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1B Sports Thursday September 19, 2013 Hamilton burns Oakland Iguodala: Warriors aiming for more than 50 wins OAKLAND (AP) — Stephen Curry indicated the Golden State Warriors are aiming for 50 wins this season when he said earlier this month that there's a number that ''has a five in front of it'' written on a whiteboard inside the team's practice facility as a goal. Apparently, that's not enough for Andre Iguodala. Not after he helped the Denver Nuggets win a franchise-record 57 games last season. And not after he turned down more lucrative offers to sign a $48 million, four-year deal with the Warriors this summer. Fifty wins? ''I would say more than that,'' Iguodala said Wednesday at the team's downtown Oakland headquarters, where most players have been voluntarily working out for about three weeks before training camp starts Sept. 29. ''I just have really high expectations for us. I won't say too much about wins. I'd rather fly under the radar.'' Iguodala's reasoning is simple. The Warriors knocked out his Denver team to reach the second round of the playoffs last season, return all five starters and made aggressive moves in free agency to sign him. He cites the chemistry and camaraderie of the locker room as reasons the Warriors will improve, starting with most of the roster showing up a month before training camp. They've lifted weights alongside each other, worked on plays and held five-onfive and four-on-four scrimmages to speed up the learning curve. ''I'm going to have to make adjustments, just getting used to the guys. I think they're certainly finding out things that I bring to the table maybe they didn't know playing against me,'' Iguodala said. ''Hopefully, that transition phase, we can work that out quickly to get things rolling.'' Iguodala insists playing time will not be a problem. He praised the five returning starters — Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, David Lee and Andrew Bogut — for publicly and privately welcoming him to the team and making sure everybody is working toward the same goal: an NBA championship. He sees no reason why the Warriors, which went 47-35 last season and made the playoffs for just the second time since 1994, can't be a serious contender. In the few weeks he has been scrimmaging alongside Golden State's prolific shooters, his excitement has been growing about the possibilities. ''Plan on some high assists nights,'' he said. Iguodala is still settling into his new surroundings. He just secured a house, though he hasn't moved in yet. And the lifelong San Francisco 49ers fan took his 6-year-old son, Andre, to meet quarterback Colin Kaepernick — and quickly learned that some Oakland Raiders fans weren't happy about it. Iguodala knows he can't please everybody, and he knows his contract brings the burden of expectations. But he also sees that as a challenge and a chance to elevate his own status. The former Arizona star helped the U.S. capture the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, and played his first eight years in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers before helping Denver go 57-25 last season. He has averaged 15.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists in his career and made the playoffs five times. ''I don't think I got enough credit for what I bring to certain teams, especially last year with the record that we had, breaking the franchise record for wins and how we kind of kept everything together and pulled off a great season,'' Iguodala said. ''Just really continue to build with this team as well. Not just for one year but do it for multiple years, keep making runs at everyone's ultimate goal, which is a championship.'' NOTES: The Warriors hired Lindsey Hunter as an assistant coach. Hunter went 12-29 as interim coach of the Phoenix Suns last season after Alvin Gentry was fired. Hunter played 17 years in the NBA and won championships with the Detroit Pistons (2004) and Los Angeles Lakers (2002). RBLL election meeting Red Bluff Little League will hold its annual Election Meeting 7 p.m. Sept. 23 at the Red Bluff CommunitySenior Center. Tehama Tracker Today's schedule GOLF Red Bluff at Eastern Athletic League Meet at Palo Cedro, Noon TENNIS Red Bluff at West Valley, 3:30 p.m.; Corning at University Prep, 3:30 p.m. VOLLEYBALL Oroville at Corning, 7 p.m.; Mercy at Los Molinos Beth Pilger Invitational MLB San Francisco at N.Y. Mets, 10:10 A.m. Minnesota at Oakland, 7:05 p.m. Sports on TV COLLEGE FOOTBALL 4:30 p.m. ESPN — Clemson at NC State GOLF 6 a.m. TGC — European PGA Tour, Open d'Italia, first round, at Turin, Italy 10 a.m. TGC — PGA Tour, TOUR Championship, first round, at Atlanta MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 11 a.m. WGN — Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee NFL FOOTBALL 5 p.m. NFL — Kansas City at Philadelphia PREP FOOTBALL 5 p.m. FS1 — Coppell (Texas) at Garland (Texas) SAILING 12:30 p.m. NBCSN — America's Cup, race 15 and 16, at San Francisco (if necessary) SOCCER 10 a.m. FS1 — UEFA Europa League, Swansea City at Valencia Noon FS1 — UEFA Europa League, Tromso at Tottenham WNBA BASKETBALL 5 p.m. ESPN2 — Playoffs, first round, game 1, Washington at Atlanta 7 p.m. ESPN2 — Playoffs, first round, game 1, Phoenix at Los Angeles OAKLAND (AP) — Josh Hamilton hit a tying two-run homer in the ninth inning then put the Angels ahead with a sacrifice fly in the 11th, leading Los Angeles over the Oakland Athletics 5-4 Wednesday. Hamilton connected against Grant Balfour, who blew his third save of the season. Jesse Chavez (2-4) was the loser. Mike Trout added a two-run home run for the Angels, who won for the fourth time in five games. Coco Crisp and Yoenis Cespedes each hit tworun home runs for the A's, who lost for the third time in 12 games. But they have a six-game lead over Texas in the AL West. The Rangers play Tampa Bay. Juan Gutierrez (1-4) pitched the 10th for the win. Ernesto Frieri worked the 11th for his 35th save in 39 chances. A's starter A.J. Griffin gave up Trout's homer with one out in the first. He retired 17 of the last 18 batters he faced. Griffin allowed two runs on one hit. He walked two and struck out six. Angels starter Jason Vargas allowed four runs on seven hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out five. J.B. Shuck doubled leading off the 11th against Chavez. Josh Donaldson mishandled Erick Aybar's sacrifice bunt for an error, putting runners on first and third. AP PHOTO Oakland Athletics' Coco Crisp follows through on a two-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the third inning Wednesday in Oakland. After Trout flew out, Hamilton followed with a towering drive to the warning track in left field against Jerry Blevins that put the Angels ahead 5-4. Following Jed Lowrie's single leading off the fifth, the A's were held to one hit the rest of the way. Griffin, who gave up his major league-leading 35th homer, faced three over the minimum. He walked leadoff hitter Shuck and got Aybar to fly out to center ahead of Trout's 26th home run. The only other baserunner was Mark Trumbo, who walked with two outs in the fourth. Vargas hit Donaldson, who delivered the win- ning hit Tuesday night, sparking a warning to both teams from home plate umpire Jerry Meals. Josh Reddick led off the third with a single. One out later, Crisp tied the score with a drive over the left field wall. Donaldson flew out but Lowrie followed with a single ahead of Cespedes' 24th home run. NOTES: Trout homered in all three games of the series. ... INF Grant Green started at 2B as the Angels look for ways to get him experience around the infield. He's likely to get time at third, but not this season. ... Angels INF Howie Kendrick was given a scheduled day off. ... RHP Jered Weaver (10-8, 3.36) will make the start for the Angels in Seattle on Friday. He's 13-8 in 27 games against the Mariners. ... RHP Dan Straily (10-7, 4.11) starts for the A's when they open a series against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night. He's won his last four starts. ... Crews were still cleaning up the mess left by Tuesday night's sewage problem in the A's dugout. ... A's owner Lew Wolff talked to the media beforehand about the playoff situation and extra seating available with the third level tarp being removed. Satin, Mets rally for 4 in 9th to beat Giants AP photo San Francisco Giants Gregor Blanco salutes teammates while crossing home plate after hitting a thirdinning two-run home run off New York Mets starting pitcher Aaron Harang on Wednesday in New York. NEW YORK (AP) — Josh Satin hit a two-run single to cap a fourrun rally in the ninth inning that sent the New York Mets past the San Francisco Giants 5-4 on Wednesday night. Shut down by Matt Cain for almost eight innings, the makeshift Mets lineup put together a surprising comeback. Pinch-hitter Zach Lutz had an RBI double and Juan Centeno, making his major league debut, knocked in a run with a single off closer Sergio Romo (4-8). Satin had three RBIs, including a sacrifice fly against Cain in the eighth. Vic Black (2-0) pitched a perfect inning for the win. Gregor Blanco hit a two-run homer for San Francisco. Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada broke his right leg when he tumbled over sliding left fielder Andrew Brown to catch a popup in the ninth inning. Tejada, who knocked knees with the oncoming Brown, initially stayed in the game but was lifted for Lutz in the bottom of the inning. Santiago Casilla walked two in the ninth before giving way to Romo, who threw 25 pitches in the series opener Tuesday night. Lutz lined a one-out double and Centeno looped a single that was fielded on one hop by shortstop Brandon Crawford in shallow left field. Matt den Dekker walked before pinch-hitter Omar Quintanilla flied out to shallow right, keeping the bases loaded. Satin then lined a game-ending single into left field and greeted a rush of happy teammates with open arms near first base. It was Romo's fifth blown save in 40 chances. Cain managed only two outs July 10 in a 7-2 loss to the Mets, the lone time in 264 career starts that he has failed to get out of the first inning. This time, the right-hander was on top of his game. He scattered six singles over 7 23 innings and did not allow an earned run. New York pushed only one runner to second base before the eighth, when Satin hit a sacrifice fly. That was the end of the night for Cain, who struck out six and walked none. New York's late comeback left him winless in four outings since beating Miami on Aug. 17. The three-time All-Star made his third start since spending 15 days on the disabled list with a bruised right forearm. Cain walked off to a warm ovation from another vocal throng of Giants fans in the crowd of 23,698. San Francisco plays at Yankee Stadium this weekend, and Giants jerseys have dotted the stands on the first two nights of a three-game series at Citi Field. Angel Pagan, the hitting star Tuesday night, singled in the third before Blanco sent a high drive to right for his third home run. New York gave away a run with two embarrassing errors in the fourth. Satin bobbled a leadoff grounder by Crawford, who scored when Brown flubbed Blanco's twoout fly to right. Cain helped himself in that inning with a butcher-boy single. Buster Posey was hit by Aaron Harang's pitch to start the fifth and later swiped second, his second stolen base this season. Posey scored on Crawford's two-out single.