single

Travis d’Arnaud hit a pinch-hit RBI single down the left-field line in the ninth inning to give the Angels a 6-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night.

Logan O’Hoppe was hit by a pitch with one out against left-hander Kyle Backhus (0-1) before Luis Rengifo singled and d’Arnaud delivered in place of Gustavo Campero.

Zach Neto and Yoan Moncada each hit home runs in the first inning for the Angels, while Nolan Schanuel and Rengifo each had three hits as the Angels improved to 7-3 against National League West teams.

Randal Grichuk hit a pair of home runs and drove in three runs as the Diamondbacks dropped to 3-7 since July 2.

Arizona right-hander Ryne Nelson gave up four runs on seven hits with four walks over four innings, while Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson gave up four runs on eight hits with two walks over five innings.

Neto and Moncada powered a four-run first inning for the Angels, while the Diamondbacks followed with a four-run second that included Grichuk’s home run and a two-run double from Alek Thomas.

After Rengifo gave the Angels a 5-4 lead with a double in the fifth inning, Grichuk tied it with another home run in the eighth.

Kenley Jansen (3-2) pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the Angels.

Neto has seven leadoff home runs, all this season, and tied the franchise record previously held by Brian Downing (1987).

TORONTO — Addison Barger hit a walk-off single in the 11th inning and the Toronto Blue Jays extended their season-best winning streak to seven by beating the Angels 4-3 on Saturday.

George Springer added a two-run home run, his fifth in five games, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had three hits for the Blue Jays, who won their second straight in extra innings. Toronto won 4-3 in 10 innings Friday.

Barger, who broke his bat over his thigh in frustration after striking out against Kenley Jansen to send the game to extra innings, gained a measure of redemption when he lined the winning hit to right field off Angels right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn (5-3).

Toronto’s Braydon Fisher (3-0) pitched two shutout innings for the win.

Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer gave up two runs and five hits in four innings, the shortest of his three starts since coming off the injured list last month.

Scherzer threw 72 pitches, 46 strikes.

Angels outfielder Jo Adell opened the scoring with a bases-loaded walk in the first, but the inning ended when Barger caught Jorge Soler’s fly ball in right field and threw out Mike Trout at home plate. The outfield assist was Barger’s sixth.

Barger’s RBI single off Jack Kochanowicz tied the score in the bottom of the first but Adell restored the lead with a sacrifice fly in the third.

Nathan Lukes walked to begin the third and Springer followed with a 413-foot homer to straightaway center, his 16th.

The Angels tied it in the seventh on Nolan Schanuel’s two-out single off rookie Lazaro Estrada.

After throwing a ball to Logan O’Hoppe on his first pitch of the second inning, Scherzer struck out the side on nine straight pitches.

Up next

RHP Kevin Gausman (6-6, 4.18 ERA) is scheduled to start Sunday’s series finale against Angels LHP Tyler Anderson (2-5, 4.12).

TORONTO — Myles Straw scored the winning run on a throwing error by pitcher Sam Bachman in the 10th inning, and the Toronto Blue Jays extended their winning streak to six games by beating the Angels 4-3 on Friday night.

Straw, the automatic runner, scored from second when Bachman fielded Ernie Clement’s sacrifice bunt and overthrew first base.

Bachman (1-2) entered in the 10th and walked leadoff hitter Nathan Lukes, putting runners on first and second with nobody out for Clement.

Chad Green (3-2) worked a scoreless inning for the win.

Jo Adell tied it for the Angels with a three-run homer in the seventh.

Andrés Giménez drove in the first run with a single for Toronto in the sixth. Giménez advanced to third on George Springer’s single before leaving with an ankle injury.

Giménez tweaked his left ankle covering second base on a steal Wednesday and did not play Thursday. He was scheduled for an MRI.

Blue Jays left-hander Eric Lauer set down his first 12 batters before Adell doubled to begin the fifth. Adell was initially called out trying to advance but the Angels challenged and the call was overturned following a replay review.

Giménez hit Adell in the face trying to tag him out at second. Adell was treated on the field and remained in the game.

Toronto’s Will Wagner doubled to open the sixth and advanced on a sacrifice before scoring on Giménez’s hit.

José Fermin replaced Angels starter Kyle Hendricks after Springer’s single. Bo Bichette hit an RBI single and another run scored when shortstop Zach Neto bobbled Addison Barger’s grounder for an error.

Mike Trout and Taylor Ward chased Lauer with back-to-back singles to begin the seventh, and the Angels tied it when Adell greeted reliever Nick Sandlin with his 19th homer.

Key moment

Bachman’s high throw sparked a celebration at home plate as Toronto improved to 30-16 at home.

Key stat

The Angels faced the Blue Jays on Independence Day for the eighth time, going 4-4 in those meetings.

Up next

Blue Jays RHP Max Scherzer (0-0, 4.85 ERA) is scheduled to start Saturday against Angels RHP Jack Kochanowicz (3-8, 5.44).

Lexie Limitless, real name Lexie Alford, became the youngest person to travel to every country at the age of 21 and has since travelled around the world, sharing her experiences

A globe-trotting traveller who’s visited every country in Europe has claimed one nation on the continent has the bluest water she’s “ever seen”. Lexie Limitless, a US YouTuber who became the youngest person to visit every country at the age of 21, has opened up about her experiences exploring Europe, highlighting some of the continent’s “underrated” nations.

The adventurous traveller, real name Lexie Alford, boasts half a million YouTube subscribers and broke the record after exploring all 196 countries and now boasts the impressive following. In a Europe-themed video, she reveals six less-traditional but breathtaking destinations across Europe.

Lexie, who also goes by Lexie Limitless on Instagram, described one nation as a cultural “melting pot” with a blend of Islamic and European “influences”, and another as having the most stunningly blue river waters she’s ever encountered.

She remarked: “I would say that one of the top underrated places has to be Slovenia. There are some incredible hiking paths and literally the bluest water I’ve ever seen in rivers.”

Slovenia, formerly part of Yugoslavia, is a small nation situated in Central Europe. It is bordered by Austria in the north, Italy to the West, Croatia to the south, and Hungary to the northeast.

In addition to its dazzling waters, Slovenia also boasts many impressive caves. In fact, it’s home to more than 10,000, including the World Heritage-listed Krizna Jama Cave and the 20km Postojna.

She gushed: “I also loved Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Again, incredible river running through this city that really felt like a melting pot between both Islamic and European influences, with a lot of very rich history to learn while you’re there.”

Further sharing her travel tales, Lexie said: “I think also the cutest little village I’ve ever been to, which I actually saw in one of those…while I was on one of those river cruises, was a place called eský Krumlov in the Czech Republic.”

Describing the locale, Lexie spoke of its “crazy bridges” and “aqueduct-looking architecture”, as well as its “beautiful rivers” and “adorable cafes”.

She referred to it as “quintessentially” the European village of everyone’s Disney-inspired dreams.

However, not stopping at just these gems, Lexie also praised Sweden in the summertime, the picturesque Valle Verzasca in Switzerland, and the enchanting Bruges in Belgium, which cinephiles might recall from the 2008 Colin Farrell movie ‘In Bruges’.

Topping her list of favourite countries globally is the secluded mountain kingdom of Bhutan in Asia, which is nestled between India and China. Lexie highlighted Bhutan for its unique distinction of being deemed the “happiest country in the world”.

She also hailed Bhutan as one of the globe’s “best-kept secrets”, insisting that the world has “so much to learn from this tiny country”.

Amid heated public debates over the growing use of artificial intelligence in everyday life, the Latin Grammy-winning pop star Camilo warns humanity against an over-reliance on one particular AI platform: ChatGPT.

On June 25, the Colombian singer-songwriter released the Trooko-produced electro-pop single, “Maldito ChatGPT,” which playfully critiques the role of artificial intelligence in human affairs. In his lyrics, he consults the ChatGPT bot for advice on how to resolve his relationship woes. “You’re not for me, that’s what ChatGPT told me, it knows me better than I know myself.”

The new music video — directed by Camilo’s spouse, Evaluna Montaner, and Sebastian Andrade — is just as critical of this “smart” technology. Set in a dimly-lit office with Post-it notes and paper scattered about the cubical, the visuals pay homage to the aesthetics of the 1999 cult comedy film “Office Space.”

Camilo, dressed in full office wear (save for his feet) agonizes over his relationship, feeling powerless to make a decision whether to stay. He shakes a Magic 8 ball, flips through a finger fortune teller and pulls petals from a daisy. Finally, an undefined robot voice affirms that the differences between Camilo and his lover are clear, and might cause issues in the long run. “You deserve a relationship where you feel full compatibility,” says the robot voice.

When asked how he feels, Camilo wraps the song with: “Like absolute crap, dude. How else am I supposed to feel?”

“Maldito ChatGPT” is a welcome response to the increasing use of AI on people’s personal lives. The ChatGPT platform now offers a specialized bot for relationship advice, which offers mixed results for humans; an early study by MIT’s Media Lab has linked frequent use of ChatGPT to an increase in loneliness and emotional dependence, though the results have not yet been peer-reviewed.

The platform has also raised ethical questions recently in the news. Earlier this month, CBS News interviewed an American man who proposed to an AI chatbot that he programmed for flirty responses — despite living with his very human partner and their 2-year-old child. Meanwhile, educators have expressed concerns about their students using ChatGPT to complete assignments, thus hindering their ability to develop core skills. Meanwhile, OpenAI, ChatGPT’s parent company, has become so influential among humans that it secured a $200-million contract with the Department of Defense to aid in “national security missions.”

As humans continue to engage with these innovative AI tools without any guardrails, outsourcing matters of the heart to technology gives Camilo the most pause. “In the midst of everything that seems calculated, choosing from the heart remains a radical act,” said Camilo in a public statement.

“We live surrounded by quick answers,” he further elaborated on Instagram. “By formulas designed to avoid failure. By technologies that predict and know everything. By ideas about what love is supposed to look like,” he explained. “There’s something that doesn’t fit into any logic. Or any checklist,” Camilo added. “Love isn’t a casting call. Love is something you feel. And nothing — and no one — can ever feel it for us.”

A holidaymaker who wanted to visit pals in New York claims a political meme put him in hot water but The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a robust denial

Political memes are hugely popular on the internet but one holidaymaker with a funny picture on his phone claimed he was “made to feel like a terrorist” when he tried to enter the United States.

Tourist Mads Mikkelsen, 21, had arrived at New Jersey’s Newark Airport on June 11 with plans to visit friends in New York City before making his way to Austin, Texas.

Mads said that when immigration officers found a meme of US Vice President JD Vance on the Norwegian’s phone, he wasn’t allowed into the country.

“I was subjected to abuse of power and harassment,” he told Norwegian newspaper Nordlys. “They took me to a room with several armed guards, where I had to hand over my shoes, mobile phone and backpack.”

The tourist claimed he was quizzed about “drug trafficking, terrorist plots, and right-wing extremism… totally without reason” before being thrown in a cell. But The U.S. Customs and Border Protection, operating under the Department of Homeland Security, hit back with a firm denial, saying: “Mads Mikkelsen was not denied entry for any memes or political reasons”.

READ MORE: Foreign Office warns 800,000 Brits risk ‘harsh’ detention under new travel rules

Mads said officials threatened him with jail or a $5,000 (£3,600) fine if he didn’t give them access to his phone. He claimed agents then found the Vance meme, which distorted the politician’s face to make it cartoonish, chubby and bald and it was game over.

“The picture had been automatically saved to my camera roll from a chat app but I really didn’t think that these innocent pictures would put a stop to my entry into the country,” said Mads, who claimed he was next forced to give blood samples and supply fingerprints.

“It felt like I was a terrorist suspect where I was sitting,” he added. “I tried to pull myself together several times but in the end, I just wanted to get home.”

But The U.S. Customs and Border Protection stated that the story wasn’t quite as Mads had painted it. “Fact Check: FALSE,” they wrote on X. “Mads Mikkelsen was not denied entry for any memes or political reasons, it was for his admitted drug use.”

Mads told Nordlys that he was questioned at the airport about illegal drug use. He admitted to having used cannabis on two occasions – in Germany and in New Mexico. “It’s legal in both places, so in my mind it was irrelevant,” he said.

The tourist also said he never got the impression that the drug-related questions were an issue at the time of questioning.

The Norwegian was flown back to Norway the same day and when his claims reached social media, supporters branded his US ban “authoritarian”. “Remember when JD Vance went to Germany to lecture them about free speech?” said one user on X.

“So much for free speech. Note to visitors: Best not come for a few years,” added another supporter.

Mads’ ban comes after reports last month that an Australian woman was detained and jailed overnight before being deported. Nikki Saroukus, a former police officer from Sydney who was visiting her US military husband, had arrived for a three week holiday with her mum when she was taken in for questioning.

“They were asking me about ice and meth and whether I knew how much was being imported from New Zealand,” said Nikki, who was allegedly forced to sign a document stating she was not a part of a cartel and had no affiliation with gang members.

The Australian claimed she was handcuffed and subjected to an in-depth cavity search before being detained overnight and flown back home.

BANISHING mould from your home can feel like a never-ending chore.

From constant bleaching to pricey products that don’t work, there’s loads of stuff out there, but more often than not the mould returns.

2

2

That was cleaning whizz Nicola’s experience until she discovered a product that actually works and stops mould from coming back.

Taking to Instagram, Nicole explained how the Mould Magic gel worked wonders in her new home.

“If you haven’t seen this before you need to get some, it works on so many different surfaces but I used it mainly on grout in the bathroom,” Nicola explained.

In the viral clip she showed what the bathroom looked like when she first moved in, and sure enough the walls were covered in mould.

The formula is especially easy to apply because it comes in a tube with a nozzle designed to get into those hard to reach places.

Not only that, but according to Nicola the formula is also non-drip, so you don’t have to worry about it slipping and sliding away.

After a couple of hours the product can then be wiped away, leaving your bathroom mould free.

“The mould never comes back,” the cleaning whizz added.

Unsurprisingly, fellow cleaning fans were wowed by the before and after snaps of the bathroom.

One commented on the clip: “It’s brilliant for washing machines too.”

“Oo, thanks I’ll be getting this,” another said.

“Omg we recently got mould in out shower and it’s right in the grout so this will be great,” a third chimed in.

Meanwhile, others wanted to know if the product would work on painted walls and Nicola revealed she’d tried Mould Magic there too and was impressed with the results.

The product can be bought online for as little as £9.95 too, so it won’t break the bank.

More mould cleaning tips and tricks

Use household items

If it’s too late, and any condensation has had a chance to flourish and turn into mould, you can start removing it for nothing.

Natalie, from Which?, said: “A few drops of washing up liquid mixed with warm water can work on smaller areas of mould on hard surfaces like walls or floors.

“Use a sponge, cloth, or brush to work the soapy solution in small circular motions over the mould.

“If you’re trying to remove particularly stubborn mould, try a 1:1 solution of white vinegar and warm water and pour it into a spray bottle to target the affected area.”

If you’ve got a bit more in your budget, you can try buying mould or mildew remover from your nearest supermarket or retailer.

You can get it as cheap as £1.20 from B&M or £2.50 from Dunelm, at the time of writing.

Call in the professionals

You can usually treat smaller patches of mould yourself, but if the problem has gotten out of hand, you might need to call someone in.

Natalie said: “If you find new mould growing quickly in other areas of your home, or the affected area becomes too large to handle, it may be time to get professional help.”

Checkatrade says it costs £25-£35 per hour or £200-£400 per room to call someone in for mould removal.

Meanwhile if you want a specialist to come and take a look to inspect for any mould, that will cost you around £50-£300.

Nolan Schanuel hit a single into shallow center field in the 10th inning for the first walk-off hit of his career to drive in Jo Adell and give the Angels a 2-1 win over the Athletics on Tuesday night.

Reid Detmers (2-2) struck out two of three batters to strand the automatic runner in the top of the 10th.

Hogan Harris (1-1) took the loss for the A’s, who have lost 22 of 26 games.

The Angels trailed 1-0 in the bottom of the eighth when Travis d’Arnaud hit left-hander T.J. McFarland’s first pitch for a pinch-hit homer and a 1-1 tie.

Angels starter José Soriano gave up one run and two hits and struck out a career-best 12 in seven innings. He walked two. He threw a career-high 110 pitches, 71 for strikes, and induced 22 swinging strikes.

The A’s Mitch Spence, making his second start since being moved from the bullpen, gave up three hits, struck out four and walked none in five scoreless innings.

Soriano was virtually untouchable through five no-hit innings in which he racked up nine strikeouts and walked one. He lost his no-hit bid in the sixth when Brent Rooker drove an RBI double to left-center field just beyond the reach of a diving Adell for a 1-0 A’s lead.

Veteran right-hander Hunter Strickland, who signed a minor league deal on May 6, escaped a runner-on-second, no-out jam in the eighth and has not yielded a run in 11 innings over nine appearances with the Angels.

D’Arnaud’s eighth-inning shot was the second pinch-hit homer of his career. His first came for the Atlanta Braves against the Colorado Rockies on Sept. 4, 2021.

CORRIE beauty Helen Flanagan sizzles in a plunging black bikini as she lets her hair down on a Ibiza getaway.

The former Coronation Street actress, 34, looked incredible as she flaunted her ample assets in a bikini top while holidaying on the Canary Island.

5

5

Helen could be seen with a huge smile on her face as she made the most of her time in the sun following her split from boyfriend, Robbie Talbot, 45.

The loved-up couple shocked fans when they called time on their romance despite appearing to be happier than ever just months ago.

But Helen appeared as though she didn’t have a care in the world as she danced and partied at Wayne Lineker‘s famed O Beach Ibiza club.

She could be seen cuddled up to the venue’s owner Wayne as she thanked him for his hospitality in hosting her and her friends at the venue.

Wayne could be seen planting a kiss on Helen’s head as she proudly held up one of the club’s signature orange cups as she wrote on Instagram: “Best day @obeachibiza always the most fun day x.”

Helen flaunted her incredible figure in the plunging bikini top as she soaked up the sun.

With her wavy blonde locks in a chic bob cut, Helen looked every inch the glam goddess with her minimal makeup and rosy pink lip.

However, the day after, the star took to her Instagram stories to describe her hangover from hell.

She captioned the video: “I never ever have hangovers as I am the worst on a hangover.”

And told her followers: “I am really hungover like a lizard. I am literally so hangover.

“I won’t be drinking for like a long time. I’ve got the school run tomorrow. Oh my god. I literally got in at six in the morning.”

Helen held her head in her hands and she took deep breaths.

She then enjoyed a relaxing spa day at the TRS Ibiza Hotel where she “finally found some zen.”

Helen is bouncing back after splitting from former non-league footballer Robbie after a year together.

What do we know about Helen Flanagan’s new boyfriend Robbie Talbot?

HELEN Flanagan has revealed that she is in a new relationship.

While appearing on Celebs Go Dating, she confessed that she was already taken – here’s everything we know about her boyfriend Robbie Talbot.

Helen has opened up about her relationship with former footballer Robbie Talbot.

He is a decade older than the actress.

Robbie was born in Liverpool on October 31, 1979 which is how he earned his nickname Halloween Hitman in football.

He has played for a series of non-league teams such as Burton Albion, Burscough and Morcambe.

He then became a coach at Ashton in 2010.

Robbie is retired from football.

He left his role as Assistant Manager at Ashton due to family and work commitments in 2011.

It’s unknown what he has done for work since leaving football.

Helen admitted that she was dating Robbie while appearing on Celebs Go Dating.

In a first for the show, it has been revealed that her relationship had to be written into the series due to requirements that those taking part have to be single.

The pair went public at her birthday party on August 10, 2024.

The Celebs Go Dating star had claimed she wanted children with the ex-non-league footie star.

But friends say the mum of three instead now wants to concentrate on her career and family.

A source said: “They want different things in life. She has just landed a new acting job and is trying to juggle work projects with the kids.

“She sat him down two weeks ago and said, ‘This isn’t working’. It was a grown-up chat.

“She just wants to be on her own for a while although she still has feelings for him.”

5

5

5

BOSTON — Ceddanne Rafaela curled a home run around the Pesky Pole in the bottom of the ninth inning on Wednesday and the Boston Red Sox rallied after trailing four different times to beat the Angels 11-9.

The Angels blew 4-0, 7-5, 8-7 and 9-8 leads, with Rafael Devers bouncing a chopper between the gloves of second baseman Chris Taylor and shortstop Zach Neto behind second base to tie it 9-9 in the eighth.

Each of the first three times the Red Sox scored, the Angels answered with runs of its own. But after walking Mike Trout to lead off the ninth, Cooper Criswell (1-0) got the next three batters out to give Boston a chance to walk it off.

In the bottom half, Abraham Toro singled with one out and Rafaela hit a 308-foot liner over the short wall that goes from the foul pole toward the bullpens in right.

Taylor Ward had four RBIs for the Angels, who were going for the three-game sweep.

Key moment

Before recording his first out, Red Sox starter Lucas Giolito allowed four runs on two doubles, two singles and a homer. Then Angels starter José Soriano gave up four singles and two walks to make it 4-3 before striking out Rafaela on his 25th pitch of the inning.

David Hamilton’s two-run double with one out gave Boston a 5-4 lead.

Key stat

Combined, the starting pitchers, allowed 14 runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Up next

The Angels are off Thursday, with RHP Kyle Hendricks (2-6, 5.34 ERA) slated to start the opener of a three-game series against Seattle on Friday night. The Red Sox are off Thursday before starting a three-game series in New York against the Yankees.

CORVALLIS, Ore. — USC baseball wanted to be aggressive knowing it was entering a hostile environment, playing in front of a sold-out crowd of 4,347 at Goss Stadium.

The Trojans tried to set the tone early.

Instead, it backfired, costing them early opportunities, early momentum and ultimately Sunday night’s matchup in a 14-1 loss to Oregon State in the Corvallis Regional final.

USC opened with two hard hits. Brayden Dowd singled and Ethan Hedges followed with a rocket to right-center field that came off the bat at 104 mph. It one-hopped the wall for an easy double that could have set the Trojans up with two runners in scoring position and no outs. But USC third base coach Travis Jewett was spinning his arm almost immediately, sending Dowd home.

Oregon State pitcher Kellan Oakes celebrates after striking out a batter to leave the bases loaded Sunday.

(Shotgun Spratling / For The Times)

Shortstop Aiva Arquette, an expected top 10 pick in next month’s MLB draft, fired a throw home that brought catcher Wilson Weber into the baseline where he applied the tag to Dowd while his knee collided with the head of the Trojans’ outfielder.

The play invigorated the home crowd and set the tone for the beatdown to follow that saw the No. 8 national seed Beavers thoroughly outplay the Trojans despite playing its second game of the day facing elimination. Oregon State pummeled Saint Mary’s, 20-3, Sunday afternoon to reach the final.

The next half inning, Oregon State attacked USC with four bunts that helped generate four runs. The Trojans’ aggressiveness again bit them.

Oregon State’s Wilson Weber, left, scores a run as USC third baseman Ethan Hedges misplays a bunt Sunday.

(Shotgun Spratling / For The Times)

After they took the out at first on an initial sacrifice attempt, the Trojans twice tried to cut down runners at home with ill-fated results. Third baseman Hedges muffed a barehand attempt when the ball bounced with funky spin on a hard bunt that one-hopped. The Beavers bunted again on the next pitch. First baseman Adrian Lopez tried to come home and was too late.

A base hit through the middle scored the next run before Oregon State went back to the bunt to score the fourth run, prompting the crowd to start chanting “Small Ball! Small Ball! Small Ball!”

Oregon State added two runs in the third inning to take a 6-1 lead. USC had a huge opportunity to get back in the game in the fifth inning, loading the bases with no outs and the heart of the lineup due up.

But the Beavers’ pitching staff had USC’s 3-4-5 hitters in a blender all night. Starter Wyatt Queen struck out Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek for the third time before turning the ball over to reliever Kellan Oakes, who struck out Lopez and Abbrie Covarrubias to escape the jam unscathed.

USC coach Andy Stankiewicz walks back to the dugout during a 14-1 loss to Oregon State on Sunday.

(Shotgun Spratling / For The Times)

Oregon State then piled on runs against the lesser-used arms in USC’s bullpen, scoring three runs in the sixth on Trent Caraway’s fourth home run in as many games.

USC has a chance for redemption Monday as Oregon State’s win forces a winner-take-all regional final at 3 p.m. PDT (ESPNU).

To say that St. John Bosco and Santa Margarita engaged in a championship baseball game on Friday night that will be remembered for a lifetime would be an understatement.

“This game was special, something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. You really had to fight for it,” said St. John Bosco left fielder Noah Everly.

It was a Southern Section Division 1 final filled with drama. Teenagers came through with big play after big play until finally in the bottom of the ninth inning, with the bases loaded, Miles Clark hit a walk-off single up the middle to give St. John Bosco a 3-2 victory and its first baseball championship before a sold-out crowd of 3,010 at Cal State Fullerton.

“It hurts a lot,” Santa Margarita coach Chris Malec said. “It was a great effort by both sides. There were so many amazing moments.”

Let’s start with Santa Margarita pitcher Brennan Bauer, who threw five scoreless innings of relief and somehow escaped twice with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh to keep the game going. First he had a 3-and-1 count to Everly and got a pop fly with one out. Then he had a 3-2 count with Moises Razo and got a fly out to the warning track.

“That’s all Brennan,” Malec said.

In 22 1/3 playoff innings, Brenann won four games and gave up one earned run.

Then there was Everly coming through with a stunning catch on the run in left field in the top of the ninth inning to prevent a Santa Margarita extra base hit with a runner on first.

“That was an extraordinary catch,” Malec said.

Said Clark: “Oh my goodness, Noah came through.”

Coach Andy Rojo raises the championship plaque after St. John Bosco’s 3-2 win over Santa Margarita.

(Nick Koza)

So did Clark against relief pitcher Ethan Russell in the bottom of the ninth. Bauer had run out of innings, having reached his 10-inning max after throwing five innings against Crespi in the semifinals. Russell walked Razo on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases, setting the stage for Clark.

“We were locked in the whole game,” Clark said. “We didn’t lose our mental focus. I kept telling my guys we have to stay focused.”

Razo had a two-run double in the first inning to give the Braves an early lead. Santa Margarita took advantage of an error and closed it to 2-1 in the second on Brody Schumaker’s second hit. The Eagles tied tied it at 2-2 in the fifth with a squeeze bunt by Blake Ankrum, the third sacrifice of the game.

After Gavin Cervantes started on the mound and freshman Brayden Krakowski pitched into the sixth inning, St. John Bosco turned to its closer, Jack Champlin, who was magnificent. In four scoreless innings, he gave up one hit with four strikeouts. At one point, a Santa Margarita batter appeared to challenge Champlin after the count went to 3-0. Champlin struck him out, unleashing a fist pump.

St. John Bosco ended up being the most consistent team in the Southland for the 2025 season. The Braves went 27-4 and became the first Trinity League champion to win a Division 1 title. All the other Trinity League teams that have won Division 1 never won the league title. And beating top-seeded Corona 2-0 on Tuesday was quite an accomplishment itself.

The Republican-controlled US House of Representatives has passed the “Big, Beautiful Bill”, the sweeping tax and spending bill by a single vote.

The legislation, which would enact much of President Donald Trump’s policy agenda, passed early Thursday morning after an overnight session.

The bill, which is now headed to the Senate, will cut taxes, but also saddle the country with trillions of dollars more in debt.

The bill would fulfil many of Trump’s populist campaign pledges, delivering new tax breaks on tips and car loans and boosting spending on the military and border enforcement. It will add about $3.8 trillion to the federal government’s $36.2 trillion in debt over the next decade, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

“This is arguably the most significant piece of Legislation that will ever be signed in the History of our Country!” Trump wrote on social media.

The package passed in a 215-214 vote after a marathon push that kept lawmakers debating the bill through two successive nights.

All of the chamber’s Democrats and two Republicans voted against it, while a third Republican voted “present”, neither for nor against the bill. Another Republican missed the vote because he was asleep.

With a narrow 220-212 majority, House Speaker Mike Johnson could not afford to lose more than a handful of votes from his side, and he made several last-minute changes to satisfy various Republican factions.

“The House has passed generational, truly nation-shaping legislation,” Johnson said.

The bill is now headed to the Republican-controlled Senate, where it will likely be changed further during weeks of debate.

The 1,100-page bill would extend corporate and individual tax cuts passed in 2017 during Trump’s first term in office, cancel many green-energy incentives passed by Democratic former President Joe Biden and tighten eligibility for health and food programmes for the poor.

It also would fund Trump’s crackdown on immigration, adding tens of thousands of border guards and creating the capacity to deport up to one million people each year. Regulations on firearm silencers would be loosened.

The bill passed despite growing concerns about the US debt, which has reached 124 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), prompting a downgrade of the country’s top-notch credit rating by Moody’s last week. The US government has recorded budget deficits every year of this century, as Republican and Democratic administrations alike have failed to bring spending into alignment with revenue.

Interest payments accounted for one out of every eight dollars spent by the US government last year, more than the amount spent on the military, according to the CBO. That share is due to grow to one out of every six dollars over the next 10 years as an ageing population pushes up the government’s health and pension costs, even if Trump’s budget bill is not taken into account.

A mixed response

“We’re not rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic tonight. We’re putting coal in the boiler and setting a course for the iceberg,” said Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, one of the two Republicans to vote against the bill.

The growing debt has paradoxically given urgency for Republicans to pass the bill, as it would raise the federal government’s debt ceiling by $4 trillion. That would avert the prospect of a default, which officials have warned could otherwise come sometime in the middle of this year.

Republicans have also argued that failure to pass the bill would mean an effective tax hike for many Americans, as Trump’s 2017 tax cuts are due to expire at the end of the year.

Hardliners on the party’s right flank had pushed for deeper spending cuts to lessen the budget impact, but they met resistance from centrists who worried that would fall too heavily on the 71 million low-income Americans enrolled in the Medicaid health programme. Johnson made changes to address conservatives’ concerns, pulling forward new work requirements for Medicaid recipients to take effect at the end of 2026, two years earlier than before. That would kick several million people off the programme, according to the CBO. The bill also would penalise states that expand Medicaid in the future.

Johnson also expanded a deduction for state and local tax payments from $30,000 to $40,000, which was a priority for a handful of centrist Republicans who represent high-tax states like New York and California. Democrats blasted the bill as disproportionately benefitting the wealthy while cutting benefits for working Americans. The CBO found it would reduce income for the poorest 10 percent of US households and boost income for the top 10 percent.

“This bill is a scam, a tax scam designed to steal from you, the American people, and give to Trump’s millionaire and billionaire friends,” Democratic Representative Jim McGovern said.

Investors, unnerved by the fiscal position of the US and Trump’s erratic tariff moves, are increasingly selling the dollar and other US assets that make up the bedrock of the global financial system. The three major indices the Dow, Nasdaq and S&P 500 are trending upwards slightly after its worst day in a month following a bond market sell-off yesterday.

JPMorgan Chase Chief Executive Jamie Dimon gave a mixed response to the bill’s passage.

“I think they should do the tax bill. I do think it’ll stabilise things a little bit, but it’ll probably add to the deficit,” Dimon said at JPMorgan’s Global China Summit in Shanghai.