SPORT

Fly-half Callum Sheedy has committed his future to Cardiff, saying he is “desperate to do everything possible to make sure it is a successful period for the club”.

The 30-year-old Wales international joined his home club from Bristol for the 2024-25 season and is the latest to sign a new deal with Cardiff not revealing the duration of his new contract.

“Playing at the Arms Park is the most special feeling. We have incredible supporters, they are close to the pitch and the atmosphere is electric,” said Sheedy.

“To be able to connect with the fans and see how much passion they have is a massive driving factor both for myself and the wider group.

“I’m really excited by what the future holds.”

R&A chief executive Mark Darbon says that players guilty of on-course misconduct could receive a two shot penalty at the Open in July.

This follows a reprimand for Sergio Garcia at last month’s Masters where the Spaniard damaged a tee box with his club after an angry reaction to an errant tee shot on the second hole of his final round.

Scotland’s Bob MacIntyre was also warned by Augusta officials after microphones caught him swearing and gesturing angrily during a ruinous first-round 80 at the year’s opening major.

Both incidents brought player behaviour into sharp focus in a season where the four major tournaments, the Masters, US PGA, US Open and Open, have agreed to implement a new code of conduct.

The leading professional tours are expected to follow suit, but unlike the majors, their policies have yet to be formalised.

There has always been scope for a player to be disqualified for a serious breach, as Garcia was for furiously damaging a green in a DP World Tour event in Saudi Arabia in 2019.

But now there is scope for referees to impose shot penalties for players who seriously breach the etiquette of the game. It means that, for the first time, a fit of temper could affect a leaderboard at one of golf’s big four tournaments.

“I think first and foremost, you want passion,” Darbon told BBC Sport.

“You want passion from players, you want passion from spectators, but there’s a fine line, and one of the amazing things about this sport are the values and integrity that underpin it.

“So we will watch that line very closely. We, like many of the other major events, are looking to implement a new code of conduct policy that will be in place this summer here at Royal Birkdale.

“And it will give us another measure by which to help influence and control that behaviour.”

Asked how this might impact competitors at the 154th Open, Darbon said: “It will depend on the circumstance and a determination of what their actions may lead to, but you could well see a two-shot penalty, for example, being deployed.

“We will clarify all of those details in the buildup to the championship.”

Ulster have received a boost with the news that Tom O’Toole, Nick Timoney and Jude Postlethwaite will be available after injury for Saturday’s European Challenge Cup semi-final against Exeter Chiefs at Affidea Stadium (17:30 BST).

Timoney returns after recovering from a hip injury, while O’Toole and Postlethwaite are at head coach Richie Murphy’s disposal after overcoming hand problems.

A squad update issued by Ulster Rugby on Monday confirmed that the trio have “all reintegrated fully into team training and are available for selection”.

Meanwhile, decisions on whether Angus Bell (foot), James Hume (neck) and Bryn Ward (shoulder) will be fit enough for selection for the encounter with the English Premiership side will be made later in the week.

All three have resumed elements of team training.

Callum Reid and Ben Carson will be unavailable for the last-four game as a result of foot and calf injuries respectively.

Both players sustained their injuries during Saturday’s 41-14 United Rugby Championship (URC) defeat by Munster in Limerick.

Eric O’Sullivan suffered a back injury during the match and will have his fitness monitored during the week.

Ulster are aiming to secure their first silverware for 20 years and the winner of their semi-final will face the winner of Sunday’s second semi-final between Montpellier and the Dragons in the final in Bilbao on 22 May.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and how amazing is it that the Dodgers are 19-9, on pace to win 110 games, and are still just barely in first place?

So the Dodgers’ bullpen imploded for a couple of days, costing the team. Most recently was Friday against the Cubs, when Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen and Tanner Scott coughed up a four-run lead in a game the Dodgers lost, 6-4.

This brought renewed pleas from fans on social media and some readers of this newsletter to move Roki Sasaki to the bullpen. After all, he has been no great shakes as a starter this season, while he was “lights out” as a closer at the end of last season. But was he, or are we remembering it a bit more fondly than it deserves, After all, the Dodgers were in no hurry to bring him in during Game 7 against the Blue Jays.

Let’s take a look at each of Sasaki’s relief outings at the end of last season and in the postseason.

Sept. 24 at Arizona
Score when entering game: Dodgers, 3-1
Seventh inning
James McCann grounds to third
Tim Tawa strikes out
Ildemaro Vargas strikes out

Sept. 26 at Seattle
Score when entering game: Dodgers, 3-1
Seventh inning
J.P Crawford grounds to third
Cole Young strikes out
Randy Arozarena doubles to left
Cal Raleigh strikes out

Postseason

NL wild card Game 2
vs. Cincinnati
Score when entering game: Dodgers, 8-4
Ninth inning
Spencer Steer strikes out
Gavin Lux strikes out
Austin Hays lines to short

The game against the Reds was when fans got excited, because he looked dominant.

NLDS Game 1
at Philadelphia
Score when entering game: Dodgers, 5-3
Ninth inning
J.T. Realmuto strikes out
Max Kepler doubles to right
Nick Castellanos grounds to second
Bryson Stott pops to third
Sasaki gets the save

NLDS Game 2
at Philadelphia
Score when entering game: Dodgers, 4-3
Ninth inning, two out, runners on first and third
Trea Turner grounds to second
Sasaki gets the save

NLDS Game 4
vs. Philadelphia
Score when entering game: Tied, 1-1
Eighth inning
Kyle Schwarber flies to right
Bryce Harper pops to third
Alec Bohm grounds to second
Ninth inning
Brandon Marsh grounds to second
J.T. Realmuto strikes out
Max Kepler pops to third
10th inning
Nick Castellanos grounds to third
Bryson Stott strikes out
Trea Turner lines to right
Dodgers win game, and series, in 11th inning

NLCS Game 1
at Milwaukee
Score when entering game: Dodgers, 2-0
Ninth inning
Caleb Durbin pops to third
Isaac Collins walks
Jake Bauers doubles to right
Jackson Chourio sacrifice fly to center
Christian Yelich walks
Blake Treinen replaces Sasaki, gets final out, Dodgers win. First bad relief outing by Sasaki

NLCS Game 3
vs. Milwaukee
Score when entering game: Dodgers, 3-1
Ninth inning
Andrew Vaughn grounds to short
Sal Frelich pops to short
Caleb Durbin strikes out
Sasaki gets the save

NLCS Game 4
vs. Milwaukee
Score when entering game: Dodgers, 5-1
Ninth inning
William Contreras singles to center
Andrew Vaughn flies to deep right
Sal Frelick grounds to second
Caleb Durbin flies to deep right
Dodgers win game and sweep NLCS

World Series Game 3
vs. Toronto
Score when entering game: Tied 5-5
Eighth inning, men on first and second, one out
Ty France grounds to third
Nathan Lukes grounds to the pitcher

Ninth inning
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. flies to right
Isiah Kiner-Falefa walks
Daulton Varsho singles off Freeman’s glove, Kiner-Falefa out trying to advance to third
Alejando Kirk walks
Myles Straw grounds to second
Dodgers win game in 18th inning

World Series Game 6
at Toronto
Score when entering game: Dodgers, 3-1
Eighth inning
George Springer singles to right
Nathan Lukes flies to center
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. walks
Bo Bichette pops to short
Daulton Varsho grounds to second

Ninth inning
Alejando Kirk hit by a pitch
Addison Barger ground-rule double
Sasaki replaced by Tyler Glasnow, who gets the final three outs

Sasaki wasn’t fooling anyone against Toronto

In the postseason, Sasaki pitched 10 2/3 innings, gave up six hits and walked five while striking out six. His ERA was 0.84. However, his big success came in the first two rounds. In the NLCS and World Series, his numbers were: 5 1/3 IP, five hits, five walks, one hit batter, one strikeouts, one run.

All of this is to say: Don’t expect Eric Gagne 2.0 if they move Sasaki to the bullpen. He won’t be a miracle cure.

Let’s look at where they rank in ERA in the NL:

Starting pitching
1. Dodgers, 2.79
2. Atlanta, 3.12
3. Pittsburgh, 3.47
4. Milwaukee, 3.59
5. Chicago, 3.98
15. Philadelphia, 5.80

Relief pitching
1. Cincinnati, 2.91
2. San Francisco, 2.93
3. Atlanta, 3.14
4. Pittsburgh, 3.17
5. Miami, 3.60
11. Dodgers, 4.26
15. Washington, 5.27

Inherited runners that scored %

1. Colorado, 13.6% (six of 44)
2. Cincinnati, 20% (nine of 45)
3. Dodgers, 26.7% (eight of 30)
4. San Francisco, 27.8% (10 of 36)
5. Atlanta, 28% (seven of 25)
15. Washington, 48.9% (23 of 47)

It looks like 2025 all over again.

Colleague Bill Plaschke wrote about this a couple of weeks ago. You can read that here.

Injury Updates

Will Smith is day to day (aren’t we all?) with tightness in his lower back. He is not expected to go on the IL. Luckily, Dalton Rushing is hitting like he is.

Mookie Betts, sidelined by an oblique injury, is swinging the bat now. He could go on a rehab assignment in the next couple of weeks and be back soon after that.

Tommy Edman still has some soreness in his ankle and isn’t running the bases fully yet. Dave Roberts said he probably won’t return until the end of May or the beginning of June.

Reliever Brock Stewart is in a rehab assignment with Class-A Ontario, so he could be back in a couple of weeks.

When Betts returns, the Dodgers will have to decide what to do. It seems unlikely they send Hyeseong Kim down as long as he is playing this well, so that leaves either Alex Freeland or Santiago Espinal as the most likely candidates to be removed from the roster.

More complaints about Ohtani

It seems more people are getting on board the “Why do the Dodgers get to have an extra pitcher just because they have Shohei Ohtani” bandwagon. Teams can carry up to 13 pitchers on the roster. The Ohtani two-way player rule basically allows the Dodgers to carry 14 pitchers, since as a two-way player Ohtani only counts once on the roster.

And I respond with what I always say: Why didn’t these people complain when he was on the Angels and they did the same thing? Why is it now suddenly a problem?

The other complaint: Umpires allow extra time for Ohtani to get ready to pitch when he makes the last out of an inning, or is on base when the last out was made.

Response: Did these people never watch the NL before the DH rule was added? Umpires always gave the pitcher extra time to get ready when they made the last out or were on the bases when the last out was made. Quite often a pitcher would make the last out, walk over to the dugout, sit for a moment, towel off, grab their glove then make a leisurely stroll to the mound. This is nothing new. And I have a feeling if the Dodgers hadn’t won the last two World Series, no one would be complaining about either of these things.

Obscure stat of the week

All the recent talk about Davey Lopes had me wondering who were the best at stealing bases in Dodgers history. A look at the top 10 in stolen base %, minimum 50 stolen bases:

1. Eric Davis, 89.7% (52 for 58)
2. Shohei Ohtani, 89% (81 for 91)
3. Kirk Gibson, 88.5% (69 for 78)
4. Freddie Freeman, 86.4% (51 for 59)
5. Davey Lopes, 83.1% (418 for 503)
6. Dave Roberts, 82.5% (118 for 143)
7. Cody Bellinger, 81.6% (62 for 76)
8. Mookie Betts, 81.4% (70 for 86)
9. Chris Taylor, 81% (81 for 100)
10. Mariano Duncan, 80% (100 for 125)
21. Maury Wills, 74.1% (490 for 661)

The 10 worst:

Babe Herman, 54.3%, (69 for 127)
John Roseboro, 55.7% (59 for 106)
Steve Garvey, 57.5% (77 for 134)
Duke Snider, 57.9% (99 for 171)
Harvey Hendrick, 59.8% (61 for 102)
Gil Hodges, 60% (63 for 105)
José Offerman, 61% (61 for 100)
César Izturis, 61.4% (51 for 85)
Dusty Baker, 61.9% (73 for 118)
Wes Parker, 63.8% (60 for 94)

Up next

Monday: Miami (Chris Paddack, 0-4, 6.38 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 2-2, 2.48 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Tuesday: Miami (Janson Junk, 1-2, 3.67 ERA) at Dodgers (Shohei Ohtani, 2-0, 0.38 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Wednesday: Miami (Sandy Alcantara, 3-2, 3.05 ERA) at Dodgers (Tyler Glasnow, 3-0, 2.45 ERA), 12:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

‘They started it:’ Pete Crow-Armstrong won’t apologize for mocking Dodgers fans

Dave Roberts has a sharp reply to Cubs manager Craig Counsell’s criticism of ‘Ohtani roster exception’

Shohei Ohtani homers, Justin Wrobleski shines as Dodgers shut out Cubs for series win

Dodgers rediscover their offense, scoring 12 runs to end Cubs’ 10-game win streak

Bullpen meltdown squanders Emmet Sheehan’s strong start in Dodgers’ loss to Cubs

And finally

Vin Scully recalls a story about Pearl Harbor. Watch and listen here.

Until next time….

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Until a couple of seasons ago, it was usually an outfield player who would go to ground to stop play.

It was being used for two distinct reasons.

Either to break up the momentum of the opposition by causing a stoppage in play, or for the coach to give instructions to his players. Sometimes it has been both.

English football attempted to combat this by insisting that any player who receives treatment must leave the field for 30 seconds.

It had some positive results, but managers just switched focus and told the goalkeeper to ask for treatment.

A team cannot play without a goalkeeper, so it became a risk-free method of impacting the opposition, or getting the opportunity to talk to your team.

There is nothing a referee can do about it, as they cannot accuse a player of faking an injury. If it turned out the player was genuinely injured there could be serious repercussions.

So the game has been stuck in a doom loop.

Goalkeepers go down, the other 10 players rush to the technical area for a team talk.

As soon as the coach has delivered his message, the keeper miraculously gets to his feet.

It has been a theme during Leeds‘ season, starting in November when Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down as the West Yorkshire club were in the ascendancy at Etihad Stadium.

Manager Daniel Farke accused Donnarumma of feigning injury to “bend the rules” and break up play.

But this is not a Leeds issue, it is a football issue. It is happening at all levels of the game and is particularly prevalent in the women’s game.

Founded back in 1995, the team played in the then newly opened Manchester Arena as a tenant and became inaugural champions of the Ice Hockey Superleague in 1996. They also set a British ice hockey attendance record when 17,245 fans watched their game against Sheffield Steelers the following season, which still stands.

Vokes started his professional career with Bournemouth but joined Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2008.

He scored eight goals across all competitions in his debut campaign at Molineux as Wolves gained promotion to the Premier League.

The forward went on to have loan spells with Leeds United, Bristol City, Sheffield United, Norwich City, Burnley and Brighton & Hove Albion before securing a permanent switch to Burnley in 2012.

He was part of two promotion-winning squads at Turf Moor – helping Sean Dyche’s side reach the Premier League in 2014 and 2016.

The frontman spent seven years with the Clarets before having two campaigns with Stoke City in the Championship.

Vokes left the Potters to join Wycombe Wanderers in 2021 and then signed for Gillingham in the summer of 2025 – scoring three times in 35 appearances for the fourth tier side this season.

Vokes, a Southampton fan, added: “I remember watching my team, the Saints, down at The Dell, dreaming of one day making just one appearance in professional football.

“Never did I dream I would be fortunate enough to have played across all four divisions and represent some amazing clubs.”

Chief executive Mark Darbon says the R&A are having “ongoing dialogue” with Muirfield with a view to returning The Open Championship to the Gullane course for the first time since 2013.

Darbon also says there are “challenges” with bringing the event back to Turnberry.

Royal Lytham & St Annes will host The Open in 2028, with this year’s 154th tournament taking place at Royal Birkdale and next year’s staging at The Old Course at St Andrews.

Muirfield, a 16-times Open venue, will host this year’s Women’s Amateur Championship from 22-27 June.

“We’ve got a great ongoing dialogue with Muirfield,” Darbon said.

“There are some things we need to overcome to facilitate a modern Open Championship – the practice ground is one of those, along with a few on-course infrastructural points.”

On US President Donald Trump’s Turnberry, which hosted the last of its four Opens in 2009, Darbon commented: “We really like the golf course.

“But there are challenges around staging a modern Open – primarily road, rail and accommodation infrastructure.”

The Scottish Open has signed a deal to stay at The Renaissance Club in East Lothian until 2030, with the tournament played in the week before The Open to allow players time to adapt to seaside links courses.

Last year, Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis placed the club into a blind trust in case they qualified for the Champions League.

That could have presented a conflict with his other club, Olympiakos.

With Forest in the semi-finals of the Europa League, once again they have a chance of being in the Champions League. And Olympiakos look like being in it too.

In a blind trust, relevant parties transfer their shares to independent trustees, whereby all the decision-making of the club will rest solely under the control of the third party.

The club are controlled through a company called NF Football Investments.

Until 28 February, Marinakis was the only person with significant control.

He was removed and it was passed to another company, Pittville Four Limited, controlled by Janet Lucy Gibson, Henry Peter Hickman and Eleanor Catherine Walsh.

Those three independent trustees were also added to the football club’s board, replacing Mighael Dugher, Simon Forster and Jonathan Owen.

Forest’s problem could be that the new additions had to pass the Premier League’s owners and directors test.

It was not until 17 April that Companies House was updated.

The Premier League’s register of directors, last updated on 2 April, still lists Marinakis, Dugher, Forster and Owen.

Will the lodging of the blind trust on 28 February be enough? Or would Uefa consider 17 April to be date the club were compliant?

Forest are adamant that control was officially relinquished by Marinakis on 28 February and they will have no issue with Uefa.

Two years ago, the CFCB accepted a blind trust to admit Manchester City and Girona to the Champions League, and Manchester United and Nice to the Europa League, satisfied that multi-cub ownership issues had been resolved.

However, at the time it stated that it “will not be bound by this alternative in subsequent seasons”.

Until the CFCB makes another ruling on a blind trust, there is no absolute certainty it would be accepted.

Marco Reus scored two goals, the second one on a penalty kick in the 85th minute, to rally the Galaxy to a 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake on Sunday.

Reus scored from 21 yards out off a free kick to give the Galaxy a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute. The kick was awarded after Gabriel Pec was fouled by Real Salt Lake midfielder Stijn Spierings.

Galaxy goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski was charged with an own goal in the final minute of stoppage time, tying it 1-1 at halftime. The ball deflected off the post and into the net when he dove to make a save on Zavier Gozo’s shot.

Reus scored the winner on a PK after a foul on Sam Junqua for shoving Elijah Wynder in the back on a corner kick. It was the fourth goal this season for Reus and his 10th in 37 career appearances.

Marcinkowski saved nine shots for the Galaxy (3-4-3).

Rafael Cabral totaled four saves for Real Salt Lake (5-3-1).

Real Salt Lake went 5-0-1 in a six-match stretch before losing 2-0 to visiting Inter Miami on Wednesday. The club falls to 1-2-1 on the road.

The Galaxy were coming off a 1-1-1 road trip and improve to 2-2-1 at home.

Sophia Wilson scored in stoppage time for her first goal of the season and the Portland Thorns defeated Angel City 2-1 on Sunday.

After a scoreless first half at BMO Stadium, Pietra Tordin’s header opened up the scoring for the Thorns (4-1-1) in the 76th minute. In her professional soccer debut, rookie defender Carolyn Calzada provided the assist.

Wilson doubled the lead in stoppage time with a left-footed blast into the side netting. It was her first goal of the season after taking all of last year off for the birth of her daughter. Her last goal for the Thorns came on Nov. 1, 2024.

Second-half substitute, forward Prisca Chilufya trimmed the lead in half in the final minute of stoppage time for Angel City.

Japan International Jun Endo made her return from injury as a substitute in the 62nd minute for Angel City (3-2-0).

HOUSTON — Deandre Ayton has a simple explanation for his first career ejection.

“We’re both sweaty guys,” the Lakers center said after his accidental elbow to the back of Alperen Sengun‘s head resulted in his ejection from Sunday’s loss to the Houston Rockets.

The Lakers center was assessed a flagrant foul 2 with 5:41 remaining in the third quarter of the 115-96 Game 4 loss. It “looked crazy on camera,” Ayton acknowledged, but it was not malicious.

Ayton said he was bracing for contact against the 6-foot-11, 243-pound Sengun and Ayton’s arm simply slipped off Sengun’s shoulder and hit his head. It didn’t affect Sengun at all: he finished with 19 points and six rebounds on six-of-12 shooting as the Rockets forced a Game 5 on Wednesday at 7 p.m. PDT at Crypto.com Arena.

“I’m not no guy who is a dirty player or plays like that,” Ayton said. “If anything, me trying to play dirty, I’ll damn near hurt myself. I just hope he’s all right and they don’t think it was intentional.”

Sengun and Rockets coach Ime Udoka both said the flagrant 2 call — which characterizes an act as “unnecessary and excessive” — was “soft.” Sengun said he didn’t expect Ayton to be ejected for the play. When crew chief James Williams declared that Ayton would be sent off, the Lakers center simply dropped his head and walked to the locker room. Injured Rockets star Kevin Durant, who missed the game with a bone bruise in his sprained left ankle, waved goodbye from the Rockets bench.

“We’re proud of the way he handled it, and I think that just speaks volume about who he is and his progression,” Lakers guard Marcus Smart said. “He’s learning, he’s continuing — it probably would have been justifiable if he went off, right? But to keep his composure and stay positive, I think that’s only going to help him and this team.”

Lakers’ Jarred Vanderbilt (2) and Deandre Ayton (5) go up for a rebound against Houston forward Tari Eason during the first half Sunday.

(Karen Warren / Associated Press)

It was the first time Ayton was ejected in his eight-year NBA career. The center, to the chagrin of many in the NBA, has long been known more for his finesse touch shots than physical play. Lakers coach JJ Redick called Ayton, “a sweet, just, like, kind soul.”

Lakers coaches and teammates have tried to encourage him to increase his intensity and aggressiveness. General manager Rob Pelinka even made a custom shirt with half of Ayton’s face next to the face of a lion.

Ayton answered the call Sunday with 19 points and 10 rebounds. He was one of the Lakers’ only forms of consistent offense in the blowout loss. Outside of Ayton and Rui Hachimura, who shot six for 10 with 13 points, the Lakers were shooting 31.3% from the field in the first three quarters. They trailed by as many as 26 points as Smart and LeBron James, veterans who led the team to a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, looked worn down with Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) still sidelined.

“It’s been tough for DA,” said Smart, who had nine points, five assists and four turnovers. “We’ve been hard on him. He’s been hard on himself. You guys have been hard on him. … He’s been taking it, embracing it and trying to get better and better. Today he showed that. He came out, we relied on him a little bit more. He made plays for us.”

Ayton soon had company in the Lakers locker room after teammate Adou Thiero and Rockets guard Aaron Holiday were both ejected after receiving two technical fouls with 1:11 remaining in the fourth quarter. They got tangled up under the basket and exchanged words briefly.

Thiero, who entered the game midway through the fourth quarter when the Lakers cleared their bench, made a memorable playoff debut by scoring his first postseason basket with an emphatic alley-oop dunk over Dorian Finney-Smith. But the premature ending to his first postseason appearance was “uncalled for,” James said.

“It made no sense,” said James, who had 10 points and nine assists but eight turnovers. “… I don’t think that was warranted. Give him two technicals? The kid just got in the game.”

At the end of the physical game, players from both teams jawed back and forth at midcourt after the final buzzer. Much of the Lakers bench and some coaches approached to help diffuse the situation. Redick said he was simply poking his head into the situation the way people might turn their heads to gawk at commotion in a bar. When he determined nothing was happening, he left.

“Hilarious,” Smart said with a smirk of the postgame skirmish. “Very hilarious.”

Ryan Poehling scored 2:29 into overtime, and the Ducks pushed Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers to the brink of first-round elimination with a 4-3 victory in Game 4 on Sunday night.

Jeffrey Viel tied it with 6:29 left in regulation for the Ducks, who rallied from an early two-goal deficit and another third-period hole before taking a 3-1 series lead with their third consecutive victory over the back-to-back Western Conference champion Oilers.

The Ducks won when Poehling’s sharp-angled shot trickled under Edmonton goalie Tristan Jarry, who had played well in his first playoff start for his new team. An extensive video review revealed no reason to overturn the judgment on the ice that the puck had barely crossed the goal line underneath Jarry’s skate.

Game 5 is Tuesday night in Edmonton.

The Ducks celebrate their Game 4 victory.

(Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)

Cutter Gauthier and Mikael Granlund scored power-play goals in the second period for the Ducks, whose first playoff series in eight years has been an exciting demonstration of their revamped roster’s skill. Lukas Dostal stopped 24 shots for the Ducks, which have scored 20 goals in four games against the Oilers.

Evan Bouchard scored a tiebreaking goal early in the third period and Jarry made 34 saves for the Oilers. Kasperi Kapanen and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored first-period goals.

Edmonton nearly won it late in regulation, but Dostal made a spectacular, sprawling pad save to deny McDavid on a late breakaway. The Oilers’ superstar center has a goal and two assists in the series.

HOUSTON — The Lakers still have control of this first-round series, even after the blow they took from the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.

As ugly as their 115-96 loss was, the Lakers still hold a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference series.

All the Lakers have to do is win Game 5 on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena and they will advance to the second round.

But they will have to play better than they did in Game 4.

LeBron James, who played a stellar 45 minutes during the Lakers’ overtime win Friday night, wasn’t as spry. He had just 10 points, reaching double figures on a floater with 8:37 left and the Lakers down 26.

He was just two for nine from the field and he had eight turnovers. James also had nine assists and became the first player in NBA history to record 3,000 field goals in the playoffs.

Luke Kennard was quiet with seven points, and Marcus Smart had nine, both on three-for-eight shooting. Rui Hachimura had 13 points on six-for-10 shooting.

The bigger concern was the Lakers’ inability to take care of the ball. They turned it over 24 times, their most in the series, though they’ve had 20 or more in three of the four games.

All of Houston’s starters scored in double figures. Amen Thompson had 23 points and seven assists, and Alperen Sengen finished with 19 points and six rebounds.

When the Lakers went down by 17 points in the third quarter on a Thompson basket that was part of Houston’s 12-4 run to open the frame, Lakers coach JJ Redick called a timeout to allow his players to collect themselves.

Lakers star LeBron James drives to the basket over Houston’s Reed Sheppard, left, and Alperen Sengun during the first half Sunday.

(Karen Warren / Associated Press)

It didn’t help, as the Lakers’ deficit swelled to 26 points.

It didn’t get better for the Lakers later in the quarter when Deandre Ayton was ejected because of a flagrant foul for his left elbow striking Sengun on the side of the head.

Ayton was having one of his best games in the playoffs, bouncing back from two quiet efforts to post 19 points and 10 rebounds before he was ejected with 5:41 left in the third quarter.

Austin Reaves shot before the game in an attempt to play for the first time since being injured April 2 at Oklahoma City, and again he was downgraded from questionable to out because of a left oblique muscle strain.

In the end, the Lakers saw no need to rush Reaves back considering how they had dominated the series. Two days off before Game 5 will give Reaves more time to get healthy.

“It’s fair to consider everything,” Redick said. “Austin and I had a conversation yesterday for a long time, and I think ultimately the athlete has to feel confidence, and that’s always the final hurdle coming back from an injury, is the psychological component of it.”

For the Rockets, Kevin Durant missed his third game of the series because of a bone bruise in his sprained left ankle.

Lakers point guard Luka Doncic (Grade 2 left hamstring strain) continues to work out on the court, but there’s no timetable for his return.

“[He] was able to move a little bit today on the court, which, you know, most of the stuff had been stand-still,” Redick said. “So he’s progressing, but no update on any timeline or anything like that.”

LA JOLLA — Sinia Plotz scored to begin each half and Anna Reed finished with 10 saves to lead USC to a 10-9 victory over California on Sunday night at the Canyonview Aquatic Center, earning the Trojans a seventh national championship in women’s water polo.

It’s the first championship for Casey Moon in his second season as the Trojans’ head coach. USC last claimed the title in 2021.

Holly Dunn scored on a power play with 23 seconds left in the first quarter to pull Cal even, but Ava Stryker answered with seven seconds remaining and USC took a 3-2 lead.

Emily Ausmus scored for a two-goal lead and Stryker added her second goal to give the Trojans a 6-3 advantage with 3:15 left before halftime. Eszter Varro answered with a goal eight seconds later for the Golden Bears and another one with 2:07 left to cut it to 6-5.

Ausmus found the net with eight seconds left, but Dunn scored on a shot just before the buzzer to get Cal within 7-6 at the break.

Plotz scored to begin the second half and give USC a two-goal lead, but Varro scored for the third time and Cal trailed 8-7.

Meghan McAninch scored on a power play midway through the quarter for a 9-7 lead. Julianne Snyder cut into the deficit with 48.7 seconds left and the Golden Bears had a tying shot by Dunn hit the crossbar. Talia Fonseca had one of her 11 saves on a shot by USC’s Alma Yaacobi at the buzzer and Cal trailed 9-8 heading to the final quarter.

Rachel Gazzaniga scored two minutes in to again give USC a two-goal lead. Despoina Drakotou scored the final goal of the match on a five-meter penalty shot after an exclusion on Reed with 5:23 remaining. Reed had a save on an earlier penalty shot.

The fourth-seeded Golden Bears (16-8), looking for their first championship, knocked out defending champion and top-ranked Stanford 13-11 in the semifinals to advance to their second final in three seasons under coach Coralie Simmons — in her 10th season. UCLA beat Cal 7-4 in the 2024 final and Stanford topped Cal 9-5 for the 2011 championship.

No. 3-seed USC advanced with an 11-10 victory over second-seeded UCLA in the other semifinal.

The event was hosted by UC San Diego.

Nelly Korda returned to the top of the world rankings after claiming a dominant five-shot victory in the LPGA Chevron Championship.

It is Korda’s second Chevron title in three seasons and ensures she leapfrogs Jeeno Thitikul in the rankings, after the Thai missed the cut.

The American equalled the event’s 54-hole scoring record on Saturday but fell two shots short of the tournament record of 20 under par.

“That was a hard weekend,” Korda told NBC Sports.

“Honestly, having that big of a lead, it’s not easy. It was definitely one of the hardest things I’ve had to do mentally.

“I have an amazing support system. An amazing family who are right behind me. An amazing caddie who is on the bag and I’m just happy to get it done.”

Korda takes her tally of majors to three, after also winning the Women’s PGA Championship in 2021.

Former England midfielder and BBC Sport pundit Danny Murphy believes Chelsea utilised “an obvious tactical stoppage” in their FA Cup semi-final win against Leeds United, and proposes rule changes that can prevent it from happening.

MATCH REPORT: FA Cup semi-final – Chelsea 1-0 Leeds United

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Kearns said she was grateful to Dr Blackadder-Weinstein for urging her to go to the hospital.

Sepsis, which can be life-threatening and is difficult to spot, is an emergency reaction to infection where the immune system overcompensates and damages tissues and organs.

“We had to go through like, three, four days of hell in hospital, the two of us, up in Birmingham and, I don’t think we realized how much we went through until now,” Kearns said.

“I’m so thankful for the doctors here at Villa, because if I was at home that day, and I probably would have rung my mum saying, ‘Oh, I feel a bit like flu-ish symptoms’, everyone would just say, ‘Have a sleep’ or whatnot, but Jodie made me go to the hospital.

“I was not wanting to go, because there’s nothing worse than obviously going to a hospital, but they probably saved my life because I had sepsis, and while having that, I wasn’t even thinking about the sepsis. It was: I’ve lost my child – and Liam was probably thinking the same.”

Kearns has visited Villa’s training ground to see her team-mates and work on rebuilding her fitness, but said she is still dealing with the mental trauma.

“I wouldn’t say I’m fully coping,” Kearns said.

“There’s days like today where I feel good, I’ve been in and around the [Aston Villa] girls and stuff, I’ve done my bike, I’ve done my testing, like, ready to get back on to it.

“But yesterday, I was upset all day because I got some news about the things we have to sort and it just comes and goes in waves.”

Kearns recognises that everyone deals with grief differently but stressed the importance of not “suffering in silence”.

She highlighted Tommy’s – the UK’s largest pregnancy and baby loss charity – as an important resource to lean on.

The Fitzpatricks missed the cut in last year’s Zurich Classic and finished in a tie for 11th in 2024.

But this victory earns them a cheque worth £1m.

“It was a struggle,” Matt, who won the 2022 US Open, said.

“I was doing zero to help him but he was fantastic on the back nine. I said ‘just give us a chance on the last to hit a bunker shot like that’.”

“It means the world. I’m absolutely speechless, it was a grind today but he was unbelievable and I could not be more proud.”

The event was played over four rounds, with teams of two alternating between fourball (best ball) in the first and third rounds and foursomes (alternate shot) in the second and fourth rounds.

Matt, 31, already had two wins this year, including last week’s RBC Heritage.

The Dodgers claimed a series victory over the Chicago Cubs with a 6-0 win on Sunday.

Their offensive surge from the previous game carried over into the first inning.

Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández remained patient against Cubs rotation-leader Shota Imanaga, both drawing walks. Then Andy Pages hit a sacrifice fly, Kyle Tucker doubled and Miguel Rojas drove in two runs, to give the Dodgers (19-9) a 3-0 lead.

Neither team scored for the next four innings.

Dodgers left-hander Justin Wrobleski navigated early command issues, issuing three walks in the first two innings before finding his rhythm to get through six frames without allowing a run. He limited the Cubs (17-11) to four hits.

The Dodgers’ bats came alive again in the sixth. Pages led with a double and Kyle Tucker drew a walk, setting up Dalton Rushing’s RBI single through the right side of the field. Tucker later scored on an errant back-pick attempt by Cubs catcher Carson Kelly.

Kyle Tucker scores for the Dodgers in the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

The next inning, designated hitter Shohei Ohtani homered for the first time in two weeks, suggesting the end of his short-lived slump.

Dodgers relievers Edgardo Henriquez, Jack Dreyer and Kyle Hurt completed the shutout.

Will Smith sidelined

Dodgers catcher Will Smith was out of the lineup for the second straight game because of lingering back tightness, according to manager Dave Roberts.

“It’s one of those where he could play if needed,” Roberts said. “But we just thought it was smart to give him an extra day.”

Roberts said the Dodgers were not considering putting Smith on the injured list and hoped he would return to the lineup Monday against the Miami Marlins. It helped that backup catcher Rushing entered Sunday batting .400 with seven home runs in just 11 games.

“You weigh out the positives and negatives,” Roberts said. “But Dalton going the way he’s going, it just only seems like downside to push [Smith] now.”

HOUSTON — While leading the Lakers to a commanding 3-0 lead over the Houston Rockets in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, LeBron James has stepped out of his airtight postseason mindset for only a few fleeting moments.

He has a good reason.

“All those moments has been with Bronny,” James said Friday after leading the Lakers to a 112-108 win over Houston. “It keeps getting better and better. It’s like, wow.”

Steadily growing under the postseason spotlight, Bronny James scored his first playoff points Friday in a five-point, 26-second flurry in which he drained a three behind a screen from his dad and then hit a reverse layup to complete the NBA’s first father-son postseason alley-oop. The Lakers can clinch the first-round, best-of-seven series Sunday at Toyota Center.

Without Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) to run the Lakers’ halfcourt sets, the team has placed an emphasis on running in transition. When Deandre Ayton blocked a shot at the rim with 7:18 remaining in the second quarter, LeBron corralled the rebound and pushed the ball up the court. Bronny, the youngest player on the Lakers’ roster, knows he can beat anyone up the court. He locked eyes with his dad as they sprinted toward the basket.

It’s been a while since Bronny caught a lob from his 41-year-old dad. Maybe not since last year’s training camp, he estimated. Getting to connect again while contributing to the Lakers’ thrilling overtime win is “what I always wanted,” Bronny said.

“Especially a playoff game, the first playoff bucket is great for me, great for my confidence and how I approach the rest of the playoffs,” he added.

The 21-year-old got his first postseason rotation minutes in Game 1, starting the second quarter. The Crypto.com Arena crowd cheered when he got his first touch of the ball.

He had one turnover and two fouls in his nearly four-minute shift. Several of his passes were slightly off the mark, forcing teammates to reach for the ball. Assistant coach Greg St. Jean pulled him aside for words of encouragement before the second-year pro returned to the bench. He didn’t reenter the game.

LeBron remembered the nerves he had during his first postseason game in 2006 against Washington, he said after Game 1, and there was little advice he could give his son that would make the experience easier until he actually did it.

“I was nervous for my first playoff game too,” Bronny said. “I definitely think I’ve gained a little more confidence and relaxed myself over these three games.”

The Lakers are going to need his minutes. Still waiting for Doncic and Reaves to return, the Lakers can’t turn down any advantageous shots, coach JJ Redick said.

Seeing him confidently step into a three-pointer Friday was even more important than the fact that Bronny made the shot for his first playoff points.

Lakers guard Bronny James (9) and Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) chase after a loose ball during Game 3 on Friday night in Houston.

(Michael Wyke / Associated Press)

“The amount of confidence that a young kid in our league can get from a postseason game is like — a regular-season game would never,” LeBron said. “You will never get nervous from a regular-season moment ever again when you play meaningful postseason games and postseason minutes. And he’s done that, and I think that’s pretty cool for his career, for his confidence.”

Not only has Bronny gained confidence in his shot, but also Redick praised his improvement on defense throughout the season. Against the famously physical Rockets, the 6-foot-2 guard doesn’t look out of place on defense. In the moments LeBron zooms out to realize his son is playing, he marvels at his oldest child’s attention to detail, improvements on the ball and defensive mindset.

Bronny is appreciative of the coaches’ trust in him. The former five-star recruit out of Sierra Canyon High still is growing into his career, especially after surgery for a congenital heart defect derailed his brief college experience at USC. That he didn’t get to play a March Madness game will irk him for the rest of his life, Bronny said. But the Lakers’ postseason run isn’t a bad consolation prize.

“Got to do it in the playoffs,” Bronny said, “and that’s just the best feeling.”

Injury updates

Austin Reaves remains questionable for Game 4 in Houston on Sunday . Reaves participated in an individual shooting workout Saturday.

Reaves and Doncic are less than four weeks removed from their Grade 2 injuries suffered April 2. Doncic remains out for Game 4, but with the Lakers close to extending their season into the second round, Doncic’s potential postseason return becomes more realistic.

Needing a win Sunday to extend his season, the Rockets’ Kevin Durant is questionable because of a left ankle sprain. The superstar forward missed Game 1 because of a bruised right knee and injured his ankle late in Game 2. He has been receiving treatment “around the clock,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka told reporters Saturday. Durant was running on an underwater treadmill during Friday’s game and will test the ankle again beforeGame 4.

“Every day that goes by, the likelihood goes up,” Udoka said of Durant playing. “But I thought he might be OK [Friday] based on shootaround and that’s different going half speed and then ramping it up right before a game. And so you really can’t tell, but he’s doing everything he can to get back.”

Brenen Thompson is from Spearman, Texas, at the top of the panhandle, where the gusts are constant and the only tourist attraction is a collection of old windmills.

Have you checked out Thompson’s speed numbers?

Prepare to be blown away.

Thompson, newest receiver for the Chargers, ran the 40-yard dash in a forehead-slapping 4.26 seconds — a mere .04 off the NFL combine record. What the former Mississippi State star lacks in size — he’s a shade under 5 feet 10 and 164 pounds — he makes up for in an ability to almost teleport from one spot to another.

Not the biggest position of need for the Chargers, who took him in the fourth round, but a nifty weapon for new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, who in the past has drawn up schemes for such scorchers as Jaylen Waddle, Travis Benjamin and Tyreek Hill.

Now, for the plodding part. OK, the Chargers didn’t race to the podium to select offensive linemen — their undoing last season — but they have remade their offensive line anyway.

First, they’re getting back Pro Bowl tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, who missed all or most of last season with leg injuries; signed center Tyler Biadasz and guard Cole Strange in free agency; and drafted Florida center Jake Slaughter in the second round, with the idea of him playing guard.

So if the plan works out, the Chargers will start five linemen who weren’t even in uniform for them for the January playoff loss to New England. Good thing, because that injury-ravaged line was a fire-drill mess last season.

In years before the Jim Harbaugh regime, the Chargers didn’t embrace the notion of trading down for more picks. But general manager Joe Hortiz likes doing that, and turned what would have been a quiet weekend — two selections on Day 3 — into a six-pick bonanza.

The club took Memphis tackle Travis Burke in the fourth round, presumably adding depth at the position because he’s not the type of player who is going to move inside to guard (and he’s almost certainly not going to unseat Slater or Alt). Depth is good at that spot, because as the Chargers were reminded last season, you’ll sooner find a stray $100 bill on the street than a capable NFL tackle.

The Chargers rounded out the draft by selecting a pair of guards in the sixth round, Logan Taylor of Boston College and Alex Harkey of Oregon. Whereas Taylor was a four-year starter, Harkey started one season at right tackle for the Ducks — he bounced from Colorado to Texas State to Oregon — and projects as an interior lineman in the pros.

Oregon’s Alex Harkey is among the four offensive linemen the Chargers selected in the 2026 NFL draft.

(Mark Ylen / Associated Press)

With the third of their four fourth-rounders, the Chargers took Arizona safety Genesis Smith. He has the cover skills and range to play the deep part of the field, and he’ll be learning from the best in All-Pro Derwin James Jr. Harbaugh is constantly saying, “Competitors welcome,” and Smith figures to be just that. If there’s trust on the back end, James can move up closer to the line of scrimmage to make plays and wreak havoc.

If a player is especially tough and violent on the field, the Chargers will affix a magnetic hammer sticker next to his name on the draft board. That’s what they did with South Carolina defensive tackle Nick Barrett, their final pick of the fourth round. The team typically carries five or six defensive linemen, and Barrett joins a group that includes Teair Tart, Jamaree Caldwell and Dalvin Tomlinson.

The Chargers already ramped up their pass rush by selecting Miami’s Akheem Mesidor at No. 22, a player widely projected to be off the board by then. Doesn’t matter the division, a strong pass rush is always essential. But having that in the AFC West, with Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, Denver’s Bo Nix and No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza heading to Las Vegas, turning up the heat on quarterbacks is especially important.

Mesidor, who began his career at West Virginia and finished at Miami, was among the oldest players in the draft at 25. Some saw his age as a negative.

“I’ve been doubted my whole life. I’m ready to come in and earn the respect of my teammates and my coaches and compete,” he told reporters. “The age stuff, any of the negativity that people push into the media about me, is all out the window. It does not faze me, I’m here to play football.”

In the NFL, you can never have enough good pass rushers, and the team that winds up winning the Super Bowl is often the one at or near the top in getting to the quarterback. But first things first. The Chargers have to win a playoff game, something they haven’t done in two seasons under Harbaugh and six with Justin Herbert at quarterback.

Thompson could help in that regard. The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss., told this story last year: When the future Chargers wideoout was 6, his mother signed him up for flag football in Texas.

She told her young son that she would reward him with $1 for every flag he grabbed, and $5 for every touchdown he scored. After the first game, the two had to make a trip to the ATM.

After all, who has $65 at the ready?