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From Mike DiGiovanna: Leadoff man Corbin Carroll driving balls into the gap and racing around the bases. Slugger Christian Walker crushing home runs into the left-field seats. Second baseman Ketel Marte delivering big hits and starting rally-killing double plays. A no-name pitcher shutting down their high-powered offense.
If this had a familiar ring to the Dodgers and a crowd of 46,593 in Chavez Ravine on Wednesday night, it was because it was all too familiar, the Arizona Diamondbacks cruising to a 6-0 victory to win two of three games in a series that was reminiscent of their three-game sweep of the Dodgers in last year’s National League Division Series.
Carroll keyed a three-run fifth inning with a two-run triple that helped send Dodgers ace Tyler Glasnow to his second straight loss; Walker did his usual Dodger damage with a solo homer in the sixth and a double in the eighth, and Marte started a quirky and timely double play to help extricate the Diamondbacks from a two-on, no-out jam in the sixth.
And it was bulk reliever Ryne Nelson who reprised the role of Brandon Pfaadt from Game 3 of that division series, the 26-year-old right-hander entering the day with a 2-3 record and 7.06 ERA in seven starts but blanking the Dodgers on five hits over five innings, striking out five and walking three.
The Dodgers, at the end of a 13-day, 13-game stretch in which they went 7-6, went hitless in eight at-bats with runners in scoring position and lost their first regular-season home series to Arizona since April 13-15, 2018, a span of 13 series. It was Arizona’s first shutout in Chavez Ravine since a 13-0 win on Sept. 4, 2017.
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JJ REDICK POLL
Should JJ Redick be the next coach of the Lakers? Vote here and let us know. Results will be announced in Friday’s newsletter.
NBA PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
All times Pacific
Conference finals
Western Conference
No. 3 Minnesota vs. No. 5 Dallas
Dallas 108, at Minnesota 105 (box score)
Friday at Minnesota, 5:30 p.m., TNT
Sunday at Dallas, 5 p.m., TNT
Tuesday at Dallas, 5:30 p.m., TNT
*Thursday, May 30 at Minnesota, 5:30 p.m., TNT
*Saturday, June 1 at Dallas, 5:30 p.m., TNT
*Monday, June 3 at Minnesota, 5:30 p.m.. TNT
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Boston vs. No. 6 Indiana
at Boston 133, Indiana 128 (OT) (box score)
Thursday at Boston, 5 p.m., ESPN
Saturday at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Monday at Indiana, 5 p.m., ESPN
*Wednesday at Boston, 5 p.m., ESPN
*Friday, May 31 at Indiana, 5 p.m., ESPN
*Sunday, June 2 at Boston, 5 p.m., ESPN
NBA Finals
Game 1: Thursday, June 6, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Game 2: Sunday, June 9, 5 p.m., ABC
Game 3: Wed., June 12, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Game 4: Friday, June 14, 5:30 p.m., ABC
*Game 5: Monday, June 17, 5:30 p.m., ABC
*Game 6: Thursday, June 20, 5:30 p.m., ABC
*Game 7: Sunday, June 23, 5 p.m., ABC
*-if necessary
ANGELS
Rookie Kyren Paris hit a two-run shot for his first major league home run and Tyler Anderson pitched eight strong innings to lead the Angels to a 2-1 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday.
The Angels took two of three games from the Astros to give them three straight road series wins in a single season for the first time since 2019.
Anderson (5-4) allowed six hits and one run in his third consecutive win, which came in his longest start of the season.
SOCCER
From Kevin Baxter: In just three years, the NWSL rivalry between Angel City and the San Diego Wave has grown into one of the league’s most passionate. It’s one that reaches all the way to the owners’ suites, which is why San Diego’s Jill Ellis and Angel City’s Julie Uhrman, the two club presidents, will exchange pleasantries but little else before the team’s meet Thursday at BMO Stadium.
“There’s a nice hug before the game. Then there’s not a lot of talking,” Uhrman said. “We’re both incredibly competitive.”
During the 50 weeks a year their clubs aren’t playing each other, however, Ellis and Uhrman are incredibly cooperative. And that collaboration is not only a big reason why Sportico ranks Angel City and the Wave as the two most valuable franchises in the league, but also setting an example for other NWSL teams to emulate.
KINGS
From Kevin Baxter: Jim Hiller finally has had the interim tag removed from his title as Kings coach, with the team saying Wednesday the longtime assistant has been given the job.
The announcement, in a press release from general manager Rob Blake, was not a surprise after Blake and team president Luc Robitaille indicated this month that the Kings were planning few changes after their third straight exit from the NHL playoffs in the first round.
A news conference to formally introduce Hiller as the franchise’s 30th coach has been scheduled for Thursday.
NHL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
All times Pacific
Conference finals
Western Conference
C1 Dallas vs. P2 Edmonton
Thursday at Dallas, 5:30 p.m., TNT
Saturday at Dallas, 5 p.m., TNT
Monday at Edmonton, 5:30 p.m., TNT
Wednesday at Edmonton, 5:30 p.m., TNT
*Friday, May 31 at Dallas, TBD, TNT
*Sunday, June 2 at Edmonton, TBD, TNT
*Tuesday, June 4 at Dallas, TBD, TNT
Eastern Conference
M1 New York Rangers vs. A1 Florida
Florida 3, at New York 0 (box score)
Friday at New York, 5 p.m., ESPN
Sunday at Florida, noon, ABC
Tuesday at Florida, 5 p.m., ESPN
*Thursday, May 30 at New York, 5 p.m., ESPN
*Saturday, June 1 at Florida, 5 p.m., ABC
*Monday, June 3 at New York, 5 p.m., ESPN
*-if necessary
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1876 — Joe Borden of Boston pitches the first no-hitter in NL history.
1901 — The Cleveland Indians score nine runs with two outs in the ninth inning to beat the Washington Senators 14-13.
1922 — Future World Heavyweight boxing champion Gene Tunney suffers his only pro defeat in 15-round unanimous points decision against Harry Greb at Madison Square Garden.
1941 — In his 20th World Heavyweight Boxing title defense Joe Louis knocks out Buddy Baer in round 1 at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
1962 — Joe Pepitone 2nd NY Yankee to hit 2 HRs in 1 inning (Joe DiMaggio).
1981 — Puerto Rican boxer Wilfred Benítez (22) becomes the youngest 3-division world champion in history by knocking out WBC World Super Welterweight champion Maurice Hope in 12 rounds in Las Vegas.
1991 — Paul Dougherty scores two goals and adds two assists to help the San Diego Sockers win their fourth consecutive Major Indoor Soccer League championship with an 8-6 victory over the Cleveland Crunch.
2002 — Dodgers slugger Shawn Green becomes the 14th man in major league history to homer four times in a game and sets a big league record with 19 total bases. He is 6-for-6, scoring six times with seven RBIs in a 16-3 win at Milwaukee.
2005 — Anastasia Myskina is the first defending champion at the French Open to be eliminated in the opening round, losing to Spain’s Maria Sanchez Lorenzo 6-4, 4-6, 6-0.
2009 — Alabama sophomore Kelsi Dunne becomes the first player to throw back-to-back no-hitters in NCAA postseason play. Dunne holds Jacksonville State hitless for the second straight day in a 9-0 softball victory. The two no-hitters tie the NCAA postseason record. It’s Dunne’s fourth of the season and a school-record six for her career.
2021 — Phil Mickelson wins the 2021 PGA Championship by two strokes to become the oldest major winner (50) in PGA history.
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, and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.