The Oakland Athletics came to town to beat their Triple-A affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats, 9-0 in a rain-shortened exhibition game on Saturday evening. More than 10,000 fans braved Raley Field for the much anticipated return of major league baseball to Sacramento – the first time in five years. The first six innings were perfect for A’s starting pitcher Tommy Milone, who retired each of the 18 batters he faced, including six strikeouts. Jarrod Parker took the mound for the River Cats, allowing nine runs on five hits. In each of the first three innings, Parker saw seven A’s come to the plate. He walked the bases full in the first inning, and a base-clearing double by right fielder Jo

Sacramento is home to a wealth of stunning structures. Some of the most impressive architecture can be found in the city’s houses of worship. With the help of local architects, The Sacramento Press identified some of the most significant examples in the central city. Saxon Sigerson, principal at Sigerson Architects, and Peter Saucerman, partner and planning principal at Dreyfuss & Blackford Architects, are both members of the American Institute of Architects. Together, they identified 10 churches in Sacramento that deserve your attention. According to Sigerson and Saucerman, the majority of the churches in Sacramento were built in traditional styles, many using basilica and cruciform des

Roller derby is a sport that has recently gained attention through films and television and its popularity is growing, as Sacramento is the home to two roller derby leagues – the Sac City Rollers and the Sacred City Derby Girls. The Sacramento Press met with some of the derby girls at a recent practice. The Sac City Rollers, which formed in 2006, are preparing for the first bout of the season this Friday. Roller derby is defined by one derby girl – “H.N. Icy” – as football on skates, but without a ball. She’s known as Jennifer Madrigal outside of derby, and is a lab technician. While some derby girls are in law enforcement or construction, the Sac City Rollers have teachers and a librar

Sacramento Beer Week kicks off Friday with more than 300 events to celebrate the region’s diverse beer industry. Events include beer tastings, pub crawls and food pairings over 10 days at breweries, bars and restaurants throughout Sacramento Valley. The Sacramento Artists Council, in partnership with Dad’s Kitchen and The Sacramento Press, will host Sacramento’s first Beer and Chili Festival on March 3 from noon - 4 p.m. at Southside Park. Attendees will receive a 5-ounce beer mug for unlimited tastes from 18 breweries from around Sacramento and the state, as well as a cup for chili tastings from several participants in the chili cook-off. Participants are encouraged to make vegetarian a

As Valentine’s Day approaches, Sacramentans may be in search of something sweet to impress that special someone, and The Sacramento Press found just the place to go when a store-bought box of chocolates simply won’t do. Sacramento native Melissa Johnson took her love of all things sweet and launched an online dessert magazine that features what she said are the Web’s most delicious sweet treats. Best Friends for Frosting offers an eclectic collection of recipes and trends that are gathered from the hippest, freshest dessert blogs in a forum that offers bakers one-stop shopping. Johnson said she started baking when she was a little girl and dreamed of opening a bakery. She started a blog