Last Monday, April 13, Jim Rally, a towering figure in Bay Area soccer and US Open Cup history, passed away. He was 85.

In 1949, Rally, then just 19 years-old, founded Greek-American Athletic Club (AC) with his older brother, John.

In its 56 year history, Greek-American AC advanced to the US Open Cup Final three times, winning in 1985 and 1994. The club first reached the Open Cup Quarterfinals back in 1963 and over the next three decades would finish with 12 Round of 8 appearances, which remains tied for the third-most in tournament history. They also won the San Francisco Soccer Football League championship 16 times.

During those Open Cup years, Greek-American AC had a roster that included Nigerian internationals Andy Atuegbu and Godwin Odiye, Honduran Salvador Bernardez, Iranian Hadji Rahimipour and American players like John Doyle, Paul Bravo, Mark Semioli, and Tim Martin.

The Rallys were able to assemble such a talented roster because they treated their players with a respect uncommon even in the professional ranks.

Greek-American AC: 1994 US Open Cup champions. Photo: Greek-American AC

“There was an allegiance and affiliation with John and Jim that existed at the club level that did not exist at the professional level,” said midfielder Derek Van Rheenen. “There was a clubhouse. There were fans of Greek origin. And John and Jim were very beloved. We had a real desire to play for them, and as quirky as they were, there was a real affinity that didn’t exist at the professional level.”

“(The players) liked the group,” Rally said in an interview last year. “They liked the way that the spectators and fans treated them. They were all on a pedestal. They didn’t get that kind of treatment from any other team. We took care of them. We took them out.”

The players returned their owners’ affections.

Said Greek-American AC goalkeeper Aram Kardzair: “John and Jim were like my dad. They were like my father. It was just because of their passion for not only the game, but for the Greek-American (team). They were very proud of us.”

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for John and Jimmy and their love of the game and what they did with that club and with the players,” said forward Mike Deleray. “You’re talking about hundreds of people that went through the club over the years. It was a special environment.”

Greek-American AC celebrate their 1994 US Open Cup championship. Photo: Greek-American AC

Among the players, Rally was also infamous for writing long letters to the team after every match. In them, he would often make jokes at the players’ expense. About Deleray he once wrote: “Mike never lost a step because he never had one.”

But Jim Rally fought hard for his club off the pitch, even in adverse circumstances.

When a team from Seattle once tried to use legal action to stop Greek-American AC from playing in a national tournament, Rally did everything in his power to help his team get on the field and back into the tournament. He even went so far as to convince spectators to pose as Greek-American AC players so that the Seattle club couldn’t take the pitch.

Rally’s craftiness and knowledge of the game, together with his brother’s bonhomie and largesse, fashioned Greek-American AC into one of the best amateur club teams in the entire country.

It’s fitting then that Greek-American AC, a club that embodied the familial and friendly spirit of the amateur game, were the last such club to win the US Open Cup in 1994.

But tragedy struck in 1997, when a massive fire broke out at an industrial laundromat managed by John Rally. The fire destroyed much of the memorabilia and trophies that the brothers had acquired through their many decades of patronage. All that was left to them were their memories.

Yet, when asked why he and John devoted so much of their time and money to Greek-American AC, Rally didn’t even hesitate with his reply.

“That was our life,” he said.

Originally hailing from the Bay Area, Tim Froh is now a Digital Content Writer for the Portland Timbers and has also written for SoccerWire and MLSsoccer.com. You can find him on Twitter @TimFroh.

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ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves became the first team to clinch a playoff berth, rallying past the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 on Sunday as Matt Olson went 2 for 3 with three RBIs.

Atlanta (93-49) secured at least a wild card and reached the postseason for the sixth straight year, the second-longest streak in franchise history. The Braves hold a 15-game lead over second-place Philadelphia in the NL East.

Ronald Acuña Jr. put Atlanta ahead with a two-run single in the seventh. Olson added a two-run single later in the inning.

Brad Hand (4-1) won in relief of rookie Allan Winans. Raisel Iglesias pitched a scoreless ninth for his 29th save in 31 chances.

Colin Selby (2-1) gave up four runs in one-third of an inning.

YANKEES 4, BREWERS 3, 13 INNINGS

NEW YORK (AP) — Milwaukee rookie right fielder Sal Frelick preserved a no-hit bid with a leaping catch at the wall of Anthony Volpe’s drive in the 10th inning to keep the game scoreless, but New York rallied when Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer in the 12th off Andrew Chafin and Kyle Higashioka hit a winning double in the 13th against Hoby Milner (2-1).

After Corbin Burnes pitched eight hitless innings, Devin Williams worked a 1-2-3 ninth and Abner Uribe a hitless 10th. Tyrone Taylor hit a run-scoring single in the 11th as Milwaukee went for the first 11-inning no-hitter in major league history, but Oswaldo Cabrera hit a tying RBI double with one out in the bottom half off Joel Payamps.

Joey Wiemer had an RBI double and Andrew Monasterio a sacrifice fly off Nick Ramirez in the 12th. Anthony Misiewicz (2-0) pitched around a walk in a hitless 13th.

Yankees rookie center fielder Jasson Domínguez was scratched because of a torn ligament in his throwing elbow and needs Tommy John surgery, interrupting an impressive start to his major league career that included four home runs in his first seven games.

RAYS 6, MARINERS 3

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Zach Eflin (14-8) tied for the AL wins lead as Tampa Bay took three of four. The Rays have a 7 1/2-game lead over Toronto for the top AL wild card, while Seattle trails AL West-leading Houston by 2 1/2 games.

Eflin allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings and four pitchers combined for scoreless, two-hit relief, with Pete Fairbanks working the ninth for his 21st save,

Yandy Díaz had a leadoff single, Brandon Lowe walked, Harold Ramírez hit a two-run double in the first off Bryce Miller (8-5) and Josh Lowe had a run-scoring double.

ASTROS 12, PADRES 2

HOUSTON (AP) — Kyle Tucker hit two RBI triples in an eight-run sixth inning as Houston routed San Diego.

Tucker became the 12th major leaguer with two triples in an inning and first since Colorado’s Cory Sullivan on April 9, 2006, at San Diego.

Jose Altuve homered and drove in three runs for Houston, which has won five of six to open a 2 1/2-game AL West lead over Seattle. The defending World Series champion Astros (82-62) are a season-high 20 games over .500.

J.P. France (11-5) allowed one run, four hits and five walks in six innings. Matt Waldron (0-3) yielded four runs in five innings.

Tucker was the first Houston player to triple twice in an inning, hitting his three-baggers off Tim Hill and Rich Hill.

CUBS 5, DIAMONDBACKS 2

CHICAGO (AP) — Christopher Morel, Cody Bellinger and Dansby Swanson each hit a solo homer in the third inning, and Chicago snapped a three-game skid with a victory over Arizona.

Swanson added two singles and Kyle Hendricks (6-7) tossed 5 2/3 effective innings to help the Cubs strengthen their hold on the second NL wild-card spot. Arizona’s four-game winning streak ended, but the Diamondbacks have a half-game lead over Miami for the third and final wild card.

Swanson finished with two RBIs and Seiya Suzuki doubled in a run for the Cubs. Morel also tripled, and Julian Merryweather pitched the ninth for his first save.

Arizona opener Joe Mantiply (1-2) took the loss.

BLUE JAYS 5, ROYALS 2

TORONTO (AP) — Kevin Kiermaier hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning and Toronto took advantage of three consecutive wild pitches by Cole Ragans to complete a three-game sweep of Kansas City.

The Blue Jays hold the second AL wild card by one game over Seattle and 1 1/2 over Texas, which begins a four-game series in Toronto on Monday.

Kiermaier broke a 2-all tie with a solo shot off Taylor Clarke (2-5). Santiago Espinal and Cavan Biggio made it 5-2 with RBI singles off Jackson Kowar in the eighth.

José Berríos (10-10) allowed two runs in seven innings to snap a five-start winless streak. Jordan Romano got his 34th save in 37 chances as the Royals left the bases loaded in the ninth.

The major league-worst Royals (44-100) lost their fourth straight, giving them 100 losses for the first time since 2019.

Ragans extended his scoreless innings streak to 26 with five shutout innings to begin the game, but his outing unraveled in the sixth.

RED SOX 7, ORIOLES 3

BOSTON (AP) — Triston Casas hit a three-run homer off Cole Irvin as Boston averted a three-game sweep with a rain-delayed victory that halted Baltimore’s seven-game winning streak.

A day after getting 23 hits in a 13-12 loss, the Red Sox wiped out a 3-0 deficit with two runs in each of the third and fourth innings against Grayson Rodriguez (5-4).

Brayan Bello (12-8) worked five innings, giving up three runs and seven hits.

RANGERS 9, ATHETICS 4

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Marcus Semien homered twice among his four hits, Corey Seager went deep for the 30th time this season and Texas won consecutive games for the first time in September.

Andrew Heaney (10-6), the odd man out of the Rangers’ rotation with All-Star right-hander Nathan Eovaldi back from the injured list, struck out six over 3 2/3 scoreless innings after taking over for Jon Gray in the third.

Semien matched his career high with four hits for the second time in four games. He set a franchise record with his eighth leadoff homer this season, part of a three-run first inning off rookie Luis Medina (3-9).

DODGERS 7, NATIONALS 3

WASHINGTON (AP) — James Outman homered and Los Angeles moved closer to another division title with a victory over Washington.

Jason Heyward drove in two runs for the Dodgers, who lead the NL West by 13 games over Arizona. Los Angeles reduced its magic number to six for wrapping up the division crown.

The last-place Nationals have dropped 10 of 13.

Rain halted play for 58 minutes in the top of the fifth inning, the third consecutive day the teams endured a delay.

Wander Suero (1-0), called up from the minors before the game, allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings for his first big league victory since he pitched for Washington in 2021.

The Dodgers took the lead against starter Trevor Williams (6-10) on Heyward’s two-run single in the first.

MARLINS 5, PHILLIES 4

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryan De La Cruz hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning and Miami, held hitless until the seventh, rallied past Philadelphia.

Dane Myers broke up a no-hit bid by Phillies starter Ranger Suárez with a one-out double in the seventh. Yuli Gurriel drove in two runs for the Marlins, who pulled within a half-game of Arizona for the final National League wild card. Miami has won eight of 10 after taking two of three games from Philadelphia.

Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber homered for the defending NL champion Phillies, who are two games in front of the Cubs for the league’s top wild card.

Miami went ahead in the eighth on De La Cruz’s two-run homer off Seranthony Domínguez (4-4).

David Robertson (6-6) struck out Alec Bohm with the bases loaded to end the bottom of the seventh.

Tanner Scott, the seventh Marlins pitcher, got five outs for his seventh save.

REDS 7, CARDINALS 1

CINCINNATI (AP) — Hunter Greene allowed one hit in six innings, Joey Votto homered on his 40th birthday and Cincinnati stopped a three-game losing streak by beating St. Louis.

Votto connected after missing 16 games with discomfort in his surgically repaired right shoulder. Jonathan India, Will Benson and TJ Friedl also hit solo home runs as the Reds avoided a three-game sweep. India also was playing his first game after missing 39 with left foot plantar fasciitis.

Cincinnati is 1 1/2 games behind Arizona for the final NL wild card.

Greene (4-6), who had been sidelined with COVID-19 that kept him isolated in San Francisco for five days, gave up one unearned run and struck out nine. He walked four in the first four innings before settling down to retire his last seven batters.

Miles Mikolas (7-11) fell to 1-6 over his last nine starts. The Cardinals (63-80) have lost 80 games for the first time since 2007 when they finished 78-84.

GIANTS 6, ROCKIES 3

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Keaton Winn had a career-high nine strikeouts in six innings to get his first major league win, and San Francisco completed a three-game sweep of Colorado.

Thairo Estrada, Mitch Haniger and Joc Peterson homered for the Giants, who edged back into the playoff race with three straight wins following a six-game slide. San Francisco pulled within 1 1/2 games of Arizona for the final NL wild card.

The Giants have won eight of nine against the Rockies this season and are 16-1 versus Colorado dating to Aug. 21, 2022.

Winn (1-2), who began his career in June as a reliever, was crisp against the Rockies in his third major league start. He allowed three runs and threw 62 of his 80 pitches for strikes.

Hunter Goodwin hit a two-run triple for the last-place Rockies. All three Giants homers came off starter Peter Lambert (3-7).

METS 2, TWINS 0

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — DJ Stewart hit a two-run double in the ninth inning and New York overcame a career-high 14 strikeouts by Minnesota starter Pablo López to avoid a three-game sweep.

López went eight innings for the Twins, who have a 7 1/2-game lead in the AL Central over Cleveland.

Stewart doubled off reliever Griffin Jax (6-9), who took over for López in the ninth. Francisco Lindor led off with a bloop double and Jeff McNeil was hit by a pitch.

Brooks Raley (1-2) struck out two in the eighth to earn the win. Adam Ottavino allowed a leadoff double in the ninth but held on for his ninth save.

López became the ninth Twins pitcher to reach 200 strikeouts in a season.

ANGELS 2, GUARDIANS 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Kenny Rosenberg gave up one run over five innings to earn his first career win as Los Angeles held off Cleveland.

Mike Moustakas and Randal Grichuk each drove in a run for the Angels, who took advantage of two balk calls on Guardians starter Tanner Bibee in the third. Cleveland lost three of four in the series and is 7 1/2 games behind first-place Minnesota in the AL Central.

Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani missed his seventh straight game with an oblique strain. Los Angeles manager Phil Nevin was optimistic Ohtani will return Monday at Seattle.

Kole Calhoun homered for the Guardians against his former team, and Bibee (10-4) allowed two hits over seven innings. The rookie from nearby Mission Viejo retired his last 14 batters and did not issue a walk. He struck out eight in his first appearance at Angel Stadium.

Rosenberg (1-1) permitted six hits and one walk. Carlos Estévez earned his 30th save.

TIGERS 3, WHITE SOX 2

DETROIT (AP) — Sawyer Gipson-Long won his major league debut and Spencer Torkelson hit a two-run double in a three-run third inning as Detroit beat Chicago.

Gipson-Long (1-0) threw 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs and four hits. Four relievers finished for the Tigers, with Alex Lange getting his 23rd save.

Jesse Scholtens (1-8) gave up three runs and eight hits in five innings.

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Palestinian people and their allies are continuing calls for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas. Thousands of people filled San Francisco’s Civic Center on Saturday, joining nationwide rallies calling for an end to the fighting and for the U.S. to stop sending aid to Israel. The rally was the biggest so far in the Bay Area since the war began on October 7, and one of numerous actions in other cities, including a massive demonstration in Washington, D.C., with other demonstrations taking place across Europe.

A woman waves a Palestinian flag at the International Day of Solidarity: Free Palestine rally in front of City Hall in San Francisco on Nov. 4, 2023. (Kathryn Styer Martínez for KQED)

“I am optimistic about the unbelievable outpouring. Just coming here on BART this morning, half the car was people with signs,” said Seth Morrison, a member of the national board of Jewish Voice for Peace Action, at the rally. “I’m seeing all over the country our JVP chapters, our actions are bigger than ever.”

Seth Morrison, 72, attends the International Day of Solidarity: Free Palestine rally. Morrison, who lives in El Cerrito, has been organizing with Jewish Voice for Peace since 2011. (Kathryn Styer Martínez for KQED)

Suzanne Ali, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement Bay Area Chapter, says she hopes the marches happening across the country draw attention to the thousands of Palestinians that have been killed in Gaza since the war began.

“What we’re seeing today is a shock to the human conscience.  People need to focus on the real root issue of violence which is Israeli settler colonial occupation.”

Suzanne Ali, 25, speaks with reporters at the International Day of Solidarity: Free Palestine rally. Ali of San Francisco is an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement. (Kathryn Styer Martínez for KQED)

Andrea Muir said she has family in Gaza that have been displaced from their home, and that one of her cousins has died as a result of the fighting.

“It doesn’t feel right to sit at home,” said Muir.

It’s been a month since Hamas launched an unprecedented cross-border attack into Israel from Gaza, killing at least 1,400 people and taking approximately 240 hostages, according to the Israeli government. In the weeks since, Israel’s unrelenting attacks on Gaza have killed more than 9,400 people, at least 3,600 of whom were children, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza.  Over 1.4 million people have been displaced. Calls for a cease-fire, including a call for a humanitarian pause from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday, have so far been rebuffed by Israel, as supplies of food, water and medicine in Gaza run dangerously low.

The Bay Area has seen a series of vigils and rallies in recent weeks.  Last Saturday an estimated 15,000 protesters marched up Market Street in downtown San Francisco and onto the Highway 101. The following day, hundreds attended a tightly guarded pro-Israel rally in downtown San Francisco at Yerba Buena Gardens.

Thousands gather at the International Day of Solidarity: Free Palestine rally in front of City Hall. (Kathryn Styer Martínez for KQED)

Dozens of Bay Area residents traveled to Washington D.C. this weekend, joining the march there calling for an end to U.S. aid to Israel, an end to the siege of Gaza, and for an immediate ceasefire.

“I have to do what I can in this moment and onwards to ensure that more Palestinians aren’t displaced from their lands, like my grandparents, using U.S. taxpayer dollars,” said Rami Abdelkarim, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement in the Bay Area. “I want to join the people who refuse to sit idly by while our country funds the destruction and the displacement of my ancestors and my people.”

Thousands showed up to attend the International Day of Solidarity: Free Palestine rally. (Kathryn Styer Martínez for KQED)

San Francisco rally attendee Kisae Hussein said she feels a moral obligation to protest because her country, the United States, is spending tax dollars to support Israel.

“It’s hard not to feel despair when there’s all these marches and our representatives are still doing what they’re doing,” she said. “But if there’s enough pushback, if we boycott, divest, sanction, if we keep moving forward with these actions I think we have to have hope that something will happen despite how impossible it may seem.”

Adam Shain, 6, attends the International Day of Solidarity: Free Palestine rally with his mom Faten, who says they currently have family in Jordan and Palestine. (Kathryn Styer Martínez for KQED)

The response to the protestors’ calls by California politicians has been mixed. California’s leading Senate candidates, running to fill the late Senator Dianne Feinstein’s seat, have largely expressed support for Israel’s response to the Hamas attacks. Meanwhile, East Bay Rep. Barbara Lee is calling for a cease-fire and is stressing that Israel must respond “within the framework of international law.”

While the White House has not called for a cease-fire thus far, President Biden on Wednesday did call for a humanitarian pause in Gaza, at a time of mounting pressure from human rights groups, and even members of his own Democratic Party. But a majority of the U.S. Congress continues to support the Israeli military. The House of Representatives recently approved $14.5 billion in military aid for Israel.

On Thursday, a San Francisco law firm sued the Biden administration in a push to evacuate Palestinian-Americans trapped in Gaza, saying that while some American citizens have been evacuated, the administration has so far failed to bring Palestinian-Americans home to safety.

Attendees at the International Day of Solidarity: Free Palestine rally in front of City Hall call for the Israeli military to cease fire in Palestine. (Kathryn Styer Martínez for KQED)

The Bay Area’s Jewish Community Relations Council CEO Tyler Gregory said the JCRC and the Jewish Community are calling on the Biden administration to do everything to provide humanitarian aid and work with Israelis to minimize loss of life. But, he added, Israel would not live with a cease-fire until the hostages are returned and Hamas is “no longer ruling the Gaza Strip.”

“We think that it’s reasonable that Israel has the right to self-defense and to try to reclaim its hostages,” Gregory said on Friday. “And we know that the United States would do the exact same thing. There is a lot of hypocrisy going around by those that are denying Israel the right to finish this.”

United Nations experts are warning that Gaza is “running out of time” and are calling for an immediate cease-fire “to prevent genocide.” Amnesty International has referred to Israeli governance of Palestinians as “oppressive and discriminatory” and “a system of apartheid.”

Organizers are planning more actions in the weeks ahead, including a protest at the Oakland Federal Building on Thursday.

KQED’s Juan Carlos Lara, Annelise Finney, Attila Pelit, David Marks and Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman contributed to this story.

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Image Credits: Cruise

Protestors gathered Monday outside Cruise’s headquarters in San Francisco after reports of one of its robotaxis blocking an ambulance with a patient on board who later died.

The incident, which the San Francisco Fire Department reported last week, happened on August 14, when a driver hit a pedestrian in the city around 11 p.m. The department said emergency responders had trouble getting from the collision to the hospital because two Cruise robotaxis blocked the road. According to the report, the blockage caused a delay in getting the pedestrian to the hospital, where they later passed away.

Cruise denied the accusation that its robotaxis hindered the ambulance from getting away from the emergency scene, and video evidence shown to TechCrunch mostly backs that claim.

The event occurred days after Cruise and its main competitor Waymo were awarded permits from California regulators to expand their robotaxi services throughout San Francisco 24/7. The hearing to determine the permit expansions had been delayed twice amid mounting opposition to offering the companies free rein. Residents, ride-hail and taxi drivers and city agencies called out Cruise and Waymo after numerous instances of robotaxis malfunctioning and blocking the flow of traffic, sometimes for hours.

Aside from causing traffic delays, many San Franciscans feared that stalled robotaxis could impede the work of emergency responders.

“The patient was packaged for transport with life-threatening injuries, but we were unable to leave the scene initially due to the Cruise vehicles not moving,” reads the report, first reported by Forbes. “The fact that Cruise autonomous vehicles continue to block ingress and egress to critical 911 calls is unacceptable.”

In a statement, Cruise pushed back against the fire department’s statement, saying its vehicle did not impede the ambulance from getting to the hospital and calling the department’s statement “not accurate.” A spokesperson for the company also called out the irony of pinning the pedestrian’s death on Cruise, when the pedestrian was hit by a human driver.

“The first vehicle promptly clears the area once the light turns green and the other stops in the lane to yield to first responders who are directing traffic,” a Cruise spokesperson wrote in a statement. “Throughout the entire duration the AV is stopped, traffic remains unblocked and flowing to the right of the AV. The ambulance behind the AV had a clear path to pass the AV as other vehicles, including the ambulance, proceeded to do so. As soon as the victim was loaded into the ambulance, the ambulance left the scene immediately and was never impeded from doing so by the AV.”

Cruise showed video of the event to TechCrunch, and we can confirm the scene happened more or less in the manner Cruise describes.

There were indeed two Cruise vehicles at the scene, alongside other cars trying to make room for first responders. One of the Cruise vehicles looked to be somewhat in the way of a fire truck, clumsily moving out of its path and, eventually, through the intersection where the pedestrian had been struck. This happened before the ambulance arrived. When the ambulance arrived, it parked behind the second Cruise vehicle, which had stopped just before the intersection in the second to the right lane of a four-lane street. A law enforcement officer stood in front of the Cruise vehicle directing traffic, and cars could be seen driving in the far right lane past the robotaxi — all the while, first responders are addressing the pedestrian and putting them in the ambulance.

The video showed the first responders getting into the ambulance and backing up slightly to get distance from the parked Cruise vehicle, then maneuvering to the left of the vehicle seconds later.

The Cruise vehicle was not stalled, according to a spokesperson, but didn’t move through the intersection because of the police officer standing in the middle of it. Cruise’s prediction algorithm is trained to always give right of way to pedestrians, and so the AV couldn’t advance at the time. While this situation calls into question how well the AVs are able to read hand gestures from emergency responders, it’s clear that the robotaxi didn’t hinder the ambulance’s path in a significant way.

That said, if the street had been a one-way, single lane road, an indecisive robotaxi parked at the intersection would have definitely been a hindrance.

The fire department did not respond in time to TechCrunch to provide more information.

Cruise’s problems are mounting in San Francisco

Despite the fact that blood does not appear to be on Cruise’s hands in this instance, the pedestrian death and Cruise’s proximity to it are part of a growing list of incidents hanging over the company like a black cloud, giving fuel to the opposition.

Protestors on Monday were seen calling for the shutdown of Cruise, as well as Waymo, with signs that read “No Mo Robos” and “Greed Kills.” Aside from public safety and traffic concerns, protestors expressed fears of robotaxis displacing hundreds of thousands of jobs in San Francisco and beyond. During the protest, loud music began to play from inside the company offices, drowning out the protests.

Since Cruise got the greenlight to expand in San Francisco, the company has been plagued by a series of public incidents.

On August 16, 10 Cruise robotaxis stalled creating a gridlock in North Beach for about 20 minutes during one of the city’s biggest music festivals. A spokesperson told TechCrunch that the vehicles stopped because there were too many pedestrians blocking their path. When that happens, a remote operator gets involved to help navigate the car out of the way. But due to the high density of crowds with cell phones, there was a lag between the remote operator and the vehicles.

Just two days later, another Cruise vehicle drove into wet cement and got stuck. The San Francisco Department of Public Works said the paving project had been properly marked off with cones and there were workers with flags at each end of the block.

That same week, a Cruise robotaxi was involved in a collision with an emergency vehicle that left a passenger injured. Cruise tweeted about the crash, saying one of its Chevy Bolt EVs entered an intersection on a green traffic light and was struck by the emergency vehicle that appeared to be en route to an emergency scene. A video posted by FriscoLive415 that includes police scanner information shows the airbags deployed in the vehicle and the passenger was complaining of a headache.

As a result, the California Department of Motor Vehicles requested that Cruise immediately reduce its robotaxi fleet by 50% in San Francisco while it conducts an investigation into the company.

On August 24, a Cruise car got into another crash in San Francisco when it was apparently attempting a left turn from the middle lane and collided with a construction backhoe. Cruise said the construction vehicle hit its AV. No injuries were reported.

Cruise is actively expanding to new cities, giving the technology more opportunities to learn and improve. But with those improvements will come mistakes and missteps, which will only continue as Cruise enters new markets.

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WASHINGTON — The Miami Marlins scored two runs in the ninth inning to beat the Washington Nationals 6-4 on Sunday and secure a four-game sweep at Nationals Park.

The Marlins (70-67) won the first three games of the series 6-1 on Thursday, 8-5 in 11 innings on Friday and 11-5 on Saturday.

With the game tied 4-4 after eight innings, the Marlins got runners on first and second with one out in the ninth against Nationals reliever Kyle Finnegan on singles from Luis Arraez and Jake Burger. Jazz Chisholm Jr. then hit a groundball that resulted in a forceout at second base but Washington shortstop CJ Abrams’ throw to first base for a potential double play was off target. Arraez scored the go-ahead run on the throwing error. Chisholm then stole second and scored on a Bryan De La Cruz bloop single to give Miami an insurance run.

Tanner Scott tossed a scoreless ninth inning for the save to back an eight-inning performance from Sandy Alcantara.

Miami scored its first three runs in the first inning on an Arraez home run and back-to-back bases-loaded walks from Jesus Sanchez and Jon Berti and tied the game at 4-4 in the sixth on a Nationals fielding error.

The four-game win streak is Miami’s longest since the All-Star Break.

And the series sweep did wonders to keep Miami’s playoff hopes alive. With the win Sunday,the Marlins found themselves tied with the Cincinnati Reds at just a half-game behind the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks for the National League’s third and final wild card spot through Sunday’s afternoon games.

Here are four takeaways from the four-game series.

Sandy Alcantara pitches deep

Alcantara kept his pitch count down and maneuvered through one rough inning to pitch eight innings on Sunday, holding the Nationals to four runs (two earned runs) despite scattering nine hits and issuing a pair of walks.

Lane Thomas hit a solo home run in the first inning and Washington tagged Alcantara for three runs in the fifth on an Alcantara throwing error, a Dominic Smith RBI double and RBI singles from Jacob Young and Thomas.

But Alcantara minimized the damage by getting three double plays from his infield. He threw no more than 20 pitches in any inning and had five in which he needed 12 or less to get three outs — including each of his final three innings after the three-run fifth.

Sunday marked the sixth time this season Alcantara has pitched at least eight innings in a game.

Luis Arraez heating up

Before the series against Washington (62-76) began, one had to go back to Aug. 13 for Arraez’s last multi-hit game. Opponents had held the Marlins’ All-Star second baseman to no more than one hit per game over 14 consecutive starts, dropping his batting average nearly 20 points in the process.

In four games against the Nationals, Arraez hit 10 for 18 (.556) with one home run, one double, three RBI and six runs scored. He had multiple hits all four games of the series, the first time he had a stretch of at least four consecutive multi-hit outings since he had five from June 3-7.

His MLB-leading batting average on the season is at .356 with 25 games left to play.

Slugging without Soler

The Marlins hit eight home runs and 14 total extra-base hits over the four-game series against the Nationals.

And all of it came without All-Star designated hitter Jorge Soler playing in a single game.

Soler, who leads Miami in home runs (35), RBI (71) and runs scored (70), has not played since leaving Tuesday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays with right hip tightness. Marlins manager Skip Schumaker has said Soler has been available off the bench but has not been used.

Even in his absence, Miami had home runs from Burger (three), Chisholm, Garrett Hampson, De La Cruz, Sanchez and Arraez in their series at Nationals Park. Those eight home runs accounted for 15 of the Marlins’ 31 runs over the past four games.

Another rough patch of schedule ahead

After an off day Monday, the Marlins will play 16 games in 16 days without a day off.

The first 13 of those games are against teams currently in the playoff field: Three at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers, three on the road against the Philadelphia Phillies, four on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers and three at home against the Atlanta Braves.

Miami needs to figure out a way to stay afloat during this stretch before it closes out the season with nine of 12 games against teams out of postseason contention (six against the New York Mets and three against the Pittsburgh Pirates with another three against the Brewers in there as well).

©2023 Miami Herald. Visit at miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Copyright 2023 Tribune Content Agency.

The post Marlins rally in ninth to safe four-game sweep vs Nationals. Takeaways from the sequence | Baseball appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO — A 5-inch scrape on his left arm to show for his spectacular performance, Mike Yastrzemski took as much pride in his headfirst slide for the tying run as he did that dramatic splash-hit homer to end the game in the 10th inning.

BodyText_News: Yastrzemski sent a three-run shot into McCovey Cove to win it, and the San Francisco Giants rallied past the San Diego Padres 7-4 on Monday night for their season-best eighth straight victory.

Yastrzemski also connected in the sixth, giving him five career multi-homer games and two against San Diego. It was his fourth walk-off homer in the majors and second versus the Padres.

Patrick Bailey hit a tying sacrifice fly in a two-run ninth to knock in Yastrzemski, who tagged up and raced home to score with a headfirst dive into the plate.

“That was probably more exhilarating,” Yastrzemski said. “That was one of those plays where it could have ended up dropping in front. I just kind of hang out there for a second and make the right read and luckily I got in there just in time. So I was pretty fired up that the game was tied up.”

Camilo Doval (2-2) struck out Manny Machado on a 91 mph slider for the first out of the 10th and got through it unscathed for the win. It took 11 pitches to retire Machado.

Giants manager Gabe Kapler called it “nerve-wracking,” knowing the damage Machado can do.

“It was an incredible battle from a fan’s perspective,” Kapler said. “It was excellent to watch.”

Juan Soto homered twice and Ha-Seong Kim hit a two-run single in the fourth but San Diego’s undermanned bullpen couldn’t hold it.

Michael Wacha was cruising for the Padres with a 4-0 lead until giving up David Villar’s solo home run in the fifth.

Soto connected for his 11th homer of the year in the first and 12th leading off the fifth after San Diego didn’t clear the fences in its previous two games. It was his 13th career multi-homer game and first since joining the Padres last year.

Kim had three singles to back Wacha, who allowed two runs on four hits over six innings. Tim Hill pitched two hitless innings of relief with three strikeouts.

Then the Giants rallied against Luis García in the ninth.

Pinch-hitter Blake Sabol drew a leadoff walk, then Yastrzemski singled and Sabol scored on a wild pitch that advanced Yastrzemski to second. Luis Matos’ fly got Yastrzemski to third. J.D. Davis walked and Drew Carlton relieved, allowing the sac fly by Bailey before walking the next two batters to load the bases.

Ray Kerr (0-1) came in and struck out Joc Pederson to force extra innings. Pederson started the 10th as the automatic runner on second base and, after Kerr intentionally walked Thairo Estrada, Sabol dropped down a sacrifice bunt.

Padres manager Bob Melvin considers this a crucial four-game series.

“We need to pick up some games in our division, so these games seem a little bit more important even though it’s June,” Melvin said before the game.

The Giants were on a roll after a pair of impressive road sweeps against the Cardinals and Dodgers — outscoring rival Los Angeles 29-8, including a 15-0 victory Saturday.

Fernando Tatis Jr. appeared to have stolen his 13th base in the first after leading off the game with a double but the Giants challenged the call and it was ruled he was caught stealing.

Rookie right-hander Ryan Walker made his first career start as San Francisco went with a bullpen game after scheduled starter Alex Cobb was placed on the injured list Sunday with a strained left oblique muscle.

The Padres have won nine of the last 11 in the series, including both meetings April 29-30 in Mexico City.

Trainer’s room

Padres: RHP Seth Lugo is scheduled to come off the injured list and start Tuesday, his first appearance since straining his right calf May 16 covering first base. Melvin wasn’t sure what Lugo’s pitch count might be. “He’s eager to get back out there,” Melvin said.

Giants: LHP Scott Alexander was placed on the 15-day injured list with a strained left hamstring he hurt Sunday at Dodger Stadium. RHP Sean Hjelle was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento. … 3B Casey Schmitt was held out of the starting lineup a day after being hit by a pitch in the right arm. X-rays were negative.

Up next

Lugo (3-3, 4.10 ERA) will make his ninth start of 2023, pitching opposite Giants right-hander Anthony DeSclafani (4-6, 4.31).

The post Mike Yastrzemski splashes 3-run HR into McCovey Cove within the tenth because the Giants rally previous the Padres 7-4 appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

With an out in the seventh inning and a Pittsburgh Pirates run behind the Cleveland Guardians, Ji-Man Choi watched and wished while he waited on deck behind Carlos Santana.

“I was hoping he would take a walk so I could probably make a difference up there,” Choi said through interpreter Daniel Park. “When the bases are loaded, I can actually concentrate a little more.”

Choi followed up with a line drive to right field for a two-run single that gave the Pirates the lead and later slid across home plate to score after Jared Triolo’s two-run single that provided the perfect cushion worried.

The Pirates ended their offensive ineptness against Cleveland and rebounded from a four-run deficit with a seventh run from five to a 7-5 win Wednesday afternoon before 26,541 at PNC Park.

The Pirates (42-54) ended a five-game losing streak and failed to win both the three-game streak and six-game home streak after losing three straight losses to the San Francisco Giants over the weekend.

“We were struggling,” said Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds, “so it was good to get a win and make it such a comeback win.”

The Guardians had outplayed the Pirates 21-1 in the first two games of the series. The Pirates had only 10 runs in the five games since the All-Star break and were unwilling to embark on a six-game trip to play the Los Angeles Angels and the San Diego Padres, and in an ominous one Mood.

“It was a big win,” said Pirates manager Derek Shelton. “I give them credit because we kept grinning. It could have been a (bad) situation. We got a run in the first two games and managed it pretty well. They kept going even though they went under.”

The seventh place served as a rallying point for the pirates.

After Nick Gonzales pulled a one-out walk against Nick Sandlin in the seventh game, the Guardians brought in left-hander Sam Hentges to take on pinch-hitter Endy Rodriguez. The rookie catcher, who was 0 for 7 with six strikeouts in his first two career games, hit a bloop single that landed flat left of center in his first major league hit.

“It shows that they trust me,” said Rodriguez, the Pirates’ 2022 minor league player of the year. “That’s good. If they trust me and I trust myself, we’ll have something good. It’s good for me.”

Connor Joe hit a pinch hit for Jack Suwinski and missed an infield single to stress the bases, setting the stage for a crucial play that marked the turning point.

Reynolds missed a sharp grounder in what was initially thought to be a 6-4-3 double play late in the inning on a tight call at first base. The Pirates challenged the call and it was overturned, allowing Gonzales to score and reduce Cleveland’s lead to 4-3.

“I always run hard across the board,” Reynolds said with a shrug. “Of course I was hoping to be safe. I thought it was me when I hit the sack. Basically it was about people having good bats and passing the baton down the line.”

Carlos Santana pulled a full-count walk to again fill in bases for Choi, who aligned the two-run single to the right and gave the Pirates a 5-4 lead.

The Guardians turned to Enyel De Los Santos, but Henry Davis pulled another full-count walk to cover bases for the third time. Triolo hit a two-run single to the left to score Santana and Choi for a 7-4 lead.

“That’s exactly what we talked about, having this big inning where we can get the win,” Triolo said. “We had guys throughout the lineup who swung good balls and had good bats. That’s what it takes.”

Cleveland got a boost when first baseman Josh Bell shot Ryan Borucki’s 2-1 sweeper for his 11th home run — and second in as many games against his former team — Ryan Borucki 401 feet into left field and the stand shortened to 7:5.

David Bednar threw a clean ninth throw, earning his 18th save.

Rich Hill, the Pirates’ left-hander, was knocked out after the first six batters he faced before David Fry hit a leadoff double from Clemente Wall in the third and then advanced to third base through Myles Straw’s sacrificial bunt. But Hill tricked Cam Gallagher into seeing a full-count curveball for a strikeout and then tricked Steven Kwan into dodging to the left, where Reynolds made a diving catch.

The Guardians took a 1-0 lead in the fourth set when Andres Gimenez landed a perfect squeeze bunt on first baseline and Jose Ramirez scored from third base.

Cleveland added three more runs in the fourth run when Amed Rosario hit a two-run double that popped out of Jack Suwinski’s glove when he crashed into the bullpen fence left of center, and Bell followed up with a single to the right Center to make Rosario score 4-0.

The Pirates responded in the fifth set when Davis hit a leadoff single, advanced to third base with Triolo’s single to the left, and scored when Gonzales smoked a single through the middle. Suwinski doubled to the right to hit Triolo and cut the Guardians’ lead to 4-2.

Triolo extended his hitting streak to 12 games, the longest by a Pirates player this season and the second-longest active streak in baseball. According to Elias Sports Bureau, Triolo is only the third Pirates player since 1900 to have a streak of 12 or more games in his first 17 career games, tied with Jewel Ens (1922) and Woody Jensen (1931).

The Pirates pulled Hill after his 97th pitch led to a two-out double from Straw, and Dauri Moreta got Gallagher eyeing a 95-mph four-seater at the top of the zone for what was called a third shot to prevent a run.

“We’re obviously against the urgency of winning,” Hill said. “In my position as a starter, I have to do better and put us in a better winning position and that’s frustrating. But I take full responsibility for that. I think the comeback effect we’ve had all year is because we made it early. We know we can do it and we’ve proven it.”

Kevin Gorman is a Contributor to Tribune-Review. You can contact Kevin via email at kgorman@triblive.com or via Twitter.

The post Pirates rally from 4-run deficit to beat Guardians, snap 5-game dropping streak appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The San Francisco Giants went six innings without a hit and eventually got to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ bullpen…

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Going six innings without a hit, the San Francisco Giants finally got to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ bullpen and the floodgates opened.

Brandon Crawford got the starting shot in the 11th inning and the Giants earned a 7-5 win Friday night after Emmet Sheehan dominated them early on in his major league debut.

The Dodgers’ bullpen imploded again, giving up five runs after Sheehan left.

Runner-up designate Patrick Bailey started lap 11 second and finished third when Mike Yastrzemski sent Alex Vesia down the middle (0-4). James Outman shot for third to catch Bailey, whose left foot went over the sack. But the tag didn’t stay on his right knee and he was called safe in a play that was reviewed.

Crawford, who failed to score in his first four attacks, hit a single to the right giving Bailey a 6-5 lead. Austin Slater’s RBI single added an insurance run.

“We’ve had a few wins from behind, especially away from home,” said Jakob Junis, who made his first save. “I think it gives everyone confidence.”

Los Angeles rallied and tied for 5th place in the ninth run with Freddie Freeman’s infield single to defeat Camilo Doval. The Dodgers had the potential winner as third in the 10th, but pinch-hitter Austin Barnes hit a third to end the inning.

The Dodgers made a colossal baserun error at the bottom of 11th court.

Mookie Betts was running for first place on what appeared to be a routine pop-up until the ball dropped due to an error by third baseman Casey Schmitt. Betts suddenly accelerated but didn’t look ahead to see Michael Busch being stopped. Busch was thrown out for the second time in a rundown at home. Betts was secure in third place on two-fault play before Miguel Rojas closed the game.

Betts said it was his decision to run.

“I was just thinking wrong, I saw the game wrong, I was wrong,” he said.

Giants manager Gabe Kapler was still amazed at the absurdity of the matter afterwards.

“I had to watch the rerun three or four times, it was such a weird piece,” he said. “One of the weirder ones I’ve been a part of. I don’t know what to say about that. It was so strange.”

The Giants have won five straight games and eight of 11 games. Since May 15, they are 20:9.

Tyler Rogers (3-2) clinched the win with one hit in an inning to relief.

Joc Pederson’s RBI single put the Giants 4-3 in the eighth. They tied it to Thairo Estrada’s sacrificial fly. Casey Schmitt hit a shortstop with a single against Tayler Scott, who scored Pederson to give him a 5-4 lead.

Wilmer Flores went deep into left field in the seventh round, leaving the Giants 4-2 behind. He fouled a ball off the top of his left foot on batting and later left the game. He will undergo a CT scan on Saturday.

“It hurts, it’s a sensitive area,” Flores said.

Sheehan shone after being called up straight from Double-A Tulsa. The 23-year-old, in his third season with the Dodgers, is the sixth rookie and fourth pitcher to play for the team this season.

Sheehan threw 51 of 89 shots for strikes, with his fastball averaging 95.6 mph. He knocked out three and walked two.

“I was just trying to go out there and make it the same game as Double-A,” he said. “To have the Dodger fans and family behind me here at the game, I couldn’t have asked for a better debut than a Dodger win.”

Sheehan was greeted with high fives and hugs in the dugout after retiring in the sixth half to take a 4-0 lead. He is a graduate of Fordham Prep, the same high school in the Bronx that the late Dodgers Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully attended.

“It was a special moment that he will always remember,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “He delivered. It was fun to watch. We made some nice moves behind him. I wish we could have ended it with a win.”

The Dodgers led 4-0 in the fifth round. Will Smith had a two-out RBI bloop single and JD Martinez had an RBI double. Outman scored a single, and left fielder Michael Conforto dropped the ball twice in his rush to execute the throw. Smith and Martinez scored due to the error.

Sheehan was backed by a brilliant defense from Rojas, Freeman and Betts.

In the fourth game, shortstop Rojas backhanded a ball hit by Estrada and when he slipped, he turned and flew to second base to snap Pederson.

Flores sent a pop foul to the first base warning lane and Freeman went into the protective net, caught the ball and landed in the front row spots to finish the fourth.

Betts had two highlights in game six. He made a long run to the left to steal LaMonte Wade Jr. for the second out. Betts then made a diving catch on his stomach for a line drive from Pederson, ending Sheehan’s 1-2-3 inning.

TRAINING ROOM

Giants: OF Mitch Haniger underwent surgery to repair a fractured ulna in his right arm. He went to the IL and is expected to be out for 10 weeks.

Dodgers: 3B Max Muncy went into the IL with a hamstring strain. He could return in time for a home series against Houston that begins June 23. … 3B Chris Taylor retired in the fourth game with right knee pain and LF David Peralta retired in the third game with a left hamstring strain. Both players will be out on Saturday as Taylor undergoes an investigation.

LIGHTS IT

Kapler was irritated by the flashing lights of her new LED system and complained to the referee once during the game. “There must be no lights on while plays are still going on,” he said.

NEXT

Giants: LHP Alex Wood (1-1, 4.80 ERA) will start against his former team.

Dodgers: RHP Bobby Miller (3-0, .78) is the second straight rookie to start for the Dodgers.

___

More AP Baseball: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

The post Giants rally for 7-5 win over Dodgers after getting no-hit for six innings by LA rookie Emmet Sheehan appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

By BETH HARRIS – AP Sportswriter

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Going six innings without a hit, the San Francisco Giants finally got to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ bullpen and the floodgates opened.

Brandon Crawford got the starting shot in the 11th inning and the Giants earned a 7-5 win Friday night after Emmet Sheehan dominated them early on in his major league debut.

The Dodgers’ bullpen imploded again, giving up five runs after Sheehan left.

Runner-up designate Patrick Bailey started lap 11 second and finished third when Mike Yastrzemski sent Alex Vesia down the middle (0-4). James Outman shot for third to catch Bailey, whose left foot went over the sack. But the tag didn’t stay on his right knee and he was called safe in a play that was reviewed.

People also read…

Crawford, who failed to score in his first four attacks, hit a single to the right giving Bailey a 6-5 lead. Austin Slater’s RBI single added an insurance run.

“We’ve had a few wins from behind, especially away from home,” said Jakob Junis, who made his first save. “I think it gives everyone confidence.”

Los Angeles rallied and tied for 5th place in the ninth run with Freddie Freeman’s infield single to defeat Camilo Doval. The Dodgers had the potential winner as third in the 10th, but pinch-hitter Austin Barnes hit a third to end the inning.

The Dodgers made a colossal baserun error at the bottom of 11th court.

Mookie Betts was running for first place on what appeared to be a routine pop-up until the ball dropped due to an error by third baseman Casey Schmitt. Betts suddenly accelerated but didn’t look ahead to see Michael Busch being stopped. Busch was thrown out for the second time in a rundown at home. Betts was secure in third place on two-fault play before Miguel Rojas closed the game.

Betts said it was his decision to run.

“I was just thinking wrong, I saw the game wrong, I was wrong,” he said.

Giants manager Gabe Kapler was still amazed at the absurdity of the matter afterwards.

“I had to watch the rerun three or four times, it was such a weird piece,” he said. “One of the weirder ones I’ve been a part of. I don’t know what to say about that. It was so strange.”

The Giants have won five straight games and eight of 11 games. Since May 15, they are 20:9.

Tyler Rogers (3-2) clinched the win with one hit in an inning to relief.

Joc Pederson’s RBI single put the Giants 4-3 in the eighth. They tied it to Thairo Estrada’s sacrificial fly. Casey Schmitt hit a shortstop with a single against Tayler Scott, who scored Pederson to give him a 5-4 lead.

Wilmer Flores went deep into left field in the seventh round, leaving the Giants 4-2 behind. He fouled a ball off the top of his left foot on batting and later left the game. He will undergo a CT scan on Saturday.

“It hurts, it’s a sensitive area,” Flores said.

Sheehan shone after being called up straight from Double-A Tulsa. The 23-year-old, in his third season with the Dodgers, is the sixth rookie and fourth pitcher to play for the team this season.

Sheehan threw 51 of 89 shots for strikes, with his fastball averaging 95.6 mph. He knocked out three and walked two.

“I was just trying to go out there and make it the same game as Double-A,” he said. “To have the Dodger fans and family behind me here at the game, I couldn’t have asked for a better debut than a Dodger win.”

Sheehan was greeted with high fives and hugs in the dugout after retiring in the sixth half to take a 4-0 lead. He is a graduate of Fordham Prep, the same high school in the Bronx that the late Dodgers Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully attended.

“It was a special moment that he will always remember,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “He delivered. It was fun to watch. We made some nice moves behind him. I wish we could have ended it with a win.”

The Dodgers led 4-0 in the fifth round. Will Smith had a two-out RBI bloop single and JD Martinez had an RBI double. Outman scored a single, and left fielder Michael Conforto dropped the ball twice in his rush to execute the throw. Smith and Martinez scored due to the error.

Sheehan was backed by a brilliant defense from Rojas, Freeman and Betts.

In the fourth game, shortstop Rojas backhanded a ball hit by Estrada and when he slipped, he turned and flew to second base to snap Pederson.

Flores sent a pop foul to the first base warning lane and Freeman went into the protective net, caught the ball and landed in the front row spots to finish the fourth.

Betts had two highlights in game six. He made a long run to the left to steal LaMonte Wade Jr. for the second out. Betts then made a diving catch on his stomach for a line drive from Pederson, ending Sheehan’s 1-2-3 inning.

Giants: OF Mitch Haniger underwent surgery to repair a fractured ulna in his right arm. He went to the IL and is expected to be out for 10 weeks.

Dodgers: 3B Max Muncy went into the IL with a hamstring strain. He could return in time for a home series against Houston that begins June 23. … 3B Chris Taylor retired in the fourth game with right knee pain and LF David Peralta retired in the third game with a left thigh muscle strain. Both players will be out on Saturday as Taylor undergoes an investigation.

Kapler was irritated by the flashing lights of her new LED system and complained to the referee once during the game. “There must be no lights on while plays are still going on,” he said.

Giants: LHP Alex Wood (1-1, 4.80 ERA) will start against his former team.

Dodgers: RHP Bobby Miller (3-0, .78) is the second straight rookie to start for the Dodgers.

More AP Baseball: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, transcribed, or redistributed without permission.

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Note: GJEL Accident Attorneys regularly sponsors coverage on Streetsblog San Francisco and Streetsblog California. Unless otherwise noted in the story, GJEL Accident Attorneys is not consulted for the content or editorial alignment of the Sponsored Content.

Advocates held mock funerals Saturday in Oakland and San Francisco for BART, Muni, AC Transit and other agencies that may be forced to make significant benefit cuts because of ongoing Sacramento budget negotiations. From reporting in SFGate:

BART issued a statement last week outlining what those cuts would look like if the agency “fell off the tax cliff” without government funding for transit operations: Trains would only run once an hour and never after 9 p.m. there would be no weekend service and some stations and entire lines would be closed entirely. SFMTA said in a similar statement that without the necessary funding, Muni service would have to be scaled back to where it was at the height of the pandemic — meaning 40 percent fewer Muni routes and no service after 10 p.m

Another picture of the mock funeral from KidSafeSF Twitter

All interest groups, big and small, in the Bay Area participated and are working to put pressure on Gov. Newsom and the legislature.

Together, @SFBART and @SFMTA_MUNI are the fourth largest transit agency in the country, but these two systems are planning devastating service cuts as early as next year. pic.twitter.com/3J3OWzgbDQ

— SPUR (@SPUR_Urbanist) June 1, 2023

The rally managed to draw media attention to the issue (see SFStandard, SFChronicle, NBCBayArea, theFrisk, CBS for more information). Proponents again urge members to keep up the pressure. From Streetsblog ally Friends of Caltrain:

Can you call the governor and lawmakers NOW to save mass transit? We need to cut their phone lines during the negotiations. Noon or anytime during business hours is good.

State leaders are currently negotiating possible funding, but the proposed budget bills on the table do not yet provide enough funds to prevent larger cuts.

Hundreds of people took part in rallies over the weekend, which drew widespread media attention. Now decision makers need to hear directly from Californians.

So far, the main funding on the table would cannibalize funding for large capital projects — meaning forgoing over $6 billion in federal funding — or leave the Bay Area with a life-size railroad museum — large train stations with no rail service.

Negotiations are in the hands of the state’s leaders – Governor Newsom, Budget Chairs Ting and Skinner, Senate Speaker Pro Tem Atkins and House Speaker Rendon. The new parliamentary speaker, Rivas, is waiting in the wings.

Caltrain, BART, SFMTA and AC Transit face potentially catastrophic service cuts if the transit fiscal cliff isn’t averted.

Here’s how you can help now, ahead of the June 15 budget deadline:

* Make brief phone calls to Governor Newsom and senior negotiators during business hours. We need to burn down their phone lines.

* Send a letter to the state’s leaders telling them that we cannot sustain the state’s economy and meet our climate goals if public transportation collapses

* Sign up to volunteer to distribute flyers on trains, buses and ferries

Lawmakers are negotiating accountability measures to ensure agencies are committed to improving service, increasing ridership and long-term financial sustainability. But these improvements won’t happen unless we stave off the fiscal cliff – your help is important.

Streetsblog can only confirm this message! Be sure to make your voice heard in Sacramento.

The post Advocates and Officers Rally to Save Transit – Streetsblog San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.