game

From Jack Harris: The Dodgers might be baseball’s version of an all-powerful Death Star.

But as Friday’s raucous World Series opener in Toronto showed, they too were built with a fatally exploitable weakness.

Behind a nine-run sixth inning that left Rogers Centre rocking and the previously invincible Dodgers rattled, the Blue Jays smashed open what had been a tied score in Game 1 of the World Series and rolled to an eventual 11-4 win.

They attacked the Dodgers’ one glaring weakness in the bullpen. They executed the kind of game script to which the defending champions have long seemed susceptible. And they watched in delight as their visitors were blown to bits, suffering an implosion of galactic proportions in what was the third-highest scoring inning in Fall Classic history.

“Honestly,” Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho said, “we just showed everybody what we can do as a lineup.”

Or, more to the point in this Fall Classic matchup, how they can get to the Dodgers’ rotation-reliant pitching staff.

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Plaschke: After Dodgers’ disastrous World Series Game 1 loss, doubt has crept in

‘Guys kind of felt the velocity a little bit more.’ Was rust a factor in Dodgers’ loss?

Dodgers will keep Alex Vesia off World Series roster: ‘So much bigger than baseball’

Dodgers box score

WORLD SERIES SCHEDULE, RESULTS

All times Pacific

Dodgers vs. Toronto
at Toronto 11, Dodgers 4 (box score)

Saturday at Toronto, 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020, ESPN Radio

Monday at Dodgers, 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020, ESPN Radio

Tuesday at Dodgers, 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020, ESPN Radio

*Wednesday at Dodgers, 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020, ESPN Radio

*Friday, Oct. 31 at Toronto, 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020, ESPN Radio

*Saturday, Nov. 1 at Toronto, 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020, ESPN Radio

*-if necessary

LAKERS

From Broderick Turner: Luka Doncic is a savant.

He proved yet again to be distinguished in his field of expertise and the Lakers are reaping the rewards of Doncic’s brilliance.

Doncic was dynamic in scoring 49 points, coming up two assists short of a triple-double with 11 rebounds and eight assists in leading the Lakers past the Minnesota Timberwolves 128-110 Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.

Doncic became the first player in Lakers history to open the season with back-to-back 40-plus point games and fourth in NBA history to accomplish that feat, joining Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and Anthony Davis.

Doncic has the most points in Lakers history in the first two games with 91 points, surpassing the 81 points Hall of Famer Jerry West scored in back-to-back games to open the 1969-70 season.

Doncic capped his show by drilling a three-pointer that gave the Lakers a 19-point lead, his showmanship including pursing of his lips while doing a shimmy to the adoring crowd. Then he bounced off the court when the reeling Timberwolves called a timeout with eight minutes and six seconds left in the game.

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‘These dudes are stupid’: Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal weigh in on NBA gambling scandal

4 wildest NBA gambling allegations: Cheating poker chip trays, card-reading glasses, X-rays and the mob

Lakers box score

NBA standings

CLIPPERS

James Harden scored 30 points, Kawhi Leonard added 27 and the Clippers routed the Phoenix Suns 129-102 Friday night in their home opener.

The Clippers bounced back after a season-opening, 21-point loss at Utah, where they trailed by 37 points.

Derrick Jones Jr. didn’t miss a shot in scoring 17 points, making five three-pointers and another field goal.

Continue reading here

Clippers box score

NBA standings

From Ben Bolch: Tim Skipper was just a redshirt freshman then, a speck of a middle linebacker at 5 feet 6.

His Fresno State Bulldogs went on the road and beat No. 18 Air Force on that October day in 1997, knocking off what had been the only 7-0 team in major college football.

“They were rolling,” Skipper, UCLA’s interim coach, said this week, “and we found a way to go get that thing done.”

It’s a memory that sticks with Skipper more than a quarter of a century later because it had been the only nationally ranked team he was part of taking down as a player or interim coach before his then-winless Bruins pulled off a stunner of far greater proportions this month when they upset then-No. 7 Penn State.

What Skipper’s team has a chance to do Saturday might relegate those wins to fine print in his memoir.

Here are five things to watch when the Bruins seek their first win over a team this highly ranked since beating No. 2 USC in 2006.

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THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1947 — In front of a capacity crowd of 35,000 at Columbia’s Baker Field in New York, the Lions end Army’s 32-game unbeaten streak in a 21-20 upset. An interception in Army’s final drive seals the win, the first over an Army team that had not surrendered a point all season until the loss to Columbia.

1964 — Cotton Davidson of the Oakland Raiders passes for 427 yards and five touchdowns in a 40-7 rout of the Denver Broncos.

1980 — Mike Weaver knocks out Gerrie Coetzee in the 13th round to retain the WBA heavyweight title in Sun City, Bophuthatswana.

1990 — Evander Holyfield knocks out Buster Douglas in Las Vegas to become the undisputed heavyweight champion.

1998 — Jerry Rice sets an NFL record for receptions in consecutive games with his 12-yard catch from Steve Young on San Francisco’s first offensive play. Rice has caught passes in 184 straight games, breaking the mark set by Art Monk from 1980-95.

1998 — Denver’s Jason Elam kicks a 63-yard field goal, tying Tom Dempsey’s 28-year-old NFL record. Elam’s kick, which came at the end of the first half, matches the record Dempsey set for the New Orleans Saints against Detroit on Nov. 8, 1970.

2003 — Trainer Richard Mandella wins a record four races at the Breeders’ Cup, capping perhaps the greatest day in racing history when Pleasantly Perfect wins the $4 million Classic at Santa Anita. Mandella wins the $1 million Juvenile Fillies with Halfbridled, the $1.5 million Juvenile with long-shot Action This Day and the $2 million Turf with Johar, who dead-heats with High Chaparral.

2006 — Joe Sakic becomes the 11th player in NHL history to reach 1,500 career points with an assist during the first period of Colorado’s 5-3 loss to Washington.

2008 — Navy doesn’t attempt a pass in a 34-7 victory over Southern Methodist in a game played in a driving rain.

2008 — Raven’s Pass wins the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic in an upset, stunning defending champion Curlin on the new synthetic surface at Santa Anita. Raven’s Pass, ridden by Frankie Dettori and sent off at 13-1 odds, posts a 1 3/4-length victory in his first race on such a surface.

2014 — Trevone Boykin throws a school-record seven touchdown passes and No. 10 TCU scored the most points in its history in an 82-27 rout of Texas Tech.

2015 — Kirk Cousins throws three second-half touchdown passes, including the go-ahead score with 24 seconds left, to lead the Washington Redskins to the largest comeback in franchise history, a 31-30 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay was up 24-0 in the second quarter, before Cousins runs for an 8-yard TD to get Washington on the board.

Compiled by the Associated Press

THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

2003 — Florida’s Josh Beckett throws a shutout to lead the Marlins to a 2-0 victory over the New York Yankees to win the World Series. Pitching on three days rest, Beckett allows five hits in Game 6 and captures MVP honors.

2017 — Houston’s George Springer hits a two-run drive in the 11th inning and the Astros win a thrilling home run derby at Dodger Stadium, beating Los Angeles 7-6 to tie the World Series at one game apiece. The teams combined for a Series record eight homers.

2024 — Dodgers slugger Freddie Freeman hits 1st ‘walk-off’ grand slam in World Series history in 6-3 win over New York Yankees in 10 innings at Dodger Stadium.

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 [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

TORONTO — Yes, blame the bullpen. Not gonna even try to persuade you otherwise.

But, for the Dodgers, the blame for the disaster that was Game 1 of the World Series should not all fall upon the bullpen.

A star-studded lineup that sputtered through the previous two rounds of the playoffs sputtered again here Friday, this time without the cover of outstanding starting pitching.

In their past nine games — the division series against the Philadelphia Phillies, the league championship series against the Milwaukee Brewers, and the World Series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays — the Dodgers are batting .219.

The Dodgers had seven hits in their NLCS opener, when Blake Snell threw eight shutout innings. He picked up the offense.

They had six hits in the World Series opener, when Snell gave up five runs in five-plus innings, and they could not pick him up.

The Blue Jays scored 11 runs. The Dodgers led the National League in runs during the regular season, but even then they have scored at least 11 runs just three times since the All-Star break. The Blue Jays have done it three times in this postseason alone.

“You can make it something if you want to make it something,” shortstop Mookie Betts said. “We’re more than capable of scoring 10, 11 in a game. It’s just hard to do in the postseason.

“Obviously, they just did it. They’ve been doing it the whole time, so it may not be hard for them. For us, we haven’t done it. But we’ll find out ways to win games.”

Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts reacts during an at-bat in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

They had better find it soon. The Blue Jays are averaging seven runs per game in the postseason. The Dodgers have not scored seven runs in any game in the NLDS, NLCS or World Series.

“You look back at the last couple of weeks, there’s some pivotal at-bats that can flip games,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “At times, I think that the offense looks great as far as building innings, but there’s some key at-bats that you got to win pitches and use the other side of the field, get a hit, take a walk, whatever it might be.

“I think that we can be better. We need to be better.”

The Dodgers had three hits in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position, which sounds pretty good until you realize all seven of those at-bats came in the second and third innings.

In the third inning, three of their final four batters hit with a runner in scoring position, and they scored once. But the second inning was worse: they had the bases loaded with one out for three successive batters, and again they scored once.

“We’ve got to cash in in that situation, especially against a team like that that’s swinging it really well,” Betts said. “I feel like that was a big point in the game that really changed things.

“That really changed the game.”

The Dodgers struck out 13 times, the Blue Jays four. The Jays ran their high-contact, low-strikeout offense to perfection Friday. The Dodgers led the NL in home runs this season, and they hit 50 more than Toronto, but they hit only one home run Friday: a two-run shot from Shohei Ohtani, with the team down by nine runs.

The Blue Jays’ starting pitcher for Game 2, Kevin Gausman, has a long memory. On Friday, he thought back to Oct. 14, 2021.

That was the day the Dodgers eliminated the 107-win San Francisco Giants in the NLDS. Gausman, working in relief, was the final pitcher for the Giants. Max Scherzer, also working in Toronto now, was the final pitcher for the Dodgers.

The final pitch of the game: a highly debated third strike to Wilmer Flores.

“I still think about the check swing on Wilmer Flores,” Gausman said. “I don’t think it was a swing, but, you know, that’s kind of water under the bridge.”

Four years later, Gausman hasn’t forgotten. Thing is, just because the Dodgers count on getting to the World Series every year does not mean they will. If the team with three Hall of Famers atop their lineup doesn’t get its bats rolling, the Dodgers might not forget this for years to come.

TORONTO — The Dodgers played 162 games in 193 days during the regular season. Then they played 10 more times in 18 days in the first three rounds of the playoffs.

It was a grind that gave way to a routine as comfortable as an old shoe.

That routine was upended when the Dodgers swept the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, giving them a week off before the start of the World Series, the team’s longest break since February. And the Dodgers looked anything but rested and refreshed in Friday’s 11-4 shellacking by the Toronto Blue Jays, which left them trailing a postseason series for the first time since last fall’s NLDS.

“I’m pretty sure the guys kind of felt the velocity a little bit more,” said Miguel Rojas, one of just a handful of Dodgers who spoke to the media after the loss. “But there’s nothing that we can do. That’s not going to be an excuse for us to underperform.”

It may not be an excuse. But it could be an omen.

This World Series is the fifth in which a team that swept its best-of-seven LCS, as the Dodgers did, faced a team that needed to go seven games to win its series, as Toronto did. The team that swept and got the break lost each of the four previous World Series, winning just two of 18 games.

Dodger manager Dave Roberts dismissed that history Friday.

“I really don’t think the week layoff had anything to do with tonight,” he said. “We were rested. I thought we were in a good spot. We had a 2-0 lead. So I don’t think that had anything to do with it.”

Blake Snell, the pitcher who gave up that lead, brushed off the break as well.

“There’s no excuses. I need to be better,” said Snell, who went 10 days between starts, his longest break since coming off the injured list in August. “I don’t care if it’s a month off. Find a way to be ready.”

He wasn’t against the Blue Jays. After averaging 16 pitches an inning in 14 previous starts, he needed 29 to get through the first inning Friday. And after giving up two runs and six hits in 21 innings this postseason, he gave up five runs and eight hits in just five-plus innings in Toronto, with two of those runs coming on Dalton Varsho’s fourth-inning home run, the only homer Snell has conceded to a left-handed hitter this year.

Emmet Sheehan, who followed Snell to the mound, hadn’t pitched in two weeks. He had his worst outing of the year, facing four batters and watching three of them score.

“I felt good going into the game. I felt the same as I have been,” he said. “I thought I made some good pitches, and they made some really good swings.

“It’s not a good feeling.”

A prolonged break can affect pitchers more than hitters because after throwing with a slightly fatigued arm all season, they suddenly feel fresh and strong and their pitches lose some of their movement.

“You don’t want to feel too good. You feel too good, you try to throw too hard because you feel good. And it doesn’t go where you want it,” said Will Klein, who mopped up for the Dodgers, pitching a scoreless eighth inning. “[The ball] doesn’t go where you want it to because you’re used to pitching a little down, like 90 or 95%. You’re never really at 100.

‘There’s such a thing [as] too fresh.”

Klein’s last appearance in a big-league game was a month ago; since then he’s been working out at the Dodgers’ facility in Arizona. He said the team tried to keep the rest of their pitchers in their familiar routine with bullpen sessions or simulated games, but it’s not the same as throwing in high-leverage situations against opposing hitters in a World Series game before 44,353 fans, as Snell, Sheehan and Klein had to do Friday.

And the history shows the Dodgers aren’t the first team who have been broken by the break.

But they had less than 24 hours to wait for Game 2, which means they’re back into the comfortable — if exhausting — routine that got them to the World Series in the first place.

“There’s another one tomorrow,” Klein said. “We can’t go and unlose today, as much as we’d like to. Thinking about today isn’t going to help you win tomorrow.”

Ouch, Canada.

The World Series wasn’t supposed to start like this. The Dodgers weren’t supposed to begin their inevitable championship march like this.

Even playing in their raucous Rogers Centre north of the border in the opener Friday, the cute little Toronto Blue Jays were supposed to be a far inferior team, eh?

Uhhhh…

For baseball’s burgeoning dynasty, there suddenly looms disaster. For the dominating Dodgers, this is now a World Serious.

The Blue Jays didn’t just win Game 1, they hammered the Dodgers into a maple-leafy pulp, 11-4, battering their ace and bruising their ego and sending a message.

It was delivered in the ninth inning, when the fans rained a chant down on Shohei Ohtani, who spurned the Blue Jays in his free agent sweepstakes two years ago and whose two-run homer meant nothing Friday night.

“We don’t need you… we don’t need you.”

When the game ended shortly and mercifully thereafter, another unspoken message had been sent.

You know where you can stick your broom…

Truly, the only thing getting swept in this series is the Dodgers’ aura of invincibility, as the Blue Jays did exactly what they needed to do by hitting them precisely where it hurts.

Welcome to the postseason, Dodger bullpen.

Now get lost.

Wearing down ace Blake Snell for 29 pitches in the first inning and 100 pitches by the sixth, the pesky Blue Jays hitter loaded the bases with none out when Snell left the game for the maligned and recently ignored Dodger relievers.

Rather predictably, all Hortons broke loose.

Emmet Sheehan lasted four hitters and allowed three baserunners. Ernie Clement singled in a run, Nathan Lukes walked to force in a run and Andrés Giménez singled in a run, and have you ever heard of any of those guys?

Enter Anthony Banda, and exit an Addison Barger fly ball into the right-field stands for the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history. Add an ensuing single by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and a home run from Alejandro Kirk and you pretty much get the picture.

The Dodgers gave up nine runs in the sixth inning, more than twice as many runs as they gave up in the entire four-game National League Championship Series win against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Worse yet, they allowed, for the first time this postseason, some doubt.

Did the seven days off since the NLCS sweep ruin their timing as brief October vacations have done to Dodger teams in the past? After all, this is the fifth time in World Series history a team coming off a sweep played a team that was stretched to seven games, and in the previous four times, the team that was stretched won the series.

The Dodgers will roll out another ace, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in Game 2 Saturday. He pitched a complete game in his last start, so maybe there’s no cause to worry.

Or maybe the Blue Jays just gave them 11 good reasons to worry.

After all, Toronto began the game as a heavy underdog, and for three good reasons, but none of their fears were realized.

They were starting Trey Yesavage, a rookie pitcher who began the season in the Class-A Florida State League pitching for the Dunedin Blue Jays in front of 328 fans against the Jupiter Hammerheads. The 22-year-old was the second-youngest starting pitcher in World Series opener history. He had made just six total major-league starts, and just last week was shelled for five runs in four innings by the Seattle Mariners in the ALCS.

”I don’t want to be out there on the mound thinking too much because for me, I’m at best when I’m just black dead out there and not thinking at all,” he said before the game.

He indeed seemed clueless, but he survived three walks and four hits in four innings by yielding just two runs.

Second, the Jays were starting Bo Bichette at second base even though he had not played the position in six years and never in the major league. The team’s standout shortstop, had also not played anywhere in 47 days since he was sidelined with a sprained knee.

“Yeah, it’s crazy,” said Bichette.

You know what’s crazier? He singled, walked, turned a double play, and made a great stop-and-throw on a grounder before being removed for a pinch-runner in the sixth

Third, the Blue Jays were also starting an outfield trio known only to family and close friends. Kudos to all those who had Myles Straw, Daulton Varsho and Davis Schneider on your bingo card.

Varsho homered. Enough said.

“I think that there’s a lot of firsts for a lot of these guys… I think that players are going to feel certain things that they haven’t felt before,” said Jays manager John Schneider beforehand.

Afterward, that applied to the suddenly shaken Dodgers.

When Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts was asked Friday afternoon about the pressure his team felt, he said, “None. None whatsoever.”

Check that.

The NCAA picked a hell of a week to get into the gambling business, didn’t it?

Within 24 hours of approving a rule change that will allow student athletes and athletic department staff to bet only on professional sports, the FBI arrested more than 30 people in connection with a major sports gambling and betting scheme. The level of sophistication alleged in one 22-page indictment reads like an “Ocean’s Eleven” script with four New York Mafia families, a current NBA player and a head coach all allegedly involved.

For Adam Silver, commissioner of the NBA, the news and arrests are a public relations nightmare.

But for the NCAA, it’s a warning.

Since a 2018 Supreme Court ruling paved the way for sports betting, more than 35 states have legalized it, so I understand why the industry no longer feels dirty. But the governing body for more than half a million young athletes must remember nothing will ever sanitize that industry.

A century ago, the Black Sox scandal nearly destroyed baseball in America. Fast forward a hundred years and we find out 16 professional tennis players — including a U.S. Open champion — were fixing matches for gambling syndicates in Russia and Italy. In between, Pete “Charlie Hustle” Rose received a lifetime ban for betting on baseball games as a manager and Tim Donaghy, an NBA referee, is busted for betting on games. Last year, former NBA player Jontay Porter was found to have placed several bets on games using another person’s account. We call him “former” because the league banned him for life.

So, if NCAA officials believe it is too cumbersome to enforce its current gambling ban (it is investigating multiple violations across several schools), imagine what life inside the organization would be like without some sort of deterrent.

In fact, no imagination is required. Just read the indictment filed by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The FBI alleges the gambling scheme began in 2019, operated across 11 states and involved crime families with origins that date back more than a century.

According to documents, hidden cameras, programmable card shuffling machines and X-ray tables were among the pieces of technology used to steal tens of millions from victims during rigged poker games. Those allegedly involved in the scheme included Chauncey Billups — a Hall of Fame player and head coach of the Portland Trailblazers. Authorities said Billups, who led the Detroit Pistons to the 2004 championship, used his celebrity to lure in victims. In addition, the FBI said Damon Jones, a former player and assistant coach for the Lakers, shared inside information about the health of LeBron James with betters back in 2023. Terry Rozier, an active NBA player on a $100-million contract, was also arrested.

Now consider this: There are roughly 40,000 young men and women who play NCAA basketball and about 8,000 head and assistant coaches leading teams. How confident are you that March Madness won’t take on a different meaning if coaches and players are allowed to bet on games and find themselves underwater? A recent UC San Diego study found internet searches seeking help with gambling addiction increased 23% between 2018 and June 2024.

And while it’s true, the new rule maintains a ban against student athletes and coaches betting on college sports — so there are some guardrails against fixing games — but tilting outcomes is only one possible harm from gambling. The International Tennis Federation found that angry gamblers accounted for 40% of social media attacks aimed at players, with several threats credible enough to be submitted to the FBI. And there is already evidence that college students who aren’t athletes are using student loan money to place bets, and a 2023 NCAA survey found that 14% of U.S. 18- to 22-year-olds bet at least a few times a week.

Another 16% use a bookie.

I repeat: a bookie.

This just feels like a tragedy we can all see coming.

And we’re to believe the NCAA will be equipped to protect student athletes from predators when the Mafia is said to be using professional athletes and X-ray machines to steal from card players who are supposed to know better? The decision-making process for the human brain isn’t fully developed until a person is 25, and the NCAA just voted to let 18-year-olds with “name, image, likeness” money go in the deep water with sharks.

Given what just unfolded in the NBA this week the responsible move for the NCAA would be to pause the rule change — which is to take effect Nov. 1 — and reassess the risks. It’s one thing for sports gambling to cost a pro athlete to lose his career. It would be worse to see addiction or debt obligations steal a young person’s future before it begins.

YouTube: @LZGrandersonShow

It’s Dodgers mania. Los Doyers clinched their spot in the World Series for the second year in a row.

Game 1 kicks off Friday. The first two games facing the Toronto Blue Jays will be away, with the Dodgers returning home for Games 3 and 4. Local restaurants and bars are preparing for back-to-back World Series wins by hauling in extra TVs and adding food and drink specials.

Whether you’re heading to Dodger Stadium and looking for a pre- or post-game destination or just want to be in the thick of Dodger madness, keep reading for 11 places near the stadium that are screening all of the games:

Poker chip trays that can secretly read cards.

Glasses that can detect card markings.

Rigged underground games run by the New York mafia.

NBA figures exchanging insider information as part of illegal betting schemes.

These are some of the wild allegations filed in two criminal complaints this week by federal prosecutors in one of the most sweeping and sensational betting scandals in recent professional sports history.

At the heart of one of the cases, prosecutors charged several figures using private insider NBA information, such as when players would sit out, to help others profit in leveraged bets online.

But the allegations go far deeper, including a connection to the Lakers, the mob and more.

Here are four key allegations:

1. High-roller games with high-tech cheating

Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, who played with the Clippers for two seasons and later was a member of Clippers coach Ty Lue’s staff before earning the Trail Blazers head coaching job, is charged with rigging underground poker games that three of New York’s Mafia families backed, authorities said.

Billups and Damon Jones, a retired NBA player, according to one of the two indictments revealed Thursday, were used to attract wealthy players to the games and were referred to as “Face Cards.” But according to the federal indictment, the two were part of the cheating teams. In exchange for taking part in the games, the “Face Cards” received part of the winnings.

The teams, according to court filings, used rigged shuffling machines that read deck cards and predicted which player on the table would have the best poker hand and relayed that information to someone, referred to as the operator. That person then relayed that information to one member of the cheating team on the table, known as the “Quarterback,” or “Driver,” according to court filings.

In some cases, the cheating teams used poker chip trays that could secretly read the cards on the table. In other cases, players used glasses that could detect special markings on the cards.

U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella of Brooklyn said at a press conference said the defendants used “special contact lenses or eyeglasses that could read pre-marked cards” and tables that “could read cards face down on the table … because of the X-ray technology.”

He cited “other cheating technologies, such as poker chip tray analyzers, which is a poker chip tray that secretly reads cards using a hidden camera,.”

“Anyone who knows Chauncey Billups knows he is a man of integrity; men of integrity do not cheat and defraud others,” Chris Heywood, Billups’ attorney, said in a statement Tuesday night. “To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his Hall-of-Fame legacy, his reputation, and his freedom. He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game.”

2. Alleged mob ties

The games in the New York area were backed by three of New York’s organized crime families: the Bonanno, Gambino and Genovese Mafia families, authorities said. According to the complaint, at least a dozen of the 31 defendants were associates or members of those three families.

Among those named in the indictment was Joseph Lanni, identified as a captain in the Gambino crime family. Known as “Joe Brooklyn,” Lanni was also named as a defendant in a 2023 racketeering, extortion and witness retaliation indictment, where members and associates of the Gambino family were accused of trying to take control of New York’s carting and demolition industries.

Last week, Lanni pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, according to court records.

3. A tip about LeBron James

Federal prosecutors allege that between December 2022 and March 2024, the defendants , used inside information to defraud bettors, including which players would be sitting out games and when players would “pull themselves out of games early for purported injuries or illnesses.”

Damon Jones, a retired NBA player and friend of LeBron James is accused of inside information for sports betting related to the Lakers and specifically “Player 3,” a prominent NBA player.

Although the indictment does not name the player — the date referenced in 2023 when the player sat out matches when James sat out against the Milwaukee Bucks due to ankle soreness. According to the indictment, Jones, a friend of James, profited from the non-public information.

“Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out!” Jones texted an unnamed co-conspirator, according to the indictment. “[Player 3] is out tonight.”

On Thursday, the Lakers declined to comment on the investigation. A person close to LeBron James told The Times that the Lakers star didn’t know that Jones was allegedly selling injury information to gamblers placing bets. Neither James or the Lakers have been accused of any wrongdoing.

3. A ‘shady’ injury

According to the indictment, when Terry Rozier was playing for the Hornets, he told others he was planning to leave the game early with a “supposed injury,” allowing others to place wagers that raked in thousands of dollars, New York Police Commissioner Jennifer Tisch said.

Rozier and other defendants allegedly provided that information to other co-conspirators in exchange for either a flat fee or a share of betting profits.

Another game involving Rozier that has been in question was played a day earlier, on March 23, 2023, between the Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans. Rozier played the first 9 minutes and 36 seconds of that game — and not only did not return that night, citing a foot issue, but also did not play again that season.

Posts still online from March 23, 2023, show that some bettors were furious with sportsbooks that evening when it became evident that Rozier was not going to return, with many turning to social media to say that something “shady” had gone on regarding the prop bets involving his stats for that night.

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and judging by the numerous emails on the topic I’ve received, fans really want to beat George Springer.

Springer was the MVP of the 2017 World Series that was won by the cheating Houston (no relation) Astros.

—Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are the best hitters on the Blue Jays and have been playing very well this postseason.

—Actually, the whole Blue Jays offense is doing well, hitting 296/.355/.523 and averaging 6.45 runs per game. They haven’t faced a starting rotation as good as the Dodgers’ however.

—Even if you discount his 2017 postseason stats, Springer remains one of the best postseason hitters of all time.

—The Dodgers will go with Blake Snell in Game 1 and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2.

A quick chart for those of you who miss the days of starting pitchers pitching deep into games:

Most innings pitched by starters in a four-game LCS:

1979 Orioles: 33.1
1974 A’s: 29.2 IP
1983 White Sox: 29.1 IP
1990 A’s: 29.1 IP
2025 Dodgers: 28.2 IP
1983 Orioles: 28.2 IP

—Dodger pitchers have given up four home runs this postseason. Blue Jays pitchers have given up 18.

—How humble and cool is Shohei Ohtani? In the clubhouse after he was named NLCS MVP, he covered up his name on the trophy and replaced it with something that said Team Effort. You can see a picture of it here.

—Some bad news for the bullpen: Alex Vesia might miss the World Series because he and his wife are dealing with a “a deeply personal family matter.” From Jack Harris’ story:

“We have a little bit of time — I think 10 o’clock tomorrow or something like that — to finalize our roster,” Dave Roberts said. “But, yeah, we’re going through the process of trying to backfill his spot on the roster.”

One potential option for the Dodgers would be to place Vesia on MLB’s Family Medical Emergency List, which would require him to miss a minimum of three days but make it possible for him to rejoin the active roster later in the World Series.

—That would be a big blow to the Dodger bullpen. Vesia was one of the handful of guys they counted on this postseason. I would imagine Anthony Banda would fill his role as the main left-hander out of the pen.

—But the important thing is not how it hurts the Dodgers, it’s that Vesia and his wife come through this OK. Our best wishes to them.

—Which unlikely player will rise up to be a star this World Series? I’m going with Andy Pages, who is overdue to break his slump.

—The dream scenario: Dodgers win it at home, and have a big enough lead that Clayton Kershaw comes in to pitch the final inning.

—Because I had “4-0” and “4-3” on the mind (or, I’m just dumb), in the last newsletter I had the Dodgers defeating the A’s 4-3 in the 1988 World Series. It was 4-1 of course.

—What do the Dodgers need to do to win? Cool off Springer and Guerrero. Work the count and tire out the pitching staff, which pays off even more as the series progresses. The pitchers need to attack hitters and not just nibble around the corner. All of that is easier said than done though.

—Whichever team wins, Jose Ureña is guaranteed a World Series ring. He pitched for the Dodgers and Blue Jays this season. For the Dodgers he gave one run in three innings, for the Blue Jays, five runs in 12.1 innings. The Dodgers signed him on June 3 and released him on June 13.

—Familiar face Don Mattingly is the bench coach for the Blue Jays. Believe it or not, in his long, illustrious career, this is the first time he has been in a World Series.

—One thing the Dodgers have working in their favor: The Blue Jays don’t have many strong left-handed pitchers. They can’t just pound them with lefties like the Brewers did.

—The series won’t be easy. The Dodgers have made winning in the postseason look easy, but it isn’t. But there are four more wins left in them.

Prediction: Dodgers in 5.

Let’s take a look at how the teams compare and where they ranked among the 30 teams:

Batting

Runs per game
Dodgers, 5.09 (2nd)
Blue Jays, 4.93 (4th)
MLB average, 4.45

Batting average
Blue Jays, .265 (1st)
Dodgers, .253 (5th)
MLB average, .245

On-base %
Blue Jays, .333 (1st)
Dodgers, .327 (5th)
MLB average, .315

Slugging %
Dodgers, .441 (2nd)
Blue Jays, .427 (7th)
MLB average, .404

Doubles
Blue Jays, 294 (3rd)
MLB average, 258
Dodgers, 257 (13th)

Triples
Dodgers, 21 (T12th)
MLB average, 21
Blue Jays, 13 (26th)

Home runs
Dodgers, 244 (2nd)
Blue Jays, 191 (T11th)
MLB average, 188

Walks
Dodgers, 580 (2nd)
Blue Jays, 520 (13th)
MLB average, 513

Strikeouts
MLB average, 1,355
Dodgers, 1,353 (16th)
Blue Jays, 1,099 (29th)

Stolen bases
MLB average, 115
Dodgers, 88 (T21st)
Blue Jays, 77 (28th)

Sacrifice bunts
Blue Jays, 35 (3rd)
MLB average, 19
Dodgers, 13 (T20th)

Batting average with two out and runners in scoring position
Dodgers, .271 (1st)
Blue Jays, .264 (4th)
MLB average, .233

Pitching

ERA
Dodgers, 3.95 (16th)
MLB average, 4.15
Blue Jays, 4.18 (19th)

Team ERA after All-Star break
Dodgers, 3.45 (2nd)
Blue Jays, 4.23 (17th)
MLB average, 4.28

Rotation ERA
Dodgers, 3.69 (5th)
MLB average, 4.21
Blue Jays, 4.34 (20th)

Bullpen ERA
Blue Jays, 3.98 (16th)
MLB average, 4.08
Dodgers, 4.27 (21st)

FIP (click here for explainer)
Dodgers, 3.93 (7th)
MLB average, 4.16
Blue Jays, 4.27 (23rd)

Walks
Dodgers, 563 (5th)
Blue Jays, 517 (15th)
MLB average, 513

Strikeouts
Dodgers, 1,505 (1st)
Blue Jays, 1,430 (6th)
MLB average, 1,355

Saves
Dodgers, 46 (5th)
Blue Jays, 42 (T12th)
MLB average, 40

Blown saves
Dodgers, 27 (T7th)
MLB average, 24
Blue Jays, 23 (T14th)

Inherited runners who scored %
Dodgers, 26.1% (3rd)
Blue Jays, 27.6% (8th)
MLB average, 31.8%

Relief innings
Dodgers, 657.2 (1st)
Blue Jays, 597.1 (13th)
MLB average, 595

Relief wins
Dodgers, 44 (T1st)
Blue Jays, 44 (T1st)
MLB average, 33

Relief losses
Dodgers, 33 (T7th)
MLB average, 29
Blue Jays, 22 (T26th)

Fielding

Errors
Blue Jays, 86 (12th)
MLB average, 82
Dodgers, 68 (25th)

The players

When comparing the main players on the teams, keep in mind that players can move around depending on who is starting and managerial whim. For a full look at the Blue Jays statistically, click here.

DH
Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani. .282/.392/.622, 25 doubles, 55 homers, 102 RBIs
Blue Jays, George Springer, .309/.399/.500, 27 doubles, 32 homers, 84 RBIs

The best hitter on both teams bats leadoff. Far cry from the days when the DH would be the slow, aging, plodding slugger, batting fourth or fifth.

Catcher
Dodgers, Will Smith, .296/.404/.497, 20 doubles, 17 homers, 61 RBIs
Dodgers, Ben Rortvedt, .224/.309/.327, 2 doubles, 1 homer, 4 RBIs
Blue Jays, Alejandro Kirk, .282/.348/.421, 8 doubles, 3 homers, 20 RBIs
Blue Jays, Tyler Heineman, .289/.361/.416, 3 doubles, 3 homers, 17 RBIs

Don’t expect Rortvedt or Heineman to get too much, if any, playing time.

First base
Dodgers, Freddie Freeman, .295/.367/.502, 39 doubles, 24 homers, 90 RBIs
Blue Jays, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., .292/.381/.467, 34 doubles, 23 homers, 84 RBIs

Guerrero is red hot. He was named ALCS MVP after hitting .385 with three homers and he hit .529 in the ALDS. He has six home runs and 12 RBIs in 11 postseason games this season. Priority one will be slowing him down some.

Second base
Dodgers, Miguel Rojas, .262/.318/.397, 18 doubles, 7 homers, 27 RBIs
Dodgers, Tommy Edman, .225/.274/.382, 13 doubles, 13 homers, 49 RBIs
Blue Jays, Andrés Giménez, .210/.285/.313, 11 doubles, 7 homers, 35 RBIs
OR
Blue Jays, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, .262/.297/.334, 21 doubles, 2 homers, 40 RBIs

When I see good glove, no hit guys like Giménez in a World Series lineup and begin to think “easy out,” I stop myself and start thinking about Brian Doyle in the 1978 World Series. He was a career .161 hitter who hit .438 in that series.

Third base
Dodgers, Max Muncy, .243/.376/.470, 10 doubles, 19 homers, 67 RBIs
Blue Jays, Ernie Clement, .277/.313/.398, 35 doubles, 9 homers, 50 RBIs

Shortstop
Dodgers, Mookie Betts, .258/.326/.406, 23 doubles, 20 homers, 82 RBIs
Blue Jays, Andrés Giménez, .210/.285/.313, 11 doubles, 7 homers, 35 RBIs
OR
Blue Jays, Bo Bichette, .311/.457/.483, 44 doubles, 18 homers, 94 RBIs

The Blue Jays’ middle infield depends entirely on the health of Bichette. He has been out for six weeks because of an injured left knee, but says he will be ready for the World Series. If he is, then Giménez slides over to second. If not, the Giménez plays short and Kiner-Falefa plays second.

Left field
Dodgers, Kiké Hernández, .203/.255/.366, 8 doubles, 10 homers, 35 RBIs
Blue Jays, Nathan Lukes, .255/.323/.407, 19 doubles, 12 homers, 65 RBIs

Center field
Dodgers, Andy Pages, .272/.313/.461, 27 doubles, 27 homers, 86 RBIs
Blue Jays, Daulton Varsho, .238/.284/.548, 13 doubles, 20 homers, 55 RBIs

Right field
Dodgers, Teoscar Hernández, .247/.284/.454, 29 doubles, 25 homers, 89 RBIs
Blue Jays, Addison Barger, .243/.301/.454, 32 doubles, 21 homers, 74 RBIs

Barger is Max Muncy, if Muncy didn’t draw any walks.

Of the Blue Jays, Giménez, Lukes, Varsho and Barger bat left-handed. Heineman is a switch-hitter.

Starting pitchers

Dodgers
*Blake Snell, 5-4, 2.35 ERA, 61.1 IP, 51 hits, 26 walks, 72 K’s
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 12-8, 2.49 ERA, 173.2 IP, 113 hits, 59 walks, 201 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, 1-1, 2.87 ERA, 47 IP, 40 hits, 9 walks, 62 K’s
Tyler Glasnow, 4-3, 3.19 ERA, 90.1 IP, 56 hits, 43 walks, 106 K’s

Blue Jays
Kevin Gausman, 10-11, 3.59 ERA, 193 IP, 155 hits, 50 walks, 189 K’s
Shane Bieber, 4-2, 3.57 ERA, 40.1 IP, 34 hits, 7 walks, 37 K’s
Trey Yesavage, 1-0, 3.21 ERA, 14 IP, 13 hits, 7 walks, 16 K’s
Max Scherzer, 5-5, 5.19 ERA, 85 IP, 87 hits, 23 walks, 82 K’s

These are the four pitchers who started for the Blue Jays in the ALCS. It’s conceivable they could use left-hander Eric Lauer as a starter, or as an opener, to help neutralize Ohtani and Freeman. He started for them during the season before going to the bullpen when Bieber joined the rotation.

The main relievers

Dodgers
*Alex Vesia, 4-2, 3.02 ERA, 5 saves, 59.2 IP, 37 hits, 22 walks, 80 K’s
Emmet Sheehan, 6-3, 2.82 ERA, 73.1 IP, 49 hits, 22 walks, 89 K’s
Blake Treinen, 2-7. 5.40 ERA, 26.2 IP, 30 hits, 19 walks, 36 K’s
Roki Sasaki, 1-1, 4.46 ERA, 36.1 IP, 30 hits, 22 walks, 28 K’s
*Anthony Banda, 5-1, 3.18 ERA, 65 IP, 45 hits, 34 walks, 61 K’s

Blue Jays
Jeff Hoffman, 9-7, 4.37 ERA, 33 saves, 68 IP, 54 hits, 27 walks, 84 K’s
Louis Varland, 1-0, 4.94 ERA, 23.2 IP, 24 hits, 9 walks, 28 K’s
*Mason Fluharty, 5-2, 4.44 ERA, 1 save, 52.2 IP, 36 hits, 24 walks, 56 K’s
*Eric Lauer, 9-2, 3.18 ERA, 104.2 IP, 90 hits, 26 walks, 102 K’s
Seranthony Dominguez, 2-1, 3.00 ERA, 21 IP, 12 hits, 12 walks, 25 K’s

*-left-handed

Postseason numbers

How the Dodgers and Blue Jays have done this postseason:

Batting

Alex Call, .750/.857/.750, 3 for 4, 2 walks
Ben Rortvedt, .429/.500/.571, 3 for 7, 1 double, 1 RBI, 3 K’s
Miguel Rojas, .375/.444/.375, 3 for 8, 1 RBI
Kiké Hernández, .306/.375/.417, 11 for 36, 4 doubles, 4 RBIs, 4 walks, 9 K’s
Mookie Betts, .293/.370/.439, 12 for 41, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 6 RBIs, 4 walks, 4 K’s
Tommy Edman, .286/.306/.486, 10 for 35, 1 double, 2 homers, 6 RBIs, 1 walk, 12 K’s
Will Smith, .286/.375/.286, 8 for 28, 2 RBIs, 3 walks, 10 K’s
Teoscar Hernández, .268/.302/.585, 1 double, 4 homers, 11 RBIs, 2 walks, 11 K’s
Freddie Freeman, .231/.333/.410, 9 for 39, 4 doubles, 1 homer, 1 RBI, 5 walks, 11 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, .220/.333/.634, 9 for 41, 1 triple, 5 homers, 9 RBIs, 7 walks, 17 K’s
Max Muncy, .214/.389/.357, 6 for 28, 1 double, 1 homer, 1 RBI, 7 walks, 6 K’s
Andy Pages, .086/.135/.114, 3 for 35, 1 double, 1 RBI, 9 K’s
Dalton Rushing, 0 for 1, 1 K
Team, .256/.340/.430, 17 doubles, 2 triples, 13 homers, 35 walks, 93 K’s, 4.6 runs per game

Blue Jays

Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., .442/.510/.930, 19 for 43, 3 doubles, 6 homers, 12 RBIs, 6 walks, 3 K’d
Ernie Clement, .429/.444/.619, 18 for 42, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 7 RBIs, 1 walk, 2 K’s
Nathan Lukes, .333/.381/.410, 13 for 39, 3 doubles, 7 RBIs, 3 walks, 5 K’s
Addison Barger, .286/.375/.514, 10 for 35, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 4 RBIs, 5 walks, 7 K’s
Daulton Varsho, .273/.304/.500, 12 for 44, 4 doubles, 2 homers, 8 RBIs, 2 walks, 12 K’s
Andrés Giménez, .263/.317/.447, 10 for 38, 1 double, 2 homers, 8 RBIs, 2 walks, 5 K’s
George Springer, .239/.321/. 609, 11 for 36, 5 doubles, 4 homers, 9 RBIs, 5 walks, 11 K’s
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, .238/.238/.333, 5 for 21, 2 doubles, 1 RBI, 1 K
Alejandro Kirk, .222/.286/.467, 10 for 45, 2 doubles, 3 homers, 7 RBIs, 4 walks, 7 K’s
Myles Straw, .222/.300/.222, 2 for 9, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 2 K’s
Anthony Santander, .200/.250/.200, 3 for 15, 2 RBIs, 1 walk, 5 K’s
David Schneider, .200/.385/.300, 2 for 10, 1 double, 3 walks, 4 K’s
Joey Loperfido, 0 for 1
Team, .296/.355/.523, 26 doubles, 1 triple, 20 homers, 33 walks, 64 K’s, 6.45 runs per game

Pitching

Anthony Banda, 0.00 ERA, 1.2 IP, 2 walks, 1 K
Jack Dreyer, 0.00 ERA, 2.2 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk, 3 K’s
Tyler Glasnow, 0.68 ERA, 13.1 IP, 7 hits, 1 ER, 8 walks, 18 K’s
Blake Snell, 3-0, 0.86 ERA, 21 IP, 6 hits, 2 ER, 5 walks, 28 K’s
Roki Sasaki, 1.13 ERA, 3 saves, 8 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER,, 2 walks, 6 K’s
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 2-1, 1.83 ERA, 19.2 IP, 13 hits, 4 ER, 4 walks, 18 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, 2-0, 2.25 ERA, 12 IP, 5 hits, 3 ER, 4 walks, 19 K’s
Alex Vesia, 2-0, 3.86 ERA, 4.2 IP, 3 hits, 3 ER, 3 walks, 4 K’s
Blake Treinen, 7.36 ERA, 3.2 IP, 5 hits 3 ER, 2 walks, 5 K’s
Emmet Sheehan, 10.80 ERA, 3.1 IP, 6 hits, 4 ER, 2 walks, 2 K’s
Clayton Kershaw, 18.00 ERA, 2 IP, 6 hits, 4 ER, 3 walks
Edgardo Henriquez, infinity, 0 IP, 1 hit, 1 ER, 2 walks
Team, 9-1, 2.45 ERA. 4 saves, 92 IP, 56 hits, 25 ER, 38 walks, 104 K’s

Blue Jays

Chris Bassitt, 0.00 ERA, 2.2 IP, 3 K’s
Jeff Hoffman, 1.23 ERA, 2 saves, 7.1 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 2 walks, 12 K’s
Kevin Gausman, 2-1, 2.00 ERA, 18 IP, 10 hits, 4 ER, 9 walks, 12 K’s
Max Scherzer, 1-0, 3.18 ERA, 5.2 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, 4 walks, 5 K’s
Louis Varland, 0-1, 3.27 ERA, 11 IP, 8 hits, 4 ER, 1 walk, 13 K’s
Seranthony Dominguez. 1-0, 4.05 ERA, 6.2 IP, 3 hits, 3 ER, 5 walks, 5 K’s
Trey Yesavage, 2-1, 4.20 ERA, 15 IP, 10 hits, 7 ER, 7 walks, 22 K’s
Shane Bieber, 1-0, 4.38 ERA, 12.1 IP, 16 hits, 6 ER, 3 walks, 15 K’s
Mason Fluharty, 6.23 ERA, 4.1 IP, 5 hits, 3 ER, 2 walks, 7 K’s
Braydon Fisher, 7.36 ERA, 3.2 IP, 7 hits, 3 ER, 1 walk, 6 K’s
Eric Lauer, 9.00 ERA, 3 IP, 4 hits, 3 ER, 1 walk, 5 K’s
Yariel Rodríguez, 10.13 ERA, 2.2 IP, 2 hits, 3 ER, 4 walks, 1 K
Brendon Little, 0-1, 12.00 ERA, 3 IP, 5 hits, 4 ER, 4 walks, 2 K’s
Tommy Nance, 13.50 ERA, 1.1 IP, 5 hits, 2 ER, 1 walk
Justin Bruihl, 54.00 ERA, 0.1 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER
Team, 7-4, 4.36 ERA, 2 saves, 97 IP, 84 hits, 47 ER, 44 walks, 108 K’s

Poll results

We asked, “Who will win the World Series?”

After 13,296 votes:

Dodgers in five, 44.5%
Dodgers in six, 40.7%
Dodgers in four, 6.3%
Dodgers in seven, 4.5%
Blue Jays in six, 1.9%
Blue Jays in seven, 1.2%
Blue Jays in five, 0.6%
Blue Jays in four, 0.3%

Up next

Friday: Dodgers (Blake Snell, 5-4, 2.35 ERA) at Toronto (Trey Yesavage, 1-0, 3.21 ERA), 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

Saturday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 12-8, 2.49 ERA) at Toronto, 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

Monday: Toronto at Dodgers, 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

Tuesday: Toronto at Dodgers, 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Wednesday: Toronto at Dodgers, 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Friday, Oct. 31: Dodgers at Toronto, 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Saturday, Nov. 1: Dodgers at Toronto, 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-if necessary

In case you missed it

Alex Vesia might not pitch in World Series because of personal matter

‘It’s just in our DNA’: Why Dodgers treat title pressure as routine while chasing dynasty

Dave Roberts doesn’t think the Dodgers are villains

Hernández: Yamamoto’s interpreter almost quit after 2 days. Now he’s hoping his underwear can help in World Series

Cuban Andy Pages’ Dodgers success is bittersweet due to family separation

How a difficult season transformed Blake Snell into the Dodgers’ October ace

Shaikin: ‘I let down an entire nation.’ Canadians wanted Ohtani. They got a ‘Shark Tank’ star instead

Dodgers’ Justin Dean has not batted yet in the playoffs. Here’s how he still contributes

And finally

Freddie Freeman hits a walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

DALLAS — Adrian Kempe scored 37 seconds into overtime and the Kings beat Dallas 3-2 on Thursday night, handing the slumping Stars their fourth consecutive loss. It was the second game in a row in which Kempe scored the winning overtime goal.

Darcy Kuemper made 29 saves, and former Stars Corey Perry and Cody Ceci also scored as the Kings won in regulation for the first time this season.

Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson scored power-play goals for the Stars, and Johnston also had an assist. Jake Oettinger stopped 22 shots.

Kempe scored from the slot on a pass from Quinton Byfield on the Kings’ only rush of overtime. It was Byfield’s second assist of the game.

The Stars have dropped four straight before New Year’s for the first time since Oct. 25-Nov. 2, 2021.

The 40-year-old Perry, who played for Dallas in 2019-20, knocked home a rebound at the crease for the game’s first goal late in the first period 22 seconds into a 35-second five-on-three power play.

Only 1:29 after Robertson tied the score 1-1 early in the second period, Ceci put the Kings back ahead with a slap shot redirected off the stick of Dallas’ Mavrik Bourque. Ceci was acquired by Dallas last February from San Jose and left for L.A. in free agency last summer.

Johnston’s team-high fifth goal of the season tied the score 2-2 early in the third period.

The Kings had a deflection goal by Alex Laferriere midway through the second disallowed after a video review determined his stick was too high.

Dallas’ Roope Hintz had two assists.

Getty Images

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Which players have been arrested?

What has the NBA said about the allegations?

Who are New York’s notorious ‘Five Families’?

In four days, the Chargers’ defense went from rattled to relentless.

The Minnesota Vikings were the victims, unable to move the ball Thursday night against a unit that looked shaky and unsure of itself in a humbling loss to Indianapolis the previous Sunday.

That, along with the consistently excellent play of quarterback Justin Herbert and a solid ground attack, paved the way for a 37-10 victory by the Chargers before a national audience.

The game marked the first time the Chargers scored 30 points or more. They didn’t punt all game, something that hadn’t happened since Week 16 of 2021. They had 29 first downs to 12 by the Vikings.

The performance looked much closer to one the Chargers might have turned in last season, when they led the AFC by allowing just 18.5 points per game. In the previous three games, the Chargers had allowed an average of 30.6.

The Chargers turned in the defensive gem without the services of All-Pro safety Derwin James Jr., the team’s leading tackler who left in the first half with an ankle injury. His backup, Tony Jefferson, was hobbled by a hamstring injury, leaving the duties to rookie R.J. Mickens, who had an interception early in the fourth quarter.

The decisive victory propels the Chargers into their mini-bye on a high note, washing away some of the bad taste of three losses in the previous four weeks. Their next game is at the one-win Tennessee Titans on Nov. 2.

That means the Chargers will have more time to heal, vital for a team so banged up.

The Chargers rushed for 207 yards, the most since coach Jim Harbaugh’s first two games with the team last season. Running back Kimani Vidal ran for 117 yards and a touchdown.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert throws during the second half against the Vikings on Thursday.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

The emphasis on the run was far more Harbaugh’s style than the 55 pass attempts Sunday in the 38-24 loss to the Colts, when the Chargers spent all game trying to claw their way out of a ditch.

Herbert threw for 227 yards and three touchdowns.

Minnesota was hurting at quarterback with Carson Wentz playing with a brace on his left, non-throwing shoulder. At various times, he was holding his limp arm and wincing on the sideline. He was under near-constant pressure from the Chargers’ pass rush.

Late in the fourth quarter, Wentz was leveled from the blindside by blitzers Cam Hart and Troy Dye. The quarterback lay on the ground in what looked to be excruciating pain for a moment, got up, ran to the sideline and flung his helmet in frustration.

Rookie quarterback Max Brosmer finished the game for the Vikings, who dropped to 3-4. J.J. McCarthy is nursing an injured ankle but is likely to return at quarterback soon.

Chargers safety R.J. Mickens (27) shows his excitement after intercepting a pass from Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz in the second half Thursday.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Khalil Mack, wearing a brace on his injured elbow, was a nightmare for Vikings blockers and spent much of his time in the Minnesota backfield.

As well as the Chargers played, they got off to a terrible start. On their second snap, Herbert threw a short pass to his left that apparently was intercepted by diving cornerback Isaiah Rodgers and returned for an 18-yard touchdown.

The play was nullified, however, when replays showed the football move when Rodgers hit the ground before climbing to his feet.

Having survived that scare, the Chargers took advantage of their new life with a 14-play drive capped by an eight-yard touchdown reception by rookie Oronde Gadsden II.

Herbert has been pressured and hit more than any NFL quarterback, yet he got much better protection Thursday night, thanks in no small part to the return of left tackle Joe Alt.

Also key was the ball carrying of Vidal, promoted from the practice squad in Week 6 because of injuries to the top two Chargers running backs, Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton. Herbert got some big yardage on scrambles as well.

Vidal would score a touchdown in the second quarter, as would Ladd McConkey, and the Chargers had a 21-3 lead at halftime.

In a bit of near-synchronicity, this came four days after the Chargers trailed Indianapolis, 23-3, at halftime.

Just about everything went well for the home team in the first two quarters, with Herbert completing 14 of 18 passes for 191 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The only blemish was an errant 49-yard attempt by kicker Cameron Dicker, his first miss of the season.

His father says it all the time.

Anthony Frias II will suffer a setback, like those scary months when the UCLA running back was stuck in transfer portal limbo, unsure if his college career was over, and he’ll hear those familiar words.

It’s part of the movie.

He’ll strain in anonymity, police repeatedly coming to the door of his home at 2:30 a.m. because neighbors kept complaining about the sound of weights slamming onto the floor of the garage after another sweaty deadlift, and here comes his father’s favorite phrase again.

UCLA running back Anthony Frias II’s family gathers for a photo in front of the Rose Bowl before cheering for him and the Bruins.

(The Frias family)

It’s part of the movie.

Then there’s moments like last weekend, when something happens that makes this whole improbable journey feel like it’s just getting started, like there’s so much left to do and so many people to inspire for the kid from a tiny town in the San Joaquin Valley who once had no college scholarship offers.

Having been made a bigger part of the offensive game plan against Maryland, Frias bolted for his first career touchdown run. Later, with the Bruins needing to reach field-goal range in the game’s final moments, he chugged ahead for 35 yards, dragging defenders with him to set up the winning score.

When Frias emerged from the tunnel inside the Rose Bowl afterward to reconnect with his family, having starred inside the stadium where he once stood as a teenager with a sign proclaiming that he would play there one day, it was only a matter of time before he heard that refrain once more.

“Every time something happens, he mentions it,” the namesake son said of his father, “and it gives me a little bit more belief each time that he’s right.”

For many years, the genre of Anthony Frias II’s story seemed uncertain.

Would it be a hero’s tale? A drama about unfulfilled dreams?

The only sure thing was the conviction of the boy and his father who believed their journey would take them well beyond the confines of Le Grand, Calif., population 1,592.

Little Anthony wanted to play football so badly growing up that after suffering a hairline fracture in his knee that was supposed to sideline him for the rest of the season, he made his own rehabilitation plan.

He was only 9.

Setting his alarm for 5:30 in the morning, he’d wake his father and they would go for a 1½-mile run to a relative’s home for workouts before running back. With his team on the verge of its championship game, Anthony needed a doctor’s clearance to return ahead of schedule.

One morning, he took a crumpled piece of paper to his mom in bed. When she awoke unexpectedly, he ran away nervously. Sabrina Frias looked at the paper, which outlined his recovery and mentioned that he had been waiting for this moment his whole life.

Anthony Frias II was in high school when he stood in front of the Rose Bowl while holding up a sign that read, “One day I will play here!” and featured the Stanford logo. He realized his dream of playing in the Rose Bowl, although it was for UCLA.

(The Frias family)

Anthony left his fate in his mother’s hands, asking her to make a choice — circle the “Yes” he had written alongside a happy face or the “No” alongside a sad face.

Her heart breaking at the thought of denying her son, she circled “Yes.” Anthony went on to score every point in his team’s 20-19 victory.

By the time he was 13, Anthony had modeled his playing style after Christian McCaffrey, the dynamic Stanford running back who was making a strong push for the Heisman Trophy. That made the Christmas present he received that year — tickets to see Stanford play Iowa in the Rose Bowl — an all-time favorite.

Before the game, Anthony’s father painted a giant red “S” on his son’s bare chest. Together, they made a sign that Anthony held above his head while standing outside the stadium. It read, “One day I will play here!”

Looking back, Anthony said the sign was mostly his father’s idea.

“He just knew,” Anthony said, “that I was gonna be so special.”

Few shared that belief when Anthony was coming out of high school.

Starring for Turlock High, which was not known for producing high-level college prospects, wasn’t enough to draw interest beyond a few Division II schools. What was the recruiters’ biggest hang up?

“When they looked at him,” Anthony’s father said of someone who now stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 225 pounds, “he wasn’t the guy they wanted.”

Enrolling at Modesto Junior College, Anthony quickly rose from fourth-stringer to featured tailback during the 2021 season, topping 100 yards rushing three times and leading all California junior college players with 17 rushing touchdowns.

It was enough to earn him a scholarship offer at Kansas State.

Kansas State running back Anthony Frias II catches the ball during a game against Tulane on Sept. 17, 2022, in Manhattan, Kan.

(Colin E Braley / Associated Press)

Buried on the depth chart, he redshirted during his first season with the Wildcats. The next season, playing mostly on special teams, Anthony rarely got more than a carry or two in any game. As confident as he was in his ability, it was impossible to keep out the doubt.

He forged ahead, bolstered by his religious faith and conversations with the father who also happened to be his therapist and best friend, telling him not to worry, that things would eventually pay off.

“You know, we talk it through, I’m there for him all the time,” the elder Frias said. “I’ve been there through the tears, I’ve been there through the needing to hold my son, through the questioning, ‘What more can I do, dad?’ But he never faltered, never quit.”

He did seek a new football home.

Kansas State running back Anthony Frias II carries the ball while running into the Central Florida defense on Sept. 23, 2023, in Manhattan, Kan.

(Travis Heying / Associated Press)

Before Kansas State played its bowl game at the end of the 2023 season, Frias entered the transfer portal. Then he waited. And waited. Months went by without a new offer to play elsewhere.

“Nobody was coming, nobody was calling, there was a moment where we were just like, ‘Man, what are we going to do?’” Anthony’s father said. “We just prayed and had faith, like it’s going to work out, don’t worry.”

Sure enough, the new coaching staff at Arizona, which had pursued Anthony when it was at San José State, offered a spot as a preferred walk-on. That meant Anthony was going to have to take out student loans and pay for his own apartment in Tucson.

About a week before he was scheduled to move in, Anthony received a call from Marcus Thomas, UCLA’s running backs coach. How would you like to become a Bruin? Anthony told him that he’d need to be more than a preferred walk-on because otherwise he was just going to go to Arizona.

Less than five minutes later, UCLA offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy called. The team agreed to cover his tuition and living expenses through name, image and likeness funds, even though he wouldn’t be on scholarship.

Done.

When Anthony giddily walked into the Rose Bowl for the first time as a player, during a practice before the 2024 season opener, he FaceTimed his parents, even going over to the seat where he and his father had watched that Rose Bowl game.

“That,” Anthony said, “was like the first full-circle moment that I had.”

Anthony’s first season as a Bruin largely mirrored his final season as a Wildcat. There was a lot of special teams work and only a few carries before an expanded role in the season finale against Fresno State.

Entering what’s likely to be his final college season, the redshirt senior earned a scholarship but no guarantee of emerging from the shadows.

As usual, his father wore his son’s No. 22 jersey last weekend when he settled into his seat in the family section inside the Rose Bowl, never imagining the name on the back would be one of the most talked about inside the stadium.

When Anthony took a handoff early in the second quarter, cutting one way and then the other before breaking a tackle on the way to a 55-yard touchdown run, his every movement was accompanied by his father’s voice in the stands.

“I’m like, ‘Oh, oh dang, oh dang!’ ” the elder Frias said. “And then I stand up, like, ‘Oh!’ and I see that [defender] chase him and I’m like, ‘Come on, Ant, turn it up!’ and then he beats the guy out to score the touchdown and I just went crazy.”

With fellow running backs Anthony Woods and Jaivian Thomas later sidelined by injuries, Anthony Frias got a few more carries. His last one, on the game’s final offensive play, captured the essence of someone who refused to quit.

Running away from one defender who tried to grab him by the shoulders, he spun away from another before finally getting dragged down at the five-yard line to set up the winning field goal on the next play.

“Just all the pain, all the suffering, all the longing, all the workouts, all the late nights, all the no-love, no-opportunity, that run signified the release of that,” his father said. “And when he came out of there, he let out his roar. He was like, ‘I won’t be denied any more.’ ”

In one game and only four carries, Anthony had piled up 97 rushing yards — exceeding the 91 yards he had tallied in the three previous seasons combined.

“He made the most of the situation,” UCLA interim coach Tim Skipper said. “He made critical plays — I mean, we’re not just talking he got some first down or something, he made critical, impact, explosive plays that changed that game and for that to happen for him, it couldn’t have happened to a better person.”

Later, emerging from the tunnel leading to the same spot outside the Rose Bowl where he had held that sign over his head almost a decade earlier, Anthony flashed a smile that his father had never seen before when he reached a jubilant throng of family and friends.

“It just was all the years of the grinding and the behind-the-scenes stuff that I’ve been going through,” Anthony said, “and you know, getting opportunities here and there doing different things and showing that I could do more.”

Everyone shouting his name, waiting their turn for a hug, the only thing missing was a climactic score and rolling credits.

You know what his father would say about that.

NEW YORK — Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier are among more than 30 people charged in connection with schemes involving illegal sports betting and rigged poker games backed by Mafia, authorities said on Thursday.

Rozier is accused in participating in an illegal sports betting scheme using private insider NBA information, officials said. Billups is charged in a separate indictment alleging a wide-ranging scheme to rig underground poker games that were backed by Mafia families, authorities said.

The indictments are related to two major cases, one involving sports betting and the second involving rigged poker games, U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said at a news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel. In the first case, six defendants are accused of participating in an insider sports betting conspiracy that exploited confidential information about NBA athletes and teams, Nocella said. He called it “one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States.”

The second case involves 31 defendants in a nationwide scheme to rig illegal poker games, Nocella said. The defendants include former professional athletes accused of using technology to steal millions of dollars from victims in underground poker games in the New York area that were backed by Mafia families, he said.

In the sports betting scheme, players sometimes altered their performance or took themselves out of games early, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. In one instance, Rozier, while playing for the Hornets, told other he was planning to leave the game early with a “supposed injury,” allowing others to place wagers that raked in thousands of dollars, Tisch said.

The indictment of Rozier and others says there are nine unnamed co-conspirators including a Florida resident who was an NBA player and an Oregon resident who was an NBA player from about 1997 to 2014 and an NBA coach since at least 2021, as well as a relative of Rozier.

Rozier and other defendants “had access to private information known by NBA players or NBA coaches” that was likely to affect the outcome of games or players’ performances and provided that information to other co-conspirators in exchange for either a flat fee or a share of betting profits, the indictment says.

The NBA had no immediate comment. The league has investigated Rozier previously and still is looking into the actions of former Detroit player Malik Beasley, one of the sources told the AP.

Rozier was in uniform as the Heat played the Magic in Orlando, Florida, in the season opener for both teams on Wednesday evening, though he did not play in the game. He was taken into custody in Orlando early Thursday morning. The team didn’t immediately comment on the arrest.

A message was left with Rozier’s lawyer, Jim Trusty, on Thursday. Trusty previously told ESPN that Rozier was told that an initial investigation determined he did nothing wrong after he met with NBA and FBI officials in 2023, the sports network reported.

A message seeking comment was left with Billups on Thursday morning.

The case was brought by the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn that previously prosecuted ex-NBA player Jontay Porter. The former Toronto Raptors center pleaded guilty to charges that he withdrew early from games, claiming illness or injury, so that those in the know could win big by betting on him to underperform expectations.

Billups was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last year. The five-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA point guard led the Detroit Pistons to their third league title in 2004 as NBA Finals MVP. Boston drafted the former Colorado star with the No. 3 pick overall in 1997. The player known as Mr. Big Shot also played for Toronto, Denver, Minnesota, the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Clippers. Billups won the Joe Dumars Trophy, the NBA’s sportsmanship award, in 2009 while playing for his hometown Denver Nuggets.

The 49-year-old Billups is in his fifth season as Portland’s coach, compiling a 117-212 record. The Trail Blazers opened the season Wednesday night at home with a 118-114 loss to Minnesota.

A game involving Rozier that has been in question was played on March 23, 2023, a matchup between the Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans. Rozier played the first 9 minutes and 36 seconds of that game — and not only did not return that night, citing a foot issue, but did not play again that season. Charlotte had eight games remaining and was not in playoff contention, so it did not seem particularly unusual that Rozier was shut down for the season’s final games.

In that March 23 game, Rozier finished with five points, four rebounds and two assists in that opening period — a productive quarter but well below his usual total output for a full game.

Posts still online from March 23, 2023, show that some bettors were furious with sportsbooks that evening when it became evident that Rozier was not going to return to the Charlotte-New Orleans game after the first quarter, with many turning to social media to say that something “shady” had gone on regarding the prop bets involving his stats for that night.

A prop is a type of wager that allows gamblers to bet on whether a player will exceed a certain statistical number, such as whether the player will finish over or under a certain total of points, rebounds, assists and more.

Richer, Reynolds and Marcelo write for the Associated Press. Durkin Richer reported from Washington, and Reynolds reported from Miami. Associated Press reporters David Collins in Hartford, Conn., and Larry Lage in Detroit contributed.

The band is back together, even though they never really parted.

Departed? Sure. The crew that comprised “Inside the NBA” moved from TNT when the cable network lost its NBA broadcast rights to ESPN, NBC and Amazon after last season.

But the ensemble that somehow is greater than the sum of its star-studded parts continues — albeit now under the title “NBA Tip-Off.”

The familiar lineup of Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O’Neal and Ernie Johnson reunited for a pregame show ahead of ESPN’s doubleheader Wednesday, with the Cleveland Cavaliers visiting the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs visiting the Dallas Mavericks.

And they poked fun at themselves and at the Worldwide Leader. Any fears that ESPN suits would tone down the rollicking, often hilarious dynamic the quartet brought to the last decade-plus of the 36-year “Inside the NBA” run were quickly doused.

O’Neal opened by admonishing Johnson for mentioning the NBA‘s opening games Tuesday night, which broadcast on NBC and the Peacock streaming service.

“You are supposed to say, this is TRON — the real opening night,” O’Neal said to laughs. “Don’t forget who we are, boys.”

Johnson gently pushed back, replying, “Don’t be that way!” to more laughs.

O’Neal said Smith was almost late for the show, and Smith said, “I haven’t been that nervous since Game 7 of the NBA Finals.”

Barkley, who had been the most vocal skeptic of leaving TNT for ESPN, seconded that sentiment, saying “I was nervous all day.” But before he could continue in a more serious vein, Johnson interrupted and clips were shown of Barkley expressing doubts about ESPN on the “Dan Patrick Show” and other outlets.

More laughs ensued, although Barkley did his best to toe the company line, saying, “I’m not gonna lie. Every person who ever touched a ball wanted to be on ESPN. They are the greatest sports network ever. And to be working with these guys is an honor and a privilege.”

Johnson echoed Barkley, saying, “It is a dream come true,” and asked Smith if he felt the same way. Smith sighed and replied, “I will answer yes, but do you all want a napkin for all that kissing up?”

The laughs continued when a clip of Barkley earlier expressing worry about the workload at ESPN was followed by a graphic that displayed his Thursday work “schedule,” which included appearances every hour of the day, including during broadcasts of World Axe Throwing League and the American Cornhole League.

Basketball analysis did eventually follow the jokes and jabs, with O’Neal making a somewhat-bold prediction regarding oft-injured former Lakers big man Anthony Davis, who now plays in Dallas: “If A.D. plays 65 games, the Dallas Mavericks will be in the Western Conference finals.”

“NBA Tip-Off” was set to air segments pregame, halftime and postgame during Wednesday’s doubleheader, and ESPN announced it will air 20 days during the regular season around games broadcast on ESPN and ABC.

Formats will be different on each network. Pregame shows on ESPN will begin an hour before tipoff and postgame shows will start right after the final horn. Pregame shows on ABC will begin 30 minutes before tipoff. with postgame shows airing only after Saturday prime-time games. The NBA Sunday Showcase series on ABC also will feature an “NBA Tip-Off” pregame show.

“We’re proud that ‘Inside the NBA’ — one of the most iconic and beloved shows in all of media — will play a leading role in our NBA coverage,” ESPN president of content Burke Magnus said in a statement two weeks ago. “Fans should expect the same great show they’re accustomed to watching as it becomes an essential part of the highest-profile events in the NBA, including the NBA Finals.”

There was talk a few months ago that TNT could produce a separate show with the same cast, since this season’s “NBA Tip-Off” will continue to be produced in TNT’s Atlanta studios. Barkley seemingly put the kibosh on that notion when he said a pilot TNT taped was “just stupid stuff.”

“Number one, we won’t have basketball highlights [on TNT],” Barkley said in June. “But also, we’re probably gonna be going up against an NBA game. And anybody who likes basketball ain’t gonna say, ‘Hey, you know what? Let me turn off an NBA game on Amazon, ESPN or NBC to go watch these four dudes sit around and talk about nothing.’”

Instead, the quartet will continue to talk hoops and trade zingers, but only on ESPN and ABC.

“Inside the NBA” 2025-26 regular season broadcast schedule

2025
Oct. 22: ESPN and ESPN2
Oct. 23: ESPN
Oct. 29: ESPN
Nov. 12: ESPN
Dec. 25: ESPN and ABC

2026
Jan. 24: ABC
Jan. 28: ESPN
Jan. 31: ABC
Feb. 7: ABC
Feb. 20: ESPN
Feb. 21: ABC
Feb. 22: ABC
Feb. 27: ESPN
Feb. 28: ABC
March 1: ABC
March 6: ESPN
March 7: ABC
March 8: ABC
March 14: ABC
April 12: ESPN

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. I was hoping for Seattle, since they had never made the World Series before.

Here we are on Wednesday, with the World Series two days away. It will have been a week off for the Dodgers, while the Toronto Blue Jays will have had only three days off. They say that rust will hurt a batter more than it will a pitcher. Will the time off hurt the Dodgers?

Before this season, there have been four times when one league’s LCS went seven games and the other league’s went four games, giving them much more time off before the World Series. One of these you will be very familiar with:

1988
NLCS: Dodgers defeat the Mets, 4-3
ALCS: A’s defeat the Red Sox, 4-0
World Series: Dodgers defeat the A’s, 4-1

Oakland, which had the mighty Bash Brothers of José Canseco and Mark McGwire, hit .177 in the series, with Canseco and McGwire getting only one hit each (both were homers). They scored 11 runs in the series, and never more than four in a game, which came in Game 1 on Canseco’s grand slam off of Tim Belcher. This seemed not so much a case of rust as it was the A’s running into an outstanding Dodger pitching staff, led by Orel Hershiser, who pitched a three-hit shutout in Game 2. The Dodgers hit .246 in the series and outhomered the A’s, 5-2.

2006
NLCS: Cardinals defeat the Mets, 4-3
ALCS: Tigers defeat the A’s. 4-0
World Series: Cardinals defeat the Tigers, 4-1

The Tigers hit .199 in the series and scored 11 runs. The Cardinals went 83-78 during the season, including 12-17 in September, so they weren’t exactly a juggernaut. Plácido Polanco went 0 for 17, Curtis Granderson went two for 21 and Magglio Ordóñez went two for 19. They had three guys who hit .353 or better, so it was all or nothing for their offense. Neither side hit well, as the Cardinals hit just .226.

2007
NLCS: Rockies defeat the Diamondbacks, 4-0
ALCS: Red Sox defeat the Indians, 4-3
World Series: Red Sox defeat the Rockies, 4-0

The Rockies hit .218 in the series and scored 10 runs. The Red Sox hit .333 and scored 29 runs, so this was more a case of bad pitching by the Rockies, as their starting pitchers combined for an 8.33 ERA. The Red Sox hit an amazing 18 doubles in four games.

2012
NLCS: Giants defeat the Cardinals, 4-3
ALCS: Tigers defeat the Yankees, 4-0
World Series: Giants defeat the Tigers, 4-0

The Tigers hit .159 in the series and scored only six runs. Jhonny Peralta went one for 15, Prince Fielder went one for 14, Miguel Cabrera went three for 13. The Giants hit .242 and scored 16 runs.

So, the teams that had extra time off lost all four World Series and went 4-16 in the 20 games played. Three of the four hit below .200.

That stat does not bode well for the Dodgers, but it is an extremely small sample size. Keep in mind the Dodgers had six days off before the start of last year’s postseason, and that turned out just fine.

What are the Dodgers doing to combat the extra time off? Jack Harris wrote a story on it you can check out here.

Some key takeaways:

—Now, as they did back last year, the Dodgers are incorporating more simulated game activities into their schedule. On Sunday, they played a seven-inning sim game. On Monday, they took more rounds of live batting practice.

—“I think it’s nice to have rest and kind of let everybody take a deep breath and rest up or whatnot. … Just rest up and keep sharpening your skills.” Mookie Betts said.

—“All we’re trying to do right here is get four more wins to win a World Series,” Miguel Rojas said. “Last year, when we had the bye, and the year before, we were trying to get through one more month of baseball. You’re trying to prepare for that. You’re trying to get some guys healthy. I just feel like the difference with this one [versus] the one we had the last couple years is everybody is locked in on winning the World Series. We’re really close to doing that. And winning four more games is the most important thing.”

America hates the Dodgers

The people at Betonline.ag have analzyed tweets, hashtags and direct keyword phrases about whom fans are rooting for. On X, 92% of fans are rooting for Toronto.

The state-by-state rooting breakdown:

Dodgers – 4 states (California, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah)
Blue Jays – 46 states (All other states)

Poll results

We asked, “Which team would you like to see the Dodgers play in the World Series?”

After 16,483 votes:

Seattle, 84.3%
Toronto, 15.7%

Poll time

What is your prediction for this World Series?

Click here to vote in our survey.

In case you missed it

Shaikin: Most MLB owners want to curb big spenders like the Dodgers. What does the union say?

World Series preview: Are the Dodgers actually the favorites? | Dodgers Debate

Here’s how to see the Dodgers in the World Series in person without a ticket

Nine concerns the Dodgers should have about facing the Blue Jays in the World Series

How Dodgers are navigating their World Series bye week: ‘Keep sharpening your skills’

Why the Dodgers’ return to the World Series was only a matter of time

Shohei Ohtani highlighted in film tracing history of Japanese and American baseball

And finally

Vin Scully and special guest Fernando Valenzuela throw out the first pitch before Game 2 of the 2017 World Series. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

With two weeks left in the regular season for high school football, it’s become clear there’s a large and growing list of candidates for coach of the year. They are considered based on exceeding expectations, winning championships or helping to engineer a program turnaround when no one saw it coming.

Let’s review the great coaching performances so far this season:

Los Alamitos football coach Ray Fenton stands with his players on Thursday during an Alpha League opener at SoFi Stadium.

(Craig Weston)

• Ray Fenton, Los Alamitos: The man looks so fit he could run around any stadium without breaking a sweat. Few expected the Griffins to be 8-0 at this point, let alone be in the running for a Southern Section Division 1 playoff berth. He’s molded a team of best friends into believing in themselves no matter the opponent. San Clemente and Mission Viejo are the only teams standing in the way of a 10-0 regular season.

• Terrance Whitehead, Crenshaw: When head coach Robert Garrett was placed on administrative leave before the season began, the Crenshaw grad and longtime assistant took over. Garrett helped train him, and Crenshaw is 7-1 going into a Coliseum League title decider against King/Drew on Friday. The Cougars have discipline, resiliency and are playing to make Garrett and his assistants proud.

  

  Crenshaw interim coach Terrance Whitehead speaking with quarterback Danniel Flowers.

  (Robert H. Helfman)

• Brad Vonnahme, Crespi: Who predicted the Celts would be 8-0 and headed to the Del Rey League championship in Vonnahme’s third season of a massive rebuilding job? He hasn’t brought in transfers, rather relying on players who start out as freshmen learning the game and move up. There’s a group of sophomores being developed who could be very good in the coming seasons.

• Jason Negro, St. John Bosco: The Braves have established themselves as the No. 1 team in California, if not the nation, while relying on an improving sophomore quarterback and four receivers headed to college success. He knows championships are won with the help of the offensive and defensive lines, and those are the areas to watch as the playoffs approach.

  

  St. John Bosco coach Jason Negro has his team ranked No. 1 in the nation.

  (Craig Weston)

• Jon Ellinghouse, Sierra Canyon: The Trailblazers are 8-0 and no one has come close to beating them. The season will be based on whether they can break through and disrupt the St. John Bosco-Mater Dei domination. Their defense is clearly the best in Southern California.
• Dylen Smith, Palisades: He lost his field, lost his weight room and nearly lost his team to the Palisades fire. And yet, the Dolphins have persevered and are 8-0 with players who stayed and a couple new ones who wanted to experience an adventure with no guarantee of success.
• Chad Johnson, Mission Viejo: With the Diablos (7-1) having wins over Santa Margarita, Folsom and San Diego Lincoln, Johnson challenged his team with a difficult nonleague schedule and they’ve met that challenge. He placed his trust in quarterback Luke Fahey, and don’t doubt how far this team can advance.
• Rick Clausen, Westlake: An assistant coach all his life, Clausen decided to accept the head coaching position even though his wife died of cancer. He’s somehow managed to balance parenting duties and coaching duties, helping a Westlake team go from 0-10 last season to 8-0 this season in his rookie year.
• Tony Henney, Dana Hills: Wherever Henney goes, he succeeds. He’s been head coach at Nordhoff, Trabuco Hills, St. Bonaventure and Westlake. He has Dana Hills at 8-0 going into a game on Friday against 8-0 Laguna Beach, whose own coach, John Shanahan, surrounded himself with an elite group of assistants, including former JSerra head coach Scott McKnight. The winner of the battle of the unbeatens might not be stopped the rest of the way.

• Kevin Hettig, Corona del Mar: With his team 8-0 and tough games ahead, Hettig has quietly and competently prepared the Sea Kings to stay focused and keep improving each week.

  

  Corona del Mar head coach Kevin Hettig, quarterback Brady Annett, and NMUSD superintendent Dr. Wesley Smith.

  (Don Leach/Staff Photographer)

• Jason Miller, Leuzinger: Who loses his only quarterback who can pass and still keeps the team winning? Miller and the Olympians (6-1) are on the verge of ending Inglewood’s reign as a league champion by using 5-foot-8 Journee Tonga as his versatile offensive weapon and replacement quarterback.

• Mike Moon, Oxnard Pacifica: Moon is trying to get his always underrated 8-0 team to run the table in the Marmonte League. He’s helped develop junior quarterback Taylor Lee while managing rising expectations and winning close games.

  

  Mike Moon of Oxnard Pacifica has his team at 8-0.

  (Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

• Raymond Carter, Torrance: The former All-City running back at Crenshaw has his team at 8-0, beating local team after local team led by junior quarterback Gibson Turner, who has 20 touchdown passes.
• Mark Carson, Rio Hondo Prep: Year after year, Carson has Rio Hondo Prep ready to succeed. This year’s 8-0 start is no different. A challenge ahead will be playing in a tougher playoff division.
• Darryl Goree, Palm Springs: An 8-0 start has the Indians being the talk of town. Senior linebacker Koa Rapolla has been turned loose and is averaging 13 tackles a game.
• Rick Curtis, Crean Lutheran: Curtis figured out how to best use one of the best athletes in the Southland, quarterback/point guard Caden Jones, and it has led to an 8-0 record.

The Lakers were not whole for their season opener and that meant Luka Doncic had a heavier load to carry while LeBron James sat on the bench injured in this game against rivals Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

So, the question while James recovers from sciatica injury on his right side, is who will fill his void and help Doncic navigate the stretch his running mate is out.

The Lakers didn’t get that complete answer Tuesday night, falling 119-109 to the Warriors at Crypto.com Arena despite Doncic’s impressive performance of a near triple-double with 43 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists.

James is entering an NBA-record 23rd season, but it was the first time over his career that he has missed a season opener.

He sat on the end of the Lakers’ bench dressed in a double-breasted suit, cheering his teammates on, offering words of encouragement when necessary, knowing that was the only way he could help until returns to the court in mid-November.

“It’s hard to forget about LeBron, (but) the reality is, when you’re focused on the group that you have, you’ve got to make the group work,” said coach JJ Redick afterward. “Sometimes you can just be like, ‘Oh my God, we’re gonna get LeBron back at some point.’ Like it’s awesome, but you are focused. I’ll be honest with you, I did have one moment in that first half when we had a few possessions when we couldn’t score against the zone and I thought, ‘It’d be great to have LeBron.”

Lakers guard Austin Reaves gets past Warriors guard Gary Payton II for a layup during the second half Friday night.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

When the Lakers went inside to center Deandre Ayton, he didn’t overpower the small Warriors. Ayton got seven touches, scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds.

But he had four turnovers. One of the other issues was his teammates trying to get the ball inside to Ayton. The lobs just weren’t working, a big reason why the Lakers had 19 turnovers.

“Yeah, today, I was realizing I’m probably a confusing big (center), whether I can roll and stand in the pocket, probably gets a little difficult for them sometimes,” Ayton said. “I’m so used to the league having that low man on me. Sometimes I can’t even finish a roll, and I tiny bit linger around the free-throw area just to be available for him.”’

Austin Reaves showed he was up to the task with James out, producing 26 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

But he had a team-high five turnovers and picked up five fouls by the third quarter.

“We haven’t had a lot of time together as a complete group,” Reaves said. “Obviously, we’re still not complete, but we’re just gonna continue to build, get better, and learn how to play alongside one another. I mean, I had five turnovers tonight, and I don’t think a couple of them are just dumb. But a couple of them were just miscommunications on where I needed to throw a pass to DA (Deandre Ayton). It wasn’t the wrong read. It was the wrong pass at the right time, basically. So it’s just like learning those little things, and you learn those on the fly.”

The Warriors, meanwhile, had four players score in double-figures and that was a big difference in the game. Jimmy Butler led the Warriors with 31 points, Stephen Curry had 23 and Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield each had 17.

The Lakers fell into a hole in the third quarter, going down by 17 points, putting them in catch-up mode.

They were outscored 35-25 in the third. They allowed the Warriors to make 60% of their shots, 50% (five-for-10) of their three-pointers.

Even with the Lakers cutting that deficit to six points in the fourth, their poor play in the third doomed them again.

“The trend I see is that we continue to be a terrible third-quarter team to start,” Redick said. “That was last year. That was the preseason. Gotta rethink some things and it’s, you know, a two-way thing with the guys. What do they need at halftime to make sure they’re ready to play? They’re not ready to play to start the third quarter.”

Etc.

The Lakers picked up the rookie option on Dalton Knecht for $4.2 million for the 2026-27 season, according to people not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. … The Lakers said that forward/center Maxi Kleber has an oblique strain and will be reevaluated in two to three weeks.

The Blue Jays’ bullpen, frankly, has not been very good in this postseason. Entering Monday’s Game 7, the group had a 6.02 ERA and only one successful save.

In that Game 7, however, the Blue Jays showed the ability that still resides in that group.

Louis Varland, a right-hander acquired at the trade deadline, recorded four outs while giving up just one run, and has a 3.27 ERA in the playoffs. Seranthony Domínguez, another right-handed deadline acquisition, pitched a scoreless inning to lower his October ERA to 4.05.

Toronto used a couple starters from there, getting scoreless innings from Gausman and fellow veteran Chris Bassitt.

But at the end, the final three outs belonged to veteran right-hander Jeff Hoffman, a 2024 All-Star who had a disappointing debut season after signing in Toronto this offseason, but now has both of their postseason saves.

The Blue Jays’ one big bullpen weakness is its lack of dominant left-handed depth. Mason Fluharty has been their best southpaw, but has a 6.23 ERA in the playoffs. Brendon Little, Eric Lauer and ex-Dodger Justin Bruihl are also on their roster, but haven’t been any more effective.

Australia beat England in the 2022 World Cup final and are bidding for a record-extending eighth title.

Healy faces a race against time to recover for the semi-finals with the first scheduled for 29 October in Guwahati or Colombo and the second due to take place the following day in Mumbai.

The 35-year-old, who made her Australia debut in 2010, has endured a difficult time with injuries in recent years.

She missed the final group game of the T20 World Cup in 2024 and was unavailable for their semi-final loss to South Africa with a plantar fascia issue.

Healy also missed large periods during the 2024-25 season with knee and foot problems keeping her sidelined for the majority of the Sydney Sixers’ WBBL campaign, an ODI series against India, the T20 leg of the Ashes and a T20 tour of New Zealand.

She returned from injury in August to play six white-ball matches for Australia A against India A in Queensland, before being named in the World Cup squad.