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DENVER — The Kings haven’t won an NHL playoff series since the last time they won the Stanley Cup, which is to say it’s been a while.

They’re halfway to another early exit after a 2-1 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, a result that gave the Avalanche a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. The winning goal came from Nicolas Roy 7:44 in the extra period.

The Kings’ lone goal came from Artemi Panarin while captain Gabriel Landeskog had the other Colorado goal.

“We did play really well,” interim coach D.J. Smith said. “We’ve got to find a way to win a game. Clearly, good isn’t enough. We’ve got to win a game and keep taking a piece of them and keep playing physical and give ourselves a chance to keep lengthening the series.”

Panarin gave the Kings a 1-0 lead on a wrister from the inside edge of the right circle with less than seven minutes left in regulation. It was his second power-play goal of the series and it came on the Kings’ fifth power play of the night.

It also came after the Kings got a fortunate break, with a Colorado clearing pass striking a linesman, leading to a faceoff in the Kings’ offensive end.

Landeskog evened things for Colorado 3 1/2 minutes later, escaping Kings forward Scott Laughton to skate to a Martin Necas pass through the crease before pushing the puck inside the left post to send the game to overtime.

For the Kings, it marked their 34^th overtime in 84 games this season, an NHL record. They lost 21 of them but Tuesday’s was the most painful, with Roy scoring on a deflection in the crease.

“We had every opportunity,” Smith said. “You’ve got to be able to close it out.”

The teams now head to Crypto.com Arena for games Thursday and Sunday with the Kings needing at least one win to extend their season.

“I expect that we’ll be better at home,” Smith said.

To do that, the Kings are going to have to stop wasting the kind of opportunities they had in Denver, where they converted just two of nine power-play chances and failed to score on a penalty shot in the first two games.

The physical series turned chippy in late in Game 1 and that carried over to the start of Game 2 with a pair of scuffles, each involving more than a half-dozen players, breaking out 12 seconds apart midway through the first period. The teams combined for seven penalties in a fast-paced opening 20 minutes played with a lot of open ice.

Quinton Byfield had two chances to put the Kings on the board just more than three minutes into the second period but Colorado goalie Scott Wedgewood came up big both times.

Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg makes a save during overtime of Game 2.

(Jack Dempsey / Associated Press)

The first came when Byfield charged Wedgewood on a breakaway, only to have the goalie stop his wrister from in close. But Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar was called for hooking Byfield from behind on the play, setting up a penalty shot. Wedgewood stopped that too.

An over-excited group of fans celebrated the two saves by breaking a pane of glass behind the Kings bench, sending the coaches scurrying and pausing the game for several minutes as workmen repaired the damage. But 16 seconds after play resumed, the Avalanche took another penalty, their sixth of seven on the night.

The Colorado penalties left the Kings with a man advantage for nearly a quarter of the game’s first 25 minutes, but their power play couldn’t take advantage against a Colorado penalty kill that ranked No. 1 in the NHL during the regular season.

“Obviously, you just want the opportunities,” forward Trevor Moore said. “Now we’ve just got to make the most of them.”

Colorado’s best scoring chance in the first two periods came on a three-on-one rush less than five minutes before the second intermission, but Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson reached in to break up the play and keep the game scoreless.

Colorado celebrates its Game 2 victory over the Kings.

(Jack Dempsey / Associated Press)

Sam Malinski appeared to give the Avalanche the lead on a slap shot from above the left circle 10 seconds into the final period, but after the horn sounded and the goal was put in the scoreboard, the officials correctly ruled the puck had struck the outside of the net.

Five minutes later Byfield fanned on a loose puck in the crease, allowing Wedgewood to roll over and clear it from in front of the open net.

Now the Kings come home, where they won six of their final seven regular-season games, the only loss coming in a shootout. But they haven’t beaten the Avalanche anywhere this season and if they have to at least once in the next two games to avoid their seventh straight first-round playoff exit.

“Thought we played better tonight,” Moore said. “So we’ve to to try to just take the positives and get to L.A. and play a good game.”

When Don Robertson’s whistle peeped – it could just about be heard through the celebratory chants of the 3,000+ strong travelling support – Valakari let it all out.

The energetic manager was emotional, ecstatic and a little bit exhausted as he immersed himself in the post-match scenes.

The supporters were chanting his name from the 80th minute onwards and a few of his players lifted him up like they will do with the Championship trophy on Friday night after playing Raith Rovers – live on BBC Scotland.

He has masterminded what Williams calls “the most enjoyable season going and watching Saints since Tommy Wright was there”.

Wright, of course, oversaw the landmark 2014 Scottish Cup win during his impressive seven-year stint.

By no means does Williams’ sentiment diminish the cup double achieved under Wright’s successor Callum Davidson, but this has been a league campaign built on utter consistency – while the first 10 games were “totally brilliant”.

“It’s been nice to have that feeling back, but I think the novelty would wear off after one season,” he added, not wanting to get too familiar with the second tier.

Thankfully for those of a Perthshire-Saints persuasion, they can put their notifications for the Premiership back on. In two games time, their full attention will be back on the top flight.

How do they reckon they’ll fare once there, though?

“We’re in a decent place, better than we were last time,” Williams said.

“There’ll be a lot of guys maybe looking for more opportunities elsewhere next season, but hopefully the core of the squad can stay as it’d be good to see them have a crack at the Premiership because they’ve done us really well this season.”

That they have. Now they get to party just as hard too…

Vafaei beat Barry Hawkins in the first round at the Crucible last year before losing 13-10 to Mark Williams.

An injury wrecked the start of this season but an intensive physio programme got him back playing, although he then had a poor run of results following his return.

“With my injury, I took two or three months [out] and after that I lost my form,” he added. “It was a shoulder problem, it was hurting my fingers and all the nerves on my left side.

“It was tough to get back my form and to find something and the struggles started from there.

“I’m under lots of pressure. I’m not having a good season. A lot of people have been like ‘where is he? what’s he doing?’. They’re thinking I’ve stopped playing snooker.

“I’ve had a tough year mentally, personally, and everything.”

But there has been some encouragement on the table as before his success at qualifying, he beat Williams and Zhang Anda to reach the quarter-finals of last month’s World Open where he was beaten by Trump.

However, he said news from back home meant he was often not focused on snooker.

“You get a bad text in the day and you can’t focus on your job. How can I focus?” said Vafaei.

“No-one knows how tough it is but hopefully it will be over soon, then the safety comes back to my country.”

Liverpool could move for Randal Kolo Muani, Kobbie Mainoo verbally agrees to new Manchester United deal and Bernardo Silva is on Arsenal and Barcelona’s radar.

Liverpool have identified France international Randal Kolo Muani, 27, as a potential replacement for Mohamed Salah but face competition from Juventus for the Paris St-Germain forward. (Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external

England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, 21, has verbally agreed to a new five-year contract with Manchester United. (Sun), external

Arsenal and Barcelona have emerged as possible destinations for Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva, 31, when he leaves Manchester City at the end of the season. (ESPN Brazil – in Portuguese), external

Nottingham Forest‘s England midfielder Elliot Anderson, 23, and Real Madrid and France midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, 26, are being eyed by Manchester United as they look to replace the departing Casemiro. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

Brighton could offer England goalkeeper James Trafford, 23, a route out of Manchester City in the summer. (Florian Plettenberg), external

Manchester United and Galatasaray are ready to battle it out for 28-year-old Juventus and Netherlands midfielder Teun Koopmeiners. (Tuttosport – in Italian), external

Barcelona are leading the race for Eduardo Conceicao, with Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle also interested in the 16-year-old Palmeiras forward. Any move to Europe could not happen until he turns 18 next year. (TeamTalk), external

West Ham are willing to let Greece defender Konstantinos Mavropanos, 28, leave this summer amid interest from the Bundesliga, but will demand a big fee. (Football Insider), external

Chelsea and Manchester United are among the clubs keeping tabs on Bournemouth‘s 22-year-old English midfielder Alex Scott. (Caught Offside), external

Leeds are planning to hand Wales midfielder Ethan Ampadu, 25, a new contract at the end of the season. (Teamtalk), external

Football’s governing body puts more tickets on sale but has introduced new premium-priced tiers that angered some fans.

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) is putting more World Cup tickets on sale after angering some fans by adding new, more expensive categories.

FIFA announced on Tuesday that it would make more tickets available at 11am EDT (15:00 GMT) on Wednesday for all 104 games in Categories 1, 2 and 3, in addition to the new “front category” pricing it added this month.

The new category led to online complaints from fans, who said they had thought that the better seats in the categories they had bought tickets for were withheld, and they had been assigned less favourable locations.

FIFA in December put tickets on sale at prices ranging from $140 for Category 3 in the first round to $8,680 for the final, then raised prices to as much as $10,990 when sales reopened on April 1.

FIFA did not respond to an April 9 request for comment about the new ticket categories it added.

Also on Tuesday, The Athletic reported that ticket sales are lagging for the US opener against Paraguay on June 12 at Inglewood, California. It said a document distributed to local organisers, dated April 10, said that 40,934 tickets had been bought for the US-Paraguay game, and 50,661 were bought for the Iran-New Zealand contest on April 15.

FIFA projects the capacity at the Los Angeles SoFi Stadium, where the US-Paraguay and Iran-New Zealand games will be held, to be about 69,650, noting that it may change.

FIFA’s December sale priced US-Paraguay tickets at $1,120, $1,940 and $2,735, and Iran-New Zealand seats at $140, $380 and $450.

Birmingham never wins the West Valley League baseball championship. But the Patriots are certainly putting themselves within striking distance of first-place El Camino Real.

They remained one game behind El Camino Real after an 8-0 win over Granada Hills on Tuesday in which Carlos Acuna gave up one hit in six innings and struck out 11. He also had two hits. Sebastian Valadez and Toni Mendoza each had two hits and two RBIs.

El Camino Real and Birmingham play a two-game series beginning April 29.

Harvard-Westlake 2, St. Francis 0: Junior Justin Kirchner threw six scoreless innings with 14 strikeouts and Ira Rootman had a home run and two RBIs.

Loyola 9, Bishop Alemany 3: Sophomore Austin Junk had a three-run home run and double and Luca Marucci also homered in the Cubs’ Mission League win. Mikey Martinez homered for Alemany.

Chaminade 12, Crespi 5: Bronson Jackson, Isaiah Hearn and Robby Morgan each hit home runs in the Mission League win. Kystan Bell had three hits for Crespi.

St. John Bosco 6, Servite 0: Julian Garcia showed off overpowering stuff, striking out 12 with no walks while giving up two hits to help the Braves (17-5, 9-1) remain in first place in the Trinity League. Jaden Jackson had two hits and two RBIs.

Orange Lutheran 6, Santa Margarita 3: The top-ranked Lancers scored four runs in the seventh to overcome a 3-2 deficit. Hamilton Friedberg had three hits and three RBIs and CJ Weinstein added three hits.

Newbury Park 6, Calabasas 5: Jack Laubacher had two hits and three RBIs in the Panthers’ eight-inning win.

Westlake 5, Thousand Oaks 3: The Warriors stayed in first place in the Marmonte League. Jaxson Necklen hit two home runs and Blake Miller added a home run, double, single and two RBIs.

Newport Harbor 8, Fountain Valley 1: Gavin Guy threw six innings in the Sunset League win.

Huntington Beach 6, Los Alamitos 3: Jared Grindlinger hit two doubles to keep Huntington Beach unbeaten in the Sunset League.

Gahr 2, Warren 1: Andres Gonzalez hit a two-run home run in the first inning for Gahr.

La Mirada 6, Downey 1: Michael Burgueno went four for four and Jacob Oropeza contributed two doubles.

San Clemente 4, Aliso Niguel 1: Bob Erspamer gave up two hits with six strikeouts in a complete game.

World number one Judd Trump recovered from a slow start to defeat Gary Wilson in their first-round match.

Trump, the 2019 champion, lost four of the first five frames as Wilson, ranked 27th, moved into a 4-1 lead.

But Trump then claimed the final four frames of the session, including superb breaks of 128 and 77, to hold a 5-4 advantage.

However, Wilson, a three-time ranking event winner, made the highest break of the session with a superb 139 clearance in frame five.

In the second session later on Tuesday, Wilson made a break of 58 to make it 5-5, but Trump pulled clear by winning five in a row to seal a 10-5 success.

Trump, 36, has been top of the world rankings since August 2024 and will extend that run if he reaches the quarter-finals.

“I like being number one, it’s going to be difficult to keep it unless I do really well in the next season but I take a lot of pride in it,” he said.

Trump lives in Dubai but, because of the recent conflict in the Middle East, he left the area temporarily.

“I had to stay in Thailand for a month, and I managed to practice for the World Championship, but it has been more back to normal now,” he said.

“Dubai is still my base, I’ve been back there in the last couple of weeks and everything is normal.”

A downbeat Wilson, speaking to BBC Four, said: “It’s just constant disappointment. I am, and always have been since the age of 13, a better player than this.

“It’s a constant struggle. The yips are getting worse and I’m just riding through it.”

Mike Vrabel doesn’t want to be a distraction.

The New England Patriots coach knows that much of the chatter around his team in recent weeks has nothing to do with the reigning AFC champions’ offseason workouts or their plans for the NFL draft later this week.

Instead, it’s been about a “personal and private matter” that Vrabel decided to address at the top of his news conference Tuesday in Foxborough, Mass. Although he didn’t specify, the second-year Patriots coach seemed to be referring to photos recently published by the New York Post’s Page Six of him and Dianna Russini, who was at the time a reporter for the Athletic, interacting at an Arizona resort.

The photos appear to show Russini and Vrabel — both married to other people — holding hands, hugging and sitting in a hot tub and a swimming pool. In the April 7 article that accompanied the photos, Russini and Vrabel gave statements denying that anything inappropriate was happening between them.

In his first public comments since the article was published, Vrabel did not mention Russini or the photos. Instead, Vrabel spoke about how he has handled the situation and what his family, the team and the fan base can expect from him “going forward.”

“I’ve had some difficult conversations with people that I care about — my family, the organization, the coaches, the players,” Vrabel said. “Those have been positive and productive. We believe in order to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions. That includes me; that starts with me.

“We never want our actions to negatively affect the team. We never want to be the cause of the distraction. These are comments and questions that I’ve answered for the team and with the team. We’ll keep those private and to ourselves.

“I care deeply about this football team and am excited to coach it. I also know that I’m going to attack each day with humility and focus. And what I can promise you is that my family, this organization, the team, the staff, the coaches, everybody, our fans, most importantly, will get the best version of me going forward.”

A Patriots spokesman said team officials have no plans to address the issue further. The NFL has indicated it is not investigating the matter.

In the Page Six article, Athletic executive editor Steven Ginsberg expressed full support for Russini and said the photos “are misleading and lack essential context.” Days later, however, the New York Times, owner of the Athletic, reported that the digital sports outlet would conduct an investigation.

On April 14, Russini submitted her letter of resignation to the Athletic, then posted it on X. In it, Russini states she has “no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept.”

“This media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete,” Russini wrote. “It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks. … Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on June 30. I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Star receiver Puka Nacua will fully participate in voluntary offseason workouts, the Rams are getting closer to another contract adjustment with quarterback Matthew Stafford, and coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead hope backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo decides to put off retirement and return for a third season and possible Super Bowl run.

McVay and Snead addressed those topics and the NFL draft on Tuesday during a videoconference with reporters.

Nacua led the NFL in receptions last season but also was involved in a string of off-the-field incidents the last few months, including an alleged biting incident that led to a civil lawsuit. Those situations put the brakes on any immediate discussion between the Rams and Nacua about a massive extension for the fourth-year pro.

In March, Nacua began a rehabilitation program in Malibu, but he was present for the first day of workouts on Monday.

Nacua, 24, “looks great” and is “doing really well,” McVay said. McVay declined to detail discussions he’s had with the All-Pro, who was a finalist for NFL offensive player of the year.

“He and I have a great relationship,” McVay said. “Feel really good about kind of the direction we’re going.”

Stafford, 38, led the Rams to the NFC championship game last season and is the reigning NFL most valuable player. According to overthecap.com, he is due to carry a salary-cap number of $48.3 million this season.

But Stafford has no doubt demanded, and will receive, a raise and a possible additional year in a deal that the Rams acknowledged two years ago is essentially a year-to-year situation.

“Progress has been made,” Snead said of negotiations.

There is no timeline, Snead said, “but don’t expect any drama, per se.”

Garoppolo, 34, has backed up Stafford for two seasons, and he has been invaluable.

Last year, with Stafford sidelined for training camp because of a back issue, Garoppolo ran the offense and prepped the defense with a skillset honed during a 12-year career that included a Super Bowl appearance. Stafford joined workouts before the season and remained healthy throughout, but Garoppolo was perhaps the most valuable insurance policy in the NFL.

Last season, Garoppolo played on a one-year contract and earned $4.5 million, according to overthecap.com.

McVay expressed confidence in fourth-year pro Stetson Bennett, but said he was hopeful that “when the time is right,” Garoppolo will “change his mind,” and return.

“You leave the door open,” McVay said when asked if there was a point that Rams would press Garoppolo to return. “I don’t think you want to press. What you don’t want to do is ever force a guy to play if in his mind he’s ready to move on.

“But you don’t want to minimize that, ‘Hey, if you do decide you want to play, let’s make sure it’s here with us.”

The Rams have the 13th pick in the NFL draft, which begins Thursday in Pittsburgh. They have one pick in the second and third rounds, one in the sixth round and three in the seventh.

Receiver, offensive line and edge rusher are among the positions the Rams could address with their first top-15 pick since they selected quarterback Jared Goff with the No. 1 pick in 2016.

“There’s a lot of possibilities,” McVay said. “We don’t control what happens in those 12 picks before, and so what we’ve done is a lot of contingency planning and a lot of conversations, and feel really good about that.”

Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior said his team’s performance was both “indefensible” and “unacceptable” as he faced angry chants from his own supporters for the first time.

The chants began when Chelsea fell 1-0 behind at the Amex Stadium, with the visitors having barely registered an attempt on goal, before they eventually succumbed to a 3-0 defeat on Tuesday night.

It was a worrying display and a further dip in performance given Chelsea did not mount a shot on goal until the 40th minute and were error-prone defensively.

Chelsea extend an unwanted run of five consecutive defeats without scoring, their worst such sequence since 1912.

It played out in front of influential co-owner Behdad Eghbali and the club’s sporting directors on the south coast, where Rosenior began his coaching career.

As a result, questions will grow over whether the Englishman can continue in the dugout in the long term, with a last chance to save the season to come in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley against Leeds on Sunday.

In response to questioning about delivering such a poor display, Rosenior said: “It was unacceptable in every aspect of the game, unacceptable in our attitude. I keep coming out and defending of the players.

“That’s indefensible, that performance tonight. The manner of the goals we conceded, the amount of duels that we lost, the lack of intensity in the team. Something needs to change drastically right now.

“I think the players as well need to have a look in the mirror for what they put in. You can talk about tactics, tactics come after the basics. Having more courage to play, winning duels, winning headers, tackles, conceding terrible goals. That was an unacceptable performance tonight.”

Seven points behind fifth-placed Liverpool, having played a game more, Chelsea‘s Champions League hopes look in tatters and there are questions about whether the head coach, the players or the fans are on the same page.

Infrastructure damage caused by a fire suspected to have been set by a homeless person at Encino Franklin Fields in January has not been repaired and is still months away from being completed, according to an update from from Councilmember Imelda Padilla.

A tunnel damaged underneath a parking area has created issues with use of the fields and limited parking despite a temporary pedestrian bridge built to let people travel to softball fields used by teams from Harvard-Westlake, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and Louisville. The teams have resumed using the fields.

Here’s the statement provided to The Times and attributed to Padilla: “Since the fire our office has continued to lead coordination efforts with the Bureau of Engineering, the Mayor’s Office, and the CAO, to move this project forward as quickly as possible. With the design phase complete, we are now actively working to identify and secure the necessary funding to begin construction.

“Once funding is secured, construction is expected to begin within approximately two months, and we are working to ensure the project is funded and underway within the current fiscal year. We are in ongoing communication with Encino Franklin Fields stakeholders to ensure their needs are reflected throughout this process. Student athletes, families, and community members deserve safe, functional facilities, and we are committed to delivering a coordinated and timely solution.”

Harvard-Westlake athletic director Matt LaCour released a statement as well: “We are grateful to the Council Office, Encino Franklin Fields, and all stakeholders for their continued commitment to supporting our student-athletes and broader community. Their leadership and collaboration are critical in ensuring there is a clear path forward to restore these facilities.

“These fields are more than just a place to play — they are a vital resource for students, families, and community members. We appreciate the shared urgency to restore full access for everyone who depends on them.”

Billy Donovan has resigned as head coach of the Chicago Bulls, ending his six-season tenure, after missing out on the play-offs.

The Bulls wanted to retain Donovan’s services despite parting company with vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley on 6 April.

Donovan, 66, held an option in his contract for next season but has decided to step down to allow a new coach to rebuild.

“After a series of thoughtful and extensive discussions with ownership regarding the future of the organisation, I have decided to step away as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls, to allow the search process to unfold,” Donovan said.

“I believe it is in the best interest of the Bulls, to allow the new leader to build out the staff as they see fit.”

India opener Abhishek Sharma hit the fifth-highest score in Indian Premier League history in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s 47-run win against Delhi Capitals.

The 25-year-old left-hander, who is number one in the men’s T20 batting rankings, batted throughout the innings for 135 not out from 68 balls in the hosts’ 242-2.

He peppered the straight boundaries with powerful drives, hitting 10 sixes and 10 fours, and reached three figures in 47 deliveries.

His score has only been bettered in the IPL by West Indies great Chris Gayle (175 not out), Brendon McCullum (158 not out), Abhishek’s 141 on the same ground last year and Quinton de Kock’s 140 against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2022.

It was also Abhishek’s ninth T20 century, taking him joint fourth on the all-time list.

Delhi made 195-9 in reply with seamer Eshan Malinga taking 4-32.

On the soccer pitch, Cobi Jones was defined by blinding speed, a tireless work rate and an exceptional soccer IQ. But that’s not what stood out most when you watched him play.

It was the shoulder-length dreadlocks that made him instantly recognizable whether he was playing for the Galaxy or the national team.

So those became the most important — and more difficult — things to replicate in the nine-foot-tall bronze sculpture of Jones that the Galaxy will unveil Sunday before the team’s MLS matinee with Real Salt Lake.

“Essentially you build it out of clay and then you take it to a foundry and you pour bronze over the clay. That turns it into a statue,” said Galaxy president Tom Braun, who oversaw the process. “But you can’t do that with the hair. You have to build them individually and then solder them in.”

That meant artists Oscar Leon and Omri Amrany had to painstakingly join approximately 100 separate dreadlocks into the sculpture. The result, said Braun, one of two people other than the artists to have seen the finished statue, is remarkable.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime piece that is going to show him, and everything about him, in a really iconic way,” Braun said. “But I think when it comes to the hair specifically, they did a really nice job.”

The statue will join liked-sized tributes to David Beckham and Landon Donovan in Legends Plaza, which fronts the main entrance at Dignity Health Sports Park. Those sculptures, also done in Amrany’s studio, were unveiled in 2019 and 2021 respectively.

For Jones, the tribute is humbling.

“Just to be in the plaza itself and have a statue, that’s the incredible part for me,” he said. “When I’m long gone that statue will be there. My grandkids, hopefully, will still be able to see it.”

Yet having himself rendered in bronze was the furthest thing from Jones’ mind when he started playing soccer as a 5-year-old in Westlake Village.

“I don’t think that crossed anyone’s mind,” said Jones, 55. “It was all about just playing and having fun and trying to be the best player that I could possibly be. I was more focused on how do I beat the opponent in front of me than thinking about 20 years, 30 years down the road.”

”It makes me truly think about the past a bit more,” he continued. “All the various things that had to happen — that did happen — that came to this moment. It makes you kind of reminisce [on] the various histories and all the people that helped you.”

The statue is as much a monument to Jones’ self-confidence and refusal to quit as it is to his stellar playing career. Unable to land a scholarship coming out of high school, Jones used his academic success to enroll at UCLA, where he played as a walk-on for a strong Bruin team coached by Sigi Schmid. He wound up leading UCLA to its second NCAA championship while earning All-American honors — as well as a scholarship and a place in the school’s Hall of Fame.

Galaxy star Cobi Jones heads the ball above the Chicago Fire’s Carlos Bocanegra on Oct. 17, 2001.

(Fred Jewell / Associated Press)

He played the first of a U.S.-record 164 games with the national team in 1992 and played in the first of three World Cups in 1994 before starting a professional career that would take him to teams in three countries. He spent the majority of that time with the Galaxy, appearing in a franchise-record 306 games while making five All-Star teams and winning two MLS Cups, two Supporters’ Shields, two U.S. Open Cups and a CONCACAF title. He also served the team as an assistant coach and interim manager.

“It’s unequivocal that Cobi should have gotten a statue,” Braun said. “No one is doubting the contribution that Cobi Jones has had on the Galaxy and U.S. Soccer. So I think was an easy one for us to decide on and it’s probably long overdue.”

The plaza is nowhere near full, nor has the list of Galaxy players and coaches who deserve statues been exhausted, so Braun said there likely will be more sculptures added in the near future.

Jones had substantial input into the design of his statue, choosing the pose and offering other guidance. But it was important the statue show motion, as the Beckham and Donovan sculptures do. And the most obvious way to do that was to have Jones’ ample dreadlocks flowing behind him.

It might have been the most obvious way, but it certainly wasn’t the easiest one.

“We asked [Amrany] if he ever sculpted hair like this and he said no,” Braun said.

And he probably won’t do it again either — at least not for the Galaxy.

“They got to a point where they started to do it and we wanted some adjustments,” Braun recalled. “We wanted the hair to flow a different way and we thought maybe the hair was too long so we had them shorten it and move the hair a certain way that makes it look like it’s in motion.”

Although Jones said he wasn’t allowed to see the finished product so he has little idea how he has been rendered for history. He’ll find out Sunday.

“They took me out of the statue process as they started getting to the face and the head and hair and all that so that I could still have some element of surprise when it’s unveiled,” he said.

It figures to be a hair-raising moment.

⚽ You have read the latest installment of On Soccer with Kevin Baxter. The weekly column takes you behind the scenes and shines a spotlight on unique stories. Listen to Baxter on this week’s episode of the “Corner of the Galaxy” podcast.

England and Real Madrid footballer Jude Bellingham has bought a 1% stake in cricket team Birmingham Phoenix.

The deal for The Hundred franchise, set to be confirmed on Wednesday, is worth around £800,000.

The eight franchises were put up for sale last year and American investment group Knighthead Capital Management, who own Bellingham’s former club Birmingham City, bought a 49% stake for £48m. Warwickshire retained their 51% stake.

Bellingham is a cricket fan and played junior cricket for Hagley Cricket Club in Worcestershire.

Asked in an interview last year which sportsperson he would swap places with, he said England Test captain Ben Stokes.

Legendary NFL quarterback Brady is also part of the Knighthead group.

Ulster continue to count the cost of Friday’s 29-21 defeat by Leinster in the United Rugby Championship [URC] with six players added to the injury list for this Saturday’s trip to face Munster at Thomond Park [17:30 BST].

Angus Bell (foot), Scott Wilson (ankle), Tom O’Toole (hand), James Hume (neck), Jude Postlethwaite (hand) and Bryn Ward (shoulder) have all been ruled out after picking up injuries against Leo Cullen’s side.

They join a list of unavilable players that already includes Nick Timoney (hip), James McNabney (knee), Rob Herring (calf), Robert Baloucoune (elbow), Rory McGuire (shoulder) and Stewart Moore (knee).

Ulster dropped to fifth in the URC standings following last week’s defeat, one point above Munster as the season enters its final three rounds of games before the play-offs.

“Not winning at home was a big moment for us, but then add the guys who have picked up knocks,” Ulster coach Richie Murphy told BBC Sport NI.

“There will be a bit of pressure on our squad depth this week, but that’s exciting as well with everyone wanting to put their hand up for what is ahead.

“It’s going to be interesting, not going to be easy, but it is an exciting couple of weeks ahead.”

Murphy’s side have a home European Challenge Cup semi-final against Exeter Chiefs to look forward to on Saturday, 2 May as they seek to end their 20-year wait for silverware and while there is “no timeline” but feels some have a “really good chance of playing next week”.

One player who may feature this week is Michael Lowry who has returned to full training and his availability for the trip to Limerick will be assessed throughout the week.

“Mikey has had a really tough run over the last while and at the start of the season, we played some of our best rugby with him in the team,” Murphy continued.

“He played for Ireland ‘A’ against Spain and picked up an injury. From that moment, he’s struggled for fitness, but was flying around in training today and a great addition to our squad for the next few weeks.”

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and it looks like the Dodgers won’t be needing Tatiana Tate to be a live trumpeter for a while.

Well, we knew some bad news had to hit the Dodgers eventually, and it did on Monday when they put new closer Edwin Díaz on the injured list because of “loose bodies” in his right elbow. He will have surgery and will be out until sometime after the All-Star break.

Díaz signed a three-year, $69-million deal with the Dodgers before the season, and after a great debut, has steadily declined. He has a 10.50 ERA and has given up nine hits and walked five in six innings, striking out 10. He has four saves. Let’s look at each game:

March 27 vs. Arizona
1 IP, 0 hits, one walk, two strikeouts, save

March 28 vs. Arizona
1 IP, save

March 31 vs. Cleveland
1 IP, one hit, one ER, one walk, two strikeouts

April 5 at Washington
1 IP, one strikeout, save

April 7 at Toronto
1 IP, one hit, one walk, three strikeouts, save

April 10 vs. Texas
1 IP, four hits, three ER, one walk, two strikeouts, blown save, win

April 19 at Colorado
0 IP, three hits, three ER, one walk

We kept hearing from Díaz and the Dodgers that he was healthy, but his fastball had lost about two miles per hour, and he went nine days without pitching. The Dodgers are known for not always being 100% forthcoming about injuries (I’m pretty sure their health advisor is the Black Knight from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”).

And then on Monday we hear about “loose bodies.” Loose bodies in the elbow are small fragments of bone or cartilage which are floating in the joint.

At the moment, Díaz joins names that include Don Stanhouse (2-2, 5.04 ERA) and Kirby Yates (4-3, 5.23 ERA) among terrible free agent reliever signings by the Dodgers. Tanner Scott was terrible last season, led the league in blown saves and didn’t pitch in the postseason, but has rebounded so far this year (of course, it’s still early).

I thought after Yates and Scott were so bad last season that the Dodgers would wait a while before offering big money to a reliever. But no. You have to figure they will be shy now.

Of course, Díaz could recover from this and come back to be a great closer. But right now, yikes.

So who will be the new closer? The guess here is that Dave Roberts will go with whoever the matchups dictate. Their best relievers this season have been Alex Vesia, Jack Dreyer and Scott. Blake Treinen pitched well until his last outing. Same with Will Klein.

So, looks like another season of bullpen uncertainty. We should all be used to it by now. But just think: Closer injured, Mookie Betts injured, Kyle Tucker not hitting as expected and the Dodgers are still 16-6 (on pace to win 118 games) and have the best record in baseball.

And of course those pesky San Diego Padres are right there with them at 15-7, the third-best record in baseball.

Welcome, Jake Eder

The Dodgers brought left-hander Jake Eder up from the minors to replace Díaz. Eder, 27, was with the Angels last season, where he went 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in 18 1/3 innings, walking nine and striking out 15. He was selected out of Vanderbilt in the fourth round of the 2020 draft by the Miami Marlins.

Of course, we know one thing if he’s with the Dodgers, and sure enough: He missed the 2022 season after Tommy John surgery. The Marlins traded him to the White Sox in 2023 and he had an 11.42 ERA in five starts in double A. In 2024, he had a 6.61 ERA in 24 minor-league starts. His contract was purchased by the Angels before the 2025 season, and they traded him to Washington on July 30. The Dodgers purchased his contract on April 1.

Dalton Rushing is amazing

Dalton Rushing has 12 hits this season. Seven of them are home runs. In 27 at-bats, he is hitting .444/.496/1.296. He is one behind Max Muncy for the most home runs on the Dodgers. He is tied for fourth in the NL in homers, but everyone he is tied with or trailing has at least 50 more plate appearances.

He has 13 RBIs, tied for third on the team with Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernández, trailing Andy Pages (21) and Freddie Freeman (14). They all have at least 50 more plate appearances.

At this point, I’d play him every day until Freeman comes back from paternity leave and strongly consider starting him at DH when Shohei Ohtani is the starting pitcher. This run won’t last forever, but might as well ride it out while you can.

Davey Lopes remembered

I’m a little behind on this, but the Dodgers honored Davey Lopes before the first home game they played after he died. They played a video and had a moment of silence for him.

I think he deserves a patch on the uniform, but, the Dodgers must think otherwise.

Charley Steiner says thanks

After the last newsletter, where readers gave their best wishes and shared their favorite Charley Steiner moments, Steiner sent along the following:

“This has all been so very flattering. I’m feeling better and stronger. The messages were so kind, flattering and overwhelming.”

Up next

Tuesday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 2-1, 2.10 ERA) at San Francisco (Landen Roupp, 3-1, 2.38 ERA), 6:45 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Wednesday: Dodgers (Shohei Ohtani, 2-0, 0.50 ERA) at San Francisco (Tyler Mahle, 0-3, 7.23 ERA), 6:45 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Thursday: Dodgers (Tyler Glasnow, 2-0, 3.24 ERA) at San Francisco (Logan Webb, 2-2, 5.40 ERA), 12:45 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz to undergo surgery, will return after All-Star break

Rick Monday on saving an American flag at Dodger Stadium: ‘I get letters every week’

Shaikin: Rick Monday saved an American flag in 1976. Why the moment resonates 50 years later

Behind the scenes of a milestone Make-A-Wish experience with the Dodgers

And finally

Vin Scully discusses what he does to prepare for a game. Watch and listen here.

Until next time….

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Midtjylland midfielder Alamara Djabi is in a stable condition having been seriously injured in a stabbing in Denmark.

Local police confirmed the incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning in Herning – the central Danish town where Midtjylland are based.

The 19-year-old from Guinea-Bissau was signed from Benfica’s academy in 2023 and has made two senior appearances for Midtjylland.

The club said in a statement that Djabi had been “in critical condition and underwent emergency surgery”.

“Since then, he has undergone another operation, and thanks to the professional efforts of the emergency responders and later the hospital staff, his condition is now stable,” Midtjylland added.

“He has awakened from an induced coma and is doing well under the circumstances.”

Djabi made seven appearances on loan with Portuguese second division side CD Mafra last season and played once this term for Midtjylland in Europa League qualifying.

The four-time Danish Superliga champions, who last won the title in 2024, are currently second – two points behind AGF.

Dodgers put Edwin Díaz on IL

From Mirjam Swanson: The Dodgers announced Monday that Edwin Díaz will undergo surgery to remove “loose bodies” in his right elbow and the closer isn’t expected to return until some point in the second half of the season.

Díaz, 32, has a 10.50 ERA in seven appearances this season for the Dodgers, who made a splash signing the high-profile free agent to a three-year $69-million deal, a record for a reliever.

The Dodgers recalled 27-year-old left-handed long reliever Jake Eder to replace Díaz on the roster.

“Obviously, we all saw the stuff [Sunday], and it sent up red flags,” Roberts said. “And so, after the game, he had a conversation with our training staff, and felt that he had some elbow discomfort. So we just wanted to be proactive, and felt that it was smart to get an MRI, get imaging, which we did do, and it showed loose bodies.”

Continue reading here

————

From Mirjam Swanson: The Dodgers escaped the House of Mile High Horrors having to salvage a split against the less-talented Colorado Rockies, having played the coldest game in franchise history, having reliever Blake Treinen hit in the head by a batted ball during batting practice.

But the fourth and final game at Coors Field was more normal, more like it. More like the Dodgers, who dominated, 12-3.

They piled up 15 hits, five of them home runs and scored in every inning but the first and fifth.

Continue reading here

Dodgers box score

MLB standings

Angels strike out 18 times in loss

Dylan Cease struck out 12 in five innings and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had three hits, including a two-run homer, as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Angels 5-2 on Monday night.

Lenyn Sosa put Toronto ahead with a sacrifice fly in the sixth, and Nathan Lukes knocked in two late insurance runs after coming off the bench.

Cease (1-0) earned his first win for the Blue Jays and finished one strikeout shy of his career high despite needing 110 pitches to get 15 outs. The right-hander, who signed a $210-million, seven-year contract as a free agent in December, limited the Angels to two runs and five hits. He walked two and whiffed Jorge Soler with a 99-mph fastball on his final pitch.

Continue reading here

Angels box score

MLB standings

Ducks lose Game 1 to Edmonton

Kasperi Kapanen scored his second goal of the game with 1:54 left in the third period to give the Edmonton Oilers a 4-3 victory over the Ducks in the opener of their first-round playoff series Monday night.

Jason Dickinson also scored twice for the Oilers, who trailed 3-2 entering the third.

Oilers star Leon Draisaitl returned to the ice after missing the final 14 regular-season games with an injury. Draisaitl and Jake Walman each had two assists for Edmonton.

Troy Terry had two goals and an assist and Leo Carlsson also scored for the Ducks, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

Continue reading here

Ducks summary

NHL playoffs bracket

Kings playoffs schedule

All times Pacific

at Colorado 2, Kings 1 (summary)
Tuesday: Kings at Colorado, 7 p.m., ESPN
Thursday: Colorado at Kings, 7 p.m., TNT, truTV, HBO Max
Sunday: Colorado at Kings, 1:30 p.m., TNT, truTV, HBO Max
*Wed., April 29: Kings at Colorado, TBD
*Friday, May 1: Colorado at Kings, TBD
*Sunday, May 3: Kings at Colorado, TBD

*- If necessary

Ducks playoffs schedule

All times Pacific

at Edmonton 4, Ducks 3 (summary)
Wednesday: Ducks at Edmonton, 7 p.m., TBS, HBO Max
Friday: Edmonton at Ducks, 7 p.m., TNT, truTV, HBO Max)
Sunday: Edmonton at Ducks, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
*Tuesday, April 28: Ducks at Edmonton, TBD
*Thursday, April 30: Edmonton at Ducks, TBD
*Saturday, May 2: Ducks at Edmonton, TBD

*-if necessary

Luka Doncic makes his presence felt

From Broderick Turner: When the doors opened after Lakers practice on Monday, injured stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were nearby as their teammates took some final shots after the session.

Doncic, who is back with the team after traveling to Spain to receive treatment for his Grade 2 left hamstring strain, sat out the Lakers’ Game 1 win over the Houston Rockets. He also won’t play in Game 2 on Tuesday, but he remained his usual joyful and playoff self after practice, his infectious personality providing a good vibe during a tense time for the team.

“It’s amazing. I think people don’t know how much impact Luka has, not only on the court, but off the court,” Rui Hachimura said. “He’s a guy that always wants to be around. … We love him just being around, just hanging out, talking. So, yeah, we’re happy that he’s back finally and he’s doing funny things always. … We missed him for sure.”

Continue reading here

Lakers playoff schedule

First round
All times Pacific

at Lakers 107, Houston 98 (box score)
Tuesday: Houston at Lakers, 7:30 p.m., NBC
Friday: Lakers at Houston, 5:30 p.m., Amazon Prime Video
Sunday: Lakers at Houston, 6:30 p.m., NBC
*Wed., April 29: Houston at Lakers, TBD
*Friday, May 1: Lakers at Houston, TBD
*Sunday, May 3: Houston at Lakers, TBD

*-if necessary

Rod Martin dies

From Sam Farmer: A legendary NFL coach found linebacker Rod Martin not by scouting him at USC, but almost by accident.

The Oakland Raiders had a throwaway 12th-round pick in the 1977 draft, and then-coach John Madden grew frustrated hearing his personnel executives contemplate using it on a basketball player or track guy. Finally, Madden blurted out that he could find a random kid walking around the USC campus in sandals who could have more of an influence than that.

“Ron Wolf says, ‘All right, smart guy,’” recalled Madden’s son, Mike. “So they were a couple picks away and dad goes, ‘Let me call [USC coach] John Robinson.’”

Robinson had one question: Has Rod Martin been drafted?

“Dad goes, ‘What position does he play?’” the younger Madden said. “Robinson tells him Martin is a linebacker, and dad goes, ‘Good. Tough guy we can knock around in training camp. Have him run down on kicks.’ And Robinson says, ‘No, John. Rod Martin will make your team.’”

Martin did a lot more than make the team. He would go on to set a Super Bowl record with three interceptions in one of the most dominant defensive performances in championship history.

Martin, who would play his entire 12-year career with the Oakland, then Los Angeles Raiders, died at 72. The Raiders announced his death Monday but did not specify a cause of death.

Continue reading here

NFL mock draft

One quarterback will go in the first round of the NFL draft, but he won’t have to wait long to hear his name.

And five Ohio State players will go in the opening round, including four in the first seven picks.

That’s how this year’s beat-writer draft unfolds, at least. For more than two decades, the Los Angeles Times has turned to reporters who cover NFL teams on a daily basis to make their selections.

Here’s how reporters from across the country see the first round of the 2026 NFL draft unfolding:

Continue reading here

Puka Nacua is back with the Rams

From Gary Klein: After entering a rehabilitation facility last month, Rams All-Pro receiver Puka Nacua’s availability for the start of the team’s voluntary offseason workout program appeared to be in doubt.

But on Monday, Nacua was present along with quarterback Matthew Stafford, star receiver Davante Adams, new cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson and other returning players for the start of a process the Rams aim to end with a Super Bowl run.

Nacua was not among players the team made available to speak with reporters at the outset of the Rams’ program, which includes three phases and ends in June.

Continue reading here

This day in sports history

1948 — Basketball Association of America Finals: Baltimore Bullets beat Philadelphia Warriors, 88-73 to take series, 4 games to 2.

1951 — Bob Davies’ two foul shots and Jack Coleman’s layup give the Rochester Royals a 79-75 triumph over the New York Knicks in the seventh game of the NBA championship series.

1951 — The Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup for the fourth time in five years as they beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in the fifth game.

1980 — Bill Rodgers wins his third straight Boston Marathon. Rosie Ruiz is disqualified eight days later as women’s champion when it’s discovered she did not run the entire distance.

1991 — NFL Draft: University of Miami defensive tackle Russell Maryland first pick by Dallas Cowboys.

1991 — PGA Seniors’ Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Jack Nicklaus wins his 4th of 8 Champions Tour majors by 6 strokes.

1995 — Defending champion Utah continues its domination of the NCAA women’s gymnastics championships, capturing its ninth national title since the event began in 1982 with a score of 196.650.

1996 — The Chicago Bulls wrap up the most successful regular season in NBA history with their 72nd victory, getting 26 points from Michael Jordan in a 103-93 decision over Washington. Jordan sets an NBA record by winning his eighth NBA scoring title, breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s record of seven.

1996 — PGA Seniors’ Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Hale Irwin beats Japan’s Isao Aoki by 2 strokes for his first of 4 Senior PGA Championships.

2001 — Hasim Rahman flattens Lennox Lewis with a stunning right hand near the end of the fifth round to capture the WBC and IBF heavyweight titles in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history in Brakpan, South Africa.

2001 — NFL Draft: Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick first pick by Atlanta Falcons.

2008 — Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya wins the Boston Marathon in 2:07:46 to become the fourth man to win the race four times. Ethiopia’s Dire Tune outkicks Alevtina Biktimirova after a back-and-forth last mile to win by 2 seconds in the closest finish in the history of the women’s race.

2013 — Raphael Jacquelin of France wins a record-tying playoff at the Spanish Open, edging Germany’s Maximilian Kieffer on their ninth try at the 18th hole. The only other European Tour event decided by a nine-hole playoff was the 1989 Dutch Open.

2013 — Takuma Sato becomes the first Japanese driver to win an IndyCar race in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

2013 — Rookie Marc Marquez wins his first MotoGP race, capturing the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The 20-year-old Spaniard, last season’s Moto2 champion, becomes the youngest winner at motorcycle racing’s top level.

2013 — Joe Scarborough, a 50-year-old self-employed electrical contractor, rolls the first 900 series in Professional Bowlers Assn. history — three straight perfect games. He opened the first round of qualifying in the PBA50 Sun Bowl with three games of 300, throwing 36 consecutive strikes.

2014 — American Meb Keflezighi wins the Boston Marathon, a year after a bombing at the finish line left three dead and more than 260 people injured. No U.S. runner had won the race since Lisa Larsen-Weidenbach took the women’s title in 1985; the last American man to win was Greg Meyer in 1983. Rita Jeptoo of Kenya successfully defends the Boston Marathon title, becoming the seventh three-time Boston Marathon champion.

Compiled by the Associated Press

This day in baseball history

1910 — The Cleveland Indians played their first game at League Park and lost to the Detroit Tigers 5-0, in front of 19,867.

1955 — The Brooklyn Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 14-4 at Ebbets Field for their 10th consecutive victory from the start of the season — a major league record that lasted until 1981.

1957 — A power failure stops a major league game for the first time in history. The night game between the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Senators at Griffith Stadium is halted after five innings.

1961 — The Minnesota Twins, formerly known as the Washington Senators, play their first home game in Minnesota at Metropolitan Stadium, losing to the expansion “new” Washington Senators, 5-3.

1967 — After 737 consecutive games, the Dodgers were rained out for the first time since moving to Los Angeles. The St. Louis Cardinals were scheduled.

1982 — The Atlanta Braves beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 for their 13th straight victory.

1984 — In his second start since August 1982, Montreal pitcher David Palmer threw five perfect innings against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 4-0 victory stopped by rain.

1987 — The Milwaukee Brewers’ 13-game winning streak from the start of the season ended with a 7-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Milwaukee shared the major league streak of 13 straight, set by the Atlanta Braves in 1982.

1994 — Eddie Murray set a major league record by homering from both sides of the plate for the 11th time, helping the Cleveland Indians beat the Minnesota Twins 10-6.

1996 — Brady Anderson led off the first inning with a home run for the fourth straight game for Baltimore. The Texas Rangers overcame that homer, beating the Orioles 9-6.

2002 — Randy Johnson struck out 17 batters while giving up two hits in Arizona’s 7-1 win over Colorado.

2002 — Atlanta’s Rafael Furcal tied a modern major league record and became the first Braves player in 46 years to hit three triples in a game, as Atlanta beat Florida 4-2.

2006 — Manny Ramirez of the Boston Red Sox hits two home runs in the 12-inning, 7-6 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. Ramirez’s first homer is his 200th with the Red Sox and 436th for his career. He also hit 236 homers with the Cleveland Indians, becoming the fourth major leaguer to hit 200 homers with two different teams, after Jimmie Foxx, Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro.

2006 — Albert Pujols hit his major league leading 11th homer of the season and drove in four RBIs in St. Louis’ 9-3 win over Chicago. Pujols’ first inning two-run blast was his 1,000th hit. He became the fastest player in major league history to reach that milestone with 200 homers.

2012 — Phil Humber threw the first perfect game in the majors in almost two years, leading the Chicago White Sox to a 4-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners. It was baseball’s 21st perfect game and first since Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay threw one against the Florida Marlins on May 29, 2010.

2012 — Nick Swisher hit a grand slam to help the New York Yankees erase a nine-run deficit, then he added a two-run double to give them the lead as they posted back-to-back seven-run innings to beat Boston 15-9 at Fenway Park.

2014 — Ike Davis became the first player to hit grand slams for different teams in the same April, and Neil Walker had a game-winning single with two out in the ninth inning for Pittsburgh. The Pirates twice overcame deficits to beat the Cincinnati 6-5.

2015 — Jay Bruce and Todd Frazier each hit two-out grand slams, powering the Cincinnati Reds past the Milwaukee Brewers 16-10. Elian Herrera hit a grand slam for the Brewers. It was the fourth time in major league history two teams combined for three grand slams.

2016 — Jake Arrieta of the Chicago Cubs pitched his second no-hitter in a span of 11 regular-season starts, shutting down the Cincinnati Reds in a 16-0 rout.

2019 — Rangers slugger Joey Gallo ends a bizarre streak when he drives in a run on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning, as part of a wild 11-10 win over the Astros. Gallo had gone 1,145 at-bats in his career without recording a sac fly, the longest such streak since it was introduced as an official statistic in 1954.

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.

Welcome to this week’s Lakers newsletter, where we’re playing chess, not checkers.

The intensity has picked up now that the playoffs have started. The Lakers won Game 1 against the Houston Rockets and now the fun begins. Coaches tinker with their game plans trying to capitalize on every perceived advantage. Players are locked in intense multi-game matchups. For a self-proclaimed basketball sicko such as JJ Redick, it’s almost basketball nirvana.

“Every day I wake up, I’m excited to go to work,” Redick said. “Every day feels exciting.”

Playoff DA

Days before the game, on the day of the game and the day after the Lakers’ playoff opener, Redick fielded different versions of the same question.

How influential will Deandre Ayton be in these playoffs?

“The ceiling for our team is maximized when he’s playing at a high level,” Redick said Monday, one day after Ayton’s 19-point, 11-rebound double-double highlighted the Lakers’ Game 1 win. “I remember saying that three times already in the last week. I don’t know how else to answer that.”

Facing consistent scrutiny as the Lakers’ biggest X factor, Ayton now needs to deliver consistent performances in the playoffs. Just one impressive performance won’t be enough to silence critics.

Ayton sent a solid statement in Game 1. In addition to shooting 80% from the field, Ayton helped hold Rockets All-Star center Alperen Sengun to 19 points on six-of-19 shooting. The Lakers’ defense, anchored by Ayton on the back line, smothered Houston. Playing without Kevin Durant, who was a late scratch with a right knee contusion, the Rockets shot just 37.6% from the field.

“I really tried my best to show [Redick] that I’m here and I’m ready throughout those practices just being super and extremely consistent,” Ayton said after the Lakers’ playoff opening win Saturday. “I couldn’t wait to just beat up on somebody else in the first game.”

In front of a buzzing Crypto.com Arena crowd, Ayton made his presence felt early. He scored the Lakers’ first points with a turnaround floater in the lane. He caught two two lobs for dunks. The Lakers’ crowd erupted each time.

Ayton, after two lost years in Portland, hadn’t experienced that thrill in too long.

“It got my blood boiling a little bit,” Ayton said of not playing in the postseason since 2023.

Ayton’s career was fading in Portland. He became known more for inconsistent play and lagging energy than his soft shooting touch or defensive prowess. He looked at the two-year, $16.6-million contract with a player option from the Lakers as a lifeline. It felt like the last chance for him to prove he could still be that player who started for the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals.

Ayton averaged 14.7 points, 12 rebounds and 1.5 blocks on 53.1% shooting in the 2021 Finals series against the Milwuakee Bucks. When speaking of Lakers players with playoff experience, LeBron James always leads the conversation, but Redick, conscious of Ayton’s importance to this team, never leaves out Ayton’s playoff past.

There is still a reason why Ayton was the No. 1 overall pick in 2018, center Jaxson Hayes said.

“When it comes to this serious time of year, like playoffs, he already knows,” Hayes said. “He’s been there, and so he knows what to do. He just came locked in. And I loved it. It was awesome.”

The Lakers were 22-3 in the regular season when Ayton took 10 or more shot attempts and 15-1 in games when he had 11 or rebounds. The trend continued in the playoffs when Ayton made eight of 10 shots in Game 1. He grabbed his 11th rebound in the final seconds.

Ayton’s dominance allowed Hayes to “take a chill day,” the backup center joked. But both big men aren’t resting on one successful game.

“We’re not gonna sit here and take this for granted,” Ayton said. “We have to take care of home court, and that’s our job.”

Gang’s all here

Luka Doncic, left, and Austin Reaves chat as they sit on the bench during Game 1 against Houston.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Each seat in Crypto.com Arena for Game 1 was carefully decorated with a yellow T-shirt featuring every Lakers player and Redick. Each photo, a little black-and-white headshot, was the same size arranged in a grid, symbolizing unity from everyone on the Lakers’ bench. On the free T-shirt and in real life, the Lakers brought the entire band together just in time for the playoffs as Luka Doncic reunited with the team Saturday.

The superstar guard is still out indefinitely while rehabbing a Grade 2 hamstring strain, but his presence on the bench at least offered a timely morale boost.

“I think people don’t know how much impact Luka has, not only on the court, but off the court,” forward Rui Hachimura said. “He’s a guy that always wants to be around with us. We love him just being around, just hanging out, talking. So, yeah, we’re happy that he’s back finally and he’s doing funny things always.”

While continuing treatment for his injury, Doncic’s role at practice was limited to rebounding and passing the ball in shooting drills. He and Reaves helped distract teammates during free-throw shooting drills at the end of practice Monday and engaged in a quick game of rock-paper-scissors while Jarred Vanderbilt was at the free-throw line. After their shared agent Bill Duffy helped Hayes get a Slovenian passport to potentially play internationally together, Doncic has been calling the 7-foot center from Cincinnati “my Slovenian brother.”

Doncic adds his joyful energy to a typically tense time. Maintaining that balance of lightness and focus has been key for the Lakers all season. Like how Redick often describes when Doncic is at his best, the Lakers look their best when they’re having fun too.

In the final seconds of Saturday’s Game 1, when the Lakers were dribbling out the clock, Hachimura was standing dutifully in the corner in front of the Lakers’ bench with his hands up ready for a pass. Doncic playfully smacked his teammate on the head several times.

Hachimura had no recollection of the moment. That’s just life with Doncic.

“I’m used to it,” Hachimura said.

On tap

Tuesday vs. Rockets, 7:30 p.m.

The Lakers have a chance to go up 2-0 in a playoff series for the first time since the 2020 NBA Finals.

Friday at Rockets, 5 p.m. PDT

The Lakers have lost nine consecutive road playoff games. The last postseason win on the road came in Game 1 of the second round in 2023 against Golden State. The Lakers won that series in six and advanced to the Western Conference finals.

Sunday at Rockets, 6:30 p.m. PDT

Maybe the Lakers are going for the sweep Sunday. If not, they will at least get two days’ rest before Game 5 back in L.A.

Status report

Luka Doncic (left hamstring strain)

Doncic is still out indefinitely but at least reunited with the team Saturday after returning from Spain. Redick said Doncic is in good spirits to be back with his teammates, and he sat on the bench for Saturday’s Game 1.

Austin Reaves (left oblique strain)

Reaves is working diligently with hopes of returning this postseason. Like Doncic, he had an initial four- to six-week recovery timeline, which would make April 30 the roughly four-week mark.

Kevin Durant (right knee contusion)

The Rockets superstar missed Game 1 after banging his knee in practice last week. He was a game-time decision Saturday and remains questionable for Tuesday’s Game 2.

Favorite thing I ate this week

Duck tsukune meatballs and wagyu beef tongue skewers from RVR in Venice.

(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)

My friends heard conflicting opinions about RVR — a new izakaya on Abbot Kinney — so, naturally, we had to investigate.

Our verdict is all the thumbs up.

The menu rotates so often that between sitting down and ordering, our server handed us new menus because the kitchen got a different batch of produce from the farmers market that morning.

There were waves of small shareable plates and we started with the duck tsukune meatballs and wagyu beef tongue skewers (pictured). The meatballs are among the most popular dishes on the menu, our server told us. The beef tongue wasn’t popular at all, he said, but they were his favorite. We’re on his side. He said the beef tongue is brined for days in dashi, and the care shows in the beautifully tender pieces; we cut one of the cubes with the skewer that it came on.

We had a seasonal blood orange and fennel salad, pan fried pork rib gyoza that came with a unique yozu kosho sauce, and wagyu beef keema curry. The miso-orange glaze-soaked mochi beignets were the ideal sweet treat.

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Until next time…

As always, pass along your thoughts to me at thucnhi.nguyen@latimes.com, and please consider subscribing if you like our work!

Martin Dugard is a prolific author and writer. He’s also an assistant cross-country coach at Santa Margarita after being head coach at JSerra for 15 years.

His newest book is “The Long Run,” which discusses the 1970s running boom and is a narrative history of four who sparked the marathon boom: Steve Prefontaine, Frank Shorter, Joan Benoit Samuelson and Grete Waitz.

He’s going to have a book signing on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Barnes & Noble, 26751 Aliso Creek Rd., Aliso Viejo.

Don’t be surprised if he tries to run from Rancho Santa Margarita to his book signing.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.