It seems like a simple equation: $338 million produces 100.
That’s the Dodgers’ season-ending payroll and victory total. But to assume a franchise can merely buy a playoff berth is a stretch.
The New York Mets sit at home — or more likely at lavish vacation destinations, given their perch at the top of baseball’s payrolls at $345.8 million. They finished last in the National League East with a 74-88 record.
The Cleveland Guardians also sit at home, but are quite pleased about it. They earned a first-round bye and berth in the American League Division Series this weekend despite a payroll of only $74.2 million — baseball’s lowest and barely one-fifth that of the Mets.
Twelve of the 30 MLB teams qualified for the postseason, with four best-of-three Wild Card Series beginning Tuesday. Eight of the dozen have payrolls in the top 10, with the defending AL-champion Toronto Blue Jays joining the Mets as supreme underachievers given their No. 5-ranked payroll of $275.4 million.
Yet three playoff teams — the Tampa Bay Rays ($98.3 million) and Chicago White Sox ($98 million), in addition to the Guardians — rank among the six lowest payrolls, according to present-day salary calculations from the MLB Labor Relations Department, or LRD, obtained by USA Today.
The combined LRD payrolls of those three overachievers don’t come close to the Mets or Dodgers, highlighting the enormous disparity between the haves and have-nots that team owners point to while demanding a salary cap during ongoing collective bargaining negotiations.
Oddly, only one playoff qualifier is among the 14 mid-range payrolls of roughly $100 million to $200 million — the Milwaukee Brewers, who achieved baseball’s best record at 103-59 while paying its roster $143.5 million. The Angels are also among that group, ranking No. 15 at $179.8, not enough to keep them from losing 100 games for the first time in franchise history.
The LRD payroll tracks a team’s real-time salary commitments for the current season, accounting for the 26-man MLB roster’s base salaries plus a prorated portion of signing bonuses. LRD differs from luxury tax payrolls, which are based on the average annual value of every player contract on the 40-man roster.
Luxury tax payrolls determine whether a team exceeds the league’s luxury tax threshold and owes financial penalties. MLB is using luxury tax payrolls in the CBA negotiations over a hard salary cap and floor, proposing a $245.3-million ceiling and $171.2-million floor for 2027.
Luxury tax penalties from clubs that exceed the thresholds funnel back to low-revenue clubs through revenue sharing. A record $402,637,907 was paid in luxury tax penalties last season, with the Dodgers paying the most at a record $169.4 million. This year, the Dodgers’ luxury tax is projected at $180 million — higher than the LRD payroll of 16 teams.
The Dodgers also have the highest luxury tax payroll at $430 million, dwarfing the Mets’ $363-million number. Reasons? The Dodgers pay more in penalties because they have exceeded the luxury tax six years in a row, they have more players with massive average annual values and they took on additional penalties by acquiring starter Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline.
Democratic Republic of the Congo secure their second straight win in Group E, with striker Yoanne Wissa scoring again.
Published On 29 Sep 202629 Sep 2026
Yoane Wissa scored the first goal and created the second as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) spoiled a Zimbabwe homecoming by winning a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier 2-1 in Harare.
The 30-year-old Newcastle United striker struck in the 30th minute, poking a loose ball into the net after goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze allowed a cross to slip from his grasp in the qualifying match on Monday.
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DRC, who secured a historic last-32 finish at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, went further ahead in first-half added time when a Wissa pass sent Samuel Moutoussamy through to score.
After being outplayed in the opening half by a team 89 places higher in the FIFA world rankings, Zimbabwe improved after half-time, with Marshall Munetsi scoring a 93rd-minute consolation goal.
Zimbabwe last played at home in November 2021 before the Harare venue was deemed unsuitable for international fixtures, leading to lengthy renovations.
DRC, whose second of two AFCON titles came 52 years ago, top Group E with a maximum six points after launching their campaign with a 2-0 home victory over Equatorial Guinea.
Botswana hold Tunisia to draw
Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea, who meet twice in November, have three points each, and Sierra Leone are pointless.
A first-minute goal from Loren Zuniga earned Equatorial Guinea a 1-0 win over Sierra Leone in Cameroon’s capital, Yaounde.
Equatorial Guinea are among the 11 of the 48 qualifiers for the AFCON group stage who must host matches at neutral venues as they lack an international-standard stadium.
Central African Republic are another “homeless” nation. They fell 1-0 to Burkina Faso in Group F in the Moroccan commercial hub of Casablanca. Aboubacar Camara netted the second-half winner.
Struggling Tunisia were held at home for the second time in four days, drawing 2-2 with Botswana in Rades near Tunis.
Tunisia looked set for a first competitive win this year when Hazem Mastouri scored either side of half-time after Botswana had taken the lead.
But the minnows from Southern Africa – 90 places below Tunisia in the world rankings – equalised on the hour through a delicate lob from substitute Lebogang Ditsele.
It was the second successive 2-2 draw for Botswana after sharing the points in Libya last week, and they remain top of Group H on goals scored ahead of Tunisia.
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LAFC, mired in a slump having won just two of its last 13 games in all competition, fired first-year coach Marc Dos Santos on Sunday with six matches left in the MLS regular season.
The firing, announced in a three-paragraph statement, comes less than 24 hours after Saturday’s 1-0 loss to FC Dallas dropped the team to sixth in the Western Conference table.
“Marc has given a great deal to this club over the years, and we are grateful for his commitment, care and contributions to LAFC,” said John Thorrington, the team’s president of soccer operations, in the release. “We wish Marc and his family all the best moving forward.”
LAFC (11-9-8) said it will begin the search for a new manager immediately but didn’t say who would coach the team in its next game on Oct. 10, after the two-week FIFA international break.
Dos Santos, 49, was an assistant on Bob Bradley’s staff in LAFC’s inaugural season in 2018. He left after the season to take over the Vancouver Whitecaps but struggled to a 22-39-20 record in 2 ½ years that were heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the team to play many of its games on the road.
Dos Santos returned to LAFC as an assistant in 2022, this time for Steve Cherundolo, helping the team to a Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup. When Cherundolo stepped down after last season, Dos Santos was given the head coaching job just two weeks later, becoming the third manager in the team‘s history.
His two stints as an assistant at LAFC taught him that the team’s fans are among the most demanding in MLS, something he said he embraced.
“It’s a privilege when you coach a team in Los Angeles,” he said at the time. “Every sport here is pressure. Every team here is win, win.
“It’s a winning city and the culture of the city. So I understand that.”
Dos Santos, who is fluent in four languages, was born in Montreal and split his childhood between Quebec and Portugal. With the exception of Vancouver, he has won everywhere he’s managed, from the Ottawa Fury of the NASL, where he was named the league’s coach of the year in 2015, to the San Francisco Deltas, whom he guided to an NASL title.
LAFC was unbeaten in its first 11 matches in all competition under Dos Santos, outscoring opponents 27-3 and advancing to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, where it lost to Mexico’s Toluca, the eventual winner. But the team has gone 6-9-7 in MLS play since then, including Saturday’s loss when Dos Santos was without six key players — including leading scorer Denis Bouanga and captain Son Heung-min — who were with their national teams.
Afterward, he spoke about his plans for the two-week international break.
“It’s a hard moment right now for us. And we have to face it,” said Dos Santos, who was popular with his players. “It’s been hard for us to get wins. A lot of draws, a lot of close games.
“We need to have everybody together and start working on what this team can be. That’s the big objective during the break.”
SAN FRANCISCO — The result of Blake Snell’s final pitch Saturday, a fastball that San Francisco Giants third baseman Shay Whitcomb lined into left field, mattered far less than the fact that the left-hander had passed the 75-pitch mark without incident.
Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernández threw out Whitcomb at second. And Snell walked off the field to complete a four-inning start in the Dodgers’ 4-3 win.
“Definitely needed to pitch today,” Snell said of his first start in a week and a half. “Definitely showed that. I was trying to go up and in, I was missing up and away. Even the last pitch of the game, I try to go up and in and miss right down the middle. I don’t know the last time I did that. It’s been a while.”
The Dodgers (99-62) entered locked in as a No. 2 seed for the playoffs. So, the stakes of their last two games of the regular season boiled down to health and preparation for the postseason. There was no better example of that give-and-take than Snell’s five-hit, one-run start.
Because Snell left his previous start with tightness in his left groin, the Dodgers planned for a short outing Saturday, prioritizing his health for the postseason.
“We were confident,” Roberts said of Snell’s recovery from the injury. “But it’s still good to see it. And it’s good also that we got it out of the way, that rust off — versus whatever game in the postseason, then he’s rusty, and you’ve got to kind of pick up the pieces in a playoff game. So I thought today it was really best-case scenario.”
The only run Snell gave up was the result of a double, stolen base and sacrifice fly in the third. He had three strikeouts and no walks.
Snell’s changeup was about two miles per hour faster than usual, something he wants to address before his next start. And he wants to hone the release on his curveball. But his slider, the pitch he would be most worried about if his groin injury wasn’t resolved, had promising velocity and shape.
“To throw a 92 [mph] with good horizontal break, and to see the trust I had in the back leg when throwing that, that’s a really good sign,” Snell said.
Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell throws against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning Saturday.
(Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)
Snell said he thinks he’s fully past the injury, and didn’t even think about it during the start.
“Definitely happy about where I’m at,” he said. “Now, it’s a big week for me. Catch has to be great, bullpens have to be great. I’ve really got to focus on getting in my legs, and the consistency of every throw. So to be able to pitch today and learn all of that is bigger than I could ever really express.”
Snell, who missed time because of a late spring training build-up and arthroscopic surgery in May to remove loose bodies from his left elbow, finished the regular season with just 42⅔ innings pitched. But he posted an impressive 1.90 ERA in that time.
The team considered replacing Snell’s start Saturday with a live batting practice session, Roberts said, which would have still given Snell feedback from hitters, but in a more controlled environment.
“We gave him and the training staff every out to do so,” Roberts said. “But there was a lot of confidence that he’s in a great spot.”
Snell’s recent workload was another reason for the Dodgers to be conservative with his workload Saturday. Over the past two weeks, he’s only thrown one inning.
“So there’s a balance between getting your work in, making sure you feel good coming out of it,” Roberts said. “Even for example, I could’ve pushed Tarik [Skubal in his start Friday], given his efficiency. But to me, to what end?”
Snell should be full-go for the playoffs, Roberts said. But count Snell among the Dodgers players who can benefit from the wild-card bye.
“This is still an important one,” Roberts said of Snell’s start Saturday, “to go into it feeling good, to then take that extra six, seven, eight days.”
Six to eight days off would line Snell up to start Game 2 or 3 of the National League Division Series. But Roberts declined to tip his hand on rotation order. The days off give the Dodgers extra flexibility to line up their pitching.
Mookie Betts celebrates after hitting a home run for the Dodgers in the third inning Saturday against the Giants.
(Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)
“You’re looking at, the first series, who could pitch on regular [rest], who needs extra, how potentially the next series lines up,” Roberts said. “How you can … maximize those four guys. And I do think with those four guys, it doesn’t matter the opponent, so that’s not a variable.”
Roberts also said alternating between right- and left-handers was not a variable.
“To be honest with you, you could put them all in a hat, and you could make a case for any order you put them in,” Roberts said.
Right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the stalwart of the rotation, certainly has performed to the level of a Game 1 starter, both this season and in a heroic World Series run last year.
For Game 2, it would make sense to choose a pitcher who’s comfortable starting on four days rest. Then, thanks to a pair of off days built into the series, both the Game 1 and Game 2 starters could be available to throw in an if-necessary Game 5.
Skubal has pitched on regular rest this season more than any of his rotation mates, making him a strong option to take the ball in the second game.
If the Dodgers do, indeed, go in that direction for Games 1 and 2, Snell would then be the natural choice for Game 3, on eight days’ rest. And right-hander Tyler Glasnow could take an if-necessary Game 4.
The Dodgers, however, don’t need to finalize their pitching decisions just yet.
“I love our starters,” Snell said. “I love the staff, the way we push for each other to be great and support each other. So, I can’t wait. It’s what we’ve all been waiting for, and now it’s time to prove it.”
Lamine Yamal goal opens the scoring, but Spain made to comeback in Nations League win as Harry Kane misses penalty.
Published On 26 Sep 202626 Sep 2026
World champions Spain came from behind to beat England 3-2 in an entertaining Nations League encounter at Wembley on Saturday, denying the hosts a cathartic win after their painful World Cup exit.
Victory for Luis de la Fuente’s men extends Spain’s astonishing unbeaten run to 39 matches – a record for a European team.
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Thomas Tuchel’s men got off to a nightmare start when Lamine Yamal pounced on a gaffe by defender Marc Guehi, and they could easily have been three goals down as silky Spain created multiple chances.
But England, criticised for their ultra-defensive tactics in their World Cup semifinal defeat to Argentina, showed adventure of their own and got their reward in the 36th minute when Barcelona winger Anthony Gordon finished a fine team move.
Four minutes later, the home side were ahead after Kane headed home Nico O’Reilly’s cross via a Marc Cucurella deflection.
Kane had a golden chance to give England a two-goal cushion from the penalty spot 10 minutes into the second half but slipped slightly, crashing his shot against the bar.
Spain, who beat England in the Euro 2024 final, took full advantage, with substitutes Alex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal putting their side ahead, taking advantage of more sloppy defensive play from the home side.
Harry Kane of England shoots and misses a penalty kick [Mike Hewitt/Getty Images]
England boss Thomas Tuchel was adamant ahead of the match that it did not signal a new start, but he will have been dismayed by his team’s nervy start.
Manchester City’s Guehi, with a chance to clear in the second minute, inexplicably turned back towards goalkeeper James Trafford, apparently unaware that Yamal was just behind him.
The teenager collected the ball and curled a left-footed effort off the inside of the post.
Ferran Torres was in the thick of the action, with an effort ruled out for offside and another shot saved by Trafford, in for longtime number one Jordan Pickford.
He also squandered a golden opportunity with just the goalkeeper to beat.
Yamal then set up Dani Olmo, who flashed wide as Spain rued yet another miss.
England, who had shown plenty of promise down the wings, made the visitors pay with an incisive counter-attacking goal after winning the ball back deep in their own half.
Gordon was involved early in the move and surged forward, collecting Jude Bellingham’s pass to steer the ball decisively past goalkeeper Unai Simon.
And, with the atmosphere now totally changed, England were in front when Kane rose to head home.
Tuchel’s men started the second half brightly and had a chance to extend their lead from the spot when they were awarded a penalty for a Rodri foul on Bellingham following a VAR check.
But Kane crashed his shot against the bar, and England paid the price when Baena steered home on the hour mark after O’Reilly had given the ball away to Olmo.
Worse was to come for the home side when Baena turned provider for Oyarzabal, who dinked the ball over Trafford.
George Russell wins Azerbaijan Grand Prix for eighth career F1 victory and first since the Austrian Grand Prix in June.
Published On 26 Sep 202626 Sep 2026
George Russell held off Red Bull’s four-time world champion Max Verstappen to complete a lights-to-flag win in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for Mercedes, with teammate Kimi Antonelli limiting the damage to his championship lead by finishing fifth.
Russell took the flag 0.196 seconds ahead of the flying Dutchman, who started eighth but crossed the line nearly side-by-side with his Mercedes rival after two safety car phases turned a cruise into a fight for survival for the Briton.
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Frenchman Isack Hadjar, who was handed a contract extension by Red Bull earlier this week and had missed the last three races with a wrist injury, completed the podium on his racing return.
The win around the Baku street track was the eighth of Russell’s career, the third of the season and his first since the Austrian Grand Prix at the end of June.
It allowed him to close the gap in the overall standings to Italian championship leader Antonelli by 15 points to 66 after 15 rounds.
“It’s amazing to be back on the top step of the podium,” said Russell.
“Every race since the (summer) break I’ve gone from strength to strength and I feel more like myself again.”
Antonelli had started 16th after a rare error saw him crash out of Friday’s qualifying.
His drive on Saturday was less like his Monza charge — where he went from 19th to first — and more of a slow-burn recovery.
Charles Leclerc took fourth for Ferrari ahead of the 20-year-old Italian. His seven-time world champion teammate Lewis Hamilton was sixth.
Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad finished seventh. Esteban Ocon took eighth ahead of teammate Oliver Bearman in a double points finish for Haas.
Russell appeared on course for a comfortable win as the race unfolded with few incidents of note in the opening stages.
Piastri moved up from third on the grid to second by passing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the start but the Australian lacked the pace to chase Russell, who edged away into a comfortable lead.
Behind, Piastri soon found himself holding off Hadjar, who won an early battle with McLaren’s Lando Norris and then passed Leclerc to challenge the McLaren.
Meanwhile, Verstappen was making his way up from eighth place after a qualifying session in which a cascade of problems had prevented him qualifying second to Russell.
By lap seven, he was past Hadjar into third place after the Frenchman did not fight him.
The three cars circulated together in a stalemate, with no-one able to pass and the teams all waiting for the expected accident that would lead to a safety car and a cheap pit stop.
That happened on lap 30, when Williams’ Alex Albon crashed at Turn Five.
On the restart, six laps later, Verstappen passed Piastri into Turn One to move into second place.
But the race was almost immediately put back under caution after a pile-up at the first corner caused by Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, who cannoned into team-mate Pierre Gasly, who in turn clattered into Norris.
Behind them, the two Racing Bulls also came together, Arvid Lindblad tipping Liam Lawson into a spin, leading to a sarcastic response from the New Zealander on the radio.
That put Verstappen on to Russell’s tail for another restart but the Briton handled the situation coolly, accelerating early and catching the Dutchman somewhat unawares.
He was unable to shake Verstappen, who was always about 0.5secs behind but never quite close enough to try a move into Turn One, the only significant overtaking place.
There was one last chance for Verstappen on the final lap.
Valtteri Bottas crashed his Cadillac at Turn 15, and after backing off for the yellow flags, Russell lost his turbo which in turn cost him electrical boost.
Verstappen closed in on the run to the line and there was just 0.196secs between them as they crossed the line, the closest green-flag finish to a grand prix since the 2002 United States Grand Prix.
Russell has now finished on the podium in three of the four races since the summer break and asked what has changed for him since then, he said: “I think it’s just having more experience with this new driving style I’ve adopted and every race since the break I feel like I’ve gone from strength to strength. I feel more like myself again.”
Watch highlights as Warrington Wolves earn a thrilling narrow Super League semi-final win over Leeds Rhinos to reach their first Grand Final for eight years.
The dominant rushing attack that earned them four lopsided wins to start the season was more methodical than punishing, but Cleveland High still ground out a 24-18 nonleague victory Friday over host Crenshaw.
The Cavaliers improved to 5-0 with the win, while the Cougars fell to 4-2.
Cleveland, which entered the game averaging 258 yards rushing per game, were held to barely more than 200 on Friday, most of them scored by senior running back Moyosoreoluwa Odebunmi, who rushed for two scores.
The loss spoiled the season debut of Crenshaw’s Ethan Grant. The transfer from Los Angeles High threw two touchdowns in his first game for the Cougars, but a fumble in the end zone erased one potential score, and three consecutive dropped passes on Crenshaw’s final drive of the game prevented a comeback.
Crenshaw dominated early, Caden Baker stripping the ball from Odebunmi near midfield on Cleveland’s first possession and scoring on the 50-yard fumble return. On the Cougars’ next possession, Grant threaded a pass through two Cavalier defenders, finding Kyion Rattler for an apparent 55-yard score. But Rattler fumbled right before crossing the goal line, turning the ball over That’s when Odebunmi reeled off his best run of the night, a 58-yarder down the right sideline, to tie the score 6-6.
After Grant’s 60-yard score to Rattler put the Cougars up 12-6, Cleveland drove 80 yards in 12 plays, keyed by three completions by quarterback Domenik Fuentes and punctuated by Joseph Hurtado’s one-yard touchdown run. After the two-point conversion, Cleveland led 14-12.
Three plays later, Crenshaw took the lead again on a 21-yard strike from Grant to Joshua Jones. But the Cougars failed on their third two-point conversion of the first half, which ended with them leading 18-14.
Neither offense did much in the second half after Cleveland scored on its first play from scrimmage, a 32-yard touchdown by Odebunmi. Crenshaw was limited to two first downs in the second half while Cleveland added a safety by Cobe Green early in the fourth quarter to make the score 24-18.
“First half we shot ourselves in the foot a good number of times” Cleveland coach Mario Guzman said. “Our biggest thing is we want to play disciplined and we were a little undisciplined in that first half. So we challenged ourselves at halftime to get back to our roots, to be disciplined, physical and fast. And we really rose to the occasion in the second.”
Kylian Mbappe scores the only goal of France’s win in Turkiye, but Real Madrid striker immediately forced off by injury.
Published On 25 Sep 202625 Sep 2026
Kylian Mbappe scored the only goal of the game before having to come off grimacing with a knee injury, as France won 1-0 in Turkiye in the UEFA Nations League in new coach Zinedine Zidane’s first game in charge on Friday.
The Real Madrid star was moved out to the left wing by his new coach after being used through the middle of the France attack under former coach Didier Deschamps at the recent World Cup, which he ended as the top scorer with 10 goals.
It was from the left that Mbappe, France’s all-time top scorer, notched his 67th international goal, controlling and firing into the net low at the near post after being set up by Michael Olise.
He winced in pain as his teammates came across to celebrate the goal at the Kocaeli Stadium in Izmit, about 100km outside Istanbul.
Mbappe tried to carry on after receiving treatment, but eventually slumped to the ground and looked concerned as he prodded the outside of his left knee, before walking off to be replaced by Desire Doue.
France and Real will now nervously wait to discover the extent of the injury, with Les Bleus playing three more games over the next 10 days before the club season resumes.
The sight of his star player and skipper coming off overshadowed Zidane’s first match since being appointed coach in late July on a deal to 2030.
The France legend and 1998 World Cup winner is making his return to elite coaching for the first time since his second stint in charge of Madrid ended in 2021.
France, beaten in the semifinals at the World Cup by eventual winners Spain, are in Group A1 of this edition of the Nations League and will now go to Brussels to face Belgium on Monday. Belgium won 2-0 away to Italy on Friday.
Zidane, whose last match as a player came for France against Italy in the 2006 World Cup final, will then make his home debut as coach against the Italians at the Stade de France next Friday.
His first team selection was not dramatically different from the side that regularly played at the World Cup, although Bournemouth’s Adrien Truffert was in at left-back while Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki came into the starting XI.
Olise, the Bayern Munich star who lit up the World Cup, was unlucky not to open the scoring late in the first half when his superb strike was tipped over by home goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir.
France goalkeeper Mike Maignan responded at the start of the second half as he tipped over an attempt by Abdulkerim Bardakci for Turkiye, who finished bottom of their group at the World Cup, despite a 3-2 win over cohosts the United States.
Mbappe’s goal came shortly after, and the visitors later saw Jules Kounde hit the post before Turkiye were reduced to 10 men late on.
Cakir came flying out of his area to halt Bradley Barcola as the France substitute raced through on goal. German referee Felix Zwayer initially waved play on before undertaking a VAR review, after which he decided the goalkeeper had handled the ball, which meant a red card.
Turkiye, coached by former Italian international Vincenzo Montella, will host Italy next on Monday.
Tries: Du Preez, Cokanasiga, Carreras, Frost, Richards Cons: Russell 4
A terrific try from full-back Santiago Carreras was the highlight of Bath’s opening night 33-17 bonus-point victory over Harlequins.
The Argentina international intercepted a Tyrone Green pass with his boot, kicking the ball into the air before collecting it one-handed before it went out of play and smoothly accelerating away to score under the posts in a real moment of magic.
Dan du Preez, Joe Cokanasiga and Dan Frost added first-half tries for Bath who led 28-10 at the break, with Will Porter and Chandler Cunningham-South replying for Quins.
Pedro Delgado reduced the gap to 11 points early in the second half but Ewan Richards’ late try ensured it would be Bath who started the new season with a win.
Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft dropped two passes during an ugly 35-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night at Lambeau Field.
He kind of dropped the ball again after the game.
The injury-ridden Packers did not look particularly good in their first two games of the season, needing an overtime win over the New York Jets last week to bring a 1-1 record into their home opener on “Thursday Night Football.”
Getting their first live look at the team this season, Green Bay fans did not like what they were seeing. So they let their feelings be known. The boos started late in the first half, with the Packers trailing 17-7, and got louder and more frequent as the game — and the team’s woes — continued.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Kraft expressed his frustration — with the home fans.
“That’s pretty tough. Like, everyone pictures Lambeau Field — and not boos. I don’t picture boos. I picture my home stadium,” Kraft said. “That’s tough. It’s pretty disappointing.”
Two Green Bay Packers fans can barely watch during the second half against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday at Lambeau Field.
(Abbie Parr / Associated Press)
One reporter interjected, “Especially for a home opener.”
“Especially for a home opener,” Kraft agreed. “It’s pretty disappointing. It’s not going to help us win. Like, I don’t know what people think, that’s going to rally us or something like that.
“But we’re grown men. We’re mentally strong enough, capable enough to get back on the field and play ball. But it’d probably be much easier with the 70,000 people behind us rather than opposing us.”
Naturally, folks on social media aren’t thrilled with Kraft’s take.
“Try catching a pass once in a while, then the boos may stop,” one person wrote on Kraft’s Instagram page. “Also, grow up.”
Another commenter said: “The response you were looking for was ‘we HAVE TO PLAY BETTER’ … We love the team and the players and always support…if you can hear when you win…you can hear it when yall look god awful.”
Others are simply booing him in the comment sections of his posts.
Green Bay Packers fans had little to cheer about Thursday night against the Atlanta Falcons.
(Mike Roemer / Associated Press)
Kraft finished the game with four catches for 26 yards on eight targets. He has 122 receptions for 1,657 yards and 15 touchdowns in his four-year career, but only nine of those catches and 106 of the yards have come in the first three games this season, and he has yet to find the end zone.
The absence of star players like defensive lineman Micah Parsons (knee injury) and running back Josh Jacobs (commissioner’s exempt list) certainly has played a role in the Packers’ struggles, but it’s tough to blame fans for expressing their frustrations.
Speaking to reporters after the game, coach Matt LaFleur called it “a humbling night.”
Rookie cornerback Brandon Cisse told reporters he understands the emotions behind the boos.
“We love the fans, and any time we’re not putting a [good] product on the field, it’s very disappointing to them as well,” Cisse said. “So I understand their frustrations … These fans, they pay a lot of money to come watch us play, so we need to make sure we play better.”
Wide receiver Christian Watson told reporters “it’s tough” to hear the home fans react in such a manner, but he gets it.
“At the end of the day, it’s an entertainment business, so we have to put a better product out on the field if we want to have the fans have our back,” said Watson, who had seven catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. “I mean, obviously, we’d like to think that the fans will be there through the ups and downs, but we’ve got to put out a better performance than that.”
SACRAMENTO — Carlos Cortes and Zack Gelof each hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning as the Athletics rallied past the Angels9-7 on Tuesday night.
Cortes launched a drive to right-center off Sam Bachman (1-3) to give the A’s a 7-6 lead, and Gelof cemented the comeback from a 6-0 deficit they faced just two innings before.
Cortes came off the bench as a pinch-hitter in the seventh and finished two for two with a triple and three RBIs. He also scored twice.
Hogan Harris gave up a run in the ninth but earned his 16th save by striking out pinch-hitter Oswald Peraza with two runners aboard.
Luis Medina (6-3) pitched a scoreless inning for the win as the Athletics clinched the season series with one game remaining between the bottom two teams in the AL West.
England maintained their excellent one-day form as they eased to a comfortable victory against Sri Lanka, as Will Jacks’ stars with bat and ball to help the home side to an 89-run win at Chester-le-Street in the first ODI.
When Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said earlier this week that the best was yet to come, his expectations were centered on the offense.
In the Dodgers’ 10-4 rout of the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, that better version of the offense was on display, putting together a pair of three-run rallies in back-to-back innings to take pressure off the pitching staff.
“This is the first time, seems like all year, that we’ve had four or five hitters swing the bats well for four or five games,” Roberts said. “So it’s been really good to see.”
This month, Mookie Betts, Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernández have led the group, with Max Muncy and Will Smith heating up this week. The Dodgers’ 15 hits Saturday were their most in a game since July 2 against the San Diego Padres, and just two shy of their season high.
Reinforcements should be coming soon too. Shohei Ohtani (right biceps and left knee) hit off the Trajekt machine Saturday and ran the bases before the game. Roberts said there’s a “good chance” that he’ll be activated off the 15-day injured list during the Dodgers’ series against the San Diego Padres this week. He can be reinstated as early as Wednesday.
Center fielder Andy Pages (fractured left hand) went through a simulated game Saturday. He could return Tuesday.
“You’re going to go through your waves,” said Betts, who finished the day with three doubles and a single. “You’ve just got to ride them. … Right now we’re getting them across, and we’re just going to keep giving ourselves chances. That’s the main thing.”
The offense kept the Dodgers in the game, despite Tarik Skubal struggling.
Skubal pitched only five innings, tied for his shortest start with the Dodgers. And he surrendered four runs, the worst mark of his Dodgers tenure.
Entering the game, Skubal appeared to be peaking. His previous two starts, both against the Reds, were some of his most efficient.
That efficiency, however, regressed against the Giants (64-91).
“Fastball command wasn’t great,” he said. “Not driving it up and in, kind of pulling the ball down at times, pushing it up at times. I think almost [all] pitching is all fastball command, and mine wasn’t great today.”
Though he got through the first two innings without giving up a run — thanks in part to a diving catch by Tucker in the right-center field to end the first — he issued two-out walks in each.
The Dodgers’ offense used that time to mount a lead. Betts hit the first of those doubles in his first at-bat, and Muncy authored his own to drive in the first run.
The next inning, rookie Josue De Paula’s walk, and singles from Alex Freeland and Betts combined to push in another run.
Dodgers baserunner Kyle Tucker slides head first into Giants catcher Andrew Knizner while scoring a run in the fifth inning Saturday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Then Skubal began to struggle. With a runner on second and one out, he pitched to a full count against designated hitter Victor Bericoto. Skubal missed down the middle with a fastball, and Bericoto sent it 425 feet to center field. It landed on the netting on the other side of the wall to tie the score.
The Dodgers’ offense, coming alive in September, struck back in the third. Smith hit his second home run in as many nights, launching the second pitch of the inning into the left-field pavilion.
The Giants took a different approach to tie the score for a second time. After back-to-back singles, they used back-to-back sacrifice bunts to advance the runners and score another run.
Then the two teams traded runs again. Betts put the Dodgers (95-60) up with an RBI double in the fourth. Skubal gave up back-to-back doubles in the fifth.
That marked both the end of Skubal’s start and the beginning of the Dodgers’ offensive onslaught.
“Obviously, I wasn’t very good today,” Skubal said. “But the offense and defense and bullpen picked me up big time. And that’s what good teams do, they pick each other up and win series and win baseball games. So, hats off to them.”
The Dodgers brought seven batters to the plate in the fifth, and all but one reached base. Tommy Edman hit a two-run single. And pinch-hitting Miguel Rojas almost matched him, but Giants left fielder Turner Hill made a perfect throw to nab Edman in a close play at home to end the inning.
Betts’ and Smith’s bats stayed hot to open the sixth with a leadoff double and one-out RBI single, respectively. The Dodgers took advantage of the Giants’ sloppy infield play to load the bases for De Paula, who lined a two-run single into shallow center field.
Those were the kinds of stifling rallies that had defined the Dodgers’ offense earlier in the season, when they were scoring regularly in double digits.
“I think our potential’s winning the World Series,” Tucker said. “So until we do that, then I can say we reached it. But we feel like we’re in a good spot right now. Our pitching staff’s done a great job all year giving us an opportunity to win every single night. Our defense has played pretty well behind them, and then offensively we’ve done a solid job as well.
“Right now we’ve got a few guys that are feeling good, a few guys that are banged up. But we’re still out there grinding, trying to win as many games as possible before the season ends and just trying to carry it all the way to the playoffs.”
Tucker picked up some extra bumps and bruises Saturday, most notably fouling a pitch off his right knee in the third inning. Once the game became a blowout, Roberts pulled him.
“I feel like everyone’s grinding at this point in the season,” Tucker said. “But I’ll be good with it.”
CENTRAL Cee and Yasmin Hadlow’s romance has ramped up a notch – as insiders tell me he’s going all out to make her his girlfriend.
Just weeks after revealing he fell for Yasmin, 23, after watching her cracking on inside the Love Island villa, the Sprinter star, 28, is using every tool in his armoury to get her interested.
Central Cee is pulling out all the stops to make Yasmin Hadlow his girlfriendCredit: GettyCentral Cee made a move on Yasmin earlier this summer while she was still dating her villa co-star Tommy StaggCredit: Getty
And the first is his bank balance.
Onlookers spotted the London-born rapper, real name Oakley Caesar-Su, in a very select part of Harrods on Friday with Yasmin, where he was overheard telling her: “Buy whatever you want.”
An onlooker said: “Cench seems he knows how to treat the ladies and Yasmin is no exception.
“Before they went on a date to his party at 77 London, he had organised a shopping experience for her.
“He had it all arranged to go to the private area of the store and told her to spend whatever she wanted and he’d pick up the bill.
“Cench wanted Yasmin to choose whatever she wanted for the date and more.
“She absolutely loved it. It seemed like no one had ever done anything like that for her before.
“You could tell he’s really into her because he was happy to spend thousands on her to make her feel special.
Onlookers spotted the Central Cee in Harrods telling Yasmin ‘buy whatever you want’Credit: GettyCentral Cee and Yasmin Hadlow can be seen alongside influencer Living PapiCredit: livingpapi/instagram
“They’re not officially dating but it seems like Cench was making a heavy play for her to want to see him as boyfriend material.”
We first revealed they were hooking up last week, after Yasmin was seen on a date with the Cee.
He made a move on Yasmin earlier this summer while she was still dating her villa co-star Tommy Stagg.
When asked if he had a celebrity crush, on 60 Seconds With Missy, Cench replied: “I do have one, I’ve got one I’m sure. Yasmin from Love Island.”
Helpfully, Yasmin and Tommy split not long after flying back from Mallorca – and Cee made his move.
Confirming their break up, Yasmin said: “Me and Tommy aren’t together anymore.
“It ended up being… It was just a lot to adjust to on the outside.
“We just ended up saying that we’ve got a lot going on. Our lives essentially weren’t aligning on the outside, but we’re still friends.”
Yasmin recently split from Tommy StaggCredit: Shutterstock EditorialCench seems he knows how to treat the ladies and Yasmin is no exception, revealed an onlookerCredit: Getty
Insiders said it was still early days between the pair but admitted Cee was smitten.
“He’s acting like he’s won the jackpot,” a source told me.
“Cench really fell for Yasmin after seeing her on the show and then on social media.
“Now he’s managed to get her on a date he is going all out to show Yasmin how special he thinks she is.
“It’s early days between them but Cench is absolutely mad for Yasmin.”
Only the Pirates and Cubs have met more often than the Dodgers and Giants, who faced off for the first time in 1889. And over all that time, the Dodgers are just two games better, with 1,294 wins to the Giants’ 1,292.
The Dodgers and Giants have also won more pennants, made more World Series appearances and have more players wearing their caps in the Hall of Fame than any other National League teams, all of which fueled a rivalry that was once among the most visceral and passionate in American sports.
But that was then and this is now.
After Sunday’s 3-1 victory over the Giants, the Dodgers’ 14th win in their last 17 games, the team could finish a season with 100 wins for the fourth time in six years. The Giants have had just one winning record in that time.
The Dodgers (96-60), who have won five straight division titles, are headed to the postseason for a record-tying 14th consecutive year. The Giants will miss the playoffs for a fifth straight season.
So is the rivalry dead? That depends on who you ask.
“It’s always a rivalry,” Giants pitcher Logan Webb. “We’d like to make it a little closer when it comes to the standings. But I definitely feel it when I throw against them.”
But then Webb, who is from Northern California, grew up with the rivalry and, as the longest-tenured Giant, pitched against the Dodgers in games that mattered. Giants coach Ron Washington, who made his major league debut with the Dodgers when the rivalry was still a thing, said many players on San Francisco’s roster don’t know that background.
“It should be a rivalry. But I don’t think the young kids we got know anything about a rivalry. They’re not history buffs.”
Webb said it’s the responsibility of the veterans on both sides to keep that history alive by explaining the enmity to the young players.
“I think there are still guys that came up in the system that know what it’s like,” he said. “It’s my job to kind of hype these guys up to play a game like this.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who played for the Dodgers and Giants during his 10-year career, agrees the rivalry now exists more in the history books than the current standings, where the Giants have been overtaken by the San Diego Padres, who will finish second to the Dodgers in the N.L. West for the fourth time in five seasons.
“It’s certainly a rivalry in the sense of the history, the fan bases,” Roberts said. “But obviously it’s about relevancy. The Padres have been successful the last handful of years, and so it’s certainly built some momentum. The geography lends itself to that too.
“But Dodgers-Giants is always fun.”
It hasn’t been so much fun for the Giants lately. San Francisco hasn’t won the season series with the Dodgers since 2021 and has lost more than 90 games this year for the first time in nine seasons.
On Sunday they went in front three batters into the game with Johan Cox working Dodger opener Jack Dreyer for a leadoff walk, then making his way around the bases on Dreyer’s throwing error, a stolen base and a one-one single by Victor Bericoto.
San Francisco would get just one more hit — a single by Jung Hoo Lee with one out in the sixth.
That allowed the Dodgers to tie the score in the bottom of the sixth on Tommy Edman’s seventh home run of the season just inside the right-field foul pole. An inning later they went ahead to stay when Max Muncy singled under a sliding Cox at second, moved to third on a single by rookie Josue De Paula and scored on Kiké Hernández’s double to center.
Josue de Paula hits a double in the fifth inning Sunday.
(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
A two-out single by Muncy, his second of the game, scored Teoscar Hernández, who also had two hits, in the eighth inning with the final run.
Even the slumping Freddie Freeman contributed to the Dodgers’ 11-hit attack, ending an 0-for-11 slide with a broken-bat single in the fourth then singling again in the eighth.
Sunday’s result helped clarify the Dodgers’ once-muddy playoff picture. With six games left in the regular season, the Dodgers lead Atlanta by four games in the race for the second seed in the National League playoffs, which would give them a first-round bye and the homefield advantage in the division series.
The team’s postseason roster may be getting clearer as well. Right-hander Emmet Sheehan, who made 22 starts this season, came out of the bullpen for the first time Sunday and was brilliant in his audition for the playoffs.
“If there is a role in the postseason, it will be out of the [bull]pen,” Roberts said of Sheehan, who gave up just a hit and walk, striking out nine — one off his season high — in 5 1/3 innings.
De Paula, meanwhile, whose third multihit game extended his modest hitting streak to four games, appears to have secured a job as the team’s left-handed bat off the bench while utility player Hyeseong Kim, who has spent the last four months in the minors, will rejoin the Dodgers after the triple-A playoffs and be considered for a roster spot as a pinch-runner and late-inning defensive replacement.
“My expectation is that Hyeseong will be here during the off week and potentially be a conversation for the postseason because he has the ability to run, play defense, and steal a base,” Roberts said.
After Monday’s off day, the final break of the regular season for the Dodgers, the team is expected to activate Andy Pages, Roki Sasaki and Shohei Ohtani from the injured list during its three-game series with the Padres.
“We’ll get Andy back on Tuesday, which will be great, and then shortly thereafter we’ll get Shohei back. So yeah, things are starting to come together,” Roberts said. “We’re in a good spot.”
Sway Dasafo, a pioneering British Ghanaian rapper known for his lyric storytelling and championing of British music, has died. He was 44.
The rapper and producer’s death was announced Thursday on social media by the Mobo Awards, which celebrates music of Black origin. Dasafo’s friend Kash Ahmad confirmed to the BBC that he died at his home in Ghana. No cause of death was provided, but the outlet reported that Dasafo had been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2010 before going into remission later that year.
“We’re deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Sway,” Mobo wrote on Instagram. “Sway will always hold a special place in MOBO history.”
In 2005, Dasafo became the first unsigned artist to win the Mobo award for hip-hop act before he released an official album. He won over other established artists including 50 Cent and the Game off the strength of his mixtapes, “This Is My Promo” volumes one and two.
“Mixtapes effectively provide a diary of my life,” Dasafo told the Guardian in 2005. “They feature skits and interviews of me on radio. When people follow your story, they feel closer to you — it’s like a soap opera. People want to know what’s going to happen next.”
“It was a huge moment,” Mobo’s Instagram statement said of Dasafo’s win. “Not just for Sway, but for UK Hip Hop. At a time when British rappers were still fighting to be recognised alongside their US counterparts, his win made a real statement about the talent, creativity and potential coming out of the UK. … [W]e will always be proud that he was part of the MOBO story and of the history we shared together.”
Born Derek Andrews Safo on Sept. 5, 1982, in Hornsey, north London, to Ghanaian parents, Dasafo grew up primarily in England where he developed a love for literature and music. He started rapping as a hobby when he was 10 and was making beats on his computer at 13.
The versatile rapper got his start in groups such as Phynix Crew and One before going solo and releasing his series of mixtapes. Among his early hits were “Up Your Speed” and “Little Derek,” from his debut alum, “This Is My Demo,” which he released from his own label, Dcypha Productions.
“I’m a positive person and this positivity comes out in my music,” Dasafo said in his 2005 Guardian interview. “I don’t go round holding guns to people’s heads, so I won’t rap about holding guns to people’s heads. Trouble attracts trouble. If you rap about trouble, it will come to you.”
From early in his rap career, he expressed his desire to become a producer so he could sign and nurture other talent. Dasafo has collaborated with artists including Riz Ahmed, Ed Sheeran, Lupe Fiasco and Chamillionaire.
BBC Radio 1Xtra broadcaster Remi Burgz called Dasafo a “UK Rap pioneer” and “one of north London’s finest” during her program, according to the BBC.
“He was mine and many others’ first experience of U.K. rap [and] hip-hop in mainstream media,” she said. “He was a literal example of paving the way and showing that U.K. rap can take up space in music.”
Dasafo is survived by his two sons, Jalil and Ammar-Joseph, and twin daughters, Queen-Inaya and Queen-Imara.
Leslie, a two-time WNBA champion and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, became the first female professional athlete to receive a statue outside of Crypto.com Arena on Sunday. After the ceremony, the Sparks earned a 105-84 win over the Portland Fire.
Leslie’s friends and family gathered outside the arena for the unveiling of the statue Leslie dubbed “The First Lady,” celebrating her 12-year pro basketball career in Los Angeles. Many speakers, including former Sparks coach Michael Cooper and Lakers legend Magic Johnson, noted Leslie’s accomplishments while also saluting her as a kind person.
Leslie became the second WNBA player to be honored with a bronze statue outside of a U.S. pro basketball arena, joining the Seattle Storm’s Sue Bird.
Lisa Leslie celebrates on stage after her statue is unveiled outside Crypto.com Arena on Sunday.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
“We know there is a low percentage of women who have statues in our country,” Leslie said. “I just feel like we are just starting to get our flowers and reap some of the benefits of hard work, blood, sweat and tears that we put into it.”
Leslie sat courtside with her family watching her former team beat the expansion Fire. Rae Burrell led the Sparks with 20 points and added two assists. Nneka Ogwumike finished with a double-double and Ariel Atkins had 14.
Burrell led the team with 13 first-half points. The Sparks led by as many as 20 points in the third quarter, during which several Sparks reached double-figure scoring.
The Sparks kept their foot on the gas in the fourth quarter despite playing without Cameron Brink, Dearica Hamby and Aaliyah Nye.
Many Sparks said they felt blessed to have formed relationships with Leslie. Burrell said Leslie has been a big help during her career. The retired star has responded when players around the WNBA have sought advice.
Ogwumike said the team was happy to attend the pregame statue reveal.
Sparks legend Lisa Leslie takes photos with family and friends at her statue unveiling outside Crypto.com Arena on Sunday.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
“That’s history, you know? I am very adamant about players coming in and knowing their history,” Ogwumike said. “That’s something you can’t let go of. I think we can see, especially in the NBA, where they are honoring these legends and they are coming back. I think we’re entering an era where there is so much history.”
Leslie grew up in Compton. During the ceremony, she spoke about watching her siblings whenever her mother went to work as a truck driver. She said she pushed to make good things happen for her siblings and didn’t quit or make excuses when life was difficult. She embraced challenges and often challenged herself.
Cooper said Leslie would go head-to-head with some of the Lakers players during practice to give herself a bigger challenge and it was impressive to watch her hold her own. Leslie was determined to be the first player in the WNBA to dunk, which helped redefine what was possible in women’s basketball.
The statue outside of Crypto.com Arena depicts her dunking a basketball.
Lisa Leslie and her family celebrate as her statue is unveiled outside Crypto.com Arena on Sunday.
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
“I hope they see themselves out there. I hope you can find a girl that looks like you, whether she has long hair or short hair,” Leslie said. “That’s the key for kids in general. You have to see yourself. If you see it, then you also start to dream and believe that you can be it.”
Leslie recalled walking around Los Angeles as a child. Her affection for the city receiving a statue here more meaningful.
“I also feel a certain level of pride,” she said. “I feel like we are such good people in L.A.”
Leslie’s statue stands next Lakers Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gigi Bryant. Leslie called Kobe her younger brother during the ceremony and is happy to be close to him again.
Leslie’s career will be hard to repeat, but she sees it as a blueprint WNBA players can follow.
She said she is pleased with the direction the WNBA is heading, leaps and bounds ahead of her experience joining the league in 1997. She said it’s been great to see sponsors pouring in and helping the game grow.
“I am so proud of where the women’s game is,” Leslie said. “But the dream was always that we hoped that our USA, everybody across the board, could see the beauty in us, could see the strength in us and our resilience. I am so proud of the product that’s on the floor.”
