This story contains spoilers for “Andor” Season 2, including Episodes 10 through 12.
When Elizabeth Dulau first heard what showrunner Tony Gilroy had planned for her character in Season 2 of “Andor,” she burst out laughing.
“I just couldn’t believe what he was saying,” says the actor, who portrays the aloof and steadfast rebel spy Kleya Marki in the “Star Wars” series. “And then my first thought was: I need to keep this a secret now for years. How on Earth am I going to do that?”
Kleya plays a pivotal role in the final three-episode arc of “Andor.” After Imperial intelligence officers finally uncover Luthen Rael’s (Stellan Skarsgård) ties to the Rebellion, the antiques dealer attempts to kill himself before he can be captured and interrogated. When Luthen fails, it’s left to Kleya to tie up his final loose end and then deliver vital information to the rebels on Yavin.
Dulau, who didn’t even know if she would be called back for Season 2, learned of Kleya’s storyline in 2023 when Gilroy called to tell her he wanted her to return.
“I’m glad he told me then because it gave me a long time to really ponder how to prepare for that scene,” Dulau says. “He said, ‘We want her to be the one that kills him, and we want it to be additionally heartbreaking because she doesn’t have time to say goodbye.’”
“Andor’s” final episodes sees Kleya utilize the skills she’d honed as Luthen’s closest and most trusted associate as she infiltrates a heavily guarded hospital to reach him. But rather than breaking Luthen out to save him, Kleya’s only option is to unplug him from the machines that are keeping him alive. Then, she has to make sure the information Luthen died for is delivered to the Rebellion.
“We do not have a bad moment of film of her in our cutting room,” says Gilroy, comparing Dulau to Meryl Streep. “She’s unbelievable.”
Elizabeth Dulau says it boggles her mind that Kleya’s story ties into “Star Wars’” famous Death Star plans.
(David Reiss)
“Andor” marks Dulau’s first acting job after graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. While the audition came to her as a role in an “untitled Disney+ project,” she’d heard on the down-low that it was for a “Star Wars” project. She has since been cast in shows including “All the Light We Cannot See,” “Gentleman Jack” and the upcoming “House of Guinness.”
“The beautiful thing about Kleya in Season 1 is that she’s such a mystery,” Dulau says. “You can tell that she’s important, but she’s sort of on the peripheries. There’s so many question marks, so it’s such a delight that a lot of those questions get answered this season.”
That Kleya ultimately plays a role in helping the Rebel Alliance get the Death Star plans needed for them to eventually defeat the Empire also “boggles my mind,” she says.
“It’s not lost on me that Tony has literally written me into Star Wars history with that storyline,” Dulau says. “That blows my mind because it’s so iconic and I have a teeny, tiny little corner of that now.”
Dulau, in a conversation edited for length and clarity, discusses Kleya and Luthen’s relationship, her character’s commitment to the Rebellion and working with Stellan Skarsgård.
There is so much that happens in Episode 10, but how did you approach that final moment where Kleya has to unplug Luthen from life support?
Tony made it very clear to me that he didn’t want her to totally break down in that scene. That breakdown, for Kleya, comes afterward because she’s still in action mode. In that scene, I really wanted to connect with all the love that had grown between her and Luthen, against both of their better judgment, but also all the hate. When Luthen and whatever team of men came to the community she lived in and destroyed them when he worked for the Empire, Kleya was not so young. She would remember her mom and dad. She would remember if she had siblings, any best friends. Luthen is not innocent on that day. He was brave enough to save Kleya, but we don’t know what happens outside of his ship.
Then they spend the next 15 years protecting each other and continuing to save each other. So against their better judgment, love grows between them. I think they’re constantly being pulled apart by that. It’s too scary to acknowledge the fact that they’ve come to really care for each other because this awful thing is there. I wanted to try to condense that and make it as clear as possible in that scene when I go to kill him.
I spent a lot of time leading up to shooting on that day daydreaming. I use daydreaming a lot in my process. And I daydreamed about that day — what happened, what Kleya saw and what she did not see when Luther and his men came to destroy her people. I daydreamed completely made-up scenes in my head, like the day when Luthen made Kleya laugh for the very first time, or happy memories between them. I imagined that those actual flashback scenes were memories of hers that just were intrusive thoughts as she was trying to focus on her mission.
What was your initial take on Kleya and Luthen’s dynamic?
In Season 1, what really fascinated me was that he sets a lot of importance to Kleya’s words. He really listens to her and trusts her and allows himself to be seen by her in a way that he doesn’t let himself be seen by anyone else. So what’s the power dynamic? It’s not the classic father-daughter thing. It’s not like he’s the boss and she’s just the assistant. There’s a real equality, and that’s quite rare, I think, to see between an older man and a younger woman. I was just fascinated by that and had a lot of fun in Season 1 trying to square up to Stellan Skarsgård and tell him what to do. That was intimidating, but really fun.
Then when I found out their backstory, so much about Kleya made sense. It just really broke my heart. In another life, Luthen would have just been this antiques nerd. In hardening himself to what he has to do, he also hardens this young girl, Kleya. It helped me realize that underneath all that hard exterior, at the very core of who Kleya is, actually is something extremely tender and extremely loving. That’s why she is so tough on the outside because there’s something very painful that she’s protecting deep down. She doesn’t let herself have any friends or fall in love or any of that. She makes herself as lethal a weapon as possible. But against her best judgment, love grows for Luthen, care grows between them, and all of that is what they have to lose. But neither of them are ever willing to admit that.
So much of “Andor” is about the sacrifice everybody makes. But for Kleya, we see that her sacrifice has been ongoing.
Yes. “I don’t have lately, I have always,” she says. She has stripped her life of anything that makes her vulnerable. Joy and love and friendship are some of the the most worthwhile things that a human being can have in their life, but it also makes you vulnerable, in a way. And Kleya just cannot afford to be vulnerable. She tells herself, “I have nothing to lose. Everything is for the Rebellion.” [But] she’s lying to herself. She doesn’t really know until Episode 10 that, actually, Luthen is the thing that she has to lose. And she’s willing to do it. She’s willing to sacrifice.
It seems like the closest Kleya has to a frenemy of sorts is Vel, but how do you see their dynamic?
Vel really gets under her skin. Even though Vel is such a tough character as well, she has those relationships. She allows herself to have that relationship with Mon Mothma, her cousin, and with Cinta. She allows herself to fall in love and Kleya just cannot wrap her head around it. How could you let yourself be this vulnerable? But also, maybe for Kleya, there’s a bit of jealousy there as well that Vel has those things.
Kleya has made herself “as lethal a weapon as possible” for the Rebellion, says Elizabeth Dulau.
(Lucasfilm Ltd.)
How did you see Kleya’s trip to Yavin and seeing what she and Luthen had been working for? Because things aren’t quite over for her yet.
I always thought she sees it as her final job, getting the information about the Death Star to Cassian and just getting that information to Yavin. Because you see Cassian have to convince her to come with him to Yavin. She doesn’t want to go there. I don’t know how much she feels she has left to give at that point. She is overwhelmed by grief for Luthen and that grief makes her realize just how much actually she’s come to love him. So she’s in this place of this immensely painful realization about the man who did this awful thing and wiped out her people. How does anyone reckon with that? That’s the space that she’s in when she’s trying desperately to convince Cassian to go without her to Yavin.
Then, once she’s on Yavin and she sees Vel, that tiny little conversation with her, as short as it was, it’s monumental for Kleya because it helps shift her perspective enough that she maybe starts to see a future for herself there amongst that community.
That final shot actually is her looking at the people of Yavin doing their morning routines and seeing the culmination of all of her and Luthen’s work for all those years. I think it’s a feeling of immense satisfaction and sadness that they pulled it off, but also that he’ll never see it.
What was it like working with Stellan Skarsgård?
My final audition actually was with Stellan. I remember my agent calling me to say, “Your recall went well. The note is, for your final audition, just try not to be too nervous. Walk into that room like you’ve been doing this for years.” Then she said, “Your final audition is going to be at Pinewood Studios. You’re going to be reading opposite Stellan Skarsgård. But don’t let that make you nervous.” And I just burst out laughing. Like, this isn’t real. This isn’t happening.
He met with me for coffee 10 minutes before the audition because it was a chemistry read and he wanted to not do it cold. Stellan has this wonderful magic to him that after 10 minutes of chatting with him for the first time ever, I really felt like I was walking into the room with a friend and that I had someone in my corner that was rooting for me.
Stellan has had such a long and rich career, so I don’t know what this job is for him, but this is such a huge job for me and Stellan has been such a huge part of that. I always looked forward to having another scene with Stellan. It was like going home again, having another scene with him, because he was my anchor throughout the whole thing. He knew that it was my first job, so I could ask him all the questions about what was happening, acting techniques for screen, all of that stuff. I could have those conversations with him and he was always so willing to talk about it. He really took me under his wings big time and I will always be so grateful to him for that.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives returns to screens for a second season this week, taking viewers right back into the world of #MomTok
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The scandalous Secret Lives of Mormon Wives returns in 10 new episodes this week
One of last year’s most viral reality series is back this week as The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives returns for a brand-new season. The hit reality series plunges viewers into the world of #MomTok, following a group of mum influencers in Utah’s Mormon community.
During season one, their ‘scandalous’ world imploded when they were caught in the midst of a sex scandal that made international headlines. The eight-part series broke viewership records when it premiered in September, becoming the most-watched unscripted season premiere on Disney+ in its first four days on the platform.
Now it’s back for season two with 10 new episodes available to stream exclusively on Disney+ on Thursday, May 15. The series follows the lives of influencers Taylor Frankie Paul, Demi Engemann, Jen Affleck, Jessi Ngatikaura, Layla Taylor, Mayci Neeley, Mikayla Matthews and Whitney Leavitt.
A lot’s happened since we last saw the group, with Mikayla Matthews, Mayci Neeley and Jen Affleck all announcing their pregnancies. Elsewhere, Taylor took to social media to confirm she is no longer dating Dakota. Season two will see new cast member Miranda McWhorter re-joining the group.
Disney+ now costs as little as £4.99 a month, but members can get 12 months for the price of 10 by paying for a year upfront on the ad-free Standard or Premium plans.
Disney+ is the only place to stream hit shows like Rivals, The Bear and Shōgun, plus blockbuster franchises like Star Wars and Marvel.
The official synopsis reads: “The scandalous world of Mormon #MomTok is back and bigger than ever. When an original swinger from their infamous sex scandal makes a surprise return, friendships threaten to unravel as secrets, lies, and allegations explode.
“In a battle for the soul of #MomTok, will betrayal shatter the sisterhood, or will the truth set them free?”
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives centres around a group of influencers in Utah
Following the success of season one, Disney+ confirmed The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives will return for 20 new episodes, suggesting a third season is already in the works. The latest instalment follows the return of Molly-Mae: Behind it All, the Love Island star’s hit docuseries that returned to Prime Videoearlier this month.
Disney+ dropped the final trailer for The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives in April, with fans flooding the comments in anticipation. One fan said: “I’m so ready for this wild new season.” Another said: “Finally, I just watched the entire first season and it was fire. I’m so excited for the new season.”
A third said: “I need this yesterday. ”Not everyone will be tuning in though, as other YouTube comments said ‘Why do people watch this’ and ‘None of the stuff seen in the show is real’. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season two will be available exclusively on Disney+ from May 15.
Manchester United have decided not to hold an end of year players’ awards night for the second season running.
United cancelled their plans 12 months ago as the senior men’s team finishing eighth in the Premier League, even though they won the FA Cup.
This year, the club have opted not to arrange anything.
The awards night usually involved prizes for players from across the men’s, women’s and youth teams.
Although the men’s side are heading for their worst league finish since the 1973-74 relegation campaign, they could still qualify for the Champions League by winning the Europa League.
As was the case 12 months ago, United’s women’s team could win the FA Cup. They play Chelsea in the final at Wembley on Sunday. United have already qualified for next season’s Women’s Champions League thanks to their third-place league finish.
United have ruled out a parade if the men’s side beat Tottenham in Bilbao on 21 May and instead will host a barbecue at their Carrington training ground the day after the game.
Many of the previous awards nights, which have been covered by MUTV, have been memorable, particularly in 2015 when then boss Louis van Gaal delivered an amusing eight-minute speech when he demanded those present: “I want to say something – pay attention to the manager.”
Bruno Fernandes and Ella Toone won their respective player of the year awards last season.
United called on fans to vote for the men’s and women’s player of the season, and both teams’ goals of the season, in the match programme for Sunday’s home defeat by West Ham.
The awards will be presented on the pitch at Old Trafford before the men’s final home game of the season against Aston Villa on 25 May.
In the Tokyo Dome in March, you could almost hear the zip of the ball.
101 mph.
The pop of the catcher’s mitt sounded like a gunshot.
100 mph.
Roki Sasaki would lift his left leg almost to his head, stretch far down the front side of the mound, and let out a grunt as a blur of white leather came screaming from his hand.
100 mph.
For a brief moment, at the very start of his Major League Baseball career, it seemed like the Japanese phenom pitching prospect had already achieved one of his most important rookie objectives.
100 mph.
During his MLB debut in Japan, Sasaki hit those 100-plus-mph velocities on each of his first four big-league pitches. In the first inning of that March 19 game against the Chicago Cubs, he eclipsed 99 mph eight times in a 1-2-3 frame.
For a developing young pitcher who came to the majors this offseason fixated on improving his fastball speeds, it was a promising early sign — an apparent indication that, after suffering a slight drop in fastball velo during his last season in Japan, the 6-foot-4 flamethrower still possessed triple-digit life.
“The velocity,” manager Dave Roberts said that day, “was good.”
Roki Sasaki’s first four pitches of his MLB debut against the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome in March were at least 100 mph. He has not reached that velocity since.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Almost two months later, however, in one of the more confounding developments of the Dodgers’ otherwise successful start to the season, Sasaki hasn’t come close to even flirting with 100 mph again.
Instead, over a choppy seven-game sample following the team’s return from Japan, Sasaki has struggled to consistently throw the ball hard, averaging just 96 mph with his four-seamer on the whole this season while sometimes dropping down to the 92-93 mph range.
“It’s not an ideal situation,” pitching coach Mark Prior said. “Clearly, the fastball is not gonna carry through the zone at 93 very effectively.”
For some pitchers, this wouldn’t be as pressing a problem. Even in an era of rising fastball velocities around the sport, sitting in the mid-90s is still safely above the major-league average.
Sasaki, however, needs premium velocity (plus consistent command) to make his heater competitive. Because, for all his other raw natural talent, there isn’t much natural deception to the pitch.
Unlike the best fastballs in the sport, Sasaki doesn’t throw his four-seamer with much spin or “vertical break” (pitch characteristics that can give fastballs a rising illusion as they barrel toward the plate). While others can miss bats at even below-average pitch speeds, Sasaki’s four-seamer has a flatter shape that’s easier to hit.
As a result, his fastball has always been predicated on eye-popping velocity — requiring elite radar-gun readings to blow opponents away.
“The velocity allows for that margin of error,” Prior said last week. “And clearly, that’s not there [right now].”
In evaluating Sasaki’s underwhelming start to the season — he has a 4.72 ERA and 1.485 WHIP in his first eight starts, logging just 34 ⅓ innings with only 24 strikeouts and a whopping 22 walks — the most glaring red flag has been the performance of his fastball.
So far, his trademark splitter has been an effective weapon, yielding just a .158 batting average to opponents while generating whiffs on 35% of swings. His lesser-used slider has been a fine secondary option, with opponents batting just three-for-12 against it while coming up empty on 33% of swings.
Sasaki’s fastball, on the other hand, has been susceptible to the improved level of hitting he has faced in the big leagues, resulting in a .253 opponent batting average, a .494 slugging percentage, almost as many home runs allowed (six, not even including two others that were robbed on leaping catches by Andy Pages) as strikeouts generated (eight), and a 10.1% whiff rate that ranks fifth-lowest for four-seamers among qualified MLB starters.
Granted, Sasaki’s lack of command has factored into such struggles, leaving him all too often in unfavorable hitter’s counts where opponents are better primed to square up mistakes.
“I think guys are on his fastball because it’s the one thing that’s probably in the zone more than anything,” Prior said. “This goes back to his ability to throw the other pitches for strikes, and be able to mix, probably balance with all three.”
Still, since that adrenaline-fueled debut in his home country, Sasaki hasn’t thrown even one fastball that has topped 99 mph. In that same span, he has chucked 27 that failed to eclipse 94 mph. Each week, his declining fastball velocity has become a bigger conversation point around his outings. But so far, few answers have materialized about how he can fix it.
“Just really still in this process of finding out what the root cause [is],” Sasaki said through interpreter Will Ireton this past weekend, after the Arizona Diamondbacks teed off on a heater that averaged 94.9 mph in a four-inning, five-run start that represented his worst outing of the year.
“[I’m] working with my coaches, talking to people about this,” Sasaki added. “I’m not quite exactly sure and can’t really state exactly the single reason.”
The Dodgers’ coaching staff has faced the same conundrum this year, struggling to identify exactly why an element so critical to Sasaki’s success — fastball velocity was such a point of emphasis during Sasaki’s free agency this winter, he gave interested clubs a “homework assignment” about how they planned to improve it — has been so far from advertised during the start of his rookie season.
Prior acknowledged that there are “clearly some delivery things” that Sasaki is “still trying to work through” right now. After struggling with wild command in his first few appearances, Sasaki and the team also discussed whether slightly dialing back on the intensity of his throws could help him more consistently locate pitches over the plate.
Mechanics alone, however, don’t explain why Sasaki’s fastball has dropped into the low 90s for some stretches of the year, Prior countered.
And though Sasaki’s command has somewhat improved while throwing with less velocity, both he and Prior insisted his velo hasn’t dropped this far on purpose.
“For us, it’s always been like, ‘If it’s 100 or if it’s 98, that’s fine, if it’s easier to control or something like that.’ We had that conversation,” Prior said. “But nothing to the degree of where it’s been.”
Given that Sasaki has shown no signs of any physical ailment, it’s possible he could be experiencing more of a pitch conviction issue in his new MLB surroundings, potentially lacking the internal confidence to let his fastball consistently rip at top speeds.
“We go back to the drawing board every week with him. We try to talk to him about some certain things, some ideas,” Prior said. “But ultimately, he’s working through his process, and we’re just trying to support him with everything we can.”
To this point, that process has not involved the addition of a different fastball variety more apt at generating soft contact, such as a two-seamer or cutter. Sasaki has said repeatedly that his primary goal is to first refine his primary fastball-splitter arsenal.
“There’s been a lot of conversations about a lot of different things,” Prior said. “Again, we go every week with him, and we’ve been trying to shed light on things where we think there’s gonna be some improvement. But ultimately, again, I think it’s just him trying to get his footing under him, and be comfortable in what he’s doing.”
Indeed, the Dodgers continue to argue that this is all part of Sasaki’s long-term development arc — inevitable growing pains for a superstar who, despite all the hoopla that surrounded his signing, arrived in the majors as an admitted work in progress.
“He’s certainly talented,” Roberts said. “But there’s finishing school. That’s something that we were prepared for. I know it’s harder for him to embrace not having complete success, but this is a tough league.”
When Sasaki’s fastball has ticked up, he’s gotten results, too. On heaters thrown at 97 mph or above, opponents are batting just .133 with a .333 slugging percentage, and swinging-and-missing almost twice as often.
“He will make adjustments given how the hitters respond,” Roberts said. “I think you learn that by doing that here.”
But until that happens, and Sasaki’s fastball starts returning to the upper 90s or 100-mph levels he flashed in Japan, more struggles could lie ahead. More growing pains might have to be endured.
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. A belated Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers out there.
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Sometimes it appears a dark cloud is constantly following a player, sort of like Joe Btfsplk or is just hapless where nothing ever seems to go right, like Charlie Brown. or there’s just doom and gloom whenever they are around, like Eeyore.
The first time I remember it is during the 1988 season, when it seemed for a couple of months that this would happen in every at-bat by Jeff Hamilton: fastball down the middle, taken for strike one; fastball down the middle, takes for strike two; curveball in the dirt, swung on and missed, strike three.
This season, that player for the Dodgers is Michael Conforto.
We haven’t talked much about Conforto, so let’s do a little background on him.
Conforto was born March 1, 1993 in Seattle. He was a star at Oregon State and was taken by the New York Mets in the first round (10th overall pick) of the 2014 draft. He reached the majors quickly, appearing in 56 games with the Mets in 2015. The Mets lost in the World Series that season, but Conforto became only the third player to play in the Little League World Series, College World Series and Major League World Series (the other two: Ed Vosberg and Jason Varitek). His breakthrough season was 2017, when he hit .279/.384/.555 with 20 doubles and 27 homers in 444 plate appearances and made the All-Star team. His power numbers began to dip a bit, but were still solid (28 homers in 638 plate appearances in 2018, 33 in 648 plate appearances in 2019), but he was a solid major leaguer. Let’s take a look at his OPS+ each season:
You’ll notice 2022 is not represented. Before the 2021 season, Conforto turned down a $100-million contract extension. That turned out not to be wise. Conforto had an off year by his standards, hitting .232/.344/.384 with 14 homers in 479 plate apperances. He became a free agent after the season and signed with… no one. His agent, Scott Boras, said Conforto injured his shoulder while working out in January, 2022, had surgery and would not play at all that year.
In January 2023, Conforto signed a two-year, $36-million deal with the Giants. He hit .239/.334/.384 in 2023 with 14 doubles and 15 homers in 470 plate appearances and .237/.309/.450 last season with 27 doubles and 20 homers in 488 plate appearances. The Dodgers signed him for one-year, $17-million, and he started off well. After his first six games, he was hitting .368 with four doubles and a homer. Then, the roof caved in.
From April 4-May 9, Conforto was eight for 93, good for an .086 batting average. And he struck out 34 times. Because he also walked 15 times in that span, he scored 12 runs, which may be a record for a guy who went eight for 93.
Last week, Conforto talked to our Jack Harris and said, “This game will kick you down. It will kick you when you’re down. It can be cruel. So sometimes, you just have to lean on what you know you are as a player, and all the support you have around you … and keep going straight ahead, keep working. … I think we’re right on the edge of getting things back. There’s just been a few of them where, you hit it [well], you look up and there’s somebody there. It just seems to happen more when you’re not going right.”
Dave Roberts: “It’s still easy to bet on him because the head is still there, the work is still there. “He’s just got to keep taking good at-bats, and they’ll fall. A guy that’s been around for so long, I think he can handle this five weeks of adversity.”
The luxury of the Dodgers having such a good team is they can afford to give someone like Conforto a longer chance than most other teams could. James Outman could have taken some playing time from him, but Outman is one for 15 since returning from the minors, while Kiké Hernández and Chris Taylor haven’t exactly been candidates for the Silver Slugger this year either. Conforto has three hits in his last six at-bats. Not a sign that the slump is over, but a step in the right direction.
The Dodgers play the long game, which can be frustrating for fans. The Dodgers are very patient with players and have been for quite a while now. It should come as no surprise that they will give Conforto ample time to rediscover his offense. They have the best record in baseball and can afford to be patient.
By the way, Conforto’s mother, is Tracie Ruiz Conforto, who won gold medal in the solo and duet synchronized swimming event at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.
Good news…
Clayton Kershaw made what is hoped to be his final rehab start, pitching four innings while giving up two runs, two hits, two walks and striking out two for triple-A Oklahoma City. If all goes well, he will come off the IL and start against the Angels on Sunday at Dodger Stadium.
Tyler Glasnow has started playing catch again as he tries to return from shoulder inflammation.
… Bad news
Blake Snell was supposed to start throwing again Sunday, but did not because of discomfort in his pitching shoulder. Glasnow and Snell will be checked by doctors on Monday, but this isn’t a good sign for Snell.
Ouch!
Just imagine being a Rockies fan. They haven’t made the postseason since 2018 (when they were swept in the first round) and haven’t won a postseason game since 2009. They lost to the Padres on Saturday, 21-0. And Sunday they fired their manager, Bud Black, before they beat the Padres 9-3. That “improved” their record to 7-33, before they lost Monday to drop to 7-34, which means they are on pace to finish 28-134, which I’m guessing would not be a good enough record to sneak into the postseason as a wild-card team. Their GM, Bill Schmidt, blames a lot of it on injuries. But it can’t be too fun to be a fan of the Rockies lately.
Also, just as a reminder that the Dodgers aren’t the only team that struggles at times, the Padres bullpen has given up 29 runs in its last 16 innings, including six runs in the ninth inning at home against the Angels on Monday.
All-time leaders
The Dodgers’ all-time leaders in OPS+, minimum 1,000 plate appearances
Franchise 1. Dan Brouthers, 172 2. Gary Sheffield, 160 2. Mike Piazza, 160 4. Freddie Freeman, 157 4. Jack Fournier, 157 6. Reggie Smith, 152 7. Pedro Guerrero, 149 8. Lefty O’Doul, 145 9. Babe Herman, 144 9. Hanley Ramirez, 144 9. Jim Wynn, 144
Los Angeles only 1. Gary Sheffield, 160 1. Mike Piazza, 160 3. Freddie Freeman, 157 4. Reggie Smith, 152 5. Pedro Guerrero, 149 6 Hanley Ramirez, 144 6. Jim Wynn, 144 8. Mookie Betts, 143 9. Duke Snider, 136 10. Justin Turner, 133
Is there a top 10 Dodgers list you’d like to see Email me at [email protected] and let me know.
These names seem familiar
A look at how some prominent Dodgers from the last few seasons are doing with their new team (through Sunday). Click on the player name to be taken to the baseball-reference page with all their stats.
From 1929, all-time Dodgers great Dazzy Vance talks pitching. 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], and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Corona High, armed with the best pitcher and having a team that has hit 39 home runs this season, was awarded the No. 1 seed for the Southern Section Division 1 baseball playoffs on Monday.
The defending champion Panthers (26-2) drew a first-round bye and will open the playoffs next Tuesday against the winner of Thursday’s first-round matchup between Cypress and host Los Osos.
Corona pitcher Seth Hernandez has a 17-0 lifetime record. He and shortstop Billy Carlson are likely top 10 picks in this summer’s amateur draft. Corona Santiago showed the Panthers are not unbeatable with a 1-0 league win earlier this season.
The 28 teams selected for Division 1 are filled with top pitchers, so the Panthers can expect lots of competition in their favorite’s role. The championship game will be played at Cal State Fullerton on May 30. Crespi is the No. 2 seed.
This is the first season teams were placed in divisional brackets based on computer power rankings at the end of the season. There will be nine divisional champions. A .500 or better record was needed to be considered for an at-large spot.
La Habra is seeded No. 1 in Division 2 and Colony is No. 1 in Division 3. Divisions 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 play on Thursday, the others on Friday.
MaxPreps.com records date to the 2004-05 school year, documenting Reseda High’s baseball team posting one losing record after another. There was 1-18 in 2006, 3-11 in 2013, 3-13 last season.
With at least 20 years of losing records, the Regents have stunned the City Section this season, winning the Valley League with an 11-1 record and going 12-7 overall to earn a No. 13 seed in the City Section Division II playoffs that begin on Tuesday.
Moving from the Valley Mission League has given the Regents relief, but credit also goes to second-year coaches Daniel Swartz and Albert Silvera, former Beverly Hills High teammates from the 1980s who took over a losing program. Silvera was a chef, Swartz a sports producer and together, they’ve helped create a success story.
Teaching a baseball class in the fall got the team better prepared for the spring season, enabling 11 seniors to be part of a special year.
Senior Don Barajas leads the team in hitting with 33 hits, including 10 doubles. He also has struck out 59 in 31 innings.
Reseda used to be part of the West Valley League in the 1990s, having to face Chatsworth and El Camino Real.
…. Southern Section baseball and softball pairings will be announced on Monday.
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With Ulster having had to cut their cloth accordingly in a different financial landscape, there will be a concern that off-field struggles impacting on-field results becomes something of a spiral.
Already, the pattern of the season’s conclusion seeing plenty of experienced stalwarts heading out the door was set to be repeated.
John Cooney has been a talisman for the province since arriving from Connacht in 2017 but the 11-times capped Irish international has signed a three-year deal with Brive.
Lock Kieran Treadwell, who has also won 11 caps for Ireland, will return to Harlequins, while Andy Warwick and Alan O’Connor, who have represented Ulster a combined 421 times, are among the summer exits too.
All told, eight departing players accounted for 93 outings this season and, to date, the impressive signing of Northampton Saints number eight Juarno Augustus is the only confirmed arrival.
While more are set to come in, the loss of income associated with missing out on knock-out rugby in the URC and the Champions Cup next season will not make it any easier to build a competitive squad.
