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From Jack Harris: Nine Dodgers stood frozen in disbelief.
Around them, 40,000-plus people at Chase Field erupted in cheers.
Facing elimination in Game 3 of the National League Division Series on Wednesday night, their backs against the wall following two home losses to start the postseason, the Dodgers crumbled for good in pitiful and, given their seasonlong pitching problems, predictable fashion.
In a jarring six-batter stretch during the bottom of the third, starting pitcher Lance Lynn gave up four solo home runs, the most in an inning in MLB postseason history.
What had been a scoreless contest suddenly turned into a four-run deficit.
And as the last long ball sailed out of the yard — a 109-mph laser from Arizona’s Gabriel Moreno, one pitch after he had another homer negated when the umpires agreed the ball had gone foul — the Dodgers’ fielders stood motionless around the diamond, seemingly resigned to an inevitable fate.
After another 100-win campaign, another division title and another year of hoping to reverse their checkered October history, the Dodgers’ 2023 season instead ended in another fizzle, their 4-2 loss completing a three-game sweep at the hands of the sixth-seeded Diamondbacks, who finished 16 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West.
Plaschke: Splat! Humiliated Dodgers swept into next season
Clayton Kershaw ‘not sure’ about what comes next in his Dodgers future
Why did Dave Roberts leave Lance Lynn in the game? Dodgers manager explains
Don’t blame the playoff format on another Dodgers playoff fiasco
Bob Costas saves friend’s life with Heimlich. Who does he think can save the Dodgers?
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NLDS SCHEDULE
Best-of-five
All times Pacific
Dodgers vs. Arizona
Arizona 11, Dodgers 2 (box score)
Arizona 4, Dodgers 2 (box score)
Arizona 4, Dodgers 2 (box score)
Philadelphia vs. Atlanta
Philadelphia 3, Atlanta 0 (box score)
Atlanta 5, Philadelphia 4 (box score)
Philadelphia 10, Atlanta 2 (box score)
Today at Philadelphia, 5 p.m., TBS
*Saturday at Atlanta, 5 p.m., TBS
*-if necessary
ALDS SCHEDULE
Best-of-five
All times Pacific
Texas vs. Baltimore
Texas 3, Baltimore 2 (box score)
Texas 11, Baltimore 8 (box score)
Texas 7, Baltimore 1 (box score)
Minnesota vs. Houston
Houston 6, Minnesota 4 (box score)
Minnesota 6, Houston 2 (box score)
Houston 9, Minnesota 1 (box score)
Houston 3, Minnesota 2 (box score)
MLB playoffs: Astros power past Twins and into ALCS; Phillies take series lead over Braves
ANGELS
From Sarah Valenzuela: Being a major league manager is no easy feat. Having to manage the Angels, particularly entering the 2024 season, will be its own challenge for someone new after the team decided not to pick up the option on Phil Nevin’s contract last week.
The ideal candidate for the Angels would be someone who contributes to improving the culture of the organization, has a strong work ethic and has a rich history in baseball. The job would not be a hard sell for some, but would not be as easily enticing to others, particularly to experienced managers, according to one former American League executive who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to speak freely.
“All the first-year guys would jump at the opportunity, no question,” the former executive said. “I think the veteran guys, if you have options, you’re gonna look at what the team is, what their future looks like, what the front office or ownership expects of you.
“Those guys that have managed before, if they have options, I think that’s what they’re going to be looking at.”
If the Angels follow the pattern of the managerial search that landed them Joe Maddon in 2019, here are six potential fits.
LAKERS
From Broderick Turner: The evaluation of the Lakers didn’t stop just because they played an exhibition game with a depleted squad.
If anything, Lakers coach Darvin Ham said before the Lakers defeated the Sacramento Kings, 109-101 at the Honda Center on Wednesday night, there were lessons to build on with the players who were on the court.
So, with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Jarred Vanderbilt sitting next to each other in street clothes and Austin Reaves and Cam Reddish also not playing and sitting nearby, the plan was for the other players to continue to build the right habits.
“We’ll just continue to build on our mentality and our mission, which is the mentality is to compete, defend and share and the mission is to build winning habits,” Ham said. “And no matter who suits up, who plays, that has to be the constant, that has to be the consistent approach.”
PAC-12 BASKETBALL
From Ben Bolch: Bill Walton would linger in the back of the room at Pac-12 media day in years past, the breathless broadcaster listening for a change as coaches and players ran through the usual spiel about their prospects for the season.
The big redhead indulged anyone who approached to chat, engaging on any desired topic while making his usual absurdist asides.
His absence Wednesday said a broadcast’s worth about the sad, surreal state of a beloved conference in its final days.
“We’re going to have to do a wellness check on him,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin joked of the Bruins legend who has been openly critical of his alma mater’s move to the Big Ten as part of a colossal shakeup of the college sports landscape.
As the first of many lasts started in this farewell season, the quiet resignation was literal. In a departure from normal protocol, Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff did not speak — or even appear — at the event inside the Park MGM, across the street from T-Mobile Arena.
KINGS
Mikko Rantanen had two goals and a pair of assists, Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists and the Colorado Avalanche opened their season with a 5-2 victory over the Kings on Wednesday night.
It is the second straight year Rantanen has recorded at least three points in season openers, joining Joe Sakic and Peter Stastny as the only players in Avalanche/Nordiques history to accomplish that feat.
Cale Makar and Miles Wood also scored for the Avalanche, who have won 12 straight regular-season road games dating to last season. Alexandar Georgiev stopped 35 shots.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1920 — In the final race of his career, 3-year-old Man O War defeats 1919 Triple Crown winner Sir Barton in a match race, the Kenilworth Park Gold Cup. Sent off at odds of 1-20, Man o War wins by seven lengths for his 14th consecutive victory.
1946 — The No. 2 Texas Longhorns beat No. 1 Oklahoma 28-7. It’s the eighth 1-2 matchup in AP poll history and the first time the second-ranked team wins the game.
1976 — Don Murdoch of the New York Rangers ties an NHL record for rookies with five goals in a 10-4 victory over the Minnesota North Stars.
1979 — Boston Celtics guard Chris Ford scores first 3-point basket in NBA history in 1st quarter of 114-106 win v Houston at Boston Garden; game also marks debut of Boston rookie Larry Bird.
1979 — Magic Johnson makes his debut for the Lakers at the San Diego Clippers; Lakers win, 103-102.
1986 — Walter Payton becomes the first NFL player to accumulate 20,000 all-purpose yards in the Chicago Bears’ 20-7 victory over the Houston Oilers. Payton has 76 yards rushing and 30 yards receiving for a career total of 20,045.
1989 — Dallas running back Herschel Walker is traded from Cowboys to Minnesota Vikings for 5 players and 6 future draft picks including future stars Emmitt Smith, Russell Maryland, Kevin Smith and Darren Woodson.
1997 — James Stewart of the Jacksonville Jaguars becomes the fourth player in NFL history and the first since 1963 to rush for five touchdowns. All the TDs are for less than 10 yards, and he finishes with 102 yards in 15 carries in Jacksonville’s 38-21 victory over Philadelphia.
2003 — FIFA Women’s World Cup Final, Home Depot Center, Carson, CA: Nia Künzer scores winner in sudden death extra time as Germany beats Sweden, 2-1.
2003 — Michael Schumacher wins a record sixth world title. He clinches the Formula One championship by two points after finishing eighth in the Japanese Grand Prix. Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello wins the season-ending race.
2008 — Arizona becomes the first team in NFL history to block a punt to score the winning TD in overtime in their 30-24 win over Dallas.
2009 — Brent Seabrook scores 26 seconds into overtime and the Chicago Blackhawks matched the biggest comeback in NHL history, rallying from a five-goal deficit to beat the Calgary Flames 6-5. Chicago fell behind 5-0 in the first period before overtaking the Flames.
2016 — Auston Matthews takes 40 minutes to get into the NHL record book. In the highest-scoring debut in modern NHL history, Matthews scores four goals for the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 5-4 loss to Ottawa. Kyle Turris scores 37 seconds into overtime to give the Senators the season-opening victory. The 19-year-old Matthews, who was the 12th first overall pick to score in his NHL debut, gets his fourth goal with 3 seconds left in the second period.
2019 — Kenyan distance runner Eliud Kipchoge becomes the first to run the marathon in under two hours (1:59:40)
—Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.