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From Jack Harris: Eleven months ago, the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants looked like two franchises headed in somewhat different directions.
In June, a surging Giants team came to Dodger Stadium, swept a three-game series in dominant fashion, and jumped their intradivison rivals in the National League West — marking the clear nadir of the Dodgers’ slow start to 2023.
A year later, the clubs are still seemingly headed in opposite directions.
Only now, it’s the Dodgers who are cruising with a big division lead, and the Giants struggling to gain any traction, in danger of suffering through yet another wasted year in the shadow of their Southern California counterparts.
The Dodgers’ 10-2 blowout of the Giants on Tuesday at Oracle Park served as the latest example.
The Dodgers had more hits (13 to nine), fewer errors (none to the Giants’ two), a better starting pitching performance (thanks to a six-inning, one-run effort from Gavin Stone), significantly more production from their star players (highlighted by Shohei Ohtani’s 12th home run and three total hits), and even a more vocal presence in a split crowd of 33,575.
Going back to last year, the Dodgers (29-15) have won six straight games against the Giants (19-25). They have clinched four straight series in a suddenly one-sided rivalry. And, not even two months into this season, they are already 10 games clear of San Francisco in the standings.
‘It’s tough’: Slumping Chris Taylor’s playing time cut as Dodgers face roster questions
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NBA PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
All times Pacific
Second round
Western Conference
No. 1 Oklahoma City vs. No. 5 Dallas
at Oklahoma City 117, Dallas 95 (box score)
Dallas 119, at Oklahoma City 110 (box score)
at Dallas 105, Oklahoma City 101 (box score)
Oklahoma City 100, at Dallas 96 (box score)
Wednesday at Oklahoma City, 6:30 p.m., TNT
Saturday at Dallas, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
*Monday at Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m., TNT
No. 2 Denver vs. No. 3 Minnesota
Minnesota 106, at Denver 99 (box score)
Minnesota 106, at Denver 80 (box score)
Denver 117, at Minnesota 90 (box score)
Denver 115, at Minnesota 107 (box score)
at Denver 112, Minnesota 97 (box score)
Thursday at Minnesota, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
*Sunday at Denver, TBD, TNT
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Boston vs. No. 4 Cleveland
at Boston 120, Cleveland 95 (box score)
Cleveland 118, at Boston 94 (box score)
Boston 106, at Cleveland 93 (box score)
Boston 109, at Cleveland 102 (box score)
Wednesday at Boston, 4 p.m., TNT
*Friday at Cleveland, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
*Sunday at Boston, TBD, TBD
No. 2 New York vs. No. 6 Indiana
at New York 121, Indiana 117 (box score)
at New York 130, Indiana 121 (box score)
at Indiana 111, New York 106 (box score)
at Indiana 121, New York 89 (box score)
at New York 121, Indiana 91 (box score)
Friday at Indiana, TBD, ESPN
*Sunday at New York, 12:30 p.m., ABC
*-if necessary
NBA DRAFT
From Dan Woike: Bronny James, meeting with reporters at the NBA draft combine Tuesday, said he had not thought about playing in the NBA with his father.
“I would be happy about getting to the league instead of me thinking about playing with my dad,” he said. “But that’s not my mindset at all. I’m just trying to put in the work and see where it takes me from there.”
LeBron James, earlier in his career, said it was his dream to play with Bronny one day in the NBA. But as that possibility got closer, LeBron and people close to him began to distance themselves from those plans in favor of Bronny forging his own path in a situation that’s best for him.
ANGELS
Alec Burleson hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning, Pedro Pagés had a three-run double for his first MLB hit and the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Angels 7-6 Tuesday night at Angel Stadium.
Kevin Pillar had three hits and Logan O’Hoppe hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning as the Angels fell to 1-5 on their homestand despite rallying from an early five-run deficit. The Angels are a major league-worst 5-16 at home.
MLB rips Bally Sports: Kevin Pillar is must-see TV!
UCLA ATHLETICS
From Ben Bolch: In a temporary triumph for UCLA, the University of California Regents on Tuesday ordered the school to pay rival California the max tax but for only half the previously allotted period.
By a vote of 7-1, the regents’ special committee on athletics directed UCLA to give Cal an annual $10-million subsidy for the next three years — instead of six — because of a projected $50-million-per-year discrepancy in athletic revenue after UCLA announced it was headed for the Big Ten Conference.
The regents said they intended to revisit the payment amount halfway through UCLA’s six-year contract with the Big Ten that ends in 2029-30. They also agreed that any change in revenue or expenses for UCLA or Cal exceeding 10% of the 2024-25 figures would trigger immediate discussions to adjust the payment amount.
SPARKS
From Andrés Soto: Layshia Clarendon wasn’t used to having free time in the summer. Usually around this time, they would be in the middle of the grind of a WNBA season, a grueling schedule that consisted of games, practices and treatment, which didn’t leave much room for anything else. But then in 2022, Clarendon was cut by the Minnesota Lynx.
Clarendon spent the summer at home in the Bay Area, savoring every moment of a season they hadn’t experienced in more than 10 years. Hanging out with family, being on a boat, going to music festivals and the market. For Clarendon, it was a beautiful, if rare, time.
“I was like, ‘Wow, this is what everyone does in the summer?’ This is so much fun,” said Clarendon , who identifies as nonbinary. “… People are really outside.”
SOCCER
From Kevin Baxter: Paulo Dybala has been to soccer’s mountaintop, winning a World Cup with Argentina before his 30th birthday. And once you’ve made it to top of the mountain, there’s only one direction you can go.
Yet Dybala insists he’s not done climbing.
“Every soccer player wants to win a World Cup,” Dybala said in Spanish from Rome, where this month he will finish his 11th season in Italy’s Serie A. “That already happened. But there are always new objectives, both at the club level and at the national team level.”
The most immediate concern is trying to win his way back onto the national team after missing Argentina’s last 10 games because of injury. Injuries and fitness problems have plagued Dybala throughout his career, but the last year has been particularly tough, with multiple muscle problems limiting him to 37 games for club and country. He missed Roma’s Serie A loss to Atalanta on Sunday because of a lingering thigh issue.
NHL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
All times Pacific
Second round
Western Conference
C1 Dallas vs. C3 Colorado
Colorado 4, at Dallas 3 (OT) (box score)
at Dallas 5, Colorado 3 (box score)
Dallas 4, at Colorado 1 (box score)
Dallas 5, at Colorado 1 (box score)
Wednesday at Dallas, 5 p.m., ESPN
*Friday at Colorado, TBD
*Sunday at Dallas, TBD
P1 Vancouver vs. P2 Edmonton
at Vancouver 5, Edmonton 4 (box score)
Edmonton 4, at Vancouver 3 (OT) (box score)
Vancouver 4, at Edmonton 3 (box score)
at Edmonton 3, Vancouver 2 (box score)
Thursday at Vancouver, 7 p.m., TNT
Saturday at Edmonton, TBD
*Monday at Vancouver, TBD
Eastern Conference
M1 New York Rangers vs. M2 Carolina
at New York 4, Carolina 3 (box score)
at New York 4, Carolina 3 (2 OT) (box score)
New York 3, at Carolina 2 (OT) (box score)
at Carolina 4, New York 3 (box score)
Carolina 4, at New York 1 (box score)
Thursday at Carolina, 4 p.m., TNT
*Saturday at New York, TBD
A1 Florida vs. A2 Boston
Boston 5, at Florida 1 (box score)
at Florida 6, Boston 1 (box score)
Florida 6, at Boston 2 (box score)
Florida 3, at Boston 2 (box score)
Boston 2, at Florida 1 (box score)
Friday at Boston, TBD
*Sunday at Florida, TBD
*-if necessary
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1937 — War Admiral, ridden by Charles Kurtsinger, battles Pompoon from the top of the stretch and wins the Preakness Stakes by a head.
1941 — Joe DiMaggio starts 56-game hitting streak.
1948 — Citation, ridden by Eddie Arcaro, wins the Preakness Stakes by 5½ lengths over Vulcan’s Forge.
1953 — In his first world heavyweight title defense, Rocky Marciano KOs former champion Jersey Joe Walcott in the 1st round at Chicago Stadium.
1973 — California Angel Nolan Ryan’s 1st no-hitter beats KC Royals, 3-0.
1981 — Len Barker of Cleveland pitches the first perfect game in 13 years, sending the Indians past the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0 at Municipal Stadium.
1990 — Petr Klima scores at 15:13 of the third overtime to end the longest game in Stanley Cup Final history for the Edmonton Oilers — a 3-2 series-opening victory over the Boston Bruins in a game delayed 25 minutes because of a lighting problem.
1994 — LPGA Championship Women’s Golf, DuPont CC: Laura Davies of England wins her second major title, 3 strokes ahead of runner-up Alice Ritzman.
1998 — Notah Begay III joins Al Geiberger and Chip Beck as the only players to shoot a 59 on a U.S. pro tour. He does it at the Nike Old Dominion Open.
1999 — Charismatic wins the Preakness and a chance to become the 12th Triple Crown champion, finishing 1½ lengths ahead of Menifee. It’s the 12th Triple Crown race victory for trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
2003 — The three-year championship reign of the Lakers ends. Tim Duncan has 37 points and 16 rebounds, and Tony Parker adds 27 points to help the San Antonio Spurs overpower the Lakers 110-82 to win the Western Conference semifinal series 4-2.
2004 — With one breathtaking surge, Smarty Jones posts a record 11½-length victory in the Preakness. Rock Hard Ten, in his fourth start, finishes strong for second ahead of Eddington.
2011 — Finland scores five late goals to beat Sweden 6-1 and claim its second title at the hockey world championships. The Finns also beat rival Sweden in the 1995 final.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
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