From Jack Harris: Dodger Stadium was eerily quiet for much of Monday night. And not just because whole sections of the upper deck sat largely empty.
In a 9-5 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Dodgers didn’t just drop their fourth straight game, but turned in a performance that elicited as many boos as anything else at Chavez Ravine, stumbling to a season-worst losing streak on a night they did little right in any facet of the game.
There was bad defense early. In the first inning, center fielder Hyeseong Kim lost a fly ball in the twilight sky, leading to two runs that would have been unearned had it not been ruled a double. In the second, third baseman Max Muncy spiked a throw to first on a slow-rolling grounder that led to another preventable score, even though his miscue was also ruled a base hit.
The pitching wasn’t great either. Left-handed opener Jack Dreyer followed Muncy’s bad throw with an even wilder pitch to the backstop in the next at-bat, advancing the runner to set up an eventual sacrifice fly. Landon Knack took over in the third and promptly gave up a pair of two-run home runs, one to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on a down-and-in slider and another to Gabriel Moreno on an inside fastball.
Why a tight NL West race factored into Dodgers’ decision to cut Chris Taylor, Austin Barnes
Newsletter
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.’s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
ANGELS
From Bill Shaikin: No team had won a series from the Dodgers this month until the Angels swept them over the weekend. For the Angels, a great weekend.
On one hand, maybe this is the start of something big. The Minnesota Twins just put up a 13-game winning streak. Why can’t the Angels?
On the other hand, the Angels just swept the world’s best team and they still are in last place.
No team had a gloomier outlook than the Athletics this time last year, coming off back-to-back 100-loss seasons and playing out a somber final season at the Oakland Coliseum. But the A’s finished ahead of the Angels last season, and the A’s are ahead of the Angels again this season.
Not by much, to be sure, and we’re still in May. Yet, as the Angels and Athletics opened a series Monday in Sacramento, the team that endured a rebuild because its ownership left its front office no other choice appears to have a brighter future than the team spinning its wheels because its ownership refuses to rebuild.
The A’s rebuild all the time: build, win, lose the best players and lose lots of games, rebuild. For all of this century, A’s ownership has maintained it could not spend big without big revenue from a new stadium. When the A’s get to Las Vegas in three or four years, we’ll see.
The A’s never have spent $70 million on a contract, or $100 million on an annual team payroll. In this century, however, they have more postseason appearances and more winning seasons than the Angels.
————
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer, Nolan Schanuel also went deep and the Angels beat the skidding Athletics 4-3 on Monday night in the opener of a four-game series.
Kenley Jansen struck out Tyler Soderstrom for the final out with a runner on second. Coming off a surprising three-game sweep at Dodger Stadium, the Angels (21-25) have won four in a row to start a seven-game trip.
The Athletics (22-26) have lost six straight and 10 of 12, falling to 8-14 at Sutter Health Park.
NBA PLAYOFFS RESULTS
All Times Pacific
Conference finals
Western Conference
No. 1 Oklahoma City vs. No. 6 Minnesota
Tuesday at Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Thursday at Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Saturday at Minnesota, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Monday, May 26 at Minnesota, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Wed., May 28 at Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m., ESPN*
Friday, May 30 at Minnesota, 5:30 p.m., ESPN*
Sunday, June 1 at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m., ESPN*
Eastern Conference
No. 3 New York vs. No. 4 Indiana
Wednesday at New York, 5 p.m., TNT
Friday at New York, 5 p.m., TNT
Sunday at Indiana, 5 p.m., TNT
Tuesday, May 27 at Indiana, 5 p.m., TNT
Thursday, May 29 at New York, 5 p.m., TNT*
Saturday, May 31 at Indiana, 5 p.m., TNT*
Monday, June 2 at New York, 5 p.m., TNT*
*if necessary
UCLA SPORTS
From Ben Bolch: Solving UCLA’s deepening athletic department financial crisis might require a Disneyesque plot twist, so why not let a Disney guy take a crack?
Daniel Cruz was brought in from the Burbank-based media and entertainment giant last fall to work some magic with a college operation in need of new concepts. Six consecutive years of running in the red has led to a staggering $219.5-million deficit that won’t be wiped away with the waving of any wand.
One solution might be surprisingly simple: Give the fans what they want, and they’ll keep coming back.
That’s why Cruz has spearheaded efforts to overhaul the school’s ticket operations and build a courtside lounge inside Pauley Pavilion, not to mention maximize revenue from a planned field-level club at the Rose Bowl. They’re all measures intended to enhance the fan experience and build brand loyalty.
“Essentially, what I’m trying to do is just trying to set us up for success and do things differently,” said Cruz, UCLA’s new deputy athletics director and chief revenue officer, “because the old way of how college athletics normally conducts business, it’s not working.”
RAMS
From Gary Klein: Rams running back Kyren Williams is waiting patiently.
During the offseason, the team solidified its offense by re-signing left tackle Alaric Jackson and receiver Tutu Atwell, adding free-agent receiver Davante Adams and offensive lineman Coleman Shelton and adjusting the contract of quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Williams, who rushed for more than 1,100 yards in each of the last two seasons, is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is eligible for an extension.
In April, the Rams and Williams’ agent exchanged proposed contract terms. But with organized team activities scheduled to begin next week, a deal has not been done.
Still, Williams said he was “feeling good” about the situation.
“I know with time it’s going to happen,” Williams said last week in Pasadena, where he helped distribute new shoes to kids affected by the Eaton Fire.
NHL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE, RESULTS
All times Pacific
Conference finals
Western Conference
Central 2 Dallas vs. Pacific 3 Edmonton
Wednesday at Dallas, 5 p.m., ESPN
Friday at Dallas, 5 p.m., ESPN
Sunday at Edmonton, noon, ABC
Tuesday, May 27 at Edmonton, 5 p.m., ESPN
Thursday, May 29 at Dallas, 5 p.m., ESPN*
Saturday, May 31 at Edmonton, 5 p.m., ANC*
Monday, June 2 at Dallas, 5 p.m., ESPN*
Eastern Conference
Metro 2 Carolina vs. Atlantic 3 Florida
Tuesday at Carolina, 5 p.m., TNT
Thursday at Carolina, 5 p.m., TNT
Saturday at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT
Monday, May 26 at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT
Wed., May 28 at Carolina, 5 p.m., TNT*
Friday, May 30 at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT*
Sunday, June 1 at Carolina, 5 p.m., TNT*
* If necessary
THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
1897 — British Open Men’s Golf, Royal Liverpool GC: English amateur Harold Hilton wins 2nd Open title by 1 stroke from Scot James Braid.
1900 — The second modern Olympic games open in Paris.
1941 — Ten days after his Preakness victory, Whirlaway races against older horses for the first time and defeats four rivals in the Henry of Navarre Purse at Belmont Park in New York.
1950 — Heavily favored Hill Prince, ridden by Bill Boland, wins the Preakness Stakes by five lengths over Middleground.
1964 — Buster Mathis beats future world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier on points at trials in Flushing, NY to qualify for US Olympic boxing team; Mathis injures thumb, replaced by Frazier who wins gold medal.
1967 — Damascus, ridden by Willie Shoemaker, wins the Preakness Stakes by 2¼ lengths over In Reality.
1972 — Bee Bee Bee, a 19-1 long shot ridden by Eldon Nelson, wins the Preakness Stakes by 1½ lengths over No Le Hace.
1972 — Indiana’s Roger Brown scores 32 points to lead the Pacers to 108-105 to win over the New York Nets and the ABA championship.
1978 — Affirmed, ridden by Steve Cauthen, continues the battle with Alydar and wins the Preakness Stakes by a neck.
1983 — American heavyweight boxer Larry Holmes beats countryman Tim Witherspoon by split decision to retain his WBC title at the Dunes Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas.
1985 — Larry Holmes beats Carl Williams in 15 for heavyweight boxing title.
1990 — Monica Seles ends Steffi Graf’s 66-match winning streak and takes the German Open with a 6-4, 6-3 victory. Graf’s streak is the second longest in the modern era of tennis. Martina Navratilova won 74 straight matches in 1984.
1990 — The 18th triple dead heat in modern thoroughbred history takes place in the ninth race at Arlington International Racecourse. All Worked Up, Marshua’s Affair and Survival are timed in 1:24 4-5 over seven furlongs.
1991 — Chicago Bull Michael Jordan, named NBA’s MVP.
1992 — 36th European Cup: Barcelona beats Sampdoria 1-0 at London.
1998 — 6th UEFA Champions League Final: Real Madrid beats Juventus 1-0 at Amsterdam.
2000 — English FA Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London (78,217): Chelsea beats Aston Villa, 1-0; Roberto Di Matteo scores 73′ winner.
2005 — Nextel Cup rookie Kyle Busch becomes the youngest winner in Craftsman Truck Series history, holding off Terry Cook and Ted Musgrave in a three-lap closing sprint at the Quaker Steak & Lube 200.
2006 — Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro breaks down at the start of the Preakness, galloping a few hundred yards while his eight rivals pass him. Bernardini wins the $1 million race, beating Sweetnorthernsaint by 5 1-4 lengths.
2007 — Roger Federer ends Rafael Nadal’s 81-match winning streak on clay with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 win in the final of the Hamburg Masters. It’s Federer’s first clay-court title in two years.
2015 — NASCAR 2016 Hall of Fame inductees: Bobby Isaac, Terry Labonte and Jerry Cook.
2017 — Cloud Computing, ridden by Javier Castellano, runs down Classic Empire in the final strides to win the Preakness by a head. The 13-1 long shot runs 1 3/16 miles in 1:55.98 and pays $28.80 to win. Derby winner Always Dreaming and Classic Empire duel throughout most of the race before Classic Empire jumps in front midway on the far turn.
2018 — Sweden beats Switzerland 3-2 in a shootout for the gold medal at the world ice hockey championship in Copenhagen, Denmark.
2018 — The Tradition Senior Men’s Golf, Greystone G &CC: Spaniard Miguel Ángel Jiménez wins by 3 from American trio Joe Durant, Steve Stricker & Gene Sauers.
2018 — The Vegas Golden Knights punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final beating the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 on the road to win the Western Conference finals 4-1. The Golden Knights become the second expansion team in the NHL, NBA, NFL or MLB since 1960 to reach a championship series in their first season. The other team was the 1967-68 St. Louis Blues.
THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1919 — Babe Ruth won a game on the mound and at the plate. He hit his first career grand slam as the Boston Red Sox beat the St. Louis Browns 6-4.
1925 — The Cleveland Indians scored six runs in the last of the ninth to beat the New York Yankees 10-9. Tris Speaker scored the winning run from first on a single.
1932 — Paul Waner of the Pittsburgh Pirates hit four doubles in one game.
1941 — Lefty Grove of the Boston Red Sox won his 20th consecutive game at home, the longest home park streak in the major leagues. Boston beat the Detroit Tigers, 4-2.
1947 — The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Boston Braves 4-3 in a game that featured 22 hits — all singles. The Pirates had 12 singles, the Braves 10.
1948 — Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees hits for the cycle and collects six RBI in a 13-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox. DiMaggio hits two home runs, a triple, a double and a single, and narrowly misses another extra-base hit when Chicago left fielder Ralph Hodgin makes a spectacular catch at the wall.
1953 — In the 13th game of the season, the Milwaukee Braves surpassed their 1952 attendance of 281,278, when they were in Boston.
1959 — The Detroit Tigers beat the Yankees, 13-6, to place New York in last place for the first time in 19 years.
1962 — Chicago Cubs rookie Ken Hubbs had eight singles in eight trips to the plate. The Cubs swept the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-4 and 11-2.
1978 — Willie Stargell hit a 535-foot homer off Montreal’s Wayne Twitchell — the longest home run in Montreal’s Olympic Stadium — to highlight the Pirates’ 6-0 victory. It was also Stargell’s 407th career homer, tying him with Duke Snider on the career list.
1983 — Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Steve Carlton passes Walter Johnson to move into second place on the all-time strikeout list. Carlton’s four strikeouts put him at 3,511, just 10 behind Nolan Ryan of the Houston Astros.
1984 — Boston’s Roger Clemens earned his first major league victory. The Red Sox beat the Minnesota Twins, 5-4.
1988 — Mike Schmidt belts the 535th home run of his career during 1st inning at San Diego Padres starting pitcher Andy Hawkins, moving Schmidt past Jimmie Foxx into sole possession of 8th place on the all-time home run list.
1991 — Jeff Reardon got his 300th save and Steve Lyons and Jack Clark homered as the Boston Red Sox beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-0.
1999 — Robin Ventura became the first major leaguer to hit grand slams in both games of a doubleheader, leading the New York Mets to a sweep over Milwaukee, 11-10 and 10-1. He had two slams in a game for the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 4, 1995.
2001 — Barry Bonds hit two homers in the San Francisco Giants’ 11-6 loss to the Atlanta Braves, giving him a total of five in two games, becoming the 23rd player in history to do so.
2006 — Barry Bonds tied Babe Ruth for second place on the career home run list during San Francisco’s 4-2, 10-inning victory over the Oakland Athletics.
2009 — Boston center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury tied a major league record with 12 putouts by an outfielder in a nine-inning game, previously done by Earl Clark of the Boston Braves in 1929 and Lyman Bostock of the Minnesota Twins in 1977. He accomplished the feat in the Red Sox’s 8-3 win over Toronto.
2009 — Nick Swisher, Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera hit consecutive home runs for the New York Yankees in an 11-4 victory over Baltimore. All three solo shots to right field came in the second inning off Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie — with two strikes.
2011 — The Chicago Cubs make their first visit to Fenway Park since the 1918 World Series.
2018 — Rookie Jordan Hicks of the Cardinals ties Aroldis Chapman’s record for the fastest pitch ever recorded by pumping a couple of fastballs at 105 mph while facing Odubel Herrera of the Phillies. The first one goes for a ball, and Herrera manages to foul off the second before striking out on a pitched timed at 103.7 mph.
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.