Category: Sports News

For a Dodgers fan like me, the story of the 2017 World Series is a wound that will never heal. In his article, Bill Shaikin suggests that A.J. Hinch deserves the asterisk removed from his name for the taint of the cheating scandal because he was a minor player and has owned his part in what happened.

Maybe I can be big enough to forgive Hinch, but as far as removing the asterisk I don’t think so. He witnessed the cheating in his dugout and did nothing to stop it. But I can never forgive Rob Manfred for the fact that in his finite wisdom he decided that the 2017 World Series trophy should remain in Houston. There is plenty of evidence that the cheating changed the results of that Series. And what about the $4,000 I spent on World Series tickets in ’17 hoping to fulfill my son’s lifelong dream of seeing his beloved Dodgers win the championship on the field at Chavez Ravine?

The commissioner spit on the integrity of the sport my son and I love. That will never be forgiven.

Larry Weiner
Culver City

I read "Coach sheds an asterisk from '17 scandal" by Bill Shaikin. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch should never shed that asterisk. I would love to see the Dodgers face the Tigers in the 2025 World Series and sweep them. Just because "Hinch said he was wrong" in not doing anything to stop the 2017 Astros from cheating does not exonerate him.

Vaughn Hardenberg
Westwood

Where was the foresight?

So, let me get this straight. Professional athletes who depend upon their vision for success don't actually go routinely for a complete vision exam? After 10 years, Kiké Hernández "discovered" he had an astigmatism. Now Max Muncy "discovers" he has one too? Shouldn't comprehensive eye exams be required of every batter and fielder? What is the Dodgers' medical team doing here?

Mike Schaller
Temple City

Making moves

Attention Dylan Hernández! Cannot agree. No time to panic, just yet. Leave Shohei Ohtani alone in his DH status. Dodgers are correct in letting him ease into his pitching until after the All-Star break. We still have plenty of decent arms to carry the load until then.

Aside from the first three quarters of an NBA game, the most meaningless stats in sports are baseball standings from April to July!

Marty Zweben
Palos Verdes Estates

The Dodgers continue to find ways to successfully fill holes in pitching, hitting and fielding. The latest arrival, Hyeseong Kim, has demonstrated potential with the bat and in the field. Perhaps, Dave Roberts may want to think about moving him to third base.

Mark Mallinger
Malibu

Entering Friday’s game against Arizona, the two players who primarily bat at or near the bottom of the Dodgers' lineup (and ahead of Shohei Ohtani starting from his second at bat) were hitting .188 and .135. Although not even a quarter of the season has been played, strong consideration should be given by the Dodgers to making changes at the bottom of the lineup, and/or to moving Ohtani to second or third in the order, so that his batting talents can be maximized.

Ken Feldman
Tarzana

Split decision

When do you suppose our major universities will wise up to the notion of serving as a free farm club for the NFL and NBA? Nothing about today’s college sports serves the mission of an education institution, so they should decide not to participate in the transfer portal or provide a conduit for NIL money. Schools should return to the days when students could have a part-time job to support them, commitments to sports programs should be for the season only, and nothing more than scholarships provided, if that. Then we would have student-athletes instead of shopping vagabonds.

It sickens me to see where drafted students have been to three or four colleges for their “education.” Major college programs should be divorced from universities and serve just as club teams unrelated to education.

Larry Nelson
Pacific Palisades

Back to the drawing board

It is no surprise that the Lakers and the Clippers have been eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs since both followed the same game plan for building a team. Modern championship-caliber teams are built from the ground up starting with drafting players and by trading for young players who are still on affordable contracts. The Lakers and Clippers started with buying expensive free-agent stars and trading for stars that left them with insufficient money to fill out their rosters and insufficient draft picks to grow from within. Will they never learn?

Richard Raffalow
Valley Glen

Lakers first round — gone.

Kings first round — gone.

Clippers first round — gone.

It's time for Dodger baseball.

Dave Snyder
Grand Terrace

Now that the Lakers/Clippers seasons are over, it’s time for some real basketball — the WNBA.

David Marshall
Santa Monica

Time is not running out

Things you can do during the last two minutes of an NBA playoff game:

—your taxes

—write a book

—learn a new language

—watch every round of the NFL draft

Andy Bernstein
Santa Monica

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Cubs came into this weekend series with the Mets as one of the hottest offensive teams in the National League.

Chicago is in the top three of almost every offensive category, including batting average (third), home runs (second), hits (first), runs batted in (first) and stolen bases (first), so it was going to be a challenge for Clay Holmes, Friday's starter, to keep them in check. But that's exactly what the veteran right-hander did, helping the Mets defeat the high-powered Cubs, 7-2.

“He was really good," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of Holmes' performance. “On a day that the sinker had a lot of movement. It was windy and the ball was moving a lot."

As the Mets skipper pointed out, the cold and windy conditions at Citi Field were not conducive to Holmes' signature sinker. So much so that catcher Francisco Alvarez told him in the dugout after the first inning that the pitch was moving more than normal. Mendoza jokingly told Alvarez that he better find a way to keep it around the plate, and Holmes credited his backstop for being "on top of it" throughout the game.

"The sinker felt good today. There was some really good movement on it," Holmes said. "Those days, it’s a matter of trusting it... Try not to force it and trust that the movement is going to be there, and that’s what we did today. Used the slider effectively, used the sweeper effectively. Got some big outs behind the count and when we were ahead, was able to make some pitches."

Holmes' sinker, along with his array of other pitches, allowed him to go six innings, allowing just one run on three hits, three walks and striking out five batters.

"He went to the changeup when he needed to, went to the breaking ball when he needed to," Mendoza said. "Made it look easy on a night when it wasn’t the best conditions for his pitch repertoire. And he found a way."

Holmes came into Friday's start not having allowed a home run this season. That would change on Kyle Tucker's fourth-inning solo shot, the only blemish on Holmes' ledger on this night. But the Cubs just couldn't get rallies going against the former closer and Holmes was asked after the game how he was able to keep Chicago down.

"Trusting my strengths. When my sinker is right, there’s a lot of outs with it," he said. "They’re one of the best teams in the NL. Times like that, it’s about not trying to do too much, trusting your stuff, and see where you’re out.

"Was able to put some pressure early with the sinker. Movement was good, and was able to pitch off that. That’s been the backbone of my career. Was able to show up today."

Friday was Holmes' second consecutive quality start and his third in four games. In that span, he's 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA.

Holmes says the key to going deeper in games this season has been to "trust in the contact" while trusting his defense behind him.

"I can get into spurts where I nibble too much and overthink some things," he said. "Just throw my pitches in the zone and trust the defense. I’ve been able to settle into that. It’s allowed me to get into better counts, earlier contact, and go deep into games."

When the Mets signed Holmes this offseason to be a starter after years of being an All-Star closer, it was a risk but one that is so far paying off for both parties. Friday is another example of that, with Holmes throwing a career-high 93 pitches and giving the Mets some length heading into the meat of this weekend series.

Holmes credits the program that he is on, which has allowed his body to adapt and build off of each outing. And he'll need that program as it's likely Holmes' next start will come on regular rest. It will be the first time he'll be pitching on four days rest this season, but Holmes says while his the amount of pitches he throws in his bullpen sessions, which won't change, may differ, he feels he'll be ready.

"I’m in a good spot for it, and I’m ready to roll," he said.

The roof was open. The air was hot. And in a stadium already known as a hitter’s paradise, the Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks teed off on each other in a Chase Field classic.

There were lead changes and sudden momentum shifts. Line-drive rockets and towering no-doubt blasts. The ejection of Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior, and a last-gasp ninth-inning comeback from their offense.

Most of all, there was Shohei Ohtani.

With two on and one out with the score tied in the ninth, Ohtani turned a riveting early May night into one of the most memorable games of his Dodger career, launching a go-ahead three-run home run that lifted the Dodgers to a 14-11 win.

As far as storybook moments in the regular season go, Friday’s ending had everything.

Read more:Dodgers continue ‘to bet on’ Michael Conforto, but can he break unthinkable early slump?

By the ninth inning, the reigning National League MVP already hit two doubles as part of the Dodgers’ early onslaught, one that helped them build a five-run lead in the third inning they would later squander by surrendering eight unanswered scores.

But in the ninth, a leadoff infield single from Freddie Freeman was followed by consecutive run-scoring doubles from Andy Pages and Kiké Hernández, trimming what was an 11-8 deficit to 11-10. Max Muncy got the score knotted, knocking a single to right. Then, when Michael Conforto got hit with a pitch with one out, the Diamondbacks faced a decision.

Arizona could have intentionally walked Ohtani, a move that would have loaded the bases but also set up a force out at every bag. Instead, they replaced closer Kevin Ginkel with sidearm right-hander Ryan Thompson, hoping his funky delivery could keep Ohtani off balance.

He couldn’t, throwing a 1-and-2 splitter that stayed up over the middle. The sound alone off Ohtani’s bat left no doubt about where it would land.

Even before first pitch, Friday had the makings of a high-scoring affair.

Eduardo Rodríguez, the veteran left-hander who two years ago blocked an agreed-upon deadline day trade from Detroit to the Dodgers, entered the night with a 5.92 ERA and was facing a right-handed-heavy Dodgers lineup, with slumping lefty sluggers Muncy and Conforto dropped to the bench.

Roki Sasaki, meanwhile, was pitching on five days of rest (as opposed to six) for the first time in his career. He was throwing in a dry Arizona climate that can often influence the execution of breaking pitches. And, as a result, there was added importance on a fastball that has disappointed so far this season, averaging well below the triple-digit readings he was hoping to rediscover this season while generating few whiffs or much soft contact.

Right from the jump, the Diamondbacks took advantage.

While Rodríguez gave up one run in the first inning after a leadoff double from Ohtani, Sasaki was ambushed for three. In a 2-and-1 count, Ketel Marte got a middle-middle heater that he sent curling around the right-field foul pole for a solo home run. Then, after Josh Naylor doubled on a four-seamer that clocked in at just 92.8 mph, Eugenio Suárez launched an outer-edge fastball the other way for a two-run blast.

The homers were the fifth and sixth that Sasaki has given up in his last five outings. All of them have come against his fastball, a pitch that has yielded a lot of hard contact while getting very little swing-and-miss — including no whiffs Friday.

The Dodgers (26-13) had an answer of their own in the second, tying the game on Hernández’s sixth home run of the year and Ohtani’s second double in as many innings.

Then, in the third, they seemingly took control of the game, exploding for five runs on four hits and three walks while sending 11 batters to the plate — in an inning where the three outs were recorded by Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freeman no less.

Before ending the inning with a strikeout in his second at-bat of the third, Freeman helped get it started by roping a double down the line to put two runners in scoring position. Pages followed that up with a two-run single to left. Hernández and Miguel Rojas came up next and loaded the bases with a single and a walk. Still with no one out, James Outman hit the ground ball Arizona (20-19) was looking for, but an errant throw to the plate instead allowed two more runs to score. Betts later tacked on a sacrifice fly.

That should’ve been enough for the Dodgers, carrying the ensuing 8-3 lead into the fourth.

But on this night, no lead was ever truly safe.

Sasaki was pulled after issuing a leadoff walk in the fifth, the lead having been trimmed to 8-4 at that point. His replacement, Anthony Banda, failed to stem a turning tide.

Within three batters, the Diamondbacks had the bases loaded. With two outs in the inning, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. swung big at a down-and-in sinker. Banda turned to watch it fly for a tying grand slam, evening the score at 8-8.

The Diamondbacks' go-ahead run scored amid more contentious circumstances, as right-hander Luis García tried to escape another bases-loaded, two-out jam he inherited from Banda in the sixth.

In a full count with Suarez, he threw a high sweeper that appeared to catch the top of the strike zone. Home plate umpire Jeremie Rehak, however, ruled it a ball that walked in a run. After the inning, Prior was ejected for arguing from the dugout.

In the eighth, it was the Diamondbacks turn to seemingly put the game out of reach, hitting back to back home runs off Alex Vesia for an 11-8 lead.

But, once again, no lead on this night proved to be safe.

Especially not once the Dodgers got Ohtani back up to the plate.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Jasson Dominguez smashed three of the Yankees' four home runs and Will Warren had the best start of his career, as New York beat the Athletics, 10-2, on Friday night in West Sacramento.

Here are the takeaways..

-The Yankees offense could not capitalize on a fast start. Aaron Judge -- after having his 38-game on-base streak snapped on Wednesday -- started a new streak with a first-pitch double off the left-field wall that put Trent Grisham (who reached on a walk) to third with no outs. But Ben Rice (popout), Paul Goldschmidt (groundout to the pitcher) and Jasson Dominguez (strikeout) could not get the runners home.

They couldn't get it done in the second inning either. With runners on second and third with two outs, Grisham popped out to end the threat.

New York figured out the solution to their clutch-hitting problems: hit home runs. Goldschmidt (417 feet) and Dominguez (398 feet) would go back-to-back with two outs in the third to put the Yanks up 2-0. But that wouldn't be the end of the homers.

-Dominguez would have himself a day at the plate. In addition to his solo homer, he would go yard a second time in the seventh, this time from the right side. The Martian took a Hogan Harris curveball 431 feet over the center field wall. The young outfielder finished 3-for-4 with seven RBI and had his first multi-homer game as a big leaguer, and his seventh-inning longball was his first from the right side.

His at-bat in the eighth with the bases loaded saw him launch his first career grand slam. He also became the youngest player in Yankees history to have a three-homer game.

-Warren was dealing early. He struck out four in his first three innings. The young right-hander wouldn't allow his first base runner (walk) until one out in the fourth inning. After a single, Warren would pitch out of the jam by striking out Shea Langeliers and JJ Bleday in succession. After that, Warren was in cruise control, pitching into the sixth inning when he allowed a leadoff double. Warren settled down, getting the next three batters out and pitching through six innings for the first time in his big league career.

Warren would pitch into the eighth inning, but it was noticeable he was out of gas. He was pulled after allowing back-to-back singles with one out. One of his runners would come around to score after Mark Leiter Jr. came in, but the book was closed on Warren's night pretty quickly.

The young hurler pitched 7.1 innings (87 pitches/59 strikes), allowing one run on four hits, one walk and striking out seven batters.

-There was an odd series of events in the fifth that could have cost the Yankees a run. With men on first and second, and one out, Goldschmidt lofted a ball into shallow left-center field. Bleday clearly trapped the ball and Grisham ran home, but Rice was called out at second on the force because the third base umpire ruled Bleday had caught it, and he went back to first. After a lengthy discussion, the umps ruled it a trap, but sent Grisham back to third and Rice to second.

Dominguez would get Grisham home anyway with a sac fly.

-Every Yankee in the starting lineup -- aside from Grisham -- had at least one hit with Rice (2-5), Dominguez (4-3), Goldschmidt (2-4), J.C. Escarra (2-4) and Jorbit Vivas (2-5) picking up multi-hit games. Judge finished 1-for-4 with a walk as his batting average dipped to .396, the first time he was batting under .400 since April 22.

Game MVP: Jasson Dominguez

Hitting three homers and driving in seven runs will get you this honor 99.9 percent of the time. (Kudos to Warren, though)

Highlights

Paul Goldschmidt opens the scoring! 💣 pic.twitter.com/aVWWZ4Uptw

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 10, 2025

JASSON DOMINGUEZ AND PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT GO BACK TO BACK! pic.twitter.com/76udK3WaMA

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 10, 2025

Umpires initially ruled that JJ Bleday made a diving catch on this play and that Trent Grisham was doubled off at second.

After discussion, the umpires gave a base hit and moved each runner up one base. pic.twitter.com/u2MfWZruKb

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 10, 2025

JASSON DOMINGUEZ HAS HOMERED FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE PLATE 👽 pic.twitter.com/SMM1q7cvWd

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 10, 2025

JASSON DOMÍNGUEZ GRAND SLAM!!!!!!!

HIS THIRD HOME RUN OF THE NIGHT!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/0Cr1xl0r00

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 10, 2025

What's next

The Yankees and Athletics play the middle of their three-game set on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is set for 4:05 p.m.

Carlos Rodon (4-3, 2.96 ERA) will take on JP Sears (4-2, 2.93 ERA).

Just moments before Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor stepped up to the plate for his second at-bat on Friday night, fans at Citi Field were treated to a little surprise. The speakers didn't blast his tried and true walk-up song of "My Girl" by The Temptations -- instead, another Motown hit played for a new crowd sing-along.

His choice of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" didn't yield another hit, as he struck out swinging on five pitches. But by setting the tone with a leadoff home run in the first inning, there was no valley low enough for a Mets lineup that ultimately produced four long balls in a 7-2 win over the Cubs.

The blast from Lindor came on an 0-2 fastball from Cubs starter Jameson Taillon, and the ball landed in right-center for his fourth leadoff shot of the season. He finished the game 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a stolen base, and raised his average to .297 and OPS to .861. Earlier this week, Lindor became just the ninth shortstop to reach the 50-WAR threshold since 1970.

"I just try to get a good pitch to hit and get on base for the guys," Lindor said after the game. "I have two really good hitters behind me and the lineup is deep. So, just get on base for them and let them do what they do best. It just so happens they've been going out. I'll enjoy it and then turn the page."

Lindor wasn't the only one who displayed some pop. Brett Baty produced the Mets' second leadoff homer in the second, driving a ball to the left-center field bleachers. Jeff McNeil joined in on the fun shortly thereafter, drilling a solo shot to right. New York's four-homer night was capped off by a mammoth solo blast from Juan Soto in the fourth that landed near Shea Bridge.

The Mets' overall success at the plate was recently credited to "controlled aggression" by Brandon Nimmo, and Friday's results backed that claim. Of the team's 13 total hits, a whopping dozen came with two strikes. It was their 11th game with double-digit knocks this season, and third with four homers.

SNY's Gary Cohen suggested "My Guy" by Mary Wells as a clever alternative walk-up tune for Lindor, considering that his wife gave birth to a boy back in March. But Lindor is pleased with hearing the duet from Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and hopes fans warm up to his minor plate adjustment.

"I think it's a fantastic song and hopefully the fans can vibe to it too," Lindor said. "I'm all about vibes and that's the vibes right now. I didn't fully change it because I had some pushback from some people here. I'm a people pleaser. I pleased the ones who pushed back on me. But I think that song is a banger."