Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 18

Horoscopes Sept. 29, 2025: Kevin Durant, eliminate what’s not necessary

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Kevin Durant, 37; Chrissy Metz, 45; Roger Bart, 63; Bryant Gumbel, 77.

Happy Birthday: Put your to-do list together, and pick up the pace. Eliminate what’s not necessary. Get organized and ready to turn the page and move on to the next chapter in your life. Letting go is never easy, but it is necessary if you want to explore the possibilities. A lifestyle change will present a learning curve but also ignite your imagination. Embrace what excites you most. Your numbers are 6, 18, 22, 27, 33, 42, 48.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Honesty is the best policy, especially when you are looking inward and need to give yourself a reality check. Cutting to the chase, accepting the truth and implementing change are your tickets to better days ahead. Trust your instincts, believe in yourself and follow through with a positive attitude. 2 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Position yourself to learn, gather information and share your thoughts while networking or socializing with people who offer something in return. Take advantage of any opportunity you get to deal with institutions or people in a position of power. Engage with others and share your message, and you can make a difference. Partnerships and physical self-improvement are favored. 5 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Change requires your input. Focus on what you want to modify with a learn-as-you-go attitude as you connect with those who can guide you. Participation is in your best interest, and although it can be daunting, it will make your life easier and help you reach your destination in record time. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Think, choose your words wisely and only agree to what’s within your capabilities. It is best to do less but deliver more. The impression you leave will make a difference when you want something in return. Be cautious when handling financial, health or legal matters. Avoid hasty decisions or engaging in joint ventures. 3 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Walk away from discord, chaos and situations that are full of unnecessary drama, and move toward socializing with those who are positive and make you smile. You have choices, and it’s essential to look out for your welfare. Be kind to yourself; replace self-criticism with championing what you do best. Choose peace and love over negativity. 5 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Concentrate on health, diet and physical fitness. A positive change of attitude will stimulate your need to look, feel and do your best. Refuse to let emotional downers infiltrate your core. Be the one to offer a pick-me-up attitude filled with hope, unique alternatives and compassionate reinforcement. Let positive actions lead the way. 2 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Before you jump into something of interest, do your research. Taking a chance will ultimately prove to be a valuable learning experience. Ask questions, consider your options and only make necessary changes. Keep your overhead low and your plans simple. A minimalist attitude will keep you moving forward at a rate and cost you can afford. 2 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Arguing is a waste of time. If you want to get things done, begin with consideration and a kind word to motivate those you need to complete your mission. Actions are the quintessential route to getting the results you want. Mix a little discipline with ingenuity, and something good will transpire. 4 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): If you need change, think outside the box, and don’t be afraid to do things differently. Look for positions, activities or events that tweak your imagination and make you daydream about new possibilities. Learn how to accept the inevitable and protect what’s important to you. Choose compassion over blame or disapproval. Donate what’s feasible. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Look for opportunities; diversify and put your energy into getting ahead, prosperity and avoiding extravagance and temptation. Take a closer look at how you feel, and consider what motivates you to make healthier lifestyle choices. It’s up to you to control and react to an outcome by paying attention. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Tidy up loose ends. Get on top of your bills, lower your overhead and ease your mind. Anger can hinder progress; acting can help alleviate stress. Chat with a headhunter or agency that offers insight into what’s available and how to tailor and market your skills to fit today’s professional needs. 3 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Pay attention, study trends and invest in keeping up with the times. Enhance your skill set, refine your resume and position yourself to capitalize on opportunities that arise during networking. Get in the game, step up and dazzle those you encounter with an upbeat demeanor. Mix charm with detail and play to win, and you’ll gain a competitive edge. 4 stars

Birthday Baby: You are persistent, detailed and passionate. You are demonstrative and opportunistic.

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.

Bad Bunny to perform Super Bowl 60 Halftime Show

Puerto Rican megastar Bad Bunny is performing at the Super Bowl 60 Halftime Show at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Feb. 8, 2026, Apple Music announced during halftime of “Sunday Night Football.”

The Latin pop sensation will make an exclusive stop in the United States during a worldwide tour for his album “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” to perform at the world’s most-watched television event of the year: The Super Bowl.

The performance will be the artist’s second time at the Super Bowl after his appearance with Shakira and Jennifer Lopez during halftime at Super Bowl LIV in 2020. Bad Bunny will make history as the first male Latin artist to headline the halftime show at the 2026 Super Bowl.

Bad Bunny last performed in the Bay Area at the Chase Center in San Francisco in March 2024. The announcement of his show in Santa Clara is a surprise after his tour announcement did not include any dates in the United States, which the artist said was due to concerns about potential ICE raids and fear for his fans’ safety.

The “King of Latin Trap” advances his conquest of the world’s charts with a performance on the world’s biggest stage. Bad Bunny will be challenged to bring another legendary performance to the Super Bowl Halftime Show that has featured the likes of Michael Jackson, Prince and, most recently, Kendrick Lamar in an Emmy-award-winning performance in New Orleans.

The Bay Area Host Committee president and CEO Zaileen Janmohamed lauded the decision to have Bad Bunny perform at Levi’s Stadium, describing the Puerto Rican phenom as “one of the most awarded and celebrated artists of the last decade.”

“The Super Bowl Halftime Show is one of the most anticipated and iconic musical performances in the world, and we are confident that Bad Bunny will deliver an unforgettable experience for fans in Levi’s® Stadium and watching globally,” Janmohamed said in a news release. “This selection further amplifies the Bay Area’s position as a premier destination for world-class events, and we look forward to a spectacular show that showcases the unique spirit and diversity of our region.”

“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” Bad Bunny said in a statement. “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown. … This is for my people, my culture, and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL.”

On X, Bad Bunny addressed the Super Bowl performance in Santa Clara after he previously said he would not perform in the United States.

“I’ve been thinking about it these days, and after discussing it with my team, I think I’ll do just one date in the United States,” Bad Bunny wrote.

What the 49ers said after losing to the Jaguars

The 49ers got Brock Purdy back after a two-week absence, but turnovers and missed opportunities were too much to overcome in losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.

Now the 49ers are 3-1 and headed to Los Angeles on a short week for Thursday night’s showdown against the Rams, who also are 3-1 after rallying past the Colts on Sunday.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) runs with the ball while looking for an open receiver in the second quarter of their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

It was the first game without star defensive end Nick Bosa, who suffered a knee injury in last Sunday’s 16-15 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Purdy passed for 309 yards and two touchdowns, but completed 22 of 38 attempts and was intercepted twice. He also fumbled once. Christian McCaffrey caught six passes for 92 yards and rushed 17 times for 49 yards. Rickey Pearsall had four catches for 46 yards before leaving the game after aggravating a knee injury.

Here’s what the Niners had to say about the loss:

Kyle Shanahan

On the team’s energy level:

Related Articles Bad Bunny to perform Super Bowl 60 Halftime Show Kurtenbach: The 49ers needed their $265 Million Man vs. the Jaguars, but he didn’t show 49ers can’t generate pressure or turnovers in first game of no-Bosa era Studs and Duds: Purdy looks injured and the run game looks feeble in Niners’ 26-21 loss to the Jaguars Jaguars 26, 49ers 21: Turnovers spoil Brock Purdy’s return in first loss of season

I thought our energy was fine. I think rhythm was tough, probably with the four turnovers, and I think we had one punt in each half.  It’s tough to overcome those four turnovers, and then you give up a punt return for a touchdown, and then we didn’t get any. (But) still had a chance to win that, had the ball with two and a half minutes left, down five, I believe, around the 50 yard-line. But then had another turnover.

On Purdy’s play:

We’ve all got to do better. He had some good plays today, but we all got to do better today.

On Purdy being rusty after missing two weeks:

I saw some inconsistency with our whole offense. We moved the ball, but really killed ourself on four different turnovers. Two were fumbles and two were picks. One was off a tip. One was just out of reach of Christian (McCaffrey), is what it looked like.

On challenging a 3rd and 15 call in the first half:

I thought it had a chance to be reversible. So we took our shot on it. It was a huge momentum change there. And thought it was worth taking it.

On 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and Jags head coach Liam Coen exchanging words after the game, presumably about Saleh suggesting Jacksonville steals signs:

(Saleh) tried it up, but I don’t see what happened, so I’m not sure. Don’t think you should be that sensitive about it. But is what it is . I’m not to worry about it.

On the severity of Rickey Pearsall’s knee injury:

We’re not sure yet.

On if there is anything the special teams can do better:

Yeah, tackle the guy.

On Upton Stout’s interception, which was wiped out when he was called for defensive pass interference:

It looked like a hell of a play.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan talks to NFL referee Clete Blakeman (34) in the second quarter of their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

On the defense’s first game without injured Nick Bosa:

I have to watch the tape, and I know we didn’t get any sacks and stuff, but, you know, I thought their main thing was they ran the ball. They got some explosives in the run game, especially, I think they got a 50 yard or something like that. So I think that is tough to generate pass rush whey (they) are depending on the run like that. And it looked like they had way too many quick throws that that we need to be more competitive on. The quarterback got the ball out of his hands fast, and when you do that, there’s not many opportunities for sacks.

On the Jaguars being a trap game with the game against the Rams on Thursday:

We didn’t think it was a trap game at all. We knew they were a good team, and we knew we’d have to play really well, and regardless of what we did playing-wise, when you have four turnovers and get zero, that’s kind of obsolete, but you can’t let one become two. We got a game here in four days. Guys got to get home, get to sleep, start recovering right away, and we’ll get the players in on Tuesday.

On 11 games without an interception dating to last season:

We got to catch one. We’ve had our hands on, to me, at least one each game. When we get an opportunity to do it, we got to make sure to come down with it.

On the not scoring in the red zone:

We had two chances in the red zone that I believe we should have scored on. We didn’t get it done, but I believe it was there.

On Purdy’s five turnovers in two games:

It’s two games, so there’s no absolute to what the problem is. Turnovers happen.

On if it was a strategy to suggest the Jaguars steal signs and get their coaching staff angry:

Yeah, really, we don’t totally care if coaches are pissed off. I mean, that’s has no effect on a game. So I think Saleh was paying him a big compliment what they’re good at doing. It’s not illegal. Said nothing is illegal about it. I think when you use the word sign stealing and what headlines get with those type of words, I think then the perception of that becomes wrong and I don’t think that was the goal.

On any updates to try and trade or sign another defensive lineman to replace Bosa:

Yeah, you don’t replace Bosa.

Brock Purdy

On the four offensive turnovers:

I mean, we can’t do it, it’s the NFL, and it starts with me. Throwing better balls and being smart with the ball … and I just got to be better. But outside of that, like, as an offense, like, it’s something that we harp on every single day, and our team knows it: offense needs to protect the ball, defense needs to go take it. That’s our thing. And so today, the offense we just, we didn’t succeed in that area. It hurts. It’s the NFL man. If you give the ball away like that, teams are going to capitalize on it, and Jaguars did so.

On how he felt physically:

I felt good. Thought I was able to go out and play quarterback and give our team a chance. So that’s that.

On his mechanics possibly being a little off because of his toe injury:

I’m not really sure. I think just getting back out there and throwing and getting into a rhythm, you know, being down two weeks, coming back and feeling out my body and everything, obviously, how my toe feels. And so honestly, I don’t know the answer to that, but I’m gonna watch this film, look at my mechanics and be real with myself and try to fix that.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) walks off the field after fumbling the ball in the fourth quarter of their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the San Francisco 49ers 26-21. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

On pounding the grass in frustration after his fourth quarter fumble:

(It was) just the whole thing, you know, for us to turn the ball over like that throughout the game, and then have a chance to win the game at the end, our defense just played their butt off and gave us a chance. And then, you know, we get the ball rolling, and then we had an (opportunity) to possibly take a shot and go deep and and then obviously, the ball goes on the ground. And I just, I was mad over everything, the opportunity we had right there to get back in the game, what we had done all day, for myself with the ball. Just frustrated in the moment, for sure

On not scoring touchdowns in red zone situations:

It’s tight windows. And, you know, you’ve got to capitalize when there’s an opportunity down there in the red zone. Those are crucial plays and drives. And, you know, obviously we can settle for a field goal and be smart with the ball, but at the same time, like, if there’s an opportunity to score, we’ve got to do that. Especially pull away and to put pressure on the other team, so that’s the stuff that we have to be better at as an offense, and start with quarterback, with myself. We’ve got to be better.

Speaker 5 3:14So voting question, when it comes to how you felt getting back out there, did you feel that you were kind of settling back into being in game time action, and maybe that contributed at all to, like, the mistakes that were made, and then you had some new faces out there that have become what you know that are now wide receivers with you guys that weren’t out there when you were healthy. Did that at all? I know Kendrick talked about the fact that he kind of blamed himself for dropping the ball. Do you think either of those things kind of contributed

On chemistry with a largely new group of receivers:

We’re in the NFL, you can go out, practice, get our reps in and go out in the game and get ready to roll. There’s no other excuse. We’ve just got to keep moving together, and, you know, making sure the operation, the plays, we’re playing together, those are things that we’re just going to have to continue to grow together with. It’s nothing really more than that, but we’ll be just fine. I know it’s early in the season, and this one sucks, but we’re going to learn from our mistakes. We got a quick turnaround, and we’ll be ready to roll.

On a short week to prepare for the Rams:

Any Thursday night game is always a little tough when you only have, you know, three days, really, to get ready and let your body get back into it and try to heal up quick and then go out and perform and win an NFL game. It’s not easy, but I know we can do it. We’ve done before, and we’re all hungry. The vibe in that locker room is we just want to get out and play again and clean clean things up. So we’re gonna take it one day at a time.

Fred Warner

On the play of the defense:

We took too long to get going. That first half was, was not good enough. You know, the explosive runs, leaky yardage. I think in the second half it was, it was better, but still not up to our standard. You know, guys need to know where they’re fitting, getting on and off, blocks, making tackles, wrapping (up). We obviously need to be better on that going into this week.

On the potential of it being a trap game:

No, not at all. I think, you know, that’s a great football team right there. And we didn’t play good enough to win that game at all. You know, the fact that we were even still in that game, you know, down five, with an opportunity to win it. Having been down 4-0 at that point in the turnover battle (and allowing) the special teams touchdown, you would have thought that we’d be getting blown out by 20 to 30 at that point, right?

On bouncing back:

We gotta find ways on defense to take the ball away. We gotta play way better run defense. And luckily, it’s a short week, so we get to correct that right away.

On playing without Bosa:

Obviously we knew the challenges without having Nick out there. But I wouldn’t say there was a certain feel out there that was noticeable. I mean, of course you want one of your best players to be out there, but, I don’t know if they game planned us any different. … If we play together, all 11 on the field, we’ll get exactly what we need.

Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News GroupJacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) leaps to catch a pass against the San Francisco 49ers in the second quarter of their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

On how the team should react to the loss:

Short term memory. You’ve got to put it behind you, but you need to learn from ‘why did we lose this game?’ … We’ve got to clean things up on all three phases, and we’ll give ourselves plenty of chances to win going forward.

This is the first game The team played without Nick. How do you feel like the team came from generating pressure without him?

Christian McCaffrey

On what’s next for the offense:

I think just move on, you know? We lost today. We didn’t play good enough. We made a bunch of mistakes all over the field and still had a chance to win, you know? With an early (week) game coming up, you just correct the mistakes. And a lot of these mistakes are super uncharacteristic, and we gotta, just look ourselves in the mirror and move on, because it’s a quick turnaround. It was just a bad game all around and exited to move on from it.

On red zone struggles:

I think overall, we’re close. We got to gel a little bit better together, but we are close. This is a tight, tight league, and the room for error is very slim. All the mistakes are correctable. There’s little things here and there that once we start rolling, we can start getting going again. I’m excited for that.

On how the team will handle its first loss of the season:

I’ve never been a part of an undefeated team. I think one team has. You lose in this league, and when you lose, it’s about how you respond. Everybody in that locker room has lost before. Everyone in the locker room’s maybe not played their best, and as a team, we’ve not played our best, but the beauty is we play in four days. With quick turnarounds, you just flush it and move on and get better. … You can’t hang your head. You got to just learn from the tape. Whether you’re young or old, you learn from the tape and keep moving and get better and come out ready to roll on Thursday.

San Francisco 49ers fans cheer for their team in the first quarter of their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

On the struggles of the run game:

We’re close. It’s not good on paper, and I put a lot of that on me. It takes all 11 to run the ball. But we are close, and I feel really confident in our guys, and we just got to keep truckin’.

On the turnovers:

It happens. At the end of the day, we turned the ball over four times and still had a chance to win at the end there. So you can’t harp on anything that’s happened in the past, whether it’s good or bad. From a player’s mindset, it’s next play. You’re fight or flight in a game and so your emotions can’t get too high and can’t get too down, because you never know what play could be the one that changes it. You’ve just got to keep your head in.

On if Purdy was still not fully healthy

I didn’t get the sense at all. We, myself included, had a lot of drops for him too. You know, when you have those kind of plays it can get put on the quarterback. But I thought he did a great job out there.

Reports: Familiar faces set to re-join Warriors as training camp draws closer

SAN FRANCISCO – A pair of familiar veteran guards are in line to bolster the Warriors depth at that position. 

Beloved defender Gary Payton II and fellow former Warrior De’Anthony Melton have both agreed to resign with the team, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Sunday evening. 

The two have long been linked to Golden State. Veteran center Al Horford also committed to the Warriors on Sunday morning, according to Charania, but none of the players have been officially signed. 

The Warriors are still negotiating with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, and no deals are expected to be finalized until that situation has been resolved. 

Kuminga has until Wednesday to pick up his qualifying offer. 

Payton, 32, is the son of Skyline High legend and current Alameda College basketball coach Gary Payton.

Known commonly as GP2, he played 15 minutes a game last season, when he averaged 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He has played the majority of the last five season sin the Bay Area. 

Melton, 27, played six games for the Warriors last season, averaging 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists while being a pesky defender.

His season was cut short by an ACL tear on Nov. 20, and he was then part of a package traded to the Nets for Dennis Schroeder and a 2025 second-round pick that would eventually be flipped for the rights to rookie Alex Toohey.

Warriors’ wing rotation now consists of those two, plus Jimmy Butler III, Buddy Hield, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski. 

Reserve forward Gui Santos re-signed with the team just before free agency, and rookie second round picks Will Richard and Alex Toohey reportedly agreed to a multi-year deal with the Warriors. 

Training camp begins on Tuesday, and the team’s first preseason game is on Sunday at Chase Center against the Lakers. 

Kurtenbach: The 49ers needed their $265 Million Man vs. the Jaguars, but he didn’t show

SANTA CLARA — Let’s tick off the boxes from the 49ers’ debacle against the Jaguars on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, shall we?

The 49ers couldn’t run the ball. They couldn’t stop the run. They were gashed through the air by an opposing quarterback for whom on-target passes are a career rarity. They went entire series where catching a football seemed like an impossible feat, and for good measure, they got burned for a touchdown on special teams.

It was, in short, a complete and total mess. A no-good, very bad game.

Those happen in the NFL. It’s a league built on parity and chaos. The ball is oddly shaped, after all.

And in the modern NFL, a game like Sunday’s is the exact kind of game in which you turn to your franchise quarterback to fix things.

The great quarterbacks are janitors for organizational messes, smoothing over the cracks and making a bad team look competent for three hours.

On Sunday, the 49ers looked like a bad team. They needed the full-fledged, dark-magic, MVP-vote-receiving, $265-million-contract version of Brock Purdy.

That’s not what was under center.

And so, a miserable team performance was cemented into a 26-21 loss, the team’s first of the year. Don’t let that score fool you; it was a minor miracle this game was even within reach in the fourth quarter.

Purdy, clearly hobbled by the sorta-kinda-turf toe that sidelined him for two games, was sailing passes all afternoon. He couldn’t step into his throws, and his secret weapon — that sneaky scrambling ability that extends drives — unsurprisingly stayed holstered.

Of the four turnovers San Francisco gift-wrapped for Jacksonville, Purdy had his fingerprints all over three of them: two interceptions and a game-sealing fumble.

“It hurts,” Purdy said of the loss, while claiming his toe was healthy. “It starts with me throwing better balls and being smart with the ball. … I just got to be better.”

Purdy’s teammates had his back afterward. Christian McCaffrey insisted Purdy “did a great job out there.” They argued the interceptions were tipped, and the fumble was the offensive line’s fault.

And you know what? They’re right.

But this is the NFL. The quarterback gets the glory, and the quarterback gets the blame. That’s the deal. You sign the big contract, you accept the terms. No one cares about the fine print after a loss.

And a credit to Purdy for understanding that. He could have blamed the injury or his teammates, but he didn’t. He’ll take it all — and there will be plenty beyond this column — head-on.

Be honest, you can hear the disingenuous sports-talk radio refrain already: “Mac Jones would have won this game.”

That, of course, is laughable.

Related Articles Bad Bunny to perform Super Bowl 60 Halftime Show What the 49ers said after losing to the Jaguars 49ers can’t generate pressure or turnovers in first game of no-Bosa era Studs and Duds: Purdy looks injured and the run game looks feeble in Niners’ 26-21 loss to the Jaguars Jaguars 26, 49ers 21: Turnovers spoil Brock Purdy’s return in first loss of season

Jones, the plucky backup who admirably won two games in Purdy’s stead, was also limited all week in practice with a sprained PCL.

The alternative wasn’t some healthy savior; it was the other, less-talented injured quarterback. Putting a hobbled Jones — who is already a statue on his best days — behind that porous offensive line would have resulted in a near-death experience.

The fantasy of the backup is always better than the reality.

Because it’s not as if Purdy was a complete disaster. He threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns.

But turnovers are the game in the NFL, and even if you want to absolve Purdy of direct blame for the game-changing giveaways, what about the half-dozen (at least) missed throws and missed opportunities that prevented the Niners from ever taking control of this game?

Those are on him and him alone.

Completing 57 percent of your passes just isn’t going to cut it in this league.

Maybe the 3-0 start masked the truth of this team, and Sunday was a heavy dose of reality. Strip the results away, and what is this 49ers squad? What, exactly, are they great at (besides getting injured)? What are they even consistently good at?

Right now, they’re just another team in the NFL’s messy middle; a squad looking for an identity. And like every other team in that position, they’re looking to their quarterback to provide one.

On Sunday, he couldn’t do it.

He’ll get another chance on Thursday. And, like on Sunday, his play against the Rams later this week will likely be the difference between success and failure for the Niners.

Such is the burden of the franchise quarterback.

49ers can’t generate pressure or turnovers in first game of no-Bosa era

SANTA CLARA — The post game press conference with 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was nearing, with the last question dealing with the absence of Nick Bosa and the possibility of a trade.

Shanahan didn’t feel the need to expound on the obvious.

“You don’t replace Nick Bosa,” Shanahan said.

While a 26-21 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday at Levi’s Stadium can’t entirely be laid at the feet (or right knee) of their best and highest-paid defender, it was clear Bosa’s absence due to a torn ACL has changed the 49ers’ defense for the worse.

The 49ers never did sack Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence, whose jersey was kept clean while going 21-for-31 for 174 yards and a touchdown. Not that Lawrence gave the 49ers much of a chance, with most of his throws of the high-percentage, get-the-ball-out variety.

According to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco, it was the first time the 49ers had no sacks or quarterback hits in a game since 2015 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“We were getting some pressure, but it wasn’t enough,” rookie defensive end Mykel Williams said. “He gets rid of it quick. We talk about interceptions and punching the ball out all the time, and it’s something we’ve got to accumulate.”

And it didn’t help that Jacksonville had 151 yards rushing, with Travis Etienne gaining 124 yards on 19 attempts, including a 48-yard touchdown burst to put the Jaguars up 7-3.

Where the 49ers came up short was in taking the ball away, finishing with no fumble recoveries and no interceptions.

The 49ers have actually done some damage with fumble recoveries, with Bosa closing out the opener against Seattle with a strip sack of Sam Darnold and Bryce Huff doing the same against Spencer Rattler of New Orleans in Week 2. Linebacker Fred Warner is one of the NFL’s best at punching the ball loose.

But fumble recoveries are more of a roll of the dice, because footballs can bounce in funny ways. Interceptions, however, are another matter. And the 49ers through four games are the NFL’s pickless wonders without a single interception.

Dating back to last season, the 49ers haven’t had an interception in 11 games.

The 49ers almost had one Sunday — probably should have had one.

With the 49ers trailing 17-14 after an 8-yard Brock Purdy-to-Christian McCaffrey shovel pass and a two-point pass to Jauan Jennings, rookie slot corner Upton Stout jumped a pass short and over the middle from Lawrence to rookie No. 2 overall draft pick Travis Hunter.

Stout intercepted the ball cleanly at the Jacksonville 49. It was the momentum surge provided by the defense the 49ers desperately needed. Instead, a flag came out. Stout was called for a pass interference penalty.

“Looked like a hell of a play,” Shanahan said.

The 49ers forced a punt, but Jacksonville was able to do what the 49ers couldn’t when Devin Lloyd got his second interception of Purdy, and the Jaguars got a field goal on a 44-yard attempt by Cam Little to make it 20-14.

In all, the Jaguars took it away four times to none for the 49ers.

Warner lamented getting his hands on balls twice that he failed to come down with for interceptions. They weren’t easy plays, but they were plays he’s made before. And plays that will need to be made when the 49ers (3-1) visit the Los Angeles Rams (3-1) Thursday night at SoFi Stadium in an early season NFC West showdown.

“I hate to say that it’s just not bouncing our way, but I look at those two that I could have had today, making the most of those opportunities,” Warner said. “Upton Stout had one called back on a penalty. It’s just continuing to find ways to get it. Luckily we have a short week to try and right that wrong and get some Thursday night.”

Life was easier with Bosa was around. He is a highly underrated run defender and when he’s not getting sacks he’s forcing quarterbacks to throw out of rhythm. And while the trade deadline could bring pass rushing help, the deadline isn’t until Nov. 4.

In other words, Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals isn’t coming to 4949 Marie P. DeBartolo Way any time soon. And probably not at all.

Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News GroupTravis Hunter (12) is all by himself leaping to catch a pass against the 49ers defense Sunday at Levi's Stadium.

The 49ers appear tied together under defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, more so than they were under either Steve Wilks or Nick Sorenson. They swarm to the ball, play faster and with more alacrity. There is no substitute for talent, however, and all the heart and hustle in the world isn’t going to compensate for playing the rest of the season without Bosa.

With the offense still without George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk, and a running game struggling to regain traction, the 49ers can’t be just good on defense. They need to be very good, and getting the requisite takeaways is Job 1.

Defensive end Sam Okuayinonu said Bosa or no Bosa, the defense has to find a way.

“If the offense can’t find a way to win, we’ve got to put it on our shoulders,” Okuayinonu said. “Nick ended Week 1 with a sack, Huff ended Week 2 with a sack. We’ve got to find a way to keep it going.”

As promising as the first few weeks were, none of the opponents qualify as offensive juggernauts. That’s going to change. The Rams beat the previously unbeaten Indianapolis Colts 27-20, have one of the NFL’s top runners in Kyren Williams plus one of the NFL’s best pure passers in Matthew Stafford throwing to Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.

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Looking at it another way, the defense wasn’t much different than it was in the three wins in terms of points allowed, given that Jacksonville had six of its points on an 87-yard punt return by Parker Washington. The 49ers were giving up 19.9 points per game and the defense gave up 20 against the Jaguars.

“You put it behind you. It’s pretty obvious you’re not going to win a game if you’re four-oh in the turnover battle,” Warner said. “Our run defense was horrible. If we had played even a little bit better — let’s say we were two-oh in the turnovers, maybe we win that game. It was great to hang in there and be down five, but that’s not winning football at all.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Studs and Duds: Purdy looks injured and the run game looks feeble in Niners’ 26-21 loss to the Jaguars

SANTA CLARA — The 49ers’ charmed run is over.

There’s simply not enough luck in the football world to overcome the kind of slop the Niners put on the field Sunday against the Jaguars.

Four turnovers, a punt return allowed for a touchdown, and an offense that couldn’t move the ball on the ground all combined into a 26-21 Jacksonville win at Levi’s Stadium.

The only good news for the 49ers? They won’t have time to dwell on all their errors.

But that is also the bad news. The Niners only have three days between the final horn and their next game on Thursday night in Los Angeles.

Here were the Studs and Duds of a game that had a lot more of the latter:

STUDS

Deomodore Lenoir • CB

An exceptional tackling game from the corner. I know he’s doing well outside, but with Nick Bosa out and the run defense suffering, wouldn’t having him in the slot against three-wide sets be an asset on Thursday? (This is presuming Renardo Green is back.)

Eddy Pinero • K

He’ll receive no accolades for his 23 and 26-yard field goals, but he did have a sweet kickoff that pinned the Jags at the 7-yard line.

Jauan Jennings • WR

A warrior of the highest order. The Niners’ offense started moving the ball when Jennings started making plays.

Ricky Pearsall • WR

He’s one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. Amongst all the problems the 49ers had on offense Sunday, you cannot include him on the list. That said, his knee injury was unquestionably a problem for this offense Sunday and moving forward this season.

Jake Tonges • TE

Isn’t it telling that the Niners trust the former practice squad player as their No. 1 tight end in both the run and pass game with George Kittle out? I seem to remember the Niners signing a TE to a rather large deal this past offseason. All that said, Tonges was excellent again on Sunday, running the Kittle routes to perfection and proving serviceable in the run game. His touchdown in the fourth quarter gave the Niners an improbable chance.

Jordan Jefferson • DT

Limited reps, but solid output for the first-time Niner against his old team. Let’s see some more of that.

Thomas Morstead • P

The 39-year-old reached 20.4 miles per hour, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, chasing down Parker Washington on the Jaguars’ punt return for a touchdown. No, he didn’t catch him, but that is faster than any Christian McCaffrey carry from this season.

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Jordan Elliott • DT

The other team will tell you who the weak link on a line is. The Jaguars told the world that they don’t think much of Jordan Elliott, as they ran duo — two blockers on the interior — towards him play after play after play Sunday, knowing they could land massive rushing lanes on the interior every single time. Elliott did nothing to disprove that theory.

Alfred Collins • DT

See Elliott, Jordan. (At least Collins is a rookie.)

Luke Farrell • TE 

So much for his revenge game — Farrell must still have some affinity for his former team, as his second-quarter fumble turned into seven points for Jacksonville one play later.

Jason Pinnock • S

It was only a matter of time before Pinnock burned the Niners — he’s been living on the edge for three weeks. His strange stutter-step dance move in front of Travis Etienne on the Jags running back’s 48-yard touchdown run was inexplicable and catastrophic, taking a bad play and turning it into the worst-case scenario.

49ers Special Teams 

Despite all the lip service and all the investment in special-teams-only players, they’re still not good.

The 49ers’ defensive front

Trevor Lawrence had all day to throw, as the Niners rarely pressured him (such snaps were so rare none come to mind — perhaps they never even happened) and registered zero quarterback hits.

Add in abysmal run defense — Etienne had 124 yards on 19 carries — and you had a front that was apparently totally held together by Nick Bosa.

Dominick Puni • RG

We have to keep including him because the 49ers continue to play him, but his right knee is clearly not right — he has no pop off the line whatsoever — and Jacksonville exploited it early and often.

He was worked off the line on the fateful strip fumble, so while Jake Brendel’s mark forced the fumble, the pocket had completely collapsed because of Puni.

Trent Williams • LT

If the Niners cannot run left, they cannot run the ball. They couldn’t run it left on Sunday. Ignore his cool block into the benches — Trent did not look like himself Sunday.

Brock Purdy • QB

It looked like the quarterback hadn’t played football in a few weeks. Sailed passes left right and center and was a beat or two behind on most plays. You can’t win with that at quarterback unless you post a brilliant team effort around it. That, of course, didn’t happen.

Jaguars 26, 49ers 21: Turnovers spoil Brock Purdy’s return in first loss of season

SANTA CLARA – Brock Purdy pounded his right fist into the turf at Levi’s Stadium midfield logo, having just been stripped of the ball for the 49ers’  fourth and most fateful turnover Sunday.

That essentially sealed their first loss of the season: 26-21 to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“I was mad over everything: the opportunity we had right there to get back in the game, and what we had done all day — and myself — with the ball. It’s frustrating,” said Purdy, who missed the previous two games with a toe injury.

The 49ers (3-1) won their first three games with four-quarter heroics. They bumbled away this one with four quarters full of mistakes, the most damning of which were turnovers, including two interceptions off Purdy and then his fumble amid a collapsing pocket with 2 minutes, 47 seconds left.

Their defense, in the wake of Nick Bosa’s season-ending knee injury last Sunday, allowed explosive runs and monotonously failed to pressure Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars allowed no sacks, no quarterback hits, and, most of all, no takeaways.

Even the 49ers’ special teams helped thwart a second-half comeback, with Parker Washington scoring on an 87-yard punt return for a 26-14 Jaguars lead 2:22 before the fourth quarter.

“We made a bunch of mistakes all over the field and still had a chance to win,” running back Christian McCaffrey said. “A lot of these mistakes are super uncharacteristic. We have to look ourselves in the mirror and move on because it’s a quick turnaround.”

Next up is the 49ers’ only Thursday game this season: a 5:15 p.m. date against the defending NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium.

The Jaguars (3-1) savored their first win in three all-time Bay Area visits. Their players helped separate coach Liam Coen from a postgame confrontation with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who on Thursday noted how adept the Jaguars are at legally stealing opponents’ signals.

Coach Kyle Shanahan shrugged off that scene, saying Coen should not be so sensitive. Shanahan has more pressing concerns.

The 49ers defense has no interceptions this season, marking an 11-game drought dating back to last season’s woeful finish.

Offensively, Purdy’s passes bounced off hands everywhere, including on both interceptions. He was 22-of-38 for 309 yards with two touchdown passes and the two interceptions.

“Myself included, we had a lot of drops for him, too,” McCaffrey said. “When we have those plays, it can be put on the quarterback but he did a great job out there.”

The first interception came when McCaffrey bobbled an over-the-shoulder attempt that Devin Lloyd picked off at the Jaguars’ 22-yard line. It was only in the second quarter, but Jacksonville converted it into a 4-yard touchdown pass from Lawrence to Hunter Long for a 14-3 lead.

On the 49ers’ previous possession, former Jaguars tight end Luke Farrell fumbled a catch near midfield, and the Jaguars scored on the next play with Travis Etienne’s 48-yard touchdown run putting them ahead 7-3.

The 49ers would trail the rest of the way. It didn’t help that two red zone drives in the first half produced chip-shot field goals from Eddy Pineiro (26 and 23 yards).

And yet a comeback seemed possible into the fourth quarter, especially once Purdy engineered a 92-yard touchdown drive with 7:41 remaining. He completed 5-of-6 passes for 75 yards on that drive which Jake Tonges capped with a 21-yard catch-and-run score. Purdy had converted third-down passes to McCaffrey (29 yards) and Kendrick Bourne (17 yards) before an 11-yard completion to Kyle Juszczyk and then Tonges’ touchdown.

Momentum stayed on the 49ers’ side as Jaguars’ Cam Little missed a 47-yard field-goal attempt with 3 ½ minutes to go.

Then came the 49ers’ last drive. Purdy threw for an 11th and final time to McCaffrey, and a 13-yard completion got them to midfield. One snap later, right guard Dominick Puni and center Jake Brendel caved to the Jaguars’ pass rush. Former 49ers mainstay Arik Armstead poked the ball from Purdy’s grasp, Lloyd decked Purdy from behind, and Foyesade Oluokun recovered the loose ball.

“It’s a day I’ll remember always, especially in my career,” said Armstead, the 49ers’ 2015 first-round pick who was released in March 2023 upon refusing a pay cut. “There’s gonna be certain games I’ll forget about, obviously playing a lot of football, but this won’t be one of those.”

Armstead got the Jaguars’ ceremonial game ball. Meanwhile, the 49ers’ four turnovers were their most since a 2023 Christmas night loss to Baltimore.

“We can’t do it. It’s the NFL. It starts with me, throwing better balls and being smart with the ball,” Purdy said. “… It hurts. It’s the NFL. If you give the ball away like that, teams will capitalize on it and the Jaguars did.”

Jacksonville’s ballhawks have secured at least three takeaways in each game this season.

McCaffrey finished with a team-high 92 receiving yards (six catches) but just 49 rushing yards (17 carries). He pulled the 49ers within 17-14 midway through the third quarter by scoring on an 8-yard shovel pass from Purdy, followed by Jauan Jennings hard-earned two-point conversion catch.

The 49ers’ best offensive play before halftime required a hook-and-lateral from Purdy to Ricky Pearsall to McCaffrey, for a 23-yard gain into the red zone, where that series ultimately ended with a 23-yard field goal from Pineiro 40 seconds before halftime. That was enough time for a 54-yard kick return to set up a 26-yard Cam Little field goal as the half ended.

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Pearsall would not be around for the fourth-quarter rally, from which he watched from the sideline due to what he called “instability” in his knee, which wasn’t the same knee he hurt last game.

Missing Bosa was a bigger deal, one they survived last Sunday with a 16-15 home-opening win over Arizona.

“We knew the challenges without having Nick. I wouldn’t say there was a certain feel that was noticeable,” Fred Warner said. “Of course you want one of your best players to be out there. I don’t know if they game planned us any different. I’ll have to watch the tape.”

 

Bob Melvin, SF Giants address manager’s job status after disappointing season

SAN FRANCISCO — Bob Melvin will know more about his job status on Monday.

That is when the Giants’ second-year manager will meet with club officials to review a season that ended Sunday afternoon with a 4-0 win over the Rockies. For now, Melvin remains under contract for 2026 after president Buster Posey guaranteed his club option in July.

“It is what it is,” Melvin said when asked about his situation following the game. “We’ll see what the next day brings.”

The Giants won their final four games to end the season on a positive note and clinch their second .500 finish in franchise history. However, they fell from as many 12 games above .500 and endured multiple lengthy losing streaks after the All-Star break.

There was a consensus in the clubhouse at the conclusion of the season: The Giants failed to play up to their potential, but the players blamed themselves, not their manager.

“You know how I feel about BoMel,” said third baseman Matt Chapman, who played five seasons for Melvin in Oakland. “I love him. I feel extremely grateful to play for him. He’s the same guy everyday. He’s been steady for us. He’s always honest with the players. He has our back. He’s done the best with what we’ve given him. The players, a lot of us didn’t play to our capabilities.”

The sentiment was echoed by Logan Webb, who prompted a stream of talk-radio discussion after his last start, when he criticized the team for not playing up to its potential. However, he clarified that he wasn’t calling for Melvin’s job.

“I know I said some things last time and I think they got misconstrued. It had nothing to do with BoMel,” Webb said after tossing 5⅓ shutout innings. “I think he’s amazing at what he does. At the end of the day it comes down to us being able to play better as players. I think everyone in here would say the exact same thing. BoMel is a great leader of men and it’s been amazing. I think BoMel’s great.”

Despite their shortcomings, the team only fell three wins shy of the final playoff spot in the National League. The Mets’ collapse continued unabated, but it was the Reds who took advantage and stole the third wild card.

The Giants pulled within half a game on September 12 but proceeded to lose nine of their next 11 games.

“I feel like we were way better than that,” said shortstop Willy Adames. “We had a really tough stretch after the break. It’s tough to come back from that. I feel like this year, it was either really good or really bad. When you play like that, it’s tough to feel good about the year.”

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Melvin’s job security likely hit its lowest point in late August, after the Giants dropped 11 of 13 games for the second time in the span of a month, dropping them six games below .500 and well out of the playoff picture. How they responded after, by winning 11 of their next 12, Melvin said was his most encouraging piece of the season. Whether it was enough to save his job will be revealed in the coming days.

Melvin, who turns 64 next month, has managed the Giants to a 161-163 record since taking over the reins of the team he grew up watching. In 22 seasons as a big-league manager, he has accumulated a 1,678-1,588 record, made eight playoff appearances and been named manager of the year three times.

Posey is set to address reporters Wednesday and should have a decision by then.

Adames was more lukewarm than his teammates when it came to Melvin’s future.

“That’s not my decision,” Adames said. “Whatever Buster thinks.”

SF Giants’ season finale finds meaning with milestones for Adames, Devers, Webb

SAN FRANCISCO — The big numbers coming into the Giants’ season finale were 163, 217 and 30.

Those were the respective figures that would define the day for Rafael Devers, Logan Webb and Willy Adames. Webb was gunning for the National League strikeout crown, Devers could achieve the rare feat of playing 163 games and Adames sought a milestone that has been equally evasive for Giants hitters: the 30-homer threshold.

All three were put to bed by the end of the first inning in an eventual 4-0 win Sunday against the Colorado Rockies.

Webb required four pitches to punch out the first batter of the game, Ezequiel Tovar, and went on to strike out the side, for good measure. Adames, moved into the leadoff spot, needed even less time. He attacked the first pitch he saw — a belt-high fastball from McCade Brown — and sent it on a line-drive trajectory over the 391 sign in center field.

With an exit velocity of 105.7 mph and a projected distance of 419 feet, Adames knew the ball was gone the moment it left his bat and, judging by his exaggerated celebration as he rounded the bases, was also well aware of the context of his 30th home run.

In the unlikely case you need a reminder: Adames became the first Giants hitter to reach 30 home runs in one season since Barry Bonds last did it in 2004. If it was not the franchise’s most infamous ongoing so-called curse, then it had to be second only to the run of 19 different left fielders on Opening Day since Bonds’ last year manning the position.

“Everybody was kind of waiting for that,” Adames said. “For me, it’s just more about the team winning. It’s cool, I guess, to break that curse.”

The milestone made Adames’ slow start to his Giants career a distant memory. It didn’t look possible until a late-season tear that took him from 19 home runs on August 21 to the precipice of 30 entering the final day of the season. Adames slugged nine home runs in 18 games but was stuck on 28 for nearly two weeks until he got No. 29 on Friday night.

With little else at stake on the final day of the season, Melvin decided to maximize his chances and moved him into the leadoff spot. Adames had reached 30 homers twice before with Milwaukee, but he had never left the yard to lead off a ballgame.

“Chappy looked at me, like, ‘He’s going deep on the first pitch,’ and you know what, he did,” Melvin said. “I’d like to say it surprised me. I originally had him (second) and I asked him, ‘Do you want to lead off?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’ So we put him in the leadoff spot and he hits a home run on the first pitch, which, we’ve gotten to know Willy a little bit, and he steps up in those situations.”

Willy Adames #2 of the San Francisco Giants celebrates with Heliot Ramos #17 after hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park on Sept. 28, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

If Adames couldn’t play all 162 games — he fell two short — then consider 30 home runs a pretty good consolation prize.

“He’s a great player, he wants to play everyday, but sometimes we need our days off,” said Devers, when asked about Adames before the game. The shortstop prides himself on his availability, but no, there was no resentment over Devers’ own accomplishment.

Devers, by way of his midseason trade from Boston, became the first player in MLB to appear in 163 games since Justin Morneau in 2008. The Red Sox had already played 73 games when Devers was traded on June 15, and he appeared in all 90 possible games with San Francisco. The feat of durability had been done only 34 times in major-league history but is even more rare to do so in Devers’ fashion, going from one team to another. The last player to do it without the help of a tiebreaker game was Todd Zeile in 1996.

“There were many days where I didn’t feel like playing, where my body didn’t respond. But guess what, that’s my job. I need to play. I need to be there every single day,” Devers said through team interpreter Erwin Higueros.

When he arrived from Boston, Devers’ reputation was clouded by the public dispute that led the Red Sox to trade him one year into a 10-year contract extension. He refused to play first base in Boston but has done whatever has been asked of him in San Francisco.

And, when Melvin approached him about playing No. 163, “he was all-in for that,” the manager said. “It’s important to him and he wants to do it. … He just likes to play baseball. If you get to know him at all, he’s got a smile on his face every day he’s at the ballpark. It’s what he loves to do.”

Going into next year, with top prospect Bryce Eldridge in the mix, Devers said he would “adapt to whatever they want me to do.” He put an exclamation point on his first year with the Giants, slugging a fourth-inning solo shot for his 20th homer since joining the club.

“He’s been as amenable as you could possibly be,” Melvin said. “He wants to be in there everyday. This is a guy that is going to be and important guy in this organization for a long period of time. We’re lucky to have him.”

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb throws against the Colorado Rockies during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Thien-An Truong)

The pair of home runs was all the support needed behind Webb, who put a ribbon on his season with 5⅓ shutout innings. He entered the day tied with Jesus Luzardo and Paul Skenes for the NL lead in strikeouts and finished with eight, giving him 224 for the season.

Together with his 207 innings pitched, Webb became the first Giant to lead the league in innings and strikeouts since Bill Voiselle in 1944.

“He’s just one of the premier pitchers in the game,” Melvin said before the game. “When you add up everything else, you know, the potential personal accolades – the innings pitched, the strikeouts – he’s a guy. A big-time pitcher.”

The Giants fell short of their goals this season, but they enter 2026 with a pretty good foundation in the form of Devers and Webb, who took on a larger workload than any of their peers and consistently performed along the way.

“(And) I mean, look at (Matt) Chapman,” Melvin added. “And Adames wants to play 162. Jung Hoo (Lee)’s gone through a full year. There are some core pieces here that are really good and those guys are all part of it.”

San Francisco Giants first baseman Wilmer Flores, left, walks off the field after being replaced by first baseman Bryce Eldridge (not shown) during the third inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Thien-An Truong)Flores gets farewell

One mainstay unlikely to be back next season is Wilmer Flores, who has taken on diminished role in the second half of the season and is set to be a free agent. Flores, 34, has been an integral part of the clubhouse who has taken on a variety of roles on the field — most notably, his ability to come through in clutch moments — since signing as a free agent before the 2020 season.

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Melvin, in his 22nd year as a big-league manager, said he has “as much respect for Wilmer Flores as anybody I’ve ever managed.”

Flores received a rare start at first base against a right-handed starting pitcher and got a standing ovation when Eldridge replaced him at first base to begin the third inning. He walked off the field to many hugs while the “Friends” theme song — Flores’ walkup music, which he used to help learn English — playing over the soundsystem.

“He deserve(d) to be at first today,” Melvin said before the game. “He’s been such a great teammate for this club ever since he’s been here. He’s a quiet leader. I’m sure he doesn’t have a lot to say to (the media), but he does in the clubhouse, in hitters meetings. And then to acclimate to whatever role that he has to deal with … and not complain about it, with the numbers he’s put up this year, it just shows you that he is the consummate teammate.”