Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 434

Warriors poised to take a step back as free agency opens

Ahead of Steph Curry’s age-36 season, the Warriors appear to have bumped into a worst-case scenario summer.

The team is prepared to lose franchise legend Klay Thompson in free agency, according to multiple reports. They also waived Chris Paul on Sunday after being unable to find a way to use him in a win-now trade.

Upgrading the roster — one that missed the playoffs in 2023-24 — without Thompson will be difficult. As flawed as he is, the shooting guard made the fourth most 3s in the league last year, at a 38.7% clip.

Improving becomes doubly challenging without having the option of using Paul’s $30 million non-guaranteed contract in a trade.

That leaves the Warriors with Curry and Draymond Green in the twilight of their primes. There will be ample opportunities for their young core of Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis to take steps forward. And the departure of Paul and presumed exit of Thompson resets their payroll.

The Warriors are set to get out of the luxury tax for the first time since 2020 — a stated goal of owner Joe Lacob — but won’t have the cap space to sign an impact free agent. To acquire an All-Star, they’ll have to send away one of the young players the organization covets.

“It would just have to be something that we felt unequivocally changed the direction of our franchise,” general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said of packaging young players in a trade. “We like those guys and think they’re going to be really, really good, but it would have to be something that makes us a lot better than that.”

Golden State projects to have a payroll around $146 million without Paul, meaning they’ll have the $12.8 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception available, plus the $4.7 million bi-annual exception. They can also potentially sign-and-trade Thompson or dip from their young core to acquire a different veteran, but the paths to replace Thompson and Paul are effectively closed.

With Paul and Thompson last season, the Warriors paid the highest luxury tax bill ever, only to miss the playoffs as the 10th seed in the West. Unless the Warriors reconcile things with Thompson at the 11th hour or use him in a sign-and-trade, they are on the verge of letting two veterans walk for nothing in return.

Thompson, a four-time NBA champion, is expected to work with Golden State to facilitate sign-and-trade options, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Curry, Draymond Green, and Steve Kerr had publicly expressed a desire to keep the dynastic trio together for the rest of their careers, but every indication points to that era being on the brink.

The Warriors acquired Paul for Jordan Poole and a heavily protected future first-round pick in a trade that now amounts to a salary dump because they couldn’t flip Paul this past week.

In hindsight, the Warriors could have tried to use Paul or Thompson in a trade before last season’s trade deadline, when they were expiring contracts. But Golden State was confident in making a playoff run, and each was a big part of that pursuit.

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The most important factor to consider, as always with the Warriors, is Curry. The superstar averaged 26.4 points per game and was named to the All-NBA third team. He’s still capable of leading a contender, but every year that goes by without the Warriors putting one around him runs the risk of that no longer being the case. Curry is signed through the 2025-26 season.

In a recent press conference, Dunleavy stressed internal development as the easiest way to improve the team. But it would take more than a significant leap from Kuminga, Moody, Podziemski and Jackson-Davis for the Warriors to return to playoff contention in the deep Western Conference this season. And again, there’s a risk to waiting for them to blossom.

Without a Paul trade and without Thompson, the Warriors aren’t good enough to compete in the West and don’t have clear avenues to get there. The most expensive lottery team in history looks destined for the same fate, only as a more affordable version.

The television show “Community” has a famous episode called Remedial Chaos Theory. In it, seven different timelines unfold between the seven different members of the study group based on who walks downstairs to grab the pizza delivery. Most of the timelines are relatively harmless, with outlandish sit-com plots unfolding between the group.

In the darkest timeline, Donald Glover’s character returns with the pizza to an apartment on fire, a character with a gunshot wound and the group in utter disrepair. You’ve seen the meme.

For all the talk of timelines with the Warriors, the team may be entering their darkest timeline: with eight figures in expiring contracts squandered, a franchise legend walking away, and a responsibility to do right by Curry without an easy path to do so.

Big days for Bivens, bats help SF Giants capture first series win vs. Dodgers since 2022

SAN FRANCISCO — From the very first pitch out of James Paxton’s left hand Sunday afternoon, the Giants jumped on the Dodgers starter and didn’t let up until they had secured a series win in their archrivals’ final visit to the shores of McCovey Cove this season.

Leading off the bottom of the first, Jorge Soler whacked a fastball off the center field wall, chugged into second base, and the Giants were off to the races in a 10-4 rout.

Soler’s leadoff double was one of 10 two-baggers from the Giants, a San Francisco-era record, and with a two-run shot from Matt Chapman provided more than enough firepower behind five surprise innings from Spencer Bivens, the 30-year-old right-hander only named the day’s starter hours before first pitch.

“It feels really good to take a series from an elite team like the Dodgers,” Soler said through Spanish-language interpreter Erwin Higueros. “After winning the series, it gives us more confidence that we can play to that level.”

Taking two of three games this week at Oracle Park, the Giants won their first series against the Dodgers since sweeping them in Los Angeles from June 10-12, 2022. They play four times at Dodger Stadium in the Giants’ first road trip after the All-Star break and don’t meet again for the rest of the season.

San Francisco Giants’ Jorge Soler (2) scores off of a sacrifice fly hit by Matt Chapman (26) against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, June 30 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

Before then, the Giants must navigate a difficult road trip against the leaders of the National League wild card race, the Atlanta Braves, and the top team in the American League Central, the Cleveland Guardians. They went 4-3 on their seven-game homestand against the Dodgers and Cubs.

“We have to start winning series,” Melvin said. “We’ve got to roll some games together leading up to the break. This was a good start in what is a tough stretch right now.”

On Sunday, the Giants needed two things and got them both.

Making his first major-league start after five relief appearances, Bivens gave them effective length to spare their bullpen a day after they exhausted seven pitchers in an 11-inning loss. And an early and unrelenting assault from their lineup ensured he could pitch without pressure against the Dodgers’ intimidating order.

“Everybody knows that (Paxton’s) pitch is the fastball,” Soler said. “So we were ready and expecting the fastball.”

The Giants loaded the bases twice and built a 9-0 lead by the time the Dodgers came to bat for a fifth time against Bivens, who hadn’t pitched more than three innings at any level this season but had no trouble cruising through five frames against a 1-2-3 trio that had combined for 56 home runs.

Limiting the Dodgers to one run — courtesy of Chris Taylor’s solo shot in the fifth inning — on four hits, Bivens needed only 60 pitches to earn his second major-league win. He finished with only three strikeouts but sure picked his spots to deploy his swing and miss stuff, making Shohei Ohtani his victim not once but twice.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Spencer Bivens (76) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, June 30 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

“We were hoping to get five out of he and (Landen Roupp), something like that,” Melvin said. “To go five innings and strike out Ohtani to get the win? Pretty special day for him. I think everybody got goosebumps on that one.”

Against Paxton, who was charged with nine runs over four innings, it was the Giants’ lineup that looked powerful.

After scoring seven runs on 13 hits but surrendering seven runs in the 11th inning to fall the night before, they put up a 10-spot on another 16 hits to prevail in the series finale. All nine members of their starting lineup contributed hits, and they got run-scoring knocks from six different players.

The 21 runs scored over the course of the weekend were the Giants’ most in any series they’ve hosted against the Dodgers since Oracle Park opened in 2000.

“We’re resilient,” Melvin said. “After tough losses, we come out and do stuff like that it seems like almost every time. … To just keep putting pressure on him, a lot of times you get a starter — a good one — on the run early and then he settles in. But we kept him on the run.”

Back-to-back extra-base hits in the fourth broke the game open, with Patrick Bailey doubling home two runs and Chapman driving him in from second as well as himself with a two-run homer that sailed just clear of the left-field wall and foul pole.

The home run was Chapman’s third of the homestand to go with a pair of doubles, seven runs scored and nine RBIs while hitting safely in all seven games.

San Francisco Giants’ Matt Chapman (26) hits a sacrifice fly to score Jorge Soler (2) against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, June 30 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

Heliot Ramos contributed a team-high three hits and was one of three players, along with Bailey and Soler, to notch multiple doubles, providing ample cushion for Bivens in his first major-league start.

Bivens’ winding baseball journey has taken the 30-year-old right-hander from France to West Virginia and almost out of the sport entirely until the Giants signed him out of independent ball a year and a half ago. On Sunday, he found himself standing 60 feet, 6 inches from the sport’s preeminent slugger with a man on second base.

One of two alumni of Rogers State University in Claremore, Oklahoma, Bivens originally went undrafted and signed with a team in France because, he explained, “that was my only opportunity at the time,” eventually making his way back stateside in 2020, where he played for four different independent teams.

Signing a minor-league deal with the Giants toward the end of the 2022 season, Bivens split 2023 between High-A Eugene and Double-A Richmond but credited the 27 appearances he made with Culiacan of the Mexican Winter League this past offseason for setting up his success on the big-league stage.

“Just being in high-leverage situations all the time, with crazy crowds,” Bivens said, “I just feel very confident in my ability to just be able to handle the moment.”

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The moment doesn’t get any bigger than a rubber game against their archrivals, in front of 40,458 fans, with Ohtani stepping into the box with a runner in scoring position. Bivens said the plan of attack against Ohtani was “just get ahead, try to hit some spots and execute pitches.”

Getting ahead on a pair of changeups, Bivens buried the next two pitches in the dirt before climbing the ladder, getting Ohtani to swing through a 95 mph fastball above the zone for strike three to end the inning, stranding Enrique Hernandez at second after one of the Dodgers’ only two hits in Bivens’ first four frames.

As if to show it was no fluke, he needed only three pitches to strike out Ohtani in their next battle, getting two quick swings and misses on a pair of fastballs before coaxing a third empty cut with a sweeping slider. An animated Bivens spun, shouted and punched the air in celebration.

It was the end of his day, shown moments later smiling while chatting with Melvin in the third-base dugout.

“The first career start,” Bivens said, “I’ve been waiting my whole life for that. It was really special.”

Up next

The Giants will spend their day off in Atlanta recuperating their pitching staff before beginning the first leg of their final road trip before the All-Star break with three games against the Braves. Right-handers Hayden Birdsong (0-0, 5.79), Jordan Hicks (4-4, 3.36) and Logan Webb (6-6, 3.12) will get the ball against righty Reynaldo Lopez (6-2, 1.70), lefty Chris Sale (10-3, 2.79) and righty Charlie Morton (5-4, 3.89) before the Giants head to Cleveland for three games against the Guardians.

San Francisco Giants’ Luis Matos (29) slides safely into third base against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, June 30 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

San Francisco Giants’ David Villar (32) throws to first for an out on a hit by Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani (17) in the first inning at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, June 30 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

San Francisco Giants’ Austin Slater (13) hits a sacrifice fly to score Tyler Fitzgerald (49) against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second inning at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, June 30 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

San Francisco Giants’ Landen Roupp (65) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the eighth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

San Francisco Giants’ Matt Chapman (26) catches a fly ball for an out in foul territory hit by Los Angeles Dodgers’ Andy Pages (44) in front of San Francisco Giants’ Nick Ahmed (16) in the sixth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

San Francisco Giants’ Patrick Bailey (14) reacts after being hit with a ball during their game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the sixth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

San Francisco Giants’ Matt Chapman (26) high-fives third base coach Matt Williams (9) after hitting a two-run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

San Francisco Giants’ Tyler Fitzgerald (49) scores a run off of a sacrifice fly hit by San Francisco Giants’ Austin Slater (13) against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

San Francisco Giants’ Matt Chapman (26) high-fives San Francisco Giants’ Patrick Bailey (14) after Chapman hit a two-run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

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Warriors waives point guard Chris Paul

After agreeing to push back the deadline on Chris Paul’s $30 million non-guaranteed contract, the Warriors are waiving the veteran point guard.

The Warriors announced the roster move shortly after free agency opened Sunday.

Later Sunday,  Paul agreed to a free-agent deal with San Antonio, according to Bleacher Report.

The Warriors initially acquired Paul in last year’s trade that sent Jordan Poole to Washington. The move now amounts to a salary dump, given that Paul is coming off the books for nothing.

Golden State moved Paul’s deadline date from Friday to Sunday while they searched for a potential trade to use his salary in. Nothing materialized, and now Paul is a free agent.

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The Warriors are at approximately $146 in payroll committed for next year, meaning they’ll have the non-taxpayer midlevel exception of $12.8 million and the bi-annual exception ($4.8 million) available to use on free agents.

A long-time rival of Golden State’s Paul came into the program and embraced his role as a veteran locker room leader and steady change-of-pace hand. He was a member of several of the Warriors’ most productive five-man lineups.

“It was a unique experience,” Paul said in his end-of-season interview. “I’m glad I got an opportunity to play with the guys that I did, get a chance to meet new people, play for an organization I never would have imagined I’d play for. But I’m grateful for the experience.”

In his one season as a Warrior, Paul averaged 9.2 points and 6.8 assists per game. The 12-time All-Star came off the bench for the first time of his career and now could seek a team that may allow him to start once again.

“I think for me, I showed the ability to adapt and change, but first and foremost, I’m a competitor,” Paul said of coming off the bench. “I want to hoop. I just love to play. I love to play. I love to contribute and just — I think that’s what it is for me. I think it’s a big summer. I’ve got to get back to work, get back to work.”

Warriors announce Summer League roster

The Warriors released their 2024 Summer League roster on Sunday, setting the stage for upcoming offseason activities.

Last year’s rookies Brandin Podziemski — a First-Team All-Rookie selection — and Trayce Jackson-Davis headline Golden State’s team, which will be coached by assistant Anthony Vereen. Both players have always been expected to participate in Summer League.

The Warriors also added Kevin Knox II to their roster. Knox, a free agent, was the ninth overall pick in the 2018 draft. He most recently played in the NBA for the Pistons last year. Free agents on the fringe of NBA rosters can use the Summer League as a tryout to boost their stock league-wide and try to earn a contract.

Golden State Warriors 2024 Summer League Roster: pic.twitter.com/WXDwSYfgei

— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) June 30, 2024

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The Warriors’ only draft pick, Quinten Post, isn’t on the initial roster, but that’s likely a formality. The helter-skelter Draft Day trades that netted the Warriors Post with the 52nd pick is not yet finalized. Once it is, Golden State can add Post to the Summer League roster. General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said that the Boston College center is dealing with a minor leg injury, but Post is still likely to participate in Summer League in some capacity.

Warriors players Gui Santos and Pat Spencer are also on the team.

The Warriors are holding Summer League media day on Monday, July 1, and begin Summer League play next weekend with the California Classic at Chase Center.

Newsom signs bill allowing restaurant surcharges, fees — if clearly displayed

Restaurant surcharges will remain legal in California, so long as businesses state those fees “clearly and conspicuously” on menus.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office confirmed Saturday that he signed SB 1524, legislation that allows restaurants to continue adding surcharges to diners’ checks — fees that the industry says are crucial to the survival of these businesses.

These fees range from additional tips intended to maintain pay parity between the wait staff and the kitchen staff, to city health mandate fees, to corkage fees for diners who bring their own bottles of wine for dinner.

Without the industry carve-out, an emergency measure introduced by Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa) in early June, restaurants, bars and other food service businesses would have been subject to the SB 478 prohibition starting July 1 on so-called “hidden fees.”

The Golden Gate Restaurant Association hailed the approval, noting that surcharges “will make it possible for restaurants to continue to support pay equity and contribute to worker health care.”

Transparency is critical, the GGRA said in its statement Saturday. “Customers should never be surprised by their bill,” the group said.

Restaurateur Helen Nguyen, who owns Pho Ha Noi restaurants in San Jose, Palo Alto, Fremont and Milpitas, was pleased to hear of Saturday’s resolution of the issue.

“I am happy to know that the political figures finally understand the importance of taking action to support the restaurant business,” she said. “The service charge will help business owners maintain a balance in payments between front-of-house workers and back-of-house workers,” she said. “It will also save money for customers ordering takeout.”

In the months leading up to the rollout of SB 478, confusion emerged about how it would be implemented. When details about the new policy were released in May in a California Department of Justice FAQ, it triggered alarms around the restaurant community, because it stipulated that no extra restaurant fees — including mandatory tips for large parties (a widespread industry practice), as well as various surcharges, many of which were clearly shown on restaurant menus — would be permitted. That would leave restaurants to try to recoup that income by rolling those costs into the overall price per item on each menu.

And that, in turn, could trigger even more severe sticker shock among restaurant customers, Bay Area restaurant owner and partner Darren Matte said earlier this month.

“There’s an art and a science to menu pricing,” said Matte, whose restaurants include Los Gatos Parkside, Harvest in Danville and Per Diem in San Francisco. Efforts that restaurants make to, for instance, keep burgers under a ceiling of $20 or entrées under $30, would be in vain if there aren’t other ways to cover the costs of running the restaurant, he said.

SF Giants DFA pitcher as 40-man roster crunch looms

SAN FRANCISCO — Under Farhan Zaidi, any spot on the Giants’ 40-man roster is a valuable commodity, never vacant for long, so you knew they were feeling the effects of multiple roster crunches with their move before Sunday afternoon’s series finale against the Dodgers.

In desperate need of innings, they activated Landen Roupp early from his minor-league rehab assignment. In a corresponding move to get him on the active roster, they designated Spencer Howard for assignment, leaving their 40-man roster at 39 — with more openings needed to be created in the coming weeks.

Roupp was originally scheduled to throw three innings Monday in his fourth rehab appearance since a monthlong absence with elbow inflammation, but after the Giants used seven pitchers in their 11-inning loss to the Dodgers the previous night, they asked him to do that work at the major-league level.

“You’re going to see him in this game today at some point,” said Melvin, who tabbed Spencer Bivens to start their second straight bullpen game.

Howard worked 2⅔ innings Saturday, allowing six runs on six hits and two walks to raise his ERA to 5.63 in six appearances. He was out of options and could not be sent to the minors without being placed on waivers.

“Look, he’s one of the guys that can give us some innings,” Melvin said. “Obviously as an organization, we didn’t want to have to (DFA him). But today is kind of an extreme day based on what we’re dealing with. He threw 50-some pitches yesterday and wasn’t going to be able to pitch today, so it’s unfortunately a byproduct of that.”

While Melvin said the Giants “hope” that the 27-year-old former top prospect from San Luis Obispo clears waivers and they are able to retain him, Howard represents only one of a handful of decisions that will need to be made as the club activates its second-half reinforcements from the 60-day injured list.

“We’re always thinking about that,” Melvin said. “When we’re up against making decisions then, we will.”

Alex Cobb and Robbie Ray have each progressed to making rehab starts on their ways back from surgical procedures and are expected to be ready to bolster a depleted starting rotation not long after the All-Star break. Tristan Beck has started throwing off a mound and isn’t far behind.

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Should the Giants determine their bullpen, which has thrown the most innings in the majors, could also use a boost, right-hander Austin Warren (Tommy John) and lefty Ethan Small (oblique) are expected to be options in the second-half, too, but each reliever will also have to be activated from the 60-day IL.

In case you’ve lost count, that’s five players with only one current opening.

At Triple-A, the Giants also have a pair of pitching prospects on the cusp of the majors.

Left-hander Reggie Crawford, their first selection in the 2022 draft, has been on fast track through the minor-leagues this season with the intent of adding him to the major-league bullpen at some point, and while fellow lefty Carson Whisenhunt was recently passed over for Hayden Birdsong, the 23-year-old 2022 second-round pick could be up at anytime, too.

Looking back: Leon Panetta gets a ride

Horoscopes June 30, 2024: Mike Tyson, handle those who pose a problem

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Michael Phelps, 39; Monica Potter, 53; Mike Tyson, 58; David Alan Grier, 68.

Happy Birthday: Set boundaries, have a goal and adopt a disciplined mindset that helps you stay on course. Use your connections, clout and powers of persuasion, and you will zigzag through whatever obstacle course you encounter. Controlling your emotions will be difficult but doable, and your success will depend on how well you handle those who pose a problem. Avoid joint ventures, subscriptions and shared expenses. Your numbers are 9, 16, 23, 29, 31, 40, 47.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take care of your responsibilities first, or someone will bring it to your attention. Once you free up your schedule, jump in if something piques your interest. A change may not be welcome, but something good will unfold if you tweak what isn’t working correctly. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Turn up the volume, get moving and resolve issues. Do your best, and physically improve how you live and respond to loved ones. Bring issues to the forefront and encourage better relationships. Be receptive to what’s happening, and respond with compassion. Romance is on the rise. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Listen, learn from experts and apply knowledge to aspects of your life that are under attack or causing emotional turmoil. Your strength is in the ability to accept and thrive with change. Head in a direction that encourages growth and new beginnings, and don’t look back. 4 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Indulge in something that brings you joy. Use your imagination, surround yourself with creative people or chat with someone who can offer valuable suggestions that point you in a healthy direction. Personal and physical gains are apparent. Make romance and self-improvement your priorities. 2 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Keep an open mind, but don’t share personal information, secrets or plans. If you are too telling, you’ll run into a roadblock. Let your persuasive charm lead the way while you gather information that can help further your interests. Be smart, take your time and play to win. 5 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Do your due diligence. When it comes down to who wins, knowledge will top the charts. Put your energy into tracking the truth and passionately displaying what you know. Your attention to detail will capture the interest of someone who can help you get what you want. 5 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Focus on what you can achieve and put everything else on hold. Be aware of how loved ones feel, and take the time to sort through how you can make a difference without jeopardizing your relationship. An alternative suggestion that encourages a contractual change looks promising. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Socialize, interact and learn from conversations. New information will spark your imagination and drive you to participate. Your input will win you a seat at the table and allow you to indulge in decisions that can influence your lifestyle. Love and romance are on the rise. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Opportunity knocks; be ready to take advantage of whatever comes your way. Verify information and adjust anything that doesn’t feel right. Intelligence and research are necessary to avoid an expense that may not be necessary. Get more than one quote or opinion. Choose to be cost-efficient. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Follow the path that grabs your attention. Interacting with someone who intrigues you will lead to interesting conversations and a chance to explore possibilities. Home improvements that give you more room to pursue a passion look promising. Love and romance are in the stars. 5 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Stop, listen and contemplate your next move. Don’t feel you have to follow in someone else’s footsteps. Think for yourself and expand your interests. Take the road that leads to something that brings you joy. Choose peace over discord and do your own thing. 2 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Get out and socialize. The people you encounter will offer suggestions that pique your imagination and point you in an exciting direction. Personal gains and creative pursuits will lead to financial possibilities and a chance to raise your profile. Love is on the rise. 4 stars

Birthday Baby: You are appealing, sensitive and insightful. You are disciplined and productive.

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: Injury riddled Union fall on the road at Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS — The road remains a mystery for a franchise whose injury report could nearly produce a starting lineup by itself.

Shutout for the fourth time on the road Saturday, Monterey Bay F.C. opened the second half of the season, succumbing 1-0 to Colorado Springs.

With eight players out for various reasons, the Union’s offense is struggling to find that cohesiveness on the pitch, mustering just a handful of attempts on goal in falling to 6-8-4 on the season.

The setback also dropped Monterey Bay F.C. to sixth in the Western Conference of the United Soccer League Championship, two points behind Colorado Springs and nine points behind conference leader New Mexico.

The Union entered the match sitting in the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference.

Winless during the month of May, the Union came into the match 2-2-1 in June. The loss was their fifth straight on the road, with their last road win coming in Memphis on April 20.

The Union have never won a match in three attempts in Colorado Springs, who is 7-1-3 in its last 11 matches in the USL, with the one loss being a 1-0 setback to conference leader New Mexico.

The Switchback broke up a scoreless battle late in the first half when Ronaldo Damus converted a penalty with a shot to the left corner.

Monterey Bay F.C., who will travel to Pittsburgh next Saturday, hoped the momentum from a 2-1 series sweep win over Oakland last week would carry over.

While a portion of their personnel is back on the pitch, including Tristan Trager, who produced the franchises’ 100th career goal last week, the Union are still missing critical elements to their attack.

The Union got their first look at recently acquired forward Ousseni Bouda, who was brought in on loan for the rest of the season from the San Jose Earthquakes.

Carmel graduate Pierce Gallaway made his first professional start for Monterey Bay F.C.

USL save leader Antony Siaha was outstanding between the pipes for the Union, with the only goal allowed coming on a penalty kick.

SF Giants match Dodgers for 10 innings, can’t keep up in 11th

SAN FRANCISCO — Matching the mighty Dodgers for all nine innings and then some Saturday afternoon, the Giants couldn’t keep once the game reached its 11th inning and the clock elapsed beyond three and a half hours.

Trading leads seven times over the first 10 innings, the Dodgers ensured there wouldn’t be an eighth lead change with a seven-run onslaught against Sean Hjelle in his second inning of work. After intentionally walking Shohei Ohtani, Will Smith cleared the bases with a two-run double as part of a string of six straight hits. By the end of the rally, the Dodgers had doubled their run total to safely hand the Giants a 14-7 loss in the second game of their series at Oracle Park.

Practically all that was left of the announced sellout of 39,663 when the Giants came to bat for their final time was a sea of celebratory Dodger blue. Time of game: 3 hours, 45 minutes.

“We gave a couple of runs away early, but we had a chance to win the game, too,” manager Bob Melvin said. “The guys battled hard. The game went back and forth a million times. We had an opportunity to win the game in extras and we didn’t come through. There’s so many ways to dissect this game, but we had our opportunities to win at the end.”

After David Villar delivered a pinch-hit double to tie the score at 7 to begin the 10th inning, the Giants had the heart of their order coming up and the would-be winning run on third base with less than two outs. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts deployed a tactic that displayed their desperation, moving Chris Taylor from center field to the infield dirt with Patrick Bailey stepping to the plate.

Only needing to lift a fly ball to the outfield grass, Bailey took ball one, fouled off two pitches and swung through a slider below the strike zone for the second out of the inning. That brought up Chapman, who had already reached base four times, but he swung at the first pitch and popped it up to Smith behind home plate.

Asked if the unconventional defensive alignment affected his approach, Bailey said, “No, it shouldn’t” but acknowledged it “wasn’t a very good” plate appearance.

“I was looking for a good pitch to hit over the plate and drive it up the middle of the field and didn’t do a good job of it.”

Chapman said that he didn’t step in the box intending to swing at the first pitch, “but I wanted to get a good pitch to hit and he left a slider up in the zone.

“Unfortunately I took a good swing at it and I just wasn’t able to get the job done,” he continued. “I was really hoping that ball got out of play so I could see another pitch. But I’m happy that I swung at a good pitch. I just didn’t get the job done. … I’m still happy about the way we battled.”

The pond full of runners represented only three of the 15 men the Giants stranded on base, coming up with only five hits in 23 opportunities with runners in scoring position, and neither figure accounts for the two outs they made on the bases or the one Dodgers run they could have kept off the board.

Attempting to steal third after doubling in the second inning, Chapman took off too early and was caught in between bases by Glasnow. They scored four runs the following inning, but it could have been five if not for Jorge Soler running into an out trying to advance from second to third on a ground ball to shortstop.

“We thought we could a little bit more on the base paths against (Dodgers starter Tyler) Glasnow; we were hitting him,” Melvin said. “In Chappy’s case he thought he had a pretty good read and could get there or he wouldn’t have done it. In Jorge’s case, it was one of those tweeners. But again, as the game went along there were some other things we could have done to win the game.”

Both teams traded four-run rallies, which looked modest in comparison to the Dodgers’ seven-run explosion in extras. Combining for eight runs on eight hits and five walks, the Giants and Dodgers brought 19 men to the plate between the bottom of the third and top of the fourth, which took 38 minutes to elapse.

While the Giants’ four-run inning could have been five, they were left wondering if the Dodgers’ four-spot should have been three.

Scoring the final run of the inning, Jason Heyward dove across home plate as Luis Matos’ throw skipped away from Bailey. Charging and coming up firing on Gavin Lux’s single to right field, Matos’ throw arrived on time and on-line but Bailey wasn’t able to corral the ball when it short-hopped him with Heyward approaching.

“Just a tough short hop,” Bailey said. “I thought I had it in my glove and it just popped out.”

Hjelle was the Giants’ seventh pitcher of the game, which began with an opener, Erik Miller, who gave them nearly as much length as the Dodgers got out of their traditional starter and staff ace, Tyler Glasnow, who was knocked around for five runs over three innings in his shortest and least effective start of the season.

“We executed our game plan; we were able to get Glasnow out of the game,” Chapman said. “Every time they scored, we answered back. I thought we did a great job. It’s just, you give a team like that too many opportunities and we let them come back out in the 11th inning and they put up seven runs. It’s tough to come back from that.”

The combination of Randy Rodríguez, Taylor Rogers, Ryan Walker and Camilo Doval kept the Dodgers at bay from the fifth inning until the 10th, when Hjelle allowed the Dodgers to score their automatic runner, setting up Villar’s game-tying double in the bottom half of the inning.

Set to deploy another bullpen game Sunday in the series finale, Melvin said a second inning from Hjelle was the Giants’ only option for the 11th.

“Unfortunately we had to do that,” Melvin said. “Sean Hjelle’s pitched great this year. He really had one inning in him today, and we asked him to do a little bit more. It’s too bad that he gave up as many as he did, but we couldn’t use another pitcher at that time.”

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LHP Blake Snell (groin) will make one more rehab start before he is slotted back into the Giants’ rotation. Snell will pitch Wednesday for Triple-A Sacramento, lining him up to return to the rotation for the first game of their final home stand before the All-Star break.

In three innings for the River Cats on Friday, Snell allowed three runs on four hits while striking out six and walking one, throwing 41 of his 62 pitches for strikes.

Also making a rehab start Friday for Single-A San Jose, LHP Robbie Ray threw 48 pitches while tossing 3⅔ scoreless innings. He and RHP Alex Cobb, who makes his first rehab start Sunday in San Jose, are both expected back sometime after the All-Star break.

Up next

Listing their starter as “TBA,” the Giants plan to use another opener in the series finale against LHP James Paxton (7-1, 3.39). First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.