defeats

Marymount girls volleyball team is peaking at the right time — and that could mean trouble for opponents.

The Sailors had everything working for them in a 25-13, 25-17, 25-15 sweep of visiting Mira Costa in the Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinals on Tuesday night, showing no signs of rust after a first-round bye in the 12-team bracket.

“We couldn’t have been more prepared,” Washington-bound senior hitter Sammy Destler said. “Our energy got us to the finish line. We were on fire. That’s the best we’ve played all season.”

Destler entered the match two kills shy of 1,000 for her career and it didn’t take long for her to reach the milestone, achieving it on a strike to the right side that gave Marymount a 12-6 lead in the first set.

“I had no clue until they announced it, but it feels good,” said Destler, one of seven Sailors who finished with at least five kills. “We’re very familiar with them, they have Audrey [Flanagan] and Simone [Roslon] and they’re always tough but tonight was about everything we did on our side.”

The fifth-seeded Mustangs (24-10), who shared the Bay League crown with No. 2 Redondo Union despite dropping their first league match since 2019, had pushed Marymount to five sets in a nonleague match in September, but this time they could not handle the Sailors’ balanced attack.

Marymount’s serving kept Mira Costa out of system all match. In the first set alone the Sailors served seven aces, including three in a row by Southern Methodist-bound middle blocker Elle Vandeweghe, that put her team up 20-9. She and Destler combined for a stuff block on set point.

Destler opened the second set with another ace, then Frankie Jones ended it with a kill. Destler and Makenna Barnes, a Northwestern commit, each had eight kills apiece while Vandeweghe and the Brown-bound Jones each added six.

Flanagan, a Wisconsin commit, paced the Mustangs with eight kills and got a hug afterwards from Destler, one of her best friends.

Marymount’s Makenna Barnes, right, goes on the attack against Mira Costa blockers Liliana Swanson, left, and Milly McGee, center, during Marymount’s victory in the Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinals on Tuesday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

“We’ve played so many more matches than other teams,” Marymount coach Cari Klein said. “I didn’t want it, but I think we needed those extra few days rest because of the intensity of our schedule.”

The fourth-seeded Sailors (37-5) advanced to the semifinals to face top-seeded Sierra Canyon (37-3) on Saturday for the fourth time this season. The Sailors won the first meeting, 21-25, 25-15, 25-12 in the finals of the Durango Fall Classic in Las Vegas. The Trailblazers rebounded to take a pair of Mission League meetings over a span of eight days.

Klein, who is hoping to pilot the Sailors to their 11th section title in her 28th season, was so locked in to the task at hand Tuesday that she did not look at the CIF website to see if her team had won the coin flip for the next round: “Please say it’s here!”

Her wish was not granted, as Marymount will have to travel to Chatsworth, where it dropped a five-set thriller on Sept. 29, but Destler is confident they can win on any court.

“If we play like we this, there’s no stopping us,” she said.

Kennedy Fuller and Maiara Niehues scored and Angel City staved off elimination from postseason contention with a 2-0 victory over the Houston Dash on Sunday at BMO Stadium.

Angel City (7-11-6), which would have been eliminated with a loss or a draw, ended a five-game winless streak with the victory.

Dash goalkeeper Abby Smith pushed away a cross from Hina Sugita, but Fuller scored her fourth goal of the season off a rebound in the 53rd minute to break a scoreless stalemate.

Niehues scored an insurance goal in the 86th minute, charging forward and taking advantage with Smith well out of her goal.

It appeared the Dash might be awarded a penalty after a handball was called on the field in stoppage time, but the decision was overturned after video review.

Houston (7-10-6), which finished last in the league last season, had lost just two of the previous 10 matches. The Dash were not yet eliminated.

Because of Sunday’s result, the Orlando Pride clinched a playoff berth.

If Loyola football coach Drew Casani could give out game balls after his team’s 13-10 Mission League win over Gardena Serra at SoFi Stadium on Thursday night, he’d need to go to a sporting goods store to find enough to hand out. There were so many contributors.

There was kicker/punter Jacob Kreinbring making field goals from 44 and 35 yards despite narrower NFL goal posts. He also had a punt downed at the one-yard line.

There was linebacker Kane Casani, who blocked a field goal that led to a long touchdown return by sophomore Malique Pollard.

There was linebacker Holden Smyser and defensive linemen Max Meier and Will Mack, all of whom helped the defense stop Serra three out of four times on fourth downs in the fourth quarter.

Remember that Loyola (4-3, 1-1) lost a group of players who abandoned the program in the offseason, leaving behind players who drew skepticism whether they would be competitive against top teams.

It’s that Loyola tradition of playing as a group that allowed the Cubs to beat a Serra team that continues to struggle on offense. Serra (3-4, 0-2) fell behind 10-0, then tied the game on a DeVohn Moutra Jr. safety, followed by a touchdown run and two-point conversion from sophomore quarterback Malik Tunai.

“Man, this feels great,” said Kane Casani, who’s the son of the head coach. “A lot of people doubted us. We came together as a brotherhood.”

Loyola broke the tie with 4:14 left in the third quarter on Kreinbring’s 35-yard field goal.

Usman Nurmagomedov broke the heart of Irishman Paul Hughes with another contentious points win to retain his PFL lightweight world title on Friday in Dubai.

Eight months after Nurmagomedov was cast as a lucky winner at the same venue, the Russian was again a narrow victor in the rematch as Hughes produced a brilliant performance over five rounds.

The scorecards did not reflect a close battle as the judges saw it 50-45, 49-46 and 48-47 for Nurmagomedov.

“You want to say this fight was close too? I feel I won every round, but it was a very tough fight with tough opponent. I did not underestimate him, I think he underestimated me,” Nurmagomedov said.

Hughes, 28, fought expertly at close range and was a clear winner of rounds two and three, keeping his cool when Nurmagomedov headbutted him after the bell at the end of the first round.

The Irishman was hit with several low blows in round one and four which appeared to slow his progress and were rounds that Nurmagomedov pocketed.

But Hughes recovered each time and rocked Nurmagomedov on several occasions including with a superb kick and body shot combination in the third and a big right hand in the closing stages.

With Hughes mixing his striking, landing knees and short right-handed punches, UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, the cousin of Usman, could be heard screaming at top volume for Usman to respond.

Khabib’s appeals appeared to fall on deaf ears as Usman elected to showboat during spells of the fight.

The second-seeded American reached her first semifinal since the French Open in June.

Coco Gauff put down a spirited challenge from 66th-ranked Eva Lys to earn a 6-3 6-4 victory in Beijing on Thursday and reach the China Open semifinals for a second successive year.

Gauff, who is bidding to become the first woman to win back-to-back titles at the WTA 1000 event, had battled through three-setters in the previous two rounds and had to overcome stiff resistance from the German.

“I’m happy with how I played today. She’s a tough opponent, she hit a couple of great shots on the run,” Gauff said.

“I think I need to stay confident in my game and not be too passive when I have the lead. I played one passive point in this match, but otherwise I played well.”

It was a fast and furious start to the first set as both players fired off a string of winners and traded early breaks as the momentum swung wildly.

Following a run of five straight breaks of serve it was defending champion Gauff who finally seized control, taking a 5-3 lead when Lys sent a backhand wide and then consolidating to clinch the first set.

The world number three appeared to have found her range on serve in the second set and eased through a couple of holds, but a brief wobble and a few double-faults from the American added some late drama.

Serving for the match at 5-4, however, Gauff held her nerve to close out the win in an hour and 28 minutes.

The two-time Grand Slam champion next faces either compatriot Amanda Anisimova or Italian Jasmine Paolini, who meet in the second quarterfinal on Thursday.

Osaka returns to semis for the first time since 2020, while Amanda Anisimova gets Wimbledon revenge against Iga Swiatek.

Naomi Osaka returned to the US Open semifinals on Wednesday with a 6-4 7-6(3) win over Karolina Muchova, as the four-time Grand Slam champion delivered a battling display to underline her resurgence on the sport’s biggest stage.

Four years after winning the last of her four major titles, the Japanese 23rd seed, who returned last season after a lengthy maternity break, stretched her unbeaten streak in major quarterfinals to 5-0 and booked a clash with Amanda Anisimova on Friday.

“It means so much. I’m surprised I’m not crying,” said Osaka, who only two years ago was watching the semifinals from the stands at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I was sitting up there watching and hoping I would have an opportunity to play on this court again, so my dreams are coming true … There’s been so much hard work you guys haven’t seen.

“I’m just grateful to my team. Hopefully, you guys will come and watch my next round.”

Muchova, who had been on court for more than 10 hours over four draining rounds, took treatment in the locker room for an apparent left leg issue after she dropped a tight opening set, but came out firing to break at the start of the next.

She struggled to move at times with heavy strapping on her thigh, but continued to frustrate her opponent with her inventive brand of tennis to break for a 5-4 lead, only for Osaka to wrest back the initiative and go through after the tiebreak.

“It was an incredibly difficult match,” Osaka added.

“She is one of the best players in the world. Every time I play against her, it’s so difficult.

“Last year, she beat me when I had one of my best outfits. I was really upset. I’m just grateful to be here.”

Anisimova avenges Wimbledon embarrassment

Anisimova flipped the script earlier on Wednesday, ousting second seed Iga Swiatek 6-4 6-3 to reach her first US Open semifinal and exact revenge for one of the most brutal defeats in Grand Slam history.

Less than two months after suffering a devastating 6-0 6-0 loss to Swiatek in the Wimbledon final, the American eighth seed won 67 of 121 points to complete the turnaround in 96 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“Playing here is so freaking special,” Anisimova said in her on-court interview. “I’ve been having the run of my life here … Today proved everything for me. I can do it.”

The 24-year-old’s transformation from July’s tears to Wednesday’s triumph epitomises tennis’s capacity for redemption.

After watching back the painful Wimbledon footage on Tuesday night, Anisimova admitted she was “slow as hell” in that final but approached this rematch with renewed purpose.

“Today is definitely the most meaningful victory I’ve had in my life,” she told reporters. “I really came out there with, like, not an ounce of fear … I was constantly moving and trying to get myself going.”

Swiatek acknowledged that her opponent’s aggressive return game proved decisive.

“I couldn’t win today’s match playing like that, serving like that, and with Amanda being so aggressive on the returns,” the six-time Grand Slam champion told reporters.

The American dominated on return, converting four of nine break opportunities while Swiatek managed just two breaks from four chances, ending her bid for a seventh Grand Slam title and second US Open crown in the quarterfinals for the second straight year.

The American’s journey from Wimbledon devastation to US Open breakthrough serves as a powerful reminder that in tennis, the greatest comebacks often follow the most crushing defeats.

In an early season showdown between two of the top girls volleyball teams in the state, Redondo Union took control over the last two sets to handle Marymount 25-23, 18-25, 25-21, 25-14 and prove it is a threat for its first Southern Section championship since 2019.

The squads entered their nonleague matchup with a 22-1 combined record this fall and could meet again down the road with the stakes even higher. The Sea Hawks’ triumph was all the more impressive given that it was accomplished without libero Rowan DeVore (sidelined with flu) and senior twins Avery and Addi Junk, who are skipping the indoor season to concentrate on beach volleyball, which both are committed to play at Florida State.

California commit Abby Zimmerman was almost unstoppable, pounding a match-high 26 kills, Leah Blair (committed to play beach at Washington) had 10 kills and UC Irvine-bound Taylor Boice added seven kills for the home side. Setter Marlo Libbey had 33 assists and served three aces.

Zimmerman led her school to the beach title in the spring.

“Indoor is my favorite and we’ve put in so much work, it would be great to go out on top my last year,” Zimmerman said. “This was a solid match for us and if we can bring the same energy and fight every game we have a good chance.”

Both programs were coming off successful trips to Hawaii. Redondo Union finished runner-up to national power Byron Nelson (Texas) for the second straight season at the Ann Kang Invitational, while Marymount did not drop a set on its way to the Hawaiian Island Labor Day Classic championship Saturday in Hilo.

Junior hitter Makenna Barnes had 16 kills, Washington commit Sammy Destler added 14, Olivia Penske had 36 assists and Declan Eastman recorded 11 digs for the Sailors, who were trying to avenge a five-set defeat in the first round of the CIF SoCal Open Division regionals last fall.

“I play on the same club team as Abby and Taylor… we’re best friends,” Destler said. “This was a much-needed wake-up call for us. We have practice at 5:45 a.m. tomorrow and I have to like it. Redondo’s a whole different level than the teams we saw in Hawaii.”

Tuesday’s nonleague match not only featured many of the Southland’s most talented players, but also two of its most successful coaches in Redondo Union’s Tommy Chaffins (who passed the 900 career wins milestone last year) and Marymount’s Cari Klein (who has led her Sailors to 30 or more victories in three of the last four seasons).

Klein said the trip back from Hawaii had a little drama as the plane had engine problems and had to divert to Oahu.

Marymount was off to its hottest start since 2021 when it finished 35-0 en route to its 10th section title and seventh state crown under Klein and the No. 1 national ranking.

The schedule only gets tougher for Redondo Union (14-1), which travels to reigning Division 1 champion Mater Dei on Thursday and hosts 2022 champion Sierra Canyon next Tuesday. Marymount (9-1) will try to shake off its first loss when it hosts the Sea Hawks’ Bay League rival, Mira Costa, on Thursday.

“We’re very close on and off the court and we bonded even more in Hawaii,” Boice said. “Tonight we simply wanted it more.”

Maiara Niehues scored the go-ahead goal on a header in the 77th minute to give Angel City a 2-1 victory over Bay FC at BMO Stadium on Monday.

Riley Tiernan also scored for Angel City (6-7-5), which won its second straight after an eight-game winless streak.

Angel City’s Alyssa Thompson was an excused absence for the game as rumors swirled that Chelsea was in talks to acquire the 20-year-old winger. The transfer deadline in the English Women’s Super League is Thursday.

Any fee for Thompson is likely to exceed $1 million. The Orlando Pride recently paid an international record $1.5 million transfer fee for forward Lizbeth Ovalle from Mexico’s Tigres.

Bay (4-9-5) is winless in its last seven matches.

Tiernan took a pass from M.A. Vignola and ran it down field before cutting inside and dancing around Bay defenders before firing a shot past Bay goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz in the 12th minute.

It was Tiernan’s team-leading eighth goal. She moved into second for most goals ever by an NWSL rookie.

Rachel Hill scored the equalizer for Bay, scoring on the rebound off her own shot on Angel City goalkeeper Hannah Seabert in the 37th minute.

Niehues broke the stalemate on a header off a corner kick.

On Bay FC’s side, Asisat Oshoala was also an excused absence amid numerous reports of a move to Al Hilal Saudi Women’s Premier League.

Hirving Lozano and Anders Dreyer scored, and San Diego FC spoiled the home debut of LAFC forward Son Heung-min with a 2-1 victory Sunday night.

After Dreyer got the tiebreaking goal in the 66th minute, Western Conference-leading San Diego held on against a barrage of LAFC chances to extend its unbeaten streak to six matches in MLS play.

Denis Bouanga scored in the first half for LAFC, but the French star and Son both failed to convert golden scoring chances in the final minutes of expansion San Diego’s first trip 120 miles north to BMO Stadium. CJ Dos Santos made three saves for the visitors, including a diving stop on Son in second-half injury time.

Son was given a hero’s welcome in his first match in Los Angeles, taking the field nearly four weeks after LAFC announced the landmark signing of the South Korean star following his decade at Tottenham. Son played his first three matches on the road for LAFC, scoring a goal and immediately energizing the offense while his new club went unbeaten.

The sellout crowd serenaded Son from the moment he stepped on the field for warmups in Los Angeles, which has the world’s largest Korean population outside Korea. With thousands of fans wearing his jerseys for club and country, Son repeatedly waved to those cheering him on, and he exhorted the crowd into a frenzy right before kickoff.

Bouanga put LAFC ahead in the 15th minute with a beautiful chip volley into San Diego’s net off an excellent pass from teenager David Martínez. Bouanga’s goal was his 15th of the season, all in his last 19 matches.

But Lozano answered in the 33rd minute with a strike from the middle of the box for his ninth MLS goal. The Mexican national team star celebrated by taunting the famously raucous North End supporters’ section.

Dreyer put San Diego ahead with an individual effort by the Danish star, slipping behind LAFC’s back line to collect Jeppe Tverskov’s pass and juking two defenders before firing a left-footed shot for his 14th goal.

LAFC controlled play for long stretches, but couldn’t even it.

Son hit a screamer toward the far top corner in the 45th minute, but Dos Santos made a superb leaping save.

Hugo Lloris’ long pass put Son in a one-on-one break in the 74th minute, but he couldn’t get a shot off.

Son then hit the post in the 78th minute with a shot from the top of the box.

Bouanga got alone on the keeper in the 82nd minute, but waited too long to take a shot.

Son’s hard shot in the 92nd minute was saved by a diving Dos Santos.

EMMA RADUCANU suffered one of her heaviest defeats at the Grand Slams as she was blown away by clean-hitting Elena Rybakina.

The former US Open champion was crushed 6-1 6-2 in the third round by the 2022 Wimbledon conqueror.

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The pair may have shared the doubles court together and have a decent relationship in the locker room but it was one-way traffic for the Eastern European.

Fashion mogul Anna Wintour watched on from Raducanu’s box as the 22-year-old, wearing her lucky colour of red, was easily beaten before most New Yorkers had grabbed their lunches.

It is her misfortune that she has been dumped out of the four Slams this year by multiple champions Iga Swiatek (Australia and French Open) and Aryna Sabalenka (Wimbledon).

The first clash against the Pole represents the heaviest major loss on her CV – a 6-1 6-0 walloping in Melbourne in January.

Up to 34 in the world, her task ahead of the 2026 Australian Open is to be one of the top 32 seeds so she avoids a big name in the opening rounds.

Raducanu’s serving had been impressive this week but then she did have to play two qualifiers from Asia, Ena Shibahara and Janice Tjen, who were both eliminated in under 62 minutes.

This was a significant step-up in class, though Rybakina does not have a great record at the US Open, having never made the quarter-finals before.

Raducanu, 23, was broken for the first time in the tournament as Rybakina managed to read the return and was hitting the ball cleanly and with authority, crushing every ball from the baseline.

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The Moscow-born Kazakhstani, 26, was giving Raducanu no time to breathe on a much cooler morning at Flushing Meadows, far removed from some of the more stifling, humid days the players have had to experience in tournaments past.

Rybakina was firmly in charge when she broke for the second time in game six of the first set.

The Brit had no answer and after 27 minutes, despite coach Francisco Roig’s constant talk and instructions from the sidelines, she was a set behind.

Even when she thought she could make an inroad into the Rybakina serve, her opponent produced a powerful first serve in response.

Having cruised through her opening two appearances, this was an example of the real Grand Slam challenge, with Rybakina hitting 11 winners, six off the forehand.

Things got any worse at the start of set two as Raducanu crumbled from 40-love up and was  broken by the No9 seed.

Roig, formerly in the Rafa Nadal camp, shouted out “the ball is very heavy” and that is true but it does not help when it comes back at you at such pace and precision.

On the Louis Armstrong Stadium, named after the famous New Orleans-born trumpeter and jazz musician, Raducanu did not have all the time in the world.

In fact her time in the event was all over when 62 minutes on the match clock — her quickest Grand Slam exit.

Tennis stars following in parents’ footsteps

TALK about pressure…

These rising stars are all making their way in tennis.

But they have got something in common – they’ve got a famous parent who also made their name in the sport.

So who are the players hoping to follow in the footsteps of their tennis mums and dads?

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Lin Chin-Tse retired the first 13 batters he faced and gave up just one hit in five innings as Taiwan beat Nevada 7-0 in the Little League World Series championship Sunday, ending a 29-year title drought for the Taiwanese.

Taiwan won its first LLWS since 1996, although its 18 titles are the most of any country beside the United States, including five straight from 1977 to 1981.

Lin, a 5-foot-8 right hander, also smashed a three-run triple in Taiwan’s five-run fifth. The 12-year-old from Taipei hit more than 80 mph with his fastball multiple times during the tournament, which to batters looks much faster because the plate in this level of baseball is only 46 feet away. His velocity looked much the same Sunday.

Taiwan’s Jian Zih-De celebrates in front of Nevada’s Luke D’Ambrosio during the second inning of Taiwan’s 7-0 victory in the Little League World Series championship game.

(Patrick Smith / Getty Images)

Lin’s longest start before Sunday was three innings in Taiwan’s opening game against Mexico. He gave up only one hit in a subsequent victory over Venezuela.

Garrett Gallegos broke up the perfect game with a single into left field in the fifth inning but was caught in a double play when Grayson Miranda lined out to second. Nevada was appearing in its first championship game.

Offensively, Taiwan capitalized on four wild pitches and a passed ball. Jian Zih-De worked a walk leading off the bottom of the second and later scored when he beat the throw home after the wild pitches.

Chen Shi-Rong scored Taiwan’s second run in the bottom of the third when he ran home on a Nevada throwing error to first base.

The last international team to win the tournament title was Japan in 2017.

High school football began on Friday night in California, and no one was having more fun than the tourists/players from Sparks, Nev., the Spanish Springs High Cougars.

They flew in Friday morning on Southwest Airlines, with plans to visit the Santa Monica Pier on Saturday and Six Flags Magic Mountain on Sunday. First up was a game against Simi Valley, and it went better than expected.

Brady Hummel, a senior receiver and the son of coach Robert Hummel, caught 14 passes for 121 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-21 victory. There were 11 turnovers, with Simi Valley losing four fumbles and getting intercepted twice.

Hummel was so wide open on one touchdown because of a Simi Valley secondary communication error that he could have been counting one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi and still would have been wide open. Quarterback Tyson McNeil passed for 211 yards.

From the opening kickoff, when Jackson Sundeen returned it for a 96-yard touchdown, the Pioneers were trying to come from behind.

The two teams combined for seven turnovers in the first half. Spanish Springs held a 20-14 halftime lead. Micah Hannah and James Scida each had interceptions for Simi Valley. The Pioneers lost three fumbles. Quarterback Connor Petrov had touchdown passes of 29 yards on fourth down to Quentin McGahan and 50 yards to Cole Alejo.

In the second half, Petrov was intercepted twice and also lost a fumble that turned into a touchdown. Zane Tryon had a 73-yard touchdown run.

Simi Valley was 12-2 last season and defeated the Cougars in Nevada, but two new quarterbacks and a rebuilt offensive line has the Pioneers working to improve.

“We’ll bounce back,” Hannah said.

As for playing against Hummel, Hannah gave up a touchdown against him, but also picked off one of his passes.

“He’s smooth,” Hannah said.

Los Alamitos came away with a 20-12 win over Inglewood. A two-yard touchdown run Lenny Ibarra put Los Alamitos ahead for good. Los Alamitos is headed to Hawaii next week.

In Henderson, Nev., Long Beach Millikan defeated Foothill 27-14. Tight end/defensive end Jude Nelson had two sacks and made nine catches. Quarterback Ashton Pannell threw two touchdown passes.

Denis Bouanga scored on a first-half penalty kick and Hugo Lloris made it stand up for his third straight clean sheet as LAFC edged Minnesota United 1-0 on Wednesday night.

Bouanga scored his 11th goal when he sent a right-footed shot past Dayne St. Clair in the 42nd minute. The PK was awarded after Jeremy Ebobisse was fouled by defender Nicolás Romero, who received a yellow card.

Lloris finished with three saves for his league-high-tying ninth clean sheet of the season for LAFC (10-5-5).

St. Clair entered with nine shutouts and totaled five saves for Minnesota United (11-5-7), which falls to 6-3-3 at home.

Minnesota United has just one home win over LAFC, which joined the league in 2018. That came in March of last season in the debut of Minnesota manager Eric Ramsay.

LAFC posted a 1-0 victory over Minnesota United at home in the season opener.

LAFC improves to 2-3-4 on the road. The club was coming off shutout wins at home over the Colorado Rapids and FC Dallas by a combined 5-0 score.

LAFC will host the Galaxy on Saturday.

ATLANTA — In a week where so much of the focus was on players who weren’t playing in the All-Star Game, and those who were selected that weren’t seen as deserving, it was the player who had been in more Midsummer Classics than anyone else who delivered the most profound reminder.

Before the start of Major League Baseball’s 95th All-Star Game at Truist Park in Atlanta, National League manager Dave Roberts called upon longtime Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw to speak in the clubhouse.

And in an impromptu pregame speech as the team’s elder statesman, Kershaw imparted the most important lesson he’s learned from his 11 All-Star Games.

“The All-Star Game, it can be hard at times for the players,” Kershaw recounted when asked about his message to the team. “It’s a lot of travel, it’s a lot of stress, chaos, family, all this stuff.”

“But,” the 37-year-old future Hall of Famer added, “it’s meaningful, it’s impactful for the game, it’s important for the game. We have the best All-Star Game of any sport. We do have the best product. So to be here, to realize your responsibility to the sport is important … And I just said I was super honored to be part of it.”

Kershaw, admittedly, was picked for this year’s game for more sentimental reasons than anything.

After making only 10 starts in the first half of the year following offseason foot and knee surgeries, the future Hall of Famer was shoehorned in as a “Legend Pick” by commissioner Rob Manfred, getting the nod a week after becoming the 20th pitcher in MLB with 3,000 strikeouts.

The honor made Kershaw feel awkward, with the three-time Cy Young Award winner repeatedly joking that he hadn’t really deserved to return to the All-Star Game for the first time since 2023, despite his 4-1 record and 3.38 ERA so far this season.

At first, he acknowledged, he even had a little hesitancy about participating in this week’s festivities in Atlanta.

“My initial response was just, you don’t ever want to take somebody’s spot,” he said. “You don’t ever want to be a side show.”

A side show, however, Kershaw was not.

Instead, as the man with the most All-Star selections of anyone in this year’s game (and the fourth-most by a pitcher), Kershaw was at the center of one of the most memorable moments from the National League’s win on a tiebreaking home run derby after a 6-6 tie.

Upon entering the game at the start of the second inning, he retired the first two batters he faced; the latter, a strikeout looking of Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He then turned to the dugout to see Roberts coming to get him, ending what could very well be his final appearance in the Midsummer Classic (even though, he has made a point of noting, he has not made any decision on retirement after the season).

And as he exited the mound, he was serenaded with one of the night’s loudest ovations, waving a hand in appreciation before blowing a kiss to his family in the stands.

“I didn’t anticipate to be here. I definitely didn’t anticipate to pitch,” Kershaw said. “So it was awesome. So thankful for it now.”

Many others in Atlanta felt the same way about sharing the week with Kershaw.

Shohei Ohtani watches his base hit during the first inning.

(Brynn Anderson / Associated Press)

NL starter Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates had the locker next to Kershaw in the Truist Park clubhouse, and joked his only hope was that veteran left-hander wouldn’t get sick of him by the end of the event.

“He’s such a class act, it’s just so impressive,” Skenes said. “We were in the waiting room before the red carpet today, and he had all his kids, and watching him as dad too, it was a cool experience.”

San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb recalled his memories of watching Kershaw while growing up in Northern California.

“I just respect him so much, watching him pitch,” Webb said. “You could’ve asked me five years ago, and you could’ve said Clayton Kershaw was a legend already. He is a legend. I’m just happy I’m able to share a clubhouse with him.”

Kershaw’s lighter side was on display Tuesday, as well, with the pitcher mic’d up with the Fox broadcast team for his brief outing.

“I’m gonna try to throw some cheese real quick, hold on,” he joked while unleashing an 89-mph fastball to Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, which turned into a lineout in left thanks to a diving effort from Kyle Tucker of the Chicago Cubs.

“Hey!” Kershaw exclaimed. “That was sick.”

On his first pitch to Guerrero, Kershaw threw another fastball that the Blue Jays’ star took for a strike.

“Right down the middle,” Kershaw said. “I’m so glad he didn’t swing.”

When Guerrero got to a 1-and-1 count after a curveball in the dirt, Kershaw contemplated his next pitch.

“I think I probably gotta go slider,” he said. “Let’s see what Will thinks.”

Behind the plate, teammate Will Smith instead called for a curveball.

“Nope, he wants curveball again,” Kershaw laughed. “All right, fine.”

Guerrero swung through it — “Oh, got him,” he said — before freezing on a slider two pitches later for a called third strike.

“I’m getting blown up by former teammates saying, ‘Wow, you’ve changed so much,’ and they’re right,” Kershaw joked afterward, acknowledging his once-fiery demeanor never would have allowed him to embrace an in-game interview like that. “I don’t think I would’ve ever done that [in the past]. But it was actually kind of fun.”

Really, that was the theme of Kershaw’s whole week.

Reluctantly accepting his stature as one of the game’s most decorated players. Accepting an invitation designed to honor his career accomplishments. And providing a reminder of the All-Star Game’s meaning, in what will perhaps be his last time on such a stage.

“It’s a very awesome, special thing to get to come to All-Star Games,” he said. “I remember the first one, how special that was. And I don’t think a lot has changed for me over the years to get to come to these things. So I don’t take that for granted. I think it’s really awesome. I mean, I shouldn’t be here anyway, so it’s very possible this could be my last one. So it was just a very awesome night, special.”