The New York Islanders announced on Friday that they would be holding a three-day development camp starting on Monday, June 30. On Saturday, they shared that they were bringing back the Blue & White scrimmage.
To attend, you must pay $15, with the proceeds giong to the Islanders Children's Foundation.
The development camp will consist of three on-ice days, excluding July 1, the first day of NHL Free Agency.
Most other NHL teams seem to be skating on July 1, so just something interesting to note.
Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
CHICAGO — Cal Raleigh broke Hall of Famer Johnny Bench’s 1970 record for home runs by a catcher before the All-Star break, hitting his major league-leading 28th and 29th in the Seattle Mariners’ 9-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday.
Raleigh put Seattle ahead and moved past Bench in the seventh inning with No. 29, a drive to the back of the left-field bleachers off Caleb Thielbar.
“Any time you’re mentioned in even the same sentence with one of the best, if not the best ever do it is a special thing,” Raleigh said. “I’m just very grateful. He’s one heck of a player or was one heck of a player. And like I said, just very, very happy about it.”
Raleigh needed only 73 games to break the record that Bench set in 87 games. The Seattle star shattered the mark with 22 games to spare before the All-Star game. Barry Bonds holds the overall record with 39 for San Francisco in 2001.
Raleigh sent his first homer just over the basket in the first off Matthew Boyd.
The 28-year-old slugger had three hits in his sixth multi-homer game of the season. He drove in three runs to push his season total to 63.
Bench was a 14-time All-Star in his 17-season career with the Cincinnati Reds. In 1970, at age 22, he became the youngest player to win the National League MVP award. He led the NL with 45 homers and drove in 148 runs.
Seattle's Mitch Garver, a catcher by position, hit two homers and drove in five runs as a designated hitter. The duo stole the thunder from the NL-Central leading Chicago on a day when Sammy Sosa returned to Wrigley Field for the first time in over 20 years.
Raleigh and Garver are the first pair of primary catchers for a team to each homer twice since Joe Ferguson and Steve Yeager did it for the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 1979 home victory over Houston.
Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins were teammates on the 2018-19 Golden State Warriors, a team that reached the NBA Finals before physically falling apart in that series (including Durant's torn Achilles).
Those former teammates were respectfully disagreeing on social media in recent days when Cousins said that he was told there were fights in the Suns locker room last season. It started with Durant refuting that claim.
I have to contest this 94 footer. This some bullshit to throw on us. Yea yea yea we were trash this year ha ha ha but we NEVER got close to this. NEVER https://t.co/JfjA7wmLa7
While it was no secret around the league that things were not great in the Suns' locker room last season, the prevailing sentiment was that it was more apathy than hostility. Things just didn't click, and that showed on the court. There is tension in every locker room over the course of a marathon NBA season, but did that rise to the level of a physical fight in Phoenix?
Durant was in the locker room and said no, we'll go with the first-hand account in this case.
Things will be very different in the Suns' locker room next season, whatever it looks like.
SAN FRANCISCO – The Giants acknowledged Saturday that Major League Baseball is investigating claims of abuse by the wife of right-handed pitcher Sean Hjelle recently on social media.
Hjelle was unavailable to comment on the post, but the Giants released a statement indicating the alleged abuse is being looked into.
“We are aware of these serious allegations,” the Giants said in the statement. “We have been in contact with MLB. These type of allegations fall under their jurisdiction and we won’t be commenting further.”
Caroline Hjelle’s post on TikTok on Friday included an on-screen caption that read: “When my MLB husband abandons us on Mothers Day a week after this once I finally found out about his affairs and stopped putting up with his abuse so I’ve been raising two boys alone.”
Manager Bob Melvin was asked about Hjelle’s situation before Saturday’s game against the Boston Red Sox at Oracle Park.
“Obviously, we’re aware of it,” Melvin said. “He told me about it last night. We talked to MLB. At this point, it’s in their jurisdiction right now so I really can’t comment on it further.”
The Giants selected the 28-year-old Hjelle in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft, and he has appeared in 87 games over four big-league seasons.
With the Pittsburgh Penguins being out of the playoff race by the 2025 NHL trade deadline, they traded away some of their players. One of them was forward Cody Glass, as they dealt him and Jonathan Gruden to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Chase Stillman, Max Graham's signing rights, and a 2027 third-round pick.
Glass had some regular-season success with the Devils after being traded by the Penguins, as he recorded two goals and seven points in 14 games. This was after he had four goals, 11 assists, and a minus-9 rating in 51 contests with the Penguins. However, he had a quiet post-season with New Jersey, recording zero points and a minus-2 rating in five games.
According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Devils are not expected to send Glass a qualifying offer this off-season. Due to this, the former Penguins forward is expected to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Given how Glass' tenure with the Penguins went, it seems unlikely that they would target him if he becomes a UFA at the start of next month. However, he would likely generate some interest around the league elsewhere, as he is a former first-round pick who is a decent bottom-six forward when playing at his best.
Like many teams in the offseason, the Montreal Canadiens are hoping to fill in the holes in their lineup and address some of their needs before the upcoming season. The Habs have two glaring needs: a real top-six player and a right-shot defenseman. In the latest edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman reported that Noah Dobson could be in play.
The Sportsnet insider reports the New York Islanders are quietly testing the market right now to see what they could bring in. For him, the Isles are trying to gauge the market to make an informed decision on a player they know will be a player of significant value.
We spoke about Dobson potentially being a target for the Canadiens back in May, and while he would fit the profile of players the Habs could be after, the price won’t be low. As Friedman explained on the podcast, if they do trade the 25-year-old right-shot defenseman, it would have to be for a return that would impress people. The Islanders want to contend for the playoffs next season, and they won’t do that by trading Dobson for future assets.
Would the Canadiens be ready to fork out the kind of return that Mathieu Darche and co would consider appropriate? Would they be prepared to use a roster player of roughly the same value and potential? Offering Kirby Dach or Alex Newhook won’t cut it, to be frank, nor will one year of unidimensional sniper Patrik Laine. You’ve got to give to get, and I struggle to see Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton entertain the mere thought of offering someone like Juraj Slafkovsky in a trade to fix the hole on the right side of defense.
Fixing one need by creating another, just as important, would make very little sense, and that’s not the way Hughes operates. Slafkovsky has yet to reach his full potential, but he has shown flashes of what he could become if he maintains a consistent effort level and plays the right way from October until the end of the playoffs. I don’t think that’s a gamble Hughes would be willing to make.
While they are not signed long-term, I cannot fathom the possibility of Montreal even entertaining the idea of sacrificing Ivan Demidov or Lane Hutson, the two youngsters have got core pieces written all over them.
Shopping for a right-shot defenseman is no easy task, but it gets even harder when you are considering who would want to buy what you are selling. Montreal has a lot of draft capital and interesting prospects, which could be attractive to a rebuilding team, but not to a team that’s looking to compete here and now, which the Islanders seem to be.
Photo credit: Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images
Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.
On Sunday, June 22, the Indiana Pacers (50-32) and Oklahoma City Thunder (68-14) are all set to square off from Paycom Center in Oklahoma City for Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Indiana evened up the series with a 108-91 win to give us the best two words in sports: Game 7. The 17-point win over OKC reached leads of 26 and more in the third and fourth quarters as the Pacers controlled the entirety of the game outside the first few minutes.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the game in scoring with 21 points, while Obi Toppin totaled 20 for Indiana. No starter played more than 32 minutes for either team, so we should see both squads rested in Game 7.
Six different Pacers scored double-figures in Game 6, including TJ McConnell who added 12 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds to his Finals resume. For OKC, only Jalen Williams (16) and SGA (21) scored more than 11 points for the Thunder. The Pacers forced SGA in a career-high 8 turnovers in Game 6 and the Thunder shot 8-of-30 from three (26.7%), so it'll be interesting to see how that carries over into a home Game 7 with mounting pressure.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch Pacers vs. Thunder live
Date: Sunday, June 22, 2025
Time: 8:00PM EST
Site: Paycom Center
City: Oklahoma City, OK
Network/Streaming: ESPN / ABC
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Pacers vs. Thunder
The latest odds as of Saturday:
Odds: Pacers (+235), Thunder (-285)
Spread: Thunder -7.5
Over/Under: 214.5 points
That gives the Pacers an implied team point total of 103.5, and the Thunder 110.5.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Sunday’s Pacers vs. Thunder game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet Vaughn Dalzell (@Vmoneysports) likes an Under on Hartenstein, plus two MVP bets:
"One Under, among many, that I like for Game 7 is a fade on Isaiah Hartenstein. Hartenstein's PRA prop is at 13.5 (+100) or 14.5 (-115), depending where you are playing and I think it's a hair too high.
Hartenstein hit 14 PRA in garbage time of Game 6 and was benched at the half in favor of Alex Caruso, which didn't last long. Hartenstein hasn't fit the tempo of this series and his offensive scoring ability may be a liability as four or fewer points in four of six games isn't encouraging. Go Under on the big fella.
If you want value on either the Thunder ML or Pacers ML, then you should look at betting on the MVP market. For OKC, most will say Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (-205) has the award locked up if the Thunder win, but I put my money on Jalen Williams at +2700 and +600 during Games 5 and 6, and I still like the position and current value at +1000 to +1100.
For the Pacers, the pick is Pascal Siakam at +370. I played Siakam at +900 after Game 4 and think he is a shoo-in for the MVP if Indiana wins Game 7. Tyrese Haliburton's odds have dropped to +1100, but it's obvious that his calf injury has kept him limited during the series, while that has not been the case for Siakam."
Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas) likes Tyrese Haliburton to go for 15-plus points:
"Tyrese Haliburton finished with 14 points, 5 assists and 2 steals in 23 minutes while nursing a calf injury to energize the Pacers to the Game 6 win. It's obvious that Haliburton is giving it his all and he would die on the court for this team. If he gets 30 minutes or so in Game 7, it's hard for me not to see Hali going for 15-plus points. "
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Pacers & Thunder game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Indiana Pacers at +7.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 214.5.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Pacers vs. Thunder on Sunday
If Oklahoma City closes as a favorite of -7.5 or higher, the Thunder will be the largest Game 7 favorites since the 1966 Boston Celtics (-8 vs Lakers).
The three largest Game 7 favorites in history, -6.5, -8 and -9 — all failed to cover winning by four or fewer points to go 0-3 ATS, but 3-0 on the ML.
The last four NBA Finals Game 7's went Under the total dating back to 2005.
No team in a Game 7 of the NBA Finals has scored 100 or more points in the past 25 years.
The Thunder are 1-0 in Game 7's this postseason, beating the Nuggets in OKC, 125-93.
The Pacers are 1-0 in. Game 7's this postseason, beating the Knicks in Indiana, 125-108.
Pascal Siakam is 5-1 to the Over on his assists prop
TJ McConnell is 6-0 to the Over on his points, assists and points + assists props
Lu Dort is 3-0 to the Over 0.5 assists at home in the Finals
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 31, 34, and 38 points at home in the Finals
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) - Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) - Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) - Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
According to multiple reports, the Philadelphia Flyers are expected to send polarizing goalie Ivan Fedotov to the AHL to start off the 2025-26 season.
The Flyers are one of many teams looking to find goaltending in a help in a 2025 goalie market that is not very friendly to buyers.
Jake Allen, who is likely to remain with the New Jersey Devils, is the top option available, and then other options, like former Flyers goalie Alex Lyon, lead the rank-and-file.
On Friday, Daily Faceoff insider Anthony Di Marco corroborated a report from Anthony San Filippo and his "Snow the Goalie" podcast, remarking ,"It appears that Fedotov will start in the AHL," when discussing Allen and other goalie options for the Flyers on X.
The 28-year-old Fedotov just played his first full season in the NHL - one that saw him stapled to the bench for extended periods of time - posting a 6-13-4 record, a 3.15 GAA, and a .880 save percentage.
Consistency was the main issue for the Flyers' former seventh-round pick. Eight of Fedotov's 26 games, including two against Tampa Bay, saw him finish with a .920 save percentage or higher.
On the other side of the fence, Fedotov played 10 games for the Flyers where he finished with a save percentage below .867.
So, although he's on the older side, Fedotov is still relatively inexperienced in the North American game, and some time developing and facing lesser competition will help him make up for lost time in that regard.
Plus, it helps that the Flyers can shave $1.15 million off their NHL cap hit by sending Fedotov to the AHL.
But, if the Flyers have already made up their minds on this, it means that signing a new goalie is now a matter of when and not if.
Incumbent starter Sam Ersson dealt with a rash of lower-body injuries last season, and prospect Aleksei Kolosov was as inconsistent as Fedotov was and as a result may not be in the organization's short- or long-term plans.
Provided 19-year-old prospect Carson Bjarnason doesn't start his pro career in the ECHL, he and Fedotov would then presumably comprise the goalie partnership for the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Federal agents stage outside Gate E of Dodger Stadium on Thursday. The Dodgers would not let them into the parking area. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
The current incarnation of Dodger ownership is not your grandfather's Dodgers. In lieu of private, family ownership, you have one behemoth corporation, the Guggenheim Group, predicated on maximizing profit potential, and not giving a twit regarding social or moral imperatives. Doing the "right thing" might threaten their bottom line. After all, in their way of thinking, the business of America is business." ICE thugs terrorizing part of their fan base's families is not on their radar. It's all about money.
Bob Teigan Santa Susana
Why would Dylan Hernández be surprised by the Dodgers’ silence over the Trump Administration’s efforts to terrorize the Hispanic residents of greater Los Angeles? Never forget that Dodger Stadium stands on land acquired through similar tactics directed toward the Hispanic residents of Chavez Ravine.
BW Radley Mission Viejo
So let me get this right. Seven months ago the Los Angeles Times editorial section declined to endorse either one of the candidates running for president of the United States, but today, Dylan Hernández, a columnist (which means he gives his opinion about topics) slammed the Dodgers for not taking a political stance on the current events in Los Angeles. Mr. Hernández, the Dodgers are a pro sports franchise, not a political party. Maybe if you want to continue to write about politics you should transfer to the Op-Ed department and leave the sports section to sports
Russell Morgan Carson
Mr. Hernández's diatribe in The Times is yet another example of his inability to comprehend legal from illegal status. He would have the Dodgers condemn the removal of those illegally in our country. The Dodgers ownership made the correct decision to remain silent. Do not reward the law breaker who was aware of the possible consequences from the beginning.
Bill Tewksbury Marion, Mont. .
Thank you, Kiké Hernández, for standing up for Angelenos while they are being targeted because of the color of their skin. There is no larger supporter of the Dodgers than the Mexican-American community. The Dodger ownership should show that support works both ways.
Mike Gamboa Buena Park
Win-win situation
Watching the NBA Finals it was clear that the Lakers would have no chance against the new, younger, more athletic players.
Seeing what they’ve done with the Dodgers, it would be entirely reasonable to believe that the new ownership will be bringing the entire Lakers organization into the 21st century.
The best part of the sale: Lakers valued at $10 billion. Celtics valued at $6 billion.
Victory!
Paul D. Ventura Mission Viejo
The Lakers move now from a Mom and Pop operated organization to corporate, with TWG Global group. Bill Plaschke writes about how great this will be for the Lakers since they will now be managed and have the same resources as the Dodgers, who went this same route back in 2012. That's great to look forward to but the immediate need is, who will play the center position for the Lakers? Is there a player for sale in Japan, maybe?
Wayne Muramatsu Cerritos
Management decision?
I will no longer question manager Dave Roberts' pitching decisions. There are more important issues to raise. When asked about the deportation and rounding up of profiled people in L.A., he said, “Honestly, I don’t know enough” and “I haven’t dug enough and can’t speak intelligently on it.” Do you read your own newspaper? Have you looked into the crowd that pays your $10-million salary and seen who is most loyal? Don’t you honor Jackie Robinson every year and talk to your players about his legacy and standing up for one’s rights? Well apparently he’s either the team’s PR manager, tone deaf or has been ordered to act dumb by management. The world is more than balls and strikes.
David Bialis San Diego
Clayton clarification
So on June 8, we get two letters suggesting that Clayton Kershaw stop pitching because he is "hurting the team." Over his next two starts, he pitches 12 innings, giving up one run, while striking out 12, walking one, and earning two wins. Did Bill Plaschke ghost-write these letters with his usual accurate predictions/suggestions? If so, keep up the great work, Bill!
Richard Brisacher Mar Vista
Spaun-ing controversy
What am I missing here? A relatively unknown golf pro, J.J. Spaun, who graduated from San Dimas High wins one of the most prestigious and exciting golf majors in years; and he gets five paragraphs (and not even a quote) plus a photo on page 2. You gave LPGA winner Carlota Ciganda more coverage (in the same combined story) after recording her first win in 15 years for winning something called the Meijer (NOT Major) LPGA Classic. May I suggest a special profile column on the local major winner when you are "Dodger'd" out and have a slow news day.
Richard Whorton Studio City
It was bad enough that you barely mentioned Scottie Scheffler’s dominating victory in the PGA Championship last month. But you lowered the bar even further in the U.S. Open.
The first three days of the event rated only a short notebook, but J.J. Spaun’s thrilling final round, topped by one of the greatest putts in golf history, should have been an above-the-fold front-page story. You blew it. And to top it off, your story referred to Spaun’s having a resemblance to Franco Harris? Please. If Adam Scott had won, would he have resembled, say, Ryan Gosling? I don’t think so.
Steve Horn Glendale
Right on target
What a terrific story by Gary Klein on Rams receiver Puka Nacua, with a good history of Polynesian players in the NFL! Although I have been following the NFL for many years, the growth in the number of Polynesian players is something I sort of overlooked even though I remember many of these players going back to Charlie Ane, who I also recall played at USC in the 1950s.
Bill Francis Pasadena
Not his day
After watching Shohei Ohtani strike out four times Tuesday night, I found myself thinking, "It's a good thing this guy can pitch."
John Amato Sherman Oaks
The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used.
The Boston Red Sox did a Baltimore Orioles veteran a favor by trading slugger Rafael Devers to the Giants.
On Tuesday’s episode of “Foul Territory,” Orioles first baseman Ryan O’Hearn expressed his appreciation to Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow for the blockbuster trade, one which could vault him into a starting role at the 2025 All-Star Game in Atlanta next month.
“I just want to shout out Craig Breslow real quick,” O’Hearn humorously shared on Tuesday. “Appreciate you, man, [for] getting me in the standings. What a wild deal. That was crazy, huh?”
"I just wanna shoutout Craig Breslow real quick. Appreciate you, man." 😂
Ryan O'Hearn leads among AL DHs in All-Star voting after the Red Sox traded Rafael Devers. pic.twitter.com/izBJQ43rhK
Before Devers got traded to the Giants on Sunday, the three-time MLB All-Star clearly was the frontrunner to serve as the American League’s starting designated hitter in Atlanta, having received significant support from the fans.
Devers racked up 796,382 votes from fans during his time with the Boston Red Sox, per the first All-Star return.
Now, the 28-year-old slugger is the Giants player with the most votes, but becomes a distant second to Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani in the designated hitter category.
That was twice as many as O’Hearn’s 353,029 votes, which, with Devers now in the National League, makes the 31-year-old the highest vote-getter at the position in the AL.
O’Hearn’s humorous gratitude towards Breslow is entirely understandable. The Red Sox, single-handedly, put him that much closer to a big trip to Atlanta in July.
Crusaders win 16-12 for 32 straight play-off victories in Christchurch
Chiefs were minor premiers but lose third consecutive decider
The Crusaders are again the kings of Super Rugby Pacific after consigning the Chiefs to a third-straight loss in the title decider.
Playing in Christchurch, the Crusaders claimed a 32nd successive play-off home match victory over three decades of Super Rugby as they downed the Chiefs 16-12 in Saturday’s final.
Tennis’s great disruptor speaks on his highs and lows on Centre Court and the BBC’s ‘very strange’ decision to leave him out of the commentary box
Wimbledon runs through Nick Kyrgios’s tumultuous career with a mysterious force full of pain, glory and controversy. It is a tournament defined by history and restraint but, for Kyrgios the disruptor, it is also a place pitted with dark despair and sunlit magic.
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw delivers in the first inning of a 6-5 win over the Washington Nationals on Friday night. Kershaw has 2,992 career strikeouts. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
It’s hard not to count as the strikeouts go by.
Clayton Kershaw’s first strikeout Friday night came on his "Cooperstown curveball" — a pitch that’s dazzled since its first appearance at Dodger Stadium on May 25, 2008. Two strikeouts on sliders that dove into the dirt like paper airplanes curtailing in the wind brought his chase to single digits.
The milestone is inevitable. Kershaw will all but certainly reach the 3,000-strikeout mark, etching his name on a list that features just 19 other pitchers. But he'll have to wait a little while longer.
“There's a few pitches tonight where it clicked,” Kershaw said, moving his earned-run average to 2.49 in June. “It’s just not every one. So hopefully it’ll get there.”
Kershaw struck out four batters against the Nationals, tossing five innings and giving up two solo home runs as the Dodgers took the series opener 6-5.
“It's really special knowing that he's approaching 3,000,” said infielder Miguel Rojas, who played third base Friday like he did for Kershaw’s no-hitter in 2014. “Every pitch... every strikeout counts. But for him, I feel like it's more important to win games, and for him to be 3-0 and with really good numbers overall, I'm happy for him — that he's healthy, happy and able to contribute."
Kershaw brought his career strikeout total to 2,992, just eight away from 3,000. Strikeout 3,000 could come Thursday in Colorado or Friday in Kansas City when he’s next expected to toe the mound.
“It’s hard not to appreciate how close he is to the 3,000 mark,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “My guess is that he just wants to get this thing over with as soon as possible, right? … He wants it over as quick as possible, I'm sure."
Kershaw still doesn’t feel his sharpest in his seventh start of the season. He walked two and 33 of his 78 pitches were balls. His fastball was more than a tick down from his season average as he flailed with his command early.
And yet, Kershaw battled through five innings.
“I can still get people out,” Kershaw said. “I just want to do it a little bit better."
Clayton Kershaw delivers in the third inning against the Washington Nationals on Friday night. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
If the Dodgers’ previous four-game series against the Padres had the energy and animosity of postseason baseball, then the Nationals coming to town felt like a true mid-June game. Coming off an 11-game losing streak — broken Thursday in Colorado — the Nationals (31-45) fell out of an early lead because of self-inflicted gaffes.
After the Dodgers knotted the score 1-1 when bench coach Danny Lehmann’s first successful challenge (stepping in at manager for the suspended Roberts) brought home a run after Mookie Betts was deemed safe at first on a fielder’s choice, Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams made what looked to be an inning-ending force play.
Abrams dove to his right on an infield single from Andy Pages, stabbed the ball and used his glove to flip to Amed Rosario at second base. The ball never reached Rosario, and Betts hustled home from second base without a throw.
Rojas extended the Dodgers' lead to 6-2 in the bottom of the sixth when he hit his third home run of the season, a two-run shot, to score Kiké Hernández (two for three, two doubles). When the Nationals threatened in the top of the seventh — with runners on second and third, down by two — Michael Conforto came to the Dodgers’ rescue by making a diving catch to keep his team ahead.
“It's a long season, and you're going to receive more opportunities to contribute, and it's nice to finally get one game like this where you feel part of it,” Rojas said, adding that he was glad to showcase his hitting against a left-hander such as Washington ace MacKenzie Gore.
Abrams homered in the ninth, but Dodgers closer Tanner Scott buckled down to secure his 15th save.
The Dodgers (47-30) will turn to right-hander Dustin May against the Nationals on Saturday as they attempt to clinch their fourth consecutive series. Neither Roberts nor Lehmann was made available to reporters after the game.
Miguel Rojas, left, is gets a hand slap from Dodgers first base coach Chris Woodward after hitting a two-run home run in the sixth inning against the Nationals on Friday night at Dodger Stadium. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Etc.
Right-hander Tyler Glasnow (shoulder inflammation) is set to throw two innings in a rehabilitation assignment with triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday, while left-hander Blake Snell (shoulder inflammation) is set to throw a bullpen in the next few days, Roberts said.
Roki Sasaki (right shoulder impingement), who stopped throwing after a recent flare up stymied his progression, threw in the outfield Friday afternoon.
“I don't know if it was 60, 90 feet, with the baseball,” Roberts said of Sasaki, who was moved to the 60-day injured list Friday. “That was a bonus. That was a plus. Chatted with him briefly afterward. He was excited about it."
On how Sasaki was feeling, Roberts said: "I would say pain-free. Now it's just getting the build-up. But most important, he's pain-free."
The timing couldn't be worse for New York, which is in the middle of playing 10 straight games against its two biggest National League East Division threats, the Phillies and Atlanta Braves. And so far, the nosedive has already resulted in the Mets getting dethroned from their perch atop the standings.
This all started a day after Kodai Senga injured his hamstring covering first base against the Washington Nationals in a game that the Mets ultimately won for their sixth straight victory despite an unnerving ninth inning. But after the week that followed, that all seems like a lifetime ago for the spiraling Mets.
Even though Senga's injury isn't considered serious, it'll still be a while before he returns to the team which is a serious blow for New York who is now without its ace for a period of time. Plus, the domino effect that Senga's absence has caused the Mets has left them reeling and searching for answers -- and not just for starting pitching.
In fact, manager Carlos Mendoza listed what's been going wrong for his team at the moment.
"We’re going through it right now," he said. "I think it’s a little bit of everything. Whether it’s a starting pitcher not going deep in games, we got a couple of games where the bullpen [gives up] an inning like (Friday), an inning like the first game in Atlanta, offensively we’re having a hard time scoring -- so I think right now every area we’re fighting through it. It’s hard, but we gotta continue to fight, continue to grind and get through it and find a way."
Also without Tylor Megill for the immediate future due to his elbow sprain, New York was forced to replace his spot in the rotation on Friday with Blade Tidwell, who made his second MLB start. And although the right-hander only lasted 3.2 innings, he allowed just two earned runs and held the Phillies scoreless for the first three innings, matching Zack Wheeler.
Still, the short outing has become a theme for the Mets lately and started to wear on the bullpen. On Friday, it was Reed Garrett and Justin Garza who were touched up in a six-run seventh inning that blew the game open.
Before that, the game was tied 2-2 as New York's offense continues to struggle to score consistently, ending the night with just those two runs (off back-to-back solo shots by Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil) and seven hits.
"I wouldn’t be able to lay my finger on one thing," Alonso said about the team's struggles. "I just think collectively as a group, whether it’s defensively, offensively, we’re not necessarily in sync on either side of the ball right now.
"... As a group, we’re not playing clean baseball, we’re not playing up to our potential. It’s not our standard. How we’ve been playing doesn’t match the talent or the standards that we set for ourselves. ... It’s been a poor showing the past seven games."
So what can the Mets do about it?
"You just have to strap it on and get ready to go and do whatever you can (Saturday)," Alonso said. "Thankfully, we don’t have an off day -- we can go out and have a chance and opportunity to learn from our mistakes (Friday) and go and execute (Saturday). I think that’s the beautiful thing where you can either keep the momentum going or you have a chance to stop the bleeding and play better baseball (Saturday)."
Of course, that's easier said than done, especially when nothing seems to be going New York's way currently.
"I think everything is happening at the same time," Mendoza said.
