Sport

McLaren’s Lando Norris avoided early mayhem to cruise to a dominant Mexico City Grand Prix win and retake the Formula One championship lead by a single point from teammate Oscar Piastri on Sunday.

Australia’s Piastri, who started the race seventh and 14 points clear of the Briton, finished fifth after a virtual safety car in the last two laps denied him a shot at fourth after a thrilling chase.

Charles Leclerc was runner-up for Ferrari, a hefty 30.3 seconds adrift of Norris, while Red Bull’s reigning champion Max Verstappen took third – just 0.7 behind the Monegasque driver.

Norris, who started from pole position and led every lap, now has 357 points to Piastri’s 356, with Verstappen on 321 and four rounds remaining.

“What a race. I could just keep my eyes focused and forward and focus on what I was doing,” said Norris, who was booed by the home crowd for reasons that remained unclear.

“A pretty straightforward race for me, which is just what I was after. A good start, a good launch, a good first lap, and I could go from there.”

Norris turns championship frontrunner

Norris last led the drivers’ standings in April, a gap of 189 days, and had not won a race since Hungary in early August. Sunday was his sixth victory of the season, one less than Piastri, and his 10th career win.

“I felt like the whole race I was right behind someone and struggling with the dirty air. That was pretty difficult,” said Piastri.

“Today was about trying to limit the damage, but also trying to learn some things about that. If I’ve made some progress with that, I’ll be happy.”

Oliver Bearman was fourth for Haas, a best result for the Briton and also the US-owned team, and was 1.1 seconds clear of Piastri at a chequered flag waved by former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield.

“I held off Max in the first stint, I held off the Mercs in the second, and I held off the McLaren in the third one,” the rookie said.

“I spent more time looking in my rearview mirrors than in front. But that’s sometimes how it has to be.”

Kimi Antonelli was sixth for Mercedes, with teammate George Russell seventh and Lewis Hamilton eighth for Ferrari after a 10-second penalty dropped him from third and dashed his hopes of a first podium for the team he joined in January.

Esteban Ocon was ninth, making a double points finish for Haas, and Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto took the final point.

Ferrari moves back into second place

The top three all completed the race on a one-stop strategy, while Bearman, Piastri and the Mercedes drivers all pitted twice.

Ferrari moved back into second place, a point ahead of Mercedes, in a constructors’ championship already won by McLaren but with a tight scrap for the runner-up slot.

Norris made a clean start from pole when the lights went out, but was caught in a four-way tussle down the long run to turn one, with Verstappen cutting the corner and bumping over the grass.

Leclerc then cut turn two, giving the place back to Norris, who emerged from the chaos ahead, while Verstappen gained a place in fourth to the intense irritation of Russell.

“I got squeezed like crazy,” said Verstappen over the team radio as Russell, who started fourth, called in vain for the four-time world champion to hand the place back.

A scary incident saw Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, who came in for a new front wing on lap three, accelerate out of the pits as two marshals ran across the track in front of him.

Verstappen and third-placed Hamilton made contact on lap six as they went side by side with the Red Bull driver trying to go past at turn one, but ending up cutting the next corner.

Hamilton went off at turn four, cutting back across the grass, and was handed a penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

Bearman, meanwhile, climbed to fourth, from ninth at the start, and looked on for a podium once Hamilton took his penalty on lap 24, only to be reeled in by Verstappen.

While Norris enjoyed a calm afternoon in the sunshine, Piastri had to fight back from a low of 11th after his first stop, passing Antonelli in the pits and Russell on track.

The virtual safety car was deployed after Williams’s Carlos Sainz, last year’s winner for Ferrari, spun and stopped on track on the penultimate lap with smoke coming from it.

Norris admitted after the race in Mexico that there had been times earlier this year when he “certainly did” doubt himself.

“When the car was winning and Oscar was winning,” he said, “the last thing I could do was use the excuse that my car wasn’t good enough.

“I wasn’t getting to grips and finding a way to make it work and I’m finding a better way to make it work now, so it’s as simple as that.”

It is now Piastri facing that feeling, after two difficult weekends during which he has been a fair bit off the pace.

“For some reason, the last couple of weekends has required a very different way of driving,” said Piastri.

“What’s worked well for me in the last 19 races, I’ve needed something very different the last couple of weekends. Trying to wrap my head around why has been a bit of a struggle.”

After qualifying 0.588 seconds and seven places behind Norris in Mexico, Piastri spent Saturday night deep in the data with his engineers, trying to come up with some answers.

The race was about trying to apply them – even if he was not able to get a definitive answer as to whether they had worked, given he spent most of it stuck behind other cars on his way to a fifth place that will have felt painful, but in reality amounted to a solid recovery and exercise in damage limitation.

“Ultimately today was about trying to experiment with some of those things,” continued Piastri. “Because driving the way I’ve had to drive these last couple of weekends is not particularly natural for me.

Team boss Andrea Stella had an explanation for Piastri’s struggles.

He said that Norris excels in low-grip conditions, whereas Piastri’s driving style tends more towards high-grip levels, and he pointed out that, in only his third season, Piastri still has things to learn about adapting to different conditions.

“In the final four races, no reason to think that one may favour one driver or the other,” said Stella, pointing to Las Vegas as the most problematic potentially for the team.

“For Lando and Oscar, there’s no problem in terms of track layout coming in the next four races. If anything, we need to make sure that from a McLaren point of view, we are in condition to extract the full performance that is available in the car, like we have been able to do here in Mexico.

“The confidence in terms of the championship is increased. It’s increased because we have proven that we have a car that can win races and in some conditions can dominate races. This is the most important factor to put Lando and Oscar in condition to pursue the drivers’ championship.”

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

WEEK 10

(All games at 7 p.m. unless noted)

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE

CITY SECTION

Central League

Belmont at Bernstein

Mendez at Hollywood

Roybal at Contreras

Coliseum League

Dorsey at Fremont

Washington at King-Drew

East Valley League

Chavez at Monroe

Grant at Verdugo Hills

North Hollywood at Fulton, 3 p.m.

Sun Valley Poly at Arleta, 3 p.m.

Eastern League

Bell at LA Roosevelt

Legacy at Huntington Park

South Gate at South East

Exposition League

Jefferson at Manual Arts

Marine League

Carson at San Pedro, 7:30 p.m.

Northern League

Franklin at Lincoln

LA Marshall at LA Wilson

Southern League

Maywood CES at Los Angeles, 2 p.m.

Valley Mission League

Granada Hills Kennedy at Reseda

San Fernando at Canoga Park

Sylmar at Panorama

West Valley League

Birmingham at Chatsworth

El Camino Real at Taft

Granada Hills at Cleveland

Western League

Fairfax vs. Palisades at SoFi Stadium, 6 p.m.

Venice at LA Hamilton

Westchester at LA University

Nonleague

Eagle Rock at Garfield

Hawkins at West Adams

SOUTHERN SECTION

605 League

Artesia at Pioneer

Glenn at Cerritos

Almont League

Montebello at San Gabriel

Alpha League

Mission Viejo at Los Alamitos

Baseline League

Chino Hills at Rancho Cucamonga

Damien at Ayala

Etiwanda at Upland

Bay League

Leuzinger at Lawndale

Big West Lower League

Great Oak at Riverside King, 7:30 p.m.

Murrieta Mesa at Corona Santiago, 7:30 p.m.

Corona at Temecula Valley, 7:30 p.m.

Big West Upper League

Norco at Vista Murrieta, 7:30 p.m.

Eastvale Roosevelt at Murrieta Valley, 7:30 p.m.

Bravo League

Corona del Mar at Yorba Linda

Tesoro at San Juan Hills

Channel League

Buena at Moorpark

Royal at Oak Park

Citrus Belt League

Beaumont at Redlands East Valley, 7:30 p.m.

Citrus Valley at Cajon

Yucaipa at Redlands

Citrus Coast League

Channel Islands at Carpinteria

Conejo Coast League

Westlake at Calabasas

Cottonwood League

Riverside Prep at Temecula Prep

Santa Rosa Academy at Trinity Classical

Del Rio League

Whittier at California

Delta League

El Modena at Cypress

Tustin at Capistrano Valley

Desert Empire League

La Quinta at Palm Desert

Rancho Mirage at Palm Springs

Xavier Prep at Shadow Hills

Desert Sky League

Granite Hills at Silverado

Epsilon League

Crean Lutheran at Laguna Hills

La Habra at Foothill

Foxtrot League

Dana Hills at Northwood

Fountain Valley at Aliso Niguel

Gateway League

Downey at Dominguez

Mayfair at La Mirada

Golden League

Lancaster at Antelope Valley

Littlerock at Quartz Hill

Hacienda League

Diamond Bar at Chino

Los Altos at Walnut

South Hills at Covina

Inland Valley League

Heritage at Perris

Iota League

Santa Ana at Anaheim Canyon

Ironwood League

Cerritos Valley Christian at Ontario Christian

Ivy League

Paloma Valley at Liberty, 6 p.m.

Riverside North at Vista del Lago

Kappa League

Garden Grove at Segerstrom

St. Margaret’s at Westminster

Lambda League

La Palma Kennedy at Sunny Hills

Placentia Valencia at Fullerton

Marmonte League

Camarillo at St. Bonaventure

Mid-Cities League

Compton Early College at Lynwood

Norwalk at Bellflower

Miramonte League

Ganesha at Duarte

Garey at Bassett

La Puente at Workman

Mission Valley League

El Monte at Gabrielino

Mountain View at Arroyo

Rosemead at Pasadena Marshall

Mojave River League

Oak Hills at Hesperia

Serrano at Ridgecrest Burroughs

Montview League

Azusa at Pomona

Ontario at Nogales

Sierra Vista at Hacienda Heights Wilson

Moore League

Compton vs. Long Beach Poly at Veterans Stadium

Long Breach Cabrillo at Long Beach Jordan

Long Beach Wilson at Lakewood

Mountain Pass League

Tahquitz at West Valley

Temescal Canyon at San Jacinto

Mountain Valley League

San Bernardino at Miller, 7:30 p.m.

Ocean League

West Torrance at El Segundo

Omicron League

Buena Park at Woodbridge

Garden Grove Pacifica at Portola

Pacific League

Arcadia at Crescenta Valley

Burbank Burroughs at Burbank

Hoover at Glendale

Pioneer League

North Torrance at Torrance

Redondo at South Torrance

Rio Hondo League

Monrovia at Temple City

River Valley League

La Sierra at Norte Vista

Patriot at Jurupa Valley

Ramona at Rubidoux

Sierra League

Charter Oak at Bonita

Claremont at Colony

Los Osos at Glendora

Sigma League

Estancia at Santa Ana Valley

Ocean View at Rancho Alamitos

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel at Los Amigos

Skyline League

Carter at Arroyo Valley

Sun Valley League

Banning at Desert Mirage, 4 p.m.

Sunbelt League

Hemet at Rancho Christian

Tango League

Loara at Costa Mesa

Westminster La Quinta ar Anaheim

Tri County League

Dos Pueblos at San Marcos

Valle Vista League

Alta Loma at San Dimas

Diamond Ranch at Baldwin Park

Northview at West Covina

Zeta League

Godinez at Century

INTERSECTIONAL

Santee at Rio Hondo Prep

8-MAN

CITY SECTION

Valley League

East Valley at Sherman Oaks CES

South LA College Prep at Valley Oaks CES

SOUTHERN SECTION

Coast Valley League

Coast Union at San Luis Obispo Classical Academy, 5 p.m.

Maricopa at Valley Christian Academy

Heritage League

Lancaster Desert Christian at Lancaster Baptist, 6 p.m.

Majestic League

Public Safety Academy at Calvary Baptist, 3 p.m.

Tri-Valley League

Cate Flintridge Prep

Fillmore vs. Santa Paula at Ventura

Sage Hill at Chadwick, 3 p.m.

Nonleague

CSDR at California Lutheran, 3 p.m.

Mojave at Milken

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

CITY SECTION

Exposition League

Angelou at Marquez

Marine League

Narbonne at Banning, 7:30 p.m.

Nonleague

Diego Rivera at Rancho Dominguez

SOUTHERN SECTION

Almont League

Keppel at Alhambra

Bell Gardens at Schurr

Alpha League

San Clemente at Edison

Angelus League

Alemany at St. Pius X-St. Matthias

Cathedral at St. Francis

Paraclete at St. Paul

Bay League

Culver City at Inglewood

Palos Verdes at Mira Costa

Big West Upper League

Chaparral at Corona Centennial

Bravo League

Villa Park at Newport Harbor

Camino Real League

Mary Star at St. Bernard

St. Genevieve at St. Monica

Channel League

Ventura at Oxnard

Citrus Coast League

Del Sol at Nordhoff

Santa Clara at Grace

Conejo Coast League

Rio Mesa at Newbury Park

Thousand Oaks at Santa Barbara

Cottonwood League

Webb at Silver Valley

Del Rey League

Crespi at Cantwell-Sacred Heart

Salesian at La Salle

St. Anthony at Harvard-Westlake

Del Rio League

El Rancho at Santa Fe

Delta League

Western at Trabuco Hills

Desert Sky League

Barstow at Adelanto

Desert Valley League

Coachella Valley at Indio

Twentynine Palms at Yucca Valley

Epsilon League

Huntington Beach at El Dorado

Foothill League

Golden Valley vs. Saugus at College of the Canyons

Valencia at Castaic

West Ranch at Canyon Country Canyon

Foxtrot League

Laguna Beach at Orange

Gano League

Chaffey at Montclair

Don Lugo at Rowland

Gateway League

Warren at Paramount

Gold Coast League

Viewpoint at Brentwood

Golden League

Eastside at Knight

Highland at Palmdale

Inland Valley League

Canyon Springs at Moreno Valley

Lakeside at Citrus Hill

Iota League

El Toro at Troy

Sonora at Irvine

Ironwood League

Heritage Christian at Capistrano Valley Christian

Village Christian at Aquinas

Ivy League

Rancho Verde at Orange Vista

Kappa League

Brea Olinda at Esperanza

Lambda League

La Palma Kennedy at Sunny Hills

Marina at Beckman

Manzanita League

Desert Chapel at Anza Hamilton

San Jacinto Valley Academy at California Military Institute

Vasquez at Desert Christian Academy

Marmonte League

Oaks Christian at Simi Valley

Oxnard Pacifica at Bishop Diego

Mesquite League

Big Bear at Arrowhead Christian

Western Christian at Linfield Christian

Whittier Christian at Maranatha

Mid-Cities League

Gahr at Firebaugh

Mission League

Chaminade at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame

Gardena Serra at Bishop Amat

Sierra Canyon at Loyola

Mission Valley League

El Monte at Gabrielino

Mojave River League

Sultana at Apple Valley

Mountain Valley League

Indian Springs at Pacific

San Bernardino at Miller

Ocean League

Hawthorne at Compton Centennial

Omicron League

Katella at Irvine University

Pacific League

Pasadena at Muir

Pioneer League

Santa Monica at Peninsula, 3 p.m.

Rio Hondo League

La Canada at San Marino

San Andreas League

Colton at San Gorgonio

Kaiser at Rim of the World

Sierra League

Charter Oak at Bonita

Skyline League

Bloomington at Fontana

Rialto at Riverside Notre Dame

Sun Valley League

Desert Hot Springs at Cathedral City

Sunbelt League

Hillcrest at Valley View

Riverside Poly at Arlington

Sunkist League

Eisenhower at Summit

Jurupa Hills at Grand Terrace

Tango League

Garden Grove Santiago at Bolsa Grande

Tri County League

Hueneme at Agoura

Trinity League

Mater Dei at St. John Bosco

Orange Lutheran vs. Servite at Orange Coast College

Santa Margarita at JSerra

Zeta League

Saddleback at Magnolia

8-MAN

CITY SECTION

City League

Animo Robinson at USC Hybrid

New Designs Watts at Stella

SOUTHERN SECTION

Agape League

Academy for Careers & Exploration at Hesperia Christian

Freelance League

Villanova Prep at Malibu, 3 p.m.

Majestic League

Highland Entrepreneur at United Christian

Nonleague

Lighthouse Christian at Thousand Oaks Hillcrest Christian, 6:30 p.m.

INTERSECTIONAL

Pasadena Poly at New Designs University Park

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

8-MAN

SOUTHERN SECTION

Coast Valley League

Cuyama Valley at Coastal Christian, 6 p.m.

Express League

Downey Calvary Chapel at Legacy College Prep

Frontier League

Thacher at Laguna Blanca, 1 p.m.

Heritage League

Faith Baptist at Santa Clarita Christian

Nonleague

Avalon at Southlands Christian, 12 p.m.

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Nick Mangold’s long, blond hair and bushy beard made him instantly recognizable. His gritty, outstanding performance on the field for the New York Jets made him one of the franchise’s greatest players.

Mangold, a two-time All-Pro center who helped lead the Jets to the AFC championship game twice, has died, the team announced Sunday. He was 41.

The Jets said in a statement that Mangold died Saturday night from complications of kidney disease. His death came less than two weeks after the two-time All-Pro selection announced on social media that he had kidney disease and needed a transplant. He said he didn’t have relatives who were able to donate, so he went public with the request for a donor with type O blood.

“I always knew this day would come, but I thought I would have had more time,” he wrote in an Oct. 14 message directed to the Jets and Ohio State communities.

“While this has been a tough stretch, I’m staying positive and focused on the path ahead. I’m looking forward to better days and getting back to full strength soon. I’ll see you all at MetLife Stadium & The Shoe very soon.”

Mangold said he was diagnosed with a genetic defect in 2006 that led to chronic kidney disease. He was on dialysis while waiting for a transplant.

“Nick was more than a legendary center,” Jets owner Woody Johnson said in a statement. “He was the heartbeat of our offensive line for a decade and a beloved teammate whose leadership and toughness defined an era of Jets football. Off the field, Nick’s wit, warmth, and unwavering loyalty made him a cherished member of our extended Jets family.”

The Jets announced Mangold’s death about an hour before they beat the Cincinnati Bengals 39-38 for their first win of the season. A moment of silence was held in the press box before the game. Mangold grew up in Centerville, Ohio — about 45 miles north of Cincinnati — but remained in New Jersey, close to the Jets’ facility, after his playing career ended.

Jets coach Aaron Glenn was a scout for the franchise during Mangold’s playing career.

“A true Jet, through and through. … He was the heart and soul of this team,” Glenn said.

Mangold was a first-round draft pick of the Jets in 2006 out of Ohio State and was selected to the Pro Bowl seven times. He helped lead New York within one win of the Super Bowl during both the 2009 and 2010 seasons and was enshrined in the Jets’ ring of honor in 2022. Mangold was among 52 modern-era players who advanced earlier this week in the voting process for next year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

Mangold was the anchor of New York’s offensive line his entire playing career, spending all 11 seasons with the Jets.

“I was fortunate to have the opportunity to lace them up with you every Sunday,” Pro Football Hall of Famer Darrelle Revis, Mangold’s teammate for eight years, wrote on X. “I will miss you and forever cherish our moments in the locker room. Love you buddy.”

Mangold started every game during his first five seasons and missed only four games in his first 10 years before an ankle injury limited him to eight games in 2016, his final season.

“It’s brutal,” former Jets coach and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan said during “Sunday NFL Countdown” while fighting through tears. “Such a great young man. I had the pleasure of coaching him for all six years with the Jets (from 2009-14). I remember it was obvious I was getting fired, my last game, Mangold’s injured — like, injured — and he comes to me and says, ‘I’m playing this game.’ And he wanted to play for me.

“That’s what I remember about this kid. He was awesome. And it’s just way too young. I feel so bad for his wife and family. (This is) rough.”

Mangold was released by the team in 2017 and didn’t play that season. The following year, he signed a one-day contract with the Jets to officially retire as a member of the team.

“Rest in peace to my brother & teammate Nick Mangold,” tweeted former running back Thomas Jones, who played three years with Mangold. “I keep seeing your smiling face in the huddle bro. One of the kindest people I’ve ever met. One of the greatest interior linemen to ever play the game. This one hurts. Surreal.”

Several other former teammates mourned the loss of Mangold.

“Absolutely gutted,” former wide receiver David Nelson, who played with Mangold for two seasons, wrote on X. “One of the best guys I’ve ever met — true legend on and off the field.”

Former kicker Jay Feely, Mangold’s teammate for two seasons, tweeted: “Heartbreaking news this morning. Nick and I played together with the Jets and loved to banter about the Michigan/Ohio St rivalry. He was a natural leader, a great player, thoughtful, kind, & larger than life.”

Mangold’s No. 74 jersey remained a popular one for fans to wear at games, even nine years after playing his final NFL game. He was active with charitable events and often dressed as Santa Claus for the team’s holiday celebrations for children.

“Nick was the embodiment of consistency, strength, and leadership,” Jets vice chairman Christopher Johnson said in a statement. “For over a decade, he anchored our offensive line with unmatched skill and determination, earning the respect of teammates, opponents and fans alike. His contributions on the field were extraordinary — but it was his character, humility, and humor off the field that made him unforgettable.”

Mangold is survived by his wife, Jennifer, and their children Matthew, Eloise, Thomas and Charlotte. Nick Mangold’s sister, Holley, was a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team and competed in the super heavyweight division of the weightlifting competition.

Waszak writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Jay Cohen and freelance reporter Jeff Wallner contributed to this report.

Dutchman Gian van Veen shocked world number one Luke Humphries to win his first PDC title at the European Championship in Dortmund.

The 23-year-old beat countryman and four-time champion Michael van Gerwen 11-9 in the semi-finals before holding his nerve to come through a tense match with Humphries 11-10.

“I said it to my girlfriend when I walked on stage, whenever I win my first TV title I wouldn’t cry – and here I am crying,” Van Veen told ITV Sport.

“I will never forget this moment or even this crowd. It is phenomenal to win my first major in Germany.

“I said to Luke after the game, when he hit the bull to go 10-10, that is why he is world number one. That’s how amazing person Luke is. It is definitely a night to never forget.”

SACRAMENTO — Lakers guard Luka Doncic will miss at least one week with a left finger sprain and a left lower leg contusion, the team announced Sunday before a road game at Sacramento.

The star guard suffered the finger injury early in Friday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. It didn’t slow him down at all, though, as Doncic finished with 49 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in a 128-110 Lakers victory. The 26-year-old is off to a blazing start as his 92 points in the first two games are the most in Lakers history to begin a season.

The Lakers announced Doncic will be reevaluated in about one week, but it will be a busy stretch without the five-time All-Star. Already without LeBron James as the 40-year-old deals with a sciatica injury, the Lakers have four games in six days this week. After Sacramento on Sunday, the Lakers (1-1) return to L.A. to face Portland on Monday and have road games at Minnesota and Memphis on Wednesday and Friday, respectively.

The Lakers will be down to just nine standard contract players Sunday as center Jaxson Hayes was also ruled out with left knee soreness. He will miss his second consecutive game. James and forwards Maxi Kleber (abdominal muscle strain) and Adou Theiro (knee) are also out.

Undoubtedly, Sunderland – who won 2-1 at Chelsea on Saturday – have been the biggest surprise this term. Minutes away from a Championship play-off final defeat in May, they will end October fourth in the top flight.

With 17 points from nine matches, the Black Cats have equalled their best Premier League start, matching their tally from 1999-00.

Only five newly promoted sides have earned more points than Sunderland in the same number of matches. All five, including Sunderland themselves in 2000, managed to survive relegation.

“It’s an unbelievable start and one that’s been well earned,” former Watford captain Troy Deeney told Final Score.

“If you said that a couple of months ago, Sunderland fans would tell you, you’re crazy.”

Ex-Manchester United and England midfielder Michael Carrick added on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Anyone who is honest enough will say that they never expected Sunderland to start this well, so full credit to them.

“The amount of points they have accumulated already has given them an unbelievable start and that’s something they will want to build on.”

Dodgers catcher Ben Rortvedt connects for a double against the Cincinnati Reds during Game 2 of the National League Wildcard Series at Dodger Stadium on Oct. 1.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

Neither Alex Call nor Ben Rortvedt had appeared in a playoff game until this season. And though neither Dodger reserve got off the bench in the first two games of the World Series, they’re a lot closer to the action then they expected to be before the July trades that brought them to Los Angeles.

“It’s really cool. I’m just soaking it all in,” said Call, who came over from the Washington Nationals at the deadline.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” added Rortvedt, who was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays, then spent most of the summer in triple A before being called up when Will Smith got hurt in early September. “I’ve been taking it more day by day, so it hasn’t kind of struck me as much as people think it would. Definitely when this is done I’m really going to reflect and kind of realize how crazy it has been to kind of be on this team and be where we are now.”

Call, 31, who also played with the Cleveland Guardians in a five-year big-league career, appeared in one game in each of the Dodgers’ first three playoff series, going three for four with two walks, getting hit by a pitch and scoring a run.

“It’s kind of crazy because it feels like it should have been harder,” Call said of reaching the World Series. “With the Nats, it’s like we were going to have to grind our way all the way to the top. And then you get to come over the Dodgers and you’re the favorites, World Series champs. You’ve got probably the best roster ever assembled, with amazing stars up and down the lineup, and then they’re like, ‘Oh yeah, we want Alex Call on our team.’

“That’s kind of an amazing compliment.”

Rortvedt, 28, who also played with the Yankees and Minnesota Twins in four seasons, started the first four games of the postseason and hit .429.

“If I pinch myself, it’s kind of like I’m not sure [I’m here,]” he said. “I just try to be as prepared as I can, understand the magnitude of things, and just try to be prepared and try to slow everything down and do my best.”

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TORONTO — Who would have guessed?

Who would have guessed that in a starting rotation of giants and alphas, the most important pitcher would be the diminutive 27 year old with the mischievous smile who plays the role of everyone’s little brother?

From a distance, Yoshinobu Yamamoto doesn’t look like someone who figures to contend in the coming years to be the best pitcher in the world.

He stands only 5-foot-10. He’s not mean in the way frontline starters sometimes are. He’s extremely considerate of others, even people who offer minimal, if any, transactional value — or more precisely, his focus and confidence in his work don’t blind him to their sensitivities.

Beneath the mask of normality, however, there is something in Yamamoto capable of fueling the kind of complete-game performance he delivered in the Dodgers’ 5-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 2 of the World Series.

Yamamoto wants to be great. Or perhaps he has to be.

Look, and you will see it. Listen, and you will hear it.

Yamamoto has often shared his admiration of Clayton Kershaw, but it’s clear he doesn’t see him as just a mentor. He sees him as a benchmark by which should measure himself.

When Kershaw announced his retirement last month, Yamamoto spoke of how grateful he was to play alongside him for two years. He talked about how much he learned from him. What was particularly interesting was what he said after.

“I think from my heart that I want to be an ace pitcher like Kershaw,” Yamamoto said in Japanese, “and I want to do my best to one day surpass my great senior.”

Kershaw has 223 career victories. He won a most valuable player award. He won three Cy Young Awards.

Not only does Yamamoto want to be better than Kershaw, he’s bold enough to state that ambition publicly.

Yamamoto did something Kershaw never did against the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series by pitching a complete game in the postseason.

Eleven days later, he did it again, this time against the Blue Jays in the World Series.

The last pitcher to throw a complete game in a World Series was Johnny Cueto, and he did it 10 years ago. The last pitcher to throw consecutive complete games in the postseason was Curt Schilling, and he did it 24 years ago.

Yamamoto was the Dodgers’ most dependable starter in the regular season. As a second-year major leaguer, he made a team-high 30 starts, posting a 12-8 record with a 2.49 earned-run average.

Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto reacts to recording a strikeout to close out the first inning of Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

His game has reached another level in the postseason, and in doing so, he might have saved the Dodgers, who were in trouble after Blake Snell’s implosion resulted in a loss in the opening game of this World Series

“I felt we had to win today no matter what,” Yamamoto said.

With his 105-pitch masterpiece, Yamamoto spared manager Dave Roberts the unpleasant duty of opening the gates to hell — pardon me, the bullpen — and tied the series at one game apiece. The next three games will be played at Dodger Stadium.

The historic performance by Yamamoto had an ominous start, as George Springer led off in the first inning with a double and advanced to third base on a single by Nathan Lukes.

Yamamoto escaped the jam by retiring Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk and Daulton Varsho in order, but his pitch count was already at 23.

“I didn’t think I could get to the end,” Yamamoto said.

The ever-optimistic Roberts was hopeful Yamamoto could complete six innings, which would task the bullpen with covering the last three. Roberts never had to prepare the smoke and mirrors required to navigate the final third of the game. Yamamoto gave up a run in the third inning but retired the last 20 batters he faced.

How he pitched reflected the reality of the Dodgers’ bullpen situation — essentially, that converted starter Roki Sasaki was the only reliever who could be trusted. Midway through the game, Yamamoto started throwing cutters, which induced contact and limited his pitch count.

“Fundamentally, my pitching style is to throw as much as I can in the strike zone,” Yamamoto said. “It’s a style in which I aim in the strike zone and throw with as much effort as I can.”

Before this postseason, the last time Yamamoto pitched a complete game was in 2023, for the Orix Buffaloes of the Japanese league.

So when Yamamoto recorded the final out of his start against the Brewers, he forgot his custom of embracing the catcher.

“It had been so long, I didn’t know where to go,” he said.

On Saturday, he knew, walking toward home plate and clasping hands with Will Smith. The guess here is that he won’t forget again. If he doesn’t pitch another complete game in these playoffs, he figures to pitch a few of them over the next handful of seasons.

He wants more.

There are plenty of people speculating how one of the most popular baby names for those born this year and in 2026 in the United States and Japan will be Shohei after what Shohei Ohtani accomplished in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, hitting three home runs and striking out 10 in the Dodgers’ clinching win over the Milwaukee Brewers.

What’s also clear is how much inspiration Ohtani is providing for high school baseball players who want to hit and pitch like him.

“It’s pretty crazy to do, especially as the leadoff hitter, to strike out three, then hit a home run. He doesn’t have time to regroup,” Huntington Beach junior pitcher/outfielder Jared Grindlinger said. “It’s definitely inspiring to know it’s possible to do both at the next level. I hope other kids become two-way players.”

Grindlinger might be the best two-way player in the Southland next spring. He throws fastballs in the 90s and has lots of power as one of the best players from the class of 2027. He said he has studied Ohtani’s experiences.

“He goes through struggles,” he said. “It’s not like he goes 20 for 20. It’s good to know you’re going to fail and bounce back and it’s going to be all right.”

Joshua Pearlstein, an All-City outfielder and pitcher at Cleveland, said he was in awe watching Ohtani’s performance on television.

“It’s inspiring to me,” he said. “I was in shock. It was pretty cool to see him do everything at the same time. I think the biggest challenge is working on both at practice. It’s a challenge but I’m up for that challenge.”

Pearlstein said he studied when Ohtani was in high school in Japan, how “he was putting in the work every day. It inspires me to work at home to achieve the same goals he has reached.”

Another two-way player is Birmingham sophomore pitcher/shortstop Carlos Acuna, a diehard Dodgers fan.

Sophomore pitcher Carlos Acuna of Birmingham is also a hitter.

(Craig Weston)

“It’s awesome,” Acuna said. “That’s who I want to be like as a pitcher and hitter.”

Coaches have to be careful with two-way players because you don’t want to place too much of a burden on them at practices, something that might lessen or affect one of their skills.

Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman told The Times: “When you’re getting older and older, you kind of veer toward one avenue. I do think you’re starting to see more at the college level and potentially letting guys [do both] because of Shohei , which is really cool because he’s changing the game. I don’t know if you’re going to see another person. Most people don’t see what Shohei is doing in between and underneath. He’s two different people and has to do it day in and day out.”

Grindlinger agrees practices are where a balancing act takes place.

“I get to do my pitching stuff first, then my hitting stuff afterward,” Grindlinger said. “Or my dad will throw to me afterward. You have to plan around it. Sometimes I can’t do heavy lifting because I have a bullpen day. It’s definitely a challenge but a fun one.”

For Palmer, the past few months have been a personal and professional challenge.

The Scotland defender, who has only known Wednesday as a permanent club, with close to 500 appearances, watched on “powerless” as good friends exercised their right to leave, exasperated by unpaid wages and the direction of travel.

But as the squad’s Professional Footballers’ Association representative, the 34-year-old has been left to deal with awkward questions from worried players for which he has rarely had the answer.

Palmer and club captain Barry Bannan managed to arrange a Zoom conversation with Chansiri in the summer, hoping for some clarity but receiving none.

“The owner maintained that he was doing his best, but we were asking questions that ultimately he didn’t have the answers for,” said Palmer.

“But we felt that we had to ask them on behalf of the players.

“It would have been lovely to hear ‘you are going to get paid on this time and the money was going to come’, but he didn’t have the answers. But I would rather have had that answer than not asked him at all.”

The match with Middlesbrough proved to be one of the lowest points of his career, played out in front of virtually empty home stands, reminiscent of the depressing times of Covid when playing football felt more like a job than at any other time.

And having the players and fans united again at Hillsborough at least offers Palmer hope for the remainder of what will continue to be a challenging season.

“Football is dead without the fans, and for me Wednesday night was tough,” he said.

“It took me back to that Covid season, there was an emptiness around where everything was at.

“So this has just stoked the fire a little bit within the group to use that little light of positivity to get us through the next few weeks and months.”

Follow the build-up, analysis and live text commentary of the game as Madrid host Barcelona for Spain’s El Clasico.

As the trial about whether the Angels should be held at least partially liable for the death of Tyler Skaggs enters its third week, major league officials are closely monitoring the proceedings.

The trial is scheduled to last several more weeks, and it would be premature for the league to determine what action it might take against the Angels — if any — until all evidence is revealed in court and a verdict or a settlement is reached.

However, it is considered highly unlikely that the league would compel Angels owner Arte Moreno to sell the team.

Consideration of any action probably would be deferred until the league could conduct its own investigation and until a jury verdict, if there is one, is fully reviewed by an appeals court.

The Skaggs family is seeking $785 million in damages, as first reported by the Athletic, based on the allegation the Angels knew or should have known that former staffer Eric Kay was using illegal drugs, including the pills he provided to Skaggs on the night the pitcher died in 2019. The Angels deny the allegations.

The jury would not have to decide whether to award all of that money or none of it. The jury first would have to determine who was liable: the Angels, Kay, Skaggs and any other parties. Then the jury would decide what percentage of liability each of those parties should assume and what the financial compensation should be.

As an example, a jury could decide the damages should be $210 million — the amount the family listed as a minimum in a court filing — and the Angels should be held one-third responsible. Under that example, they would be assessed $70 million.

In 1943, Philadelphia Phillies owner William Cox was banned for life for betting on baseball.

If history is any indication, if the league believes an owner merits discipline, an owner would be more likely to be suspended than banned. In 1993, Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott was suspended one year for racist and insensitive comments.

New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was suspended three times: two years for illegal contributions to President Nixon’s 1972 campaign; one week after publicly criticizing umpires; and two years and five months for paying a gambler to dig up disparaging information on All-Star outfielder Dave Winfield. That last suspension originally was announced as a lifetime ban; Steinbrenner was later reinstated.

Kay, who provided Skaggs with counterfeit oxycodone pills that were laced with fentanyl, is serving a 22-year sentence in federal prison. Skaggs died in his hotel room in Texas of asphyxiation, according to an autopsy, choking on his own vomit while under the influence of oxycodone, fentanyl and alcohol.

Amy Jones’ unbeaten 86 runs off 92 balls helps England to an eight-wicket win over New Zealand with twenty overs to spare in their final group stage match at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup match in Visakhapatnam, India.

MATCH REPORT: ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup – England v New Zealand

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TORONTO — There might be no greater reminder of how far the Dodgers have come than the opposing pitcher on Monday. When the World Series returns to Dodger Stadium for Game 3, the starting pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays is scheduled to be Max Scherzer.

You may remember his brief tenure with the Dodgers four years ago, which ended with an elimination game in which Scherzer said he could not pitch. The Dodgers lost, the last domino in a cascade triggered by a front office that miscast its humans as widgets in a search for even the tiniest of edges.

Don’t just take my word for it. This was the word from Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez at the time: “Dodgers analytics dept really misused probably the best rotation in all of baseball. …They need to figure out a way to let starters be who they really are and let them pitch how they are used to.”

In the 2021 postseason, by choice, the Dodgers used an opener three times, a 20-game winner as a middle reliever, and a Hall of Fame starter as a closer. There would be no parade.

In the 2024 postseason, and not by choice, the Dodgers ran four bullpen games. There would be a parade.

In 2025, the Dodgers are simply throwing out a top-flight starting pitcher in every game. Presumably, there is nothing for the front office to overthink here.

Just sit back and enjoy the show — on Saturday, Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s second straight complete game show. This must be less stressful, at least.

“I don’t think it’s less stressful,” Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior said to an inquiring middle-aged reporter with gray hair getting a little too noticeable. “We’ve got matching hair.”

Still, there isn’t much mystery in the Dodgers’ 10-2 postseason record. In every game in which their starting pitcher has gotten an out in the sixth inning, they have won. In every game in which their starting pitcher has not gotten an out in the sixth inning, they have lost.

To the rotation of Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani, take a bow.

To Andrew Friedman and his front office, take a bow too. Just because your ownership provided you with a $1.35-billion rotation does not guarantee that you will leave well enough alone.

In the final month of the season, remember, the Dodgers entertained a flurry of ideas about how to best combine a talented rotation and an iffy bullpen into an effective October staff.

Would they deploy Ohtani in relief? Would they use their best arms as often as possible, as the Washington Nationals did in 2019, when they used their top three starters — Scherzer, Patrick Corbin and Stephen Strasburg — as starters and relievers?

The Dodgers let their starters be starters. The conventional wisdom does not always need to be challenged.

“Clearly, Blake Snell, Yama, Glasnow, Shohei, all really good pitchers,” Prior said. “I think we can all agree that they’re all really good pitchers, and any team would probably roll them out in a playoff game.

“So I don’t think this is any master plan.”

Said catcher Will Smith: “I think that’s just this team. We have four starters now that are pitching their best. … We’re just riding those guys.”

Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow is set to start Game 3 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times )

That brings us back to 2021, when the front office decided the best way to approach the winner-take-all finale of the division series against the San Francisco Giants was to use reliever Corey Knebel as an opener, 20-game winner Julio Urías from the third through the sixth innings, closer Kenley Jansen in the eighth inning and Scherzer as the closer.

That is the kind of all-hands-on-deck approach better suited to the end of a World Series. The Dodgers won that game against the Giants, but Scherzer could not complete five innings in his first championship series start and said he could not take the ball for his next start, an elimination game.

“My arm’s been locked up the past couple of days,” Scherzer said then.

He said that he would be the one at risk if he were not honest with the Dodgers about his condition, rather than trying to push through.

“Guys, when they lie, they go out there and they take on too much, then they blow out,’’ he said. “That’s the ultimate risk here.”

That line of thought did not go over too well in some corners of the clubhouse. Urías was miffed because he believed the Dodgers did not believe in him. Walker Buehler, who started on short rest as a late replacement for Scherzer, gave up four runs in four innings. The Dodgers were eliminated.

Scherzer’s last World Series start, for the Texas Rangers in 2023, lasted three innings. He isn’t thinking about the Rangers, or for that matter the Dodgers.

“I wouldn’t be looking backwards at all for any motivation,’’ he said here Saturday. “I have plenty of motivation. I’m here to win and I’ve got a clubhouse full of guys who want to win too. So we’re a great team and that’s the only thing I need to think about.”

The only thing the Dodgers need to worry about on Monday, at least based on their postseason run: Can they get six or seven innings from Glasnow? If they can, they should be halfway to the World Series championship.

Highlights from the Dodgers’ 5-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 2 of the World Series.

Bellingham’s start to the season was inevitably difficult, having had shoulder surgery in July for a long-standing injury he sustained in 2023.

He missed 63 days of training and playing, including five matches for Los Blancos.

In his first appearance back in late September, he was welcomed to the pitch with a huge roar as his return thrilled the Madridistas.

“Bellingham has nothing to prove on Sunday,” said Real supporter Carlos Campillo. “He already does that with every game he plays in and every assist he makes. He doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone but himself.

Fellow fan Juan Antonio Lillo added: “It’s not a decisive game for him. He needs to keep picking up pace and getting a feel for the game. It’s just one more step towards reaching the level he needs to be at and he’ll get there sooner or later.”

Since Bellingham’s return, he has appeared in six more fixtures in all competitions, slowly increasing his minutes and trying to rediscover his best form.

For much of that stretch, however, his influence was limited – until this week, where his match-winning goal in the Champions League against Juventus reignited the Bernabeu’s belief – and perhaps his too.

“It’s a great feeling, a long time now since I’ve scored, a lot of time out and dreaming of that moment, back in the Champions League and against a big team”, Bellingham told US broadcaster CBS after scoring his first goal of the season.

“To score a winner here at home, it’s unbelievable. I felt comfortable, really good. To play well was important, and to score the winning goal helps the team a lot.”

Bellingham shone in his debut season at the Bernabeu, scoring 19 goals in La Liga, but his form dipped slightly in 2024–25 as Madrid finished the campaign without a major trophy.

“I didn’t think last year was a disaster,” he reflected. “[It was] still 15 goals, 14 assists, but I know the general feeling was that it was worse. But I was a part of that, how we didn’t play as well last year.

“There were still good moments, but not the level I want to play at, not the level like the first year. Now I’ve had my shoulder surgery, a new manager, he’s got that shape, how we want to play.”