Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 424

Podziemski, Jackson-Davis join Summer League squad as Warriors hoist Mitch Richmond Trophy

SAN FRANCISCO — Every offseason, there are players who quickly prove they’re too good for Summer League ball. Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis each have a strong shot to become quick graduates, but it’ll take more than their performance Wednesday.

Podziemski and Jackson-Davis, Golden State’s two rookie standouts from last year, joined the Summer League action at the Chase Center to close out the Warriors’ California Classic. They returned from USA Select Team training to the Bay for one game and are expected to ship back out to Las Vegas for more Summer League play.

If they play to their capabilities, there may not be much of a point in them sopping up exhibition minutes.

Podziemski (15 points, four rebounds, four assists) and Jackson-Davis (11 points, six rebounds) didn’t dominate, but they did just enough to help the Warriors hold off a furious second-half rally from Sacramento. The Kings went on a 21-3 run to trim Golden State’s 21-point lead and tied the game with 25 seconds left, but a free throw from Podziemski finished Sacramento off, 91-90. Kevin Knox II supplied a team-high 21 points.

“It was really good to see our team respond after getting punched in the mouth,” head coach Anthony Vereen said postgame. “It’s easy to be the bully, but sometimes we’ve got to fight back. That’s what we did.”

After the narrow escape victory, the Warriors hoisted the inaugural Mitch Richmond trophy — awarded to the winner of the Battle of NorCal Summer League game between the Warriors and Kings.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ win.

What more can Jackson-Davis do?

Trayce Jackson-Davis’ athleticism plays at the NBA level. Of course it was going to play in Summer League, too.

Everything Jackson-Davis does for the Warriors — protect the rim, finish lobs, set hard screens and switch defensively — he did against Summer Sacramento. The very first possession of the game, he springboarded for a put-back dunk on a missed 3. In the first five minutes alone, he notched four points, three boards and a steal.

Summer League should be an environment for Jackson-Davis to stretch his muscles, not flex them. Everyone knows he can play a rim-running role for the Warriors. He should play a more featured role in Summer League minutes, like other NBA-caliber players parachuting in.

Get Jackson-Davis some post touches — he dominated on the block at Indiana. Let him run the offense as a facilitator above the break or from the elbow. See what he can do. If it doesn’t work, it’s Summer League; the score doesn’t matter.

“I want them to take full advantage of these opportunities, to have a good time playing, and to see what it feels like to kind of have the game on their shoulders,” Vereen said of Jackson-Davis and Podziemski. “These are roles that they want to grow into eventually.”

Summer work already showing for Podz

There’s one specific move that the best guards in the league have down pat, and it’s the same one Podziemski has been working on this summer. He brought it from the lab to the California Classic.

After a high pick-and-roll late in the first quarter, Podziemski felt his defender on his back. With a patient crab dribble, he kept him there as he waded horizontally across the paint. The defense collapsed and Podziemski kicked out to Ethan Thomas for an assist.

“It’s definitely something I work on, something that I think in the season will be happening for me,” Podziemski said. “So it’s good to rep it out now.”

Podziemski started the game with a post move score over Keon Ellis. He dished a pocket pass for a Jackson-Davis slam. He sank a trey and clanked a couple ill-advised ones, drew a patented charge and air-balled a tough baseline jumper. He was imperfect, but mostly effective.

But that particular play of snaking the ball screen and staying under control in the paint stood out. It showed a natural progression Podziemski can have this year with the ball in his hands more often.

The goal for Podziemski in Summer League is to let him operate as the lead guard. The Warriors want to get him comfortable making decisions with the ball in his hands. They want him to shoot without hesitation while striking the balance of making the right play.

When Sacramento stormed back with a 21-3 second-half run, he struggled to calm Golden State’s offense down. When he and Jackson-Davis checked in with a two minutes left and a three-point lead, they didn’t take over. Instead, Podziemski let up an and-1 to tie the game while trying to take a charge. He got bailed out by a blocking foul at midcourt and sank one free throw to win it.

These reps are big for Podziemski, perhaps even more than Jackson-Davis. There’s a lot he can learn.

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Keon Ellis was the best player the Kings trotted out, and he looked like the best player on the floor overall.

Ellis emerged last year as a defensive stalwart in Sacramento’s back court, leapfrogging Davion Mitchell for minutes. He’s a stopper and did impressive work in matchups against Steph Curry.

His role on the Kings will be even more highlighted this year, now that they upgraded their roster with DeMar DeRozan. Around DeRozan, De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, defense and spot-up shooting will be at a premium.

Ellis, in theory, provides both. He’s probably what Sacramento needs in a starting lineup next to their star trio and Keegan Murray.

Against the Warriors on Wednesday night, Ellis felt the game out early before breaking out. He looked comfortable attacking closeouts and was especially dynamic in transition. Most importantly for the Kings, he drilled catch-and-shoot 3s. There’s going to be plenty of those types of open looks for him this year.

Ellis had a chance to win the game, but his prayer as the game clock expired missed iron altogether. He still finished with a game-high 30 points in 33 minutes.

Where Marco Luciano fits in SF Giants’ shortstop picture

SAN FRANCISCO — The song has paused in the game of musical shortstops and Marco Luciano doesn’t have a seat.

When the Giants signed Nick Ahmed, they always intended the veteran shortstop to serve as a stopgap. But instead of handing the keys to their top prospect after another half-year of seasoning at Triple-A, the club’s cutting ties with Ahmed this week was prompted by the emergence of other young players.

“We’re pretty comfortable with what we have at shortstop right now,” manager Bob Melvin said Wednesday, referring to Brett Wisely, 25, and Tyler Fitzgerald, 26, who are expected to share the duties moving forward. “Wisely’s just done a fantastic job moving from second to short. He’s swinging the bat well, too, and an infusion of energy.”

Luciano, who turns 23 in September, remains at Triple-A Sacramento, where he has been since a hamstring strain ended his tumultuous first tenure in the big leagues this season. He is no longer playing exclusively shortstop, spending time at second base since being activated off the injured list on June 13.

Despite being passed over for a promotion and moved off his primary position, Luciano’s stock hasn’t taken a hit in the Giants’ eyes.

“Nobody’s jumping to conclusions based on a short stretch and a handful of tough plays that didn’t go his way,” president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said Tuesday. “Some of this is just his philosophy of finding different spots to get guys to the big leagues when we have opportunities. Diversifying things a little bit for him has made some sense.

“But we’re not giving up on the shortstop role for him.”

The emergence of Wisely and Fitzgerald isn’t such a bad thing for an organization that was able to count on one man, Brandon Crawford, at the position for 13 years and possessed the depth you might expect behind such reliability. They cycled through players such as Donovan Walton, Dixon Machado, Johan Camargo, Mauricio Dubón, Paul DeJong and Casey Schmitt before settling on their current duo.

“Shortstop depth is something that we’ve talked about a lot over the past few years,” Zaidi said. “Having both of those guys who we feel we can plug in there in a major-league game and feel good about what we’re getting is part of what gave us confidence moving forward.”

Since he signed as a 16-year-old out of the Dominican Republic for a $2.6 million bonus, Luciano has been earmarked as Crawford’s eventual successor. But even after the symbolism of having him replace Crawford for the final inning of their last game of 2023, the Giants brought in Ahmed to challenge him in spring training, and the defensive-minded veteran went on to win the Opening Day job.

With Ahmed sidelined earlier this season, the Giants handed the reins to Luciano, who, according to Zaidi’s frank assessment, “had one of the roughest weeks defensively that a lot of us have seen.” He committed five errors in five games, four in the ninth inning or later, prompting Melvin to shift Wisely from his natural second base to short.

Over many more games in the minor leagues, the defensive metrics the Giants consider have rated Luciano’s play at shortstop more favorably, Zaidi said.

“So over big samples he’s done a nice job,” Zaidi said. “It’s always going to be different when you come up here, the pressure and expectations and being able to do it on a night-in, night-out basis on a big stage. That’ll be a hurdle for him, but we’re going to continue to get him reps (at shortstop).”

Luciano has made nine appearances this season at second base, compared to 44 at shortstop. While it hasn’t been the smoothest season from an offensive perspective for Luciano, batting .230 with a .681 OPS in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, the Giants don’t have any doubts about his potential at the plate.

The more pressing questions are when he gets his next chance in the majors and what position he’ll be playing.

“You never know where injuries are going to go,” Melvin said. “I know he’s working hard down there. Things can flip pretty quickly, just like it has here multiple times during the course of the season.”

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Injured starting pitchers Robbie Ray and Alex Cobb started back-to-back games for the Single-A San Jose Giants the past two days. On Tuesday, Ray threw four innings, allowing four runs on a pair of first-inning homers, and Cobb followed Wednesday afternoon with four innings of his own, allowing three runs in his final frame.

Ray will make his next rehab start for Triple-A Sacramento in Las Vegas and could be an option for the major-league rotation not long after the All-Star break, while Cobb remains slightly behind his pace.

“We’re not going to rush these things,” Melvin said. “The outings where you get up to four or five innings, those are the ones that you really have to monitor and make sure he’s feeling good. Make sure the command’s there. You just don’t want to jam him back in.”

MotoAmerica Superbike Speedfest: A full banquet of motorcycle racing at Laguna Seca this weekend

It’s double the amount of action on only half the number of wheels at this weekend’s MotoAmerica Superbike Speedfest at Laguna Seca.

The United States’ premier motorcycle racing series will see 154 riders across five classes compete in doubleheaders from Friday through Sunday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.  It’s a tight championship battle in each class,  making this weekend’s championship points even more important.

Five unique classes will each take to the tarmac for qualifying and two races. The headline class, Steel Commander Superbikes, is the fastest of them all. Just beneath is Stock 1000, a similarly fast feeder series to Superbikes. Supersport sits in the middle and is a platform for up-and-coming riders. Unlike these sport bikes, Mission King of the Baggers races larger Harley-Davidsons and Indian Motorcycles. And finally Mission Super Hooligan hosts the widest array of bikes.

Bobby Fong leads the Steel Commander Superbikes series, but Jake Gagne, shown above in last year’s races at Laguna Seca, trails by just a point. (Mason Bloom — Herald Correspondent)

No one has more to gain from the weekend’s points opportunity than Superbike riders. After five of this season’s 20 events, three riders are within 10 points of championship leader Bobby Fong. A win awards riders 25 points, meaning this weekend could produce a new championship leader.

What a difference a year makes. Last year’s triple-header at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca saw Jake Gagne with three podium (top three) finishes, ultimately paving the way for his not-so-close championship win. This year Gagne trails Fong by one point.

“…It’s exactly what the championship needs with a fight like this with a bunch of different manufacturers,” said Josh Herrin after winning at Ridge Motorsports Park, the MotoAmerica event prior to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Herrin’s win propelled him to fourth in the points standings, nine points behind Fong. “… I’m just happy to be up here, happy to claw back in the points again. This is the closest we’ve been all year. … Really excited to go to Laguna.”

The championship fight in the Stock 1000 class is similarly close between Real Steel Motorsports’ Hayden Gillem and OrangeCat Racing’s Jayson Uribe. Gillem was 16 points ahead of Uribe entering Ridge Motorsports Park but a series of errors reduced Gillem’s lead over Uribe to six.

The pressure will be on for Gillem and Uribe along with the rest of the 38-rider field beginning with Friday’s first qualifying session. Stock 1000 riders will be split into two groups because of the substantial number of riders. They must post a time within 110% of the session leader or they won’t race on Saturday or Sunday, thus denying important championship points.

There are just as many Supersport riders who could miss out on the weekend’s doubleheader under the same circumstances as Stock 1000. Thirty eight Supersport riders will be in attendance at the famed racetrack, but most of the attention will be on Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz and Rahal Ducati Moto’s PJ Jacobsen, who sit well above the others in the points standings.

Scholtz is looking to extend his four-win streak and widen the 28-point gap over Jacobsen that arose after the races at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington. Before last race weekend, Scholtz was trailing Jacobsen by two points.

Three classes of powerful sport bikes will be joined by the Mission King of the Baggers. This class of larger Harley-Davidsons and Indian Motorcycles will see S&S/Indian Motorcyle’s Troy Herfoss duke it out against Harley-Davidson’s Kyle Wyman. Thirteen points put Herfoss above Wyman heading into this weekend’s race after a round off.

While Harleys and Indians aren’t nearly as fast nor agile as the Superbikes, they are no less exciting.

“We set them up (with) the same characteristics as a Superbike,” said Herfoss during a press conference at the beginning of the season. “It’s just longer, taller, heavier and a different sort of power. For me, the main thing is, it’s just so raw. … It’s a rider’s challenge. There’s a lot of finesse involved. … It’s a lot of fun.”

MotoAmerica’s most diverse class, Mission Super Hooligan, gives enthusiasts a taste of everything from air-cooled bikes with forced induction to electric models. This weekend marks the halfway point in this class’ calendar where only five points separate Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods’ Tyler O’Hara and KWR/Harley-Davidson’s Cody Wyman (the younger brother to Kyle). While O’Hara leads the standings, he is yet to claim a victory this year and this weekend will have two opportunities to achieve his first.

The action at the MotoAmerica Superbike Speedfest at Monterey also extends beyond the racetrack. Rainey’s Ride to the Races allows motorcycle owners to ride 100 miles along the Monterey Peninsula on Friday alongside motorcycle racing legends who have over 35 AMA National Championships and 10 World Championships to their names. Only 50 riders can purchase the $700 ticket which also grants three-day admission to this weekend’s races. Ticket holders will begin the journey at Moto Talbott Motorcycle Museum in Carmel Valley and finish with two laps around WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Proceeds will benefit the Roadracing World Action Fund, a nonprofit organization promoting safety in the world of motorcycle racing.

The action begins with practices Friday morning and extends with 10 total races through Sunday. Tickets, including paddock access, range from $30 single-day admission on Friday to $90 three-day admission. Further ticket and race information can be found at: https://www.countyofmonterey.gov/gove....

Fish die off spreads to larger species, Monterey County Parks closes facility

SALINAS – The County of Monterey Parks closed Lake San Antonio in southern Monterey County “out of an abundance of caution for public health” due to the recent large-scale die off of fish at the freshwater recreation area.

“Effective immediately, no new guests or lake users are being admitted,” according to a directive from Monterey County Parks. “Once a cause is determined, we will share that information with the public and when the lake can be reopened. The next task is to clean up and dispose of the dead fish. There is no estimate at this point on when clean up could be complete or reopening could occur.”

Chief of Parks Bryan Flores said he received a report from his staff on July 5, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife was immediately notified. CDFW thought it was probably due to the extreme heat and less oxygen in the water, or maybe some algae.

“But the week before the algae levels were normal for this time of year,” said Flores who added that at this time, the cause of the mass die-off remains a mystery.

For more than a week, temperatures at Lake San Antonio, which covers roughly 5,000 surface acres, have been in the triple digits and on July 5, it reached 114 degrees.

Besides notifying the CDFW, parks staff also contacted the Water Resources Agency, State Water Resources Control Board and the Monterey County Environmental Health Bureau.

What started out as the die off of hundreds of thousands of small bait fish soon bloomed to include the deaths of thousands of larger types of fish such as bass, catfish, crappie, carp and trout, which should not be impacted under the current environmental conditions and able to move to deeper water to keep cool.

The continued die off prompted the environmental health bureau to issue a “precautionary measure directive” to Parks to keep the public from boating, fishing and swimming in the lake.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Water Resources Agency and the Environmental Health Bureau are working together to try to determine a cause of the die off. CDFW has tested the dissolved oxygen in the water which came back in the normal range and also collected fish samples for testing.

Flores said the agencies have to figure out what is going first before determining when the public will be allowed back. He said a cause may be determined by Monday.

It is pretty stinky out there, said Flores, and the situation is certainly a public health hazard. With birds and other animals coming out to feed on some of the fish, the scale of the situation will entail some sort of clean-up effort. The environmental impact on other species also remains to be seen, but Flores said other water wildlife, such as crayfish, seem to have not been affected, nor have there been reports of dead birds.

With the directive to close Lake San Antonio to the public and due to the lake’s South Shore water system being surface drawn, Monterey County Parks staff has made the difficult decision to close the entire Lake San Antonio facility until this situation has been resolved.

On July 5, Monterey County Parks staff noticed that dead baitfish, mostly shad, began washing up on the shore around Lake San Antonio and immediately contacted California Department of Fish and Wildlife to report the situation. (Photo courtesy Monterey County Parks)

Flores said the die off may be caused by a natural occurrence, but until it is known that this not being caused from a biological vector or pollutant that could harm the public, County Parks must keep the public safe with the closure of Lake San Antonio.

“I’ve asked all my rangers … and none can recall ever seeing a fish die off like this before, and never had to close the facility because of one,” said Flores. “Toxic algae has kept people out of the water, but nothing like this. It’s crazy.”

Flores said it is sad that after years of Lake San Antonio drying up, the last two saw the freshwater recreation area’s water levels rebound considerably, trout numbers replenished and most recently Memorial Day and Fourth of July weekends drawing large numbers of visitors, then this happened.

“People were happy to be back,” said Flores. “It’s one of those things that’s unfortunate, but hopefully it’s just a biological issue and not nefarious behavior.”

Parks staff and Rangers were contacting the small number of campers and boaters still at the lake to inform them that they needed to vacate the facility by noon on Wednesday.

School officials say a $10 billion school facilities bond is still not enough

With Monterey County’s oldest high school being founded in 1905 and various schools being over 60 years old, modernization and facilities updates are sorely needed for the Peninsula’s campuses.

To help districts in Monterey and across the state struggling with the same needs, the state legislature and Gov. Newsom placed a $10 billion bond on the November ballot to address school facilities repairs and updates. Around $8.5 billion is allocated for K-12 schools with $1.5 billion left for community colleges.

“There’s no comparison between an old school and a new school,” said Alisal Union School District Superintendent Jim Koenig. “Kids learn better in a comfortable environment and there’s only so much we can do with those old schools.”

Lawmakers were initially considering two facilities bonds: AB 247, a $14 billion bond put forth by Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi, and SB 28, a $15.5 billion bond proposed by Senator Steve Glazer.

Muratsuchi’s bill ultimately moved forward since it asked for less money (it dropped down to $10 billion) and lawmakers wanted a smaller amount of bond money on the ballot, as reported by CalMatters.

“There’s just so much more work to do that a bond at the state level is really needed because most districts in California are in similar states as we are,” said Monterey Peninsula Unified School District Superintendent PK Diffenbaugh.

Distribution issues

One downfall to this move is that it pits all districts against each other to compete for funds and matching grants. The way the state’s fund distribution is set up means districts in the state who are able to raise more money receive higher matching grants and more of the bond money.

“The state grants are not adequate to give the districts all the money they need … if they’re gonna provide a 60% (matching grant) now, that’s long overdue,” said Koenig.

“The problem is when you are competing for matching funds with huge districts like Los Angeles … and San Diego Unified School District, their funding exhausts the funds relatively quickly,” said Diffenbaugh. “When it gets down to it (the bond) doesn’t have enough revenue to meet the needs.”

In local districts such as Carmel Unified and Pacific Grove Unified, where property values are higher and districts are able to raise more through local bonds, those districts have opportunities to get much more money than those in less affluent areas.

The Carmel Unified Board of Education has been wrestling with putting up their own $12.8 million facilities bond on the November ballot, but a survey showed voters are unlikely to pass it this year.

The state would provide 60% to 65% in matching funds, meaning Carmel would be eligible for around $2 million in funding, according to a presentation given by Chief Operations Officer Dan Paul at a board meeting last month.

“It’s a giant equity issue … in terms of what you’re able to do at your capacity,” said Koenig. Alisal is only allowed to fundraise up to 1.25% of the assessed value within the district. “That limit is very easy to reach in Alisal … we’re not able to raise as much money as they do in the wealthier districts.”

At last month’s Carmel Unified board meeting, Paul explained the district’s current funds are “not anywhere near what we need to maintain facilities.”

Community help

Many districts tend to rely mostly on the community’s help rather than the state’s, as it can often take years to get off the waitlist for funding, according to Koenig and Diffenbaugh.

Alisal Union got Measure M, a $70 million bond for school improvements, passed in 2016. The district is currently looking ahead to building new schools for the influx of people moving to Salinas and new homes being developed. New construction is not covered under this year’s bond.

“It’s a community effort to get a bond passed … making sure that we’ve got the resources that we need in order to make sure our facilities are as good as anybody else’s,” said Koenig.

In 2010, voters within Monterey Peninsula Unified passed Measure P, a $110 million bond aimed to address various facilities repairs and updates. In 2018, Measure I was passed, which gave the district another $213 million for this.

With both bonds, the district was able to update classrooms, provide new heating and air systems, upgrade playground equipment and more. But Diffenbaugh said while Measures I and P were a great help, it’s simply not enough money to address all of the issues.

Local community colleges have also relied heavily on local bond measures for repairs. In 2016, Hartnell College got a $167 million bond passed to upgrade and expand facilities. Because of Measure T, “the overall state of the campus is very good,” according to Joseph Reyes, executive director of facilities, planning and construction management.

As with Monterey Peninsula Unified and Alisal Union, the community rallied to pass this measure and support the college. With a 66% passing rate, the money has been used to renovate its track and field, add a new nursing center at the main campus, build new learning centers in Castroville and Soledad and more. This new state bond will be used to renovate more buildings and bring them up-to-code, according to Reyes.

At Monterey Peninsula College, a $230 million bond, Measure V, allowed the college to address its most urgent issues identified by a facilities assessment in 2020, according to Vice President of Administrative Services Steve Haigler. “Substantially more funding is needed if we are to continue meeting the educational and workforce development needs of the community,” said Haigler in an email.

If the bond is passed in November, it “could help to close the gap between our needs and available funding, allowing us to serve students in facilities that better match the high-quality standards of our academic programming,” said Haigler. But that funding is not guaranteed – districts and colleges will still be vying to get their funding secured.

“We’re playing catch up and there’s a lot more that’s needed,” said Diffenbaugh. “(The bond) is welcomed and needed but the way it’s structured now is insufficient.”

Kurtenbach: If this is all the Warriors can do, it’s not good enough for Steph Curry

The clock is ticking for the Warriors.

One year. That’s all they have.

If this organization cannot find a No. 2 star to play opposite Stephen Curry by the summer of 2025, don’t be surprised if Curry re-evaluates his end-of-career plans, just as Klay Thompson did this offseason.

I’m not guaranteeing this. I don’t even see it as a likely scenario.

But the Warriors guard — the greatest player in franchise history; the sport changer — left the door open to something other than a career spent in blue and gold when he was asked about Thompson’s exit this week.

“I can clearly say I want to be a Warrior for life,” Curry told Yahoo Sports’ Vinny Goodwill. “That’s always been my goal. And I’m saying that sitting in this chair right now, but life, and especially life in the NBA, it is a wild environment, and things change quickly, and the league has changed quickly, so we’re trying to adapt and evolve.”

That, folks, is a smart man giving himself an out.

And it’s also a challenge to the Warriors: Things need to change for the better.

Or, in other words: Shape up or Curry might ship out.

The Warriors guard has two years remaining on his contract. He’s currently extension-eligible, but from what I’ve heard, there’s no conversation between team and player about a new deal.

Both the team and Curry are in wait-and-see mode.

And if Curry doesn’t like what he sees with the team around him by this time next year, it serves all parties to find a resolution before the final season of his contract. You can’t let a player like Curry leave in unrestricted free agency for nothing and the summer market is far more robust than the one at the trade deadline.

From Curry’s perspective, leaving the Bay would certainly be a lost opportunity — playing his entire career with the Warriors would be special — but the ideal scenario (Steph, Klay, and Draymond Green all riding off into the sunset together) is already off the board. Like Thompson, Curry has to look out for No. 1.

The Warriors can make this all easy. Just land Curry a No. 2.

(Of course, that’s easier said than done.)

But as of today, Curry’s Warriors future looks like it will be hard.

I’ll eat crow on this point: Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy might have botched the Chris Paul exit, but he showed serious creativity in Thompson’s departure. Whereas it took nearly a decade for Dunleavy’s predecessor to complete a three-way trade, Dunleavy was at the epicenter of the largest trade in NBA history — a six-way deal that brought back both Kyle Anderson and Buddy Hield in exchange for Thompson.

Add in De’Anthony Melton, who could only sign the contract he received from the Warriors if Thompson and Paul were jettisoned, and you had an exceptionally creative offseason for the Golden State.

It also failed to make this team appreciably better.

And it failed to rectify this team’s biggest problem from this past season: the lack of a No. 2 scorer.

Look at the Western Conference. Where do you see the Warriors fitting next season?

It’s not as a top-six seed — a guaranteed playoff spot. Anyone making that claim is a bigger homer than Dubs announcer Bob Fitzgerald.

No, this is a play-in tournament team — again.

And there’s no guarantee of even that.

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Warriors optimists love to point out Draymond Green’s suspension last season as the reason the team only won 46 games. But they fail to acknowledge that Curry played 74 games last season, after averaging 60 games in the two prior seasons. If Curry goes back to that level — that’s 22 games missed — this team is cooked. They barely made the play-in tournament with him playing all but eight games at an All-NBA level.

Why would they be doomed?

No No. 2. Duh.

The Warriors already missed out on Dejounte Murray this offseason — he was had for a song by the Pelicans. A Paul George mega-deal was never really in the cards.

The Warriors are left with one good option in the marketplace, and he might not even be available.

Utah’s Lauri Markkanen would be an ideal option and the Warriors have made an excellent offer to the Jazz. But it takes two to tango, and there’s no evidence Utah wants to trade their sweet-shooting All-Star big.

There has been talk of Pelicans wing Brandon Ingram, as well. He is available. And no one seems to want him.

New Orleans has soured on him fast. It’s somewhat quizzical. But don’t think the Dubs lack good intel on Ingram from Pelicans coach Willie Green, a former Dubs assistant. The truth is that Ingram doesn’t fit the Warriors’ system. (Then again, the Warriors might be so desperate for someone else who can score 30 points in a game that they are willing to overlook a great number of things.)

Is Chicago’s Zach LaVine better than Andrew Wiggins? You can’t help your team get a dub when you’re constantly in the tub.

The Warriors appear headed towards a season where they’re praying that Wiggins regains his form from the summer of 2022 or that Jonathan Kuminga — likely with a massive contract extension in hand — makes a big leap to All-Star level.

And that is a terrible plan.

Or, to be more specific, it’s a plan that requires Curry to do the work of two men — facing double and triple teams possession after possession — every night for seven months. Just like he did last season.

All so the Dubs might get another game or two in the not-quite postseason.

It’s all enough to make even the most loyal soldier question his marching orders.

Franchise players don’t willingly leave teams with a chance of winning a title. In the modern NBA, that means being a top-six team in each conference — just be in the mix amid an era of parity.

That’s not the Warriors right now.

Curry is currently with Team USA in Las Vegas. He’s surrounded by stars. That’s fertile recruitment ground for a player who is always thinking at least one step ahead.

If Golden State can’t give Curry a good reason to stay with the team other than “loyalty”, don’t be shocked if he decides to find a better place to play out his final (likely highly productive) seasons.

Curry’s legacy is secure and unimpeachable. But it would be a shame to see him wearing another uniform. Everyone — Curry included — agrees on that.

But the Warriors can’t take the star’s omnipresent lack of disgruntlement for granted. He’s no drama, but he’s also no push-over.

And right now the Warriors are pushing him. It’s only a matter of time before he pushes back.

Biden’s candidacy faces new peril as Pelosi, Clooney and more Democrats weigh in

By Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s imperiled re-election campaign hit new trouble Wednesday as House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi said merely “it’s up to the president to decide” if he should stay in the race, celebrity donor George Clooney said he should not run and Democratic senators and lawmakers expressed fresh fear about his ability to beat Republican Donald Trump.

The sudden flurry of grave pronouncements despite Biden’s determined insistence he is not leaving the 2024 race put on public display just how unsettled the question remains among prominent Democrats. On Capitol Hill, an eighth House Democrat, Rep. Pat Ryan of New York, publicly asked Biden to step aside.

“I want him to do whatever he decides to do,” Pelosi said Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” rather than declaring Biden should stay in. While Biden has said repeatedly that he’s made his decision, she said, “We’re all encouraging him to make that decision, because time is running short.”

FILE – President Joe Biden shakes hands with actor, director and producer George Clooney during the Kennedy Center honorees reception at the White House in Washington, Dec. 4, 2022. Movie star and lifelong Democrat George Clooney is adding his voice to calls for Joe Biden to leave the presidential race. Clooney says in a New York Times opinion piece Wednesday that he loves Biden, but the party would lose the presidential race as well as any control in Congress with him as the nominee. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

It’s a crucial moment for the president and his party, as Democrats consider what was once unthinkable — having the incumbent Biden step aside, just weeks before the Democratic National Convention that is on track to nominate him as their candidate for reelection.

Biden is hosting world leaders in Washington for the NATO summit this week with a crowded schedule of formal meetings, sideline chats and long diplomatic dinners showcasing his skills. His party at a crossroads, Biden faces the next national public test Thursday at a scheduled news conference that many Democrats in Congress will be watching for signs of his abilities.

To be sure, Biden maintains strong support from key corners of his coalition, particularly the Congressional Black Caucus on Capitol Hill, whose leadership was instrumental in ushering the president to victory in 2020 and is standing by him as the country’s best choice to defeat Trump again in 2024.

“At this moment, the stakes are too high and we have to focus,” Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota told The Associated Press on Tuesday, saying Democrats are “losing ground” the longer they fight over Biden’s candidacy. “Democracy is on the line. Everything we value as Democrats, as a country, is on the line, and we have to stop being distracted.”

Pelosi has been widely watched for signals of how top Democrats are thinking about Biden’s wounded candidacy, her comments viewed as important for the party’s direction as members weigh possible alternatives in the campaign against Trump.

Because of her powerful position as the former House speaker and proximity to Biden as a trusted longtime ally of his generation, Pelosi is seen as one of the few Democratic leaders who could have influence on the president’s thinking.

The lack of a full statement from Pelosi backing Biden’s continued campaign is what lawmakers are likely to hear most clearly, even as she told ABC later she believes he can win. Her remarks came as actor Clooney, who had just hosted a glitzy Hollywood fundraiser for the president last month, said in a New York Times op-ed that the Biden he saw three weeks ago wasn’t the Joe Biden of 2020. “He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.”

Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat from Colorado, spoke forcefully late Tuesday about the danger of a second Trump presidency and said it’s for the president “to consider” the options.

Stopping just short of calling for Biden to drop out, Bennet said on CNN what he told his colleagues in private – that he believes Trump “is on track to win this election — and maybe win it by a landslide and take with him the Senate and the House.”

Bennet said, “It’s not a question about politics. It’s a moral question about the future of our country.”

Another Democrat, Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, said Wednesday he was “deeply concerned” about Biden winning the election, which he called existential for the country.

“We have to reach a conclusion as soon as possible,” Blumenthal said on CNN.

And Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia told reporters, “I have complete confidence that Joe Biden will do the patriotic thing for the country. And he’s going to make that decision.”

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Democrats have been reeling over the question of whether to continue backing Biden after his poor showing in the June 27 presidential debate with Trump and his campaign’s lackluster response to their pleas that Biden, at 81, show voters he is up for another four-year term.

Biden and his campaign are working more intently now to shore up support, and the president met with labor leaders Wednesday, relying on the unions to help make the case that his record in office matters more than his age.

With the executive council of the AFL-CIO, America’s largest federation of trade unions, Biden told the crowd that even Wall Street was acknowledging the power of unions, as he once again articulated his vision for an economy built “from the bottom up and middle out.”

“I said I’m going to be the most pro-union president in American history,” Biden told the cheering crowd. “Well guess what? I am.”

While more House Democrats have publicly called on Biden to end his candidacy, no Senate Democrats have gone that far. Bennet was among three Democratic senators, including Jon Tester of Montana and Sherrod Brown of Ohio, who spoke up during a private lunch Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the meeting and granted anonymity to discuss it.

The president’s team is sending senior Biden advisers Mike Donilon and Steve Ricchetti, and Biden Campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon to meet with Democratic senators privately Thursday for a caucus lunch, according to both a Senate leadership aide and the Biden campaign.

There were some concerns, however, that it could backfire. One Democratic senator who requested anonymity to speak about the closed-door meeting said it could be a waste of time if Biden would not make the case to senators himself.

Pelosi of California said Biden “has been a great president” who is beloved and respected by House Democrats.

The Californian said she watched as he delivered a forceful speech at the NATO summit on Tuesday, and recounted his many accomplishments.

While foreign leaders are in Washington this week and Biden is on the world stage hosting the event at a critical time in foreign affairs, Pelosi encouraged Democrats “let’s just hold off” with any announcements about his campaign.

“Whatever you’re thinking, either tell somebody privately but you don’t have to put that out on the table until we see,” she said, how it goes “this week.”

Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Farnoush Amiri and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

Horoscopes July 10, 2024: Sofia Vergara, spotlight your attributes

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Jessica Simpson, 44; Adrian Grenier, 48; Sofia Vergara, 52; Arlo Guthrie, 77.

Happy Birthday: Keep your options open, but don’t take on more than you can handle this year. Your reputation depends on quality rather than quantity. Precision, detail and innovation will yield the payback and acknowledgment you want and deserve. Dedicate more time to living within your means and structuring routines around your capabilities. Spotlight your attributes, and you’ll discover opportunities that encourage prosperity and a better lifestyle. Your numbers are 7, 12, 24, 29, 34, 38, 47.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You must elaborate to accomplish your objective. Leave nothing unsaid or to chance. Don’t jeopardize yourself physically or make promises you’ll have difficulty fulfilling. Concentrate on expanding your skills and agenda to meet demands and obligations. Look for healthy alternatives, remedies and lifestyles. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t hesitate to say no. Someone will take advantage of you if you are too accommodating. Recap your agenda and focus on what you want to accomplish until you are happy with the results. Take responsibility for your actions, and deliver what you promise. 5 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Stick to the truth and keep your life free and clear of drama. Speak the truth and take care of domestic responsibilities to avoid situations that leave you in a precarious position. Keep the peace when dealing with loved ones. 2 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Redirect your energy to meet demands. Whether work or play, you’ll get high returns if you give your all. Don’t hold back; spontaneity will lead to positive change. An unusual offer will have more substance than you expect. Ask direct questions and make decisions. 4 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Take responsibility for your happiness. Remember what’s important to you and the path that will help you make your dreams come true. Sign up for something that will fill your head with ideas and introduce you to people who can illuminate the possibilities. 3 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Taking control, paying attention to detail and living within your means will set a good example and help you gain support and respect from those who can help you get ahead and achieve financial security. Nurturing an unusual partnership will pay off. A lifestyle change will improve your profile. 3 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Broaden your horizons. Research, educational pursuits, travel and spending time with people from different backgrounds will change your perspective and course of action. Use information to develop a game plan you can call your own instead of using someone else’s prototype. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A change will be revolutionary. Don’t sit on the sidelines when you should engage in activities that allow you to shine, strut your stuff and make worthwhile connections. Don’t be shy; embark on a new adventure and see where it leads. Self-improvement, travel and romance are favored. 4 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Think for yourself. You will miss an opportunity if you let someone decide for you or dictate what you can do. An emotional partnership will fall short if you are the one who always makes concessions. Learn, express your thoughts and take responsibility for your happiness. 2 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Changing your living arrangements will help redirect how you do things or encourage you to head in a new direction. Put your energy into setting a course that excites and empowers you to adapt your skills to manifest fruitfully and offer satisfying results. 5 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Don’t move prematurely. Look at the facts, test the logic and consider how to make your plans foolproof before you commit. Partnerships will require patience, communication and trust if you want to be successful. Uncertainty is a red flag. When in doubt, take a step back. 3 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Stick to what’s doable. Refrain from letting anyone talk you into something you cannot afford or handle alone. Concentrate on personal growth, health and partnerships built on equality and trust. Surround yourself with supportive people; if someone wants too much, decline. 3 stars

Birthday Baby: You are systematic, proactive and secretive. You are sensitive and reactive.

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

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

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Blake Snell blanks Blue Jays as SF Giants earn walkoff win

SAN FRANCISCO — The calendar turned to July and Blake Snell turned into himself.

Delayed by his late signing, then two stints on the injured list, the version of the two-time Cy Young award winner the Giants thought they were getting when they inked the left-hander to a $62 million contract finally showed up Tuesday evening at Oracle Park.

Kicking off the Giants’ final homestand before the All-Star break, Snell blanked the Blue Jays for five innings, surrendering just a single hit, and put himself in line to earn his first win in seven starts with his new club. He didn’t factor into the decision, though, as it took more late theatrics for the Giants to pull out a walkoff win, 4-3, over the American League East’s basement dwellers.

Down to their last out, Tyler Fitzgerald took ball four and the next batter, Brett Wisely, bounced a chopper past the pitcher’s mound and off the glove of a diving Leo Jiménez at second base, allowing Patrick Bailey to score the tying run, and six pitches later Fitzgerald raced home from third on a wild pitch from Trevor Richards, who wasn’t able to protect the 3-2 lead Toronto took into the bottom of the ninth.

“You don’t get too many walkoffs in that fashion,” manager Bob Melvin said afterward.

It was Giants’ eighth walkoff win of the season but the first time they scored the winning run on a wild pitch since June 20, 2009, when Nate Schierholtz walked off the Texas Rangers.

“I was saying in my head, ‘Please throw a curveball, please throw a curveball,’” Fitzgerald said of his mindset once he made it to third base. “Even if it wasn’t that far away, I was going to try to score there. I guess I spoke it into existence.”

It required Fitzgerald to work his way back from a 1-2 count in his opportunity in the ninth, which Melvin said was “huge,” and an inning earlier took a solo shot off his bat to put the Giants in position for their ninth-inning comeback, after they nearly wasted the best outing of the year they’ve received from Snell.

Two innings after Snell departed holding a 1-0 advantage — courtesy of Heliot Ramos’ team-leading 13th home run of the year — Ryan Walker surrendered a three-spot in the seventh, issuing a one-out walk and a double that both came home to score when his two-strike slider over the inner half of the plate to Ernie Clement landed in the left-field bleachers.

The home run represented the first earned runs allowed by Walker since June 1, also the last time he surrendered a long ball. Clement’s blast snapped a streak of 17 straight innings without an earned run that lowered Walker’s ERA to 1.91 entering his National League-leading 46th appearance of the season.

A couple young Giants provided their own power display hours after president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi explained the “vote of confidence” in them the front office made by recently parting ways with a pair of veterans, setting the stage for them to contribute to the walkoff win in the ninth.

“It’s kind of the direction things are going, but we feel like we have a good mix now with some veteran guys and free agents that we brought in and then some younger players here that are from the system,” Melvin said. “It’s importnant that when they have an opportunity to be in the big leagues that you give it to them.”

Leading off the eighth, Fitzgerald put a spark in the 32,124 on hand with a home run that evaded the glove of a leaping Daulton Varsho in left field to pull the Giants within 3-2.

Opening a 1-0 advantage in the fourth, Ramos launched an 0-2 fastball into the visitor’s bullpen and on his way home slapped hands with third base coach Matt Williams, who was the last Giants player 25 or younger with as many home runs as Ramos through his first 55 games of the season.

The solo shot from Ramos was the 24-year-old outfielder’s first home run since being named an All-Star on Sunday and reclaimed the team lead from Chapman. Asked before the game about participating in the home run derby, Ramos said he hadn’t been asked and sheepishly responded, “You think I have the juice?”

Fitzgerald’s home run proved to be the final straw for Yusei Kikuchi, who didn’t quite match Snell for five innings but outlasted him and struck out 13 without issuing a walk over 7⅓ innings.

In a departure from his typical style, Snell wasn’t overpowering but he was efficient. He recorded only six swings and misses and punched out just three batters, both figures topped in his previous six less-than-stellar starts. But he completed five innings for the first time in a Giants uniform and required only 73 pitches.

“It was going to be 75 pitches today, right around there,” Melvin said of Snell, who threw 67 pitches Thursday in his final rehab start. “But the stuff was good. It was completely different.”

Snell confirmed that it was the best he has felt this year, citing “a lot better confidence knowing that I’m able to repeat” his delivery. The slider? “Good.” The curveball? “It can get better. We figured some stuff out there.” The changeup? “It’ll get better.”

“They’re all good,” Snell said of his pitches. “They just need to get sharper. I still think I can be better. I still think there’s a lot to chase. But first outing in the big leagues since (June 2), just having things come back to me and realize what I need to do, that feels good.”

An infamous slow starter, Snell’s ERA after six starts on his way to the National League Cy Young last year sat at 5.28. By this time of the calendar, he had lowered that figure to 2.85 and would shave off another three-fifths of a point by the end of the season.

Whatever kinks Snell had to work out — and, sporting a 9.51 ERA through his first six starts, clearly there were plenty — he apparently did so in side sessions and across his five rehab outings, the last of which he struck out nine Triple-A hitters without allowing a hit over five scoreless innings.

“To be that overpowering at that level, you can’t have any better of a stepping stone to being back in the big leagues than that,” Zaidi said before the game, echoing the Giants’ manager, who added, “I think this is as prepared as he’s been going to the mound today.”

It showed.

Snell allowed one or fewer hits in four of his starts last season — three in July or later — and Melvin paid witness to all of them as the Padres manager.

“It’s pretty close,” Melvin said, comparing Snell’s effort Tuesday to his best from last year. “He had all his pitches working. A lot of the time the slider is the last thing to show up for him, but he’s throwing changeups and curveballs, spotting his fastball. It’s the first time he really felt good when he went out there.”

Snell will make one more start before the All-Star break, but with one successful outing in his back pocket, can he begin to envision what the second half could look like?

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“I’ve got a lot to learn about who I want to be this year,” he said. “Every year is a new canvas. I think I’m a lot better. I understand myself. I like the way I’m talking to myself. I’m excited for the Twins, excited to see these next four or five days, but just looking forward to that next one.

“Probably like three or four more starts until I really put it all together and start repeating really good outings.”

Notable

OF Jorge Soler was scratched before first pitch with an illness.

3B Matt Chapman received the Gold Glove award he won last season with the Toronto Blue Jays — the fourth of his career — in a pregame ceremony.

Up next

RHP Logan Webb (7-6, 3.09) gets the ball in his final start before he heads to Arlington, Texas, for his first All-Star appearance. He’ll be opposed by RHP Chris Bassitt (7-7, 3.43), who faces off against his former manager from their days in Oakland. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m.

SF Giants’ Zaidi: Moving on from Slater, Ahmed a ‘vote of confidence’ in young players

SAN FRANCISCO — When the Giants’ team bus pulled into Oracle Park late Sunday night, finally home from a six-game swing through Atlanta and Cleveland, there was somebody waiting to meet them.

Farhan Zaidi, the club’s top baseball executive, had news he wanted to convey in-person.

Austin Slater, the Giants’ longest-tenured player, had been traded to Cincinnati.

The departure of the outfielder, who was drafted by the previous regime in 2014, made his debut in 2017 and went on to become one of the major leagues’ most productive platoon players, batting .275 with an .804 OPS in 872 career plate appearances against left-handed pitching, was only a sign of things to come.

Between the last out of their road trip and the beginning of their final homestand before the All-Star break, the Giants shuffled the deck with clear intent. Less than 72 hours later, they cut ties with another veteran, shortstop Nick Ahmed, who was designated for assignment before Tuesday’s series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays.

“We’ve talked a lot about wanting to give some of our young players coming up opportunities and adding athleticism to the roster, and one of the best ways to do that is to have your young guys come up and earn roles,” Zaidi said before Tuesday’s game. “As much as anything it’s just a vote of confidence in those guys.”

That the transition comes the same week that one of their young outfielders, Heliot Ramos, was named an All-Star was a coincidence. But the production that led to that recognition gives the Giants some confidence that their other prospects — Luis Matos and Tyler Fitzgerald, most of all — can capitalize on larger roles in the same way.

Entering their final homestand before the All-Star break as winners of three of their past four series against playoff hopefuls but still three games under .500, Zaidi said the Giants’ record is a “real source of dissatisfaction” and “we can talk about us feeling like we have some positive momentum, (but) we’re still three games under .500. We’ve got to find a way to get better.”

Three weeks from the July 30 trade deadline, Zaidi indicated those upgrades were more likely to come internally. Their beleaguered starting rotation is beginning to get healthy, with Blake Snell returning from the injured list Tuesday and Robbie Ray and Alex Cobb expected to join him soon after the All-Star break.

On the position player side, the Giants anticipate splitting playing time in right field between Matos and Mike Yastrzemski and at shortstop between Fitzgerald and Brett Wisely, who has been a revelation in a similar fashion as Ramos, giving the front office the confidence to move on from a pair of struggling veterans.

“Turning to some of these internal options, some of these young players we think can continue to inject this team with energy and help us, I think it’s a fair statement to say giving them as much of an opportunity in these last few weeks before the deadline will help inform what we do then,” Zaidi said. “I think we have areas of depth and areas where we’re a little light. When I look at our team we have what I believe are pretty solid players at pretty much every spot on the field. …

“Nothing jumps out as a spot that we need an emergency plug in and are just going to get whatever’s out there on the trade market. When you’re in it, there’s always an expectation and a pressure to do something to change the mix, but we’ve got to be careful that whatever we do is a meaningful upgrade.”

Initially signed as an insurance plan to top prospect Marco Luciano at shortstop in spring training, Ahmed went on to win the Opening Day job and appeared in 52 games, maintaining his strong defensive reputation while providing some timely hits but holding a batting average of .232 and an OPS of .581.

Battling injuries to his throwing arm and his side in spring training and then losing three weeks of the regular season to a concussion, Slater has battled through his most difficult season at the plate, batting .200 with a .575 OPS in 43 games, but that didn’t lessen his impact in the clubhouse.

Serving as their player representative with the players’ union until midway through last year, Slater was “the biggest piece of the puzzle for us” while the league navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, his platoon partner, Yastrzemski, said.

“He was in on every meeting,” Yastrzemski said. “Those things are very selfless. He wanted to make sure everybody in the league was taken care of. I think that was his character overall, a guy that wasn’t put on the field maybe as much as he could have been and always looking out for the team and everybody’s best interests. So to have that presence missing from the clubhouse is tough, but we still have a great group here.”

Moving on from a player with Slater’s stature, Zaidi said, “that’s maybe not going to change the path that you’re on but it’s one that you want to show the utmost respect as you move through it. It’s a big deal. I drove in because I wanted to have that conversation with him in-person with (manager Bob Melvin).”

Yastrzemski, who takes on the title as longest-tenured team member, learned not long after Slater that he would be getting a new locker mate. For the past six years, it has been him and Slater holding down the fort in the outfielders’ corner of the clubhouse.

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“I was grabbing my bag and I was walking out and he said bye. I was like, ‘What do you mean?’” Yastrzemski recalled. “He was like, ‘I just got traded.’ Like, what? It was very quick and it was a shock, but that’s baseball. You just show up the next day and keep doing your job.”

On Tuesday, Slater’s old locker had a new occupant: Ramos.

Notable

— Where does top prospect Marco Luciano fit into this youth movement? In 54 games at Triple-A Sacramento, he is batting .230 with a .687 OPS and has split his time between shortstop, second base and designated hitter. “But we’re not giving up on the shortstop role for him,” Zaidi said.

— When it comes to the reinforcements the Giants hope to add to their rotation in the second half, Robbie Ray is closer than Alex Cobb. Ray was scheduled to throw about 65 pitches Tuesday for Single-A San Jose in what Melvin described as a “big day for Robbie.” Cobb will follow Ray with his third rehab start for San Jose on Wednesday, but Melvin said the right-hander will need “three or four” more while Ray is “right on the cusp.”