Suggs calls game
Gonzaga will appear in the title game for the 2nd time in program history
INDIANAPOLIS – The shot by Jalen Suggs – perfect!
The Gonzaga freshman banked in a shot at the buzzer from near the halfcourt logo Saturday night to lift the Zags to a 93-90 overtime win over UCLA and move them one win away from an undefeated season and a national title.
This Final Four thriller was the best game of the tournament, and, considering the stakes, it served up possibly the best finish in the history of March Madness – a banker from near (1) Gonzaga 93 (11) UCLA 90 (OT)
midcourt to keep a perfect season alive.
What should come as no surprise from a team this good: It’s a shot the Zags practice all the time.
“Every day in shootaround before the game we shoot half-courters,” Suggs said. “I haven’t been mak
Yu Darvish and Blake Snell. Each of the three new starters has won his first start.
As he headed out to the mound for the start of the game, Musgrove paused at the first base line, doffed his cap and reflected for a moment. He grew up as a Padres fan and went to games with his parents, who had season tickets. He wears No. 44 to honor his favorite pitcher, Jake Peavy, who won the NL Cy Young Award in 2007 with San Diego.
Musgrove got plenty of backing in his first home game at Petco Park.
Machado hit an opposite-field shot to right off Caleb Smith (0-1) with one out in the first. He had 16 homers in 60 games in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and spurred the
Padres down the stretch toward their first playoff appearance in 14 seasons.
Rookie Kim Ha-seong, signed as a free agent from South Korea, hit an RBI single with two outs in the first for his first big league hit and RBI.
Myers hit a two-run double to left-center in the second, Machado had an RBI single in the fourth and Myers doubled in Machado in the sixth. Jake Cronenworth then doubled in Myers.
PADRES DEFENSE
Left fielder Jorge Mateo made a spectacular catch in front of the fence of Christian Walker’s fly ball in the second to at least take away an extra-base hit. Musgrove took off his cap and waved it in appreciation. In the fifth, Machado made two nice plays from shallow right in the shift.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: 1B Christian
Walker came out of the game after SS Eduardo Escobar’s throw after Fernando Tatis Jr.’s grounder bounced and hit him under the left eye. After being tended by a trainer, Walker came out of the game and was replaced by Tim Locastro . ... Arizona placed INF Nick Ahmed on the 10-day injured list with right knee inflammation and recalled INF Geraldo Perdomo from the alternate training site.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: RHP Taylor Widener (0-1, 4.50 in 2020) is scheduled to make his first big league start in the series finale. He made his big league debut last year with 12 relief appearances.
Padres: RHP Chris Paddack (4-5, 4.73 in 2020) is scheduled to make his season debut. He was the opening day starter during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season but struggled.