Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 138

High School boys golf: Stevenson, Carmel advance to CCS finals

MONTEREY — Preparation, finding a rhythm and maintaining its focus were the sole objectives. Achieve those goals and Stevenson felt everything else would fall into place on the golf course.

On the heels of last week’s impressive effort in capturing their 14th straight Gabilan Division title, the Pirates tuned up for the Central Coast Section golf finals after producing the lowest team score among the two brackets Tuesday at the CCS Regionals.

While Stevenson didn’t duplicate or improve last week’s team score of 358 at Laguna Seca Golf Course, it shot 362 collectively as team in the afternoon round on the same course to go into next Tuesday’s CCS finals the favorite to repeat as champions.

“The goal today was to get some good momentum and get into a good rhythm,” Stevenson’s Luke Brandler said. “Coach wanted us to come in, feel comfortable, get the game in shape and get a feel for the course.”

Brandler, who is headed to Princeton next fall, was the afternoon medalist with a 3-under 68. The senior has the course record at Laguna Seca, shooting 9-under 62 at last year’s CCS finals.

“I was not hitting as well as I would have liked to,” Brandler said. “I need to iron a few things out. My short game saved me today. I relied on my putter and wedges to get me out of trouble. This was good preparation for next week.”

Joining the Pirates in the section finals will be Carmel, who behind Jonathan Chen’s 3-under 68, earned the fourth and final spot in the morning round with a 378 score. St. Ignatius of San Francisco carded a low of 367 in the morning.

Among the individuals that advanced to the section finals included Salinas’ Alex Jarvis (73) and Trinity’s Eric Li (73). The top four teams in each bracket and top nine individuals qualified for the finals.

“The pins were in some places today that we’d never seen before,” Stevenson coach Justin Bates said. “It was challenging, which is what you want. The CCS governing body makes those decisions. I’m sure they’ll mix them up again next week.”

Stevenson, who finished 18 strokes in front of runner-up Gunn of Palo Alto, had all six golfers finish with scores under 75, including Steven Lai, who carded a 2-over 73 along with teammate Zach Hawkins.

“My approach was pretty solid,” Lai said. “I felt my shots off the tee were pretty good. I think I hit 14 or 15 greens. That was the highlight today.”

Lai, who struggled last week at the Gabilan Division finals, came back with a solid overall round, although he felt he lost some focus over the final three holes.

“It wasn’t my best round,” said Lai, a three-time all-leaguer. “I just wanted to finish strong, stay locked in until the last hole. I kind of lost my focus the last few holes. I’ve got to fix that.”

Having set the bar at last year’s section finals with his course record breaking score, Brandler tried not to put too much emphasis on his score in the regional round.

“I wanted to beat my score from last week,” Brandler said. “It didn’t happen. But it’s good to have goals. Honestly, we were looking beyond today, just trying to tune up our game for the finals.”

Calvin Etcheverry and Johshveer Chadha both shot 3-over 74, as the Pirates top five all finished in the top 14 among all golfers in the afternoon.

“We did want we wanted to do today,” Bates said. “We wanted to put up a good number to feel confident going into the finals. I think we feel pretty good about where we’re at heading into the finals. We gave up some shoots putting. We’ll work on that this week.”

Chen, a state meet participant as a sophomore in 2023, sizzled his round with his best score attained at Laguna Seca, helping the Padres extend their season.

“He had a great day,” Carmel coach Ross Kroeker said. “Overall, we shot well. This was a team effort and that’s what you want. We have got depth, with was demonstrated today.”

Kroeker was speaking about Ethan Haas and Colin Dean, who are normally the Padres No. 5 and 6 golfers. The pair stepped up to finish as the team’s No. 2 and No. 4 golfers, sandwiched in between Julien Cho and Cullen Pritchard.

“Ethan and Colin really pulled us through today,” Kroeker said. “We left a lot of strokes out on the course. If we bring our ‘A’ game as a whole, we have a great chance to advance.”

With everyone teeing off in the morning at next week’s CCS finals at Laguna Seca, Bates believes the scores will come down, as the winds are calmer, and there is less waiting around time.

“When you play in the afternoon, there’s a lot of waiting to get your round going,” Bates said. “That’s mentally taxing. You’re rushing to get lunch, you’re in class. The nerves can be draining. It’s a testament to our boys that they were able to grind through.”

SF Giants score nine runs in 11th; Verlander still searching for first win

CHICAGO — Kyle Harrison was getting thrown into the fire.

The Giants and Cubs entered the 11th inning tied at five. Ryan Walker and Erik Miller failed to protect San Francisco’s two-run lead in the ninth, leaving Justin Verlander still searching for his first win as a Giant. Harrison was the only fresh arm left. He’d never pitched in relief as a major leaguer, but manager Bob Melvin had no choice. As Harrison warmed, Wrigley Field remained packed.

As Harrison jogged to the mound, most of the crowd had disappeared. The life was gone; the party was over. The Giants scored nine runs in the 11th inning — the most they’ve scored in a single extra inning in franchise history — and sent thousands of fans home early, many of whom became indifferent to witness the inevitable.

The Giants have now won 23 games this season. They will win more over the coming months, the exact number being uncertain. What is certain is that few, if any, of their will match the cadence of their 14-5, 11-inning win over the Cubs — a barnburner reduced to a blowout.

“You’ve got to pick yourself up off the mat,” Melvin said, “which we did.”

There was no singular hero in the top of the 11th inning, a frame that started with the score 5-5. San Francisco’s nine-run flurry, rather, was a democratic effort.

Heliot Ramos started the parade with a booming double. Patrick Bailey broke the tie with an RBI single. San Francisco executed a squeeze play —  Brett Wisely bunting, Ramos scoring. Willy Adames was plunked with the bases loaded. Jung Hoo Lee singled to drive in a run, prompting chants of “Jung! Hoo! Lee!” Chapman drove in two with a knock, and Wilmer Flores followed suit with his own run-scoring hit.

Chicago’s Ryan Pressly faced eight Giants batters. He didn’t retire a single one. As Pressly walked off the field, the few Cubs fans who remained showered him with boos. Those same fans then mockingly cheered when Caleb Thielbar, Pressly’s replacement, struck out the first batter he faced.

Thielbar, though, could not put an end to the scoring.

Ramos smashed his second double of the inning, driving in a run. Bailey, who provided the lead in the first place, generated San Francisco’s ninth and final run with a sacrifice fly. Once the inning ended and the visiting bullpen doors opened, Harrison’s first relief appearance had been downgraded from high to low leverage.

“It just goes back to competing. That’s what I love to do,” said Harrison, who averaged 96.2 mph with his four-seam fastball. “No matter the circumstance, if I have the ball on that mound, it’s baseball. That’s the way I looked at it. That’s the way I’m going to go about it.”

That rampage of runs provided relief from a soul-shattering ninth inning, one that saw the Giants lose a 5-3 lead and Verlander end up with a no decision. Verlander, currently sitting on 262 career wins, has now gone eight consecutive starts without a win, the longest streak of his career. But entering the ninth, Verlander looked destined for his first win in the orange and black.

Walker, who blew a save on Easter that cost Verlander a win, began his night by walking Pete Crow-Armstrong. Following a one-out walk of Carson Kelly, Walker allowed an RBI single to Justin Turner that sliced San Francisco’s lead to 5-4.

Walker struck out Ian Happ to record the second out, but he would not get the chance to finish what he started. With the left-handed hitting Kyle Tucker due up, Melvin summoned left-handed pitcher Erik Miller.

“Obviously things were a little shaky but I felt I could finish it out considering the things that were going on,” Walker said. “I kind of felt like I got a second wind … but I get his move. Especially Kyle Tucker coming up and we have an elite lefty in the bullpen. I think, overall, it was definitely the right decision.”

The left-on-left matchup didn’t pan out in San Francisco’s favor. Miller allowed a single on his first pitch to Tucker, the Cubs tied the ballgame — and saddled Verlander with a no decision in the process. Miller prevented Chicago from scoring the game-winning run and sent the game to extras, but he screamed into his glove as he walked back to the dugout.

“It’s crazy because (Verlander) could easily have four, five wins at this point,” Melvin said. “Just another one of those (games) where we’re a pitch away from getting him a win, and the next thing you know, he doesn’t. But that doesn’t mean he’s not performing well. He’s given us a chance to win every time out.”

Said Walker: “I literally apologized to him today. I’m like, ‘Dude, I’m sorry. I’ve ruined this twice for you already.’ I’ll get my groove. It’s a slow start right now, but I’m going to get there. I have no doubt about that. He’s great. He understands we’re all trying our best. At the end of the day, what else can you do?”

Miller ended up with a blown save on his record, but after the Giants failed to score in the top of the 10th, the left-hander put up a zero in the bottom of the frame. The game headed to the 11th. In time, the fans headed to the exits.

Stephen Curry leaves Warriors’ playoff game vs. Timberwolves, ruled out

Stephen Curry pulled up limp in the first half of the Warriors’ second-round playoff opener, eventually made his way to the visitors’ locker room inside Target Center and never returned to the court Tuesday night.

Curry grabbed at his left hamstring midway through the second quarter, and it didn’t take long for him to be ruled out for the remainder of the night. According to the Warriors, Curry was diagnosed with a left hamstring strain, though its severity remains unknown.

He began to show signs of discomfort after draining a 3-pointer at the 9:22 mark and then a floater on the next possession to bring his first-half scoring total to 13 points. But he motioned to the bench, coach Steve Kerr called timeout, and Curry headed into the tunnel.

Curry exited with 8:19 left in the second quarter and the Warriors leading the Timberwolves Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series, 30-20. He was ruled out by the 3-minute mark of the quarter, with Golden State maintaining a double-digit lead.

It goes without saying that the Warriors can’t stand to lose their superstar, and another ailment is the last thing Curry needs. The 37-year-old sharpshooter has already battled multiple health issues this season, most recently a banged-up right thumb which continues to force him to wear a bandage.

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After requiring the play-in tournament to make the playoffs and then seven games to advance past the second-seeded Houston Rockets, Curry and the Warriors entered the second-round series against Minnesota already operating on fumes. The last time they didn’t have to play a game or travel between cities was April 25, between Games 2 and 3 of their first-round series.

They were forced to play Game 4 against Houston without Curry’s second-in-command, Jimmy Butler, who took a hard fall in Game 3 and continues to manage a pelvic and deep gluteal muscle contusion. They lost the game Butler left midway through but pulled out a win in Game 4 without him.

With Curry in the locker room, they led Minnesota, 44-31, at halftime. Curry contributed 13, but Draymond Green led the way with 16 points — and four 3-pointers — while Butler was contained to six points on 2-of-7 shooting. Meanwhile, the Warriors held Anthony Edwards scoreless on eight attempts from the field, and the Timberwolves failed to connect on any of their 15 attempts from 3-point territory.

Gary Payton II took Curry’s place in the five-man lineup to begin the second half. In his absence, Kerr expanded the Warriors’ rotation to a dozen players, including Jonathan Kuminga and Pat Spencer.

Warriors’ Buddy Hield has wardrobe malfunction in Game 1 vs. Timberwolves

MINNEAPOLIS – When he’s not scoring 33-points in Game 7, Buddy Hield has become a well-known source of humor in the Warriors locker room.

But Steve Kerr was not laughing when Hield’s early-game wardrobe malfunction forced the longtime Warriors coach to call a timeout in the first minute of Game 1 between Golden State and the Timberwolves at Target Center on Tuesday.

Hield was wearing black and blue shorts, instead of the black and yellow garb the rest of his teammates had on. The shooting guard had to sprint to the locker room to change into the appropriate attire.

Hield has been a starter for each of the past four games and was lauded during a pregame press conference for his defensive tenacity.

He played in all 82 games this regular season, extending his consecutive games played streak to 166.

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Trump administration abruptly removes the vice chair of the National Transportation Safety Board

By HALLIE GOLDEN, Associated Press

The vice chair of the National Transportation Safety Board has been abruptly removed from his position, the White House confirmed Tuesday, a rare move that comes as the agency investigates more than 1,000 cases.

The Trump administration removed ​​Alvin Brown a little more than a year after he was sworn in. The White House didn’t say why he was removed.

The decision comes as NTSB investigates nearly 1,250 active cases across the U.S., while supporting more than 160 foreign investigations, according to March testimony by NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy.

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The investigations include the deadly midair collision between a passenger jet and Army helicopter in Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people in January and the medical transport plane that plummeted into a Philadelphia neighborhood in January, killing eight people.

Jeff Guzzetti, a former National Transportation Safety Board and FAA accident investigator, said he has never seen an administration remove a member of the board.

Board members have been known to stay on after their term is over if the administration hasn’t appointed anyone yet and then they leave once the next administration selects someone, he said.

“That happens a lot over the years, but that’s normal and expected because you served your term and now it’s time for someone else to serve in there,” he said. “But this wasn’t that. This was just more abrupt and directly from the administration,n and I don’t know what the impetus is.”

By Tuesday evening, Brown’s photo and biography had already been removed from NTSB’s website.

The agency includes five board members who serve five year terms, according to the NTSB website. They are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The chairman and vice chairman are both designated by the president and serve for three years. By Tuesday evening, the website only showed four members of the board.

Brown was sworn in as a member of the board in April 2024 after being nominated by then-President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate to fill one of two vacancies. His term was expected to run through 2026, according to an NTSB press release at the time. He was the only Black member of the board.

He was the mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, from 2011 to 2015 and joined the board after serving as senior adviser for community infrastructure opportunities for the U.S. Department of Transportation, according to the release.

NTSB typically works on about 2,200 domestic and 450 foreign cases each year, according to Homendy. She said she expects “the number of cases annually to remain high and continue to increase in complexity.”

Associated Press writer Josh Funk contributed to this report.

Trump plans to announce the US will call the Persian Gulf the Arabian Gulf, officials tell AP

By MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump plans to announce while on his trip to Saudi Arabia next week that the U.S. will now refer to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf or the Gulf of Arabia, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Arab nations have pushed for a change to the geographic name of the body of water off the southern coast of Iran, while Iran has maintained its historic ties to the gulf.

The U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. The White House and National Security Council didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

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The Persian Gulf has been widely known by that name since the 16th century, although usage of “Gulf of Arabia” and “Arabian Gulf” is dominant in many countries in the Middle East. The government of Iran — formerly Persia — threatened to sue Google in 2012 over the company’s decision not to label the body of water at all on its maps.

On Google Maps in the U.S., the body of water appears as Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf). Apple Maps only says the Persian Gulf.

The U.S. military for years has unilaterally referred to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf in statements and images it releases.

Trump can change the name for official U.S. purposes, but he can’t dictate what the rest of the world calls it.

The International Hydrographic Organization — of which the United States is a member — works to ensure all the world’s seas, oceans and navigable waters are surveyed and charted uniformly, and also names some of them. There are instances where countries refer to the same body of water or landmark by different names in their own documentation.

In addition to Saudi Arabia, Trump is also set to visit Doha, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, which also lie on the body of water. Originally planned as Trump’s first trip overseas since he took office on Jan. 20, it comes as Trump has tried to draw closer to the Gulf countries as he seeks their financial investment in the U.S. and support in regional conflicts, including resolving the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and limiting Iran’s advancing nuclear program.

The U.S. president also has significant financial ties to the countries through his personal businesses, over which he has retained ownership from the Oval Office.

The move comes several months after Trump said the U.S. would refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.

The Associated Press sued the Trump administration earlier this year after the White House barred its journalists from covering most events because of the organization’s decision not to follow the president’s executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” within the United States.

U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden, an appointee of President Donald Trump, ruled last month that the First Amendment protects the AP from government retaliation over its word choice and ordered the outlet’s access to be reinstated.

AP writers Zeke Miller and Meg Kinnard contributed to this report.

SF Giants’ Adames discusses recent defensive struggles

CHICAGO — The Giants signed Willy Adames to a franchise-record contract with the hope that he could impact the game on both sides of the ball. His bat is coming along. His glove remains a concern.

Adames committed two errors in Monday’s 9-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs that brought his total on the year to seven — tied for the most in baseball entering Tuesday. The advanced metrics don’t support Adames either; along with the errors, Adames has been worth -6 defensive runs saved and -5 outs above average. Prior to Tuesday’s game, Adames spoke at length with reporters about his defensive struggles.

“I guess it happens. I didn’t even know it was seven errors,” Adames said. “Just going to continue to work and hopefully not continue to make errors.”

Adames, 29, has been an above-average defensive shortstop for most of his career. From 2019-23, Adames accumulated 28 defensive runs saved and 21 outs above average, making him one of baseball’s better defensive shortstops. In 2024, by contrast, Adames committed 20 errors, the fourth-most among shortstops. His -16 defensive runs saved were the fewest by any shortstop in all of baseball.

During spring training, Adames said his defensive issues boiled down to confidence. Adames shared that he had a three-week period where he lost his confidence, which lines up with the fact that 11 of his 20 errors were in July and August. As far as his recent struggles, Adames said confidence hasn’t been a factor.

“I don’t know. Sometimes it happens. Defense is very different than hitting. When it happens, you can’t do anything,” Adames said. “It’s not like you go 0-for-4, then you go 3-for-4 the next day and you make it up. When you make an error, especially when it costs the game, it makes you feel like [expletive].”

Most of Adames’ errors haven’t been on routine plays, but plays that should have been made regardless.

Against the Milwaukee Brewers two weeks ago, Adames’ throw on the run took first baseman David Villar off the bag, allowing Vinny Capra to reach first base. That error contributed to an eight-run inning for the Brewers that resulted in an 11-3 Giants’ loss.

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Against the Texas Rangers, Adames couldn’t handle Josh Smith’s 98.4 mph one-hopper up the middle.

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Against the Cincinnati Reds, Adames didn’t cleanly feed a toss to second baseman Tyler Fitzgerald for the force out.

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“There’s a lot of factors that play into it. People only see the error, but they don’t know what happened. You don’t know if the ball was hit hard and it gave you a bad hop,” Adames said. “It’s tough. You have to make the play. There’s no excuse. We expect to make all the plays. That’s why it’s tough when you make two errors in a game.”

Adames isn’t the only defender on the left side of San Francisco’s infield who has been struggling defensively. Matt Chapman, a five-time Gold Glove Award winner, has committed five errors in his last five games. Chapman committed two errors of his own in Monday’s loss, both of which led directly to runs for the Cubs.

“I’ve seen him at his best. I know that he’s obviously frustrated with the way that he’s going right now like I am as well,” Chapman said. “The best thing I can say is it’s a long season. He’s been in the league for a long time. He knows what he needs to do. Sometimes, when you start with a new team and you sign a new contract and he wants to come in here and really make an impact, sometimes you put a little extra pressure on yourself — whatever it is.”

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Following a cold start offensively, Adames’ bat has started heating up in recent days. Over his last 10 games, Adames was 10-for-35 with two doubles, three homers, six runs, six walks and seven RBIs. In that stretch, his OPS has jumped from .543 to .656. On Sunday, Adames hit two homers off the Rockies’ Germán Márquez and sent a booming double off Oracle Park’s center-field wall.

Adames is beginning to look the part of a franchise player on offense. Time will tell if he can do so on defense.

“I know that he’s going to be somebody that’s going to carry this team and really help this team for a long time on both sides of the ball,” Chapman said. “I’m sure there’s some early frustrations, but I think it’s going to be one of those things where we’re all going to look back and look at that as a weird little time in the season. By the time summer rolls around, he’s going to be where he needs to be — and we all will, for sure.”

Anthony Edwards is toppling the NBA’s legends. Are Steph Curry’s Warriors next?

MINNEAPOLIS — Steph Curry is — inarguably — one of the greatest players to ever grace a basketball court.

He owns every major 3-point shooting record, possesses a handful of championship rings and has exuded an immeasurable influence on the sport from the NBA on down to grassroots levels.

Curry is one of a select few who can claim to be in the pantheon of hoops immortals.

He could also be the next in a growing line of the game’s icons to be felled by the ascendant, brash and supremely talented 24-year-old Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards after the Warriors take on Minnesota in the second round.

Game 1 will be at Target Center in Minneapolis on Tuesday night (6:30 p.m., TNT).

Over the past two postseasons, Edwards has knocked an entire wing of the Hall of Fame out of the championship contention.

Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic, LeBron James and Luka Doncic are among the basketball divinity felled by the Midwestern Kratos.

Curry, former Wolves star Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green know they have a challenge ahead of them if they do not want to see their names added to the list after surviving a grueling seven-game series with Houston.

“He’s playing with supreme confidence … he’s the same Ant who is trying to take strides with every opportunity he gets,” Curry said. “He’s going to be a tough challenge.”

Curry and coach Steve Kerr are partially to blame for his growth this season.

Kerr coached Edwards and Team USA during the 2024 Olympic Games, and Edwards has stated that Curry’s mentorship in Paris on a gold-medal run had a profound impact on the Minnesota superstar’s development.

In case Edwards needed any extra motivation to commit another act of basketball deicide, the Warriors critiqued his work ethic during the pre-draft process in 2020, when Golden State used the second overall pick on James Wiseman after the Wolves took Edwards.

Edwards later credited those comments for helping him hone his work ethic, but those words could still prove to be a source of motivation.

He has already proven he can light up the Warriors. Edwards has scored at least 40 points in five different playoff games, and scored at least 27 points in three of four matchups with Golden State this season.

In four regular-season games between the teams, three of which the Warriors won, Edwards averaged 26 points per game.

Over the Wolves’ five-game series win over James, Doncic and the Lakers, he averaged 26.8 points.

“It means a lot. I mean, we beat the best player in the world, the best player ever,” Edwards said after the Wolves clinched in Game 5.

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His first postseason matchup with the grizzled Warriors should present a far tougher challenge than a Lakers team with no identity.

Golden State can throw capable stoppers such as Butler, Moses Moody, and Gary Payton II, among others, at the high-flying wing who also made a league-high 320 3-pointers during the regular season.

Regardless of who his primary defender is, stopping Edwards will be a team effort.

“You’ve got to send multiple bodies at him, and figure out a game plan to go at him,” Curry said.

If they don’t execute, Golden State’s triumvirate of future Hall of Famers will be added to the ever-increasing number of luminaries who cannot stop Edwards’ rise to the mountaintop they once occupied.

Horoscopes May 6, 2025: Sasheer Zamata, take the path that leads to peace of mind

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Sasheer Zamata, 39; Gabourey Sidibe, 42; George Clooney, 64; Tom Bergeron, 70.

Happy Birthday: Take the path that leads to peace of mind. Focus on what’s important to you and build your life with the preferences, patience and possibilities that offer comfort and convenience. Put your energy where it counts, making your life easier and rewarding. Pay attention to investments and markets; you’ll find interesting ways to earn more and grow your money. Refuse to let stubbornness and anger cost you. Your numbers are 6, 14, 22, 26, 33, 37, 45.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Consider your options, ask an expert and adjust your plans to meet your demands. Mingle with people who can fill in the blanks and help you create the infrastructure necessary to reach your objective. Participate in events and build direct links to what interests you. Personal gain is apparent. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Change begins with you, but first, tidy up unfinished business. It will make your journey and your choices easier. Keep tabs on what’s happening around you, but don’t be too eager to share your thoughts or progress. You’ll face opposition if you allow others to weigh in on what’s meaningful to you. 5 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Consider your options and align yourself with people who are as diverse and innovative as you, and you’ll find a path to positive change and new beginnings. Don’t pressure someone uncomfortable with your plans to join in, or a setback will occur due to an emotional spat over the allocation of funds. 2 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Distance yourself from situations you cannot resolve, and you’ll gain insight into unique options. You can stabilize your position with a few minor adjustments and pave a path that works for you. Altering your lifestyle to suit your demands will speed things up. Your best efforts will unfold if you work alone. 4 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Live and learn. Your actions and words matter; taking on someone or something that concerns you will make a difference in the outcome. Be the leader; take control, and you’ll find a positive way forward. Put your energy where it counts, and be true to yourself. 3 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Press forward with passion, experience and knowledge, and you will leave a lasting impression. Take time to breathe. Changing your surroundings, going somewhere or doing something that eases stress will also give you a positive perspective regarding your next move. Short trips and reconnecting with associates or partners will be uplifting. 3 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Be silent while you observe what others do and say, and you’ll spare yourself ridicule and criticism. Progress can be yours if you encourage your creative imagination to take you on a journey that has the potential to uncover new possibilities. Expand your interests, and you’ll connect with someone who intrigues you. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You’ll crave change, excitement and being in the middle of the action. Before you rush in and share your thoughts, consider who you are dealing with. Decide whether you are up for a debate or looking for validation that you are on the right track. Aim to stabilize your life, not disrupt it. 4 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Opportunity is within reach. Keep the momentum going, and share your vision with the people you care about most. You’ll get the input you need, but at a cost you may not like. Listen to sound advice and be willing to compromise; something good will unfold. A new look will fetch compliments. 2 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take a backseat and consider your options. The information you receive from someone you trust will be eye-opening and encourage you to head in a direction that will safeguard your position. Attend events that allow you to network, connect and position yourself strategically. An energetic approach to partnerships will encourage closer ties. 5 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Stick to what and who you know and trust. Pay attention to money matters and save for a rainy day. Expand your interest in something that you can incorporate into your qualifications to help you raise your profile and increase your opportunities to advance. Rethink your lifestyle and make healthy choices. 3 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Stick to your plans; any deviation will cost you. Changing your surroundings will spark your interest and encourage you to devise favorable variations of something you want to pursue but have been having trouble getting up and running. Trust your instincts, follow your heart and distance yourself from those offering chaos and divisiveness. 3 stars

Birthday Baby: You are enthusiastic, adaptable and creative. You are astute and entertaining.

1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes.
2 stars: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others.
3 stars: Focus and you’ll reach your goals.
4 stars: Aim high; start new projects.
5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.

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Adames, Chapman commit two errors apiece as SF Giants fall to Cubs

“CHICAGO — The Giants haven’t had many ugly losses this season. Monday’s loss qualifies as such.

Willy Adames and Matt Chapman committed two errors apiece resulting in six unearned runs and the offense was stifled by another left-handed starter as the Giants lost to the Chicago Cubs, 9-2, on a chilly night at Wrigley Field.

“It’s frustrating when you don’t make those plays, but all I can do is continue to work, continue to prepare and be ready for the next one,” said Chapman, who had two multi-error games last season. “Tomorrow’s a new day. It’s frustrating. We’re going to think about those tonight. It really makes me mad because I want to set the tone. It’s contagious. Just like hitting is contagious, when you’re not taking care of the baseball, guys put pressure on themselves.

“We just gave them another out and now we need to make another play. I don’t want to be the guy that does that. But, it’s baseball. It’s a long season, and sometimes, things come in bunches. I’m not going to dwell on it too much, but come back tomorrow ready to go and continue to be aggressive and try to make good plays.”

Those four errors resulted in atypical line scores. Landen Roupp, who said tonight was the best he’s felt all season, allowed four runs over five innings, only two of which were earned. Hayden Birdsong, who grew up as a Cubs fan, had odder numbers: 1/3 of an inning, five runs, one earned, two walks, no strikeouts, one home run.

The Cubs’ Matthew Boyd, in contrast to Roupp and Birdsong, had a fine line, allowing two earned runs over six innings with seven strikeouts to continue the Giants’ woes against lefties. Luis Matos was responsible for both of Boyd’s runs, hitting a two-run homer in the fourth for his second homer in his last three games.

“It’s probably one of those things that will even out over the course of the year,” Chapman said of the team’s struggles versus lefties. “We have a lot of righties in the lineup. We have a lot of guys that can hit lefties well. Could just be they are good pitchers. We have faced some really good pitchers, some really good teams. Boyd’s having a great start to this season. Some of it is that, and I think over the course of the season, we’ll make some adjustments and be able to capitalize on some of those lefties.”

Adames has now made seven errors this season. Entering play, only three defenders — Lenyn Sosa, Elly De La Cruz, Eugenio Suárez — had totaled that many errors. Adames has also graded out as one of baseball’s worst defenders by both defensive runs saved (-6) and outs above average (-5).

“Just had a tough night,” Melvin said. “He’s made some good plays here recently. He’s a solid defender.”

The calculus of Monday night’s ballgame looks far different if San Francisco played clean defense. Adames’ error in the first inning didn’t ultimately hurt the Giants, but the same can’t be said of Chapman’s fourth-inning error and Adames and Chapman’s respective errors in the sixth inning.

With two outs in the fourth, Chapman misplayed Pete Crow-Armstrong’s weakly-hit grounder, one that had a lot of abnormal spin, to extend the inning. Nico Hoerner followed Crow-Armstrong with a single, then Dansby Swanson drove them both home with another.

In total, Landen Roupp threw 12 additional pitches following Chapman’s error. Chapman said that in retrospect, he would’ve rather tried to continue charging the ball and fielding it with one hand opposed to stopping his momentum and fielding it with two.

“Chappy’s going to make that play nine out of 10 times,” Roupp said. “Definitely not worried about that. It caused the bigger inning, but just gotta move on from those things and continue to pitch and help those guys out when stuff like that happens and get out of the inning.”

More defensive miscues would be in store for San Francisco’s highly touted left side — miscues that contributed to a five-run sixth inning for Chicago.

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Birdsong, who grew up three hours south of Chicago, began his first career outing at Wrigley Field by allowing a solo home run to Carson Kelly. Following a single by Crow-Armstrong, Adames and Chapman committed errors on back-to-back plays to keep the rally going.

Following those blunders, Nicky Lopez drew a bases-loaded walk, Happ hit a sacrifice fly and Kyle Tucker drew a walk to re-load the bases. Following Tucker’s walk, manager Bob Melvin called on reliever Spencer Bivens, who allowed a two-run single to Seiya Suzuki. By inning’s end, Chicago had a commanding 9-2 lead.

“Unfortunately, that’s just baseball,” said Chapman, a five-time Gold Glove Award winner. “Obviously, I do take a lot of pride in my defense. It’s something I think is the best thing that I can do to help the team. It’s just frustrating. It’s been a few games in a row here where we haven’t been able to make some plays. Luckily, those last few games, it didn’t affect the outcome. Today, it killed our momentum a little bit.”