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NCS baseball playoffs: How San Ramon Valley claimed a spot in Division I semifinals

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:59 GMT

DANVILLE — San Ramon Valley coach Justin Santich-Hughes, showing trust in the scouting report, gave the ball on Friday to a pitcher who hadn’t started all season.A pitcher who hadn’t gotten into a game in 15 days.A pitcher who hadn’t worked more than two innings in a single outing.“We got a lot of good info on Berkeley,” Santich-Hughes said. “We thought it was a good matchup. They’re really aggressive swinging the bats, and he has a good fastball and good secondary stuff. He doesn’t throw it all over for strikes. Kind of effectively wild in that regard.”All that was on the line was a spot in the North Coast Section Division I baseball semifinals.Kam Croghan, who learned of the assignment on Wednesday, took the ball and gave second-seeded San Ramon Valley three scoreless innings.Nate Simonton took care of the rest, pitching the final four frames as San Ramon Valley ousted 10th-seeded Berkeley 3-1.Joseph Coupland’s home...

SF Giants beat Marlins, reigning NL Cy Young winner to extend win streak to 4 games

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:59 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Facing reigning National League Cy Young winner Sandy Alcántara, the Giants knew runs would be hard to come by Friday night.San Francisco returned to a familiar formula over the past week but one that would have felt foreign prior to their current win streak, which they extended to four games. With just enough timely hitting, the Giants maximized their chances, chased Alcántara in the sixth and beat the Marlins, 4-3.After 21 hits over the final two games of their sweep of the Phillies, the Giants (21-23) managed only five Friday night. But they were also much better with runners in scoring position against Philadelphia than they had been all season, and they continued their clutch hitting in their first of three games against Miami (23-22).Mitch Haniger drove in the first run of the game with a two-out double in the fourth and scored one of the Giants’ three runs in the sixth, when they forced Alcántara from the game and took the lead for good. Rookie Casey Sch...

Another season-long issue haunts Oakland A’s, who lose starting pitcher to injury

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:59 GMT

HOUSTON — One of the Oakland A’s season-long problems came back to bite them Friday in their series-opening game with the Houston Astros.No, not starting pitching or defense, although those two serial issues played a role as well.The A’s went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base — including three in the first inning — in a 5-1 loss to the Astros at Minute Maid Park.The A’s lack of opportunistic hitting proved costly as Kyle Tucker’s two-run home run in the sixth inning landed deep in right where many fans wore metallic gold crowns in honor of “King Tuck.” It was Tucker’s bobblehead night, honoring his 2022 Gold Glove. His seventh homer of the year came off Ken Waldichuk (1-3) and scored José Abreu.Tucker also doubled in the fourth to score Yordan Alvarez, who led off with a double of his own off the top of the wall in center. The Astros have won eight of their last nine games, and the A’s have lost five of six.Oakl...

Monterey County child molester sentenced to 142 years to life in prison

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:59 GMT

(KRON) -- A 43-year-old Monterey County man was sentenced to serve 142 years to life in prison for sexually molesting one of his young family members. Angel Rojas Lugos, of San Ardo, was sentenced by Judge Jennifer J. O’Keefe on Friday in a Salinas courtroom. The victim was less than 10 years old when the abuse began, prosecutors said. A jury found Lugos guilty of two counts of committing oral copulation, and 14 counts of committing forcible lewd or lascivious acts against a child. All 16 counts are violent felonies and considered “strikes” under California’s Three Strikes law, prosecutors said. Lugos is required to register as a sex offender for life.The victim, "Jane Doe," reported that Lugos molested her many times over a two-year period. The case was investigated by deputies with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office. "Jane Doe stated she waited to report the molestation because she was afraid she would get in trouble and that she would not be believed," prosecutors wrote. "At tr...

Moniak’s 3 hits, defense help Angels rally for a 5-4 victory over Twins

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:59 GMT

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mickey Moniak had three hits and made a game-saving catch at the wall in the seventh inning as Los Angeles rallied for a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night after Angels starter Reid Detmers took a no-hitter into the sixth inning.Hunter Renfroe also had three hits for the Angels, who gave Mike Trout the day off after the team flew cross country Thursday after completing a four-game series in Baltimore. Detmers tied a career high with 12 strikeouts and allowed only three Twins to reach base via walks before Byron Buxton lined a base hit to left with two outs in the sixth to end the left-hander’s bid for a second no-hitter. Carlos Correa’s walk and Buxton’s single started a three-run rally that allowed Minnesota to tie the score.Detmers ended up allowing three runs and two hits.Willi Castro homered in the seventh inning for the Twins to give them a short-lived 4-3 lead.Moniak, who was playing Trout’s usual spot in center ...

Sobrevivió al bombardeo de Hiroshima. Ahora, las amenazas de Putin traen de vuelta sus recuerdos

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:59 GMT

(CNN) — Comenzó con un destello cegador y un estampido ensordecedor. Luego llegó la onda expansiva, que lanzó a los jóvenes por los aires y les clavó en la piel los fragmentos de cristal de las ventanas.Solo más tarde, mientras atravesaban el infierno que había sido su próspera ciudad, se dieron cuenta de que eran los que habían tenido suerte.“Había incendios por todas partes, la ciudad era una tormenta de fuego. El cielo azul se volvió gris y la noche negra. Buscamos a mamá, llorando mientras la lluvia negra nos empapaba”, recuerda Okihiro Terao.Fue entonces cuando aparecieron los “fantasmas”. Formas humanas de rasgos indefinidos que emergían de la oscuridad, retorciéndose y gimiendo de dolor mientras se acercaban a los vivos. Las extrañas figuras no podían ser personas, recuerda Terao que pensó con sus cuatro años.“Su apariencia… Era difícil ver quiénes eran, eran irreconocibles. Creo que por eso estaba tan asustado”, dice Terao, qui...

Rafael Devers homers twice to give James Paxton first win since 2020

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:59 GMT

SAN DIEGO — “Hope he don’t hit no homers.”That was Xander Bogaerts‘ lighthearted response to a pregame question about facing his longtime teammate, close friend, and de facto little brother, Rafael Devers, for the first time since the former opted out of his Red Sox contract and signed with the San Diego Padres during the offseason.“That’s a dangerous guy, you know, especially when he’s in that box. He’s truly one-of-a-kind, and hopefully he takes it a little light on us, because he can do damage.”Devers respectfully declined by homering in each of his first two at-bats.“Damage Done” is so 2018, but we’ll bring it out of retirement for such an occasion.The Red Sox combined for eight hits and three walks, but it was the 26-year-old third baseman who got them on the board with a 381-ft solo shot in the second, and widened the gap with a 435-ft 3-run blast in the third, which paved the way to an eventual 6-1 victor...

San Diegans excited about new MLS team

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:59 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Executives from the newly named San Diego Major League Soccer team were out in the community listening to fans and possibly future players as they made their way to local youth league games, passing out merchandise to an excited fan base. “It’s finally here, we hear it all over the news, finally here,” said Keith Miller, the owner of Futsal, a youth soccer training center. Former professional athletes are also excited to see what San Diego FC does to fire up the new players and fans. Tickets going fast for San Diego Fair Concert Series opening performances “Amazing thing for young kids, extremely motivating for people dreaming of playing soccer,” said Austin Guerrero, a former professional goalkeeper. The SDFC is expected to start in 2025, and the team is already prospecting for new recruits. “The model of right to dream and the residential academy is coming to San Diego,” said Cody Martinez, a co-Owner of San Diego FC. The academy searchers for players 11-17 years o...

How to avoid additional penalties on late property tax bills

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:59 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Haven't paid your property taxes yet? There's still time to avoid additional penalties.San Diego County Treasure-Tax Collector Dan McAllister on Friday sent 43,100 notices to property owners who did not pay all 2022-2023 property taxes, he said in a release. The bills must be paid by June 30.“On July 1, unpaid bills will go into default and receive additional penalties of 1.5% each month,” McAllister said. “That penalty adds up to a hefty 18% per year but is avoidable if payments are received by the June 30 deadline.”  South Bay restaurant’s liquor license suspended after 20-year-old killed in crash The first due date for property taxes is in December while the second takes place in April, according to the county. If missed on each installment, a 10% penalty is incurred, plus a $10 fee for the second late payment. Taxpayers can pay their bills online at sdttc.com for no cost if the payment is made using the free e-Check option.   "The total remaining&nb...

End of an era? GOP walkout shows political chasm where ‘The Oregon Way’ once meant bipartisan trust

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:59 GMT

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon has long been seen as a quirky state whose main city was satirized in a TV comedy, where rugged country folk and urban hipsters could get along and political differences could be settled over a pint or two of craft beer.But with a Republican walkout in the Democrat-controlled Oregon Senate in its third week, Oregonians these days are wistfully recalling “The Oregon Way,” when politicians of different stripes forged agreements for the common good. Famous examples include establishing the nation’s first recycling program, ensuring public beach access for the entire coastline and limiting urban sprawl in a pioneering land-use program. A quarter-century ago, former Republican U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith and current Democratic U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden championed legislation together in Congress and even jointly appeared at town halls across the state, said Kerry Tymchuk, who was Gordon’s chief of staff back then. That spirit of cooperation was mirrored in the ...