Category: Sports News

ESPN's "Around the Horn" is ending after a 23-year run that featured sportwriters from across the nation sharing their thoughts. The format sounded simple, but it is what made it a success. Real-life sportswriters, who many no longer read, expounding real-life opinions became a novelty. As for L.A. Times' writer Bill Plaschke, thank you for always having Los Angeles' back, as spoken by local WNBA legend Diana Taurasi.

Wayne Muramatsu
Cerritos

Bill Plaschke is proud of his time on "Around the Horn?" Twenty-three years of a smug, smarmy host, and a bunch of sportswriters desperate for sound bites and attention.

Another reason why ESPN and so-called sports commentary is currently unwatchable. He should apologize for reaching so low.

James L. Pearle
Corona del Mar

Great article by Bill Plaschke regarding "Around the Horn." However, contrary to his claim that he "always stunk," because there were four panelists on each show, Plaschke’s winning percentage of 24.3% is just about what one would expect. Even Woody Paige — the Cy Young of ATH — had a lower winning percentage. Bill, thanks for so eloquently representing the City of Angels.

Ken Feldman
Tarzana

Taylor-made treasure?

It's been said that one man's leftovers are another man's steak dinner. And that's all you need to know about the difference between the Dodgers organization and the Angels. Two days after the Dodgers released a washed-up Chris Taylor, he was starting in center field for the Angels. Nothing else needs to be said.

Bob Kargenian
Yorba Linda

Heavenly duo

As Bill Shaikin writes, Angels announcers Wayne Randazzo and Mark Gubicza are great. As a long-suffering Angels fan, its a pleasure to at least be able to listen to them. Randazzo is particularly excellent. He doesn’t overdo the chatter like most do, is bright, witty, knowledgeable and subtly tells truths about the woeful team he covers. He is the best since Dick Enberg, who was one of the greatest ever.

Alvin S. Michaelson
Marina Del Rey

Need more relief

Tanner Scott, a $72-million pitcher, has blown a third of his save opportunities this year. Eric Gagne, where are you?

Mike Schaller
Temple City

I got excited about the Dodgers adding another former All-Star, Alexis Díaz, to their ravaged pitching staff, even more so upon learning he began this season on the IL. Seems like a perfect fit.

Steve Ross
Carmel

Escape to Detroit

I think I know why Jack Flaherty left the Dodgers for Detroit in free agency: He didn't want to go on the IL.

Rhys Thomas
Valley Glen

Resist temptation

The new flood of name, image and likeness money (NIL) is indeed sending high school sports into a “black hole” of misplaced priorities, as Eric Sondheimer’s column pointed out. The L.A. Times should do its part to resist this trend by ceasing coverage of sports at that vulnerable level.

Patrick Frank
Venice

Battle of the exes

Former Lakers Alex Caruso, Julius Randle and Josh Hart all had deep runs in the 2025 playoffs. Next season, while the Lakers are on vacation, are we going to see Austin Reaves in the playoffs wearing another team’s uniform because the Lakers traded him while coddling an aged star?

I sure hope not.

Paul D. Ventura
Mission Viejo

Still streaking

The defending champion L.A. Galaxy have started the MLS season with a 16-game winless streak?

Bill Plaschke must have picked them to repeat as champions.

John Schiermeier
Valencia

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

They don’t know what their rotation will look like in October, and they don’t know how worn down their bullpen will look like.

What the Dodgers know is this: They have Shohei Ohtani.

Ohtani will give them a chance in October regardless of what their roster looks like, just as he did on Friday night in an 8-5 victory over the New York Yankees.

How can a player who takes four or five at-bats on most nights have such an oversized influence on games? How can a player who bats once only two or three innings bring opponents to their knees? How can a three-time MVP be a better offensive player than he was in his historic 50-homer, 50-steal season last year?

Shohei from every angle. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/NYY8AMar3u

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 31, 2025

“I have no words for it,” outfielder Michael Conforto said.

When Aaron Judge homered in the top of the first, Ohtani answered with a homer of his own in the bottom half of the inning.

When the Dodgers were down by three runs, Ohtani led off the sixth inning with another homer, this one making Yankees starter Max Fried strike the Kershaw Pose, back to the plate, hands on knees, head down. The blast one ignited a four-run surge by the Dodgers that produced their first lead of the night.

This was on a night in which Mookie Betts was sidelined with a broken toe, Evan Phillips was ruled out for the remainder of the season because of an upcoming elbow reconstruction, and the Dodgers had no choice but to start the unreliable Tony Gonsolin because three pitchers of their opening-day rotation were on the injured list.

Playing with a diminished roster, manager Dave Roberts did what he could before the game to downplay the significance of the World Series rematch against the Yankees, but Ohtani recognized the contest for what it was.

This was a statement game, and Ohtani made a statement.

“We try to win each and every game, of course, but I think it’s a special atmosphere [against the Yankees,]” Ohtani said in Japanese. “I think it was huge to have taken the [first game] of the series.”

The homers were Ohtani’s 14th and 15th of May, which tied a single-month franchise record previously shared by only Pedro Guerrero and Duke Snider. The homers were Ohtani’s 21st and 22nd of the season, meaning Ohtani is on pace for a career-high 63 bombs.

The value of Ohtani’s homers extend beyond the numbers, however.

They inspire awe.

Read more:Shohei Ohtani homers twice and Dodgers pull off another comeback against Yankees

“You don’t want to miss any of his at-bats,” Conforto said. “You want to be in the dugout. You want to see it in person. That’s kind of what it is being his teammate. You want to be there.”

They inspire confidence.

“Every time he comes up to the plate, we’re expecting something awesome to happen,” Gonsolin said. “And he doesn’t let us down a lot of the time. Really cool to have someone like that on our team.”

They inspire a contagious form of courage.

“He would probably say it’s like any other game, but I do think when you see the reigning MVP [Judge] on the other side going out there and performing, that brings out even more of a competitor in Shohei,” Roberts said.

They inspire victories — the Dodgers are 14-6 when Ohtani homers.

Read more:Mookie Betts dealing with fractured toe, won't start against Yankees this weekend

“We always seem to play really well when Shohei’s playing well,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “I heard the chants for MVP and he’s really well on his way to doing that again.”

This is what the Dodgers will need in October, especially in a season in which little has gone according to plan. At this point, they can’t count on Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow to both be healthy for the remainder of the year. They can’t expect their bullpen to be as spectacular as it was last year. But they can rely on Ohtani to make up for their shortcomings.

He will soon be able to affect the game from the mound, as the Dodgers expect him to return to pitching after the All-Star break. Rather than revel in the victory Friday night, Ohtani said in an on-field postgame interview with Apple TV that he was already looking ahead to his next day’s assignment.

“Live bullpen is scheduled for tomorrow,” Ohtani said. “The game is over now and I’d like to get my body in order for the live BP.”

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts will not start in any of this weekend’s games against the New York Yankees after sustaining a fractured toe this week, but the team is hopeful he will be able to avoid a stint on the injured list.

Betts told the Times on Friday night that he fractured his toe at home this week, after the Dodgers returned from a road trip on Wednesday night.

“I was just going to the bathroom in the dark and hit my toe on a wall,” he said.

Read more:Shohei Ohtani homers twice and Dodgers pull off another comeback against Yankees

The Dodgers were originally still planning to have Betts in the lineup Friday for their series opener against the New York Yankees, but he was ultimately scratched after his toe continued to give him problems before the game.

“Putting on a shoe today was difficult for him,” manager Dave Roberts said.

Despite the diagnosis, Roberts and Betts said they were confident the former MVP wouldn’t be out more than a few days.

“I know it’s at the tip of his toe, so it’s going to be one of those situations [that is] per his [pain] tolerance,” Roberts said. “I don’t expect an IL. We’ll probably have him down for the series and hopefully he’ll be available to hit in a big spot. And then we’ll kind of see. But I think for me right now it’s just day to day.”

“It’s just pain,” Betts added. “Get the swelling out, it’ll be all right.”

Read more:Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery

Betts had started in each of the Dodgers' past 20 games, and appeared in each of their last 51 overall, having not missed any time since recovering from a two-week stomach virus at the start of the season.

While his defense had been much-improved during his second season as the club’s everyday shortstop, the 32-year-old was struggling at the plate, batting just .254 on the season with eight home runs, 31 RBIs and a .742 OPS.

In Betts’ absence on Friday, veteran Miguel Rojas took over at shortstop. Tommy Edman and Hyeseong Kim are also options to fill in for Betts at shortstop over the rest of the weekend.

“I’m gonna be all right,” Betts said. “It is what it is.”

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

It wasn’t quite as significant as the fifth inning of Game 5.

But, in the opening game of a World Series rematch at Chavez Ravine on Friday night, the Dodgers mounted a sixth-inning rally against the New York Yankees that carried its own profound importance.

The only real difference: They didn’t need the Yankees' help to do it.

Seven months to the day since the Dodgers’ historic comeback against the New York Yankees in last year’s World Series finale — when three Yankees errors keyed an infamous five-run fifth that propelled the Dodgers to their eighth championship in franchise history — the team produced an inning of similarly unexpected magic in the opener of this weekend’s Fall Classic rematch, scoring four times in the bottom of the sixth to turn a three-run deficit into an eventual 8-5 win at a sold-out Dodger Stadium.

Read more:Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery

The inning started with a Shohei Ohtani home run, his second of the night and MLB-leading 22nd of the season. It included a momentum-swinging double from Freddie Freeman, the MVP of last year’s Fall Classic reprising the role of Yankees killer again. What had once been a three-run New York lead officially evaporated when Andy Pages lined a tying single against a drawn-in infield. The Dodgers then went in front for the first time all night when Michael Conforto drew a bases-loaded walk three at-bats later, giving the Dodgers a lead they continued to add on.

For the Dodgers, nothing will compare to the ecstasy of last year’s fifth inning in Game 5; when a dropped ball from Aaron Judge, errant throw from Anthony Volpe and calamitous miscommunication between Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rizzo keyed the largest comeback in a title-clinching game in World Series history.

But, given the team’s sub-.500 play over the last three weeks, and a rash of injuries that got worse Friday when Mookie Betts was scratched with a toe problem and Evan Phillips was ruled out for the rest of the season because he'll need Tommy John surgery, Friday injected this trying stretch of the regular season with a sorely needed jolt of life.

For much of Friday, the Dodgers seemed headed to the kind of loss that had become commonplace over their 10-11 slide entering the night.

Their starting pitcher struggled, with Tony Gonoslin giving up four home runs in the first four innings — including a mammoth blast from Judge two batters into the game — to hand the Yankees a 5-2 lead.

Their lineup was struggling against a premium pitcher, putting major-league ERA leader Max Fried under little stress after an Ohtani homer to start the night.

And when the sixth inning began, there were few signs the tide was about to turn; the surging Yankees seemingly on a glide path to their 17th win in their last 21 games.

But then, as they did so many times during last year’s World Series, the Dodgers (35-22) flipped the script.

It started with Ohtani, the reigning National League MVP hitting a sky-high fly ball to right that just kept carrying for his 15th home run in the month of May (tying Pedro Guerrero in June 1985 and Duke Snider in August 1953 for the most in a single month in Dodgers history).

Then, the Dodgers just kept chipping away. Teoscar Hernández and Will Smith lined back-to-back singles. Freeman chased Fried from the game with an RBI double to left that got over Cody Bellinger’s head. Then, after the Yankees turned to right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga to face Pages, he hammered a ground ball single through a drawn-in infield to bring home the tying run.

A chess match ensued from there.

Tommy Edman hit into a fielder’s choice grounder in the next at-bat, but some heads-up baserunning by Freeman in a rundown between third base and home plate still got the team’s other two baserunners into scoring position.

With first base open, the Yankees intentionally walked Max Muncy, and summoned left-hander Tim Hill to face the left-handed hitting Conforto. But Conforto drew a full-count walk to plate the go-ahead score — giving the Dodgers their first lead of the night at 6-5.

The sixth inning ended on a Miguel Rojas double play. Yet, the Dodgers tacked on again in the seventh, when another double from Freeman set up Pages for a two-out, two-run single, Freeman racing home on his battered right ankle to score on a bang-bang play.

The Dodgers' bullpen, meanwhile, skirted danger a couple of times, throwing three scoreless innings after Gonsolin (who settled down after his early long ball struggles) got through the sixth.

Judge hit a one-out double against Jack Dreyer in the seventh, but Dreyer and fellow rookie Ben Casparius combined to get through the inning.

The Yankees put runners on the corners with two outs in the seventh against Casparius, but embattled closer Tanner Scott escaped it by getting pinch-hitter DJ LeMahieu to fly out.

Then, in the ninth, Alex Vesia atoned for the deciding three-run homer he surrendered in Cleveland on Wednesday by picking up his second save of the season — and securing one of the Dodgers’ most important, and unlikely, victories of the season.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

In a World Series rematch, Max Fried had his worst start this season and the Yankees bullpen imploded, allowing six unanswered runs across two innings, in New York's 8-5 loss to the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Friday night.

Here are the takeaways...

-In a matchup between the two reigning MVPs, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani showed why they were deserving of that honor early in this one. Judge took Tony Gonsolin deep on the third pitch he saw with one out to put the Yankees out in front. Ohtani jumped on a Fried sinker over the middle of the plate to lead off the first with his league-leading 21st homer of the year.

It's the first time in MLB history that both reigning MVPs homered in the first inning of the same game.

-They wouldn't be the only former MVPs to hit a longball in this one. Paul Goldschmidt launched a leadoff homer in the third to put the Yankees up 5-2 over the Dodgers. How did the Yankees score their other three runs? Via the home run, of course. Austin Wells hit the first pitch from Gonsolin over the right field wall to lead off the second and Trent Grisham capped off that inning with a two-run shot.

Friday was the third game this season that the Yankees hit four-plus home runs in the first three innings of a game, the most in franchise history. (h/t Katie Sharp)

-Fried entered the game with a sub-2.00 ERA so it was odd that he allowed two runs in the first two innings. But the southpaw settled in, pitching three straight scoreless innings but it fell apart in the sixth. After Ohtani led off with his second homer of the game, Fried allowed three straight hits, including an RBI double to Freddie Freeman. Manager Aaron Boone pulled his starter with men on second and third and no outs. First out of the pen was Jonathan Loaisiga to face Andy Pages. Pages singled to left to tie the game at 5-5. After a fielder's choice, Max Muncy was intentionally walked and Tim Hill was brought in to get the left-hander Michael Conforto. Unfortunately, Hill walked Conforto on six pitches to bring in the go-ahead run. A double-play ended the four-run inning but it was a disaster for Fried and the Yankees.

Fried entered the game allowing 10 runs in his first 11 starts without allowing more than two earned runs in a start, but gave up six earned runs on eight hits across five-plus innings while striking out three batters. His ERA went from 1.29 to 1.92 after the start.

-The bullpen in the seventh didn't fare much better for the Yanks. After Hill got Ohtani to fly out, Yerry De los Santos came in. He got Teoscar Hernandez to ground out but then imploded, giving up a single to Will Smith, then Freeman doubled. Page singled to drive in both runners and put the Dodgers up 8-5.

-After Goldschmidt's homer in the third, the Yankees offense was stagnant but they had a chance to get back in this game in the eighth. With runners on first and third and no out, Boone brought up J.C. Escarra to face the righty. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts put in the lefty Tanner Scott, and Boone swapped Escarra for DJ LeMahieu, but the veteran infielder flew out to end the threat.

Judge finished going 2-for-5 while Ben Rice (2-3) and Grisham (2-5) were the only Yankees to have a multi-hit game.

Game MVP: Freddie Freeman

The 2024 World Series MVP had three hits and was in the middle of every Dodgers rally

Highlights

Aaron Judge homers to put the Yankees ahead! pic.twitter.com/0YLvkJzV8A

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 31, 2025

Austin Wells solo homer!! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3o5hiJ3kkD

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 31, 2025

AND ANOTHER! Trent Grisham launches a 2-run homer to extend the lead 💪 pic.twitter.com/6Lj0hxTTS7

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 31, 2025

Yankees are ROLLING 🔥

Another home run, this time by Paul Goldschmidt! pic.twitter.com/BZ4e9FzwRd

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 31, 2025

Aaron Judge dives for the grab and the out!

(via @Yankees) pic.twitter.com/EH91Upfnxf

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 31, 2025

What's next

The Yankees continue their three-game series with the Dodgers on Saturday night at 7:15 p.m.

Francisco Lindor's two home runs in Friday's 4-2 win over the Colorado Rockies, a series opener that saw the Mets (35-22) rebound from Wednesday's 9-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox, are a good sign for New York.

After an 0-for-5 day at the plate against the White Sox (18-38), Lindor bounced back with long balls from both sides -- leading off the first and eighth innings -- to handle the Rockies (9-48).

Lindor was in a 4-for-25 rut stemming from last Friday's 7-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. It continued throughout the week, but he turned a corner by turning his four at-bats into three hits that sparked the Mets.

"That's part of the 162 where they're going to go through some ups and downs," said Carlos Mendoza. "It's not going to be perfect all the time. But when you see him going -- especially from the left side -- left-center (field) like that, that's when he's clicking.

"From the right side, obviously, hitting the ball to the pull side and then a bullet up the middle -- balance, in a position to make some really good swing decisions and then obviously hitting the ball with authority."

Lindor is up to 12 home runs and 33 RBI through 56 games.

"There's been a lot of PT work, there's been a lot of talking with the coaches and just studying film and I'm still not there yet," said Lindor, who is slashing .278/.347/.480. "I've got to continue to work. I've been watching Pete (Alonso) a lot, watching other guys -- Tyrone (Taylor) -- the way they do things. And it's just like trying to pick up some things -- (Francisco Alvarez), same thing. We don't hit the same, but we all have similar movements. Once I can do the movement, my body aligns correctly, things should fall."

"I'm healthy, but making sure my body is moving correctly -- making sure I'm rotating the right way, making sure I'm repeating the patterns that swing has," Lindor added.

Between Lindor's opening and closing homers, plus Juan Soto's RBI double and Starling Marte's solo shot, David Peterson and the Mets' bullpen had enough run support to work with while holding the Rockies to two runs on six hits in the two hours and 17 minutes of game time.

"Any time you can jump on a team and get an early lead, it gives the offense rhythm, gives us the lead to go out there and pitch and get after guys," said Peterson (4-2, 2.69 ERA), who allowed one run on five hits while striking out five and walking one in 5.2 IP. "It's always good to get some runs early and be able to have the lead like that."

Baseball fans can't turn on a Mets game without hearing about the early-season struggles of Juan Soto.

The slugger who signed a massive contract this offseason has not had the year everyone projected. Entering Friday's series opener against the Rockies, Soto was hitting just .224 batting average with a .352 OBP and slugging .393. In the series prior to this weekend, a three-game set against the lowly White Sox, Soto went hitless (0-10) with a pair of walks.

Soto's troubles at the plate caused manager Carlos Mendoza to be inundated with daily questions about his slugger, and even president of baseball operations David Stearns was asked when he made himself available before Friday's game.

The messaging has always been patience; that the man who smashed 41 homers and slashed .288/.419/.569 with a .988 OPS a season ago will eventually find it. Well, while it's way too early to say Soto is back, Friday's performance could be the start of something.

Soto went 2-for-4, including an RBI double in the third inning that put the Mets up 2-0. His double snapped a 0-for-17 hitless streak.

"Feels great," Soto said of his RBI knock after the game. "Any time you come through for the team, it’s a good feeling."

Juan Soto brings in Francisco Lindor with an RBI double! pic.twitter.com/mvSy9D0DyB

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 31, 2025

Soto was asked about his batting stance and how he's seemingly adjusted it to be more balanced on the lower body. The slugger acknowledged the work he's been putting in at the plate mechanically, but also working on his timing and making good decisions. Soto has notably taken more pitches in the zone, which has led to him getting behind in the count and striking out more. But it's a work in progress that, at least for one game, is paying off.

"I’ve been working a lot on my swing to try and try to figure out the best way to come through for the team," he explained. "It takes work and time. It looks a little different, but we keep working."

Aside from his two hits, Soto also made a great running catch to rob the Rockies of extra bases. Soto said he was fooled by the hitter's swing and, according to teammate Francisco Lindor, the ball carried more than it has all season, which forced the 2024 Gold Glove finalist to have to adjust on the fly.

"I made a really good adjustment. I felt like he hit it off the hand," Soto said of his catch. "When I started to see the ball fly, I realized he hit it better than I thought, had to make an adjustment and just move back."

"It was pretty cool. For a second when I looked, I didn’t think he had a chance, the ball was carrying a little more today than usual," Lindor said of Soto's catch. "I don’t think he was expecting it. He played it well."

Lindor, whose two homers lifted the Mets to a 4-2 win on Friday, knows all too well struggling as the high-profile Mets acquisition. The shortstop weathered that storm to become one of the most beloved players and was the NL MVP runner-up, and has become the de facto team captain. So like his manager and the front office, he's asked about Soto all the time, and he echoes them every time. That Soto's struggles are temporary.

"I think he’s only going to continue to climb," Lindor said. "Everybody from the outside keep saying ‘Where’s Soto? Where’s Soto?’, we’ve seen it. He’s had good at-bats weekly, overall, he ends up with good at-bats, and today, the ball fell for him. He’s going to be great. He’s going to end up with his normal numbers and hopefully from here on out, there’s more luck on his side."

"It's always good to see him and all of our guys having a good night," Mendoza said. "I thought not only at the plate but defensively -- I thought he made a nice play cutting that ball down the right field line and keeping that runner from scoring from first base with two outs, so yeah. He's going to get through it. He's too good of a hitter. Obviously, good night for him, Lindor, some of the guys, but it was good to see Soto finally getting some good results there."

Soto was asked about Stearns' comments and that he may be putting pressure on himself.

"I don’t say any pressure. I’ll say it’s more about coming through for the team," Soto said. "Everybody is hoping I come through and I want to hit for the team either way. Get some wins. I know I’ve been struggling and I haven’t been there for the team, but I will be.

"It’s a matter of time [until I stack games like today]. We don’t know when it’s going to come through. Just have to keep working on it."

Despite not getting hits, Soto drove in his sixth RBI in his last eight games after Friday. He had one in the previous nine games, so perhaps Soto has been a bit unlucky. We will all have to see what the next few games bring.