Connect with us

Published

on

Athletics owner John Fisher and his family will invest $1 billion into the construction of a stadium in Las Vegas while U.S. Bank and Goldman Sachs will offer a $300 million loan, club executive Sandy Dean said Thursday.

Dean made his remarks to a special meeting of the Las Vegas Stadium Authority board.

He said four letters will be presented at the Dec. 5 authority meeting asserting construction details and that financing will be in place. Final approvals are expected to be made at that meeting to allow construction of the $1.5 billion, 33,000-seat domed ballpark.

“We feel like we’re on the right path and it will become clearer in the months ahead,” Dean told the board.

Construction is expected to begin in the spring with a targeted opening before the 2028 season. As much as $380 million in public funding will go into building the stadium, which will be on the Las Vegas Strip on the site of where the recently demolished Tropicana stood.

The Athletics will play at least the next three seasons in West Sacramento, California. The team announced Thursday that it will play 60 of their 81 home games in 2025 at night, with 11 of the day games held in April and May.

The scheduling appears to be a step to mitigate concerns about playing in extreme heat in Sacramento. The city experienced its hottest 20-day stretch on record earlier this summer, with temperatures averaging 103.8 degrees from June 23 to July 12.

The Athletics announced earlier this month that they would play on natural grass in Sacramento.

The 60 home night games would tie the 1968 Athletics for the most in a season in franchise history.

The Athletics are sharing Sutter Health Park with the Triple-A River Cats, a Giants affiliate. Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball worked together to ensure that both teams will not play at home on the same day.

They played their last of 57 seasons in Oakland, California, this year.

Information from ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez and The Associated Press was used in this report.

Continue Reading

Sports

3 tossed from Giants-Rockies after Devers homer

Published

on

By

3 tossed from Giants-Rockies after Devers homer

DENVER — Rafael Devers‘ 30th home run of the season was a weird one.

Colorado Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland along with San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman and shortstop Willy Adames were ejected from Tuesday night’s game following a benches-clearing incident that started after Devers hit a two-run homer in the first inning.

Devers hammered a sweeper over the right-field wall, and Freeland took exception to Devers’ celebration, shouting at him as he neared first base.

That caused several players to charge toward the infield, where Chapman appeared to make contact with Freeland. Adames also was in the middle of the scrum.

The umpires restored order before sorting out the situation and announcing the ejections. It did not appear that any punches were thrown.

Devers waited at first base while the umpires were meeting and then trotted around the bases several minutes after he actually hit the homer.

The Giants had to shuffle their defensive infield after the two ejections, moving Devers to third base for the first time since he was traded to the club from the Boston Red Sox in June. Christian Koss moved from second base to shortstop, Casey Schmitt entered the game at second base and Dominic Smith entered at first.

Antonio Senzatela came in the game to pitch for the Rockies.

Devers’ 30th homer also ended a skid for the Giants — sort of. He is the first San Francisco player to hit 30 homers in a season while wearing a Giants uniform since Barry Bonds in 2004, but he hit his first 15 long balls with the Red Sox.

Continue Reading

Sports

Ohtani belts 100th HR with Dodgers in record time

Published

on

By

Ohtani belts 100th HR with Dodgers in record time

PITTSBURGH — Shohei Ohtani hit his 100th home run with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the Pittsburgh Pirates spoiled the milestone with a 9-7 win Tuesday night.

Ohtani’s solo shot off prospect Bubba Chandler (2-0) was the second-hardest hit homer in MLB this season at 120 mph. It was home run No. 46 for Ohtani this season and the hardest-hit ball of his MLB career, according to ESPN Research.

Playing his 294th game with the Dodgers, he became the fastest to reach 100 home runs in team history, ahead of Gary Sheffield (399). It took him 444 games to hit 100 home runs with the Angels.

After the home run, Teoscar Hernandez hit a two-out RBI single and Andy Pages led off the next inning with his 24th homer, tying it 4-4.

Henry Davis put the Pirates back ahead on an RBI single off Edgardo Henriquez (0-1) in the sixth. Jared Triolo added a two-out, two-run double.

Chandler gave up three runs and six hits in four innings of relief. The 22-year-old has two wins and a save in his first three major league appearances.

Dennis Santana walked Miguel Rojas and gave up Ohtani’s second double to start the ninth before retiring the next three batters for his 12th save.

Clayton Kershaw yielded four runs, four hits and a pair of walks in the first inning. He recovered to last five innings, denying the Pirates of another hit while giving up two walks over the final four.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Continue Reading

Sports

Red Sox’s Anthony exits with oblique tightness

Published

on

By

Red Sox's Anthony exits with oblique tightness

Star Boston Red Sox rookie Roman Anthony left Tuesday night’s 11-7 win against the Cleveland Guardians because of left oblique tightness and will undergo an MRI on Wednesday, according to manager Alex Cora.

Anthony could be seen grabbing at his lower back on a swinging third strike in the bottom of the fourth inning. He did not take the field in the top of the fifth, with Nate Eaton replacing him in right field at Fenway Park.

Anthony’s absence would be significant for a Red Sox team that entered Tuesday night just 2½ games behind the first-place Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East. Anthony has been a catalyst to Boston’s resurgence since his June callup, with the 21-year-old hitting .291 with an .861 OPS, eight home runs and 31 RBIs entering Tuesday.

Anthony entered the season as baseball’s No. 1 prospect. He has since signed an eight-year, $130 million extension with the team.

Teammate Marcelo Mayer, who entered the season as baseball’s No. 6 prospect, joined the big league club before Anthony in May but has since had season-ending wrist surgery. Kristian Campbell, the third of Boston’s touted prospects, opened the season as the club’s starting second baseman but was sent down to Triple-A Worcester in June after some early struggles.

Continue Reading

Trending