dodgers

UCLA coach Bob Chesney dismisses the soap opera.

Forget about the weekly Associated Press top 25 poll. Forget about the College Football Playoff rankings. Forget about everything until the confetti is swept away after all the conference championship games are played. Forget about all of it until Selection Sunday when your ranking finally counts and determines your bowl fate.

“We don’t watch,” Chesney told reporters when asked about the College Football Playoff rankings after his team’s 34-20 statement win at Minnesota on Saturday.

“I told our guys, don’t worry about watching this four-week drama series. That’s gonna be this show that they’re gonna put out there. That’s not what we’re here for. We’re here to focus on getting the work and being the best that we possibly can be. No way slighted, no way honored. Just totally neutral on whatever they might say. We gotta win our football games.”

Sure, it’s essential that you all do that. Focusing on the process has worked for generations in Westwood.

But the rest of us can ask the obvious question: Why isn’t UCLA ranked higher?

The Bruins moved up from No. 5 to No. 4 in the latest Associated Press top 25 poll Sunday. They were No. 8 in the first College Football Playoff rankings revealed last week and are sure to move up at least a little bit when the next round is revealed Tuesday as others lost and the Bruins tacked on a quality Big Ten road win.

But it’s unlikely to be a leap up and it’s definitely not going to be No. 1, no matter how passionately Bill Plaschke argues that’s where the mighty Bruins belong.

A weak schedule generally has been the excuse for an undefeated Power Four team sitting on the middle to lower end of the top 10 of the polls this late in the season.

The Bruins improved to 9-0 with their win at Minnesota, but their strength of schedule ranks No. 67 nationally, according to ESPN analytics.

But then someone needs to explain Utah.

The Utes, who are led by a first-year coach just like the Bruins, are the only other undefeated team in the country and improved to 9-0 after a 28-20 win over No. 9 BYU on Saturday.

They were ranked No. 3 in the first College Football Playoff rankings without the benefit of that win over the Cougars and moved up to No. 2 in the AP poll with that rivalry victory in hand.

However, that BYU win is a bit of an outlier. The Utes’ strength of schedule ranks No. 81 nationally, according to ESPN analytics, 14 spots below UCLA.

UCLA linebacker Sammy Omosigho (10) celebrates earn a defensive against Minnesota Saturday in Minneapolis.

(Abbie Parr / Associated Press)

At this point, critics typically cite the eye test. UCLA lost its starting quarterback to a season-ending injury and its offense and defense haven’t performed well at the same time most of this season. The run game looked unbeatable against weaker non-conference opponents and then slowed down significantly against Big Ten defenses. The Bruins didn’t look or feel dominant.

Chesney has noted the coaches have had a lot of mistakes to address after every win this season. And the coaching staff has dialed back on the creativity during some games that seemed to be in hand, but that allowed the Bruins to stun Minnesota with back-to-back 75-yard touchdown passes they never previously saw on tape.

And whether observers choose to believe it, his team has consistently exceeded expectations all season.

UCLA improved to 9-0 against the spread after entering the Minnesota game as a 3.5-point road favorite, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Even the bettors in Las Vegas and around the country are sleeping on the Bruins, but they probably won’t for much longer.

The final reason that fans haven’t packed the Rose Bowl and poll voters have been more skeptical of UCLA’s success than they have of other teams is probably because it’s been a long time since anyone could believe the Bruins were this good.

UCLA football has, during the last 25 years, trained fans and national audiences to expect a bit of a letdown when the calendar turns to November.

The Bruins have never won more than 10 games in a season in school history. The last time UCLA was ranked No. 4 in the AP poll was the 2001 season. The team’s final record that year was 7-4 overall and 4-4 in the Pac-12.

But it is getting harder for cynics to deny this year’s UCLA team is, in fact, for real.

Minnesota was a team that is tough to beat at home, has a record of keeping pace with the top Big Ten teams and embraces an ethos very similar to Chesney’s Bruins. UCLA’s decisive win over the Golden Gophers helped, as did Oregon’s win over Ohio State.

UCLA will be favored to win at home against Illinois on Friday and at Michigan Nov. 21 before what could be a massively important Thanksgiving week rivalry game against No. 20 USC at the Rose Bowl.

Chesney has his team focused on the first task, completing a strong week of practice while preparing to play the Illini. The Bruins are sticking to the same daily routine he has been preaching since January.

And regardless of whether everyone has hopped on the UCLA bandwagon, the Bruins are confident they everyone will eventually catch up.

“I just feel like the whole team is just keeping the belief and the faith that we could beat anybody that we play against,” UCLA linebacker Jalen Woods said.

A secret passing attack

Chesney didn’t want to answer the question.

He was asked about Ty Dieffenbach’s back-to-back 75-yard touchdown passes to Aidan Mizell after a win over Minnesota and responded with a bit of verbal dancing.

“Yeah, just I don’t want to get into it too much, to be honest with you, but there were some things we were doing early that were setting up this next thing that we could do, and that’s ultimately what we felt like we saw, and we were able to attack it just a little bit,” Chesney said.

He added a bit more description, but the coach generally made it clear that his staff saw some things on tape, exploited them on game and absolutely did not want to give away any other hints to future opponents.

The Bruins unveiled a previously dormant passing attack that shredded the Golden Gophers’ secondary and Dieffenbach’s ability to pass the ball is impossible to hide at this point.

He said he connected on deep passes with Mizell during preseason camp and they’ve continued to work on their connection this season, making it pretty natural to pick apart gaps in the Minnesota defense on Saturday.

They both took great pride in delivering daggers that seemed to crush Minnesota’s spirit.

“We hit a lull for a little bit there late in the second quarter and in the start of the second half. So it felt really good to do that and just hit some explosive plays,” Dieffenbach said.

“It felt great. I was tweaking out,” Mizell said. “I don’t really remember the second one, but, yeah, it was an amazing feeling.”

Mizell said Dieffenbach has steadily improved since taking over the starting job and their connection was strong all week in practice.

“He’s more confident, he’s more consistent in practice,” Mizell said. “I feel like how we practice is how we play. And we knew the way we practiced this week it was over with.”

Dodd sets water polo record

UCLA junior Ryder Dodd scored 12 goals during the No. 3 Bruins’ 19-9 win over No. 7 UC San Diego on Saturday at Spieker Aquatics Center, shattering the school and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation single-game goals records.

Dodd previously held a share of the school record with eight goals. The previous conference record was 10.

“Obviously, it felt really good. I think coming off of last weekend where physically and mentally I don’t think I played my best at all,” Dodd said. “Coming off a good week of training, I think that led me to have a good game, but also the teammates doing a good job of pulling each other and pulling the other guys to them, making it really easy on me.”

Bruins on deck

Here is this week’s UCLA athletics schedule. All Times are PST.

Wednesday

Men’s basketball vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 6 p.m.

Thursday

Swimming and diving at Trojan Diving Invite, All Day

Women’s volleyball vs. Washington, 11 a.m.

Women’s basketball vs. Arizona, 7:30 p.m.

Friday

Swimming and diving at Trojan Diving Invite, All Day

Cross country at NCAA regional, TBA

Football vs. Illinois, 6 p.m.

Saturday

Swimming and diving at Trojan Diving Invite, All Day

Men’s water polo vs. USC, 1 p.m.

Women’s volleyball vs. Oregon, 2 p.m.

Sunday

Women’s basketball vs. Princeton (National title banner to be raised), 3 p.m.

In case you missed it

UCLA moves up to No. 4 in latest AP top 25 poll; USC climbs to No. 15

Plaschke: Undefeated UCLA proves why it should be ranked No. 1

Bob Chesney’s Bruins keep rolling as No. 8 UCLA earns statement win at Minnesota

Nikola Kusturica shines in No. 22 UCLA’s blowout victory over North Florida

UCLA focuses on winning turnover battle, edge in trenches during key Minnesota matchup

Sienna Betts helps lead No. 11 UCLA women to victory over UC Irvine

UCLA is No. 8 in the first College Football Playoff rankings; USC is No. 20

No. 22 UCLA men open season with big upset of No. 5 Arizona

No. 11 UCLA women begin their NCAA title defense with win over Lehigh

Swanson: Championship blueprint: Why Cori Close’s people-first approach is what college sports needs

UCLA Unlocked: Mick Cronin rebuilt roster with an eye on defense

Have something Bruin?

Do you have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future UCLA newsletter? Email newsletters editor Houston Mitchell at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. Remember when Kobe Bryant said, “I’m a girl dad” in 2018? If only he could see how far everyone has come. JSerra’s unbeaten flag football team, led by sophomore Tessa Russell and many others, is an example. Let’s explain.

The rise of a phenom

Standout JSerra receiver Tessa Russell.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

In 2018, when Hall of Fame basketball player Kobe Bryant said, “I’m a girl dad,” it helped ignite a movement that continues today. Female athletes are gaining attention aided by dads who were great athletes themselves.

Tessa Russell, the daughter of former NFL safety Brian Russell, is on a journey in flag football that could take her to unprecedented success in a high school sport that is only four years old as an official sport in the Southern Section.

There are few better receivers in the nation.

“I’d say nobody,” JSerra coach Brian Ong said. “I think it’s her dedication. When you are dedicated to something and practice it over and over and you constantly challenge yourself, it appears to look easy.”

Russell has spent countless hours catching passes under the watchful eyes of her father. She started playing flag football with boys in a youth league at 8, about the time of Bryant’s comment.

“I definitely heard a lot about how much Kobe Bryant put into women’s sports and how much he tried to make it something we could do as we got older,” Tessa said. “And I’m really grateful he was able to make it bigger for us and make it at a bigger stage.

“I think it was really important, because looking where we are today, I think it’s been such a big improvement from then to now. Flag football is on a big stage, too, and hopefully it will keep growing as the Olympics come here.”

She also had 10 interceptions for a 28-0 JSerra team that ended its season Saturday with another Southern Section championship and a 56-game winning streak. The Lions defeated Newport Harbor 40-14.

Imagine what she might look like over two more years of high school flag football. She’s hoping she can inspire others to join the sport and help teach lessons to younger girls.

“It’s definitely cool to see the sport grow,” she said.

Damir Peraza (50) starts the Sun Valley Poly victory celebration after 20-0 Division I playoff win over Marshall.

(Craig Weston / For The Times)

The opening week of playoff action had only three No. 1 seeds out of 14 divisions go down to defeat in the Southern Section and none in the four City Section divisions. In other words, most of the favorites won, which should lead to great quarterfinal games Friday.

One of the major City upsets was No. 12-seeded Sun Valley Poly defeating No. 5 Marshall 20-0 behind King Exusdus’ 174 yards rushing. Here’s the report.

The City Open Division playoffs begin, with No. 1 Carson a huge favorite. The best opening matchup could be No. 3 Cleveland hosting No. 6 Crenshaw in a rematch of a nonleague game won by Cleveland.

The Southern Section Division 1 playoffs begin, with Mater Dei playing Corona Centennial at Santa Ana Stadium in another rematch that the Monarchs won earlier this season.

The most drama of the week occurred at Chaparral, where the death of 16-year-old linebacker Connor Rios on Wednesday tested coaches, players, friends and family members. They were in mourning and trying to figure out how to honor Rios. Chaparral decided to play its Division 2 playoff game against Orange and advanced.

Quarterback Ryan Rakowski runs for a first down during Palos Verdes’ 38-20 playoff win over Gardena Serra on Nov. 6, 2026.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

One of the best Division 2 games on Friday is another rematch matching Bay League rivals Palos Verdes and Inglewood. Palos Verdes opened with a win over Gardena Serra. Here’s the report. Inglewood advanced by eliminating unbeaten Huntington Beach.

Here’s a look at top individual performances from the opening week of playoff action.

Here’s a look at possible game changers during the playoffs.

Here’s this week’s playoff schedule.

QBs are being loaned

San Pedro quarterback Seth Solorio.

(Craig Weston / For The Times)

Only one player gets to play quarterback, which leads to the backups looking for more playing time at other schools. It happens every year, and the schools that end up starting sophomores or taking in transfers can really see an exodus of backups.

St. John Bosco and Mater Dei have successful programs, and it’s been tough to keep their backups from leaving.

Among the former Mater Dei quarterbacks who left are Trevor Scott (Long Beach Poly), Furian Inferrera (Mission Hills), Reagan Toki (Orange Lutheran) and Ayden Edwards (Tustin).

Former St. John Bosco quarterbacks include Seth Solorio (San Pedro), Brodie Scheinberg (Newbury Park) and Gharam Lunzer (Valley Christian).

If you take a look who’s starting on the freshman and JV teams, it’s tough to keep them waiting their turn on varsity.

San Juan Hills has two former San Clemente quarterbacks in Eiler King and Preston Getz.

Two former Sierra Canyon quarterbacks, Kris Carranza and Delvin Young, are starting at Agoura and Birmingham, respectively.

Chaparral’s Dane Weber was a roadblock, so Alexander Doucette (Etiwanda), Trent Lux (Great Oak) and Julian Gallardo (Winchester Liberty) are at other schools.

Two former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame quarterbacks, Cooper Berry and Donovan Shirley, have been starting at Cathedral and Salesian, respectively. Two former Chaminade quarterbacks, Cameron Pooley and Tahj Skinner, are at Mater Dei and Notre Dame.

It’s one of the toughest challenges for coaches convincing backups to stick around because they are one injury away from playing, but few are willing to stick out, which is why one solution is to play multiple quarterbacks.

The ringer at Cleveland

Shiloh Wickliffe was a late edition to Cleveland’s unbeaten football team.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Cleveland is 10-0 and seeded No. 3 in the City Section Open Division playoffs. And let’s just say Shiloh Wickliffe deciding to come out for the football team in the middle of the season was great timing.

Calll him Cleveland’s ringer. He was a second baseman for the baseball team but had played football his freshman year at Sierra Canyon. His arrival has been big for the Cavaliers. Here’s the report.

Girls volleyball

Mater Dei players celebrate after beating Sierra Canyon in four sets to win the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship on Nov. 7, 2026.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

It was No. 1 vs. No. 2 to decide the Southern Section Division 1 girls’ volleyball championship, and Mater Dei prevailed over Sierra Canyon in four games.

Here’s the report.

Making its fourth finals appearance in five seasons, Taft defeated West Valley League rival Cleveland in five thrilling sets at Birmingham High to claim the City Section Open Division championship — its seventh City title under coach Arman Mercado since he took over the program in 2000.

Here are the pairings for the Southern California regionals that begin this week.

Sophomore wins City title

Harbor Teacher sophomore Layla Phillips watches her tee shot soar down the fairway at the CIF City Section Championships at Balboa Golf Course in Encino on Nov. 5, 2026.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Sophomore Layla Phillips of Harbor Teacher defended her City Section individual golf championship last week. Granada Hills won the team title.

Here’s the report.

Water polo

Orange County powers Newport Harbor and JSerra have advanced to Saturday’s Southern Section Open Division finals.

In the semifinals, Newport Harbor defeated Oaks Christian 13-8. JSerra defeated Harvard-Westlake 11.

The finals will be at Mt. SAC.

Notes . . .

Cherif Millogo of St. Francis has committed to Kentucky.

(Craig Weston)

Cherif Millogo, a 7-foot-5 senior at St. Francis, has committed to Kentucky….

Addison Archer, the state girls’ basketball freshman player of the year last season by CalHiSports.com when she played for Rancho Christian, will be eligible at Mater Dei as a sit-out period transfer student. Mater Dei has also been waiting to see if Ontario Christian transfer Tatianna Griffin becomes eligible. She has been “under review” for weeks in the Southern Section transfer portal. Griffin is one of the top juniors in the state…

Girls basketball standout Charis Rainey of Windward has committed to USC…

Junior pitcher Steven Genovese III of Valencia has committed to UC Santa Barbara….

Ron Jones, who guided Pasadena to a Southern Section football title in 2024, has been dismissed as head coach after the team was forced to discontinue this season because of lack of players….

Ken Holsenbeck has resigned as football coach at Canyon Country Canyon after five years as head coach….

Mario Morales has stepped down as football coach at Lakewood….

Coley Candaele is stepping down as football coach at Vista Murrieta after his second stint as head coach. He’s been at Vista Murrieta for 32 years, 17 in football. Alex Rosenblum, who joined the staff this year from Murrieta Valley, is expected to be a candidate to be promoted….

Lance Neal has retired as football coach at Century….

Jarid Allchin has resigned as football coach at Santa Ana….

Frank Sanchez, who was head baseball coach at Hart, an assistant coach for USC’s 1995 national championship team and head coach at Pepperdine, died on Nov. 4. He was 73….

Loyola High, the all-boys school near downtown Los Angeles, has added a 13th sport to its program: wrestling….

After concerns from schools whether baseball and football fields would be reseeded, a Los Angeles Unified School District spokeswoman said, “The District is committed to providing safe, well-maintained athletic facilities for students, families, and the community. Reseeding of LAUSD baseball and football fields is underway. At some campuses, the work began about a month later than planned. The District’s Maintenance and Operations teams maintain the fields and carry out the reseeding.”

From the archives: Steven Perez

Former Banning safety Steven Perez in 2024 when he was a 16-year-old senior the first month of the season.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Former Wilmington Banning football standout Steven Perez has become a star in his freshman season at Wyoming.

After redshirting last season, Perez ranks second on the team in solo tackles with 28 and 54 overall playing linebacker. He’s grown to 6 feet 1, 231 pounds.

At Banning, he could play any position, including quarterback. He was All-City and expected to keep getting better because of his work ethic and the fact he played the first month of his senior year at the age of 16.

Here’s a profile of Perez and his versatility in 2024.

Here’s an interview from 2024.

Recommendations

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on how two 0-10 teams made the City Section football playoffs.

From FrontOffice, a story on the changing roles for high school athletic directors.

From the Los Angeles Times, a story of a football hazing incident has rocked a Northern California school.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

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In a surprise shakeup of the Dodgers coaching staff, hitting coach Aaron Bates and the team are parting ways, as confirmed by a person with knowledge of the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said after the season that he expected “status quo” for the coaching staff. But, as MLB Trade Rumors first reported, negotiations on a new contract for Bates eventually reached an impasse.

The rest of the Dodgers coaching staff, including co-hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc, is expected to return next year, according to people with knowledge of the matter but not authorized to speak publicly.

Bates spent 12 years in the Dodgers organization, including four as a co-hitting coach with Van Scoyoc, and four as an assistant hitting coach. Before joining the major-league staff, Bates served as a minor-league hitting director and coach.

This past season, the Dodgers’ star-studded but aging offense ranked No.2 in weighted runs created-plus (111) — a comprehensive offensive stat that adjusts for ballpark factors — behind only the Cubs. But the Dodgers are working to diagnose two straight years of a July and August dip in offensive production.

Their search to replace Bates begins in a unique offseason. When the current CBA expires on Dec. 1, MLB team owners are expected to impose a lockout, during which teams will be restricted from communicating with players. So, if the Dodgers want their new hitting coach to meet with hitters or contribute to their offseason hitting plans, they will have to finalize the hire or promotion in the next few weeks.

One mistake can turn your season around

From Kevin Baxter: The most significant game of Angelina Anderson’s season was also her worst.

It was Angel City’s fifth match of the season and Anderson, the team’s goalkeeper, made a crucial error in stoppage time that led to a winning goal. And while that was significant, what really made the game stand out is what happened next.

When she carried the weight of the loss home with her, her boyfriend, Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Thomas Booker, staged an intervention. Every time she make a mistake, Booker told Anderson, she would beat herself up. Yet when she played well, she simply considered that part of her job.

“We came to this conclusion that is not sustainable,” Anderson said. “I’m putting way too much pressure on myself so I had to figure out a way to care, not less, but care optimally. As athletes, we’re always like ‘what more can I do?’ when really I think it’s ‘what’s optimal for you?’

“That kind of gave me more freedom on the pitch.”

Playing with that freedom, Anderson gave up just one goal per game during the rest of the season, pitching a league-best nine shutouts since May 17 and leading Angel City (15-8-7) to its second playoff appearance. Anderson and Angel City will meet Kansas City (16-9-5) on Saturday morning at CPKC Stadium, where the Current is unbeaten in its past 32 games.

Continue reading here

Aaron Donald works on fumble recovery

From Gary Klein: Since coming out of retirement before this season, Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald adopted a humble approach, always allowing younger, less-accomplished players to go ahead of him during drills.

But on Thursday, the future Hall of Famer enthusiastically moved to the front of the line.

The Rams practiced scooping fumbled footballs off the turf.

“I needed that,” Donald said Thursday, chuckling. “Learn bending and getting down.”

Last Sunday against the Chargers, Donald missed the opportunity to score his first NFL touchdown when, with a clear shot to the end zone, he failed to come up with a fumble, albeit in hilarious fashion.

Continue reading here

Angel City signs Maddie DiMaria, 17

From Kevin Baxter: Angel City heads into this weekend’s NWSL playoffs with the youngest starting lineup in the league. And with a 10-game unbeaten streak, it has the hottest team in the league as well.

On Thursday, that team got a little younger and potentially a bit better when it announced the signing of 17-year-old Maddie DiMaria, the leading scorer in the U-17 women’s World Cup. Financial terms of the four-year deal were not released.

“This person is special,” sporting director Mark Parsons said of DiMaria, who signed with Angel City before scoring 12 goals in four games in the age-group World Cup. “But she also represents what Angel City football is about and what Angel City is trying to do over the so many years, which is win.

“And she’s a winner.”

A two-time Gatorade girls’ national soccer player of the year, DiMaria scored 24 times in 23 appearances with the U-17 team, with her 12 goals in Morocco breaking Michelle Akers’ 35-year-old American record for most goals in a World Cup. Before graduating from Cor Jesu Academy in St. Louis, she scored 67 goals and had 25 assists as a junior, leading her team to a 25-0 season and a state championship.

Continue reading here

Lakers send two to G League

From Dan Loumena: Third-year guard Bronny James and rookie guard Cameron Carr have been assigned to G League Coachella Valley, the Lakers announced Thursday.

James, who is the third year of a four-year contract worth $7.9 million ($4.4 million guaranteed), played only 12 minutes this season across five games, scoring four points on two-of-three shooting while missing his only three-pointer.

Carr, who was the 24th overall draft pick this summer, has played only four minutes in three games, missing the only shot he took.

Continue reading here

UCLA women defeat UC Irvine

Sienna Betts scored 17 points on eight-of-10 shooting and No. 11 UCLA used a big start and strong finish to roll to a 78-42 win over UC Irvine on Thursday night.

The Bruins never trailed after Betts hit a short basket 12 seconds into the game. It was 23-8 after one quarter. The Anteaters were only outscored by seven in the middle quarters and then UCLA had a 14-0 advantage in the fourth quarter when Irvine went 0 for 11 from the field and committed seven turnovers.

Elina Aarnisalo added 14 points for the Bruins (2-0), Timea Gardiner had 12 points and KK Bransford had 10 points.

Continue reading here

UCLA box score

Ducks edge the Oilers

Cutter Gauthier became the first Ducks player with nine goals over a four-game span, scoring and adding an assist in a 5-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night.

Gauthier — coming off consecutive hat tricks — has seven power-play goals in the four-game span. Dating to 1933-34, the only other NHL players to accomplish the feat are Dave Andreychuk (eight, Nov. 7-14, 1992) and Teemu Selanne (seven, Oct. 25-31, 2008).

Pavel Mintyukov and Beckett Sennecke each had two goals and an assist for the Ducks, and Laurent Brossoit made 23 saves. They have three in a row to improve to 8-7-1.

Continue reading here

Ducks summary

NHL standings

This day in sports history

1869 — First U.S. college football game played, Rutgers 6, Princeton 4.

1934 — Joe Carter scores four touchdowns and Swede Hanson rushes for 190 yards as the Philadelphia Eagles crush the Cincinnati Reds 64-0.

1966 — Philadelphia’s Timmy Brown returns kickoffs 93 yards and 90 yards for touchdowns to lead the Eagles to a 24-23 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

1981 — Larry Holmes knocks out Renaldo Snipes in the 11th round to retain the world heavyweight title in Pittsburgh.

1983 — James Wilder of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rushes for 219 yards and a touchdown in a 17-12 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

1988 — Britain’s Steve Jones win the New York City Marathon in 2:08:20, the fastest time in the world this year. His margin of victory, 3 minutes and 21 seconds over Salvatore Bettiol, is the largest in the history of the five-borough race. Grete Waitz wins an unprecedented ninth women’s title, finishing in 2:28:07 well ahead of Italy’s Laura Fogli (2:31:26).

1992 — Manon Rheaume of the Atlanta Knights becomes the first woman to suit up for a regular-season pro hockey game. The 20-year-old goalie doesn’t play in Atlanta’s 3-2 overtime loss to Cincinnati in the IHL game.

1993 — French-based Arcangues stages the biggest Breeders’ Cup upset, rallying to beat Bertrando by 2 lengths in the $3 million Classic at Santa Anita. Arcangues went off at 133-1 and returned $269.20 on a $2 bet.

1993 — Evander Holyfield regains the WBA and IBF heavyweight championships from Riddick Bowe in a fight disrupted by a parachutist. During the seventh round at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, the chutist tumbles into the ringside seats and stops the fight for 21 minutes. Holyfield becomes the fourth man to become a heavyweight champion at least twice.

1995 — Art Modell officially announces Cleveland Browns are moving to Baltimore.

1999 — Charles Roberts rushes for 409 yards and five touchdowns to lead Sacramento State past Idaho State 41-20, setting a new NCAA record for a single-game rushing performance.

2005 — Annika Sorenstam becomes the first player in LPGA Tour history to win a tournament five straight times, shooting an 8-under 64 for a three-stroke victory in the Mizuno Classic.

2010 — Michigan wins the highest scoring game in its 131-year history by stopping a 2-point conversion attempt in the third overtime for a 67-65 victory over Illinois.

2010 — Zenyatta comes within a head of finishing a perfect career. Horse racing’s biggest star closes from dead last, but Blame holds off the 6-year-old mare and wins the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic under the lights Churchill Downs. Zenyatta entered the race hoping to improve to 20-0 on her career.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Lakers get past the Kings

From Broderick Turner: On a night when Lakers coach JJ Redick said his team was “a little flat,” Luka Doncic flattened yet another opponent.

Even Doncic started slow compared to his usual first-quarter exploits, but he picked up his pace as the game progressed, dropping 40 points on the woeful Sacramento Kings to lead the Lakers to a 116-103 win Wednesday night at Golden1 Center.

Doncic has scored 40-plus points in three straight games and in five of his last six.

So, after he went 11-for-23 from the field and six-for-13 from three-point range and after he also notched nine rebounds and seven assists, Doncic was asked if he’s ever had a better offensive stretch over his eight-year NBA career.

“Maybe. I don’t know,” he said. “I had some good stretches in my career. But obviously this could be one of the highest ones. But there’s still some work to do.”

Continue reading here

Lakers box score

NBA standings

Clippers lose at last second

Klay Thompson made the winning three-pointer with a second left in overtime and the Miami Heat rallied past the reeling Clippers 117-116 on Wednesday night.

Bam Adebayo set season highs with 35 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat, who have won three of four after losing their first four games. Thompson scored 30, going eight of 17 from three-point range, and Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 points, 14 boards and six assists.

Miami trailed by 20 in the second quarter and was still down 10 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the fourth before a 9-0 spurt set up the tight finish.

Continue reading here

Clippers box score

NBA standings

Myles Garrett returns to Rams practice

From Gary Klein: Rams star edge rusher Myles Garrett, who has been sidelined for seven games following knee surgery, returned to practice Wednesday.

Garrett, the reigning NFL defensive player of the year, has been on injured reserve since undergoing left knee surgery after the Rams’ season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Australia.

Coach Sean McVay said the Rams have attempted to be “as diligent, as thorough” as possible before allowing Garrett to practice and opening the 21-day window for him to return to the roster.

McVay said Garrett would take half the amount of full reps on Wednesday and would be evaluated each day before determining when he would be activated to the roster for a game. Garrett went through individual drills with edge rushers during the portion of practice open to reporters.

The Rams play the Washington Commanders on Sunday in Landover, Md.

Continue reading here

Rams’ Jaylen Watson to miss rest of season

From Gary Klein: Rams cornerback Jaylen Watson will have shoulder surgery and is out for the season, coach Sean McVay said Wednesday.

Watson, who signed with the Rams as a free agent after winning two Super Bowl titles in four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, reinjured his shoulder during last Sunday’s victory over the Chargers at SoFi Stadium.

“That’s a big blow,” McVay said. “Bummer for him. He’s been such a stud for us. He wanted to be able to play through it but just kind of understanding the totality of it all, just some of the different things, recommended to get that surgery.

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Kempe’s hat trick leads Kings

Adrian Kempe had a hat trick and an assist, Quinton Byfield scored two goals, and the Kings routed the San José Sharks 7-2 on Wednesday night.

Erik Haula and Joel Armia also scored for the Kings and Darcy Kuemper made 30 saves. Artemi Panarin had four assists.

It was the 37th multigoal game Kempe has had with the Kings, moving him past Dustin Brown for sole possession of ninth place in the history of the franchise. Kempe returned to the lineup after missing a 3-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday because of an undisclosed injury.

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Kings summary

NHL standings

This day in sports history

1927 — Walter Hagen beats Joe Turnesa 1-up to capture the PGA Championship for the fourth consecutive year and fifth overall.

1955 — Montreal’s Jean Beliveau scores the second fastest hat trick in NHL history in a 4-2 win over Boston. Beliveau, who scores all four Canadien goals, gets three in 44 seconds against Bruins goaltender Terry Sawchuk on the same power play.

1961 — Bill Stacy of the St. Louis Cardinals returns two interceptions for touchdowns in a 31-17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

1966 — Virgil Carter of Brigham Young passes for 513 yards and rushes for 86 to set an NCAA record for total yards with 599 in a 53-33 victory over Texas Western.

1977 — BYU sophomore Marc Wilson sets an NCAA record with 571 passing yards in a 38-8 rout of Utah.

1978 — Oakland coach John Madden becomes the 13th head coach to win 100 games in the NFL as the Raiders beat the Kansas City Chiefs 20-10.

1988 — Alysheba becomes the richest racehorse when he beats Seeking the Gold by a half-length in the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs.

1994 — George Foreman regains part of the heavyweight title he lost to Muhammad Ali in 1974, stopping Michael Moorer with a two-punch combination at 2:03 of the 10th round. Foreman, 45, captures the IBF and WBA championships to become the oldest champion in any weight class.

1999 — Carolina’s Ron Francis becomes the sixth NHL player to reach 1,500 points when he assisted on Sami Kapanen’s first-period goal for the Hurricanes in 3-2 loss at Detroit.

2008 — Tony Parker scores a career-high 55 points, including a 20-footer at the buzzer to force a second overtime in San Antonio’s 129-125 victory over Minnesota.

2010 — Calvin Borel and Javier Castellano tussle at Churchill Downs just moments after tangling during the $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon in an ugly, chaotic scene. Castellano’s horse Prince Will I Am runs into the path of Romp and Martin Garcia. Garcia is able to stay on top of his horse but also impedes Borel and A.U. Miner. After the race, an enraged Borel is restrained by security personnel and his older brother Cecil.

2010 — Mexico beats the United States in one of the biggest upsets in the history of women’s soccer. The Mexicans, on goals by Maribel Dominguez and Veronica Perez, post 2-1 victory and qualify for the 2011 World Cup.

2011 — Drew Alleman kicks a 25-yard field goal in overtime to give top-ranked LSU a 9-6 win over No. 2 Alabama.

2016 — Arrogate catches 4-5 favorite California Chrome in the final 100 yards to win the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.

2017 — Shalane Flanagan dethrones three-time winner Mary Keitany to become the first American woman to win the New York City Marathon since 1977.

2017 — Eli Manning of the Giants became the seventh NFL quarterback to reach the 50,000-mark with his completion to Sterling Shepard in the fourth quarter against the Rams.

2022 — Alex Ovechkin scores 787th goal for the Washington Capitals surpassing Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings, for all-time NHL record for most goals scored for a single team, in 3-2 loss to Arizona Coyotes.

2022 — World Series: Houston Astros win second title in franchise history; beat Philadelphia Phillies, 4-1 iat Minute Maid Park, Houston for 4-2 series victory; MVP: Astros SS Jeremy Peña, Dusty Baker (73) becomes oldest manager to win championship, Phillies set ignominious record striking out 71 times.

2025 — Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin becomes first NHL player to score 900 goals in a 6-1 win over the St. Louis Blues

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Lakers have room for improvement

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Austin Reaves described it as “fun.” Luka Doncic called the Lakers’ effortless-looking offense as “flowing.” And this is still the early stages of development for a team that brought in nine new players.

Through eight games, the Lakers have the most dynamic offense in the NBA. Led by Doncic, the Lakers are second in scoring with 122.5 points per game and first in offensive rating with 121.9 points per 100 possessions. The starting lineup of Doncic, Reaves, Walker Kessler, Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle has a league-best 135.5 offensive rating among five-man groups that have played at least 40 minutes together entering Wednesday’s game at Sacramento.

“Everything’s as expected,” guard Quentin Grimes said Monday after the Lakers hung 138 points in a21-point win over the Miami Heat. “Winning, everybody’s getting involved, everybody’s making the right play, getting a lot of assists.”

The Lakers (6-2) had 39 assists against the Heat, the most during JJ Redick’s head-coaching tenure. Doncic is on a historic scoring binge; he is the first Laker since Kobe Bryant in 2007 to have five consecutive games of 35 or more points. While putting up a seemingly ho-hum 42 points against Miami, he also had a season-high 13 assists.

“It’s a really good offense that we’re playing right now,” Redick said. “And a lot of that, of course, is Doncic and what he’s able to do and bend the defense.”

Doncic, the NBA’s leading scorer at 38.3 points per game, does his damage early. He typically plays all 12 minutes of the opening quarter and leads the league with 15 points a game in the first quarter. Once he gets his shot going, teams send double teams to force the ball out of his hands. That’s when Doncic can be particularly dangerous.

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How Angel City helped ‘Ted Lasso’

From Kevin Baxter: Angel City and “Ted Lasso” both came to life in the summer of 2020 when the rest of the world was preoccupied with something far more serious, the global COVID-19 pandemic.

In those dark times, the series about kindness, grace, optimism — and soccer — became the show we didn’t know we needed, but suddenly couldn’t do without.

Angel City, meanwhile, would play its first NWSL game two years later, by which time “Lasso” and Jason Sudeikis, the title character of the Apple TV series about a fictional Premier League team and its manager, had already won multiple Emmys.

Hollywood is a small town, so it wasn’t long before Sudeikis reached out to Kara Nortman, a venture capitalist who co-founded Angel City in 2020, and asked to talk about women’s soccer.

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UCLA is No. 8 in first CFP rankings; USC is No. 20

UCLA coach Bob Chesney and the Bruins are ranked No. 8 in the first College Football Playoff rankings, a remarkable turnaround for a program that recorded three wins last season.

Chesney has led a revival in his first season that has the Bruins on track to host a playoff game if they can navigate formidable games at Minnesota on Saturday, at home against Illinois on Nov. 13, at Michigan on Nov. 21 and at home against crosstown-rival USC on Nov. 28.

The Trojans (7-2) were ranked No. 20 in the poll after their defiant 30-18 win over No. 12 Ohio State Saturday at the Coliseum.

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Split election results for local teams

From Sam Farmer: Hollywood Park was winning one fight and losing another, both by slim margins, as vote counting continued Tuesday night on two ballot measures in Inglewood.

According to results posted by the Los Angeles County registrar shortly after 10:30 p.m., Measure AT was losing, 51.9% to 48.1%, a margin of 583 votes; and Measure BB was losing 51% to 49%, a margin of 307.

Measure AT would mean more ticket taxes for big events in Inglewood, home to SoFi Stadium, Intuit Dome and the Forum. The City of Inglewood wants that.

Measure BB would bar the city from allowing billboard advertising on sidewalks, medians and the like. Owners of those sports and entertainment venues, who have their own sponsorship deals, are backing that measure.

Meanwhile, City Council member Gloria D. Gray led incumbent Mayor James T. Butts Jr., 34.6% to 29.8%, putting them on an early track for a runoff election in March.

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Ducks beat the Canucks

Cutter Gauthier scored a hat trick for the second game in a row and the Ducks held on for a 5-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.

Mikael Granlund added a goal and two assists for the Ducks, while Leo Carlsson put away a shorthanded tally and Beckett Sennecke had four assists.

Laurent Brossoit stopped 19 shots for the Ducks.

The Ducks (7-7-1) came into the game with the league’s second-best power play (34%) behind only the Utah Mammoth and went three for three with the man advantage. Two of Gauthier’s goals came on the power play and the Ducks have 10 power-play goals on 12 chances over their past three games.

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Ducks summary

NHL standings

This day in sports history

1934 — The Detroit Lions rush for an NFL-record 426 yards in a 40-7 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The only bright spot for the Pirates is scoring the first touchdown against Detroit this season, ending the Lions’ shutout streak at seven games.

1951 — The U.S. wins six of eight singles matches and ties another to win the Ryder Cup 9½-2½ over Britain at Pinehurst in North Carolina.

1959 — Ernie Banks, Cubs shortstop, wins his 2nd consecutive NL MVP.

1960 — Wilt Chamberlain of Philadelphia scores 44 points and sets an NBA record by missing all 10 of his free throws in the Warriors 136-121 victory the Detroit Pistons.

1976 — Baseball holds its first free agent draft with 24 players from 13 major league clubs participating. Reggie Jackson eventually signs the most lucrative contract of the group, $2.9 million over five years with the New York Yankees. Others free agents are Joe Rudi, Don Gullett, Gene Tenace, Rollie Fingers, Don Baylor, Bobby Grich and Willie McCovey.

1984 — Seattle’s Dave Brown returns two interceptions for touchdowns in a 31-17 triumph over the Kansas City Chiefs.

1987 — NBA announces four new franchises; Charlotte & Miami for 1988 & Minneapolis & Orlando for 1989.

1989 — Sunday Silence holds off the late charge by favorite Easy Goer to win the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Classic by a neck at Gulfstream Park.

2000 — R.J. Bowers rushes for 128 yards to become the first player in NCAA history to gain 7,000 yards in his career, leading Grove City past Carnegie Mellon 14-10.

2000 — In the highest scoring Division I-AA game in NCAA history, Ricky Ray passes for 344 yards and three touchdowns and scores three more to lead Sacramento State over Cal State Northridge 64-61.

2001 — Luis Gonzalez’s RBI single caps a two-run rally off Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth, and the Arizona Diamondbacks win their first championship by beating the New York Yankees 3-2 in Game 7.

2006 — Rod Brind’Amour of Carolina scores his 1,000th point, assisting on a goal in the Hurricanes’ 3-2 win over Ottawa.

2007 — Adrian Peterson runs for an NFL-record 296 yards and three touchdowns in Minnesota’s 35-17 win over San Diego.

2009 — The New York Yankees win the World Series, beating the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 in Game 6 behind Hideki Matsui’s record-tying six RBIs.

2012 — Andrew Luck breaks the NFL’s single-game rookie record by throwing for 433 yards in leading Indianapolis to a 23-20 win over Miami

2016 — Cam Atkinson, Nick Foligno, Scott Hartnell and Josh Anderson score two goals apiece and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat Montreal 10-0, matching the biggest loss in the Canadiens’ storied history.

2017 — Quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw rushes for a career-high 265 yards and Army ends Air Force’s 306-game scoring streak with a 21-0 victory.

2017 — With a 31-24 overtime victory over Nebraska, Northwestern becomes the first Football Bowl Subdivision program to win three consecutive overtime games.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Lakers beat the Heat

From Broderick Turner: The clash between Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo received top billing Monday night at Crypto.com Arena.

Doncic leads the league in scoring with 37.7 points per game for the Lakers, and Antetokounmpo is fifth at 28.2 for the Miami Heat.

But this matchup didn’t quite live up to the hype after Doncic continued his early season dominance in the Lakers’ 138-117 win.

Doncic was masterful, producing 42 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds. He was 14 for 24 from the field and six for 15 from three-point range.

“Feels good. Like I said, obviously when we win, it feels way better,” Doncic said. “And that’s the only important stuff. But obviously it feels good. You know, when you win by [21] against a team like Miami, it’s really awesome, especially on a back-to-back.”

Antetokounmpo finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, but he also had seven turnovers as he battled tight defensive coverage.

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Lakers box score

NBA standings

Clippers lose sixth in a row

Scottie Barnes scored 15 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, Immanuel Quickley had 27 and the Toronto Raptors rallied for a 125-118 win over the skidding Clippers on Monday night.

Toronto trailed by 13 going into the final period, but Barnes hit a turnaround jumper with 2:08 remaining to give the Raptors their first lead as part of a 12-1 run.

RJ Barrett scored 26 for Toronto. Barnes also finished with 15 rebounds and eight assists.

Kobe Sanders had a career-high 26 points for the Clippers, who have dropped six straight games since winning their season opener Oct. 21 against Sacramento.

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Clippers box score

NBA standings

UCLA men upset Arizona

Trent Perry scored 21 points for No. 22 UCLA, which opened the season Monday night by overcoming a career-best 38 points from Arizona’s Ivan Kharchenkov to defeat the No. 5 Wildcats 84-75 in a matchup of former Pac-12 Conference rivals.

Kharchenkov, who also had 10 rebounds, topped his previous best of 20 against Denver last Nov. 24. Derek Dixon added 18 points for the Wildcats.

Jaylen Petty and Eric Dailey Jr. each scored 13 points for the Bruins.

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UCLA box score

UCLA women open season with a victory

Sienna Betts scored 15 points, Donovyn Hunter added 14 and defending national champion UCLA, ranked No. 11, used a big third quarter to turn back Lehigh 73-53 on Monday.

In the first meeting between the two schools, the Bruins made 10 of 15 shots in the third quarter and held the Mountain Hawks to three of 13, stretching a 32-27 halftime lead to 55-36.

KK Bransford added 10 points for UCLA, which returns five players but had six taken in the WNBA draft — five in the first round. The Bruins will raise their championship banner on Nov. 15 at the end of their five-game homestand.

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UCLA box score

USC men beat Milwaukee

Adonis Ratliff scored 25 points in his collegiate debut, Alijah Arenas had 21 points and a career-high eight rebounds, and No. 21 USC beat visiting Milwaukee 95-63 to open the season Monday night.

Darius Ratliff, Adonis’ twin brother, added 14 points and five blocks in his debut for the Trojans. Rodney Rice had 15 points and nine assists in his first game since a season-ending shoulder injury last year, and KJ Lewis added 10 points.

USC (1-0) shot 56.9% from the field, including 12 of 22 from three-point range, and never trailed en route to its third straight season-opening win under coach Eric Musselman.

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USC box score

JuJu Watkins leads USC women to victory

JuJu Watkins scored 21 points in her return after missing last season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, freshman Saniyah Hall added 22 in her collegiate debut and No. 3 USC defeated Nevada Las Vegas 100-68 on Monday.

Jazzy Davidson led all scorers with 23 points on 10-for-11 shooting for the Trojans. Hall added seven rebounds and seven assists.

Kennedy Smith contributed 12 points and Sitaya Fagan had 11 for USC, giving the Trojans five scorers in double figures. Watkins added five rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes.

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USC box score

Myles Garrett is returning to Rams practice

From Gary Klein: Rams edge rusher Myles Garrett, who has been on injured reserve since undergoing knee surgery after the season opener, will practice this week, coach Sean McVay said Monday.

The Rams will open the 21-day window for Garrett to return to the roster, but McVay said the Rams would proceed cautiously before determining when Garrett will play in a game.

The Rams (4-4) play the Washington Commanders (2-4-1) on Sunday in Landover, Md.

“I want to be careful to even set any sort of expectations,” McVay said during a videoconference with reporters. “I think just taking it a day at a time is going to be the best way that we can approach it.

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Sean McVay’s unusual kicker experiment leaves Rams with little margin for error

Is Mark Walter selling the Dodgers?

From Bill Shaikin: Mark Walter isn’t selling the Dodgers, right?

He is selling the Lakers. He is selling his share of Chelsea, the Premier League team. He is looking into selling the Sparks.

And now he is looking into selling his share of the Cadillac Formula Oneracing team, as Sportico first reported Monday.

But keeping the Dodgers, right? “No matter what,” Walter told the California Post last week.

Wait a second, though. In August, Walter’s TWG Global holding company issued a statement that was definitive in two specific aspects: the Dodgers were “not being sold” and his company was “not considering exiting its stake in the Cadillac Formula 1 team.”

So I reached out to Walter’s company and to his personal spokesman, asking how to reconcile the definitive statement denying interest in a Formula One sale with the news of a possible sale and, in light of that development, whether the denials of interest in a Dodgers sale should remain credible.

No one at the company emailed me back, and the spokesman declined to comment.

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Dodgers adding former Padres executive to their front office

Buck vs. Aikman: Much ado about nothing

From Bill Dwyre: Come to find out, as we approach the season of plump turkey legs and similar Santa Clauses, all is not well at ESPN. Turns out Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are having a hissy fit.

Will sports broadcasting ever be the same? As the late Chick Hearn would say, “Oh me, oh my.”

Buck and Aikman have broadcast various pro football games together for 25 years. They are Abbott and Costello, but not anywhere near as funny. You tune in just to wait for Joe to say, “I’m Joe Buck and this is Hall of Famer Troy Aikman.”

Kind of gives you goose bumps.

According to various reports, Joe went out and negotiated a new contract without telling Troy. Divorce lawyers are now circling the wagons.

The reports have Joe getting $108 million for six years so that Joe can tell us that one of the teams on the field needs to establish a run game. Golly.

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Swanson: Chargers’ lost season really could become the NFL’s first 0-17 humiliation

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Mark Walter isn’t selling the Dodgers, right?

He is selling the Lakers. He is selling his share of Chelsea, the Premier League team. He is looking into selling the Sparks.

And now he is looking into selling his share of the Cadillac Formula One racing team, as Sportico first reported Monday.

But keeping the Dodgers, right? “No matter what,” Walter told the California Post last week.

Wait a second, though. In August, Walter’s TWG Global holding company issued a statement that was definitive in two specific aspects: the Dodgers were “not being sold” and his company was “not considering exiting its stake in the Cadillac Formula 1 team.”

So I reached out to Walter’s company and to his personal spokesman, asking how to reconcile the definitive statement denying interest in a Formula One sale with the news of a possible sale and, in light of that development, whether the denials of interest in a Dodgers sale should remain credible.

No one at the company emailed me back, and the spokesman declined to comment. Someone in contact with Walter, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to comment, advised me to wait and see if a Formula One deal actually materializes and, if so, for what value.

Amid federal investigations into whether the insurance companies Walter controls might have violated laws designed to protect investors, and as he is a defendant in multiple civil lawsuits filed by investors that allege fraud and breach of contract, Walter is selling off assets from his sports empire.

He could generate a significant share of the more than $20 billion he might need to recapitalize the insurance companies and satisfy state regulators. It is uncertain how that might influence the federal investigations and civil lawsuits.

The Lakers sold for $12.5 billion — the valuation for the entire team, not for Walter’s controlling share.

Walter is seeking $3 billion for his interest in the Formula One team, according to Sportico, and $700 million for the Sparks, according to Bloomberg. The sale of the Chelsea stake, owned jointly by Walter and Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly, generated about $1.27 billion, according to the Financial Times.

The sale of the Dodgers could generate $10 billion to $13 billion, The Times has reported.

None of this is to say Walter is not genuine in his proclamation that he is not selling the Dodgers. He said the Dodgers would win, and they have: three championships within six years, after three in the previous 56. The shine has been restored to an L.A. crown jewel.

But things can change. Potential Dodgers bidders, including Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, are considering offers should Walter decide to sell. Some have inquired discreetly and been told what everyone has been told: the team is not for sale. Commissioner Rob Manfred said the league is keeping an eye on developments surrounding Walter’s insurance empire.

“As always when we have an investigation — external, law enforcement, whatever — we monitor that,” Manfred said at the World Series. “That’s where we are right now. We’re just watching what’s going on right now.”

And that is indeed where we are right now: We don’t know what’s going to happen with the feds, and in the courts. For today, and for the immediate future, the Dodgers are not for sale. But plans can change, as Walter’s Formula One team just learned.

The Dodgers are adding former Padres chief operating officer Caroline Perry to their leadership team, the organization announced Monday afternoon.

Effective Nov. 30, Perry will serve as executive vice president and COO, filling a position vacated by retiring longtime Dodgers executive Bob Wolfe, who is transitioning to an advisory role.

In addition, the Dodgers announced they promoted Royce Cohen to EVP and chief business officer, after he most recently served as Senior VP of Business Strategy. Cohen has worked for the Dodgers since 2014 and was a key figure in the formation of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, another one of Dodgers owner Mark Walter’s sports business endeavors.

“Caroline comes to the Dodgers with an exceptional record of service in baseball, and Royce has repeatedly proven his ability to be a step ahead in the sports business world,” Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten said in a statement. “They both offer a level of knowledge and expertise that is truly enviable.”

Perry spent 16 seasons with the Padres, working her way up from associate general counsel. She became the highest-ranking female employee in Padres history when she was promoted to COO in 2023. She is also one of just three female COOs in Major League Baseball.

“It is a tremendous honor to join the Dodgers,” Perry said in a statement. “On the field, they have set an unparalleled standard of excellence in baseball under the current leadership. Off the field, their historic legacy, passionate fan base and service to the community speak for themselves. While I am incredibly grateful for my time with the Padres and for the colleagues who made those years so meaningful, I am excited to take my place with the Dodgers and to contribute to their continued success.”

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. The football playoff pairings have been announced. It’s prediction time.

Prediction time

Quarterback Thaddeus Breaux of No. 2-seeded Hamilton in City Section Division I.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

It’s that time of year to make football playoff predictions. Let’s start with the City Section because there’s one certainty: Carson will win the Open Division.

Carson worked hard in the off season getting better on the offensive and defensive lines to support quarterback Chris Fields III. If any team wants to get close, they need to control the clock. Cleveland can be that team to at least make the Colts sweat if the Cavaliers reach the final.

In Division I, No. 2-seeded Hamilton has been making progress and its passing attack looks ready to deliver a championship. The others: Division II, watch out for 1-9 Marquez, which had a great strength of schedule. Division III, South East.

In the Southern Section, all signs are pointing toward a Santa Margarita vs. Sierra Canyon final despite lots of obstacles ahead for both teams. If it happens, Santa Margarita’s defense always finds a way to come through.

In Division 2, Chaparral is seeded No. 1 and has the chance to take advantage of being healthy and having played a tough 10-game schedule to take home the title.

Division 3 is wide open. There’s former Division 1 champions Long Beach Poly, Edison and Crespi to deal with. Poly outscored its weak Moore League opponents 199-0, so it’s hard to say if the Jackrabbits have turned things around since quarterback Trevor Scott became eligible. If it’s not an illusion, then the Jackrabbits can win it all.

Division 4: This is about who gets hot. Dana Hills, Cathedral, La Habra and Cajon all have the opportunity to be that team. La Habra went 0-5 in the tough Bravo League, but quarterback DJ Mitchell is capable of a four-game win streak.

Division 5: Mary Star let the cat out of the bag by taking Carson to the very end before losing 45-42. Oaks Christian has started playing like the Oaks Christian of old, so watch out.

Division 6: Quarterback Jack Hurst is back for Laguna Beach.

Division 7: Paramount loaded up on transfers and now gets to win a title.

Division 8: Never choose against Rio Hondo Prep.

Division 9: Lawndale has former Crenshaw coach Robert Garrett as an assistant and is 9-1. Don’t underestimate 1-9 Western. They’ve played much tougher opponents.

Division 10: Top-seeded Nogales is unbeaten for a reason. It can run and pass.

Division 11: Viewpoint is better than people think.

Division 12: Rancho Alamitos will find a way.

Division 13: Rialto is finally healthy and got an ideal division placement.

Division 14: If San Gabriel wins, it will be front page news in the San Gabriel Valley.

Mater Dei’s sideline, led by coach Raul Lara, erupts in celebration after the Monarchs pulled out a 36-35 win over St. John Bosco.

(Craig Weston / For The Times)

The final regular-season game between Mater Dei and St. John Bosco had a classic ending to another memorable rivalry game, with Mater Dei winning 36-36 on a successful two-point conversion with 7.5 seconds left. Here’s the report.

Mission Viejo won the Alpha League title over San Juan Hills. Here’s the report.

Valencia rallied to defeat Hart for the Foothill League title. Here’s the report.

Long Beach Poly didn’t allow a single point in Moore League play, outscoring its opponents 199-0.

Hoover earned its first playoff berth since 1987.

Freshman Deon’Dre Smith is having a terrific season for Bellflower at receiver. Here’s the report.

The Coliseum League ended in a three-way tie for first place among King/Drew, Dorsey and Crenshaw after Dorsey upset King/Drew, requiring all three to go to the City Section Open Division playoffs.

Here’s top performances from last week.

Here’s Southern Section playoff pairings.

Here’s City Section playoff pairings.

Here’s the top 25 rankings by The Times.

Coach perseveres

Marshall coach Jose Razo with his 11-year-old son, Adrian. He spent 18 years as a football assistant at Marshall.

(Aida Alrafe)

Rejected twice after interviews for head football coach at Marshall, Jose Razo decided to stay as an assistant coach. When the job opened again in 2025, he was promoted to head coach. Now the team is 10-0 and Northern League champions.

Here’s a look at why he refused to abandon his alma mater.

JSerra quarterback Kate Meier throws while being blitzed by Huntington Beach defender Olivia Quick during the CIF Southern Section Open Division flag football semifinals on Oct. 31, 2026.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Unbeaten JSerra will play Newport Harbor for the Southern Section Open Division flag football title Saturday at Huntington Beach.

JSerra will enter with a 55-game winning steak. Here’s a report from the Lions’ semifinal win over Huntington Beach.

Carson is seeded No. 1 and Eagle Rock No. 2 for the City Section Open Division playoffs that begin on Thursday. Here are the pairings.

Girls volleyball

The top two seeds, Mater Dei and Sierra Canyon, have advanced to play for the Southern Section Division 1 championship Saturday at Cerritos College.

They’ve been considered the top two teams all season.

Mater Dei is 38-1 with its only loss coming to Santa Margarita. It has a tournament win over Sierra Canyon, which is 32-1. Also No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the state. The time will be announced early this week.

Here are the semifinal results.

The City Section will hold its finals at Venice and Birmingham this weekend. In Tuesday’s semifinals, Venice will host Taft and Cleveland is at Palisades.

Palisades wins in tennis

Palisades High freshman Aila Monahan won her three sets at No. 1 singles in the City Section girls’ tennis finals.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Palisades continued its domination in girls tennis with another City Section girls title.

Here’s the report of the Dolphins’ win over Granada Hills.

Notes . . .

Nick Welch Jr, is a senior at Rolling Hills Prep.

(Craig Weston)

Nick Welch Jr., a 6-foot-9 center at Rolling Hills Prep, has committed to TCU, which is coached by former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame star Jamie Dixon. ….

Junior outfielder Dru Wilson of Sierra Canyon has committed to UCLA. He played the last two seasons at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame….

Senior outfielder Griffin Fien from Chaparral has committed UC Riverside….

Pitcher Easton Sarmiento of Ayala has committed to Texas….

Pitcher Ethan Costarella of Arcadia has committed to Azusa Pacific….

Jonah Boyd from Ayala has committed to Cal Poly for baseball….

Pitcher Striker Pence from Corona Santiago has committed to Texas A&M….

Standout junior pitcher Tyler George from Santa Margarita has committed to USC….

Outfielder Messiah White of Mater Dei has committed to UC Riverside….

Richelle Whiting has resigned as girls volleyball coach at Aliso Niguel….

Jaylee Moore of Etiwanda has committed to Hawaii women’s basketball….

Basketball teams from St. Francis, Crespi, Crossroads and Campbell Hall will be competing at the Hoop Hall Classic in Springfield, Mass., in Janaury….

The Southern Section water polo playoffs continue. Here’s an update on results and schedules....

The Southern Section girls’ tennis playoffs begin…

From the archives: Matt Leinart

Matt Leinart (center) in 2019.

(Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP)

Former Mater Dei and USC quarterback Matt Leinart remains heavily involved in sports as a TV analyst and Mater Dei supporter. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2004 and his son, Cole, is a quarterback at SMU.

Here’s a story from 1999 when Leinart led Mater Dei to a comeback win over Servite.

Here’s a story from 2000 and another comeback win over Servite directed by Leinart.

Recommendations

From DaveCampbells.com, a story on Texas making high school football championships on a free TV platform.

From the Los Angeles Times, a story and photos on how Patriot High has become a hotbed for flag football.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

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Rams defeat the Chargers

From Gary Klein: For much of Sunday’s game between the Rams and the Chargers, it was impossible to distinguish:

Which team had arrived at SoFi Stadium winless?

The Chargers, who had not won a game since last season, looked the part.

But so did the supposedly we’re-ready-to-make-a-run Rams.

The Rams showed life at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second, and that ultimately proved enough for a 24-9 victory in front of 73,621.

Matthew Stafford passed for a touchdown and Blake Corum and Kyren Williams rushed for touchdowns as the Rams improved their record to 4-4.

Safety Quentin Lake and cornerback Trent McDuffie intercepted passes to foil a Justin Herbert-led offense that went into the game as the NFL’s lowest-scoring outfit and did little to foster reason for optimism.

For a mostly underperforming Rams team that began the season as an overwhelming favorite to win Super Bowl LXI, it has turned into a season of firsts.

Consider: For the first time this season, the Rams have won two games in a row.

Continue reading here

Rams-Chargers summary

NFL standings

Lakers slide past the Raptors

From Broderick Turner: Lakers coach JJ Redick and defensive ace Walker Kessler applauded Luka Doncic for his standout defensive performance in the Lakers’ 131-125 victory over the Toronto Raptors at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday.

And Doncic’s response to the accolades?

“Finally,” Doncic said, laughing.

Doncic had five steals. He took three charges. And he collected 15 defensive rebounds. Oh, and he also had 45 points and six assists. He was 12 for 23 from the field, eight for 12 from three-point range and made all 13 of his free-throws.

But it was his defensive performance that drew the most attention on Doncic bobblehead giveaway night. As he sat in front of the media wearing a black baseball cap, Doncic was asked why he has this reputation of not being a very good defender.

“Why? I don’t know,” he responded. “Obviously, I’m not the best defender in the NBA, but I think this year I really took a step forward. Obviously, people are going to talk what they want to talk [about] me. … But I know, and my team knows, that I think I’m better this year. And that helps the whole team, I think.”

Continue reading here

Lakers box score

NBA standings

UCLA moves up to No. 5 in AP poll

Ohio State dropped out of the top 10 of the Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday for the first time in five years, UCLA entered the top five for the first time in 25 years and New Mexico earned the first ranking in program history.

The Buckeyes plummeted from No. 2 to No. 11 following their 30-18 loss at USC, making it four weeks in a row the No. 1 or 2 team has lost to an unranked opponent.

Miami was No. 1 for the third straight week after escaping North Carolina with a 38-35 victory. Georgia moved up a spot to No. 2 and was followed by Utah, Notre Dame and UCLA.

USC re-entered the rankings at No. 18.

Continue reading here

UCLA’s Cori Close has the right approach to college sports

From Mirjam Swanson: You’re either a hater, a Trojan, or you were happy to see Cori Close win the national championship last season.

Even Dawn Staley was glad to see it, and it was her South Carolina team that Close’s UCLA Bruins throttled 79-51 in last April’s NCAA Tournament championship clinic in Phoenix.

“I’m always happy for people that worked hard in this game, who are really quality people,” Staley said shortly after UCLA won its first NCAA women’s basketball title. “I want good things to happen for them. Cori is one of those people who really works at making our game better. Not just UCLA, but our entire game.”

As the whole enterprise of college sports teeters chaotically, Close winning was as healthy a thing as could happen.

Continue reading here

Clippers lose fifth in a row

Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg scored a career-high 37 points and dished out six assists in a game in which Golden State rested stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, and the Warriors beat the Clippers 124-112 for their fourth straight win Sunday night.

Lendeborg notched his fourth game with 20 or more points, scoring five straight midway through the third quarter that gave the Warriors their biggest lead to that point at 83-68. He shot 13 for 19 — six of 11 from three-point range — and his points were the most by a Warriors rookie since Curry went off for 42 on April 14, 2010, at Portland.

With two 30-point performances among his initial seven games, Lendeborg joined Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry as the only other Warriors to do so. Lendeborg bounced back from a tough outing in a win against the Lakers on Friday in which he fouled out.

Continue reading here

Clippers box score

NBA standings

Angel City enters playoffs with a win

From Kevin Baxter: It has been a week since Angel City qualified for the NWSL playoffs. On Sunday, the team found out who and where it would be playing.

With a 4-1 victory over Boston Legacy, Angel City finished the regular season fifth in the standings and will travel to Kansas City on Saturday to meet the Current in its second-ever trip to the postseason. And it will enter the playoffs as the hottest team in the NWSL, riding a league-best 10-game unbeaten streak.

The goals Sunday came from Nealy Martin in the first half and Evelyn Shores, Sveindis Jonsdottir and Claire Emslie in the second. Boston’s only score came from Brazilian striker Amanda Gutierres just before intermission.

Continue reading here

Angel City summary

NWSL standings

NWSL playoffs schedule

LAFC falls to Minnesota

Joaquín Pereyra scored two goals, defender Cherrion Valerius scored the first of his career and Minnesota United kept its postseason hopes alive with a 3-1 victory over LAFC on Sunday night.

Minnesota (10-12-11) pulled within two points of a Western Conference postseason berth with one match remaining.

LAFC (12-10-11) had already clinched a playoff spot but missed a chance to finish in the top four and earn home-field advantage in the best-of-three first round.

Continue reading here

LAFC summary

MLS standings

Ducks rally past Senators

Cutter Gauthier had his second career hat trick, scoring the go-ahead goal early in the third period, and the Ducks overcame a three-goal deficit to beat the Ottawa Senators 6-3 on Sunday night.

Judd Caulfield scored twice, rookie Roger McQueen added another and Leo Carlsson had three assists to help the Ducks win for the second time in nine games. The Ducks went four for five on the power play.

Laurent Brossoit made 20 saves in his Ducks debut. Brossoit played his second NHL game in three seasons after being recalled from San Diego of the AHL on Saturday.

Continue reading here

Ducks summary

NHL standings

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

This year, the Dodgers watched the World Series from home, with the Milwaukee Brewers’ World Series victory over the Tampa Bay Rays officially ushering in a fresh slate for the Dodgers to plan their 2027 championship pursuit.

“When you take the experience and the talent of our core guys, and you look at what is coming [up through the farm system], that is what gives us a high degree of confidence about being able to sustain this,” said Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, in his end-of-season news conference, “not just in 2027, but as we look out.”

As the Dodgers attempt to strengthen their roster to climb back to the top, however, they’ll have to navigate a disjointed winter transaction window.

MLB owners are expected to impose a lockout when the collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1. If that happens, the offseason will grind to a halt, suspended indefinitely until the two sides sign a new agreement.

Will that expected shutdown spur early action in free agency?

Will the threat of a salary cap freeze the player market?

It’s unclear, but teams are readying themselves to jump into action whenever the market does move.

“There’ve been a number of things that we’ve done over the last couple of years that, in October, early-November planning we didn’t think was likely or that possible,” Friedman said. “An opportunity popped up, and we were at least prepared enough to act in the time to get something done — there’ve been trades, there’s been free-agent signings.

“So for us, it’s just about our internal meetings, getting as prepared as we can be. Because things are going to play out in ways and timing and things that we can’t anticipate, so be as prepared as we can be.”

Amid those unique circumstances, here’s a guide to the Dodgers’ offseason:

Lakers show they are better without LeBron

From Bill Plaschke: They fly around the court, Luka Magic to AR to that new guy who dunks.

These joyous new Lakers have wings.

LeBron James would have grounded them.

They gesture to the crowd, point to each other, fill the postgame interviews with jokes and laughter and connection.

LeBron James would have silenced them.

Barely a week into the Lakers’ season, ignoring the records, forgetting the statistics, only one thing is abundantly clear.

The Lakers are better off without LeBron.

The Lakers are thriving without LeBron.

Continue reading here

‘A true professional’: Jarred Vanderbilt leads Lakers’ bench against Clippers

Rams discuss CTE and football

From Gary Klein: Rams players are increasingly aware of the risks of playing their sport, especially as it relates to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a neurodegenerative brain disease.

But they try not to think about it.

This week, a Boston University study was published that analyzed the medical records of more than 2,000 deceased former NFL players. The study estimated that 74.5% of them likely had CTE.

Defensive tackle Aaron Donald, 35, played 10 seasons before retiring after the 2023 season. He rejoined the Rams this season. When asked about the study and CTE, Donald said, “That’s a real thing.”

But he said, “You don’t think about it. You just play. When you sign up to play football, you know what you’re signing up for.

“You obviously don’t want nothing like that to occur.”

Continue reading here

Staggering 74.5% of NFL players who died from 2008 to 2023 likely had CTE, study finds

NFL Week 8 picks: Lions beat 6-0 Vikings; Steelers prevail over Browns

UCLA kicker happy to be part of team’s success

From Jordan Puente: UCLA football coach Bob Chesney trusted Mateen Bhaghani enough to trot him out for a 58-yard field goal attempt before halftime during the Bruins’ 28-10 win over Michigan State.

Bhaghani drilled a 54-yard field goal during last season’s 42-37 upset against Penn State.

His attempt to surpass his career long of 57 yards against the Spartans last week fell short, but Bhaghani doesn’t linger long on errant kicks. He knows he will only be successful when his team needs him most if he focuses on the fine details of every kick.

“I love the feeling of making field goals and helping the team win,” Bhaghani said. “It’s a different type of adrenaline; going out there, with all that pressure — is so fulfilling and relaxing for me.”

The daily attention to detail has helped Bhaghani hit all 102 of the extra points he has attempted during his college career.

The following interview with Bhaghani ahead of the Bruins’ game against Nevada Saturday has been edited for length and clarity.

Continue reading here

Kings win in overtime

Ottawa Senators forward Hayden Hodgson received a game misconduct and major penalty for boarding defenseman Brandt Clarke in the Kings’ 6-5 overtime victory Thursday night.

Hodgson took a run at Clarke, charging in at 21 mph according to the game broadcast. Clarke was just below the goal line when he was driven into the boards. The hit caused a brief scrum, and the Kings’ Erik Haula received a two-minute penalty for roughing Hodgson.

Clarke was ruled out for the rest of the game for what the Kings called an upper-body injury.

The play with 8:45 left in the second period came shortly after the Kings scored three goals in 4:03 to take a 4-1 lead and chase goalie Jonas Johansson.

Continue reading here

Kings summary

NHL standings

Struggling Ducks lose again

Tage Thompson had three goals and two assists, Zach Benson added a goal and two assists, and the Buffalo Sabres scored six consecutive goals during a 7-6 victory over the struggling Ducks on Thursday night.

Thompson’s 10th career hat trick tied him with Alexander Mogilny and Danny Gare for the third-most in Sabres history. One night before his 29th birthday, Thompson scored twice in 15 seconds in the second period, skating around the Ducks’ inert defense for a breakaway third goal that sent a dozen hats flying onto the Honda Center ice.

Tyson Kozak, Noah Ostlund and Jack Quinn also scored and Colten Ellis made 28 saves for the Sabres, who roared back from an early two-goal deficit and then hung on to improve to 2-0-1 on their four-game trip.

Captain Mikael Granlund scored and Leo Carlsson had three assists in the Ducks’ seventh loss in eight games.

Continue reading here

Ducks summary

NHL standings

This day in sports history

1943 — Gus Bodnar of Toronto scores a goal 15 seconds into his first NHL game as the Maple Leafs beat the New York Rangers 5-2.

1945 — Branch Rickey signs Jackie Robinson to the Montreal Royals.

1955 — Jim Patton of New York returns a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown as the Giants beat the Washington Redskins 35-7.

1966 — Jim Nance of the Boston Patriots rushes for 208 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-21 victory over the Oakland Raiders.

1971 — Eric Allen of Michigan State rushes for 350 yards in 43-10 rout of Purdue.

1974 — Muhammad Ali knocks out George Foreman in the eighth round in Kinshasa, Zaire, to regain the world heavyweight title in the “Rumble in the Jungle.”

1975 — John Bucyk of the Boston Bruins scores his 500th goal in a 3-2 victory over St. Louis.

1977 — Walter Payton of the Chicago Bears rushes for 205 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-0 triumph over the Green Bay Packers.

1993 — Erin Whitten becomes the first woman goalie in pro hockey to be credited with a victory as Toledo beats Dayton 6-5 in the East Coast Hockey League.

1996 — The WNBA announces the eight cities that will compete in the WNBAs inaugural season. Charlotte, Cleveland, Houston and New York will play in the Eastern Conference and Los Angeles, Phoenix, Sacramento and Utah will compete the Western Conference.

1997 — Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona announces his retirement from football on his 37th birthday.

1997 — Violet Palmer makes pro sports history by becoming the first woman to officiate an NBA game. There is little reaction by the crowd when her name is announced just before tip-off of the game between the Dallas Mavericks and Vancouver Grizzlies.

1999 — Marques Tuiasosopo becomes the first college player to pass for 300 yards and run for 200, racking up a school-record 509 yards as Washington rallied to beat Stanford 35-30. Tuiasosopo completes 19-of-32 passes for 302 yards and a touchdown and rushes 22 times for 207 yards and two TDs.

2001 — Michael Jordan misses his biggest shot of the night and commits two crucial late turnovers in the Washington Wizards’ 93-91 loss to the New York Knicks, Jordan’s first regular-season game after a 3 1/2-year retirement.

2003 — In the first regular-season game of his NBA career, 18-year-old LeBron James has 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals, but the Cleveland Cavaliers lose 106-92 to the Sacramento Kings.

2004 — Trainer Bobby Frankel finally breaks through in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, with Ghostzapper blazing to victory in America’s richest race held at Lone Star Park. Frankel, who had just two wins with 62 Breeders’ Cup starters before the $4 million Classic, had saddled the beaten favorite the past three years.

2004 — Dana College’s Tom Lensch sets an all-division college record by attempting 101 passes in a 60-35 loss to Hastings College. Lensch completes 56 passes for a school-record 507 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.

2011 — The Baltimore Ravens erase a 24-3 deficit to defeat Arizona 30-27. It marks the fifth time this season a team trailed by at least 20 points and came back to win. That is the most in a single season in NFL history.

2016 — Derek Carr throws a 41-yard touchdown pass to Seth Roberts with 1:45 remaining in overtime, capping a record-breaking day for the Oakland Raiders in a 30-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Carr throws for a franchise-record 513 yards — completing 40 of 59 passes without an interception — and the Raiders overcome an NFL-record 23 penalties for 200 yards.

2019 — World Series: Washington Nationals beat Houston Astros, 6-2 in Game 7 at Minute Maid Park, Houston to win first title in franchise history; MVP: Washington pitcher Stephen Strasburg.

2024 — World Series: Dodgers win eighth title in franchise history; overcome 5-0 deficit to beat New York Yankees 7-6 at Yankee Stadium for 4-1 series victory; MVP: Dodgers 1B Freddie Freeman (4 HR, 12 RBI).

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Lakers rout the Clippers

From Broderick Turner: Lakers scoring phenom Luka Doncic missed his first game of the young season with back tightness, leaving a giant hole in their offense with the NBA’s leading scorer (36 points per game) sitting out.

Lakers defensive star Ziaire Williams also missed his first game with left foot soreness, leaving them even more depleted with two starters unable to play.

The Lakers added a lot of depth over the summer in case of injury situations and now it was going to be tested against the Clippers at Intuit Dome.

Collin Sexton is one of the players the Lakers acquired for a moment like Wednesday, and he delivered in a big way, coming off the bench to provide energy and effort in helping the Lakers take a 103-87 victory over the Clippers.

“Sometimes it’s hard to get his attention because he gets locked in, he gets in the zone,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said about Sexton. “I love the competitive fire.”

Sexton was at his best in the third quarter, scoring 11 of his 21 points, flexing and pounding his chest after a made basket. His play helped the Lakers open a 22-point lead they never lost.

Continue reading here

High-scoring Lakers stress they need to play championship defense

Lakers-Clippers box score

NBA standings

Rams bring back kicker Joshua Karty

From Gary Klein: The Rams are suddenly paying special attention to special teams — and they are turning to former players for help.

On Wednesday, the Rams signed to the practice squad kicker Joshua Karty and long-snapper Jake McQuaide — both of whom played previously for the Rams — and linebacker Jon Rhattigan.

The moves came after the Rams gave up significant kick returns and long snapper Joe Cardona suffered an ankle injury during their 35-21 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, the latest miscues in a season that has featured a seemingly nonstop array of special teams issues.

The Rams (3-4) play the winless Chargers (0-6) on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

Continue reading here

LA Olympics unveils official slogan

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: To stage the largest Olympics in history, LA28 is looking toward the cosmos for inspiration.

The committee in charge of bringing the Games back to L.A. for the first time in 44 years announced its slogan for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games on Wednesday, hoping to rally athletes, volunteers and fans behind a simple call: “Stars align.”

“‘Stars align’ is when preparation meets opportunity,” LA28 chief marketing officer Alex Merchán said. “So together that creates something extraordinary, and that’s what we seek to do here.”

The slogan that will set the stage for the next 21 months developed organically within the organizing committee over several years, Merchán said. Only during the last 12 or 13 months did the team really start imagining ways to bring the phrase to life.

Continue reading here

Brewers win their first World Series title

The small-ball Milwaukee Brewers playing in the smallest market in the majors are World Series champions for the first time in franchise history.

Hey, Milwaukee: grab a brat, raise a beer and prepare for that parade.

Young ace Jacob Misiorowski threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings of two-hit ball, rookie Cooper Pratt got two more hits and two RBIs, and the Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 on Wednesday night to set off a long-awaited celebration among thousands of Brewers fans in attendance at Tropicana Field.

“It’s the best feeling ever. All of our fans are here. I know the city’s waited a long, long time for this,” Milwaukee captain Christian Yelich said. “We’re so happy to bring it home to them. I can’t wait to get back there and celebrate.”

Continue reading here

Game 5 box score

World Series results

No. 1 Milwaukee vs. No. 1 Tampa Bay
at Milwaukee 3, Tampa Bay 2 (box score)
at Milwaukee 5, Tampa Bay 4 (box score)
Milwaukee 10, at Tampa Bay 1 (box score)
at Tampa Bay 4, Milwaukee 3 (12) (box score)
Milwaukee 4, at Tampa Bay 1 (box score)

This day in sports history

1950 — Detroit’s Wally Triplett gains 294 yards in kickoff returns and ends up with 331 total yards as the Lions pound the Rams 65-24 on 41 third-quarter points.

1960 — Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) wins his first pro fight, beating Tunney Hunsaker on points in six rounds in Louisville.

1961 — Oscar Robertson dishes out a franchise-record 22 assists during Cincinnati’s 139-132 win over visiting Syracuse. The “Big O” goes on to average a triple-double (30.8 ppg, 12.5 rpg and 11.4 apg) for the Royals during the 1961-62 season, becoming the first NBA player to average double figures in assists.

1969 — Tom Seaver wins NL CY Young.

1977 — Boston’s John Havlicek becomes the second player in NBA history to connect on 10,000 field goals, reaching the milestone in a 103-98 loss at Cleveland.

1977 — Russell Erxleben of Texas kicks a 60-yard field goal in a 26-0 rout of Texas Tech for his third field goal of the season over 60 yards, an NCAA record.

1983 — Gil Fenerty rushes for 337 yards in 18 carries and scores six touchdowns to lead Holy Cross to a 77-28 rout of Columbia.

1984 — Orlando Pizzolato wins the New York Marathon in 2:14:53 and Grete Waitz captures the women’s title in 2:29:30.

1987 — Thomas Hearns wins unprecedented fourth different weight boxing title.

1994 — Arnold Mickens rushes for more than 200 yards for the eighth consecutive game, breaking the NCAA Division I-AA single-season rushing record as Butler beats Evansville 49-14. Mickens’ 244 yards gives him a total of 2,111, surpassing the record of 2,016 set by Towson State’s Tony Vinson.

2005 — Top-ranked USC wins its 30th straight game, routing Washington State 55-13. The Trojans tie Texas for the 11th-longest winning streak in major college football history.

2006 — With a a 34-31 victory over Denver, Indianapolis is the first team to start 7-0 in consecutive seasons since the 1929-31 Green Bay Packers did it three straight times.

2011 — Joe Paterno breaks Eddie Robinson’s record for victories by a Division I coach with No. 409 in Penn State’s sloppy 10-7 win over Illinois.

2014 — Madison Bumgarner and the San Francisco Giants succeed where no team had in 3 1/2 decades, winning Game 7 on the road for their third World Series title in five years. Bumgarner comes out of the bullpen to pitch five scoreless innings on two days’ rest as the Giants held off the Kansas City Royals 3-2.

2017 — Russell Wilson hits Jimmy Graham for an 18-yard touchdown with 21 seconds left, his second TD catch of the fourth quarter, to lead Seattle over Houston 41-38. Wilson finishes 26 of 41 for a career-high 452 yards and four TDs. Deshaun Watson is nearly the equal of Wilson, throwing for 402 yards and four touchdowns and three interceptions.

2017 — Caroline Wozniacki wins the biggest title of her career when she beat Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 in the WTA Finals.

2017 — Justin Rose mounts the third-largest final-round comeback in PGA TOUR history to win the WGC-HSBC Champions. Rose starts the final round eight shots behind Dustin Johnson, who ties a record for losing the largest lead in the final round. The historic 5-under 67 round by Rose is keyed by a back-nine 31. Rose finishes at 14-under 274 and Johnson who finishes with a 77, ties for second with Henrik Stenson and Brooks Koepka, two strokes back.

2018 — Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors, breaks the NBA record for most three-pointers in a game with 14 in a Warrior’s 149-124 over the Chicago Bulls. The record was previously held by Thompson’s teammate Stephen Curry.

2024 — Dodgers slugger Freddie Freeman sets record with a home run in his 6th consecutive World Series game, including two with Atlanta Braves in 2021, in 11-4 loss at Yankee Stadium in New York.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

The suggestion caught Ross Newhan off guard.

The Angels had just reached the promised land, after more than four decades of wandering through baseball’s wilderness. Who better than Newhan, who had been there since Day 1, to write a first-person account of that long and winding road to their first World Series?

Newhan was reluctant. That would make the story about himself, which he despised. The editors prevailed, and within the story he delivered a sentence that struck deep within the heart of every loyal and long-suffering Angels fan.

“I can’t help but feel a sweep of emotions seep through the cynicism and dispassion that is the byproduct of being present for all or part of every Angel season,” he wrote on Oct. 14, 2002.

To this day, the Angels have one guy in the Hall of Fame: Vladimir Guerrero. The Times has two: Jim Murray, the Pulitzer Prize-winning sports columnist, and Newhan.

If Vin Scully provided the voice for the first half-century of Major League Baseball in Southern California, Newhan provided the words.

Newhan died on Sunday, at 89, after what his wife Connie called a “cardiac event.” His reporting — first at the Long Beach Independent Press-Telegram, then over 37 years at The Times — distinguished The Times as a national source for baseball coverage.

Ross Newhan, center, interviews Jim McGlothlin, left, and Jim Fregosi of the California Angels during the 1969 season.

(The Sporting News via Getty Images)

He was so renowned within baseball that the Dodgers, MLB, and the players’ union posted condolences.

Bud Selig, the former commissioner and occasional antagonist in Newhan’s columns, told The Times: “I mourn the passing of Ross Newhan. He was an excellent sportswriter, and I always had a great amount of respect for him personally and for his work.”

In his Hall of Fame acceptance speech, he reserved a special mention for a teacher at Wilson High in Long Beach, the one that envisioned a writer blossoming within a student dozing in class.

“If a high school journalism instructor named John Gartner hadn’t hollered my name and pounded my desk one day, I might still be sitting there asleep,” Newhan said, “with no real clue what I wanted to do in my life.”

Ross Newhan, receives the J.G. Taylor Spink Award from Jane Forbes Clark, chairman of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, in Cooperstown, N.Y., on Aug. 5, 2001.

(Associated Press)

In the 1990s, as a young reporter at the Riverside Press-Enterprise, I was among a small group of writers talking with Tony Gwynn, the San Diego Padres’ Hall of Famer. Newhan was there too, and as the group dispersed, he told me: “You ask good questions.”

Talk about inspiration: It was as if Clayton Kershaw had seen a kid throw a curveball and said, “Not bad.”

Behind a gruff and occasionally intense exterior, Newhan had a heart of gold. Mike DiGiovanna, the longtime Times baseball writer, called Newhan “a security blanket” for colleagues needing a fact check, a phone number or an introduction to someone famous.

“He was a giant without the giant ego,” DiGiovanna said.

Newhan trained former Times colleague Jason Reid on how to cover baseball. Reid affectionately called him “Boss Ross.” The two were such relentless reporters that, amid the wild initial days of the McCourt family ownership of the Dodgers, Reid got co-owner Jamie McCourt so frazzled that she actually said this: “This is bad because you guys remember everything and you write everything down.”

Newhan and Reid had reported on concerns with the McCourt financing before the ownership deal closed, and six years before Frank McCourt’s divorce attorney admitted in court that McCourt had put “not a penny” of his own money into the deal. That did not make Newhan and McCourt the best of friends, but neither did it make them bitter enemies.

“He seemed to take a sort of pride in being the guardian of Los Angeles baseball, for lack of a better term,” said Hall of Fame president Josh Rawitch, then the Dodgers’ publicist. “He had an ability to garner respect from people even when he was writing something you weren’t happy about.”

Said Mike Scioscia, on whom Newhan reported as a Dodgers player and Angels manager: “Ross was a true gentleman and had a real matter-of-fact way of asking questions that put you at ease.”

Ross Newhan shares a happy moment with his great granddaughter, Bailey, earlier this year.

(Courtesy of the Newhan family)

There was nothing flashy about Newhan, not in his writing, certainly not in the way he conducted himself. He let his work and its credibility speak for itself.

Newhan is survived by his wife, Connie; his son, David, and daughter-in-law, Karen; his daughter, Sara, and son-in-law, Mike; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

The story about David is the one most often recalled Monday, because it really was a story about his father.

David, the kid that tagged along with Newhan when the Angels held spring training in Palm Springs, developed into a major leaguer. He had joked with reporters that he hadn’t been sure if rumors of his call-up were true because “as everyone knows, you can’t believe what’s in the paper.”

In 2004, as Newhan and I covered a game at Dodger Stadium, David appeared as a pinch-hitter for the Baltimore Orioles against the Colorado Rockies, in his first major league at-bat in three years. Newhan was glued to his laptop, where these words suddenly appeared: “In play, run(s).”

Waiting, waiting, waiting … and then I heard one of the loudest screams I have ever heard. Rawitch heard it too. Everyone in the press box heard it.

“Home run.”

The scream was out of character for a professional writer, entirely in character for a proud father. He aced both, and we’ll miss him.

How Angel City turned around

From Kevin Baxter: No one in Angel City history has played in more games or worn the captain’s armband more often than Sarah Gorden. So it’s unlikely any player has enjoyed this season, Angel City’s fifth in the NWSL, more than her.

With Saturday’s 2-0 win over Bay FC, the team extended its franchise record for wins (14) and points (49) with one game to play. It has averaged more goals scored (1.7) and fewer goals allowed (1.07) than any team in franchise history, has the best goal differential (plus-19) in the league and has qualified for the postseason for just the second time.

If Angel City (14-8-7) beats Boston in its regular-season finale Sunday, it could play host to a playoff game for the first time. For Gorden, none of that success is surprising. What is surprising is that it took so long to achieve.

“Did I think we’d get here? Yeah,” she said. “I always felt like we take two steps forward, one step back. Maybe two steps forward, three steps back. But I always felt like strategically, at some point, the right pieces would be here and we’d be doing the right things at the right time.

“The backing was always there, the passion was always there, the vision was always there. For a long time it was just about getting the right pieces together.”

That was the part that took a bit of trial and error, with the team going through 64 players, five coaches, three general managers/sporting directors and two controlling ownership groups since its founding. And Gorden, who became the second player in team history when she was acquired in a trade with the Chicago Red Stars in December 2021 — five months before Angel City’s first game — has been with the team for all of it.

Continue reading here

Kings rout the Rangers

Drew Doughty had a goal and two assists, and Artemi Panarin added a power-play goal and an assist as the Kings beat the New York Rangers 6-3 on Monday night.

The Kings won for the third time in their last four games — all on the road — after going winless over their first six games of the season.

The Kings jumped on New York early, chasing goaltender James Reimer after one period. Reimer was pulled in his Rangers debut after allowing three goals on eight shots. Reimer played just one previous game this fall, a 35-save shutout in the American Hockey League on Saturday night, before signing an NHL contract for the rest of the season.

Taylor Ward opened the scoring 1:15 into the game on the Kings’ first shot. Brandt Clarke made it 2-0 at 4:52 of the first, tipping in a rebound off Joel Armia’s slap shot.

Continue reading here

Kings summary

NHL standings

Valkyries win WNBA Finals Game 5

Kiah Stokes had 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots as the Golden State Valkyries moved within one win of a championship in their second season, beating the Atlanta Dream 64-55 in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on Monday night.

Angel Reese finished with seven points, 15 rebounds and five assists — a big difference from her two standout performances in the first two games of the series at Chase Center. Reese shook her head when whistled for the second of her three offensive fouls with 7:43 to play.

Fans screamed and clapped thunder sticks following the final buzzer as Stokes spoke from the floor to chants of “MVP!”

Continue reading here

WNBA Finals Game 5 box score

Brewers move one win away from World Series title

Jackson Chourio set the tone at the plate, Brice Turang sparked a historic offensive outburst and Robert Gasser shut the door on the mound.

The Milwaukee Brewers are one victory from their first World Series title after routing the Tampa Bay Rays 10-1 on Monday night thanks to a trio of young players who have shined in October.

Chourio bookended Milwaukee’s eight-run fifth inning with two of his four hits, and Turang’s two-run single opened a barrage of scoring with two outs.

Continue reading here

Game 3 box score

World Series results, schedule

All games at 5 p.m. PT
All game on FOX/FOX Deportes/FOX One

No. 1 Milwaukee vs. No. 1 Tampa Bay
at Milwaukee 3, Tampa Bay 2 (box score)
at Milwaukee 5, Tampa Bay 4 (box score)
Milwaukee 10, at Tampa Bay 1 (box score)
Tuesday at Tampa Bay
*Wednesday at Tampa Bay
*Friday at Milwaukee
*Saturday at Milwaukee

* if necessary

This day in sports history

1967 — New Mexico tight end Emilio Vallez catches 17 passes for 257 yards to tie an NCAA record in a 75-12 rout of Texas El Paso.

1973 — Four players rush for more than 100 yards as Alabama sets three NCAA records during a 77-6 romp of Virginia Tech. Alabama sets records with 823 yards total offense, 743 yards rushing and four 100-yard rushers. Jim Taylor gains 142 yards, Wilbur Jackson 138, Calvin Culliver 127 and Richard Todd 102.

1984 — Washington State’s Rueben Mayes sets an NCAA record with 357 yards rushing, 197 in the first half, and scores three touchdowns in a 50-41 victory over Oregon.

1984 — Iowa’s Chuck Long completes 22 straight passes to set an NCAA record in a 24-20 victory over Indiana.

1996 — After two humbling losses at home, the New York Yankees win their first World Series title since 1978 with a 3-2 victory over the defending champion Atlanta Braves in Game 6.

2001 — Joe Paterno wins his 324th game to pass Bear Bryant for the most victories by a Division I-A coach when Penn State rallies for a 29-27 win over Ohio State.

2002 — Emmitt Smith breaks the NFL career rushing yardage record held by the late Walter Payton on an 11-yard run in the fourth quarter. Smith has 109 yards and a touchdown in Dallas’ 17-14 loss to Seattle and ends the game with 16,743 career yards — 17 more than Payton gained.

2002 — Behind rookie pitcher John Lackey and a three-run double by Garret Anderson, the Angels beat Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants 4-1 for the franchise’s first World Series title.

2004 — The Boston Red Sox are World Series champions at long, long last. Johnny Damon homers on the fourth pitch of the game, Derek Lowe makes it stand up and the Red Sox win Game 4 3-0, sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals for their first crown since 1918.

2005 — Curtis Joseph makes 13 saves to earn his 400th NHL victory and Mike Comrie scores twice as Phoenix edges Calgary 3-2.

2006 — The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Detroit Tigers 4-2 in Game 5 to wrap up their first Series title in nearly a quarter-century and 10th overall. The Cardinals had 83 regular-season wins, the fewest by a World Series champion.

2007 — Curlin posts an emphatic victory against his toughest rivals in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Monmouth Park. Ridden by Robby Albarado, Curlin defeats Derby runner-up Hard Spun by 4 1/2 lengths.

2007 — Weber State beats Portland State 73-68 to set an NCAA all-division football record for points in a game. Back in 1916, Georgia Tech beat Cumberland 222-0, but that was before the NCAA kept track of records.

2012 — Matt Scott of Arizona gains 469 total yards and accounts for four TDs in the Wildcats’ 39-36 win over USC. Marqise Lee of USC, catches 16 passes for a Pac-12-record 345 yards and two TDs.

2013 — Matthew Stafford’s 1-yard lunge over a pile of linemen with 12 seconds left and Calvin Johnson’s 329 yards receiving lift the Detroit Lions to a 31-30 comeback win over the Dallas Cowboys. Stafford throws a 22-yard pass to Johnson, who had the second-most yards receiving in NFL history, to set up his winning score.

2013 — Serena Williams ends her best season in style, rallying past Li Na 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 for her second straight WTA Championship and 11th title of the year.

2015 — Alex Gordon hits a tying home run with one out in the ninth inning, Eric Hosmer hits a sacrifice fly against Bartolo Colon in the 14th and the Kansas City Royals beat the New York Mets 5-4 in the longest opener in World Series history.

2015 — American soccer star Abby Wambach announces her retirement.

2020 — Dodgers beat Tampa Bay Rays in Game 6 at Globe Life Field, Arlington Texas to win their first World Series title in 32 years.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Rams get nice win over Raiders

From Gary Klein: What happened in Vegas cannot stay in Vegas.

Not if the Rams want to make a run to the playoffs.

Matthew Stafford must continue to flash his 2025 MVP form. Star receiver Puka Nacua and Rams tight ends must keep carrying a Davante Adams-less receiving corps. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum must build on an impressive combo rushing performance.

And the Rams’ defense must negate potential comebacks.

The Rams displayed all those attributes Sunday in a 35-21 victory over the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.

Stafford became the franchise’s all-time leader in touchdown passes by connecting with tight end Davis Allen for two and with Nacua for another in a victory that improved the Rams’ record to 3-4.

“A good step in the right direction,” coach Sean McVay said.

Williams and Corum each rushed for a touchdown as the Rams bounced back from consecutive defeats by the Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals to keep alive their turnaround from their third poor start in three seasons.

For the first time in the Rams’ last five games, the outcome did not come down to the final play.

Continue reading here

Rams summary

NFL standings

Luka Doncic scores 52 in Lakers victory

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Luka Doncic raised three fingers toward the Utah crowd. Fans were left counting more than just his points.

Doncic hit three clutch three-pointers late in the fourth quarter and took a momentum-swinging charge to lead the Lakers to a nail-biting 132-123 victory over the Utah Jazz on Sunday at Delta Center. Doncic led the Lakers (3-0) with 52 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds as the team fought back from an 18-point second-quarter deficit.

Guard Austin Reaves hit a dagger three with 34 seconds remaining to give the Lakers a seven-point lead. As Doncic salted the game away from the free-throw line, he was serenaded with chants of “MVP!” Reaves finished with 29 points.

“Getting MVP chants in someone else’s arena is crazy,” center Walker Kessler said. “But, you know, obviously deserving.”

Kessler knows this arena well. It’s where he spent the first four years of his career. But the center was quiet in his return to Salt Lake City. After he joined the Lakers in a massive sign-and-trade deal that cost the Lakers two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps and a four-year, $130-million contract, Kessler was held to just two points on one-of-two shooting with seven rebounds.

Continue reading here

Lakers box score

NBA standings

UCLA’s start has a big flaw

From Mirjam Swanson: In the most complimentary way, I ask: What the heck was that first half, UCLA?

Yes, really. With Saturday’s 28-10 victory over Michigan State, Bob Chesney has the Bruins football team 7-0 for the first time since 2005. Still undefeated and still the only team in the Big Ten — and SEC — conferences that can say so. Ranked No. 9 in the nation and moving on up.

And so I ask: Two lost fumbles before halftime? Two drops? Two holding penalties? A meager 84 yards through the air and a modest 14-7 halftime lead? Against a majorly depleted Michigan State team fielding a freshman third-stringer at quarterback — that also lost two more of its best players to injury in the first half?

These Bruins are too good to be letting the wounded Spartans (2-6, 0-5 Big Ten) hang with them for even a half.

And yet, for a hot moment, doubt started to creep back in: Was this the day Chesney’s chariot turned back into a pumpkin? Was the last petal from the enchanted rose about to fall, this beauty of a season due to turn ugly? Was the fairy tale almost over?

Continue reading here

Clippers lose to the Thunder

Shai-Gilgeous Alexander scored 34 points, Ajay Mitchell had 18 off the bench, and the Oklahoma City Thunder stayed undefeated with a 108-101 victory over the Clippers on Sunday night.

Isaiah Hartenstein added 12 points and 12 rebounds for Oklahoma City, which won its third straight to start the season but lost three players to injury, including All-Star guard Jalen Williams, who went down hard on a drive to the basket with 1:14 left. Williams left the court on a stretcher with towels covering his left leg.

Guard Cason Wallace (left shoulder soreness) and forward Jaylin Williams (right wrist soreness) left the game in the first quarter and did not return. Mitchell was eight-for-14 shooting with six rebounds, four assists and three steals in 28 minutes.

Continue reading here

Clippers box score

NBA standings

LAFC and Galaxy play to a draw

Leo Walta scored the tying goal in the 62nd minute, and LAFC clinched a playoff spot by rallying from two goals down in the second half for a 2-2 draw with the Galaxy on Sunday night.

Joseph Paintsil scored his first two goals since August as the Galaxy hung on impressively for a point, but endangered their own playoff hopes by blowing the lead in another thrilling El Tráfico derby.

The final seconds of injury time were breathtaking: Galaxy goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski and defender Justin Haak both made spectacular stops on LAFC chances before Denis Bouanga scored on a redirection of Tyler Boyd‘s bicycle kick — only for the play to be ruled offside.

Continue reading here

LAFC-Galaxy summary

MLS standings

World Series results, schedule

All games at 5 p.m. PT
All game on FOX/FOX Deportes/FOX One

No. 1 Milwaukee vs. No. 1 Tampa Bay
at Milwaukee 3, Tampa Bay 2 (box score)
at Milwaukee 5, Tampa Bay 4 (box score)
Monday at Tampa Bay
Tuesday at Tampa Bay
*Wednesday at Tampa Bay
*Friday at Milwaukee
*Saturday at Milwaukee

* if necessary

This day in sports history

1907 — Jim Thorpe makes his Carlisle (Pa.) debut dazzling a crowd of 22,800 in a 26-6 defeat of No. 4 Penn at Philadelphia’s Franklin Field. Thorpe rushes, returns kicks and does all the kicking in putting on a one-man show.

1951 — Joe Louis loses his last fight, an eighth-round TKO to Rocky Marciano at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Marciano knocks Louis down with a left hook in the eighth round. Louis gets to one knee at the count of three and takes an eight-count before getting up. Marciano ends the fight with a right that sends Louis through the ropes and onto the ring apron. Louis’ career record is 66-3 with 52 knockouts.

1968 — Brooks Dawson of Texas El Paso completes 17 of 24 passes for 304 yards in the final 10:21 of the fourth quarter as the Miners beat Brigham Young 31-25.

1968 — Boxer George Foreman beats Ionas Chepulis of the Soviet Union for the gold medal in the heavyweight division at the Mexico Olympic Games.

1970 — Muhammad Ali returns to the ring after a 2 1/2-year layoff due to his refusal to be drafted into the United States Army. Fighting in Atlanta, Ali opened a cut over Jerry Quarry’s left eye with a right hand in the third round, causing the fight to be stopped before the start of the fourth round.

1980 — The St. Louis Cardinals sack quarterback Baltimore quarterback Bert Jones 12 times in a 17-10 victory.

1982 — Philadelphia Phillies Steve Carlton became the first pitcher to win four Cy Young Awards

1990 — Wayne Gretzky becomes the NHL first player to reach the 2,000-point plateau when he helps set up a goal by Tomas Sandstrom at 14:32 of the first period of the Kings’ game at Winnipeg.

2000 — The New York Yankees become the first team in more than a quarter-century to win three straight World Series titles, beating the New York Mets 4-2. The Yankees match the Oakland Athletics’ three in a row from 1972-74, and win their fourth title in five years.

2002 — Volponi, a 43-1 long shot, finds room along the rail and blows past the fading Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner War Emblem to take the Breeders’ Cup Classic by 6½ lengths ahead of Medaglia d’Oro.

2006 — Ryan Miller stops 29 shots as Buffalo beats the New York Islanders 3-0 to win its 10th straight game. The win matches the best start in NHL history, tying the 1993-94 Toronto Maple Leafs.

2012 — The NHL cancels all its games through the end of November because of the labor dispute between owners and players.

2013 — Octavias McKoy runs for 455 yards, setting an NCAA record for all-divisions, as Division III Western Connecticut State beats Worcester State 55-35. McKoy scores five touchdowns in the game and breaks the rushing record previously held by Dante Brown of Marietta College. Brown ran for 441 on Oct. 5, 1996 against Baldwin-Wallace.

2014 — Serena Williams wins the WTA Tour Finals for the third straight year and fifth time overall, beating Simona Halep 6-3, 6-0. Williams joins Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf as the only players to have won five titles in the season-ending championship.

2014 — Ben Roethlisberger is 40 for 49 for 522 yards and six touchdown passes in Pittsburgh’s 51-34 win over Indianapolis. Roethlisberger became the first player in NFL history with two 500-yard passing games — 503 yards vs. Green Bay on Dec. 20, 2009.

2014 — Abby Wambach scores four goals and the World Cup-bound United States beat Costa Rica 6-0 for its fifth CONCACAF women’s title.

2018 — The longest World Series game by innings and time; Dodgers beat the Boston Red Sox, 3-2 in the 18th inning (7 hours, 20 minutes) in Game 3 at Dodger Stadium with a Max Muncy walk-off home run.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

The UCLA football team produced its worst quarter of the season Saturday.

After fumbling twice in Michigan State territory, halting offensive momentum, the Bruins were trailing going into the second quarter and tied 7-7 with three minutes left in the second quarter.

But for the third consecutive week, the defense shifted the momentum and ignited the offense.

Powered by a defensive unit that tallied three takeaways, four sacks and limited the opposing offense to 156 yards, UCLA earned its seventh win of the season Saturday afternoon at the Rose Bowl, trouncing Michigan State 28-10.

It is the first time the Bruins have gone 7-0 since 2005. The team moved up to No. 7 in the Associated Press top 25 poll Sunday.

Let’s take a look at the three takeaways from the Bruins’ fifth conference win. UCLA sits atop the Big Ten standings, with its last nonconference game against 3-4 Nevada on Saturday.

Are the Bruins aggressive enough?

The final score did not reflect the Bruins’ dominance over the Spartans.

UCLA ran the ball 48 times compared to 31 passing attempts. And while the ground game was successful, rushing for 245 yards and three touchdowns on 5.1 yards per carry, the Bruins had the opportunity to blow the doors off the game through the passing game.

The Bruins opted to play a clock management game, running out the entire fourth quarter with a multi-score lead instead of taking shots downfield and manipulating the defense through the air. And Michigan State adjusted accordingly, stacking the box and preparing for the run.

With the Spartans focused on stopping the run, UCLA’s offense had the opportunity to take advantage of an already depleted secondary and give quarterback Ty Dieffenbach more opportunities to get comfortable in the passing game.

Dieffenbach’s one deep shot connected with sophomore wide receiver Brian Rowe Jr. for a 63-yard touchdown. But outside of that, Dieffenbach did not connect for a pass of more than 20 yards. And coach Bob Chesney acknowledged that the offense could have opened up more, but that the Bruins decided to run out the clock.

“There were moments there in the fourth, too, and the late third, where that box got pretty loaded, and we should have taken some shots on the outside,” Chesney said. “But at the same point, you’re trying to run this clock out and get out of here with the win, ultimately, and could have taken a little more risk if we wanted to. But I thought we managed it well enough to get a victory here.”

It doesn’t always have to be Wayne

Wayne Knight has been the star of UCLA’s offense so far.

But the Bruins have proven that the backfield is less of a bell cow system and more of a three-headed beast.

And despite a shaky first half, senior Jaivian Thomas and fifth-year Anthony Woods more than illustrated that they could be the featured back on any given day.

Thomas and Woods fumbled in the first half in Spartan territory — their first of the season on 118 combined carries thus far. But the duo refused to let the mistake define them. Thomas ran for 41 yards and a touchdown in 10 carries while Woods rushed for 112 yards and one score in 14 carries alongside three receptions.

Woods and Thomas’ production in the dying embers of the affair became pertinent when Knight went down with a chest/ribs injury. While Chesney said that the injury is nothing overly serious and that the tailback could have returned to the game, the coaching staff decided to keep him sidelined as a precaution.

“I thought [Anthony] Woods was rolling today. To be able to see some of the holes that he found and be explosive and physical was really good,” Chesney said. “But both of those guys put the ball on the ground early. That’s not what we were looking for, but I love their response.”

Linebacker University

All season, the Bruins’ secondary has earned praise.

Defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler’s unit has not allowed a quarterback to gain more than 160 passing yards during its last four games and has given up fewer than 100 yards in two of those games.

But the entirety of the Bruins inside linebacker department has hounded opposing offenses all season — dominating in all facets of defense, from blitzing the quarterback, to finishing off tackles in open space to blanketing pass catchers when tasked in coverage.

And all of that was on display Saturday.

“They understand the run scheme. They do all of the things right. They relate pre-snap. And then they communicate post-snap extremely well,” Chesney said. “And those are all the things that they have to be able to accomplish. But then they play a very physical brand of football. And when you start to blitz them, they get downhill quick, and they pack a punch when they do.”

Headlining the crew is Sammy Omosigho, who has not missed a beat since coming to Westwood from Oklahoma. He ranks first in the nation in forced fumbles with five through seven games, and ranks first in the Big Ten in sacks with five despite playing inside linebacker.

His linebacker partner — fifth-year Jalen Woods — is playing up to Omosigho’s level, with 2.5 sacks, one interception and 59 tackles, which ranks fourth in the Big Ten. Sophomore Scott Taylor, who has been playing as a hybrid inside/outside linebacker, has three sacks and two forced fumbles.

And senior Donavyn Pellot joined the fun Saturday, recording the first interception of his career and returning it 67 yards, flipping the field, and turning the tide of the game.

UCLA alum Natalie Nakase’s strategy change pays off

Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase reacts on the sideline during Game 4 of the WNBA Finals against the Atlanta Dream at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Saturday.

(Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

Former UCLA point guard Natalie Nakase shook up her starting lineup and helped spark the Golden State Valkyries’ Game 4 win over the Atlanta Dream during the WNBA Finals, evening the series 2-2.

Guard Tiffany Hayes and Kaila Charles joined the starting five during Golden State’s 67-62 win Saturday in Atlanta. Nakase tightened her rotation to seven players, bringing Kayla Thornton and Cecilia Zandalasini providing a spark off the bench.

“I just wanted to change it up,” Nakase said. “The best thing about our team is no one cares who starts, no one cares. People coming off the bench, it doesn’t matter … because we have a really selfless team, egoless team. So, yeah, I just wanted to change it, and you definitely saw some energy, better fight.”

Nakase said her players have bought into doing whatever it takes to support each other all season.

“We’re about caring for each other,” she said. “We’re about pouring into each other, and I think what’s really big key is they want to see success in their teammates more than themselves.”

Golden State will host Game 5 of the series Monday at 5 p.m. The remainder of the series schedule is in flux as the WNBA negotiates where Atlanta can play its remaining home games.

Bruins on deck

Here is this week’s UCLA athletics schedule. All Times are PDT.

Monday, Oct. 26

Men’s golf at East Lake Cup, All day

Women’s golf at Nanea Invitational, All day

Tuesday, Oct. 27

Men’s golf at East Lake Cup, All day

Women’s golf at Nanea Invitational, All Day

Men’s basketball vs. San Diego (exhibition), 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 28

Men’s golf at East Lake Cup, All day

Women’s golf at Nanea Invitational, All day

Friday, Oct. 30

Men’s and women’s tennis at Dennis Rizza Intercollegiate Classic, All day

Cross country at Big Ten championship, Time TBA

Women’s volleyball vs. Minnesota, 7 p.m.

Men’s soccer vs. Indiana, 7 p.m.

Women’s soccer at USC, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 31

Men’s and women’s tennis at Dennis Rizza Intercollegiate Classic, All day

Men’s water polo at Cal, 1 p.m.

Football vs. Nevada, 1:15 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 1

Men’s and women’s tennis at Dennis Rizza Intercollegiate Classic, All day

Men’s water polo at Stanford, 1 p.m.

Women’s volleyball vs. Wisconsin, 2 p.m.

In case you missed it

Swanson: UCLA’s 7-0 start has one glaring flaw. Bob Chesney is running out of time to fix it

UCLA overwhelms Michigan State as Bruins continue their stunning turnaround season

No. 9 UCLA overcomes sloppy start, improves to 7-0 with win over Michigan State

UCLA star Wayne Knight never lost faith in himself amid a long journey to Westwood

Long frustrated UCLA fans urge others to believe in Bob Chesney

UCLA Unlocked: What we learned from the — bowl-eligible — Bruins’ win over Wisconsin

Have something Bruin?

Do you have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future UCLA newsletter? Email newsletters editor Houston Mitchell at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Sports editor Iliana Limón Romero and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. The high school basketball season begins in two weeks, yet players have been playing non-stop since the summer. Let’s look at top players in the Southland for boys.

Players to watch

The Mission League is so loaded with talent in basketball that five teams — Sierra Canyon, Harvard-Westlake, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, St. Francis and Crespi — are considered among the top 10 teams in the Southland.

Jordan Mize, Josh Lowery and JJ Sati-Grier are returnees from Sierra Canyon’s state championship team, and Houston Rolle transferred from Heritage Christian. That’s an impressive starting four.

St. Francis has twin towers 7-foot-5 Cherif Millogo and 7-0 Yann Kamagate. Harvard-Westlake has returning guards Pierce Thompson and Cole Holden. Notre Dame’s NaVorro Bowman is headed to UConn. Transfer King Rachal is 6-7 and committed to Utah State. Josiah Nance is committed to SMU. Crespi has twins Carter and Isaiah Barnes entering their senior years.

There’s been lots of movement in the Trinity League to Mater Dei. Isaiah Williamson left Los Alamitos, Ryan Doane left JSerra and Ender Berg left Legacy Christian, all ending up at Mater Dei, which could have a starting five of former transfer students.

All-star guard Gene Roebuck, a Cal commit, will have spent four years at La Mirada, which is an achievement itself. Coming off sensational freshman seasons are guards Will Conroy Jr. from Village Christian and Quali Giran from Long Beach Millikan.

Palisades remains the team to beat in the City Section with returnees Phillip Reed, EJ and OJ Popoola and Jack Levey.

Mahamadou Diop, a 6-11 center at San Gabriel Academy, has committed to San Diego State. Nick Welch Jr. is a 6-9 center at Rolling Hills Prep ready to become a big-time player. Chris Sanders is coming off a great junior season at Redondo Union.

Davey Harris at Windward, Ethan Hill at Brentwood, Chris Paul Jr. at Campbell Hall and the trio of Evan Willis, Shalen Sheppard and Van Moczydlowsky of Crossroads are part of a wicked Gold Coast League, which will be the toughest to predict a champion.

The best three-point shooting guard is back at Damien in Zaire Rasshan. Etiwanda has 6-3 junior Devin Mitchell. Grayson Coleman of Milken should have lots of games beyond 30 points. Oaks Christian returns its leading scorer, junior Brady Sullivan. Maxwell Scott from Corona del Mar averaged 21.7 points last season and is headed to Harvard. Guard Earl Bryson is at Crean Lutheran after starring at JSerra.

This is just a refresher of some names before games officially begin Nov. 13 in the City Section and Nov. 16 in the Southern Section. And, if some of your favorite players from last season are now at different schools, welcome to how you try to win a championship in 2026-27.

Carson quarterback Chris Fields III points toward the sky after his 71-yard touchdown run against San Pedro.

(Craig Weston / For The Times)

It’s week 10 and the last chance to seal up playoff spots or league championships.

Carson wrapped up the Marine League championship and the No. 1 seed for the City Section Open Division playoffs with a 35-0 win over San Pedro. Here’s the report.

Compton won its first league championship since 1979 winning the new Hub City League title. Compton finished the regular season 9-1.

San Juan HIlls delivered the biggest upset of the week, knocking off San Clemente, which played without injured quarterback Preston Beck. Here’s the report.

Tru Warrior Casas of Fairfax turned in a great individual performance, rushing for 331 yards and four touchdowns in a loss to Palisades.

Sophomore Asir Nembhard of Mater Dei set a school record with 349 yards rushing in a wild win over Orange Lutheran.

Santa Barbara’s Cade Mault accounted for all 13 of his team’s points in a 13-10 win over Westlake, getting an 85-yard touchdown reception, making the PAT and making field goals from 49 and 43 yards.

Culver City’s Nicholas Hoang passed for 480 yards and six touchdowns in a win over Torrance. Nathaniel Cadet of Marshall had seven touchdown passes in win over L.A. Wilson.

League championships are on the line in Bishop Amat at Sierra Canyon, Valencia vs. Hart at College of the Canyons, San Juan Hills at Mission Viejo. Another good game is unbeaten Mary Star at Carson, not to mention the annual East. L.A. Classic matching Garfield and Roosevelt at East Los Angeles College.

And St. John Bosco plays Mater Dei at Santa Ana Stadium in a game for second place in the Trinity League and a top four playoff berth in Division 1.

Here’s this week’s top 25 rankings by The Times.

Here’s the top individual performances.

Here’s this week’s 10 schedule.

Chemistry vs. talent

Quarterback Ryan Rakowski (left) and receiver Jalen Flowers before a Palos Verdes game praying. They have great chemistry on the football field.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

There’s debate: What’s more important, chemistry or talent?

In regards to quarterbacks and receivers, it’s pretty clear chemistry is a must, with both being able to anticipate and understand each other’s moves.

Here’s a look at some of the top duos this season.

The Southern Section flag football playoffs continue, but there’s still no sign any team can offer competition to unbeaten JSerra (25-0).

Here’s this week’s matchups.

The only upset in the opening round of Division 1 was Lakewood St. Joseph defeating No. 4 Huntington Beach.

Cross country

At the Mt. SAC Invitational, Sabina Cruz of Westlake stamped herself as a CIF title contender with a win in the girls team sweepstakes race in 16:35.1.

Redondo Union’s Mario Montoya ran a scorching 13:43.5 to top the boys races.

Crescenta Valley had the best team score in boys. Great Oak was second in girls.

Power of grandparents

The Reis twins, Christian (left) and Weston, are juniors for Palos Verdes and cheered on by grandparents.

(Nick Koza / For The Times)

Grandparents sitting in the football bleachers offer moments of magic at high school football games.

For a look at their loyalty and impact, here’s a look at the grandparents of Palos Verdes twins Christian and Weston Reis.

Notes . . .

Outfielder Matti Di Maggio of Dos Pueblos has reclassified from class of 2029 to class of 2028. He was on The Times’ all-star baseball team last season as a freshman and won a gold medal playing for the USA 15U national team. Now he’ll be considered a junior this spring….

Tresbien Caraway has resigned after 11 years as basketball coach at New Roads….

Mahamadou Diop, a 6-foot-11 center from San Gabriel Academy, has committed to San Diego State….

Ender Berg, a 6-11 transfer from Legacy Christian, and Ryan Doane, a 6-8 transfer from JSerra, will be eligible at Mater Dei beginning Christmas Day….

Junior center fielder Dane Disney from Oaks Christian has committed to UCLA….

Zain Majeed, a 6-8 senior at Mater Dei, has committed to Princeton….

Long Beach Wilson’s boys’ water polo team did not apply for a Southern Section playoff spot as the program deals with a hazing incident….

UCLA volleyball All-American Brandon Taliaferro, who is a 1996 graduate of San Clemente High, is the Tritons’ new boys volleyball coach. He also served as an assistant coach at UCLA….

Junior pitcher Christian Reis of Palos Verdes has committed to Oregon State….

Mark Wulfemeyer, a legendary high school basketball player for Troy High in the 1970s, has died in Hawaii. He was 70. He held the state scoring record from 1974 through 1979. Here’s a story from 1991 describing his journey in basketball and baseball. His grandson, Warren, is a top baseball player at Santa Margarita….

St. Francis athletic director Matt Luderer has died after a long fight with brain cancer. He was 54. Luderer took over at St. Francis in 2013 after being athletic director at Crespi…..

Joe Kelly, who guided Palos Verdes and Peninsula to cross-country success in the 1980s and 1990s, has died….

Junior quarterback Josiah Boyd of Vista Del Lago has committed to UCLA….

Outfielder/pitcher Jesse Mendoza of Corona Centennial has committed to Cal Baptist….

From the archives: Bryce Young

Quarterback Bryce Young in 2019 when he was selected the Gatorade state player of the year at Mater Dei.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Quarterback Bryce Young has gone from Mater Dei to Heisman Trophy winner at Alabama to No. 1 pick of the Carolina Panthers to star quarterback for the Panthers.

Here’s a story from 2020 about his father discussing the perils of the college recruiting process.

Here’s a story from 2019 how Young became a ground-breaking quarterback at Mater Dei.

Mater Dei unveiled its updated Heisman Lane campus sign that added Bryce Young.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Here’s a story from 2022 when Young came back to Mater Dei to celebrate winning the Heisman Trophy.

Recommendations

From the Star-Telegram, a story on Texas approving the 35-second clock for high school basketball.

From Elevenwarriors, a story on former Mission Viejo quarterback Luke Fahey set to star for Ohio State.

From Chron.com, a story in Texas about coaches getting stipends cut if they don’t get a commercial driver’s license to help with lack of bus drivers.

From NFHS.org, a story about high schools needing emergency action plans and AEDs for sports competitions.

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on the “Marina Brewers” playing in the World Series.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

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In retrospect, conventional wisdom might not be all that wise. Just check out this postseason.

The Atlanta Braves should have started Chris Sale in Game 2 of the division series against the Dodgers. They didn’t. They won.

The Braves then had an edge with Sale starting Game 3. They didn’t. They lost that game, and they were eliminated in the next game.

The Milwaukee Brewers should have considered trading rookie pitcher Logan Henderson in a package for Tarik Skubal, a win-now proposition for a team that has dominated the regular season but had not appeared in the World Series in 44 years. They didn’t. Skubal and the Dodgers missed the World Series, and Henderson started Game 2 for the Brewers on Saturday, helping them move within two victories from their first championship.

That brings us to Freddy Peralta, who starts Game 3 for the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday. Peralta was one of the top pitchers in the majors for the Brewers last year, and he has been one of the top pitchers in the majors since the Rays acquired him from the New York Mets three months ago, but in between he performed so poorly for the Mets that he cannot really explain why.

“Sometimes I ask the same question myself,” Peralta said.

So poorly that, when the league’s website ranked the most impactful trades at the deadline, the Peralta deal did not make the top 10, behind trades for six other starting pitchers: Skubal, Casey Mize and Robbie Ray to the San Diego Padres, Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes to the Chicago Cubs, and Jose Soriano to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Conventional wisdom? No big deal.

For the Mets, Peralta put up a 4.99 ERA and a negative WAR. For the Rays, he put up an 0.79 ERA in his last six starts of the regular season and a 1.07 ERA so far in the postseason, honored as American League Championship Series MVP.

“I feel like he’s kind of come back to being Freddy Peralta with us,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.

Peralta went 17-6 with a 2.70 earned-run average for Milwaukee last year, leading the National League in victories and posting 5.5 WAR, third behind Cristopher Sanchez of the Philadelphia Phillies and Cy Young winner Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

If you wonder why the Brewers would trade Peralta, well, you don’t know the Brewers.

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta throws against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 6 of the ALCS on Oct. 19.

(Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press)

Peralta was approaching free agency, and the Brewers routinely trade All-Star pitchers like that for prospects: Corbin Burnes, Josh Hader, Devin Williams.

This is how the Brewers restock: The Burnes trade brought two pieces of this World Series team, pitcher DL Hall and infielder Joey Ortiz. The Hader trade brought Game 3 starter Robert Gasser and journeyman outfielder Estuery Ruiz, and within a subsequent three-team trade, the Brewers swiped All-Star catcher William Contreras for Ruiz.

The Mets wanted Peralta for what they considered an inevitable playoff run, with the largest Opening Day payroll of any major league team, the Dodgers included. The Mets finished in last place, and Peralta’s ERA exceeded 6.00 in each of the two months preceding the trade deadline.

“I was feeling bad,” Peralta said, “because I couldn’t do anything.”

The adjustments the Mets asked him to make, he said, were “a little different” than the ones that reversed the course of his season with the Rays.

The Rays let him pitch from the stretch, as he had in Milwaukee. They modified his delivery, including having him start it from the third-base side of the pitching rubber. His fastball got faster: 94 mph with the Mets, hitting 97 mph in the playoffs.

“We see that he’s in his element, man,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “That’s Fastball Freddy.”

In Milwaukee, it’s all love for Peralta. The fans even cheered his bullpen session there before Game 1.

He’ll start Game 3 in Tampa Bay and, after that, who knows, but he would be lined up to start a potential Game 7 in Milwaukee.

“I know how special it is to pitch on this mound here in Milwaukee,” Peralta said. “I would like to pitch here during the postseason.”

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta celebrates during Game 2 of the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians on Oct. 13.

(David J. Phillip / Associated Press)

He would have liked to pitch in New York during the postseason too.

“They had a lot of big expectations for me, the fans too, in New York,” he said. “They were waiting for something great from me.”

Conventional wisdom can boomerang. The conventional wisdom on Peralta’s free agency in the spring: he should make more in free agency than any pitcher besides Skubal; in the summer: this is a bad year to take into free agency; in the fall: he should make more in free agency than any pitcher besides Skubal.

But, given what happened in New York, what were the realistic expectations in Tampa Bay?

“I was able to go to a new team that probably needed me for …” Peralta said, his voice trailing off.

The World Series?

Peralta beamed.

“Crazy,” he said. “For the World Series, yeah.”

Given the problem the Dodgers have with their pitchers staying in the rotation for the whole season, and the way Shohei Ohtani was lunging for sweepers, I would say, “Don’t allow him to hit anymore.” Bill Plaschke says Ohtani led them to two championships. In 2024, the 55/55 year, he indeed did, although I would argue that Freddie Freeman did even more. But last year, many others were responsible for their ultimate victory, not Ohtani. Use him as a pitcher and a part-time hitter.

Mike Schaller
Temple City

So Bill Plaschke has momentarily stopped playing psychic and has morphed into general manager, saying the Dodgers should either force Shohei Ohtani to stop pitching or trade him. Is Plaschke part of the medical staff of the Dodgers so he knows the root causes of Ohtani’s injuries this year, or what it might take this offseason to fix them?

He has written a lot of inane columns making bold statements that he usually has to eat crow on, and trading Ohtani while he is still one of the best players on the planet would fall into that category. Ohtani will eventually get to the point where his body can’t do both, but I’m sure no one is using Bill Plaschke’s medical expertise to determine when that might be.

Danny Balber Jr.
Pasadena

OK, so now Plaschke is ready to give the boot to Shohei Ohtani, the baseball GOAT, as he much as he was gleefully behind basketball GOAT LeBron James’ departure based upon his controlling of the team’s condition, from trades to draft picks. This takes more chutzpah than Ohtani’s insistence to continue as a two-way player.

When will the L.A. Times decide they’ve had enough of him?

Ron Brumel
West Los Angeles

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee is going absolutely nuts. The Brewers have sold out Game 3 and Game 4 of the World Series.

The Tampa Bay Rays will host those games, but the Brewers invited fans to come to their stadium and watch on the big screen. The Brewers sold more than 31,000 tickets to each of their watch parties at $15 apiece. On Friday morning, StubHub offered them for resale, starting at $168.

There is nothing quite like a city uniting behind a team that never has won a World Series. Ask Logan Henderson.

Henderson, the Brewers’ starting pitcher Saturday in Milwaukee, grew up a huge fan of the Houston Astros. He was 15 when he saw his first World Series game.

“My parents had always said, if we were fortunate enough to be able to watch them go to the World Series, we’re going to do everything we can to get there,” Henderson said. “I was blessed that my parents got tickets to go to the games.

“There’s nothing like it. I’m on the other side of it now. I was a spectator and a fan, now I’m a player. It’s definitely surreal.”

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Logan Henderson follows through on a pitch during Game 2 of the NLCS against the Dodgers in Milwaukee on Oct. 12.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

His first World Series game as a spectator and fan? Game 4 of the 2017 World Series.

“I went to the one before the crazy one,” he said. “L.A. ended up winning that game.”

In the crazy one, the Dodgers blew two four-run leads, tied the score with three runs in the ninth inning and lost in the 10th.

If we knew then what we know now, Game 4 would be the crazy one: Dodgers pitcher Alex Wood constantly changing his signs, suspicious that the Astros might be up to something, whatever that might be.

Dodgers pitcher Alex Wood delivers from the mound during Game 4 of the World Series against the Astros on Oct. 28, 2017, in Houston.

(Pool / Getty Images)

Wood was vindicated three years later, when a league investigation revealed the Astros had been cheating in 2017, stealing signs from a television monitor next to the dugout and relaying them to batters by banging on trash cans. The practice, according to the report issued by commissioner Rob Manfred, was refined during the regular season and extended “throughout the postseason.”

The scandal outraged the Dodgers and their fans. The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to demand Manfred award the 2017 championship to the Dodgers. Their players wanted nothing to do with that. A real championship, after all, would come with champagne and beer in the clubhouse and a parade through the streets.

Still, the players did not turn the other cheek.

“Everyone knows they stole the ring from us,” Cody Bellinger said.

“They cheated,” Kike’ Hernández said. “They got away with it. They got a ring out of it.”

When the Astros’ team buses arrived at Dodger Stadium for games during the pandemic season of 2020, when ballparks were closed to the public, Dodgers fans gathered outside to boo.

Dodgers fans boo Jose Altuve of the Astros after he struck out in a game on Aug. 3, 2001, at Dodger Stadium.

(Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)

Those were Henderson’s guys inside those buses: Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, George Springer, Lance McCullers Jr. Those were the guys that brought home the Astros’ first World Series championship, as Henderson’s Brewers are trying to do for Milwaukee.

“Personally, as a fan, Hurricane Harvey hit Houston really hard, and the Astros brought a championship to the city,” Henderson said.

“That meant absolutely everything to the city. I hope that means what it did for me to the fans in Milwaukee here.”

The Rays also are trying to bring their first championship home to Tampa Bay. In 2017, hard as this might be to believe today, the mighty Dodgers had not won a championship in 29 years.

And now, as a major leaguer, Henderson has an acute appreciation of the little things that can mean the difference between victory and defeat, between a parade and another plaintive chorus of “wait ‘til next year.”

It could be a pitcher that blows a throw he could make in his sleep, sending his team home for the winter. It could be a defense perfectly executing a seldom-seen play. It could be a ball that clanks off the roof and into play instead of flying into the stands for a home run.

It could be stealing signs and banging on trash cans.

“I would rather face a player that was taking steroids than face a player that knew every pitch that was coming,” Wood tweeted after Manfred’s report on the Astros’ cheating.

Henderson knows how hard this is to do. The Brewers haven’t appeared in the World Series in 44 years, and owner Mark Attanasio said nervous fans already are wondering whether their next appearance will be 44 years away.

So I asked Henderson if, all these years later, the scandal changed how he felt about those Astros.

He paused.

He exhaled.

He paused again.

“Maybe a little bit,” Henderson said. “It’s unfortunate. I try not to think about it or talk on it too much. I think now, being in the game, my perspective on it is a little different.

“I think for the kid in me — and the huge baseball fan I was — that team will always have a special place in my heart.”