Logan Webb didn’t enter this year with the specific goal of winning a Gold Glove Award. But when the Giants ace arrived in Scottsdale for spring training, he prioritized playing better defense, generally, and holding runners on base, specifically.
Now, Webb and catcher Patrick Bailey are adding some hardware to their shelves.
Bailey and Webb were named National League Gold Glove Award winners at their respective positions on Sunday evening, becoming the first battery to win the hardware in the same year since catcher Yadier Molina and pitcher Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013.
“I just wanted to get better at (playing defense),” Webb said. “I didn’t necessarily think it would result in a Gold Glove, but I always thought maybe I could do it. I feel like I get enough ground balls hit to me and a lot of get overs. I just kind of had to fix some of the other stuff. So, it’s a really cool accomplishment and I’m super excited about it.”
Bailey, who won the award in 2024, becomes the first catcher in franchise history to win the award multiple times, and it’s very possible he becomes the first Giant to win the Platinum Glove as well. Buster Posey won it once, in 2016, when he broke Molina’s string of eight consecutive gold gloves. Bailey also is first Giant to win the honor in back-to-back years since Brandon Crawford won three straight from 2015-17.
Webb, who led the majors in innings and the N.L. in strikeouts, becomes the second Giant pitcher to win the award in franchise history, joining Rick Reuschel (1987). With a Gold Glove now on his résumé, Webb joked that he plans on doing a little bragging with Bailey, Crawford and five-time Gold Glove third baseman Matt Chapman.
“To be able to say you’re … the best defender at your position in your league is pretty cool,” Webb said. “I always watched Craw and Chappy and Patty’s going to win it many more times. Seeing these guys do it, it’s a huge part of baseball and it’s a huge part of what the Giants try to be. I think that’s why we’ve had so many (Gold Glove Award winners) around here. It’s cool to be a part of that now.
“Now, when people watch the game, I get that little Gold Glove next to my name when they show the defensive positioning.”
Bailey cemented himself as one of the best defenders in the majors, regardless of position, by turning in one of the best statistical defensive seasons in the Statcast era this year.
Over a career-high 132 games, Bailey had a Fielding Run Value of +31, the most in a single season by any defender regardless of position since 2018. Last season, Bailey’s +28 Fielding Run Value also led the majors.
Much of Bailey’s defensive value derived from his elite framing ability. Even with a smaller strike zone, Bailey was worth +25 Catcher Framing Runs, eclipsing the +23 Catcher Framing Runs he was worth last season.
Along with the framing, Bailey continued to boast one of the best arms in baseball. Bailey threw out a career-high 27 runners attempting to steal, his pop time of 1.86 seconds being tied for the best in the majors.
Bailey’s elite framing and throwing was a continuation of what he’s done since making his debut, but he also made a significant leap as a blocker.
As a rookie, Bailey was one of the worst blockers in the league and was worth -9 Blocks Above Average. After making improving in his sophomore season (-1 Blocks Above Average), Bailey transformed himself into an above-average blocker (+5 Blocks Above Average) this season.
“I feel like he just keeps getting better,” Webb said. “It’s fun to watch him do his work every day. He works hard at his craft.”
While Bailey has long been one of baseball’s best defenders, Webb made significant strides this season en route to winning his first Gold Glove.
Webb allowed 41 stolen bases in 2023 and 2024, one of eight pitchers in the majors who allowed at least 40 steals. This season, by contrast, Webb only allowed nine steals and led all National League pitchers with seven defensive runs saved. From 2019-24, Webb was worth -4 defensive runs saved.
The right-hander referred to his start on June 23, 2024 against the St. Louis Cardinals as the low point of his inability to prevent runners from swiping bags. Allowing five steals over six innings to the Cardinals was bad enough, but one of those steals belonged to catcher Pedro Pagés, who only swiped six bags in the minors.
Webb wanted to curb that trend this season and began that work during spring training. He worked on this area of his game during bullpens and live batting practice, mixing up times and holding for as long as possible after coming set. Webb said there wasn’t one specific conversation that made things click, citing conversations he had with former manager Bob Melvin and other coaches.
The right-hander also spoke with former first-base coach Antoan Richardson when the Giants played the New York Mets in Queens. Webb allowed three steals to the Mets during his start on July 25, and Webb credited Richardson’s ability as a baserunning coach. Richardson, interestingly enough, won’t return to New York in 2026 and could warrant consideration from new manager Tony Vitello as he builds his coaching staff.
“I just felt like there was an extra focus on it, and I just wanted to be better,” Webb said. “At the end of the day, it helps personally. Talking to guys, there’s some stats that if I keep a runner at first base X amount of times and I give up a base hit, that base hit turns into just first and second instead of a guy scoring a run. I think it helped me and helped the team stay in games, and that’s all I really wanted to do.”
A Sonoma County judge allowed Asia Lozano Morton to await trial outside jail under strict supervision and set her next court date for Dec. 4, according to court records.
Morton must wear a GPS ankle monitor, surrender her passport and get permission from the court before leaving California. She’s also barred from owning guns or using drugs and from contacting her boyfriend, Richard Lund.
Tuesday’s hearing was Morton’s first court appearance since her arrest Friday in the Oct. 3 shooting death of Mark Calcagni.
Lund, 43, remains in custody without bail. Police say he’s accused of shooting Calcagni five times near Calcagni’s home on Brookwood Avenue before driving off in a Toyota RAV4.
Investigators believe the killing was planned and may be connected to Calcagni’s decision to fire Lund and Morton from their jobs at the Condor Club, a North Beach landmark known as the nation’s first topless bar.
Police arrested Lund at his home in Dublin. Morton was taken into custody at San Francisco International Airport when she returned from a trip to Spain.
Police said Calcagni had returned home from work around 5 a.m. when he was shot. A passerby found his body on a nearby sidewalk about 90 minutes later.
From classic movies with live music to new tunes from Vampire Weekend and a Grateful Dead Celtic band, there’s a lot to see and hear this weekend in the Bay Area.
Here’s a partial rundown.
Classical picks: Hitchcock + orchestra; New Century
This week’s events light up the classical music scene with an iconic film score, a symphony at the opera, and a tribute to the seasons.
Halloween-appropriate: Scary enough? It has to be, when the San Francisco Symphony’s “Film with Live Orchestra” series presents Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo,” featuring composer Bernard Herrmann’s brilliantly spooky score. With the film on the big screen, conductor Conner Gray Covington will lead the orchestra in a live performance of the spine-tingling music. Come early to see the Symphony’s latest Art Installation, “Dia de los Muertos,” for a pre-show treat.
Symphony at the Opera: Since the start of fall, San Francisco Opera has brought dazzling productions to the stage; now, with “Parsifal” up and running and “The Monkey King” still to come, the company is presenting a concert conducted by company Music Director Eun Sun Kim. This one-night-only event features mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack singing works by Manuel de Falla; Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony completes the 90-minute program.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1; War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco; $29-$250; sfopera.com.
New Century, new “Seasons”: The New Century Chamber Orchestra starts the fall season with Vivaldi’s beloved “Four Seasons,” along with works by Dvorak and Bulgarian composer Dobrinka Tabakova; conducted by company music director Daniel Hope, four performances are on the schedule.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 30 at First Church UCC, Berkeley; 7:30 Oct. 31 at Empress Theatre, Vallejo; 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1 at Herbst Theatre, San Francisco; and 2 p.m. Nov. 2 at Osher Marin JCC, San Rafael; tickets $35-up; ncco.org.
— Georgia Rowe, Correspondent
More movies and music
Fans of classic silent films can catch two of them — “Phantom of the Opera” and “Nosferatu” — at Grace Cathedral this weekend. But the real star of the events won’t be on the screen but seated at Grace Cathedral’s famed 7,500-pipe Aeolian-Skinner organ, which has been a key facet of the church since it was installed in 1934. The organ will be played by musician Dorothy Papadakos, who started out as a jazz pianist in her native Reno and has evolved into a world-renowned organ player, thanks in part to her long stint as organist at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York as well as her Grammy-winning stint with the Paul Winter Consort (their live album “Silver Solstice” remains a New Age/ambient classic).
Papadakos is, among other things, considered a talented improviser, which will come in hand in these gigs. She’ll accompany the 1925 silent version of “Phantom of the Opera” starring Lon Chaney, at 8 p.m. Oct. 30, and the 1922 version of “Nosferatu” — a film that was once ordered destroyed because it was deemed to be an unauthorized adaptation (read: ripoff) of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” — at 8 p.m. Oct. 31. The church — which is a San Francisco landmark and always worth a visit — is at Taylor and California streets in San Francisco. Tickets are $34.50-$44.50; go to www.sfjazz.org.
— Bay City News Foundation
Cool shows, great album
In late October of last year, Vampire Weekend performed two memorable sold-out shows — an evening gig, followed the very next day by a matinee performance — at the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York City. The shows included many longtime Vampire Weekend fan favorites, of course, such as “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” “A-Punk” and “Oxford Comma.”
Yet, the NYC-born indie-pop act — led by vocalist-lyricist-guitarist Ezra Koenig — also performed a wonderful assortment of cover songs during those two shows. The list includes a number of Big Apple-appropriate tunes, such as the easily recognizable “Seinfeld Theme,” the Frank Sinatra favorite “Theme From New York, New York,” the Ramones’ blistering “Blitzkrieg Bop” and Billy Joel’s classic “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant,” the latter of which was reportedly performed with a candlelit table and waiter in a tux on the Garden stage.
Other cuts to make the Vampire Weekend setlist were The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside,” Talking Heads’ “Burning Down the House,” The Surfaris’ “Wipe Out,” Kate Bush’s “Wuthering Heights” and Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back in Town.”
Now all VW fans can experience the shows thanks to “Weekend at the Garden,” a limited edition double-LP recorded during that epic NYC stand. The offering, which includes portions of the two performances rather than the complete shows, is part of the band’s Frog on the Bass Drum vinyl series.
The Shaker Theater is showing the original 1968 “Night of the Living Dead” in a warehouse with a haunted maze in October 2025 in Oakland. (Shaker Theater)
Pop-up theater brings scares to Bay Area
This Halloween, you can see a scary movie in your local AMC theater. Or you can watch one as perhaps it was meant to be watched: In a dark warehouse full of horrific decor, where it feels like zombies could break down the door any minute.
The Shaker Theater is a new underground pop-up cinema in a residential part of northern Oakland. For its inaugural run, it’s been playing George Romero’s 1968 “Night of the Living Dead” during October, with final runs up until Halloween evening. It’s the uncensored, 96-minute original preserved on real celluloid. There will be popcorn and soda and, for more fun, before the movie the theater is playing clips from its “deep archives of rare and bizarre material.” Think Halloween safety films, forgotten trailers and classic monster-movie moments.
To get into the screening, visitors must first navigate a “Corridor of Horror” designed by local artist Rob Vertigo. Picture a classic haunted house, but turned into spooky-maze form. Did your group just lose a member? It’s probably nothing to worry about, they’re no doubt right behind you …. Wait, that’s not Chad! (Screams.)
Details: Preshow begins at 6:30 p.m. and movie starts at 8 p.m.; 950 54th St., Oakland; $18 online or $20 at the door; instagram.com/shakertheater.
— John Metcalfe, Staff
Freebie of the week
We tend to think of great film experiences as those that expose us to brilliant camerawork, incisive dialogue, or a poignant or hilarious reflection on the world at large. But let’s not forget the joys that await us at the other end of the spectrum. There is nothing quite like experiencing a truly terrible film with a room full of gleefully derisive bad-movie fans. There’s a reason why “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” spawned three sequels and too many spoofs and homages to count, and it wasn’t John K. Culley’s nuanced cinematography. Halloween, it seems, is a favorite time to indulge in bad-movie bliss, probably because violent mutant vegetables and irritable aliens fit most comfortably in the horror genre.
And so it is that this week delivers the opportunity to view one of the most glorious and beloved bad movies of all time, “Robot Monster.” The film, in case the clever title doesn’t make it obvious, is about an alien robot sent to destroy Earth but who defies its orders when it saves an imperiled woman from certain death. The 1953 film took four days and $20,000 to make, $4,000 of which was spent on incorporating 3D technology. One of the stars was cast because he already owned a gorilla suit and therefore didn’t need to be costumed. So, yeah, this was not an extravagant production. Yet, it grossed $1 million in its first year and has gone on to be a favorite among those who revel in the wonders of wretched filmmaking. If such a buffet of bad moviemaking – in 3D!! – is your thing, “Robot Monster” will screen at 6 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Internet Archive, 300 Funston Ave., San Francisco. The screening is free but if you feel like making a donation to the Internet Archive or co-presenter the Golden Gate Stereoscopic Society — both of which are dedicated to preserving humankind’s digital history — certainly no one would hold it against you.
When you think about it, Wake the Dead would be a tremendous name for a screeching-loud punk band or maybe a Goth band. But the real Wake the Dead is neither of those things. It is a collection of very talented Bay Area musicians merging two of their musical passions – Grateful Dead classics and Irish/Celtic music. The name is certainly appropriate, as it references the Dead as well as Irish wakes, which are known to be deeply heartfelt and celebratory affairs. The moniker also mirrors the title of the Dead’s 1973 album “Wake of the Flood,” the first recording the band released acting as its own label. Adding to the plays on words, the band’s annual gig at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley celebrates the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos), the holiday widely observed in Mexico, in which family members and friends gather to honor loved ones who have passed away.
If all this is simply too much to ponder, just know that Wake the Dead will, per tradition, return to the Freight & Salvage on Nov. 1 to perform a Day of the Dead-themed show at which you are likely to hear high-energy Celtic takes on such Dead classics as “China Cat Sunflower” and “Eyes of the World.”
Details: The show begins at 8 p.m.; tickets are $26.50-$44; or you can livestream the show for $25; more information is at thefreight.org.
— Bay City News Foundation
Celebrating Día de los Muertos
The skeletons are dangling from the windows and looming merrily overhead the staircase in the festive lobby of Davies Hall, as the San Francisco Symphony gears up at 3 p.m. Nov. 1 to mount its 18th annual celebration of the Day of the Dead, the joyous Mexican tradition held to pay love and respect to ancestors who have passed on. The centerpiece of the festivities is a symphony concert, but multiple preconcert family-friendly activities are planned in the lobby and upper floors, including marigold flower making, offering-altar installations, a mariachi instrument petting zoo, sugar skull decorating and costumed dancers from Casa Círculo Cultural. The Symphony, conducted by Lina González-Granados, will perform traditional and contemporary Latin American music associated with the holiday, including Gabriela Ortiz’s “Kauyumari,” selections from Arturo Márquez’s “Espejos en la Arena,” the Intermezzo from Ricardo Castro’s “Atzimba” opera, Paul Desenne’s “Hipnosis Mariposa,” Jimmy Lopez’s “Loud,” Márquez’s popular Danzón No. 2 and Gabriela Lena Frank’s “The Mestizo Waltz.”
Details: Tickets, which are 50 percent off for those under 18, range from $27.50-$175; go to www.sfsymphony.org.
— Bay City News Foundation
An orchestral showcase
The San Francisco Opera takes a breather from its usual regimen of presenting full-fledged and lavish operatic productions to let Music Director Eun Sun Kim shine a solo spotlight on her instrumentalists in a single night concert of music by Ludwig van Beethoven and Manuel de Falla at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1 in War Memorial Opera House. The program opens with “Siete Canciones Populares Españolas,” a set of songs inspired by de Falla’s home country of Spain, sung by mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack, and continues with the second orchestral suite from the same composer’s ballet “El Sombrero de Tres Picos” (“The Three-Cornered Hat”). Following the intermission, the concert will conclude with Beethoven’s mighty Fifth Symphony. Tickets, $29-$250, can be purchased through www.sfopera.com.
Lovato has announced dates for The It’s Not That Deep Tour — her first major headlining jaunt in three years — and it includes a stop on May 11 at Chase Center in San Francisco.
Lovato will be supporting her latest studio album, “It’s Not That Deep,” which hit stores last week.
“Lovato’s ‘It’s Not That Deep’ era revisits the dance-pop sound laced throughout her previous hit records and brings a celebratory energy that’s about taking full control while letting inhibitions go, featuring tracks that demand late nights and dancefloors,” according to a news release.
Demi Lovato tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Oct. 31, ticketmaster.com.
Find out about the artist presale by visiting livemu.sc/demilovato by 10 p.m. Oct. 28. There is also a Citi card presale that runs 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Oct. 29, www.citientertainment.com.
DEMI LOVATO: IT’S NOT THAT DEEP TOUR DATES
Wed Apr 8 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
Fri Apr 10 – Orlando, FL – Kia Center
Sun Apr 12 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Tue Apr 14 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Thu Apr 16 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
Sat Apr 18 – Philadelphia, PA – Xfinity Mobile Arena
Mon Apr 20 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
Wed Apr 22 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Fri Apr 24 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden Arena
Mon Apr 27 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
Wed Apr 29 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Fri May 1 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Sat May 2 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
Tue May 5 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Fri May 8 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena
Sat May 9 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
Mon May 11 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
Wed May 13 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Sat May 16 – Los Angeles, CA – The Kia Forum
Tue May 19 – Glendale, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena
Fri May 22 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Sun May 24 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
Mon May 25 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
IT’S NOT THAT DEEP TRACKLISTING:
Fast Here All Night Frequency Let You Go Sorry to Myself Little Bit Say It In My Head Kiss Before I Knew You Ghost
Thursday morning, the NBA’s worst came to light. There’s no spinning that a player of note and an acting NBA head coach landing federal indictments in a betting probe is bad news.
It is, in fact, the kind of crisis that can send an entire league into a tailspin.
So maybe it was fitting —a karmic counterbalance — that mere hours later, the absolute best of the NBA was right there for the world to see, front and center at Chase Center.
That Warriors-Nuggets game is why we still tune in. That contest is why we still love this game.
We were treated to a playoff game in October. Two legends of the game, Steph Curry and Nikola Jokic, were going blow-for-blow down the stretch, with two top-tier teams playing fully-engaged basketball, even into overtime, even when the stakes couldn’t have been lower.
The Warriors took down the Nuggets, 137-131, on Thursday, clawing their way back from a 14-point crater, surviving a 50-point explosion from San Jose’s Aaron Gordon, and somehow shrugging off yet another triple-double from Jokic.
Yes, it’s only Game No. 2, but if the Warriors are still playing deep into the NBA playoffs come May, there’s a real chance we look back at Thursday’s game as the foreshadowing of that success.
The Nuggets are a bona fide, no-doubt-about-it title contender, and they’re at full strength.
So, yes, it was only one game, but if the Nuggets are the real deal, what does that make the team that beat them on Thursday?
The Dubs have three major things working in their favor this season that they simply lacked in the previous campaign.
The first is an engaged, role-playing Jonathan Kuminga. The Warriors forward is now 2-for-2 on winning performances to start the season. There are 80 games left, but I honestly cannot recall a time Kuminga has ever strung together back-to-back possessions, much less whole games, where he was playing active, smart, and selfless basketball like this. He’s finally getting it.
The second change is the addition of the old man, Al Horford. The 39-year-old knows exactly where he needs to be on the court, on both ends, at all times. His three made 3-pointers Thursday were absolutely massive in the Dubs’ gritty, come-from-behind win.
And Horford’s pairing with Draymond Green? It’s a thing of beauty, and it’s nearly tragic.
Both men have rings on their fingers and places in the Basketball Hall of Fame, but it’s a shame these two will only play together for a year or two. What could have been.
Defensively, they can play off each other perfectly. Jokic took 10 shots combined in the fourth quarter and overtime — he missed all five that Horford defended him on and went 1-for-3 against Green (with his make being of the highest level of difficulty.)
On the offensive end, Horford’s floor spacing unlocks Draymond to operate as a perimeter screener and a short-roll maestro.
It’s seamless stuff.
Everyone within the Warriors organization knew Horford and Green would work together, but honestly, they might have even undersold it.
“For these moments, it’s what you play for,” Horford said.
And the third thing? Continuity.
Sure, that could change in the months to come with a couple of phone calls, but for now, the Warriors aren’t spending every day staring at the trade deadline, desperately hoping for reinforcements. No, they have the luxury of experimenting in the short term because they know they have enough as things stands.
As such, those experiments can pay off exponentially down the line.
That is precisely why Warriors coach Steve Kerr had zero problem playing 22-year-old Will Richard deep into the fourth quarter of a tight game against a top Western Conference foe on Thursday.
It was a prudent decision, make no mistake — Richard was a dynamo and his sheer activity helped flip the game for the Dubs — but it’s also a move Kerr could make with a sense of impunity.
“There’s something about winning players at whatever level. He’s a champion for a reason down there in Florida,” Curry said of Richard, who won the NCAA title with the Gators last season.
The Dubs have everything they need to truly compete right now. The question, the tantalizing one, is whether they have more than they initially budgeted for.
Look, we all know how this goes sideways: The old bodies break down. The young bodies can’t fill the gaps. Two impressive wins in October don’t suddenly change that paradigm.
But maybe, just maybe, the incredible reward of another title run is worth the risk for these Dubs.
And maybe we’ll see this kind of electrifying, high-stakes basketball from the fall in the spring.
It’s almost the holidays, and that means Union Square will be busy with tree lightings and the likely inclusion of the annual Macy’s Holiday Windows featuring adoptable pets. One of the new kids on the block is the Nintendo San Francisco store, which will transform for the season.
The changeover begins mid-November, and it will introduce Nintendo’s Winter Collection. It features attire, accessories and more meant to go with the colder weather. Think of beanies, cardigans and blankets. For those who want to cook in style for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, the Nintendo store will also feature items such as oven mitts and recipe organizers. The offerings aren’t all Mario and Mushroom Kingdom-themed.
The store is also offering seasonal products tied to “Pikmin” such as hoodies and “Animal Crossing” loungewear. At the very least, the Nintendo San Francisco store will be the place for launches of upcoming titles such as “Kirby Air Riders,” coming out Nov. 20, and “Metroid Prime 4: Beyond,” launching Dec. 4.
For those shopping for Nintendo fans. It’s going to be the spot to pick up hard-to-find items that aren’t available anywhere else. In a news release, Nintendo said it would offer customers seasonal offers, including a free holiday-themed gift wrap with purchases of $50 or more from Dec. 6 to 7. Those who spend $100 or more will receive a Nintendo holiday ornament from Dec. 13 to 20. Visitors should also check out the in-store My Nintendo kiosk for Platinum Points and a giveaway item. Just remember to have your Nintendo Today! with your QR code in hand.
Lastly, the Nintendo San Francisco store will also be redone with holiday window displays and decor. It will likely be a popular spot when shopping in Union Square this season. For those not in the Bay Area, Nintendo is holding a sweepstakes that will offer fans a chance to visit Nintendo San Francisco with airfare and a two-night stay included.
He actually appreciated the intensity Kuminga showed when he got right in the official’s face to argue his case in Portland on Tuesday.
“He got fouled, and it was frustration play, and I have no problem with it, because he deserved the foul and he was getting fouled quite a bit,” Kerr told media after the game, later adding, “I love the way he played, I love the fire, the passion. I don’t mind the ejection at all. I kind of liked it, actually. I thought JK was terrific.”
His activity on the glass was also much improved from Sunday’s game against the Lakers, when Kuminga grabbed zero rebounds.
“The way he ran on that play, the activity he played with, and he had six boards in one half in 17 minutes, that’s the JK who can really help our team,” Kerr said.
Kuminga recently signed a two-year, $46.5 million contract after a dramatic summer-long negotiation with the front office. During his introductory press conference, he pledged to focus on more than just scoring, something he has done thus far.
He has dished out 16 assists in four games, and has, aside from the goose egg in Los Angeles, grabbed at least five rebounds in each of the other three games.
We all know that California is a pricey place to live.
However, what drives those higher expenses is not just housing, although putting a California roof over your head is the largest expense.
To gain insight into California costs, my trusty spreadsheet reviewed detailed consumer spending statistics from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. These numbers allow us to track key components of household expenses in 2024 for the 50 states and the District of Columbia. It’s calculated per resident, so much like an average, the biggest and smallest spenders can influence the results.
California’s overall consumer spending in 2024 equaled $65,340 per resident, the fourth-highest among states. That was $8,640 more than $56,700 spent nationally.
Most of California’s extra spending was tied to buying services – and this math sees housing as a service.
Californians spent $46,360 for services per resident, the third-highest level among the states. That was $8,070 extra compared to the nation’s $38,290.
Contrast that large gap with the smaller one for goods. Thanks to the state’s highly competitive retail market, online shopping, and its huge agricultural industry, Californians can buy goods at prices closer to the national norm than you may think.
Californians spent $18,980 per resident on goods last year, just $570 above the $18,410 spent nationally.
Big paydays
California’s lofty spending isn’t just about the state’s high cost of living.
Do not forget the state’s substantial earnings, which also contribute to increased spending.
Consider the personal income per resident yardstick, the bureau’s comprehensive measurement of all types of incomes, including those from jobs, businesses, investments, and government assistance.
California’s $86,300 personal income per resident ranked fifth-highest among the states for 2024 – and was $13,100 above the nation’s $73,200.
And California life is different.
More spending on services, outside of shelter, reflects affluence – plus a younger population, good weather and lifestyle choices.
And some transportation spending may surprise folks about a car-loving state. However, compared to the typical American, Californians drive fewer miles, own fuel-efficient cars, and use mass transit.
Where did it go?
It’s zero surprise that California’s housing and utilities expenses – the costly bane of the Golden State – had the biggest gap with the national norm.
Californians spent $12,840 per resident (fifth-highest among the states) on shelter. That’s $2,250 above the national expenditure of $10,590. So, roughly a quarter of California’s above-average spending is allocated to housing.
The second-largest spending divide was for healthcare. Californians spent $11,050 per resident (No. 11) – $1,310 more than the $9,740 expended by a typical American.
Other excess
Consider other parts of a household budget where California tops the U.S., ranked by the size of the gap…
Personal services: $1,180 more – Californians spent $6,100 per resident last year (sixth-largest among the states) vs. $4,920 nationally.
Dining out/accommodations: $1,170 more – $5,370 spent (No. 4) vs. $4,200 nationally.
Recreational services: $1,000 more – $3,290 spent (No. 3) vs. $2,290 nationally.
Transportation services: $610 more – $2,550 spent (No. 6) vs. $1,940 nationally.
Financial/insurance: $560 more – $5,150 spent (No. 12) vs. $4,590 nationally.
Clothing/footwear: $490 more – $2,050 spent (No. 2) vs. $1,560 nationally.
Food and beverages: $450 more – $4,800 spent (No. 12) vs. $4,350 nationally.
Recreational goods: $210 more – $2,160 spent (No. 14) vs. $1,950 nationally.
Jewelry, watches, luggage, sports gear: $160 more – $1,020 spent (No. 3) vs. $860 nationally.
Home furnishings/appliances: $60 more – $1,500 spent (No. 16) vs. $1,440 nationally.
Below par
California spent less than the national norm last year in three categories.
Gasoline/energy: $80 less – $1,220 spent (No. 36) vs. $1,300 nationally.
Drugs, personal care and cleaning supplies, toys: $310 less – $4,490 spent (No. 31) vs. $4,800 nationally.
Vehicles/parts: $410 less – $1,740 spent (No. 50) vs. $2,150 nationally.
Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com
LOS ANGELES – A half dozen future members of the Basketball Hall of Fame were in Crypto Arena on Sunday night. Unfortunately for the paying public, most of them were inactive in the Warriors’ 126-116 loss to the host Lakers.
On the Warriors bench, Steph Curry and Al Horford were in street clothes, and Jimmy Butler was not even in the building, as he missed the game for personal reasons.
The Lakers were down LeBron James, afflicted by nerve pain. Luka Doncic was still not game-ready, and former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart was ruled out a few hours before tipoff.
The results were … predictably ugly for the Warriors.
Starting Brandin Podziemski at point guard, Jonathan Kuminga next to Draymond Green at forward, and flanked by Quinten Post and Buddy Hield as shooters, the ragtag Warriors sputtered early, falling behind 63-46 by halftime.
If there was any area the team missed their stars, it was in the ballhandling department. Golden State committed 20 turnovers, a ghastly 14 of them in the first half.
“The spacing wasn’t good,” coach Steve Kerr said. “then in the second half, that was much more how like we wanted to play.”
Podziemski was the star for shorthanded Golden State, with a stellar 23-point, eight assist night on 10 of 16 shooting. Kuminga poured in 13 points, and Gary Payton II had 11 points. Austin Reaves led the Lakers with 21 points. Undrafted guard LJ Cryer scored 11 points, all in the fourth quarter.
Green played 22 minutes, the most the 35-year-old has played thus far in any game this preseason. He will not suit up when the Warriors take on Portland on Tuesday.
“He will have the night off in Portland, and then play against the Clippers on Friday,” Kerr said.
The Warriors won the first matchup between West Coast teams 129-123 at Chase Center last week.
Brandin Podziemski, point guard
Brandin Podziemski does all of the little things as a guard. He makes quick passes that maintain advantages. He fights for rebounds and earns Golden State extra possessions. He’ll make a few shots.
But driving the offense as a point guard? That is far from one of his strengths, but something he was asked to do against the Lakers with Curry and Butler sitting. The results were decent, with the Santa Clara alum dishing out eight assists.
“I think I’ve played pretty well (in preseason and training camp),” Podziemski said. “I’m just trying to find my lane and do the right things on and off the flor. And what I’ve been doing has been working.”
He flashed as a playmaker in the open court, driving in transition on a number of occasions before dishing off to a cutting Hield or another teammate.
And on a night when his teammates couldn’t help themselves when it came to giving away possessions, Podziemski only had two turnovers. On an otherwise forgettable night in Los Angeles, Podziemski was a bright spot in the city of stars.
Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green passes the ball during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Jonathan Kuminga keeps on passing
With the team’s top offensive engines sidelined, the stage was set for a Kuminga chuckfest. Instead, the fifth-year forward adhered to the same pass-first philosophy – an ill-advised pullup 3-pointer aside – he had shown in the first two games.
Kuminga dished out six assists in 22 minutes, the most impressive being a pair of first quarter dimes thrown in the open court. He was also the only Warrior to reach the free throw line in the first half, knocking down both of his foul shots.
GP2 still has it
Steve Kerr seems to love few things more than raving about Gary Payton II’s impact during the team’s run to the 2022 championship. Back then, Payton was a destructive and uber-athletic 6-foot-3 bundle of energy, capable of blowing up plays with hustle and a limitless vertical leap.
These days, Payton, 32, is a step slower and cannot quite soar the way he could three years ago. But that does not stop him from making an impact in smaller bursts.
In 16 minutes off the bench, Payton made all five of his shots and harassed any ballhandler he was assigned to.
He had a vintage moment in the late third, when he finished a layup between four defenders, and then threw a pass to Will Richrd for a fastbreak layup on the next possession.
A 63-year-old man has been convicted of setting fire to 10 vehicles in San Francisco’s Union Square and Yerba Buena districts.
In a two-week period in February, Armando Salvador’s arson spree targeted vehicles including a Cadillac Escalade and two Tesla Model Ys, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office said Friday.
The Teslas burned so intensely, the fires spread to two other vehicles parked nearby, prosecutors said.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins credited the work of fire and police investigators and videos supplied by “several concerned local citizens” with cracking the case.
“This case demonstrates how public safety agencies working together with community partners can keep our neighborhoods safe for residents, workers, and visitors,” Jenkins said.
A jury convicted Salvador of eight counts of arson of another’s property and two counts of unlawfully causing a fire.
Prosecutors said the fires began on Feb. 18 when Salvador set fire to the Escalade on Campton Place and five more vehicles on Geary Street and O’Farrell Street, all in the Union Square district.
On Feb. 24, Salvador set fire to a Tesla at Mabini Street and Bonifacio Street and another at Shipley Street and Fourth Street, in the Yerba Buena district near Moscone Center. They, in turn, burned two other vehicles parked nearby, Jenkins said.
Salvador is currently in custody. He is to be sentenced Oct. 27.
In fewer than 15 minutes, two separate carloads of people pulled up to the John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez last Saturday. But then they turned away because the 325-acre park, with its Victorian mansion, historic pear orchard and visitor’s center, had been closed to the public without notice.
“What’s going on?” a man in one car asked. When told that the park was closed because of the federal government shutdown, he said, “I didn’t expect a historic site to be closed. I feel bad.” He had driven an hour from Santa Clara to Martinez, having heard that a famous American once lived there.
That eminent figure is Muir, the Scottish-born naturalist who founded the Sierra Club and hosted President Theodore Roosevelt on a camping trip in Yosemite in 1903. Muir is called the “father of the national parks,” in part because the writing he did in his Martinez study persuaded Americans to see their wilderness areas as treasures to preserve, not as resources to be exploited.
John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez, pictured on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, is closed to the public due to the government shutdown. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)
But since Oct. 1, Muir’s home has been shuttered, a closure Jonathan Jarvis, the director of the park service from 2009 to 2017, and Mark Rose, Sierra Nevada and clean air senior program manager of National Parks Conservation Association, said was emblematic of the murky future of the National Park Service.
Popular national parks in the Bay Area such as Alcatraz, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Point Reyes National Seashore remain open during the shutdown, though some of the larger open-air parks will offer bare-bones services. But three smaller, historic parks have been closed in Contra Costa County: Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial in Concord, and the Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site in Danville.
Tao House, located at the Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site in Danville, where playwright Eugene O’Neill and his wife, Carlotta, lived from 1937 to 1944, is one of the national parks closed due to the federal government shutdown. (Cindi Christie/Staff Archives)
Jarvis and Rose said they fear the shutdown could become a pretext to drastically reduce funding for the country’s public parks, even as they broke attendance records in 2024, with 332 million visits. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump proposed $900 million in cuts to the park service — as detailed in a May 2 letter to the Senate Committee on Appropriations from Russell Vought, director of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget — potentially wiping out budgets for at least 350 of the 433 parks, according to the National Parks Conservation Association.
Even though a House Appropriations Committee proposal would avert the administration’s “most damaging” cuts, the park service has still lost a quarter of its permanent staff since earlier this year, the parks association said. With the shutdown, more than 9,200 parks employees have been furloughed without pay, according to the Department of the Interior’s National Park Service Contingency Plan.
Friday, Vought announced on X that “The RIFs have begun,” referring to reductions-in-force of the 750,000 federal employees currently furloughed because of the shutdown. Politico confirmed with an OMB spokesperson that the reductions “are substantial” and “not furloughs.”
“The administration has been calling it a reduction in force, but it would just be a mass termination of potentially hundreds of thousands of additional park service staff,” Rose said.
The park service, in an email, said it “remains committed to maintaining as much access as possible to park lands during the lapse in appropriations. Critical functions that protect life, property and public health will continue to be staffed.”
The spokesperson did not respond to a question about potential layoffs, saying, “We do not have comment on personnel matters.” The White House Press Office’s automatic reply email stated media members could expect delays in responses because of the shutdown.
In contrast to the official parks service statement, Rose and Jarvis describe a more dire situation: To stay open, larger open-air national parks are relying on skeleton crews, which may be challenged to stop vandalism, harm to wildlife or damage to natural resources. Rose also said public safety is compromised, as help could be delayed if visitors get lost or injured.
This situation is the result of “a combination of incompetence and intent,” said Jarvis, who lives in Pinole. During a 2013 government shutdown, he closed all the national parks and said it’s “stupid” that parks are not all closed right now, though this move would be politically unpopular. He said the circumstances around this shutdown are unlike anything he’s seen. “It’s chaos upon chaos,” he said of the current state of the national park service.
Jarvis and Rose describe a top-down style of leadership in the U.S. Department of the Interior, which runs the park service, resulting in confusing information about what’s open, what’s closed and how the public should be notified. The national parks shutdown contingency plan stated that park websites and social media would not be updated, nor will regular notices of road or trail closures be posted.
Jarvis has raised concerns that the Trump administration is setting up national parks to fail. In a worse-case scenario he described in The Guardian, the parks’ failure would give this administration an excuse to privatize the park service’s high-visitation “cash cows,” such as Yosemite, Yellowstone and Grand Canyon.
As for the hundreds of smaller parks, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in May proposed the idea of transferring them to state agencies, as recommended by the Office of Budget and Management. Jarvis said that wouldn’t be easy, given that each national park was established by Congress and new legislation would be needed to strip them of their status. It’s also questionable whether many states could step in to run these parks, he said.
The John Muir site and the other Contra Costa parks fall into that category. The park service manages more than 130 sites that highlight places related to significant figures and events in American history. This includes famous battlegrounds, presidential homes and others that have been established to elevate narratives about those sidelined in traditional texts.
Interior of the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park visitor center on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, in Richmond, Calif. This site is closed to the public due to the government shutdown. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)
So the Bay Area is home to the Rosie the Riveter park, which spotlights women who contributed to the war effort, local Japanese Americans and Black migrants from the segregated South. World War II also provides the backdrop for Concord’s Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, which honors 320 Black soldiers killed in a 1944 explosion while unloading munitions — a tragedy that led to desegregation of the military.
Even if the Trump administration doesn’t have the legal authority to offload these sites, Jarvis expressed concern about the “moral aspect” of sending the message that they should be removed from the national park system.
“You’re basically saying that the people that the stories that these parks represent are not relevant to the American experience, and that’s just horrible,” Jarvis said.
SAN FRANCISCO – With one deft change to the starting lineup, Warriors coach Steve Kerr demonstrated the biggest difference between this season’s roster and this year’s iteration.
Out went the returning 6-foot-4, 205-pound Brandin Podziemski, and in went the 6-9, 260lb newcomer Al Horford.
The new lineup saw Moses Moody and Jimmy Butler moved to guard and wing respectively, and Draymond Green shifted to his more natural power forward position and away from guarding 7-0 giant Donovan Clingan.
There was plenty to analyze in Golden State’s 129-123 victory over the Blazers at Chase Center on Wednesday night.
Butler scored 12, while Curry put in 10 and Buddy Hield scored 13. Moses Moody scored 10.
Quinten Post put up 20 points and LJ Cryer had 14 while leading a thrilling fourth quarter comeback alongside Pat Spencer. The Warriors outscored the Blazers 51-26 in the fourth, putting up the most points in a quarter in preseason franchise history.
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) dribbles against the Portland Trail Blazers in the first quarter of an NBA preseason game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
On the first possession, Green showed his chemistry with his new frontcourt partner, lasering a pass to Horford for a layup, albeit one not converted.
However, over the first 6:47, the lineup produced mixed results, as it fell behind 18-12 and forced Kerr to call a timeout.
The interior defense was sensational in allowing just four points in the paint. But with a slower frontcourt, the Blazers peppered Golden State from behind the arc, starting 4 of 6 on wide-open looks.
Green was surprisingly effective as a shooter, nailing a couple of open triples, and though Horford began 0 of 3, he did make a nifty pass to Butler while leading the fastbreak.
That was all the spectators at Chase Center got to see of the starting unit, with that combination not playing together again in the first half. To start the second, Curry, Butler, Green and Horford were not on the bench.
The Warriors were down 73-57 at halftime, and Kerr did not mince words.
“We weren’t ready, we were not,” Kerr said. “We were careless with the ball, and they were flying by us every play.”
Same amount of minutes for starters
After playing around 15 minutes each in Sunday’s preseason opener, the Golden State vets – Horford, Curry, Butler and Green – were expected to play more minutes.
“We usually ramp them up a little bit each game,” Kerr said after a recent practice. “I imagine it will be a little bit more than the other night.”
In reality, the ramp-up was minimal. Butler played 17 minutes while Green and Curry each played 16 apiece. Horford actually saw a decrease in playing time, seeing the floor for just 11 minutes while going 0 of 4.
Moody and Post were the only Warriors players to crack 20 minutes.
Podziemski … point guard?
Golden State Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski (2) drives past Portland Trail Blazers’ Blake Wesley (1) in the second quarter of an NBA preseason game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Kerr put starting shooting guard Podziemski in the role of floor general in the first quarter.
The results were … not pretty. Portland ended the first quarter on a 13-0 run, with Golden State struggling to generate open looks with only one natural ballhandler on the floor.
Butler returned to start the second quarter and took over de facto point guard duties. It also saw Jonathan Kuminga spend time with Horford and Butler, which produced five quick points to begin the second quarter.
Podziemski finished the game with five points and three assists, and appeared much more effective when playing off either Butler or Curry. Kuminga, who had two assists, once again played the part of a willing passer against the Blazers. He repeatedly made the extra pass, including a couple of dishes to Curry that did not show up in the stat sheet.
The Warriors will play their first road game of the season at the Lakers on Sunday.
Other notables
Oakland native Damian Lillard did not make the trip back to the Bay Area. He tore his Achilles in the first round of the playoffs for Milwaukee and is still rehabbing in Portland.
After using 18 players in the opener, Kerr slightly cut the rotation down on Wednesday. He played 17, with Marques Bolden not entering.
Seth Curry was healthy but did not play. Because he entered training camp a few days later than the rest of the team, Kerr said he is “ramping up” his activity.
Summer League sensation Hansen Yang was unable to recreate the magical passing and interior scoring he flashed against the Warriors in Las Vegas. He fouled out, and only had four points and one assist while looking a tad bit frazzled against real NBA competition.
Golden State Valkyries center Iliana Rupert’s younger brother, Rayan, suited up for Portland.
Portland Trail Blazers’ Yang Hansen (16) looks to pass against the Golden State Warriors’ Quinten Post (21) in the second quarter of an NBA preseason game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga (1) lays up a shot against Portland Trail Blazers’ Donovan Clingan (23) in the second quarter of an NBA preseason game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Jimmy Butler III (10) lays up a shot against Portland Trail Blazers’ Jrue Holiday (5) in the second quarter of an NBA preseason game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga (1), Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) and Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) look on in the second quarter of an NBA preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Al Horford (20) dribbles as he looks to pass against the Portland Trail Blazers in the first quarter of an NBA preseason game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Moses Moody (4) drives past Portland Trail Blazers’ Blake Wesley (1) in the second quarter of an NBA preseason game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga (1) drives past Portland Trail Blazers’ Deni Avdija (8) as Golden State Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski (2) and Golden State Warriors’ Al Horford (20) move over in the second quarter of an NBA preseason game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Portland Trail Blazers’ Jrue Holiday (5) gains a rebound against the Golden State Warriors’ Gary Payton II (0) in the second quarter of an NBA preseason game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) lays up a three point basket and draws a foul against the Portland Trail Blazers in the first quarter of an NBA preseason game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors should have all of their stars available for their preseason opener against the Lakers at Chase Center on Sunday.
Jimmy Butler “tweaked” his ankle during training camp practice on Thursday, and coach Steve Kerr and the medical staff held Butler out during the next two days. A few hours before tipoff, Kerr said the 36-year-old forward should be healthy enough to play.
“I think he’s gonna play,” Kerr said. “The vets won’t play in the second half. So Steph, Al, Jimmy and Draymond, first half only, maybe 15 minutes.”
New signing De’Anthony Melton was also ruled unavailable for Sunday, as the guard is still rehabbing from a torn ACL that ended his 2024-25 season after just six games.
Rookie forward Alex Toohey’s debut was also delayed by at least one game as the Australian second-round pick is still dealing with tendinitis in his right knee. Seth Curry, Steph’s younger brother, was also a scratch.
“It’s because he came in late and hasn’t been cleared by the training staff,” Kerr said, noting that Seth Curry is completely healthy. He added that Kuminga is expected to play.
Third-year center Trayce Jackson-Davis, whom Kerr has praised during training camp after Jackson-Davis entered the preseason having slimmed down to 245 pounds, was questionable with a thumb injury.
Newly re-signed forward Jonathan Kuminga and new stretch center Al Horford are expected to play against Los Angeles.
The Warriors were not the only team dealing with injuries.
Superstar and eternal Golden State nemesis LeBron James missed the Lakers’ preseason opener Friday against Phoenix with a glute injury. Co-star Luka Doncic will also miss the matchup, as the Lakers are being cautious with his workload after the All-NBA talent spent the summer playing for his home country of Slovenia in EuroBasket. Austin Reaves was also held out for rest purposes.
Welcome back to the Bay Area News Group’s high school football roundup.
Here, you’ll find all the details from the weekend’s action in this news organization’s coverage area, which encompasses teams that play in leagues based primarily in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.
Check back every Saturday during the season for scores, highlights and top performers, updated throughout the day.
If you have not already, please subscribe here for complete digital access all season long. Your contributions keep us going.
On to the roundup …
Ranked teams
No. 1 De La Salle 35, Cathedral Catholic 14
Quarterback Brayden Knight rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns as host De La Salle dominated San Diego powerhouse Cathedral Catholic. The Spartans ended the night with 250 rushing yards. Nathan Canilao was in Concord and has the story here.
No. 3 Pittsburg 30, No. 5 Los Gatos 27
Pittsburg made the long trip down to the South Bay and beat Los Gatos on Luis Rodriguez’s 43-yard field goal with less than 20 seconds to play. It was Rodriguez’s second clutch kick of the fourth quarter after he nailed a 37-yarder to tie the game. Christian Babcock has the recap from Los Gatos here.
No. 6 San Ramon Valley 49, Granada 13
Owen Power’s 30-yard pick-six set the tone as SRV routed visiting Granada. Quarterback Cole Dawes had five touchdown passes to five receivers. Power also added a 10-yard rushing score. “Overall it was a great team win in all three phases of the game,” SRV coach Aaron Becker said. SRV (4-2) will begin East Bay Athletic League Mountain Division play next week at Amador Valley. Granada dropped to 3-3. – Nathan Canilao
No. 8 California 40, Livermore 22
Luke Taylor remains on a roll for California as the Grizzlies’ all-purpose player scored three touchdowns against previously unbeaten Livermore. Taylor caught two TD passes and ran one in for Cal, which is 6-0. Arjun Banerjee ran in a TD and tossed two scores. Jordan Lee had a rushing TD, and Henry Dupin snatched a pick-six. Livermore fell to 5-1. — Christian Babcock
No. 10 Archbishop Mitty 32, No. 12 Valley Christian 7
Mitty stretched its winning streak to four games as Joseph Engin passed for two touchdowns and ran for one to lead the Monarchs over Valley Christian in a WCAL game at Foothill College. Engin threw an 11-yard TD pass to Marquis Marshall and a 7-yard scoring pass to Kai Sniffen. Lazaro Faraj-Washington’s 6-yard run capped the scoring for Mitty, which also had field goals by Chase Graff from 53 and 32 yards out. Graff also contributed eight tackles, including a sack. Faraj-Washington accounted for 122 yards, and Engin passed for 163. Rome Leota-Pritchard’s 66-yard TD pass to Riley McElvane gave Valley an early 7-0 lead. Mitty improved to 4-1, 2-0 heading into a league game next Friday at St. Francis. Valley fell to 2-3, 0-2. – Darren Sabedra
No. 11 Campolindo 35, Alhambra 6
Campolindo scored the first 28 points, rolling to a nonleague victory at home over Alhambra to improve to 5-0. Everett Zellmer (12-yard reception), Jacob Gocobachi (5-yard dive), Rai Marchetti (21-yard fade) and Ryan Erickson (5-yard out) scored first-half touchdowns for Campo. Colton Nakano’s TD reception in the third quarter cut the margin to 28-6 for Alhambra, which also got strong defensive play from free safety Calvin Spellman. Erickson’s 62-yard jet sweep completed the scoring. Alhambra fell to 2-3. – Darren Sabedra
No. 20 Salesian 51, Ygnacio Valley 8
Sophomore quarterback Izeah Buchanan threw two long touchdown passes, one apiece to Carlton Perrilliat and Joseph Tarin in the first quarter to set the tone for Salesian’s rout. Four running backs scored touchdowns for The Pride as longtime coach Chad Nightengale subbed in his JV and deep varsity reserves by the middle of the second quarter. Salesian led 37-0 at halftime. Roberto Mora made a 43-yard field goal for the Richmond school, while Micheal Johnson connected with Isaiah Moala-Robson for Ygnacio Valley’s only touchdown. Salesian (5-0) travels to Vallejo to start TCAL Rock play on Friday, while Ygnacio Valley (0-5) will take on Berean Christian in DAL Mountain play. — Joseph Dycus
No. 22 Wilcox 49, Capuchino 0
Wilcox finished its nonleague slate by routing Capuchino at home in Santa Clara. The Chargers (3-2) got three touchdowns from Santino Barragon, two on the ground and one on a fumble return. Jeremiah Arevalos added another defensive score, returning an interception for a TD. Freshman Myles Cheney caught three passes and scored on one. QB Kai Imahara ran in a TD and threw another to Cheney. Wilcox begins Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division play at home against Palo Alto next week. Capuchino (1-4) will start league action next Friday at Carlmont. — Christian Babcock
East Bay
Amador Valley 17, Dublin 14
Oliver De La Torre kicked a 47-yard field goal with under a minute left to lift Amador Valley over Dublin at home. The Dons held a 14-3 lead at halftime, but Dublin stormed back with three points in the third quarter and eight in the fourth. Andre Armendariz 1-yard rushing touchdown and a two-point conversion tied the score with eight minutes left. With a minute left, Amador Valley marched down the field to give De La Torre a chance to win it. The senior delivered. Amador Valley’s Vincent Maiorana had a rushing score and quarterback Nicco Kovacs threw a touchdown pass to Anthony Harrington. Dublin’s Isaiah Kelley threw a touchdown score to Tiras Campbell. – Nathan Canilao
Bishop O’Dowd 54, Castro Valley 42
Lamar Ellis rushed for five touchdowns to lead O’Dowd to a comeback victory over Castro Valley in a battle of WACC Foothill Division teams. The Dragons entered the fourth quarter down eight, but exploded for 34 points in the final period to escape a Castro Valley upset. Isaiah Latu was a standout on defense, intercepting two passes. O’Dowd (3-3, 2-0) will host Berkeley on Friday. Castro Valley (0-6, 0-2) will travel to Moreau Catholic for its next game. – Nathan Canilao
Concord 42, Encinal 14
Juan Gonzalez passed for four touchdowns and ran for one as Concord rolled to a nonleague win over Encinal in Alameda. Erik Madayag caught two of Gonzalez’s TD passes. The others went to Max Dashner and Andrew Lopez. Jacari Gibson added a 65-yard touchdown run. Aiden Cunningham, Isaiah Singleton and Emmanuel Owens stood out on defense for the visitors. Concord improved to 4-2. Encinal dropped to 1-4. – Darren Sabedra
Miramonte 38, College Park 14
Used as only a kicker last season, Miramonte senior James Rogers told his coaches he could do more for the team this year. Friday, he intercepted three passes, was on the receiving end of two touchdowns and kicked a 43-yard field goal that was partially blocked to lead Miramonte to a nonleague victory at College Park. David Roman and George Gilbert each added an interception and a touchdown reception. Carson Blair threw for about 220 yards and Jonah Imberg and Charlie Hwang combined to run for about 100 yards, including a TD by Hwang. Wyatt Strand had a sack and Harrison Feusier contributed six tackles as Miramonte improved to 4-2. Jayden Auld and Demorian McCray caught TD passes from Ethan Havens for College Park (1-5). – Darren Sabedra
Oakland 54, Dougherty Valley 3
Oakland routed Dougherty Valley in its final nonleague game of the regular season behind a monster game from Colorado State commit Yasser Jackson. Jackson caught five passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 27 yards and a score. Jackson was also a force on defense, racking up nine tackles – three of which were behind the line of scrimmage. Quarterback Lenox Colvin completed 9-of-11 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns. Running back DK Hicks had 189 yards and four touchdowns on 11 carries. – Nathan Canilao
Redwood Christian 27, Kennedy-Richmond 0
Elijah Simmons scored on touchdown runs of 5, 33 and 7 yards to lead undefeated Redwood Christian to a nonleague victory on the road over Kennedy. The second-year program from San Lorenzo improved to 6-0 while dropping Kennedy to 0-3-1. Landon Devoe-Krowicki’s 9-yard touchdown run opened the scoring for Redwood Christian, which led 20-0 at halftime. – Darren Sabedra
South Bay/Peninsula
Leland 15, Oak Grove 14
Leland, down 14-0 in the fourth quarter, mounted a stirring comeback to steal this one on the road. Sam McFarland cut into the initial deficit with a 5-yard TD run, then Ian Qi scored the two-point conversion to make it 14-8. With four minutes to play, Cole Markos caught a TD pass on a deep ball from Phil Arsintescu. David Ahlgren converted the game-winning PAT for the Chargers. Leland picked up its first win and is now 1-4. Oak Grove dropped to 0-5. — Christian Babcock
MacDonald 44, Cupertino 7
MacDonald remained perfect in its second season of varsity football, getting started from the get-go as Pablo Guzman returned the opening kickoff 70 yards for a TD in a PAL Lake rout of Cupertino. Wideout Ethan Bugarin had three catches for 100 yards and two TDs. Nate Pullickial had a 75-yard pick-six and a rush TD. Kush Patel had five touchbacks, went 5-5 on PATs and kicked a 39-yard field goal. MacDonald is 5-0, 2-0, Cupertino is 0-5, 0-2. — Christian Babcock
Silver Creek 17, Gilroy 7
Senior Jordan Thompson rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Raiders to a win on the road over Gilroy on Thursday. Silver Creek rushed for 260 yards as a team, with seven runners touching the ball. Senior Tyler Nguyen led Silver Creek’s defense with seven tackles while junior Marvin Saldivar had two hurries and a pass deflection. Silver Creek (3-2) will open league play at Pioneer on Friday. Gilroy dropped to 1-4. – Nathan Canilao
OAKLAND — Two men were wounded, one at least twice, in a Thursday night shooting at a West Oakland parking lot, authorities said.
Both men, one a 47-year-old Oakland man who was wounded in the head and leg and a 31-year-old San Francisco man who was hit in the leg, were in stable condition Friday at a hospital, authorities said.
The shooting happened about 9:28 p.m. Thursday in a commercial mall parking lot in the 900 block of West Grand Avenue and caused the activation of a gunshot detection alert system, authorities said.
Initial police reports were that a car drove into the parking lot and one masked man got out with a firearm while another man remained in the vehicle. Both men began shooting toward the other two men before fleeing in the vehicle.
More than two dozen shots were fired, authorities said. Some parked vehicles and a building were also hit by gunfire but no other injuries were reported.
Police have not said if the two men shot knew each other or if one or both of them were the intended targets.
A motive for the shooting is under investigation. Detailed descriptions of the shooters have not been released.
Anyone with information may call investigators at 510-238-3426.
The debate over renting vs. owning has long posed a challenge for households in California. Arguments have morphed in recent years as home prices and mortgage rates soared beyond the increasing rents. To illustrate the complexities, we’ve created a hypothetical rent vs. buy scenario to track housing finances over a 30-year period. However, the math doesn’t account for the intangibles: the flexibility of renting compared to the stability of owning.
HOW MONTHLY COSTS COMPARE
Key in any housing calculation is monthly cost. Our example estimates California house rent today at $4,000 a month vs. buying a $900,000 house with a 10% down mortgage at 6.5% plus property taxes, insurance, association fees, and repairs. The scenario assumes costs grow with historical inflation and the mortgage rate is lowered twice by a half-point through refinancing.
RUNNING THE TAB
Homeowners need to repay their mortgage plus cover a range of additional costs. So renting’s total costs run cheaper for nearly two decades. But owning ends up costing slightly less over time. Here’s cumulative costs by year, in thousands of dollars.
THE BOUNTY: Ownership’s edge
Owning’s true financial benefit arises from the increasing value of the home. Assuming historical gains of 5% per year, the owners gets a $3.8 million asset after 30 years. The renter, who hypothetically invested the $90,000 down payment in the stock market, would accumulate $929,000. Here’s investment value by year, in thousands of dollars.
WHERE IT GOES
Look at the slices of 30 years of housing expenditures, rent vs. own. The renter just pays the landlord. Owner costs go to principal and interest on the mortgage, property taxes, home insurance, association fees, and repair and maintenance costs. Note: Interest payments and property taxes can be tax deductible.
A HISTORY LESSON
Look at the past 30 years of historical returns for three key factors in this rent vs. buy calculation, using 10-year moving averages for rent (California Consumer Price Indexes); home values (federal California index) and stocks (Standard & Poor’s 500).
Unfathomable, unaffordable
California’s long-running and steep affordability crunch makes the rent vs. buy debate a moot argument for many people. Housing costs throttle numerous California family budgets. The state’s flock of high- paying jobs pushes up housing costs well past what more typical paychecks can easily afford. That’s true for households considering renting or buying.
Stagnant ownership
Stubbornly high ownership costs have kept California’s share of people living in homes they own relatively stable, except for a temporary surge in the early 2000s when mortgages were too easily obtained. Those risky loans played a key role in the Great Recession, as borrowers defaulted in huge numbers.
Housing afforability index
It’s tough to be a California homebuyer. The estimated number of Californians earning the statewide median income who could comfortably purchase a single-family home is falling sharply, according to a California Association of Realtors index. The Golden State share of qualified buyers is significantly below the national norm.
Housing-cost stresses
The 2024 edition of Census housing data details how California’s cost of shelter varies between renters and homeowners — with or without mortgages on the property.
But because renters typically earn less than owners, it’s more likely that their housing costs exceed 50% of their household incomes, an extreme level of financial stress.
Big housing worries
A statewide survey last year asked “How often do you worry about the cost of housing for you and your family?” Those who said “every day” or “almost every day” …
SAN FRANCISCO — In his first season as a San Francisco Giant, shortstop Willy Adames has been named the 2025 Willie Mac Award winner.
Since its inception in 1980, the Willie Mac Award, named after Hall of Famer Willie McCovey, goes to the most inspirational Giant in a given season. The award is voted on by players, coaches, fans, training staff and clubhouse staff.
The past winners who were in attendance on Friday included third baseman Matt Chapman (2024), designated hitter/first baseman Wilmer Flores (2022) and former catcher and current president of baseball operations Buster Posey (2012).
“He’s the same guy every day,” said manager Bob Melvin. “He loves playing baseball. Even now, he doesn’t want days off. He wants to keep playing. It’s enthusiasm, it’s support for his teammates, it’s energetic, it’s every day — almost as advertised from what I’ve heard before (he signed).
“And now you look up and you see the numbers, too, the numbers are there as well after a slow start, which can be difficult in a new place. I’m very impressed with Willy Adames.”
Entering Friday, Adames led all Giants in FanGraphs’ WAR (3.7). Over a team-high 157 games, Adames was hitting .225/.318/.415 with 28 home runs, 84 RBIs, 91 runs scored and 12 steals.
Adames had a rocky start to his tenure in San Francisco after signing a seven-year, $182 million deal this offseason, the largest contract in franchise history at the time. By the end of May, Adames’ .620 OPS was the lowest mark among the Giants’ qualified hitters. Adames also rated out as a below-average defender as well, worth -3 outs above average through two months.
The turning point of Adames’ season arrived in early June. On June 8, Adames was given his first off day of the season. On June 9, Adames spent the Giants’ team off day meditating in the mountains of Colorado, which “made me go back to my roots.”
“That (day) put me in a better spot mentally. Since that day, I was like, ‘Just be yourself,’ ” Adames said. “It’s been better. It’s been going in the right direction even though we haven’t been playing the best ball as a team. We’re moving forward.”
Adames has been one of the best players in baseball since receiving that mental respite. Since June 10, Adames ranks 10th among all players in the majors in FanGraphs’ WAR, posting an .840 OPS with 23 homers and 58 RBIs during that span.
The 30-year-old shortstop entered Friday two homers away from becoming the first Giant to hit 30 homers in a single season since Barry Bonds in 2004. His 28 home runs as a shortstop are the second-most in the majors, trailing only the New York Mets’ Francisco Lindor (31).
“He took it hard that the offensive numbers weren’t there early on, but again, he’s picked it up and he’s on the verge of hitting 30 homers,” Melvin said.
After Starbucks announced it would be shutting hundreds of stores, its website is listing dozens in the Bay Area as being closed as of Sunday, Sept. 28.
To check if a store is on the closure list, go to the Starbucks store locator online, find your desired outlet and click the information icon to check whether it will be open beyond this week.
As of Sept. 26, the following stores were slated for a Sept. 28 closure:
Justin Verlander allowed six runs (four earned) on nine hits over 4 1/3 innings as the Giants (77-80) lost 6-5 to the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night at Oracle Park, falling 3.5 games behind the Mets and Reds for the final NL wild card spot with five games remaining.
San Francisco can be mathematically eliminated on Tuesday if they lose and the Mets win. New York currently owns an 80-76 record and is tied with the Cincinnati Reds for the third and final NL wild card spot. If the Giants lose on Tuesday, the best they could finish 81-81. If San Francisco and New York both finish with 81 wins, the Mets own the tiebreaker after taking four of six games.
For Verlander, this outing was a departure from his recent run of excellence. Over his last five starts entering play, Verlander allowed just three runs over 31 innings (0.87 ERA) with 28 strikeouts. When Verlander faced the Cardinals earlier this month, he tossed six shutout innings with six strikeouts to no walks in a no decision.
Verlander’s four-seam fastball velocity was noticeably down against the Cardinals. On the season, Verlander’s average four-seam clocks in at 94.0 mph. On Monday, Verlander was down to 92.3 mph. Melvin said the 42-year-old might be “a little bit on fumes right now,” and Verlander agreed that he felt “a little lethargic on the mound.”
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Justin Verlander #35 rubs up a new ball after giving up a two-run home run to St. Louis Cardinals’ Iván Herrera, #48 scoring Lars Nootbaar #21 in the fifth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
“We’ve been cracking the whip pretty hard,” Verlander said. “It’s been that time of the year. That takes its toll. Generally, I’ve been feeling pretty good. This is the first one where I felt like I was a little lethargic. Just have to make sure I focus on my recovery this next time through and hopefully refresh.”
Verlander added: “Today, for whatever reason, went out to the bullpen and started doing my stuff and just kind of feel like you’re moving underwater a little bit. It just doesn’t feel as fresh as it does sometimes. It’s not the only time that ever happens. It’s one of those things you go out there and try to grind and make the best of it. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen for me today.”
Verlander would be in line to start against the Colorado Rockies in the final series of the year, and the right-hander said he would want to make a start regardless of whether the Giants are still in contention.
“As long as I feel okay physically — which I have,” Verlander said. “It’s my job.”
Heliot Ramos began the scoring in the bottom of the first with his fifth leadoff home run of the season, joining Bobby Bonds as the only right-handed hitter in Giants franchise history to have at least five leadoff homers in a single season. Rafael Devers also hit his 33rd home run of the season, a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth.
San Francisco Giants’ Heliot Ramos #17 gestures as he crosses the plate after hitting a solo home run off St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy #36 in the first inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
The Cardinals scored a run apiece in the third and fourth following Ramos’ homer, but the Giants scored three runs in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead on an RBI single from Patrick Bailey and a two-run single from Ramos. St. Louis responded to San Francisco’s three-run fourth with a four-run fifth, knocking Verlander out of the game in the process.
Two of those runs were the product of Iván Herrera’s two-run shot that landed in the Giants’ bullpen. The two other runs followed an error by second baseman Casey Schmitt, who fumbled the transfer on a softly-hit grounder from Pedro Pagés with the infield in and a runner on third.
If Schmitt made the throw and recorded the out at the plate, Verlander would’ve had an opportunity to finish the fifth inning. Instead, Melvin went to his bullpen and Verlander’s night was over.
“I’ll tell you what, he still competes,” Melvin said. “He’s on his way to potentially pitching his way out of that inning. We ended up making an error, and at that point in time, it was time to go get him with the pitches he had. You could see he was ratcheting it up another level like we’ve seen him a bunch here, and then unfortunately, we let a run in.”
San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman #26 tags out St. Louis Cardinals’ Thomas Saggese #25 as he gets caught in a rundown in the second inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Heliot Ramos #17 gestures as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run off St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy #36 in the first inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy #36 throws against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants left fielder Heliot Ramos #17 and center fielder Drew Gilbert #61 chase down an RBI single hit by St. Louis Cardinals’ Alec Burleson #41 in the third inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
St. Louis Cardinals’ Jordan Walker #18 is congratulated by Victor Scott II #11 after scoring on an RBI double by José Fermín #15 in the fourth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
St. Louis Cardinals’ Jordan Walker #18 is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after scoring on an RBI double by José Fermín #15 in the fourth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Casey Schmitt #10 hits a single off St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy #36 in the fourth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Matt Chapman #26 heads to third base after a single by Casey Schmitt #10 in the fourth inning of their MLB game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Jerar Encarnacion #59 strikes out against St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy #36 in the fourth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Patrick Bailey #14 scores past St. Louis Cardinals catcher Pedro Pagés #43 on an RBI single by Heliot Ramos #17 in the fourth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Heliot Ramos #17 scrambles back to first base in the fourth inning of their MLB game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
St. Louis Cardinals’ Iván Herrera #48 celebrates his two-run home run off San Francisco Giants’ pitcher Justin Verlander #35 in the fifth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Justin Verlander #35 leaves the game in the fifth inning of their MLB game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
St. Louis Cardinals’ Iván Herrera #48 is congratulated by Alec Burleson #41 after hitting a two-run home run off San Francisco Giants’ pitcher Justin Verlander #35 in the fifth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
St. Louis Cardinals’ Iván Herrera #48 celebrates in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run off San Francisco Giants’ pitcher Justin Verlander #35 in the fifth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Rafael Devers #16 tosses his bat as he watches the flight of his solo home run off St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy #36 in the fifth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Rafael Devers #16 bat as he celebrates his solo home run off St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy #36 in the fifth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Patrick Bailey #14 tries to get to the bag after stretching a single as St. Louis Cardinals second baseman José Fermín #15 makes the play the sixth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. Bailey was out on the play. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Tristan Beck #43 throws against the St. Louis Cardinals in the seventh inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Giants’ Bryce Eldridge #78 heads to first base after being walked by St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Kyle Leahy #62 in the eighth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman José Fermín #15 makes the play to first base to throw out San Francisco Giants’ Jerar Encarnacion #59 in the ninth inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher JoJo Romero #59 and St. Louis Cardinals’ catcher Pedro Pagés #43 celebrate their 6-5 MLB win over the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
St. Louis Cardinals lef fielder Lars Nootbaar, #21 center fielder Victor Scott II #11and right fielder Jordan Walker #18 celebrate their 6-5 MLB win over the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman José Fermín #15 relief pitcher JoJo Romero, #59 catcher Pedro Pagés #43 and Thomas Saggese #25 celebrate their 6-5 MLB win over the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
1 of 24
San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman #26 tags out St. Louis Cardinals’ Thomas Saggese #25 as he gets caught in a rundown in the second inning of their MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
