Grant Leary of Crespi is ready to defend his 2025 championship as Southern Section individual golf champion.
Qualifying begins Wednesday for the Northern Regional at Los Robles Golf Course. The top 20 players from the three regionals advance to the individual finals May 21 at River Ridge Country Club.
Leary shot 66 last year to win. He’s been playing well. He won a playoff at a U.S. Open qualifying tournament in Brentwood to advance to the final stage, a tournament June 8 in Sacramento. The U.S. Open will be in New York this season.
He’s committed to San José State.
One top player who won’t be participating this year is sophomore Jaden Soong, the defending CIF state champion from St. Francis. His father, Chris, said Jaden has too many conflict dates this month on his schedule while trying to earn a spot to play in the Junior Presidents Cup in September at Medinah Country Club.
Soong is No. 10 in the standings. Tiger Woods’ son, Charlie, is No. 7.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
From Maddie Lee:Dodgers left-hander Justin Wrobleski had a chance to slam the door shut on the Braves’ second-inning rally. He fielded Sean Murphy’s comebacker, and set his feet to start a would-be inning-ending double play at second base.
Angled up the mound, however, he sailed the throw, which second baseman Alex Freeland wrangled to at least salvage an out.
The way the Dodgers’ offense has been scuffling, however, their 7-2 loss hinged on that four-run second inning.
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“It’s just,one half-inning of being pissed off about it, and then you’ve got to keep going back out there and doing your thing,” said Wrobleski, who was charged with seven runs but gutted out a career-high 8⅔ innings. “So yeah, it’s frustrating. It’s annoying because now I look back at it and, yeah, that’s what cost me from having a good outing.”
With the Dodgers’ rubber-match loss, the Braves took sole possession of the best record in the majors. The Dodgers (24-16) dropped the series to the Braves (28-13) after scoring three or fewer runs in each game.
“I thought we turned the corner in Houston,” manager Dave Roberts said. “We kind of got back down a little bit this series. … It’s hard to articulate. There’s some empty at-bats, there’s some early outs that are not just quality outs. There’s the passing the baton to the next guy — and sometimes it just doesn’t happen.”
After Wrobleski cruised through the first inning in just six pitches — first-pitch flyout, four-pitch strikeout, first-pitch groundout — he had an uncharacteristically long second inning.
Lakers star LeBron James slaps hands with coach JJ Redick on his way to the bench in a blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday night.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
From Bill Plaschke: They possessed a halftime lead with one of the most accomplished playoff players in NBA history.
They possessed the best scorer in NBA history at the controls of a sizzling offense in a loud arena against a team that had every reason to pack it in.
They lost by 23.
To those who witnessed the first three games of these Western Conference semifinals between the Luka Doncic-less Lakers and the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, it is no surprise that the Thunder lead three games to none.
What is shocking is that, with a 131-108 win Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena, the Thunder steamrolled to victory over the prone body of an NBA legend.
Lakers forward Rui Hachimura tries to shoot a layup in front of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams in Game 3 on Saturday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
From Broderick Turner: In their darkest playoff hour, Lakers coach JJ Redick advised his players during practice Sunday to take the same mental approach for the win-or-go-home Game 4 that they’ve used since the first day of training camp.
The Lakers trail the Oklahoma City Thunder 3-0 in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series. The Lakers must beat the Thunder at Crypto.com Arena on Monday night or their season is over.
“Our first slide that we put up in training camp was [to] win the day,” Redick said. “Today was a quick offensive review and then just going over some stuff defensively. Got to win today and we got to win tomorrow. We know what we’re facing being down 3-0. So it’s just more of a mindset check than anything else.”
Ducks forward Alex Killorn, second left, celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals Sunday at Honda Center.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
From Kevin Baxter: The Ducks’ second-round playoff showdown with the Vegas Golden Knights has become a best-of-three series.
With a 4-3 victory Sunday before a raucous sold-out crowd at the Honda Center, the Ducks evened the series 2-2 as it heads back to Las Vegas for Game 5 on Tuesday. But it wasn’t easy, with the Golden Knights twice rallying from one-goal deficits, only to see the Ducks answer each time.
And the Ducks’ power play, so lethal in the team’s first-round win over Edmonton and so ineffective in the first three games of this series, finally found a spark, scoring goals in each of the first two periods.
Sparks guard Kelsey Plum, left, and forward Dearica Hamby, right, battle Las Vegas center A’ja Wilson for the ball during the Sparks’ 105-78 loss at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday.
(Luiza Moraes / Getty Images)
From Marisa Ingemi: Before the Sparks opening day loss to the Las Vegas Aces, coach Lynne Roberts said that this year “felt different.”
After one game, though, it feels a lot like the same.
During their season opener, the Sparks couldn’t get momentum against the defending champion Aces and fell 105-78 behind a remarkably efficient shooting day from the visitors at Crypto.com Arena.
After posting the worst defense in the WNBA last season (88.2 points per game), the Sparks made a flurry of offseason moves prioritizing stopping opponents. It’s why they brought in Nneka Ogwumike, Ariel Atkins and Erica Wheeler.
The Washington Wizards won the draft lottery on Sunday and are poised to pick first overall for the first time since 2010.
(Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press)
From the Associated Press: The league’s worst team this season is getting the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.
The Washington Wizards won the draft lottery on Sunday and are poised to pick first overall for the first time since choosing John Wall in that spot in 2010. Wall was the Wizards’ on-stage representative for the lottery.
Washington had a 14% chance of winning No. 1, tied with Brooklyn and Indiana for the best odds. The Wizards had basically a 50-50 chance of getting either a top-four pick or the No. 5 spot.
Oswald Peraza celebrates after hitting a two-run home run for the Angels in the fifth inning of a 6-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.
(Cole Burston / Getty Images)
From the Associated Press:Jo Adell hit a pair of solo homers, José Soriano struck out seven over 7⅔ innings to stop a three-start winless steak and the Angels avoided a three-game sweep by beating the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1 on Sunday.
Oswald Peraza added a two-run homer as the Angels ended an eight-game road losing streak dating to April 16, while also ending a nine-game slump in Toronto.
Soriano (6-2) gave up two hits and a walk in the first inning, including Kazuma Okamoto’s RBI double, but didn’t allow another runner until Myles Straw reached in the eighth with an infield hit, ending a streak of 20 consecutive outs.
Houston’s Antonio Carlos, top, heads the ball over LAFC’s Eddie Segura, left, and Ryan Porteous during LAFC’s 4-1 loss Sunday at BMO Stadium.
(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
From the Associated Press: Jack McGlynn scored a goal in each half and the Houston Dynamo thumped LAFC 4-1 on Sunday night at BMO Stadium.
McGlynn used an assist from Lawrence Ennali in the 25th minute to score on a shot from well outside the box, giving Houston a 1-0 lead. It was McGlynn’s first goal after scoring a career-high six times last season.
Guilherme Santos scored off a free kick in the 34th minute for a two-goal lead. The first-year midfielder has six goals in 11 matches.
Second round All times Pacific Game 1: at Oklahoma City 108, Lakers 90 (box score) Game 2: at Oklahoma City 125, Lakers 107 (box score) Game 3: Oklahoma City 131, at Lakers 108 (box score) Game 4: Monday at Lakers, 7:30 p.m., Amazon Prime Game 5*: Wednesday at Oklahoma City, ESPN Game 6*: Saturday at Lakers, TBD Game 7*: Monday at Oklahoma City, TBD *- if necessary
Ducks playoffs schedule
Second round All times Pacific Game 1: at Vegas 3, Ducks 1 (summary) Game 2: Ducks 3, at Vegas 1 (summary) Game 3: Vegas 6, at Ducks 2 (summary) Game 4: at Ducks 4, Vegas 3 (summary) Game 5: Tuesday at Vegas, 6:30 p.m., ESPN Game 6: Thursday at Ducks, 6:30 p.m., TNT, truTV, HBO MAX Game 7*: at Vegas, TBA, ABC or ESPN *-if necessary
This day in sports history
1892 — Azra, ridden by Alonzo Cayton, wins the first three-horse field in the Kentucky Derby, nipping Huron by a nose.
1900 — James J. Jeffries KOs James J Corbett in 23 for heavyweight boxing title.
1918 — Exterminator, a 30-1 long shot ridden by Willie Knapp, loses the lead but regains it to win the Kentucky Derby by one length over Escoba.
1923 — Setting several Pacific Coast League records, Pete Schneider of Vernon hit five homers and a double to drive in 14 runs in a 35-11 romp over Salt Lake City.
1928 — British Open Men’s Golf, Royal St George’s GC: Walter Hagen wins 3rd of his 4 Open Championship titles, 2 strokes ahead of fellow American Gene Sarazen.
1959 — New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra’s errorless streak of 148 games ends.
1963 — LA Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax throws his second career no-hitter.
1966 — European Cup Final, Heysel Stadium, Brussels: Fernando Serena scores the winner as Real Madrid beats Partizan Belgrade, 2-1; Madrid’s 6th title.
1968 — The Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup, completing a four-game sweep over the St. Louis Blues with a 3-2 victory.
1972 — The Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup in six games with a 3-0 victory over the New York Rangers.
1977 — Ted Turner manages an Atlanta Braves game.
1980 — Pete Rose, 39, steals second, third, & home in one inning for Phillies.
1983 — Aberdeen of Scotland win 23rd European Cup Winner’s Cup against Real Madrid of Spain 2-1 in Gothenburg.
1988 — KV Mechelen of Belgium win 28th European Cup Winner’s Cup against Ajax of Netherlands 1-0 in Strasbourg.
1992 — The Portland Trail Blazers win the highest-scoring playoff game in NBA history, 153-151 in double overtime against the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference semifinals.
1994 — The Phoenix Suns, down 104-84 with 10 minutes left, come back to force overtime and beat Houston 124-117 for a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals. The Suns start the fourth quarter trailing by 18 and are down 20 with 10 minutes to go. Phoenix holds the Rockets to eight points in the quarter and Danny Ainge hits a three to tie the game at 1:08 and send the game into overtime.
2008 — PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Sergio García of Spain claims the biggest win of his career to date in a sudden-death playoff over American Paul Goydos.
2009 — Cleveland makes it an NBA-record eight straight wins by double digits with an 84-74 victory over Atlanta to advance to the Eastern Conference finals. The Cavaliers are the second team to sweep the first two rounds of the playoffs since the NBA expanded the first round to best-of-seven in 2003.
2013 — English FA Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London (86,254): Wigan Athletic upsets Manchester City, 1-0; Ben Watson scores 90+1′ winner.
2016 — Max Scherzer strikes out 20 batters, matching the major league record for a nine-inning game as he pitches the Washington Nationals past the Detroit Tigers 3-2.
2014 — PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: German Martin Kaymer leads after each round to win by 1 stroke ahead of Jim Furyk; first 8-figure purse in golf with winner’s share $1.8 million.
2018 — Top-ranked Rafael Nadal loses to Dominic Thiem 7-5, 6-3 in the Madrid Open quarterfinals, breaking the defending champion’s run of 21 straight wins on clay courts. Nadal hadn’t lost a single set on clay since falling to Thiem a year ago in the Italian Open quarterfinals. Nadal had come to this event fresh off winning his 11th titles at both Monte Carlo and Barcelona.
Compiled by the Associated Press.
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
In the Celtic dressing room, there is experience of reeling off wins to secure a title.
Winning their last five league games nods to the defending champions’ ability to harness experience.
They might not have been challenged to the final day much before, but in contrast to Hearts their winning experience is considerable.
“I honestly do feel that Celtic will be calm, just because they’ve been in this situation so many times before,” Halliday said.
“Now, some people don’t think that counts for much. For me, I personally do.
“Hearts have felt the pressure of being the team that’s been hunted for 30 weeks consecutively now, and they’ve handled it already extremely well.
“You talk about a manager’s role, I’ve no doubt whatsoever that Derek McInnes has played a huge part in that.”
O’Dea also believes that however different players and managers handle these situations, neither Celtic nor Hearts, who have come from behind to take points in their last five games, have shown signs of toiling.
“Both teams have an abundance of character,” he said.
“I don’t know if I could pick a winner in terms of the character from both groups, they’ve both shown it, so it makes for a good ending.”
Former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann on Match of the Day: “I don’t think anyone would want to trade places with Darren England. Nobody would want to be sitting in that chair. He stepped up to the plate, he made the right decision and it’s the biggest VAR call in Premier League history.”
Former Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given on Match of the Day: “The thing that grates {on] me is we have seen on numerous occasions with Arsenal this season, goalkeepers and defenders getting blocked off and the goal stands. Everyone is frustrated about the consistency of the refereeing decision. Why are some goals allowed to stand and this was disallowed? There is so much at stake at the bottom of the league and the very top.
“The other thing is Gabriel is holding, Odegaard is holding, Trossard is holding before the foul even happens on Raya. When does the referee decide that’s the foul he wants to pick and not the previous foul?”
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy on Match of the Day: “The controversy and discontent around West Ham not being given the goal is because it’s Arsenal. They can’t be held accountable for decisions in the past.
“The VAR officials have got to say what they see and it’s a clear foul. Just because it’s Arsenal we shouldn’t get it distorted.”
Former West Ham goalkeeper Rob Green on BBC Radio 5 Live: “It is a foul. You are looking at two players fouling the goalkeeper. There have been so many of these this season, it has been such a talked-about topic, there has been such inconsistency with it so for it to come down to this is huge.
“It just feels like for VAR, for West Ham, for Arsenal in particular with their set-pieces, has been the topic of the season.
“In isolation – foul. There were five or six fouls going on at the same time in there but it’s where the ball landed. Then you think consistency – there hasn’t been any.”
Edwards’ 36 points give Minnesota 114-109 win and tie the Western Conference semifinals 2-2 against San Antonio Spurs.
Published On 11 May 202611 May 2026
Anthony Edwards scored 16 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter and the Minnesota Timberwolves took advantage of Victor Wembanyama’s ejection to post a 114-109 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
The Timberwolves’ win on Sunday night in Minneapolis tied the Western Conference second-round series at two games apiece.
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Naz Reid contributed 15 points and nine rebounds off the bench for Minnesota. He also took an elbow from Wembanyama into his chin on the play in which the Spurs’ star was ejected in the second quarter.
Jaden McDaniels scored 14 points, Julius Randle scored 12 and Rudy Gobert had 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Timberwolves. Ayo Dosunmu added 10 points for Minnesota.
De’Aaron Fox and reserve Dylan Harper scored 24 points apiece and Stephon Castle added 20 for the Spurs. Devin Vassell tallied 14 points for San Antonio. Wembanyama had four points, four rebounds and no blocks in 12-plus minutes.
“We never expected them just to go away,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “They won a game in the Portland series without Wembanyama, so they’re very good, very good team.”
The Spurs trailed by seven before Harper made two free throws with 29.1 seconds left and Julian Champagnie hit two with 20.6 seconds remaining to bring San Antonio within 112-109.
Dosunmu answered with two free throws with 9.8 seconds left as Minnesota closed it out.
“Just small-time plays,” Edwards told reporters when asked how the Timberwolves won Game 4. “Small-time plays win big-time games. That’s what we needed. Diving on the floor, offensive rebounds and it was a great sub by Finchie for putting in Ayo for that last minute-and-a-half.”
Earlier, Wembanyama grabbed a rebound and was trying to protect the ball from two Timberwolves when he turned and unleashed a vicious right elbow into the chin of Reid and was called for a foul with 8:39 left in the first half.
The officiating crew studied views of the play before upgrading the foul to a flagrant 2, which is an automatic ejection. Crew chief Zach Zarba said, “There was windup, impact and follow-through above the neck of an opponent.”
“I’m glad he [Wembanyama] took matters into his own hands,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “Not in terms of hitting Naz Reid, I want to be very clear about that. I’m glad Naz Reid is OK and I didn’t want him to elbow him. But [Wemby’s] going to have to protect himself if no one else does for him. And I think it’s disgusting.”
Minnesota led 60-56 at the break. Edwards scored 18 in the half while Castle led San Antonio with 14 first-half points.
Despite the loss of Wembanyama, the Spurs scored 20 of the first 28 points in the third quarter and led 76-68 after a basket by Vassell with 4:33 left in the period.
“I thought offensively, we were really doing a lot of good things,” Finch said. “We lost our way a little bit, and gave them life.”
San Antonio’s Keldon Johnson drove for a hoop with 21.9 seconds remaining for an 84-80 advantage entering the final stanza.
Fox buried a 3-pointer to give San Antonio a 94-86 lead with 8:51 left in the contest before Edwards scored 12 points during the Timberwolves’ 14-5 run.
“We had a chance to win,” Johnson said. “We didn’t close it out the way we wanted to. … Minnesota made some plays and finished the game.”
Edwards started the burst with a jumper and he soon scored five consecutive points on a short floater and a long straightaway 3-pointer to cut the Minnesota deficit to three with 7:10 remaining. He later canned two free throws with 5:51 left to bring the Timberwolves within 97-95 before drilling a 3-pointer 39 seconds later to give Minnesota a one-point edge.
Gobert later delivered a thunderous dunk to give the Timberwolves a 107-101 lead with 1:56 to play.
Minnesota shot 44.7 percent from the field, including 10 of 27 from 3-point range, while the Spurs made 47.7 percent of their attempts and hit just 6 of 26 from behind the arc.
The Ducks’ second-round playoff showdown with the Vegas Golden Knights has become a best-of-three series.
With a 4-3 victory Sunday before a raucous sold-out crowd at the Honda Center, the Ducks evened the series 2-2 as it heads back to Las Vegas for Game 5 on Tuesday. But it wasn’t easy, with the Golden Knights twice rallying from one-goal deficits, only to see the Ducks answer each time.
And the Ducks’ power play, so lethal in the team’s first-round win over Edmonton and so ineffective in the first three games of this series, finally found a spark, scoring goals in each of the first two periods.
The Ducks were fast and physical in the early going, playing with an urgency they lacked in their Game 3 loss. They also did a better job protecting the puck and that paid off with the team’s first power-play goal of the series 8:43 into the first period.
Vegas had killed 11 penalties against the Ducks and 21 in a row dating back to Game 3 in their first-round series against Utah. But after Dylan Coghlan went off for interference, Sennecke teed up a slap shot from the top of the right circle for his fourth goal of the playoffs, putting the Ducks up 1-0.
The lead didn’t last long, however, with Dorofeyev evening things with a power-play goal of his own about a minute and half later. The goal, on a tip-in, was Dorofeyev’s fifth of the postseason.
Ducks defenseman Ian Moore celebrates with teammates after scoring in the third period of a 4-3 win over the Golden Knights in Game 4 on Sunday at Honda Center.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Granlund put the Ducks back on top less than five minutes before the first intermission, taking a pass from Jeffrey Viel along the left-side boards and getting off a shot as he battled Vegas forward Cole Smith. The puck appeared to strike the blade of Smith’s stick as Viel let it go and that proved fortunate for the Ducks since the deflection fooled defenseman Noah Hanifin and goalie Carter Hart, who both let the bouncing puck tumble through them and into the goal.
That lead didn’t last long, either, with Howden tying things again for Vegas 4:04 into the second period. The goal, on the Golden Knights’ ninth shot, was Howden’s seventh of the playoffs, giving him a share of the NHL lead. Mitch Marner assisted on the first two Vegas goals, giving him a league-best 15 points in 10 postseason games.
However, Killorn scored the Ducks’ second power-play less than two minutes before the second intermission, putting the Ducks in front to stay. Moore doubled the lead 3:43 into the third, lining in a slap shot from well above the right circle.
The two-goal lead matched the largest of the series for the Ducks. Hertl cut that in half with 64 seconds to play after Vegas pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. But the Golden Knights got no closer.
Both teams have split their two games at home. The Golden Knights will have the home-ice advantage — if there is one — over the last three games since two are scheduled in Las Vegas.
Sunday’s win marked the sixth consecutive time the Ducks evened a playoff series it trailed 2-1 after three games.
Vegas played without winger Mark Stone, whose 28 goals were second-most on the team during the regular season. Stone, who had a goal and an assist in the first three games against the Ducks, is the team’s all-time playoff scoring leader with 79 points (39 goals, 40 assists) in 94 games. He sustained an undisclosed injury in the first period of Game 3 and his status for the rest of the series is unclear.
Jack McGlynn scored a goal in each half and the Houston Dynamo thumped LAFC 4-1 on Sunday night at BMO Stadium.
McGlynn used an assist from Lawrence Ennali in the 25th minute to score on a shot from well outside the box, giving Houston a 1-0 lead. It was McGlynn’s first goal after scoring a career-high six times last season.
Guilherme Santos scored off a free kick in the 34th minute for a two-goal lead. The first-year midfielder has six goals in 11 matches.
McGlynn had a shot from nearly the same spot hit the far post, also in the 42nd, and Nathan Ordaz answered for LAFC three minutes later to cut it to 2-1 at halftime. McGlynn was booked for a yellow card in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
Stephen Eustáquio notched his third assist in seven appearances on Ordaz’s second goal, and Jacob Shaffelburg picked up his second in five outings this season and his 15th in 134 appearances. Ordaz has found the net eight times in 67 matches.
Mateusz Bogusz got a second chance to score in the 51st minute, using his left foot to find the net for the second time for a 3-1 lead. Bogusz scored 18 goals in 60 appearances with LAFC from 2023-24.
McGlynn gave the Dynamo a three-goal lead in the 55th with assists from Ennali and Santos, who already has five helpers. Ennali collected his first two assists of the campaign.
Jonathan Bond finished with five saves for Houston (6-5-0), which improved to 2-3-1 on the road.
Hugo Lloris saved two shots for LAFC (6-3-3), which drops to 4-2-1 at home. Lloris entered with eight shutouts through his first 10 starts, posting three more clean sheets than any other keeper in the league.
The Dynamo have gone 5-2-1 in the last eight matchups, holding LAFC scoreless in five of them.
LAFC beat the Dynamo 2-0 in Houston to close out February.
LAFC’s Sergi Palencia left with an apparent injury in the 42nd minute.
Up next for LAFC: visits St. Louis City on Wednesday.
TORONTO — Jo Adell hit a pair of solo homers, José Soriano struck out seven over 7⅔ innings to stop a three-start winless steak and the Angels avoided a three-game sweep by beating the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1 on Sunday.
Oswald Peraza added a two-run homer as the Angels ended an eight-game road losing streak dating to April 16, while also ending a nine-game slump in Toronto.
Soriano (6-2) gave up two hits and a walk in the first inning, including Kazuma Okamoto’s RBI double, but didn’t allow another runner until Myles Straw reached in the eighth with an infield hit, ending a streak of 20 consecutive outs.
Sam Bachman replaced Soriano after back-to-back singles loaded the bases and got Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to ground into a forceout.
Peraza hit a two-run drive in a the fifth and Adell homered in the sixth and the ninth. All three homers came off Eric Lauer (1-5), who allowed six runs and five hits in five innings. He hasn’t won since March 29 against the Athletics.
Vaughn Grissom added a two-run double.
Blue Jays right fielder Addison Barger was scratched from the lineup because of a sore right shoulder. Barger returned Saturday after missing 29 games because of a sore left ankle and made a 101.2-mph throw to retire Jorge Soler at home plate.
Up next for the Angels: Cleveland LHP Joey Cantillo (2-1, 3.43 ERA) starts a series opener against the visiting Angels.
Dodgers left-hander Justin Wrobleski had a chance to slam the door shut on the Braves’ second-inning rally. He fielded Sean Murphy’s comebacker, and set his feet to start a would-be inning-ending double play at second base.
Angled up the mound, however, he sailed the throw, which second baseman Alex Freeland wrangled to at least salvage an out.
The way the Dodgers’ offense has been scuffling, however, their 7-2 loss hinged on that four-run second inning.
“It’s just,one half-inning of being pissed off about it, and then you’ve got to keep going back out there and doing your thing,” said Wrobleski, who was charged with seven runs but gutted out a career-high 8⅔ innings. “So yeah, it’s frustrating. It’s annoying because now I look back at it and, yeah, that’s what cost me from having a good outing.”
With the Dodgers’ rubber-match loss, the Braves took sole possession of the best record in the majors. The Dodgers (24-16) dropped the series to the Braves (28-13) after scoring three or fewer runs in each game.
“I thought we turned the corner in Houston,” manager Dave Roberts said. “We kind of got back down a little bit this series. … It’s hard to articulate. There’s some empty at-bats, there’s some early outs that are not just quality outs. There’s the passing the baton to the next guy — and sometimes it just doesn’t happen.”
After Wrobleski cruised through the first inning in just six pitches — first-pitch flyout, four-pitch strikeout, first-pitch groundout — he had an uncharacteristically long second inning.
After striking out Matt Olson, Wrobleski gave up three straight singles for the Braves’ first run. Michael Harris II bunted into the open space on the third-base side to reach base. The other two hits came from Austin Riley and Eli White, both of whom registered exit velocities of over 108 mph, according to Statcast.
Then came Wrobleski’s high throw.
Wrobleski walked the next batter he faced, No. 9 hitter Jorge Mateo, in four pitches, prompting a visit from pitching coach Mark Prior.
Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski pitched 8⅔ innings against the Braves on Sunday.
(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
With the bases loaded and facing Mauricio Dubón, Wrobleski hung an inside slider belt high. Dubón roped a grounder down the left-field line for a bases-clearing double.
The four runs Wrobleski gave up in the second were twice as many as he had allowed in his five previous starts combined.
Then he turned the outing around.
“Just bouncing back after that inning there, and just continuing to attack the zone and do what I do,” Wrobleski said. “I play this game with a long-term view and mindset of, in the long run, what works out, and what I know works. And just continue to do that and see how deep I can get into the game each time out.”
Wrobleski retired 16 straight to get through the seventh inning without further damage. Then in the eighth, he gave up a solo homer to reigning NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin.
Wrobleski was back on the mound again in the ninth, a career first, but he gave up another solo homer, this time to Olson.
Wrobleski exited when his pitch count reached 100, drilling Mike Yastrzemski in the helmet with his final pitch. Wrobleski’s seven strikeouts tied his career high.
Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski reacts after giving up a home run to Atlanta’s Drake Baldwin in the eighth inning Sunday.
(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
“For him again to go eight-plus was huge as we look out and have 10 in a row coming,” Roberts said.
The Dodgers’ offense again sputtered. In the sixth, they were handed a gift in the form of three straight two-out walks from starting pitcher Bryce Elder, before he was replaced by reliever Robert Suarez.
Max Muncy then drove a deep fly drive to right. But Braves right fielder Eli White caught it, and held on to it as he slammed into the wall, ending the frame.
“‘Who do I gotta pay off at this point?’” Muncy joked, noting the amount of hard contact he has had lately without results. “Next at-bat, I went up there and just said, ‘I’m going to swing straight up. But if I get in the air, they can’t catch it.’ And it kind of worked.”
More than kind of. Muncy put the Dodgers on the board with a two-run home run in the eighth. But it was too little too late.
“I think everyone’s trying to do a little bit more right now,” Muncy said. “We all know as a group that we’re struggling, and that’s just something that everyone’s trying to take on their own shoulder instead of just passing the baton — myself included. Once we get back to everyone just having really good team at-bats, I think things will start clicking for guys without even thinking about it.
“Just a rough stretch, and we’ve got to get through it.”
Betts on track
Mookie Betts celebrates after hitting a double for the Dodgers against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium on March 30.
(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
Shortstop Mookie Betts (strained right oblique) is expected to be activated and in the lineup Monday, and the Dodgers will have to open a roster spot for him.
Betts’ injury created an opportunity for Hyeseong Kim, who began the season in triple-A. He entered Monday hitting .301 in 28 games, and in a shortstop platoon with Miguel Rojas, he’s shown off his glove.
“I think that he’s done a much better job of controlling the strike zone,” Roberts said. “He’s got the ability to put the bat on the ball, get hits, steal bases, play good defense. And I think he’s done all that.”
Freeland beat Kim in spring training for an opening day roster spot, but even though he has improved at the plate of late, Freeland entered Sunday with a .672 OPS. The Dodgers also have utility player Santiago Espinal, who has logged 34 plate appearances this season.
“Obviously we’ve got a tough decision,” Roberts said. “All of the options potentially for the corresponding move, these guys have done a great job and served a very good purpose for our club. It’s a good problem in the sense of where we’re at. But it’s a potentially tough conversation.”
Roster move
In order to add bullpen help, the Dodgers called up right-hander Wyatt Mills. Mills was a non-roster invitee in spring training, after signing a minor-league deal with the Dodgers last August. Mills, who underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2023, last pitched in the majors in 2022.
He was the only Dodgers reliever who pitched in Sunday’s game, allowing two hits.
In a corresponding move, the Dodgers optioned Paul Gervase, who threw three innings Saturday in the Dodgers’ 7-2 loss to the Braves, to triple-A Oklahoma City. And they transferred closer Edwin Díaz (elbow surgery) from the 15-day IL to the 60-day in a procedural move. Díaz isn’t expected to return from the IL until after the All-Star break.
In their darkest playoff hour, Lakers coach JJ Redick advised his players during practice Sunday to take the same mental approach for the win-or-go-home Game 4 that they’ve used since the first day of training camp.
The Lakers trail the Oklahoma City Thunder 3-0 in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series. The Lakers must beat the Thunder at Crypto.com Arena on Monday night or their season is over.
“Our first slide that we put up in training camp was [to] win the day,” Redick said. “Today was a quick offensive review and then just going over some stuff defensively. Got to win today and we got to win tomorrow. We know what we’re facing being down 3-0. So it’s just more of a mindset check than anything else.”
No NBA team has ever come back to win a series when trailing 3-0, with those teams holding a 161-0 record.
Those are the long odds the Lakers face.
Redick was asked what his team’s mood was like at practice.
“These guys are good,” he said.
Redick then was asked what his squad has shown him that gives him hope the Lakers can still win.
“Affirmation,” he responded.
Even after losing three games by an average of 19.6 points per game, the Lakers still cling to some hope.
Rui Hachimura has been on what Redick called a “heater” from three-point range. He has made 57.1% of his threes and has shot 54.1% from the floor in the series, averaging 18.3 points per game.
Hachimura thought back to the Lakers’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets and how they had a commanding 3-0 lead. But the Rockets fought back to make the series 3-2 before the Lakers closed out the series.
“It’s crazy, but I think that’s the mentality we need,” Hachimura said. “I think it’s one at a time. I think especially with this type of team, you can’t really make mistakes. … We have to keep the same energy the whole game. That’s the only way we can win. So, we know what we do.”
Lakers star LeBron James plays against the Thunder in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals on Saturday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
What they need to do is play better in the third quarter. The Lakers have been outscored 92-61 in the third quarter by the Thunder.
“I feel like every game we’re getting closer,” Hachimura said. “Especially last night … apparently we had the best offensive game of the series, even the playoffs. I think we had really good looks, great looks. But I think defensively we, especially in the third quarter, we kind of slowed down. I don’t know [if] we got burned out or we got tired, whatever.
“So, I think our focus is like how we play in the first half we have to do in the whole game. … That’s going to be our goal.”
The Lakers have managed to slow down Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander by having Marcus Smart guard him and putting constant double teams on the reigning NBA most valuable player.
Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 21.0 points per game in the series, far below the 31.1 points he averaged during the regular season. He’s averaging 5.7 assists per game, which is below his 6.6 during the regular season, and he’s shooting 45.8%, which is below his 55.3% for the season. He’s averaging four turnovers in the series as well.
But Chet Holmgren, who is averaging a double-double in the series at 21.3 points per game and 10.0 rebounds, has been a handful for the Lakers. Ajay Mitchell is averaging 20.7 points per game and 6.6 assists.
That’s why the Lakers are on the verge of seeing their season end. The Lakers have faced adversity all season, but Game 4 will be the ultimate test.
“Being on the Lakers, you feel like your back’s against the wall every game,” Redick said. “So I think the whole season has prepared us to be in a position where we’re in the second round of the Western Conference and being in the mix with a great basketball team.”
The fall may not have been deep, but the landing has been hard.
A second trophy-less season for Real Madrid, the most successful La Liga and Champions League club, was confirmed in the worst way possible: a defeat at Barcelona, who, with their win, defended the Spanish title.
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Los Blancos kept the title race alive by their fingernails as they crawled their way to Catalonia, knowing that doing so could result in the cruellest of heartbreaks for their fans. And so it came to pass.
Down by two at half-time at Camp Nou – and it could have been a lot more – hanging in there to limit the damage and humiliation was key, but the 2-0 defeat will have cut deeply for a club that has lifted 36 league and 15 Champions League titles.
The defeat means Real will finish second this season, not an unusual circumstance in what has regularly been a two-horse race in La Liga. The manner, however, of their failure this season – including their quarterfinal exit from Europe’s top table – has left far more questions than answers in the Spanish capital after another season of discontent.
How do Real solve a problem like Mbappe?
The signing of Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain two seasons ago was seen as a return to the days of collecting the world’s finest talents and collectively calling them “galacticos”.
Real had just completed the league and European double under the illustrious Carlo Ancelotti, the most successful manager in European history and no stranger to managing the top names, having led a list of galacticos in his previous spell as Los Blancos manager.
Last season did not go to plan, though.
Mbappe’s arrival broke up the 4-3-3 formation that had served Real so well for so long, with English midfielder Jude Bellingham playing a key, advanced role, while Vinicius Junior thrived in front of and around him.
Both were forced to shift position to accommodate Mbappe, who prefers to drop deep from his central position to link up play or run with the ball.
It trod on the toes of the two key performers. Even Ancelotti was not immune to the famed Real chop as rumours circulated all season that his failure to gel the team would bring to an end the Italian’s Spanish love affair.
Heralded as the answer to Madrid’s problems after sweeping through German football with Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso is also hailed as a midfield maestro as a player for both Madrid and the Spanish national team.
Rumours were rife from the off that the players did not buy into Alonso’s system, and friction was often apparent with Mbappe, despite the forward’s refound scoring ability. His 24 goals have him two clear at the top of this season’s Spanish scoring chart.
Alonso’s time was clearly up long before the end came, just after the clock ticked in the new calendar year. Alvaro Arbeloa was given the task of guiding the seemingly rudderless ship to the end of the season as interim head coach.
Mbappe’s troubles were only just beginning, though. By the end of the season, a “Mbappe out” petition raised more than 33 million signatures, and the Frenchman was the latest focal point of the Madridistas’ displeasure.
Reconnecting Mbappe with the fans and connecting him with his teammates’ style of play will be the number one focus for the new season.
Geling three of the world’s leading talents, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, has proved to be a tough task for successive Real Madrid managers [Marcelo Del Pozo/Reuters]
Can Real resolve Vinicius Jr’s fallout with fans?
Prior to the campaign waged against Mbappe, Vinicius fell foul of the home support, with boos for the forward ringing around a series of performances either side of the Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich.
The Brazilian went on a 19-game run without a goal for club and country between October 10 and January 11.
Ironically, he broke his unwanted streak in the 3-2 Spanish Super Cup final defeat by Barcelona, Alonso’s last game in charge.
The ruptures were apparent, however, and rumours abounded that the 25-year-old’s stay at the only club he has ever known could be coming to an end.
Manchester United were the first to be linked with a move for the versatile forward, but all of Europe’s elite will be on red alert should there be any indication that Real may consider Vinicius as the way to reshape the team around their most bankable asset on and off the field: Mbappe.
Will Valverde and Tchouameni survive dressing-room bust-up?
As the day of destiny at Barcelona approached, the last thing Real needed were more unwanted headlines, let alone from two of the brighter spots in an otherwise dark campaign.
Uruguay’s Federico Valverde and France’s Aurelien Tchouameni were involved in a training-ground bust-up on Thursday, which left the former needing a trip to hospital for a head injury, ruling the midfielder out of the coming weeks.
Real swiftly fined both players on Friday, but Tchouameni was still named in the starting lineup at Barcelona.
Should Real decide that one or both were required to leave to avoid a potential toxic fallout in the dressing room, then, much like in the case of Vinicius, the phone lines of Europe’s top clubs will be working overtime to seal one or the other.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, right, is greeted by Pepe, second right, and Cristiano Ronaldo, third right, in 2012, as they celebrate their 32nd La Liga title [Paul Hanna/Reuters]
Is Jose Mourinho’s return the answer for Real?
Cometh the hour, cometh the man?
Given the extent of the discontent across the club, the job of replacing Alonso on a full-time basis will require something not far short of a miracle.
Mourinho was not a popular choice in his time in the Real dugout, given his pragmatic tactics, seen as defensive by some, which were out of keeping with Real’s free-flowing philosophy.
Given the chasm between Los Blancos and Barca – not to mention the German and French top teams and the financial power of the English Premier League – Real fans may find themselves being a little more forgiving of Mourinho’s style.
The return of Ancelotti – a man born out of an Italian Serie A that only knew a defence-first mindset – proved successful and popular, and Real are known for their desire for managers with lengthy and proven track records.
Mourinho, who says there has been no contact to date with Real, would ruffle feathers, as his stint at Manchester United proved. But he regarded his second-placed finish behind cross-city rivals City with the Old Trafford club as one of his greatest achievements.
Lifting Real one place from their successive runner-up spots in La Liga may not be beyond the 63-year-old, who won La Liga, the Copa Del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup with Real in his 2010-2013 stint. The spell also resulted in three Champions League semifinal appearances.
The Portuguese also provided an early-season wake-up call for Real in this campaign, when his Benfica side claimed a 4-2 league-phase win that pushed Los Blancos into the Champions League playoffs, which they did eventually progress from with a win against Benfica in a rerun over two legs.
Who else could be the next Real manager?
The rally-rousing Jurgen Klopp would certainly help with the reconnection Real so desperately need with their fans. He is renowned in his title-winning spells, both domestic and European, with Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, for uniting the players and fans in a shared, focused mindset. It could be the antidote for the current malaise, a cathartic approach that contrasts with the momentum building behind Mourinho’s latest comeback.
Another widely respected German is Julian Nagelsmann, who is currently in charge of his country’s national side, but may call time on the role after the 2026 World Cup.
At 38 years old, it may be seen as a risk – not dissimilar to the 44-year-old Alonso – but a three-year stay with Bayern Munich, prior to taking on the German job in 2023, may count in his favour.
It is thought that Didier Deschamps may also be coming to the end of his time in charge of the France team, and his former French international teammate Zinedine Zidane is also linked with a second spell at Real. Despite his 57 years, Deschamps has limited experience as a club manager, a contrast with another of the perceived frontrunners, Massimiliano Allegri, who led Juventus to five consecutive league titles in his native Italy.
The task of leading one of the most successful clubs in football is becoming unenviable. But the rebuild begins now, and the rise will start out of the ashes of the crash and burn that culminated in Sunday’s defeat, deep in enemy territory, at Camp Nou.
To be the best, you have to beat the best, and the Sparks aren’t quite there.
In their season opener, the Sparks couldn’t build momentum against defending champion Las Vegas and fell 105-78 behind a remarkably efficient shooting day from the Aces.
Las Vegas shot 63% from the floor and the Sparks had few answers. Nneka Ogwumike had 19 points and 10 rebounds in her return to the Sparks, and Kelsey Plum opened her campaign with 27 points. Reigning WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 19 points and Jackie Young picked up 20 points and nine assists. Chennedy Carter had 22 points in her first WNBA game since 2024.
Plum scored 11 of her points in the fourth quarter, but by then the Aces had opened a 20-plus point lead.
The Aces were coming off a 33-point blowout opening day loss to Phoenix on Saturday but showed no sign of fatigue.
Las Vegas (1-1) pounded the paint early with 26 points in the first half and 14 free throws to seven from the Sparks (0-1). They also shot 68.8% in the opening quarter to lead 29-14.
But the Sparks’ offense also seemed a bit out of sorts, with nine turnovers in the opening half that the Aces turned into 10 points. Las Vegas opened the second quarter on an 18-5 run.
The Sparks narrowed the deficit to one by halftime following an Ogwumike three-pointer and backhand layup late in the second. But mostly, the Sparks’ defense activated, forcing 10 turnovers, led by two steals apiece from Ariel Atkins and Erica Wheeler to fuel the comeback.
The Aces expanded their lead back to nine following a pair of turnovers from Atkins and Plum.
Last season, the Sparks had the worst defense in the WNBA, giving up 88.2 points per game. Defensive woes haunted them once more with 33 points allowed on 73.7% shooting in the third quarter, allowing the Aces to pull away.
Even with 15 offensive rebounds to the Aces’ six, the Sparks’ offense wasn’t efficient enough to compete. The Sparks also only got seven from the bench, with Wheeler shooting one for 11 in 20 minutes.
Alex Fitzpatrick’s hopes of a first individual win on the PGA Tour were dashed as Kristoffer Reitan claimed a maiden victory at the Truist Championship on Sunday.
England’s Fitzpatrick went into the final round with a one-shot lead over Reitan but his Norwegian rival secured a two-shot victory at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The 28-year-old fired a two-under round of 69 to reach 15 under overall, with Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard and American Rickie Fowler tied for second.
Fitzpatrick was a shot further back after a round of 73, which began with a bogey and double bogey inside his first three holes.
The 27-year-old recovered to level par with his fourth birdie on the 13th hole, giving him a share of the lead.
There was a four-way tie at the top of the leaderboard on the back nine but while others faltered, Reitan stayed steady to win on only his 15th PGA start.
Fitzpatrick won the Zurich Classic with his older brother Matt last month, which earned him a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour.
He then finished in the top 10 at the Cadillac Championship and was one stroke behind Reitan before his second double bogey of the day on the par-three 17th.
Compatriot Tommy Fleetwood finished in a tie for fifth on 11 under after closing with a two-under 69.
Fitzpatrick, the world number 120, told Sky Sports: “It’s still very surreal [to be in contention]. It’s crazy to feel disappointed but I still am.
“I’m happy for Kris, he deserves it, and hopefully it’ll be mine another time.”
World number four Matt Fitzpatrick finished on one-over after a final round 72 while Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy bounced back from a 75 on Saturday to finish with a 67 on five under.
The Sparks signed guard Kate Martin to a developmental player contract Sunday just hours before their first game of the season. About 45 minutes before tipoff, Martin arrived in Los Angeles.
“It’s been chaotic, but honestly, found a lot of clarity, a lot of confidence, and where I’m at and where the future of my career is heading,” she said. “So honestly, kind of all over the place, but feeling really good and having a lot of clarity right now.”
Martin was a surprising end-of-training camp cut for the Golden State Valkyries after she averaged 6.2 points per game in 42 contests last season. But Golden State was deep at the wing position, making Martin expendable with its other positional needs.
Speaking publicly for the first time since being cut, she was emotional, but excited for the opportunity with the Sparks.
“I chose L.A. because of the way they approached me,” she said. “I just feel honored for the opportunity. And opportunities don’t always come around in this league. And so for the year that I got cut to be the year where there are development spots, I feel very grateful for that.”
The Sparks had one developmental spot left after signing Louisville graduate Laura Ziegler during training camp.
Martin will be available to be on the active roster for 12 games, while receiving a weekly stipend of $750 in addition to a pro-rated minimum salary of $6,000. She has the most experience of any player signed to a developmental contract across the league with two full seasons under her belt.
“(Martin is) great in the locker room, great teammate, super hard worker,” said Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon, who coached Martin in her rookie season. “She’s somebody who came in with pro habits and a lot of times from college, that’s hard to do, but she came in and was a nice piece for us.”
The 25-year-old was a fan favorite with the Valkyries and had the third highest-selling jersey in the WNBA last season despite coming off the bench for Golden State.
Martin first went viral during the 2024 draft when she was selected 18th overall by Las Vegas and was in the room to support her Iowa teammate, Caitlin Clark. She averaged 2.6 points per game in 34 games as a rookie with the Aces before being selected by the Valkyries in the expansion draft in December 2025.
“Now my expectations for myself are to buy into being an L.A. Spark,” Martin said. “I know that roles are ever changing throughout the season, but right now, I’m gonna be where my feet are, and I’m going to buy into this role as a development player. I’m going to learn, I’m going to grow, and I’m just going to make the most of this opportunity.”
It’s unclear how much Martin will play with the Sparks, but she might have a path because they lack wing depth. The Sparks are backcourt heavy, then have three bigs in Nneka Ogwumike, Cameron Brink and Dearica Hamby. Rae Burrell and Sania Feagin fill that role, but Martin could bring a three-point shot and energy off the bench.
“It’s a great fit for us,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said. “Thrilled how that worked out. It’s no secret, I love shooters. I think it’s a great add. And I think this gives her a chance in the developmental spot to just kind of settle and really pour into the player development. Her work ethic is unbelievable.”
Barcelona clinched their 29th La Liga title with a 2-0 El Clasico victory over bitter rivals Real Madrid, opening an unassailable 14-point lead at the top of the table with three games remaining.
Marcus Rashford and Ferran Torres struck in the first half on Sunday to help Hansi Flick’s side clinch La Liga in consecutive years, while consigning Madrid to a trophy-less season.
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This was only the second time the outcome of La Liga has been decided directly by the result of a Clasico, with record 36-time champions Real Madrid winning their first title in 1932 after a draw with Barca.
Flick’s team were disappointed to be knocked out in the Champions League quarterfinals by Atletico Madrid in April, but still determined to celebrate in style.
“This title is more special for winning it at home against Madrid. Now we have to enjoy it with the fans,” Barca midfielder Frenkie de Jong told Movistar.
“We have been the best team in Spain. Of course, we [also] want to win the Champions League – that’s the objective.
“Next year, we will have another opportunity.”
Madrid arrived at the match embroiled in chaos after midfielder Fede Valverde was ruled out with a head injury following a training ground scuffle with teammate Aurelien Tchouameni, who started.
Barca coach Flick also received bad news before the game, with his father passing away, but he still took his place on the touchline to oversee his side’s comfortable triumph.
The German opted for the energetic Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, on the right wing in place of the injured teenage star Lamine Yamal.
The Catalans, who only needed to avoid defeat, came out with their eyes firmly locked on the prize, racing into a two-goal lead inside 18 minutes.
Rashford opened the scoring with a superb free kick, whipping the ball into the top left corner from 20 yards out, right of centre.
Rashford celebrates scoring his team’s first goal [Lluis Gene/AFP]
Torres doubled the hosts’ advantage at a jubilant Camp Nou, the 62,000-strong crowd enjoying the first Clasico back there since the stadium was reopened.
Dani Olmo produced a clever backheel to allow Torres to burst into the box and ram past Thibaut Courtois.
Gonzalo Garcia, playing in place of injured Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe, prodded narrowly wide after racing in behind Barca’s high defensive line.
Urged on by coach Alvaro Arbeloa on the touchline, unlikely to be at the helm next season, Madrid battled to stem the bleeding.
Rashford could have added a third before the break but fired wide, with Fermin Lopez unmarked and well placed to finish.
Torres should have struck early in the second half but Courtois saved from the Spain international as he ran through.
Jude Bellingham put the ball in Barcelona’s net but the goal was ruled out for offside, while Joan Garcia thwarted Vinicius Junior as Madrid threatened.
Barca fans batted inflatable beach balls around to taunt the Brazilian over his unfulfilled Ballon d’Or ambitions, and lapped up the party atmosphere.
Courtois saved from substitutes Raphinha, back after injury, and Robert Lewandowski as Madrid saw out the remainder of the match without taking further damage.
Flick’s side remain on course to match the record of 100 points in a league season and can win all their home matches if they defeat Real Betis in the one remaining.
Barcelona’s boss told La Liga TV that he “will never forget this day” following the match.
“It was a tough day for me to start – my father passed away. But my team is fantastic. It is like a family,” Flick said.
“They gave everything today. I am proud of the fans. It is amazing [to win] in this stadium and in an El Clasico against Real Madrid to win La Liga.
“It was not easy. Everyone thought we could win this, but Real is a fantastic team. We played really good and made the goals in the right moment.”
Meanwhile Madrid finish a second consecutive season without a major trophy, staring down the barrel of a summer reshuffle, including former coach Jose Mourinho being linked with a potential return.
Arbeloa congratulated Barcelona and said his side would “learn from what happened this season and work even harder” in comments to the media after the game.
“I feel a greater responsibility now, knowing that our season ended today. The one thing we can’t do is give up, absolutely not,” he said.
“There are three matches left that we must go out and win. Here, we’re defending something much bigger than all of us and much bigger than our personal pride; it’s the Real Madrid crest and millions of fans.”
Those words showed maturity but also the teenager’s high standards.
Corteen-Coleman perched herself next to England’s coaches on the balcony for much of her side’s chase. She believed her work for the day was done, but her most consequential moment was still to come.
Ten runs were still needed when she emerged as the last batter to join Dean.
Crucially, she helped Dean run twos and, with solid defence, bettered her previous high score of one not out in The Hundred to finish unbeaten on three and sealed the win.
“I am glad I looked calm because I definitely wasn’t,” she said.
“The main point for me was to keep it really simple.”
Corteen-Coleman did not, of course, complete the win alone.
Central was the role of Dean, who admitted to exposing her team-mate more than she intended by taking singles early in the over, but otherwise played the situation well.
Much has been made of Dean’s ability to hold her mettle in chases. There has been some success but failure too – notably in the Mankad ODI at Lord’s in 2022 and the second ODI of the Women’s Ashes last year.
This time, standing in as England captain for the first time, Dean dragged her side over the line.
If England’s training camp with the army last week was supposed to develop leaders, this was Dean’s Passing-Out Parade.
“I have worked on having that calmness and being ready in any situation but that mainly came from Deano,” added Corteen-Coleman.
“If I came out and she was panicking I would have been under the pump.”
Corteen-Coleman emerged with the words of coach Charlotte Edwards in her ears. She told her to back her strengths and keep a clear mind.
That was backed up by Dean in the middle.
“She came out with good clarity,” said Dean.
“I said, ‘Yorkers have been successful for them so they will probably look to get under your bat’.
“We decided getting forward was the best option.
“Tilly is really proactive with her thinking. She has a good cricket brain.”
The league’s worst team this season is getting the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.
The Washington Wizards won the draft lottery on Sunday and are poised to pick first overall for the first time since choosing John Wall in that spot in 2010. Wall was the Wizards’ on-stage representative for the lottery.
Washington had a 14% chance of winning No. 1, tied with Brooklyn and Indiana for the best odds. The Wizards had basically a 50-50 chance of getting either a top-four pick or the No. 5 spot.
But three consecutive years of losing — the three worst seasons in the franchise’s 65-year history — finally paid off Sunday for the Wizards, who went 17-65 this season and even allowed Miami’s Bam Adebayo to score 83 points for the league’s second-highest single-game total ever.
The Wizards swung deals to land Trae Young and Anthony Davis last season, and now they have a chance to add an immediate impact player with the No. 1 pick.
Utah will pick No. 2, Memphis will pick No. 3 and Chicago will pick No. 4.
The Clippers got the fifth pick — via a trade with the Pacers — followed by No. 6 Brooklyn, No. 7 Sacramento, No. 8 Atlanta, No. 9 Dallas, No. 10 Milwaukee, No. 11 Golden State, No. 12 Oklahoma City, No. 13 Miami and No. 14 Charlotte.
The draft begins June 23 in New York. The draft combine in Chicago starts on Monday.
No. 1 pick possibilities
There are four candidates that generally are considered front-runners to be the No. 1 pick, all of them entering the draft after their freshman years of college. They are:
— BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, who led the nation in scoring at 25.5 points per game in his lone college season.
— Duke’s Cameron Boozer, the AP player of the year who averaged 22.5 points and 10.1 rebounds.
— Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, who averaged 20.2 points in 24 games for the Jayhawks.
— North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson, who averaged 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds on 58% shooting.
All four of those players, and a few other likely first-round selections, were all among those in the studio for the announcement of the lottery results Sunday at Chicago’s Navy Pier.
“Standing here is kind of crazy,” Dybantsa said. “One of these teams is going to be home.”
Last of this format (probably)
This was the eighth, and likely final, year of this version of an NBA draft lottery, with the worst teams having a 14% chance of winning.
Framework fell into place last month on changes meant to further discourage tanking, and the league’s Board of Governors is expected to ratify that plan in the next few weeks — with general managers meeting in Chicago on Tuesday to discuss them presumably for one last time.
The three worst teams, starting next season, would have a 5.4% chance of winning — with the next seven teams all having an 8.1% chance of winning. The lottery would grow from 14 to 16 teams if the plan, as expected, is approved.
Winger Leandro Trossard scores the only goal of the match as Arsenal survives VAR controversy to win at West Ham.
Published On 10 May 202610 May 2026
Arsenal cleared arguably the most dangerous remaining obstacle in their path to the Premier League title by the skin of their teeth as Leandro Trossard’s late goal secured a dramatic 1-0 win at West Ham United to restore their five-point lead on Sunday.
The visitors were living dangerously at the London Stadium, but Trossard guided home a low shot from Martin Odegaard’s pass in the 83rd minute to spark delirium amongst the Arsenal fans and despair in the home ranks.
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Arsenal rode their luck and survived a huge scare deep in stoppage time as West Ham substitute Callum Wilson had an equaliser ruled out for a foul after a long video assistant referee (VAR) review.
Victory put Arsenal a step closer to a first Premier League title since 2004, and they will be crowned football champions if they win their last two games at home to Burnley and away to Crystal Palace on the final day.
Arsenal have 79 points from 36 games with Manchester City, who have a game in hand, on 74.
For West Ham, it was a bitter pill to swallow as defeat left them staring at relegation, and they could find themselves four points from the safety zone with two games left if Tottenham Hotspur beat Leeds United on Monday.
If Arsenal do go on to lift the title, the incident in stoppage time described by Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville as the “biggest VAR call in the history of the Premier League” will be just a detail in a season-long slog with Manchester City.
But it could have serious implications for West Ham, who would have deserved a point for a gritty display.
With time almost up and even West Ham keeper Mads Hermansen up for a corner, the ball broke for Wilson, who slammed a shot through a forest of legs and over the line.
West Ham fans went wild, and Manchester City’s probably did, too. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta looked aghast, but when the VAR instructed referee Chris Kavanagh to look at a possible foul by West Ham substitute Pablo on Arsenal keeper David Raya in the build-up, the stadium fell silent.
He returned to announce that the goal was disallowed and Arsenal could breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Leandro Trossard scores his goal for Arsenal seven minutes from full time [Adrian Dennis/AFP]
Note: Boys finals in all divisions Friday, May 15 at Fred Kelly Stadium (times TBA); Girls finals in all divisions Saturday, May 16 (times TBA) at Fred Kelly Stadium.
