Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 399

Construction crews begin $16 million restoration of historic Pigeon Point Lighthouse along the San Mateo Coast

The winds howled and the waves crashed 100 feet below as J.P. Pelletier, a burly union ironworker from Buffalo, New York, inched his way out onto dizzying scaffolding near the top of Pigeon Point Lighthouse, a historic brick landmark that has stood between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz for 153 years.

“You can see the decay on these things,” he said, pointing to ornate black metal first installed when Ulysses S. Grant was president. “This bracket is cracked all the way through. There’s corrosion here, and here and here. These are in pretty bad shape.”

Work to restore the lighthouse — a towering 115-foot-tall brick structure built in 1871 that has been beloved by millions of visitors for generations, but which was closed to the public in 2001 after it fell badly into disrepair — is moving forward in earnest this summer.

Covered in scaffolding for a $16 million restoration project, the Pigeon Point Lighthouse is silhouetted against the setting sun. Monday, July 3, 2024, in Pescadero, Calif. (Karl Mondon/ Bay Area News Group)

Under a $16 million project overseen by California’s state parks department, scaffolding went up a few months ago. Construction workers have begun methodically probing, testing and measuring the structure, which shares the title as tallest lighthouse on the West Coast with Point Arena Lighthouse in Mendocino County.

“We are starting at the top and working our way down,” said Roger Wykle, a former Coast Guard commander who is CEO of the Sustainable Group, a Moraga-based firm that was awarded the contract late last year. “Be patient with us. Work is being done. It is going to be worth it in the end.”

The job’s subcontractor, ICC Commonwealth, is a company based in Buffalo that has restored more than 100 lighthouses around the United States, including Cape Hatteras in North Carolina, Cape May in New Jersey and Tybee Island in Georgia. At Pigeon Point, its crew has a long to-do list.

Workers plan to replace failing bricks and masonry, repair the glass walls and railings in the lantern room, conduct interior repairs, and rebuild the black cast-iron braces around the top of the lighthouse that are so corroded an engineering report in 2009 described the tower’s upper levels as at risk of “catastrophic failure.”

Since they began the serious work in June, workers have been removing lead paint by hand, which in some places is 12 coats thick. They have pulled up the floors in the old wooden lightkeeper’s residence adjacent to the tower to seismically retrofit the building, from its walls and the chimneys.

Floorboards are exposed in the ground floor workspace of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, as the long-awaited restoration project on the 19th century structure is underway. (Karl Mondon/ Bay Area News Group)

Paint is stripped from the wood entrance at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse as restoration of the iconic 19th century structure is underway, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, on the San Mateo County coast. (Karl Mondon/ Bay Area News Group)

An iron balcony bracket atop the Pigeon Point Lighthouse is uncovered during restoration work on the 115-foot-tall landmark on the San Mateo County coast, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/ Bay Area News Group)

Roger Wykle, lead contractor on the Pigeon Point Lighthouse restoration project, tours the 115-foot-tall structure, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, on the San Mateo County coast. Wykle is president of the Moraga-based Sustainable Group. (Karl Mondon/ Bay Area News Group)

[image error]

Julie Barrow, special projects coordinator at Pigeon Point Light Station State Park, visits the watch room inside the 115-foot-tall structure undergoing restoration, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/ Bay Area News Group)

Show Caption1 of 5

Floorboards are exposed in the ground floor workspace of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, as the long-awaited restoration project on the 19th century structure is underway. (Karl Mondon/ Bay Area News Group)

Expand

They are identifying which of the 500,000 bricks in the lighthouse need replacing, which ancient mortar must be dug out, which ironwork is so badly rusted away that it must be duplicated with new stainless steel pieces.

A major part of the job will be to construct three reinforced concrete rings in the walls of the lighthouse to surround and strengthen the aging tower like belts and protect it from earthquakes.

“The iron is in the worst shape on the side that faces the ocean,” Pelletier said. “One hundred and fifty years of anything sitting in the marine environment, it just deteriorates.”

Work is scheduled to be completed in September 2025, said Julie Barrow, special projects coordinator for state parks.

“Every day, people ask us ‘What’s going on here?’ ‘Can we go inside?’ and ‘When will it be done?’” Barrow said.

For years, the lighthouse was a popular attraction, with tours taking schoolchildren up the 136 winding black iron stairs and docents dressed as 19th-century lightkeepers telling stories of California’s seafaring history. But after a large chunk of iron bracing fell off in 2001, state parks closed the building to the public.

Lighthouses are no longer critical for ship navigation. The tower had an automated Coast Guard beacon which was removed for construction but will be put back up.

Barrow said the decision hasn’t been made yet whether to allow the public back in when the work is finished. She said that there are considerations, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, that the state parks officials are still studying.

For many advocates, the project is a key part of preserving one of Northern California’s most stunning coastal treasures.

“This is an icon of the California coast,” said Randy Widera, programs director for the California State Parks Foundation, a nonprofit group that raised $3.5 million a decade ago to help fund emergency repairs.

“The lighthouse has incredible maritime history. It’s part of California’s sense of place. Everybody stops here when they are driving down the coast, from locals to people visiting from all over the world.”

For decades, the lighthouse was owned by the Coast Guard. Before that, lighthouses were a critical part of early California’s history.

“Until the Transcontinental Railroad was completed, the main way to get here from the East Coast was by sea,” Barrow said. “And most days you couldn’t see the coast because of the fog. Lighthouses were essential to help tell ship’s captains where they were.”

Pigeon Point is named for the Carrier Pigeon, a 175-foot-long wooden clipper ship that wrecked on the rocks along the San Mateo County coast in 1853 while en route from Boston to San Francisco.

The lighthouse had a few minor renovations in the 1960s, 1970s and early 1990s.

But then it endured more than 20 years of neglect.

In 2005, the Bush administration announced the federal government would transfer it to California’s state parks department as part of a public-private partnership that former Interior Secretary Gale Norton heralded as “nothing short of grand.”

But because of complexities in old real estate records and bureaucratic inaction, it took six years to transfer to state ownership. Then the State Parks Department, hamstrung by former Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget cuts, could not afford to fully restore the structure.]

When California’s budget reached a big surplus in 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers provided $18.9 million to fund the entire Pigeon Point restoration project.

On a recent day this week, visitors said they were happy to see work finally underway.

“It’s phenomenal out here,” said Stephanie Powell, visiting from San Diego with her mother, Laura. “The coast and the cove are beautiful, and the lighthouse is a real draw.”

Both said they hoped state parks leaders allow the public back in when the job is finished.

“I hope they let people back up to the top,” Laura Powell said. “I’ve been through lighthouses on the East Coast and in San Diego. The perspective at the top is so different than from the ground.”

JP Pelletier, site superintendent for the Pigeon Point Lighthouse restoration project, shows the condition of iron and brick near the top of the 115-foot-tall landmark on the San Mateo County coast, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/ Bay Area News Group)Sharp points on the ironwork of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse are wrapped in protective coverings near the top of the 115-foot-tall landmark on the San Mateo County coast, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/ Bay Area News Group)Tourists walk past the Pigeon Point Lighthouse as it undergoes restoration underneath its protective scaffolding, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/ Bay Area News Group)Scaffolding rises up around Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Monday, June 3, 2024, part of a $16 million renovation project of the iconic 19th-century structure on the rugged San Mateo coastline. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)Pigeon Point Lighthouse shines its light as a full moon sets off the San Mateo coast, Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020.The 115-foot-tall brick structure south of Half Moon Bay has finally been awarded full funding to complete an $18.9 million restoration. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

Trio of home runs power SF Giants to rare road series win over Reds

CINCINNATI — Bob Melvin laid out two imperatives in recent days.

The Giants needed to start racking up series wins, and they would have to do so on the road, where they have played the fifth-worst baseball of any team this season.

Romping over the Reds, 8-2, they checked both boxes Sunday afternoon.

Robbie Ray struck out nine over five innings while limiting the Reds to a pair of back-to-back solo home runs, and the Giants got their own power display from Matt Chapman, LaMonte Wade Jr. and Tyler Fitzgerald, whose homers accounted for all the runs San Francisco would need to secure a win in the series’ rubber game.

“To win our first series of the second half on the road is a good thing,” Melvin said afterward. “Now we’ve got a four-game series (against the Nationals), which is a little tougher to win, but we’re off to a good start and we know we have to play much better on the road if we’re going to end up going where we want to go.”

The Giants improved to 10-1 when hitting at least three home runs after dropping their first such game the previous night.

Taking two of three, the Giants (56-57) earned their first series win away from Oracle Park since this time last month and created some separation at the bottom of the National League wild card race. They now lead the Reds (53-58) by two games but still trail four teams with four games separating them from playoff position.

“Every game is valuable. If we keep winning series, we’re going to be in a good spot at the end of the year,” said Chapman, who matched his home run total from last season in 30 fewer games with his team-leading 17th of the year. “Winning this series, going into tomorrow with some momentum now, and start that series off the right way. It’s going to be a dogfight until the very end for us.”

The score was tied at 2 when Wade stepped to the plate against Cincinnati starter Carson Spiers to lead off the sixth inning, and one pitch later the Giants held a one-run lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. Wade lined a knee-high sinker just high enough but plenty hard — 107.7 mph off the bat — to clear the wall in right field.

It was a close enough call that Melvin wasn’t sure if it was going out.

“I didn’t think so initially,” he said. “But it’s a good place to hit here.”

The home run was Wade’s fourth of the season and his first since July 2, a 19-game drought. It was one of 11 home runs around the majors this season with a launch angle of 17 degrees or less, and together with his towering 50-degree blast in May gives him the Giants’ highest home run of the Statcast era and their lowest since 2015.

“It looks like he’s in his legs a little bit more,” Melvin said of Wade, who finished with three hits. “(He’s) gonna start driving some balls.”

Chapman’s two-run blast that tied the score in the fourth was no wall-scraper, leaving his bat at 109.1 mph and traveling an estimated 421 feet to straightaway center.

It was Chapman’s second home run in as many games and — if you count his Little League homer Friday (a double and two errors in the scorebook) — his third of the series. In 11 games since July 24, Chapman is batting .357 (15-for-41) with four homers, four doubles, eight RBIs, 10 runs scored and seven walks.

Fitzgerald’s 11th of the season — and 10th in his past 16 games — padded the advantage in the eighth, driving in Wade after his second hit of the game. Michael Conforto doubled home two more and then traded places with Jerar Encarnacion to make it a five-run inning, more than they had totaled in any of their previous four games.

“We ended up opening up what was a really close game for a while,” Melvin said. “But obviously the Wade homer was huge.”

Robbie Ray #23 of the San Francisco throws a pitch against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Aug. 4, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Lowering his ERA to 4.40 in three starts since returning from Tommy John surgery, Ray was dominant other than for a stretch of two batters — two pitches, really — in the second inning. After Stuart Fairchild went down swinging for the second out, Jeimer Candelario connected with an 0-1 heater to open a 1-0 lead, and Santiago Espinal sent the next pitch — another fastball — into the seats to make it 2-0.

“Even the two home runs, I felt like I made pretty good pitches,” Ray said. “I feel like everything is starting to come together. The walks were down today. Command was better. My last start (allowing three home runs) was more of a learning start, how to pitch through not feeling great and fighting my delivery a little bit.

“Today I felt really good. … I threw some really good curveballs. Some good sliders. Fastball was good. Guys are going to hit home runs, even on pitches that are exactly where you want to throw them, so I think just being able to refocus, get back in the zone and not shy away from contact was the biggest thing.”

The Reds put only two other runners on base against Ray and stranded men at third base in three separate innings, including Elly De La Cruz twice.

In the third, De La Cruz reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced to third when Curt Casali’s throw on his stolen base attempt sailed into center field but was stranded there when Ty France bounced out to Wade at first base. In the sixth, he represented the tying run when T.J. Friedl hit a slow roller toward Chapman.

Similar to his game-saving play earlier this season in New York, Chapman charged the ball, barehanded it and fired an accurate sidearm throw just in time to first base to end the inning. While the stakes weren’t quite as high — in the sixth inning compared to the ninth — the degree of difficulty may have been even higher. Melvin noted this one was hit with some funky backspin.

“It was slow, but I knew it was a do-or-die play,” Chapman said. “I was just trying to get a grip on it. I got a good grip on it as soon as I grabbed it. I knew it was spinning, so I tried to just play it on the spin. Once I got it, I just threw as hard as I could from down there.”

It was Espinal who used his dynamic speed to reach third in the fifth, swiping two bases after a leadoff single.

Related ArticlesSan Francisco Giants | SF Giants notes: Encarnacion’s wild trip back to MLB, Ramos’ injury and improvements in the running game San Francisco Giants | SF Giants’ run of shutouts ends in 6-4 loss to Reds San Francisco Giants | Even if SF Giants’ rotation is ‘best in baseball,’ can it lead them to the postseason? San Francisco Giants | San Francisco Giants | Blake Snell no-hitter: SF Giants’ 10 no-nos since moving west

All it would have taken was an opportunistic ball in play to push across Espinal with less than two outs, but Ray reared back and struck out the next three hitters. He slowly backpedaled off the mound after powering a fastball past Jonathan India to end the inning with his ninth strikeout of the afternoon.

The pitch was clocked at 97.3 mph, his fastest of the day by a full mile-an-hour and his hardest fastball since undergoing major elbow surgery and missing 16 months.

“In that moment I kind of knew that I was coming to the end of the rope and just tried to reach back for a little bit more and see how much I had in the tank,” Ray said. “I felt like it came out pretty good, looked up and saw 97 and was pretty happy with it.”

Notable

Catcher Jakson Reetz had a locker in the visitors’ clubhouse with Curt Casali expected to go on the paternity list.

Up next

The Giants are off to Washington, D.C., where they will finish up their road trip with four games against the Nationals. RHP Logan Webb (8-8, 3.49) gets the ball in Game 1 against LHP Patrick Corbin (2-11, 5.88) on Monday (3:45 p.m. PT), RHP Hayden Birdsong (3-0, 2.97) will be recalled to start Tuesday and LHP Blake Snell (1-3, 4.29) will make his first start since his no-hitter on Wednesday before LHP Kyle Harrison (6-4, 3.69) goes Thursday in the series finale.

Torres sisters to compete for team Mexico in lacrosse world championships

PACIFIC GROVE – Video meetings have been used as a form of practice. Watching film or video clips of their new teammates for Team Mexico has helped provide an idea of their skill set.

Yet, until Pacific Grove residents Gabby and Macey Torres arrive in Hong Kong on Aug. 11, there won’t be any face-to-face dialogue for the two lacrosse phenoms to prepare for a world-stage event.

“Because (the team members) are spread out across two countries, we have not had an actual physical practice,” Gabby Torres said. “All our information is coming on video and Zoom calls.”

The sisters – three years apart in age – will be part of Team Mexico, which will compete in the Youth 20-under World Lacrosse Championships.

Gabby Torres played for Colorado College last season. (Photo by Charlie Lengal III)

In its infant stages with women’s lacrosse, Mexico will face Scotland, Italy, New Zealand and Australia in its bracket as it attempts to put the sport on the global map.

“It’s not super popular down there right now,” Gabby Torres said. “The goal is to build that and provide exposure. It’s an Olympic sport in four years.”

Because the sport is relatively new in Mexico, a majority of the players who were named to the team now live in the United States, have a Mexican heritage and have college experience.

Macey Torres is one of the exceptions, as the 17-year-old will be a senior this fall at Stevenson – and is also one of the youngest players on the team.

“I have played on older teams my entire career,” the younger Torres said. “I have played with my sister on club teams since the sixth grade. It’s really nothing new for me.”

Playing against some of the best under-20 players in the world does create nervous tension, as the sport has surged in other parts of the globe besides the United States.

“It was pretty scary in the beginning because there were a lot of logistical things to figure out to play for Mexico,” Macey Torres said. “There will be some nerves, but mainly excitement.”

The two siblings were selected when Gabby Torres received an email from her club coach informing her that there were spots available for Team Mexico.

It didn’t hurt that the older Torres, who just turned 20, had spent a season at Colorado College, where one of the assistants is an assistant coach for Team Mexico.

“My sister and I sent some film and highlight reels to the coaches,” said Gabby Torres, who transferred to UC Davis, where she will be a sophomore attacker this coming season. “The coaches said you pretty much have a spot.”

What the Torres sisters did after being chosen was get dual citizenship, with a desire to play for the country on a national level in future world events.

“There are a certain number of players on the national team that can be non-passport holders,” Gabby Torres said. “We realized getting dual citizenship allows us to play in later competitions.”

For the now the focus shifts to the present, where the pair will be reunited on the field in a couple of weeks on one of the sport’s biggest platforms at the World Championships.

While Gabby Torres is a scoring machine, Macey is a defensive demon who can come up and play in the midfield.

Macey, who stands two inches shorter than her sister at 5-foot-3, doesn’t believe learning each other tendencies and strengths will take much time.

Macey Torres will be a senior this fall at Stevenson. (Courtesy photo)

“I actually think the Zoom meetings have helped,” Macey Torres said. “When you go in with more experienced players, playing together for the first time won’t be a difficult transition.”

But both expect there will be a period of growing pains, particularly with communication as each player gets a feel for each other, the speed and the execution of an attack.

As beneficial as the Zoom meetings have been in building a bond, they can’t duplicate repetitions in practice or create immediate cohesiveness.

“I imagine there will be a lot of dropped passes in the first practice,” Gabby Torres said. “Sure it will be a little awkward in the beginning. Everyone plays differently. Everyone has kept themselves in shape.”

The older Torres believes part of adapting to new teammates and new surroundings is perhaps adjusting her own style to fit in.

“Sometimes changing the way you play to help everyone work together helps run things a little smoother,” Gabby Torres said.

While both sisters have tasted success on title teams at Stevenson, each are fierce competitors who bring a tenacious and fiery attitude with a winning pedigree to the squad.

“The ultimate goal for everyone is to win,” Macey Torres said. “At the same time, we’re building the sport in this country. There’s no reason to believe we can’t be competitive with this group.”

The caliber of play that the younger Torres – who will join her sister at Davis in 2025 – gains from playing at a national level will be invaluable going into her senior season at Stevenson.

“Just facing elite competition is going to help me so much in my growth,” said Macey Torres, who also plays field hockey in the fall at Stevenson. “It will help with my leadership abilities. I can pass along what I learn to my teammates.”

In watching clips of her teammates, Gabby Torres doesn’t believe talent will be an issue for Team Mexico. Communication will be the key once the games begin.

“Talking on the field is super important,” Gabby Torres said. “That helps build confidence. The connection doesn’t happen when we’re all silent on the field.”

In an effort to strengthen their bond on and off the field, there are activities planned between games, including a trip to Hong Kong Disneyland.

“The older girls have some activities when we get there,” Macey Torres said. “We are all here for the same reasons. We’re here because we love the sport.”

Not lost on the both sisters is lacrosse becoming an Olympic sport in 2028, where the Summer Games will be held in Los Angeles.

Gabby Torres will be eligible for the Mexican senior team next year, while her sister will be of age by 2028.

“Honestly, yeah, I have thought about it,” Gabby Torres said. “I think a chance to compete in the Olympics is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. The percentage is very small. It would be amazing.”

Looking back: Heading to a happy home

Local Books: Seduction by the sea

Raised in a community where growing fields carpet the valley floor, warmed by a relentless sun, cooled by Pacific breezes and sheltered by two mountain ranges to the east and west, Maria Best grew up spending her hours in nature, “forest bathing” and seashore soaking.

Today she operates in partnership with nature to enhance the wellbeing of people.

Best is a certified nature and forest therapy guide, board-certified professional organizer, and Feng shui practitioner who specializes in biophilic design — a focus on creating spaces based on connectivity to the natural environment. A self-proclaimed spacial-wellness practitioner, Best says she owns the term but recognizes that it resonates with many people.

“Through the pillars that support my spacial-wellness practices, I offer classes to help people clear out their environment, implement a system and structure that facilitates their daily lives, and get out into the forest to clear their hearts and minds. I, myself, have found intense clarity and creativity since I started offering these classes.”

Best’s voicemail message says she may be helping someone clear out a closet or quiet their mind or find solace and space among the trees.

Based on a desire to reach a wider audience with her messages and to explore the complexities of the writing world, Best has written “Come to Me, Called the Sea.”

“This book showed up in me during a morning walk at Moss Landing,” she said. “It sat with me for a year and a half and would not leave me alone. The process of creating this book was unexpected, unique. I didn’t sit down to write this; it just happened. The seashore whispered to me and said, ‘Please share this.’”

Admittedly, Best felt rather exposed, vulnerable even, as she developed what she considers a very personal and yet simple, rhythmic, shoreline adventure, suitable for any age and audience.

“As I wrote and as I finished the story, and even after it was published,” she said, “I’ve been working hard to not put my own definition on what it’s supposed to be and, instead, trusting what it is and what it will be for those who read it.”

The surface structure of “Come to Me, Called the Sea,” the words on the page and what they say, follows the path taken by a girl who awakens to the sun and feels inspired to spend the morning at the seashore. The deep structure or what it all means as she experiences her adventure, is up to the reader to interpret through their own lens.

“I believe this story, complemented by the beautiful pen-and-ink illustrations by my niece, artist Al Best, is an invitation to connect with beings in an around the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary,” said Best, “and the numerous adventures that await there. It’s also a super vulnerable thing to do, and I was glad to partner with my niece on this special project.”

Indoor & outdoor inspirations

Growing up in Salinas, in an environment that may have felt familiar but not natural to Best, she spent her early years trying to create a sense of order in a disorganized and cluttered home, already understanding she needed to be housed in a more personal and sacred space.

“My childhood also was a time,” she said, “when I subconsciously began my life-long relationship with books and the outdoors. It was in the meadows and among the trees where I could always find stillness and calm. It wasn’t uncommon to find me hiding in a tree, reading Alice in Wonderland while eagerly searching for a rabbit hole to fall into.”

Understanding the chaos of a cluttered environment versus the calm that comes when we have no more than we need, Best launched her business in 2019, at first, to help people consolidate their living spaces. Yet, as she was helping to organize their lives, she identified blockages behind the clutter. She began training in the philosophy and practices of Feng shui — a method of balancing yin and yang, of improving the flow and function of a space—and forest bathing, a mediative ritual that goes beyond hiking or trail walking through the trees, to become more “grounded” as a way to quiet our minds and access the wisdom of the natural world.

Imagine the energy difference between hailing a taxi in Manhattan and hiking through Pfeiffer State Park, the Mitteldorf Preserve, or along the Ribera Beach Coastal Trail, she says.

“There is such simplicity in the beauty of living a life that is meaningful to us and to the people around us,” Best said. “There is something deeply powerful in tending to our family and loved ones and caring for one another. We are so easily disconnected from people; we need to gather ‘round the fire instead of needing to put them out. Part of my book is simply an invitation to slow down and see what is natural and right and beautiful.”

Maria Best wants people to care about our planet, our home, to be in love with it.

“People protect what they love, which needs to be our natural world. Without that,” she said, “we are not respecting its beauty and generosity. It wants to care for us, and this needs to be reciprocal. Imagine if we could begin each day with, ‘How do I care for my planet today’?’

Maria Best’s book, “Come to Me, Called the Sea,” is a poetic invitation to connect with ourselves by experiencing what it feels like to spend time in our natural environment. It is, she says, that simple.

Best and her services are available through lookingforspacesolutions.com. Her book, “Come to Me, Called the Sea,” is available at River House Books and through Amazon.

175 fall athletes to watch over 50 days

Marcos Mendoza, North County: An off-season in the weight room and on the track has turned Mendoza into a muscular, yet explosive tailback coming into the fall.

Mendoza chalked up over 500 yards and five touchdowns on the ground last year, while serving as an elite defensive back for North County, providing depth in the secondary.

Raju David, Marina: While used as a running back on occasion last year, David is a promising outside linebacker that goes out and just makes plays.

The senior will be one of the heartbeats on the Mariners defense, with the willingness to fly to the football. While limited, he did average over 20 yards a catch last year.

Alexander Frederick, Carmel: Evolving in the crease last fall for the Padres water polo team, the goalie finished with 80 saves between the pipes.

Doubling as a goalie in the spring in lacrosse, Frederick relied on his instincts to swat shots on goal out, directing a defense that held six teams to six goals or less in water polo.

SF Giants notes: Encarnacion’s wild trip back to MLB, Ramos’ injury and improvements in the running game

CINCINNATI — Pretty cool first couple days back in the big leagues for Jerar Encarnacion, who started the year in the Mexican League.

Took part in a no-hitter one night. Slugged a home run the next.

At least one of those has become routine for the hulking 26-year-old outfielder. After he went unsigned this past winter, Encarnacion caught on with Oaxaca and homered 19 times in 26 games, then slugged 10 more after joining Triple-A Sacramento in June.

But almost two years — 686 days — separated Encarnacion’s third and fourth career major-league home runs.

Arriving at Great American Ballpark on Friday, Encarnacion stepped out of the dugout and looked around, taking in the big-league setting, and so happened to cross paths with rookie reliever Spencer Bivens, who took an even more winding path to the Giants’ bullpen.

“It takes a lot of mental toughness,” Bivens said. “I admire his work ethic. I don’t really know how he wasn’t picked up, but I’m sure glad we got him.”

Like Encarnacion last winter, Bivens didn’t have a single team reach out when his time at Division III Rogers State came to an end in 2018. He went to France — his only opportunity to play professionally — and eventually made it back to independent ball, which is where the Giants found him in May 2022.

In June, two weeks before his 30th birthday, Bivens made his MLB debut. With a 2.08 ERA in 21⅔ innings over 10 appearances, he has since established himself to the point that the Giants were comfortable moving on from Luke Jackson at the trade deadline.

Bivens sees at least one parallel between their long roads.

“Just that we got here,” he said. “It took whatever it took to get here, but we got here.”

Ramos’ thumb

Encarnacion was subbed out for Mike Yastrzemski for the final two innings of Blake Snell’s no-hitter Friday night, but he was the late-game substitution the following night, only homering after taking over for Heliot Ramos in the top of the seventh inning.

Ramos was forced from the game with a jammed right thumb that he has been dealing with for about a week.

While it hasn’t yet merited a stint on the injured list, Ramos said the injury compromised him enough at the plate to come out of the game after his plate appearance in the top of the sixth. He struck out swinging, and Ramos said, “I didn’t even want to hit the ball.”

Ramos said he originally suffered the injury last Saturday during the Giants’ doubleheader against the Rockies. He got two days off and said it felt “fine” on Tuesday, “but then it just kept happening.” He got jammed twice Friday night, he said, “and it got worse.”

Since last Saturday, Ramos has been limited to three hits — all singles — in 21 at-bats with seven strikeouts, dropping his OPS to .835, its lowest point since the start of June, before he began mounting his campaign to eventually become an All-Star.

“He was feeling it on at least every at-bat tonight,” manager Bob Melvin said after Saturday’s 6-4 loss. “We’ll see where we are with him tomorrow.”

On the bases

When they hit the road, the Giants understood their improvements in controlling opponents’ running games would be put to the test.

The Reds lead the majors with 156 stolen bases, and right behind them are the Washington Nationals, the Giants’ next foe, with 154.

“You know you’re going to give up some stolen bases to these guys,” Melvin said before Friday’s game. “It’s part of who they are. Each team has strengths and weaknesses. That’s definitely a strength of theirs.”

Related ArticlesSan Francisco Giants | Trio of home runs power SF Giants to rare road series win over Reds San Francisco Giants | SF Giants’ run of shutouts ends in 6-4 loss to Reds San Francisco Giants | Even if SF Giants’ rotation is ‘best in baseball,’ can it lead them to the postseason? San Francisco Giants | San Francisco Giants | Blake Snell no-hitter: SF Giants’ 10 no-nos since moving west

Keeping opponents in check on the bases had not been a strength of Melvin’s squad for much of this season, despite possessing catcher Patrick Bailey, who has some of the league’s quickest pop times and one of its strongest throwing arms.

Through the first three months of the season, the Giants had thrown out only 18 of 107 attempted base stealers, a 16.8% success rate, but since the start of July have nabbed more than they have not, 13 of 20, including MLB’s leading base stealer Elly De La Cruz (55 in 66 attempts) with the assist of a pitchout in the first inning Saturday night.

“I think early on we weren’t as good about holding on runners,” said Melvin, a former catcher. “Now (Bailey) tries to be too quick and there were therefore some throws that aren’t as accurate as you’re seeing right now.

“As a catcher, you’ve got a pretty good idea when that ball’s coming to you whether or not you’ve got a chance to throw somebody out. When you feel like you’re up against it, you try to rush and do some things maybe mechanically that are not going to serve you well,” Melvin said. “So we’ve been much better in our times to the plate and therefore he hasn’t had to be so quick and his mechanics are better. When he throws it on the bag, he’s going to throw some guys out.”

Horoscopes Aug. 4, 2024: Cole Sprouse, entertain your way forward

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Cole Sprouse, 32; Dylan Sprouse, 32; Meghan Markle, 43; Barack Obama, 63.

Happy Birthday: Stay in touch with your people. Surrounding yourself with positive, upbeat support will encourage strength and a positive attitude to help you achieve your goals this year. Use your charm and entertain your way forward. Having the right frame of mind will make a difference in how well you fare this year. Be the sunshine in the room and prosper. Your numbers are 9, 14, 22, 29, 35, 38, 46.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You must get in the game to win. Don’t sit back and let others decide for you. Step up and work toward your objective. Consider what’s possible, and don’t hesitate to act. Change begins with you; set a budget and proceed with the intent to complete your mission. 5 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Keep your emotions in the background and let your charm and intelligence carry you forward with dignity and good intentions. Wait to reveal your plans until you are ready to launch, and forego outside interference. Rely on yourself to choose the path that’s most comfortable and accommodating. 2 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You know how to get things done; stop letting insecurity cause hesitation. Size up situations and look for a simple, direct way forward. Drop any notion or suggestion that complicates matters, and you’ll feel comfortable with your choices and the outcome. Romance is favored. 4 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Establish what you can do to satisfy your needs. Don’t leave anything to chance; create the path that leads from where you are to where you want to be. The life you want doesn’t just happen. It takes a little work and ingenuity. 3 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Evaluate situations before venturing down a path of no return. Refuse to let anger set in when a smile, kind word or gesture will help you get your way. Participate, make a difference and supercharge your day with activities that bring out your best traits. 3 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Sit tight and keep watching, analyzing and planning your next move. Haste makes waste, and intelligence outmaneuvers brute force today. Hit the reset button if something isn’t working for you and approach it from a different angle. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. 3 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): An open mind will carry you to the finish line. Don’t fear or dodge change; put your dreams in motion. Reach out and charm those with something to contribute; you will make your way forward. Stop dreaming and turn your attention to being a self-starter. 4 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Spend time working toward something meaningful. Improving yourself and your relationship with someone or following a creative path that awakens the spirit within will help you overcome adversity and master peace of mind. A lifestyle shift will have a positive impact on what happens next. 2 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Investigate your options and direct your energy into altering what interferes with your progress. Look at the logistics of situations, including money, skills and how you see yourself moving forward. Add to your qualifications. 5 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Rethink your financial strategy and consider how to lower your overhead and address personal needs that lack sufficiency. Revisit your aspirations and how to fund achieving the outcome you desire. Hard work and dedication will pay off. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Put your power where it counts. Focus on what you want, and continue until you reach your goal. Everyone may not appreciate the changes you make at home, but if you satisfy your needs, carry on and let those expecting too much fend for themselves. Put yourself first. 3 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Take notes, get promises in writing and don’t let anyone decide or answer for you. A change is overdue, but interference is likely if you are too open regarding your plans. Pay attention to detail, put everything in place and present your plans with enthusiasm. 3 stars

Birthday Baby: You are quick, enthusiastic and intelligent. You are comprehensive and curious.

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.

Want a link to your daily horoscope delivered directly to your inbox each weekday morning? Sign up for our free Coffee Break newsletter at mercurynews.com/newsletters or eastbaytimes.com/newsletters. 

Pro soccer: Trager’s late goal enables Union to play Tampa Bay to a 2-2 draw

SEASIDE — Playing its first match without the only head coach the franchise has had — emotions were fiery Saturday night in Monterey Bay F.C.’s return to the pitch.

Ownerships decision to relieve head coach and sporting director Frank Yallop, along with Salinas native and assistant Ramiro Corrales or their duties 72 hours earlier left a void in the locker room at Cardinale Stadium.

While a new direction begins Monday when the Union are expected to announce a new coach, players put the distraction aside, using a goal from Tristan Trager in stoppage time to salvage a 2-2 tie with Eastern Conference power Tampa Bay.

Whether the Union’s inspired effort on the pitch was a tribute to Yallop, or a welcome gift for interim coach and former teammate Simon Dawkins, they produced a point against the third best team in the United Soccer League Championship.

The point was significant for Monterey Bay F.C., who moved into a tie for seventh in the Western Conference with 27 points at 7-9-6. The top eight teams in each conference advance to the postseason.

For just the sixth time in 22 matches this year, the Union manufactured more than one goal, where they are 3-0-3 when putting two or more goals between the pipes.

Monterey Bay F.C. came into the match have mustered just 19 goals in its first 21 matches — having been blanked eight times this year. By comparison, the Rowdies have scored 37 goals.

Trager, who leads the Union in goals in his first season, produced his seventh in extra time when he drilled one through the back of the net.

Moments earlier, Tampa Bay had taken a 2-1 lead on a penalty kick. Monterey Bay F.C. has given up the third most penalty kicks in the USL this season.

For all the struggles that the Union have endured since a 4-1-1 start to the season, the third-year franchise did improve to 4-2-5 at Cardinale Stadium this season, where they have six more matches among their 12 remaining.

The Union scored the matches first goal when Alex Dixon sent one through the net in the 28th minute for his third goal of the season. Last year the forward set the single-season school record with 12 goals.

No one has been more valuable for Monterey Bay F.C. this season than 6-foot-6 goalie Antony Siaha, who came into the match leading the USL in saves with 78. He added seven more to his resume.

Monterey Bay F.C. entered the match 0-2 lifetime against Tampa Bay, who sits in third place in the Eastern Conference with 39 points.

Despite its struggles this season, the Union have notable wins over defending USL champion Phoenix and Western Conference leader New Mexico, while playing 2023 USL finalist Charleston and Tampa Bay to draws.

SF Giants’ run of shutouts ends in 6-4 loss to Reds

CINCINNATI — There was no way Kyle Harrison was going to one-up what his veteran rotation-mates, Blake Snell and Logan Webb, had accomplished the past two days. It wasn’t realistic to expect him to come close. Two teams in the past 40 years had strung together three consecutive shutouts from their starting pitchers, and neither incorporated a fresh-faced rookie.

It wasn’t Harrison who briefly had Great American Ballpark on no-hitter alert for the second straight evening.

For as dominant as Snell was Friday night, Reds third-year All-Star Hunter Greene was nearly as electric while handing the Giants a 6-4 loss.

Greene punched out 11 batters while blanking the Giants (55-57) for six innings. The only batter to muster a hit off Greene was Michael Conforto, whose two-out single in the fourth broke up Greene’s no-hit bid and who later contributed one of three homers off Cincinnati’s bullpen that cut the final margin to two.

“You’re down, what, 6-0, and all of a sudden they’ve got their closer in the game,” manager Bob Melvin said of his team’s late push that came up short. “It’s something we’ve done all year. We just refuse to quit in those types of games. Look, when you walk away from a game like that — you’re down 6-0 — you take something from it, it was the fight that we had.”

Newcomer Jerar Encarnacion, who took over for Heliot Ramos in the seventh inning, added a solo shot in the eighth, his first home run since being called up from Triple-A Sacramento before Friday’s game. But the Giants were held to four or fewer runs for their fourth consecutive game and the 15th time in their past 21 games.

“It was special because I started the year in Mexico, so I’m excited to be back here,” said Encarnacion, who slugged 19 homers in 26 games for Oaxaca in the Mexican League before the Giants picked him up after getting no major- or minor-league offers over the winter. “I believed in me the whole time and believed in God first.”

At the Giants’ recent pace, it would have taken a multi-day scoring output to overcome the hole they were put in by Harrison, who allowed more hard contact in his first inning than in the entirety of Snell’s outing the previous night. Benefitting from a pitch out that allowed Patrick Bailey to prevent Elly De La Cruz from swiping his 56th bag, Harrison escaped the inning unscathed but it proved to only be a sign of things to come.

Cincinnati tagged him for four home runs, including two from catcher Tyler Stephenson, and chased him from the game with two outs in the fourth inning. The six runs he allowed matched a career-high, in 6-1 loss to the Padres last September, the only other occasion he surrendered four home runs.

When Jonathan India belted a hanging slurve into the second deck of the left field seats in the second inning, it marked the first run allowed by a Giants starter since Tuesday’s loss to the A’s, 19 innings ago. After Webb’s complete game shutout Wednesday and Snell’s no-hitter on Friday, Harrison said, “I definitely want to live up to the expectations of the guys who pitched so good the previous days.

“Going into it, it was definitely in the back of my mind. But I wasn’t thinking about their games because it’s different. You want to go good and make it late in games like they have been, so definitely frustrating that I didn’t do that today.”

Harrison allowed six total runs in four July starts and had reeled off 16 innings his previous three times on the mound while limiting opponents to two runs. His strong run came after lasting only 3⅓ innings in a July 6 loss at Cleveland, the only other time this season he has failed to complete five innings.

In his last start, Harrison came one out away from matching the longest start of his career while striking out 11 over 6⅔ one-hit innings. Before Saturday’s game, manager Bob Melvin mentioned the 22-year-old rookie had pitched more efficiently lately while saying he was “on his way to pitching a little bit deeper in games.”

Given an extra day of rest entering Saturday’s start, though, Harrison showed signs of wear and tear from the very beginning. In addition to the hard contact, Harrison’s fastball registered multiple sub-90 mph readings and by his last batter had recorded the three slowest fastballs he’d thrown this season.

It didn’t concern Melvin, who chalked it up to just an off night.

“He pitches with better velo sometimes and at times he’s been able to pitch when it hasn’t been great,” he said. “He was just behind a lot today, and I don’t think his breaking ball was as sharp as we’ve seen it, either. Some days you just don’t have your best stuff.”

The Giants placed their postseason hopes in the hands of a five-man rotation that showed the previous two days it could live up to its billing as the best in baseball but that also features two rookies in Harrison and Hayden Birdsong nearing career-high workloads.

Harrison threw 102⅓ innings last season between all levels, a total he will surpass the next time he takes the mound.

Asked if he has another six weeks in him, Harrison said, “100%. …

“I felt so good my last start and like I was trending upward. Really just a bad start today. Not a lot of things I can say I did well. … In the ‘pen, I threw some that weren’t coming out quite as well, but I didn’t think about it too much. It wasn’t the best day in terms of feeling good, but I can still compete when I’m out there and I didn’t compete as much as I’d like to today.”

Every game matters with the Giants’ precarious position in the National League wild card race, and the loss sent them 4½ games back of the Mets (58-51), who hold the final of three spots and were still in progress against the Angels in Los Angeles. In between them in the standings, the Cardinals (57-54) already won, and the Padres (59-52), Pirates (55-54) and Diamondbacks (59-51) were still in action at the final out.

Related ArticlesSan Francisco Giants | Even if SF Giants’ rotation is ‘best in baseball,’ can it lead them to the postseason? San Francisco Giants | San Francisco Giants | Blake Snell no-hitter: SF Giants’ 10 no-nos since moving west San Francisco Giants | Dominant Blake Snell tosses 10th no-hitter in SF Giants history to beat Reds San Francisco Giants | Mark Canha, Jerar Encarnacion join SF Giants as team seeks offensive spark

The loss also prevented San Francisco from reaching .500 for the first time since it was 29-29 on May 31.

The Giants have since had seven opportunities to get to .500 but have lost all seven games.

“We didn’t do it tonight,” Melvin said. “So we move on and win a series tomorrow. I think if we win the series tomorrow we’ll feel pretty good about what we’ve done here.”

Notable

Ramos had been battling a jammed right thumb and exited the game after striking out in the bottom of the sixth. The club did not immediately provide a reason for his departure.

Up next

LHP Robbie Ray (1-1, 4.82), who became the only other Giants’ starter to allow three home runs in his previous start, will look to rebound in the rubber match of the series against RHP Carson Spiers (4-2, 3.46). First pitch is extra early — 9:05 a.m. PT — with the game airing exclusively on Roku.