn Ewers passed for three touchdowns and ran for another as Texas overcame a sluggish start with an overwhelming third quarter and smothering defense to beat the Owls 37-10 on Saturday in the season opener for both teams. “The majority of people who walked into that stadium thought the game was going to go a certain way,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “The reality is we don’t often talk about how good we are defensively.”Texas forced three turnovers, only allowed Rice 172 total yards and didn’t give up a touchdown until late in the fourth quarter.Ewers connected with Jonathan Brooks on a 37-yard TD in the first quarter and Bert Auburn kicked three first-half field goals for the Longhorns, the longest a 49-yarder. Texas turned it into a blowout in the third. Ewers connected with Georgia transfer...

Michael Penix Jr. throw for 5 TDs as No. 10 Washington overwhelms Boise State 56-19

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:59:41 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — Michael Penix Jr. threw for 450 yards and matched his career high with five touchdown passes, and No. 10 Washington overwhelmed Boise State in a 56-19 win in the teams’ season opener Saturday.Penix kicked off his final college season and a Heisman Trophy campaign with a terrific passing performance following a couple shaky drives in the opening moments. Penix was 29 of 40 passing and threw touchdowns to four receivers.After posting the second-most yards passing in the country last year, Penix picked up right where he left off.“Once we started seeing what they were doing, we knew that they were going to try to bring different things at us at the beginning of the game, things we might not have seen on film,” Penix said. “But once we started seeing the picture, it was on from there.”Penix threw four of his five touchdowns in the second quarter when the Huskies scored 28 points. He connected with Jalen McMillan on two of his TD passes, and McMillan added a 19-yard t...

No. 3 Buckeyes overcome sluggish showing to extend winning streak over Hoosiers, 23-3

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:59:41 GMT

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord gave himself an average grade in Saturday’s season opener.Coach Ryan Day thought the whole offense could have played better.Miyan Williams rushed for two touchdowns and the third-ranked Buckeyes overcame an uncharacteristically sluggish start to beat Indiana 23-3, giving McCord his first victory since being named Ohio State’s starter.“I thought it was all right,” McCord said of his performance. “I thought there were some good plays, some bad plays. I want to look at the film and see where I can improve.”McCord finished 20 of 33 with 239 yards and one interception as the Buckeyes (1-0, 1-0 Big Ten) won their 23rd straight season opener and extended the longest active winning streak in an FBS series to 28 in a row over the Hoosiers.But Day knows there’s plenty to critique after scoring only two touchdowns while settling for three field goals and going 2 of 12 on third down. Even the Buckeyes establishe...

Messi en el partido entre Los Angeles Football Club y el Inter Miami: previa, a qué hora y cómo ver en vivo por TV e internet

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:59:41 GMT

(CNN Español) — El último partido antes de sumarse a la selección argentina para disputar las eliminatorias. Así pueden anticipar los hinchas argentinos el encuentro que jugarán este domingo Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) y el Inter Miami.Para los hinchas del equipo de la Florida, es la chance de seguir sumando puntos y descontando unidades con la mira puesta en llegar a los playoffs. Para los fans que estén en Los Ángeles y vayan al estadio será la posibilidad de ver a Lionel Messi en vivo como titular.Tras el empate ante Nashville SC como local, Miami viaja a Los Ángeles y enfrenta a LAFC, equipo que marcha segundo en la Conferencia Oeste con 40 puntos. El equipo de Gerardo Martino todavía no conoce la derrota desde la llegada de Messi y a falta de diez encuentros para que finalice la temporada aún sueña con descontar los diez puntos que lo separan de Chicago Fire y el ingreso a playoffs.El próximo partido de Messi será el más caro de la historia de la Major League SoccerS...

Robby Ashford runs for 3 touchdowns and Hugh Freeze gets win in debut as Auburn’s head coach 59-14

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:59:41 GMT

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Robby Ashford rushed for three first-half touchdowns as Auburn defeated UMass 59-14 on Saturday in Hugh Freeze’s debut as the Tigers’ head coach.Ashford, the Tigers’ 2022 starting quarterback, was used in red-zone packages to complement new starter and Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne. Thorne threw for 141 yards and a touchdown in his Auburn (1-0) debut.“Obviously, you always want to be the starter,” Ashford said. “But Payton’s done a great job, and I look at him like a brother. We come out there every day and just know we’re out here to make each other better and do whatever we can to help this team win.”Damari Alston scored a rushing touchdown on the Tigers’ first drive, while freshman Jeremiah Cobb broke a 42-yard touchdown run on the second carry of his college career. The Tigers rushed for 294 yards.Alston started at running back in place of junior Jarquez Hunter, the team’s top returner in rushing yards. Hunter did not dress out Saturday, and he missed...

Hartman and another stout defensive performance lead No. 13 Notre Dame past Tennessee State 56-3

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:59:41 GMT

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Sam Hartman passed for 194 yards and two touchdowns and Notre Dame’s defense didn’t allow a touchdown for a second straight game as the No. 13 Irish beat Tennessee State 56-3 on Saturday.It was the first time Notre Dame played a program from the historical Black college and university ranks or an opponent from the Football Championship Subdivision.Hartman completed 14 of 17 passes and delighted the Notre Dame Stadium fans in his home debut when he somersaulted into the end zone on a 5-yard run.Hartman turned things over to backup Steve Angeli with the Irish leading 35-3 early in the third quarter.“He was good. He was really good. Not perfect,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “Six years, man. That experience is so important. He’s a heck of a football player.“Sam Hartman helps, but I think the depth on our offense and those skill positions show,” Freeman added.Tennessee State coach Eddie George said that Hartman was surgical.“You saw his presence in the p...

AP Top 25 Takeaways: Believe the hype! Coach Prime delivers thrilling upset in debut for Colorado

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:59:41 GMT

Believe the hype.Deion Sanders’ debut as Colorado coach was billed as a big deal, but there was plenty of skepticism about just how good the Buffaloes could be after an unprecedented roster makeover in Boulder.“We told you we were coming. You thought we were joking. We keep receipts,” Sanders said after Colorado upset No. 17 TCU on Saturday in a performance that exceeded even the most lofty expectations.The team with nearly 90 new players beat the team that played for the national championship last season.Where to begin?Sanders’ son, Shedeur, set a school record with 510 yards passing in his first major college football game after transferring with his father from Jackson State.Receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter played 129 snaps and had 11 catches for 119 yards, but his best and biggest play was an interception with TCU in the red zone.“No, I’m not tired, I’m ready to go back in,” said Hunter, who wore a T-shirt with an image of his Hall of Fame coach on it du...