SF Giants swept by Cubs, fall back to .500 in uncompetitive loss

The Giants owned the third-best record in the National League, as many as 13 games above .500, when their summer malaise set in. It quickly cost them that claim, sinking them fourth, then fifth and then sixth. Soon, out of the playoff picture altogether. Now extending into fall, suffering their sixth loss Wednesday in six tries since the calendar turned to September, it has robbed them of even the minimalist requirement for success, winning more times than they lose. Drubbed by the Cubs 8-2, swept in the three-game series and dropping all but one of the seven games on this pivotal road trip, the Giants sank back to .500 — 70 wins, 70 losses, few runs — for the first time since June 10. Entering this series with a chance to pull even for the second wild card, they return home closer in the standings to the Padres than the Cubs, three games out of playoff position and trailing three other teams for the final spot. “This is where you keep fighting back,” manager Gabe Kapler told reporters after the loss. “The season is 162

49ers, Nick Bosa agree to record extension, bolstering Super Bowl contention

SANTA CLARA – Defensive end Nick Bosa has agreed to the richest contract in 49ers history, ending a 43-day holdout in what truly was a fait accompli, for a franchise that’s investing so much toward its first Super Bowl title since the 1994 season. The mega-deal comes just ahead of the regular-season opener, Sunday at the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bosa’s five-year, $170-million extension includes $122.5 million guaranteed, ESPN first reported. Coach Kyle Shanahan learned of the deal just minutes before meeting with the media and an hour before Wednesday’s practice. General manager John Lynch, along with contract czars Paraag Marathe and Brian Hampton, informed Shanahan in his office, eliciting “a couple of bro hugs,” Shanahan said with a smile. Bosa, who Shanahan said is en route to the 49ers facility, is fully expected to play Sunday. Otherwise “he’d need to have a beer belly and be out of shape, which is not in Bosa’s DNA,” said Shanahan. When asked how many snaps Bosa might play, the “pumped up” coach replied: “How many snaps are in the game? No, knowing Nick he’ll be in great shape. We’ll

Gretchen’s table: Tomato-peach salad makes sweet use of seasonal fruit

Gretchen McKay | (TNS) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Sometimes the best dish on a brunch or dinner table is the one made with just two or three simple ingredients. In the last, dwindling days of summer, there’s no more magical pairing for a fresh, so-easy-you-can’t-believe-it salad than tomatoes still warm from the sun and tree-ripened, local peaches. Both fruits are wonderfully juicy and super sweet, and they just go together like the proverbial peas and carrots. Plus, they’re easy to find at your favorite farmers market if you shop and eat to the season. But the best reason to saddle up to this easy salad is its palate-awakening flavors. Now is when tomatoes actually taste like tomatoes and peaches taste like peaches. Come fall, it’s back to industrially grown fruit that’s often beautiful but totally tasteless. When shopping, look for fruit that is free of bruises or blemishes. If you’re not preparing the salad for a day or so, it can be just to the left of perfectly ripe because both tomatoes and peaches will ripen on your kitchen counter. Both should feel heavy for their size

49ers rejoice over Nick Bosa deal with hugs in coach’s office, relief in locker room

SANTA CLARA — Nick Bosa’s long-awaited contract extension shot a magnificent morale boost through all corners of the 49ers’ headquarters Wednesday. Coach Kyle Shanahan was in his office, preparing for a regularly scheduled press conference, when he saw the happy faces and positive energy ooze from three visitors — general manager John Lynch and chief contract negotiators Paraag Marathe and Brian Hampton. “There were a couple of bro hugs and congratulations,” Shanahan said. Left tackle Trent Williams was in the locker room with only a few other players when a phone flashed with news of Bosa’s deal (five years, $170 million). “I ain’t going to lie, when we got here today, I started to get worried if it’d be done in enough time for him to play this weekend,” Williams said. “We got that taken care of, so I’m super excited.” Linebacker Fred Warner was grabbing lunch in the cafeteria when defensive coordinator Steve Wilks grabbed him and morphed into a news-breaking messenger. “It’s just a good morale boost to have one of our best players and leaders back on our team,” Warner said. “I’m

Hunter Biden may be indicted by September’s end

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST (Associated Press) WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors plan to seek a grand jury indictment of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter before the end of the month, according to court documents filed Wednesday. The filing came in a gun possession case in which Hunter Biden was accused of having a firearm while being a drug user, though prosecutors did not name which charges they will seek. He has also been under investigation by federal prosecutors for his business dealings. U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss, newly named a special counsel in the case, referred to seeking an indictment before Sept. 29 in a status report required by Judge Maryellen Noreika. Defense attorneys, for their part, said Hunter Biden has kept to the terms of their original agreement with prosecutors on the gun charge. That calls for sparing him from prosecution if he stays clean and out of trouble for two years, and his lawyer argued it remains in force. Prosecutors disagreed. That agreement, which also contains an immunity clause against federal prosecutions for some other potential crimes, was part of a plea deal

Three arrested by Tehama County deputies at Rolling Hills

Three people were arrested at Rolling Hills Casino in two unrelated cases. According to the Tehama County Sheriff’s Office, its dispatch sent deputies to respond to a stolen vehicle report and other items stolen from a home in the Red Bluff area at about 9 a.m. While deputies were investigating the case at the house, another deputy in southern Tehama County reportedly followed a lead that the vehicle may be in the casino parking lot. The deputy conducted an area shack of the vehicle and found it in the southern parking lot at the casino. Deputies then waited for additional units to arrive, along with assistance from the casino security to locate the subjects from the vehicle. According to the TCSO,  deputies found Sarah Chirico, 38, from Red Bluff, and arrested her for outstanding drug-related. They also arrested Amy Hogun, 34, of Los Molinos, for alleged vehicle theft. Deputies also claim that when searching Hogun, they found 20 grams of methamphetamines, drug paraphernalia, fentanyl, and packaging material. Deputies say they transported both women to the Tehama County Jail. Incidentally, while deputies were working on the

The Oakland A’s are intriguing; it’s too bad ownership ostracized fans who would care

OAKLAND — The Oakland A’s are three losses away from their third 100-loss season since the team moved out West 55 years ago. But through the historic lows are glimmers of promise that showed up in the A’s 5-2 sweep-preventing win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday afternoon in front of a crowd of 3,871. It’s unfair to ask Oakland fans to care about the up-and-coming players that populate this A’s roster. Team owner John Fisher has, since buying the team in 2005, not only ripped beloved players from them, but is on the precipice of ripping their team right out of Oakland. The new crop of budding core — Zack Gelof, Lawrence Butler, Tyler Soderstrom — labeled themselves “New Oakland,” but a relocation will have them playing anywhere from a minor league stadium in Las Vegas to San Francisco or a desolate Coliseum while a new Las Vegas ballpark is built. The ties between fan and player are already severed beyond repair. Watching the newcomers’ grow through the cracks could sting, or serve fans a distraction from the impending devastation. JP Sears —

Kurtenbach: The 49ers finally paid Nick Bosa because you can’t put a price on a Super Bowl

The 49ers gave Nick Bosa everything he wanted in his new mega contract. In return, the Niners will receive the NFL’s best defensive player for the next six seasons — the peak of his career. Sounds like a fair deal to me. The 49ers and the 25-year-old reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year have reportedly agreed on a five-year, $170 million extension with a whopping $122.5 million guaranteed. There’s no word yet on if he received any of the sinks in Levi’s Stadium as part of this new deal, which will, starting next season, make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league. The new contract also ends Bosa’s 44-day holdout. Now, was it wise for the 49ers to effectively wait until the last moment to pay their superstar player? No. It was unbecoming for the organization and general manager John Lynch, who should have wrapped up this record-setting deal months ago. The Niners made a saga out of something relatively straightforward by trying to press leverage they didn’t have (as proven by the contract figures). The front office also left Niners head coach Kyle