SEATTLE (AP) — Jeremy Peña and the Houston Astros just kept going. Scoreless inning after scoreless inning, as day turned into night in front of a frenzied crowd in Seattle.

They eventually found a way. That’s how the Astros reached the AL Championship Series for the sixth straight year.

It’s just what they do.

Peña homered in the 18th inning, and the Astros beat the Mariners 1-0 on Saturday for a three-game sweep of their AL Division Series.

“These guys, they know not to panic,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “They don’t get too excited. They don’t get too down. It means a lot.”

Peña drove a slider from Penn Murfee deep to left-center for the rookie’s first playoff homer, providing the only run in an afternoon full of dominant pitching and empty trips to the plate.

The 18 innings matched the longest game in playoff history and the 6 hours, 22 minutes was the third-longest in time.

Exhausting for everyone? Absolutely. But exhilarating for the Astros.

“Man, that was a long game. But you still got to lock in, try to put together good at-bats,” Peña said. “I was just trying to stay inside the baseball, drove it in the gap.”

Spoiling Seattle’s first home playoff appearance since 2001, Houston continued its ALCS streak that began with its 2017 World Series title. Next up is the New York Yankees or Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of the ALCS on Wednesday.

While Yordan Alvarez got the big hits in the first two games in Houston, it was Peña that set the table for Alvarez’s opportunities. As Game 3 made its way into its sixth hour, Peña delivered another painful blow to the Mariners that ended their short return to the postseason.

“We all know that we belong here now and we all know what it takes to get here and get beyond this point,” Seattle shortstop JP Crawford said.

After 21 years, Seattle fans welcomed playoff baseball back inside T-Mobile Park. They got their money’s worth, and then some.

Three previous playoff games reached the 18th inning, one involving Houston. The Astros beat the Atlanta Braves 7-6 in 18 innings in Game 4 of the 2005 NLDS on Chris Burke’s game-ending homer.

Game 2 of the 2014 NLDS between San Francisco and Washington and Game 3 of the 2018 World Series between Los Angeles and Boston also went 18 innings.

But those games had runs. This one failed to produce anything until Peña’s swing on a 3-2 pitch.

“I feel like in the playoffs you can’t try and do too much, especially the later the game goes,” Peña said.

Seattle’s best scoring chance was Julio Rodríguez’s line drive that thudded off the wall in the eighth. The Mariners had runners in scoring position in the 13th and 17th, but couldn’t get a key two-out hit against Houston’s superb bullpen.

Unlike baseball’s regular season, there is no automatic runner when playoff games go to extra innings.

“They pitched great. They played a great series. They beat us,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “In my mind, and I think our players’ mind, is a break here or there goes our way in this series, it could have been a lot different. But end of the day, they got the big hits in each of the games and they end up winning them.”

Luis Garcia worked five innings for the win. The Astros bullpen allowed five hits and struck out 15 following six innings from starter Lance McCullers Jr.

“Watching the whole thing the guys are doing a really good job and I’m really proud of them. … I was just trying to help,” Garcia said.

Seattle’s bullpen was nearly just as good. After rookie George Kirby threw seven innings, nine Mariners relievers combined for 11 innings of five-hit ball.

The teams combined to strike out 42 times, topping the postseason record of 39 set by the Guardians and Rays last week in their AL wild-card matchup that was scoreless for 15 innings before Oscar Gonzalez’s home run sent Cleveland to the ALDS.

“Their pitching was phenomenal today as well. We kept putting the zero up there and kept putting the zero up there and you think we’re going to be able to break through because we have so many times,” Servais said. “It’s kind of what we’re accustomed to playing — those tight games and finding a way but there were no errors made in that game today.”

Houston advanced despite a rough performance for Jose Altuve, who went 0 for 8 in Game 3 for the first time in his career and was hitless in 16 at-bats in the series.

Altuve joined Xander Bogaerts in Game 3 of 2018 World Series versus the Dodgers as only players to go 0 for 8 or worse in a postseason game. But Houston’s other pieces came through, none bigger than its young shortstop who took on a prominent role after Carlos Correa departed in free agency.

Peña’s homer was his only hit in eight at-bats. But it was his contributions in the first two games that helped Houston travel to Seattle with a 2-0 lead in the series.

“In a team like this, with the pitching we have, with the defense we have, we never give up,” Altuve said. “We went out and played every single inning like it was the last inning. Putting everything we have, until Jeremy came and hit the big homer.”

KING RETURNS

Felix Hernandez threw out a ceremonial first pitch to a deafening ovation. Hernandez spent 15 seasons with the Mariners but never had the opportunity of pitching in the postseason. He won 169 games and had a career 3.42 ERA, last pitching for Seattle in 2019.

HE SAID IT

“We’re not going to forget this and coming into next year it will fuel us even more,” Seattle outfielder Jarred Kelenic said.

SMOKEY AIR

Seattle’s return to the postseason was played with a smoky haze and terrible air quality engulfing the Puget Sound region. A shift in winds and wildfire still smoldering in the Cascade Mountains created a dingy haze above T-Mobile Park. The air quality index in Seattle at first pitch registered at 161.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The post Peña’s 18th-inning HR sends Astros previous Mariners for sweep – KGET 17 appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

With Aaron Judge traveling to San Francisco to hear the best pitch possible from the San Francisco Giants in their pursuit of the coveted free agent slugger, Giants outfielder Joc Pederson took to social media to give his best pitch to Judge as well.

Joc Pederson sends a message to Aaron Judge about joining San Francisco Giants

Pederson, who just rejoined the San Francisco Giants by accepting a qualifying offer, took to Instagram to send his hopes to Judge, a native of northern California, that he will make the move from the Yankees to the Giants.

The Giants’ Joc Pederson (@yungjoc650) posted this on his Instagram: pic.twitter.com/jIXD89ifZg

— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) November 23, 2022

San Francisco and New York are rumored to be two of the most likely destinations for Judge, who set the American League record with 62 home runs this season. It could be a battle between coasts for his services, with the Giants looking to make a major step toward reclaiming the National League West title they won over the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021.

Judge, however, has only played for the Yankees during his seven-year MLB career, lending plenty of reasoning to why he might choose to stay in the Bronx.

Whichever team lands Judge will pay a hefty price for his services. Judge rejected a seven-year, $213.5 million contract extension from the Yankees in spring training and is expected to land a contract this offseason north of $300 million.

Pederson will be in his second year with the Giants after slashing .274/.353/.521 with 23 home runs and 70 RBI on his way to earning an All-Star Game bid last season. Pederson played in the outfield 114 games last season, with the vast majority of that time spent in left field. If Judge lands with the Giants, it’s expected he would play center or right field, boosting San Francisco’s outfield in a big way.

The post Joc Pederson sends San Francisco Giants message to Aaron Decide appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – A bitter cold weather system settled over the San Francisco Bay Area early Wednesday, plunging temperatures to the high 20s and 30s, threatening early blooming crops and forcing homeless residents to find heat anyway they can.

The National Weather Service has issued frost and freeze warnings in the Bay Area.

READ MORE: One Dead, Three Injured In San Francisco Freeway Homeless Encampment Fire

“This string of cool days and cold nights is potentially hazardous for sensitive populations without adequate sheltering,” the weather service warned. “With cold weather arriving, make sure to remember the four Ps of preparation for people, plants, pets, and pipes…Frost and freeze conditions will kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.

Amid the cold snap, San Francisco authorities were dealing with an early morning tragedy at a homeless encampment. While the cause of an encampment fire that claimed one life and sent three others to the hospital was still under investigation, temperatures were in the 30s at the time of the blaze.

San Francisco firefighters also contained an early morning, one-alarm blaze in an apartment building on Sacramento Street that erupted behind a wall heater.

With the cold kicking in, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District warned residents to read the manufacturer’s instructions on their space heaters and furnaces to prevent a carbon monoxide or fire tragedy.

“Make sure it’s well maintained, in the case of space heaters. Don’t use them near — common sense, but don’t use them near any flammable objects, bedding curtains, things like that,” said spokesman Steve Hill. “Any heating device that you use in your home has the potential to emit carbon monoxide if it’s not properly vented. Carbon monoxide is a silent killer.”

In December, a Pittsburg woman died and her family was sickened from carbon monoxide poisoning.

READ MORE: COVID Recovery: Business Opens As Workers Begin Returning To San Francisco Offices

In the Livermore Valley, wineries are keeping a close eye on the weather. Aggressively warm February temperatures did set the vines in motion, but the growth isn’t enough to warrant too much worry.

“I’m really not concerned today. Maybe a couple of weeks from now that could be a different story, but we haven’t gotten bud break yet. We’re close,” said Rhonda Wood of Wood Family Vineyards, where pruning was set late this week or early next week.

A mixed bag of weather was slowly leading to freezing temperatures overnight in Napa. Lows were expected to fall to 32 degrees and visitors were feeling the freeze.

Downtown Napa has been a little quieter than usual. The outdoor dining and wine tasting were practically non-existent Tuesday night as visitors opted for the cozy warm indoor spaces.

“I was very surprised.. very chilled. I expect sunshine,” says Zoe Li of Los Altos.

Lauren Garvey from Napa adds, “It’s too cold, I wish it was summer.”

It was a chilly day but one that brought about a mix of snow and sleet. At Atlas Peak, hail came crashing down on the mountain side but it also hit the lower elevations.

MORE NEWS: Pittsburg Family Memorial Gathering Erupts In Gunfire; One Dead, One Wounded

“As we approached the mountains, we saw some clouds on the horizon and then hail and we were nervous on the way up,” said Raffaela Kenny-Cincotta from San Francisco.

The post Plunging Temperatures Sends Huge Chill By way of Bay Space – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

SACRAMENTO (AP) – Unspecified “family obligations” prompted California Governor Gavin Newsom to suddenly cancel his trip to Scotland on Friday for the United Nations’ annual climate change conference, a huge gathering of international leaders on a subject that is one of his highest priorities.

Newsom, who has four children, ages 5 to 12, will attend the gathering virtually, spokeswoman Erin Mellon said. Mellon declined to comment when asked to provide details about what caused Newsom to change its plans.

Newsom asked Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, a Democrat colleague, to lead the California delegation to Glasgow. In an interview with The Associated Press, Kounalakis said she spoke to Newsom on Thursday and felt that she might be asked to leave.

“The governor has a young family and we should all understand, especially those of us who have been there,” said Kounalakis, who has two grown sons.

Democratic Senator Bob Hertzberg, who is attending the conference, said he suspects Newsom will be very disappointed not to leave.

“He loves this topic, it is very important to him,” said Hertzberg. “It’s a big deal for him and I’m sure he was dying to go.”

Newsom has spoken passionately about the need to take decisive action on climate change issues. Last month, while surveying the damage caused by one of the state’s many recent major forest fires, he said, “I literally have no patience with climate change deniers,” adding, that view is “totally inconsistent … with the reality of the field.”

California has long been a global leader on climate issues, dating back to the 1960s when the state first regulated emissions from cars and trucks. While President Donald Trump was in office, California filed more than 100 lawsuits against the federal government, mostly over environmental issues.

Newsom has sought to build California’s influence through a series of ambitious executive orders that, if survived a lengthy and controversial rulemaking process, could transform the way people live. So far, Newsom has proposed banning all new gasoline cars in California by 2035, banning all oil drilling by 2045, and banning gas-powered lawn equipment sales by 2024 or whenever state regulators determine it is feasible.

Most recently, Newsom proposed a ban on new oil and gas wells within 3,200 feet of schools, homes and hospitals in the country’s largest buffer zone in a state that is the country’s seventh largest oil producer.

Newsom, who is not attending the conference in person, will affect the state’s influence “to some extent,” said State Assembly spokesman Anthony Rendon, a Democrat from the Los Angeles area. But he said Newsom doesn’t have to be in Scotland to be a leader on climate change.

Even so, Rendon said he was frustrated that the state was not moving faster.

“Our aggressive actions were cool when we thought the problem was progressing at a certain pace. Now I’m not sure if they are aggressive enough or immediate enough, ”said Rendon, who will be attending the UN conference. “It’s an opportunity to talk about what we’ve done, but at the same time light a fire under the bums of some of our MPs and develop a sense of urgency on an issue that is not just existential, but that is” immediately . “

Last month, Newsom easily pushed back a Republican-backed recall election aimed at removing him from office and cemented his power in the nation’s most populous state. The trip to Scotland would have been his most significant international trip as governor and would have given him a global platform to highlight his agenda and urge others to follow California’s lead.

Newsom is up for re-election in 2022 and is a strong favorite for a second term. Under California law, governors are limited to two terms.

It is unlikely that the cancellation of the trip would harm him politically, said Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, professor of public policy communication at the University of Southern California. In fact, Newsom could have been harmed both politically and personally if he had participated, she said.

“The look of leaving the country, assuming something happens that requires his attention at home, would be completely negative,” she said.

“He won’t be able to socialize and network, but he will be visible,” she added. “As long as there is Zoom, as long as there is a means of virtual face-to-face communication, I don’t think it will go off the radar screen.”

Newsom had recently decided to attend the conference and was sending staff, media organizations and other lawmakers out to prepare for the trip. His decision not to go was just as abrupt and more surprising.

Hertzberg credits Newsom for putting his children first.

“At some point you will be human, as much as we want to be out there in politics. You have to take care of your family. And he does it, and I think that’s a good thing, ”said Hertzberg.

© Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

The post Newson Instantly Pulls Out of Journey to U.N. Local weather Convention, Sends Lt. Gov. Kounalakis – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Posted: Feb 27, 2021 / 1:50 PM EST
/. Updated: February 27, 2021 / 1:50 PM EST

Courtesy Water Mission

CHARLESTON, SC (WCBD) – Water Mission sent a shipment of supplies to Austin, Texas to help the area recover from historic snowstorms across the state.

Plumbing supplies shipping also includes Plumbers Without Limits equipment and materials made into plumbing kits.

The kits are being delivered to residents waiting for repairs after recent winter storms.

The goal of the water mission is to restore safe access to the most vulnerable as they continue to work with the Austin Disaster Relief Network to identify the areas of greatest need.

The post Water Mission sends plumbing provides to Texas to assist with winter storm restoration appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

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