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From Gary Klein: Rams coach Sean McVay typically rewards players for their dedicated voluntary offseason work by not holding a mandatory minicamp.
This year, players are apt to welcome one.
The Rams and the Hawaii Tourism Authority announced Wednesday that the Rams will hold a minicamp and other events on Maui from June 16-18.
The Rams will conduct football activity workouts at War Memorial Stadium in Wailuku, including one open to the public on June 18, and will also participate in girls’ flag football and tackle football clinics as well as community events. Rams staff and some players will also work with Habitat for Humanity to assist in the rebuilding of four homes in Lahaina that were affected by the devastating wildfire in 2023.
The Rams view the trip as an opportunity to further expand their brand.
The NFL awarded the Rams marketing rights to Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates.
The Rams will be the home team for a 2026 regular-season game in Melbourne, Australia. The opponent for the game has not been announced.
NBA PLAYOFFS RESULTS
All Times Pacific
Conference semifinals
Western Conference
No. 1 Oklahoma City vs. No. 4 Denver Nuggets
Denver 121, at Oklahoma City 119 (box score)
at Oklahoma City 149, Denver 106 (box score)
Friday at Denver, 7 p.m., ESPN
Sunday at Denver, 12:30 p.m., ABC
Tuesday at Oklahoma City, TBD, TNT
Thursday, May 15 at Denver, TBD, ESPN*
Sunday, May 18 at Oklahoma City, TBD*
No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. No. 7 Golden State
Golden State 99, at Minnesota 88 (box score)
Thursday at Minnesota, 5:30 p.m., TNT
Saturday at Golden State, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Monday at Golden State, 7 p.m., ESPN
Wednesday at Minnesota, TBD, TNT*
Sunday, May 18 at Golden State, TBD*
Tuesday, May 20 at Minnesota, 5:30 p.m., ESPN*
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Cleveland vs. No. 4 Indiana
Indiana 121, at Cleveland 112 (box score)
Indiana 120, at Cleveland 119 (box score)
Friday at Indiana, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Sunday at Indiana 5 p.m., TNT
Tuesday at Cleveland, TBD, TNT*
Thursday, May 15 at Indiana, TBD*
Sunday, May 18 at Cleveland, TBD*
No. 2 Boston vs. No. 3 New York
New York 108, at Boston 105 (OT) (box score)
New York 91, at Boston 90 (box score)
Saturday at New York, 12:0 p.m., ABC
Monday at New York, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Wednesday at Boston, TBD, TNT*
Friday, May 16 at New York, TBD, ESPN*
Monday, May 19 at Boston, 5 p.m., TNT*
*if necessary
DODGERS
From Jack Harris: When minor-league reliever Matt Sauer showed up in the Dodgers clubhouse Wednesday afternoon, it was a sign that something was amiss.
In the middle of the first inning of the team’s 10-1 win against the Miami Marlins, the reason for his arrival finally became clear.
In yet another blow to their increasingly banged-up pitching staff, the Dodgers placed right-handed reliever Evan Phillips on the injured list with forearm discomfort, leaving an already overworked bullpen without one of its most trusted arms.
Phillips missed most of the first month of the season while recovering from a tear in his rotator cuff he suffered during last year’s postseason. He hadn’t given up a run in seven outings since coming back, but had been dealing with the discomfort in recent days.
The good news for the Dodgers: Neither he nor the team believe the injury to be serious. Phillips and Roberts described his IL stint as a “precautionary move.” They said they expected him to return once his minimum 15 days are up.
ANGELS
Jorge Soler lined a double into the left-field corner with the bases loaded to drive in three runs in the ninth inning and lift the Angels to a 5-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night.
Trailing 4-2, the Angels loaded the bases with no outs against Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman (3-1) when Kyren Paris drew a four-pitch walk and Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel singled.
Hoffman struck out Taylor Ward for the first out, but Soler drove a ball that rolled into the corner and past left fielder Jonatan Clase for the comeback win.
BYRON SCOTT
From Steve Henson: Former Lakers player and head coach Byron Scott is accused in a lawsuit obtained by The Times of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old student at Studio City Campbell Hall High School in 1987.
The former student alleges that Scott escorted her into a janitor’s closet and that according to the lawsuit he “began kissing her on the mouth as she repeatedly asked ‘what are you doing?’
“Then, despite her clear protests, Scott pushed [her] to her knees, and, against her will, pulled off her top. Scott then pulled down his shorts, exposed his erect penis, and tried to force [her] to perform oral sex on him.”
The lawsuit originally was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Dec. 30, 2022, but Scott was referred to as “John Doe,” the Lakers as “one of the most popular NBA franchise teams” and Campbell Hall as “Private School Doe.” An amended complaint filed May 1 named Scott, the Lakers and Campbell Hall after a judge denied objections by Scott that he shouldn’t be identified because he is a public figure and that there wasn’t evidence to corroborate the woman’s claims.
LAFC
From Kevin Baxter: Three weeks ago Steve Cherundolo said this season would be his last as coach at LAFC. On Wednesday he explained why.
“I just feel like the next step, reconnecting with the European game and coaching in Europe, is something that I would like to do,” said Cherundolo, who is returning to Germany, where he starred as a player. “The timing of it and the messaging, I think the sooner the better so we can all kind of plan and move forward and get it out of the way and focus on this season’s goals.
“I’m not a great fan of leaving things to the last minute.”
Cherundolo, 46, spent his entire 16-year club career in Germany at Hannover, where he met his wife, started a family and still owns a house. That’s also where he started coaching. The decision to go back was a family one, he said, as was the decision to come to the U.S. four years ago.
NHL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE, RESULTS
All times Pacific
Conference semifinals
Pacific 1 Vegas vs. Pacific 3 Edmonton
Edmonton 4, at Vegas 2 (summary)
Thursday at Vegas, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Saturday at Edmonton, 6 p.m., TNT
Monday at Edmonton, 6:30 p.m., TNT
Wednesday at Vegas, TBD, ESPN*
Friday, May 16 at Edmonton, TBD, TNT*
Sunday, May 18 at Vegas, TBD, TNT*
C1 Winnipeg vs. C2 Dallas
Wednesday at Winnipeg (summary)
Friday at Winnipeg, 6:30 p.m., TNT
Sunday at Dallas, 1:30 p.m., TBS
Tuesday at Dallas, 5 p.m., ESPN
Thursday, May 15 at Winnipeg, TBD, TNT*
Saturday, May 17 at Dallas, TBD*
Monday, May 19 at Winnipeg, TBD, ESPN*
Eastern Conference
Atlantic 1 Toronto vs. Atlantic 3 Florida
at Toronto 5, Florida 4 (summary)
at Toronto 4, Florida (summary)
Friday at Florida, 4 p.m., TNT
Sunday at Florida, 4:30 p.m., TBS
Wednesday at Toronto, TBD, ESPN*
Friday, May 16 at Florida, TBD, TNT*
Sunday, May 18 at Toronto, TBD, TNT*
Metro 1 Washington vs. Metro 2 Carolina
Carolina 2, at Washington 1 (OT) (summary)
Thursday at Washington, 4 p.m., ESPN
Saturday at Carolina, 3 p.m., TNT
Monday at Carolina, 4 p.m., TNT
Thursday, May 15 at Washington, TBD, TNT*
Saturday, May 17 at Carolina, TBD*
Monday, May 19 at Washington, TBD, ESPN*
* If necessary
THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
1907 — Canadian Tommy Burns retains his world heavyweight boxing title after beating ‘Philadelphia’ Jack O’Brien on points in 20 rounds.
1915 — Regret, ridden by Joe Notter, becomes the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby, with a 2-length wire-to-wire victory over Pebbles.
1937 — War Admiral, the favorite ridden by Charles Kurtsinger, wins the Kentucky Derby by 1 3/4 lengths over Pompoon.
1943 — Count Fleet, ridden by Johnny Longden, wins the Preakness Stakes by 8 lengths over Blue Swords.
1954 — World record holder William Parry O’Brien becomes the first man to put the shot more than 60 feet with a 60-5¼ toss at a meet in Los Angeles.
1967 — Muhammad Ali is indicted for refusing induction in U.S. Army.
1970 — Walt Frazier scores 36 points to lead the New York Knicks to a 113-99 victory over the Lakers and the NBA championship in seven games.
1974 — FC Magdenburg of East Germany win 14th European Cup Winner’s Cup against AC Milan of Italy 2-0 in Rotterdam.
1984 — On the day the Olympic torch relay begins, the Soviet Union announces it will not take part in the 1984 Summer Olympics. The Soviet National Olympic Committee Union said the participation of Soviet athletes would be impossible because of “the gross flouting” of Olympic ideals by U.S. authorities.
1993 — Lennox Lewis of Britain scores a unanimous 12-round decision over Tony Tucker in his first defense of the WBC heavyweight title in Las Vegas.
1995 — New Zealand’s Black Magic 1 takes a 2-0 lead, defeating Young America by the widest margin for a challenger since the 1871 America’s Cup.
1996 — Paris Saint-Germain of France win 36th European Cup Winner’s Cup against Rapid Wien of Austria 1-0 in Brussels.
2003 — Minnesota becomes the first team in NHL history to rebound from two 3-1 series deficits to win in one postseason with a 4-2 victory at Vancouver.
2011 — University of Georgia senior Russell Henley becomes the second amateur winner in PGA Nationwide Tour history, shooting a 3-under 68 for a two-stroke victory in the Stadion Classic.
2011 — The Tradition Senior Men’s Golf, Shoal Creek G&CC: Tom Lehman wins second of 3 Champions Tour majors with par on 2nd playoff hole against Australian Peter Senior.
2013 — Alex Ferguson announces his retirement as Manchester United’s manager at the end of the season.
2014 — The Houston Texans takes South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney with the first pick in the NFL draft. The draft’s other big name, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, sits until Cleveland makes its third trade of the round and grabs the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner at No. 22.
THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1906 — Philadelphia manager Connie Mack needed a substitute outfielder in the sixth inning of a game against Boston and called on pitcher Chief Bender. Bender hit two home runs, both inside the park.
1907 — Boston’s Big Jeff Pfeffer threw a no-hitter to give the Braves a 6-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in Boston.
1929 — Carl Hubbell of the New York Giants pitched a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the first by a left-hander in the majors in 13 seasons.
1935 — In the first game of a doubleheader, Ernie Lombardi of the Cincinnati Reds hit four doubles in consecutive innings (sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth) off four different Phillies pitchers. Lombardi also singled to send the Reds past Philadelphia 15-4.
1946 — Boston shortstop Johnny Pesky scored six times, an American League record, in a 14-10 win over the White Sox. Pesky, who was 4-for-5 with a walk and two RBIs, matched Mel Ott’s National League mark for runs scored in a game.
1963 — A Stan Musial home run against the Dodgers gives him 1,357 extra-base hits, surpassing Babe Ruth’s major league record. He will get 20 more; his record will later be broken by Hank Aaron.
1963 — Pirates LF Willie Stargell’s first major league homer and Cubs P Bob Buhl’s first major league hit in 88 at-bats highlight a 9-5 Chicago win over Pittsburgh.
1966 — Frank Robinson became the only player to hit a home run out of Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium. The shot over the left-field wall came off Cleveland right-hander Luis Tiant. The Orioles won 8-3.
1966 — The St. Louis Cardinals closed old Busch Stadium with a 10-5 loss to the San Francisco Giants.
1966 — Orioles outfielder Frank Robinson hits the only ball ever completely out of Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium. The shot clears the left-field single-deck grandstand’s rear wall, 451-feet away, going an estimated 541 feet.
1968 — Jim “Catfish” Hunter of the Oakland A’s pitched a perfect game to beat the Minnesota Twins 4-0.
1983 — Darryl Strawberry gets his first major league hit, a single that scores Danny Heep, in a 10-5 Mets win over the Reds.
1984 — Minnesota’s Kirby Puckett had four singles in his first major league game, and the Twins beat the California Angels 5-0.
1994 — Danny Tartabull, Mike Stanley and Gerald Williams hit back-to-back-to-back home runs for the Yankees in the 6th inning of New York’s 8-4 win over Boston.
1994 — The Colorado Silver Bullets, the first women’s team to play a pro men’s team, lost 19-0 to the Northern League All-Stars. Leon Durham hit two homers and Oil Can Boyd started for the All-Stars. The Silver Bullets had two hits, struck out 16 times and made six errors.
1998 — Cardinals 1B Mark McGwire hits his 400th home run in a 9-2 loss to the Mets. He is the 27th player to reach 400, and does so in fewer at bats than anyone in history, 4,726. Babe Ruth had taken 127 more at-bats, having held the old record.
2000 — Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals hits his 12th home run of the season, against the San Francisco Giants. The homer ties “Big Mac” with Jimmie Foxx for ninth place on the all-time list with 534 career homers. McGwire needs just two taters to catch number eight on the list, Mickey Mantle, at 536.
2001 — Randy Johnson became the third pitcher to strike out 20 in nine innings, but didn’t finish the game in which the Arizona Diamondbacks beat Cincinnati 4-3 in 11 innings. Johnson, the first left-hander to strike out 20, missed a chance to join Roger Clemens and Kerry Wood as the record-holders for a nine-inning game because Arizona could not finish off the Reds in regulation.
2001 — The Devil Rays edge the Orioles, 4-3, as Tampa Bay’s Fred McGriff joins Mark McGwire, Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Eddie Murray and Reggie Jackson as the only players to homer off 300 different pitchers in their career.
2009 — In his first game of the season after missing six weeks because of hip surgery, Alex Rodriguez hits the first pitch he sees from Baltimore’s Jeremy Guthrie for a three-run home run in a 4-0 Yankees win that ends a five-game losing streak. CC Sabathia pitches a four-hit shutout in his best performance since signing a huge free agent contract over the winter.
2010 — Jody Gerut hit for the cycle and drove in four runs, and the Milwaukee Brewers pounded the Arizona Diamondbacks 17-3. Gerut hit a solo home run in the second inning, singled in the third, drove in a run with a triple in the fifth and added a two-run double in the ninth.
2012 — Josh Hamilton became the 16th player to hit four home runs in a game. His four two-run drives came against three different pitchers, carrying the Texas Rangers to a 10-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
2015 — Bryce Harper hit two more home runs, giving him five in two games, and Danny Espinosa also connected twice to power the Washington Nationals to a 9-2 win over the Atlanta Braves. The 22-year-old Harper became the youngest in major league history to hit five homers in two games.
2018 — James Paxton of the Mariners becomes only the second-ever Canadian-born pitcher to throw a no-hitter, after Dick Fowler in 1945, turning the trick against the Blue Jays in a 5-0 win.
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.