Dodgers

The Dodgers’ biggest question this season is an eerily familiar one.

Will their pitching ever get back to full (or at least, significantly improved) health? And will it be as productive as expected if or when that happens?

To this point, the team remains confident on both fronts.

Injured starters Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki are all in throwing progressions. Two-way star Shohei Ohtani is continuing to build up his arm through weekly live batting practices, and Emmet Sheehan is on a rehab assignment with triple-A Oklahoma City. And a whole litany of relievers are also expected back at some point, with Kirby Yates and Michael Kopech likely to return this weekend, and Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol possibilities over the coming couple of months.

Still, as this last week has epitomized, there is an ever-present lack of certainty hanging over the state of the staff as well, with the recovery of any injured pitcher seemingly liable to shift at any moment.

“I’m very confident we’re going to get them all back,” manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday. “I just don’t know when.”

This week, Glasnow became the latest example of that unpredictable dynamic.

On Monday, Roberts offered a seemingly troublesome update on the oft-injured right-hander. After Glasnow had thrown one bullpen session a week and a half earlier, a bout of back tightness had kept him from throwing off a mound again since.

“There was one ‘pen and, then [his] body didn’t respond,” Roberts said. “So we’re trying to figure out when we can ramp him back up.”

On Tuesday, however, Glasnow presented a more optimistic version of events. Yes, his back became “a little tight” after his initial bullpen session, he said. But he described the resulting pause in his throwing progression as nothing more than a “precaution,” adding that he plans to resume throwing bullpens in the coming week.

“I feel totally fine, totally normal,” said Glasnow, who initially went on the injured list in April because of shoulder inflammation. “My shoulder’s totally fine. That issue, I haven’t felt since I started throwing. It was fine. [The back tightness] really was just, I think, a precaution. I felt totally fine. I’m good to go.”

During his time on the IL, Glasnow believes he found a middle ground between the pitching mechanics he had last year (when his season ended early with elbow tendinitis) and the changes he made over the winter (which he felt contributed to his more recent shoulder issue).

Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki watches a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks from the dugout at Dodger Stadium on May 21.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

“Trying to meld a best-of-both worlds situation,” he said. “But right now, I feel really, really good mechanics-wise, to just be athletic and throw. It’s enabled me to just be myself more now.”

And though he is still weeks, if not a month or more, away from being activated, Glasnow said he’s confident about having enough time over the second half of the season to rediscover a rhythm ahead of the playoffs.

“I’m trying to get back as soon as I can,” Glasnow said. “But we’re on the same wavelength of, ‘Let’s get you back out as healthy as possible as soon as possible, in a healthy way.’”

Snell, who has also been out since early April because of shoulder trouble, has endured his own stop-and-start recovery process.

After first going on the injured list two starts into the season — because of shoulder pain that he later said had been bothering him since spring training — Snell started to ramp up a few weeks later, progressing to a bullpen session on April 19.

His shoulder, however, didn’t respond well in the days following that step. Thus, he was shut down from throwing again, and received an injection to help alleviate his lingering discomfort.

Since then, Snell has been on a more methodical throwing plan. Recently, his shoulder has finally started to feel normal. And, like Glasnow, he is hoping to begin throwing bullpens once more over the next week.

“I can’t wait [to get back],” Snell told AM 570 last weekend. “Having to wait, it sucks. It’s a long process. But I’m gonna go slow. I’m gonna make sure I’m ready. So when I start pitching, I can get going and do my thing.”

This remains the Dodgers’ company line with most of their injured arms — the team wanting to purposely take their progressions slowly in the short term, to ensure they are available in the long run later this year.

“As far as return to play, there’s certainly a cautiousness to it,” Roberts said. “Because as you start getting into the middle of the year, then any setback could be detrimental for the rest of the season.”

In the meantime, uncertainty on the mound — where the Dodgers currently rank 22nd in the majors with a 4.10 team ERA — will continue to loom.

There is always the threat of setbacks; like what happened with Evan Phillips, who underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery Wednesday for an injury that was initially expected to sideline him for only two weeks.

And even once pitchers do come back, their levels of performance are subject to variance. That’s been the case recently with Kopech, who struggled so much during a rehab stint in Oklahoma City (where he gave up 11 runs and 11 walks in 6 ⅓ innings) that the Dodgers had him throw a live batting practice session in front of their big league coaching staff Wednesday to help him work through some mechanical adjustments.

“The stuff was good,” Roberts said of Kopech, out since the start of the year because of a shoulder impingement. “Just curious to see what the pitching guys and the training staff feel, and what he thinks of how he felt today. And we’ll kind of move forward after that.”

Yates, who has not required a rehab stint recovering from a hamstring strain, also threw live BP on Wednesday.

“We’ll see how they feel tomorrow,” Roberts said. “And then I think we’ll have a much better decision on this weekend for both guys.”

The good news for the Dodgers is that they do have depth. They don’t need every one of their injured pitchers to return to health and previous form. Even if only half of the arms currently on the IL get back to where they were before, they could still have a pitching staff capable of contending for another World Series title.

Because of that, it seems unlikely they’ll make overly aggressive moves on the trade market leading up to the July 31 deadline. They could use another right-handed reliever to replace Phillips but might be wary of a high-cost splash for a front-line starter (especially after doling out more than half a billion dollars the last two winters to Glasnow, Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto).

For now, they continue to trust that pitchers such as Snell, Glasnow and Ohtani will be impact contributors for the stretch run of the season. They are confident that Sasaki (who has continued regular catch play while battling his own shoulder issue), Sheehan and Graterol will give them more pitching coverage as well.

But until then, they will nonetheless face a precariously familiar situation: hoping enough injured pitchers are able to regain health over the course of the season, and that more unforeseen setbacks won’t continue to leave them shorthanded on the mound.

“I think we’re very confident that we’re going to get the guys we’re talking about back,” Roberts said. “Then once we get them back, we got to make sure we keep them back too.”

The month is just four days old, but for the Dodgers the June swoon is already getting old.

On Wednesday, they lost for the third time in four games with a pair of Pete Alonso home runs lifting the Mets to a 6-1 victory. The loss was the 10th in 18 games for the Dodgers, who are just four games over .500 since their season-opening eight-game winning streak.

Right-hander Tony Gonsolin (3-2) took the loss although he really only had one bad inning.

He got off to a rough start, hitting Francisco Lindor in the right foot with his second pitch, and the inning went downhill from there. Brandon Nimmo followed with a potential double-play ball that went through second baseman Kiké Hernández and after Nimmo stole second, Lindor scored on a ground out.

Alonso followed with a towering two-run home run to right-center to give the Mets a 3-0 lead.

Gonsolin settled down after that and though he didn’t allow another run, New York had runners on base in each of the five innings he worked. He exited after 90 pitches, having given up three hits and two walks while striking out six.

After a pair of hitless innings from the Dodger bullpen, Alonso put the game away in the eighth, following a hit batter and a walk from reliever Ryan Loutos with a majestic three-run homer to left. It was Alonso’s first multi-homer game of the season, and it gave him a season-high five RBIs.

The Dodgers’ only run came on Andy Pages’ solo home with one out in the ninth. The hit was Pages’ third of the night — half his team’s total. He also had a second-inning infield single and a seventh-inning double, extending his hitting streak to a season-high nine games and raising his average to .290.

Mets starter Griffin Canning (6-2) cruised through his six innings, facing just four batters over the minimum. The former Angel gave up three hits, walked one and struck out seven in his best outing of the season, winning for the first time in nearly a month.

Mookie Betts fields a grounder in the first inning.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Etc.

Switch-hitting utility man Tommy Edman could be headed to the injured list after tweaking his right ankle earlier this week, aggravating an injury that forced him to spend three weeks on the IL earlier this season. Edman came off the bench in Tuesday’s win but was out of the lineup Wednesday. Speedy outfielder Esteury Ruiz was summoned from triple-A Oklahoma City as a precaution and would probably take Edman spot on the roster if he goes on the IL.

Relievers Kirby Yates (hamstring) and Michael Kopech (shoulder) both threw short simulated games Wednesday, and manager Dave Roberts said both are close to being activated.

“As long as he feels good tomorrow, then there’s certainly a good possibility to be activated this weekend,” Roberts said of Yates, who last pitched May 17 against the Angels.

Kopech gave up 11 runs in 6.1 innings while on a rehab assignment in Oklahoma City, but Roberts seemed unconcerned.

“Obviously you’re in rehab mode, you’re not around. So to get back to your teammates and the coaches, they might be able to kind of detect some things or clean some things up mechanically,” he said. “To be here tonight, last night to watch a game, that’s very that’s helpful and productive. With him it is just kind of getting command more dialed in.”

Kopech’s last appearance came in the fifth and deciding game of last fall’s World Series.

Before anything, Clayton Kershaw has to believe. Before he can snap off curveballs the way he used to, before he can be a dependable member of the rotation instead of last resort, he has to believe.

Clayton Kershaw believes.

Never mind the mounting evidence to the contrary — the 5.17 earned-run average through his four starts this season, the two starts that weren’t interrupted by rain in which he failed to complete five innings, the unremarkable high-80s-to-low-90s fastball, the career-low strikeout rate.

Kershaw believes he can once again be a contributor on a championship team.

“I just need to put it together for a whole game,” Kershaw said, “which I think I can do and will do.”

Who’s to say otherwise?

He’s looked finished before, and he wasn’t. Even with diminished stuff, he’s found ways to get hitters out, so why should this time be any different?

“I’m gonna bet on him,” manager Dave Roberts said.

For now, at least, Roberts doesn’t have a choice. Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell remain sidelined. So is Roki Sasaki.

The next man up would be Bobby Miller, who lasted only three innings in his only major league start this season.

In reality, Kershaw also doesn’t have a choice other than to believe. What’s the alternative?

In the wake of a 10-inning, 6-5 victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday night in which he pitched just 4 ⅔ innings, Kershaw’s rhetoric and demeanor were remarkably upbeat. He pointed to his recovery from the knee and foot surgeries he underwent over the winter, as well as his shoulder operation from the previous offseason.

“I mean, physically, I feel great,” he said. “I don’t feel old. My arm feels good. There’s not really any excuses. It’s just pitch better, pitch like you’re capable of. I think the stuff’s there. The stuff’s there to get people out.”

Kershaw was charged with five runs, three of them earned. He gave up six hits and three walks.

“It’s kind of in and out for me,” he said. “I think I’ll go on a stretch of making, like, 10 or 11 good pitches in a row and then just make enough bad ones to get some damage done against me.”

In Roberts’ view, his trademark slider lacked “teethiness.” More problematic was his curveball, which was particularly erratic.

“Can’t just be a two-pitch guy out there, so definitely need to throw my curveball better, for sure,” Kershaw said.

The absence of the curveball prevented Kershaw from putting away batters. He had 14 batters into two-strike counts but managed only two strikeouts while giving up four hits and a walk.

“I know he’s frustrated because he’s getting count leverage with guys and can’t put them away by way of strikeout,” Roberts said. “He’s competing his tail off, but it just hasn’t been as easy as it has been for him prior to this little stretch.”

In Kershaw’s defense, he was let down by, well, his defense.

In the Mets’ two-run five inning, Max Muncy allowed a potential inning-ending double play grounder to skip through his legs. Later, Brandon Nimmo reached base on a train wreck of a defensive play by the Dodgers, allowing the Mets to score and take a 5-4 lead.

Kershaw is 37 now, with more than 3,000 innings pitched in professional baseball. He won’t win another Cy Young Award, and he knows that. The Dodgers know that too, and that’s not what they’re asking of him. What they’re counting on him to do is to take the mound every six or seven days and keep them in games, perhaps take down six or seven innings on occasion to relieve their overworked bullpen.

“I think he’s going to approach each start to give us a chance to win,” Roberts said. “And I don’t know what that looks like each start, but I think that that’s a starting point, and then from that point, as a game goes on, then I’m gonna have to make decisions on what we have behind him.”

Kershaw made an All-Star team just two years ago and started one the year before that. His stuff was almost as diminished then as it is now. He should be able to pitch like that again, and he’s taken a small but critical first step toward doing that. He believes he can.

From Jack Harris: It was a night of redemption at Dodger Stadium.

For the struggling home team, its recently beleaguered closer and its enigmatic third baseman most of all.

In a 6-5 win against the New York Mets on Tuesday, Max Muncy atoned for a costly fifth-inning error with a two-home run performance, including a game-tying blast in the bottom of the ninth.

Left-hander Tanner Scott snapped out of his recent funk, throwing a scoreless 10th inning a night after taking a loss in the same situation.

And after two consecutive frustrating defeats, the Dodgers finally bounced back on Freddie Freeman’s walk-off double in the bottom of the 10th; earning a win that kept them in sole possession of first place in the National League West, and chased a few demons for both Scott and Muncy in the process.

“We needed every bit of it,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s good to see the resilience from a lot of our guys.”

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Dodgers star Freddie Freeman’s family appreciated kind gesture from slain Baldwin Park officer

Shigeo Nagashima, Japanese baseball legend with ties to the Dodgers, dies at 89

Judge orders woman who accused ex-Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer of sexual assault to pay damages by default

Dodgers box score

MLB scores

MLB standings

NBA PLAYOFFS RESULTS

All Times Pacific

NBA FINALS

Oklahoma City vs. Indiana

Thursday at Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Sunday at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m., ABC
Wed., June 11 at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Friday, June 13 at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Monday, June 16 at Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m., ABC*
Thursday, June 19 at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABC*
Sunday, June 22 at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m., ABC*

*if necessary

ANGELS

Automatic runner Zach Neto scored on Taylor Ward’s bases-loaded double-play groundout to lift the Angels to a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox in 10 innings on Tuesday night.

Nolan Schanuel had two RBIs and Neto added two hits and an RBI to give the Angels consecutive wins for the first time since capping an eight-game win streak on May 23.

Kenley Jansen (1-2) pitched a scoreless ninth inning to pick up the win a night after getting a save and Reid Detmers got his first save.

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Angels box score

MLB scores

MLB standings

RAMS

From Gary Klein: Puka Nacua is using organized team activities to hone his craft and prepare for his third NFL season.

But the Rams’ star receiver also recently took time to help others prepare to avoid potential health challenges.

Nacua last week returned from a trip to Samoa, where he and his mother joined medical professionals from Utah Valley University to provide testing, clinics and education about diabetes.

Nacua said his father, who died when Nacua was a youngster, experienced complications from the disease.

So the opportunity to travel with his mother to his maternal grandmother’s village was “kind of a full-circle moment” for his family, Nacua said Tuesday.

“To be able to go and improve the situation in the homeland was something sweet,” Nacua said after the team went through a workout.

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ANGEL CITY

From Kevin Baxter: It doesn’t seem that long ago that Christen Press was helping the national team to consecutive World Cup titles. She was unstoppable then, a key cog in the greatest women’s soccer team in history.

Yet she played her 155th and final match for the U.S. in the Tokyo Olympics.

It doesn’t seem that long ago that Press, just 18 days removed from those Olympics, became the first player signed by expansion club Angel City. She was bringing the NWSL to her hometown and was being rewarded with what was then the richest contract in league history.

Yet she’s started just 10 games since then, losing most of the last three seasons to a stubborn anterior cruciate ligament injury that took four surgeries to repair.

Press eventually will be inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame, but she isn’t ready for that trip just yet. If her body isn’t always willing, her mind and her heart are still keen on the sport, so Press makes her most valuable contributions now in the quiet of the locker room.

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L.A. PARALYMPICS

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Already slated to be the first venue in the world to host events from three different Olympic Summer Games, the Coliseum will help break new ground for the Paralympics in 2028.

The iconic stadium is at the center of the first Paralympic Games in L.A. as it hosts the para track and field competition, LA28 announced Tuesday in an updated venue plan that placed 23 disciplines into their future Paralympic homes.

“This is a momentous occasion for the city of Los Angeles,” para swimmer and Inglewood native Jamal Hill said in an interview with The Times. “Being a native Los Angeleno, you always hear about this melting pot of Los Angeles and many times, that melting pot, the default is to really thinking like, ethnic or racial or even cultural based. … I think it’s really, really beautiful and inclusive now that that melting pot is really starting to cover ability.”

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NHL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE, RESULTS

All times Pacific

STANLEY CUP FINALS

Edmonton vs. Florida
Wednesday at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNT
Friday at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNT
Monday at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT
Thursday, June 12 at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT
Saturday, June 14 at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNT*
Tuesday, June 17 at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT*
Friday, June 20 at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNT*

* If necessary

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1870 — Ed Brown becomes the first Black jockey to win the Belmont Stakes, with Kingfisher.

1927 — The United States wins the first Ryder Cup golf tournament by beating Britain 9½-2½.

1932 — Faireno, ridden by Tommy Malley, wins the Belmont Stakes by 1½ lengths over Osculator. Burgoo King, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, doesn’t race.

1966 — Ameroid, ridden by Bill Boland, wins the Belmont Stakes by 2½ lengths over Buffle. Kauai King, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, finishes fourth.

1974 — NFL grants franchise to Seattle Seahawks.

1984 — 1960 champion Arnold Palmer fails to qualify for the US Open Golf Championship for the first time in 32 years.

1987 — Danny Harris defeats Edwin Moses in the 400 hurdles at a meet in Madrid, ending the longest winning streak in track and field. Moses, had won 122 consecutive races dating to Aug. 26, 1977.

1988 — West Germany’s Steffi Graf beats 17-year-old Natalia Zvereva of the Soviet Union in 32 minutes with a 6-0, 6-0 victory to win the French Open for the second straight year.

1990 — Penn State is voted into the Big Ten. The school becomes the 11th member of the league and first addition to the Midwest-based conference since Michigan State in 1949.

1994 — Haile Gebrselassie becomes the first Ethiopian to set a world track record with a time of 12:56.96 in the men’s 5,000 meters at Hengelo, Netherlands.

1998 — Harut Karapetyan of the Galaxy scores three goals in five minutes for the fastest hat trick in MLS history in an 8-1 rout of the Dallas Burn. The seven-goal margin sets an MLS record.

2005 — Justine Henin-Hardenne beats a rattled and fumbling Mary Pierce 6-1, 6-1 to win the French Open, capping a comeback from a blood virus with her fourth Grand Slam title and her second at Roland Garros.

2005 — Eddie Castro sets a North American record for most wins by a jockey in one day at one track, winning nine races on the 13-race card at Miami’s Calder Race Course.

2008 — The Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup for the fourth time in 11 seasons with a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6 .

2011 — Li Na becomes the first Chinese — man or woman — to win a Grand Slam singles title. She beats Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 7-6 (0) in the French Open final for her fifth career title and first on clay.

2016 — Garbine Muguruza wins her first Grand Slam title by beating defending champion Serena Williams 7-5, 6-4 at the French Open, denying the American her record-equaling 22nd major trophy.

THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

1940 — The Pirates beat the Boston Bees 14-2 in the first night game at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field.

1940 — The St. Louis Cardinals play their first night game at Sportsman’s Park, defeating the Brooklyn Dodgers 10-1.

1951 — Pittsburgh’s Gus Bell hit for the cycle to lead the Pirates to a 12-4 victory over the Phillies at Philadelphia.

1964 — Sandy Koufax pitched his third no-hitter, striking out 12, as the Dodgers beat the Phillies 3-0 in Philadelphia.

1968 — Don Drysdale of the Dodgers blanked the Pirates 5-0 for his sixth straight shutout en route to a record 58 2-3 scoreless innings.

1972 — A major league record eight shutouts were pitched in 16 major league games: five in the American League, three in the National League. The Oakland Athletics swept a pair from the Baltimore Orioles by identical 2-0 scores.

1974 — The game between the Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium was forfeited to Texas. Umpire Nestor Chylak had problems with fans all night on 10-cent beer night. The crowd got out of control when Cleveland tied the score 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth.

1989 — Toronto beats Boston 13-11 in 12 innings after trailing 10-0 after six. Red Sox starter Mike Smithson threw six scoreless innings before leaving in the seventh because of a foot blister. The Jays then scored two in the seventh, four in the eighth and five in the ninth and two more in the 11th on Junior Felix’s home run. It was the biggest lead the Red Sox have blown and their 12th consecutive loss to the Blue Jays at Fenway Park.

1990 — Ramon Martinez struck out 18 and pitched a three-hitter, sending the Dodgers past the Atlanta Braves 6-0.

1996 — Pamela Davis pitched one inning of scoreless relief and got the win in a minor league exhibition game. She is believed to be the first woman to pitch for a major league farm club under the current minor league system. The 21-year-old right-hander pitched for the Jacksonville Suns, a double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, against the Australian Olympic team.

2000 — Esteban Yan of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays becomes the 77th major league player to hit a home run in his first at bat, but just the fourth American League pitcher and the first since the Angels’ Don Rose in 1972, the year before the designated hitter rule took the bat out of AL pitchers’ hands.

2005 — Rafael Palmeiro and Melvin Mora each hit grand slams to help Baltimore rally for a 14-7 win over Detroit.

2007 — Mark Ellis hit for the cycle and Eric Chavez had a two-out homer in the 11th inning to lift Oakland to a 5-4 win over Boston.

2009 — Randy Johnson became the 24th major league pitcher to win 300 games by leading San Francisco to a 5-1 victory over the Washington Nationals in the first game of a doubleheader.

2012 — Mike Scioscia of the Angels became the ninth manager in AL history to manage 2,000 games with one club. The Mariners beat the Angels 8-6.

2018 — In a doubleheader with the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees OF Aaron Judge sets a record by striking out eight times.

2019 — San Francisco Giant Manager Bruce Bochy wins his 1,000th game as the manager of the Giants with a 9-3 victory over the New York Mets.

2022 — The rule preventing position players from pitching in a close game is invoked for the first time when Crew chief C.B. Bucknor objects to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts calling on OF Zach McKinstry to pitch the 9th inning against the Mets with his team trailing, 9-4. The rule, adopted before the 2020 season but not implemented until this year due to the upheavals caused by the coronavirus pandemic, states that a team cannot use a position player on the mound unless there is a difference of six or more runs between the two teams. Roberts is thus forced to use a real pitcher, Evan Phillips, to pitch the final inning.

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 [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Max Muncy’s 2025 season has been nothing if not enigmatic.

But lately, after a woeful opening month on both sides of the ball, the good (his bat) has been outweighing the bad (his glove).

In the Dodgers’ 6-5 win against the New York Mets on Tuesday, such a duality came into plain view.

In the first inning, Muncy punctuated a four-run ambush of Mets starter Tylor Megill with a two-run home run deep to right field. In the fifth, he committed a costly error at third base that fueled New York’s go-ahead two-run rally. Yet, in the ninth, the veteran slugger capitalized upon his chance for redemption, clobbering his second long ball of the night to tie the score — and set up Freddie Freeman for a walk-off double (with a lot of help from Brandon Nimmo’s poor outfield defense) in the bottom of the 10th.

After an ice-cold opening month with the bat, Muncy has caught fire over his last 22 games, batting .314 with eight home runs (including six in the last seven games), 28 RBIs, 14 walks and only 10 strikeouts.

His defense remains a glaring weak spot, exposed repeatedly in key situations during the Dodgers’ slog through May and the opening days of June.

But for now, his production at the plate is giving him a long leash to work through such issues.

Without his offense Tuesday, the Dodgers likely would’ve lost their third straight game.

When Muncy came up as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the ninth, the Dodgers hadn’t scored since his first home run eight innings prior.

Megill had found his footing, retiring 16 of his final 17 batters over a six-inning start. The Dodgers had wasted a golden opportunity to come back in the eighth, coming up empty even after getting the go-ahead runs on second and third base with no outs.

Muncy, however, extended the game with one swing, connecting on an elevated fastball for a no-doubt missile that traveled 408 feet. He flipped his bat as he left the box. He rounded the bases with a steady, confident gait.

An inning later, after Tanner Scott broke out of his recent struggles by holding the Mets scoreless in the top of the 10th, Freeman walked it off on a fly ball that Nimmo let fall at the warning track in left, getting all turned around as the ball came barreling toward the earth to let automatic runner Tommy Edman score with ease.

Former Yomiuri Giants player and manager Shigeo Nagashima, one of the biggest stars of Nippon Professional Baseball, died early Tuesday morning of pneumonia at a Tokyo hospital, his former team said in a statement. He was 89.

Nagashima played third base for the Giants from 1958 to 1974. Along with fellow superstar first baseman Sadaharu Oh, Nagashima led the team to 11 Japan Series titles, including nine straight from 1965 to 1973. He retired with a .305 batting average, 2,471 hits, 1,522 RBIs and 444 home runs.

He was one of Japan’s biggest celebrities, so much so that his 1965 marriage to Akiko Nishimura was nationally televised and was reportedly the country’s most-watched program of the year.

In 1975, Nagashima became the Giants’ manager but was fired in 1980 after not leading the team to a Japan Series title. He returned as manager from 1993 to 2001, however, and led the Giants to championships in 1994 and 2000, with future MLB outfielder Hideki Matsui as his star player.

Current Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani took to Instagram on Tuesday to honor Nagashima. He posted three pictures of the two of them together, including two from the Dodgers’ trip to Tokyo in February for two games against the Chicago Cubs.

“May your soul rest in peace,” Ohtani wrote in Japanese.

Nagashima could have become the first Japanese MLB player, and he could have done so as a member of the Dodgers. In the spring of 1961, the Yomiuri Giants visited Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Fla., to train and play exhibition games.

Shigeo Nagashima stands between San Francisco Giants star Barry Bonds, left, and New York Mets manager Art Howe at an event in Tokyo on Nov. 7, 2002.

(David Guttenfelder / Associated Press)

Then-Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley is said to have been so impressed with Nagashima — who in the previous season had won the second of what would be six straight batting crowns in Nippon’s Central League — that he offered to buy Nagashima’s contract from Giants owner Matsutaro Shoriki.

Shoriki turned O’Malley down, and pitcher Masanori Murakami ended up becoming the first Japanese MLB player when he debuted with the San Francisco Giants in 1965. Chicago White Sox owner Bill Veeck also attempted to purchase Nagashima’s contract in 1968 but also was thwarted by Shoriki.

Nagashima maintained a close relationship with the Dodgers and the O’Malley family, particularly with Walter’s son Peter, according to Walter O’Malley’s website.

The Dodgers posted a tribute to Nagashima on X, featuring a photo of the 1988 Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame inductee with legendary Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda.

“The Dodgers mourn the passing of Shigeo Nagashima, Japan’s ‘Mr. Baseball,’ who died Tuesday in Tokyo at age 89,” the team wrote. “Nagashima became a legend for the Yomiuri Giants, who have enjoyed a longstanding relationship with the Dodgers from as far back as the 1960s. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and generations of fans.”

Nagashima’s wife, Akiko, died in 2007. They had four children, including oldest son Kazushige, a former professional baseball player who played for the Yomiuri Giants and Yakult Swallows in Japan, as well as 53 games for the Class A-Advanced Vero Beach Dodgers minor league affiliate in 1992.

From Shotgun Spratling: There’s levels to a proper program build. Baby steps have to sometimes be taken, even if everyone involved would like to jump past several of those. Lessons have to be learned. Experiences, both positive and negative, have to be endured.

USC suffered through one of those difficult experiences, getting manhandled by national championship contender Oregon State for the second day in a row in the Corvallis Regional final. The No. 8 national seed shut down USC’s offensive attack in the winner-take-all regional final, eliminating the Trojans from the NCAA tournament with a 9-0 victory.

“Frustrating finish for sure,” USC coach Andy Stankiewicz said after being outscored 23-1 in back-to-back losses to the Beavers. “Proud of our boys and our coaching staff. Proud to wear this jersey. We’ve gotten better. Obviously, this weekend shows us that we’ve got to get better and be more competitive.”

Oregon State freshman James DeCremer, making just his second start of the season, held USC (37-23) to two hits in five scoreless innings. Then sophomore Eric Segura, who was pulled in the first inning of his start Friday after getting knocked around by Saint Mary’s, fired three scoreless innings.

Sophomore Laif Palmer entered after just USC’s third hit of the game. He induced the fifth double play of the day and got another groundout to close out the game. All three Oregon State pitchers fired mid-90s fastballs, something rare among USC pitchers and too much for the Trojan hitters to handle.

“We had a hard time controlling their arms,” Stankiewicz said. “The fastball was pretty hot.”

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NBA PLAYOFFS RESULTS

All Times Pacific

NBA FINALS

West No. 1 Oklahoma City vs. Indiana

Thursday at Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Sunday at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m., ABC
Wed., June 11 at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Friday, June 13 at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Monday, June 16 at Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m., ABC*
Thursday, June 19 at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABC*
Sunday, June 22 at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m., ABC*

*if necessary

DODGERS

From Jack Harris: It took the Dodgers until the ninth inning Monday night to erase their first two-run deficit.

But when Tanner Scott surrendered a pair of scores in the top of the 10th, they couldn’t do it again.

In a 4-3 extra-innings loss to the New York Mets on Monday, a night that started with frustration — then crescendoed with a late-game rally — ultimately ended in a familiar fizzle.

Despite tying it behind a seventh-inning home run and a ninth-inning sacrifice fly from Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers (36-24) once again stumbled beneath the weight of their slumping closer.

In the top of the 10th, Scott gave up an RBI double to Francisco Alvarez to lead off the inning. Francisco Lindor followed with a down-the-line single to bring another run for the Mets (38-22). The left-hander, who signed for four years and $72 million this offseason, has a 4.73 earned-run average in his first 28 outings.

And after coming back once on Monday night, the Dodgers’ magic ran out in the bottom of the 10th.

Continue reading here

Plaschke: Missed chance to sweep Yankees leaves Dodgers in a precarious spot

Dodgers injuries: Mookie Betts nears return, but Tyler Glasnow’s body ‘not responding’

Well, Sale! It’s the Dodgers who have the all-time leader in strikeouts per nine innings

Dodgers box score

MLB scores

MLB standings

ANGELS

Mike Trout had three hits, including a three-run, 454-foot homer off the left-center field light stanchion in the Angels’ six-run first inning on Monday night, in a 7-6 win over the Boston Red Sox.

Zach Neto homered to lead off the game, and the Angels opened a 5-0 lead before before Red Sox starter Richard Fitts (0-3) recorded his first out. Jo Adell also homered in the first and added another solo shot in the sixth after Boston cut the lead to 6-5.

Jarren Duran had three hits for Boston, including a double to start the four-run fifth inning. Ceddanne Rafaela homered to make it 7-6 in the eighth.

Ryan Zeferjahn (3-1) was credited with the win, pitching a scoreless seventh inning and striking out two. Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 11th save, getting Romy Gonzalez on a line drive to the warning track in right to end it.

Continue reading here

Angels box score

MLB scores

MLB standings

L.A. OLYMPICS

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: LA28 announced Honda as its automotive partner for the L.A. Olympics on Monday, securing a major founding-level partnership that will help the private organizing committee cover its estimated $7-billion budget.

Honda, which opened its U.S. headquarters in L.A. in 1959 and is now based in Torrance, will work with LA28 on an accessible vehicle fleet that maximizes electric vehicles for the Games to help move athletes and officials around Southern California. The partnership will support U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes in the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and the Summer Games in 2028.

Financial terms of the top-tier partnership were not announced. Honda joins Delta and Comcast as LA28’s founding partners expected to lead the way in covering the estimated $2.5 billion in corporate sponsorship needed to stage the first Summer Games held in the United States since 1996.

Continue reading here

NHL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE, RESULTS

All times Pacific

STANLEY CUP FINALS

P3 Edmonton vs. A3 Florida
Wednesday at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNT
Friday at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNT
Monday at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT
Thursday, June 12 at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT
Saturday, June 14 at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNT*
Tuesday, June 17 at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT*
Friday, June 20 at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNT*

* If necessary

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1944 — Bounding Home, ridden by G.L. Smith, wins the Belmont Stakes by one-half length over Pensive, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

1959 — European Cup Final, Stuttgart: Real Madrid beats Stade de Reims, 2-0; 4th consecutive title for Los Blancos.

1961 — Sherluck, ridden by Braulio Baeza, wins the Belmont Stakes. Carry Beck, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, finishes seventh.

1972 — French Open Women’s Tennis: American icon Billie Jean King wins her only French singles title; beats Evonne Goolagong of Australia 6-3, 6-3.

1984 — Patty Sheehan wins the LPGA championship by a record 10 strokes over Beth Daniel and Pat Bradley.

1991 — Thomas Hearns becomes a world champion for the sixth time, capturing the World Boxing Association’s light-heavyweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Virgil Hill.

1992 — Chicago’s Michael Jordan scores a record 35 points, including a record six 3-pointers, in the first half as the Bulls beat Portland 122-89 in the opening game of the NBA Finals. Jordan finishes with 39 points and Chicago is only two points shy of the largest victory margin in the finals.

1999 — Four days after her first LPGA Tour victory, Kelli Kuehne ties the Women’s U.S. Open record with an 8-under 64 in the first round to take a one-stroke lead over Juli Inkster.

2001 — Karrie Webb wins the U.S. Women’s Open in a runaway for the second year in a row. Webb shoots a 1-under 69 for an eight-stroke victory, the largest margin at a Women’s Open in 21 years.

2004 — Calgary ties an NHL record with its 10th road win of the playoffs with a 3-2 overtime victory over Tampa Bay in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals. The New Jersey Devils also won 10 road playoff games during their championship seasons of 1995 and 2000.

2006 — Jeff Burton has the biggest come-from-behind win ever in a Busch race, overcoming a 36th-place starting position in the Dover 200 for his second victory of the season.

2006 — Russia’s Nikolai Valuev retains his WBA heavyweight title in Hanover, Germany, stopping Jamaican challenger Owen Beck with a right uppercut in the third round.

2011 — Roger Federer ends Novak Djokovic’s perfect season and 43-match winning streak, beating him 7-6 (5), 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5) in the French Open semifinals. Federer advances to the title match against five-time champion Rafael Nadal. Nadal reaches his sixth final in seven years at Roland Garros by defeating Andy Murray 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 in the other semifinal.

2012 — Tiger Woods won his 73rd PGA tour victory with a two-stoke win over Andres Romero and Rory Sabbatini in the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Course.

2017 — UEFA Champions League Final, Cardiff: Cristiano Ronaldo scores twice as defending champions Real Madrid thrash Juventus, 4-1 for 12th title; Juventus loses 5th consecutive final.

2018 — Stephen Curry, Golden State, broke Ray Allen’s NBA Finals record for the most 3-pointers with nine in the Warriors 122-103 Game 2 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

1918 — Dutch Leonard of the Boston Red Sox pitched his second no-hitter, blanking the Detroit Tigers 5-0.

1932 — Lou Gehrig became the first American League player to hit four home runs in a game, helping the New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia A’s 20-13. The event was overshadowed by the resignation of John McGraw as manager of the New York Giants.

1954 — Henry Thompson of the New York Giants hit three home runs and drove in eight runs in a 13-8 win against the St. Louis Cardinals. Willie Mays drove in the other five runs with two homers.

1971 — Ken Holtzman of the Chicago Cubs pitched his second no-hitter, beating the Cincinnati Reds 1-0.

1978 — Dave Johnson became the first major leaguer to hit two pinch-hit grand slams in a season. His grand slam in the ninth inning gave the Philadelphia Phillies a 5-1 victory over the Dodgers.

1989 — The Dodgers and Houston played 22 innings at the Astrodome in the longest night game in National League history — 7 hours and 14 minutes. The Astros won the game on Rafael Ramirez’s RBI single off Jeff Hamilton, normally the Dodgers’ third baseman. When the game ended, Fernando Valenzuela was playing first and Eddie Murray was at third.

1989 — Nolan Ryan pitched his 11th career one-hitter and struck out 11 as Texas beat Seattle 6-1. It was Ryan’s 16th low-hit game (no-hitter or one-hitter), breaking Bob Feller’s record of 15.

1995 — Pedro Martinez of Montreal pitched nine perfect innings against San Diego before giving up a leadoff double to Bip Roberts in the 10th inning of the Expos 1-0 win.

2003 — Sammy Sosa was ejected in the first inning of Chicago’s 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays after umpires found cork in his shattered bat.

2006 — Damion Easley hit three homers and had seven RBIs in Arizona’s 13-9 victory over Atlanta.

2008 — Randy Johnson took sole possession of second place on baseball’s career strikeout list after getting the Milwaukee Brewers’ Mike Cameron to go down swinging in the first inning. It was Johnson’s 4,673rd career strikeout, breaking a tie with Roger Clemens and leaving the Arizona Diamondbacks’ veteran ace behind only Nolan Ryan, who had 5,714 strikeouts in his career.

2017 — Albert Pujols hits his 600th home run of his career, the historic blast being a 4th-inning grand slam off Ervin Santana of the Twins in a 7-2 Angels win. He is the ninth player to join the exclusive fraternity.

2017 — Endinson Volquez of the Mets throws the first no-hiitter of the year, defeating the Diamonbacks 3-0.

2018 — Blake Snell ties an American League record by striking out the first 7 batters he faces for the Rays against the Mariners.

2022 — With a disappointing 22-29 record after splurging on free agents over the past few years, the Phillies fire manager Joe Girardi, who has failed to take them to the postseason in his two-plus seasons at the helm. Bench coach Rob Thomson is named manager on an interim basis to finish the season.

2024 —Padres player Tucupita Marcano faces a lifetime ban from baseball after an investigation by MLB found that he has placed bets on a large number of major league games, in contravention of very clear rule. He is suspected of having bet on Pirates games while injured last season; he has not played this season, also due to injury. The lifetime ban will be confirmed tomorrow and four other players will receive one-year suspensions for placing bets while they were in the minor leagues: Michael Kelly, Jay Groome, José Rodríguez and Andrew Saalfrank.

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 [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

The Dodgers’ lineup should be back at full strength soon.

When they’ll be able to say the same about their pitching staff is anyone’s guess.

First, the good news for the team: After fracturing the fourth toe on his left foot (the one closest to the pinky toe) last week and missing all three games against the New York Yankees, shortstop Mookie Betts went through a full slate of pregame hitting, baserunning and defensive drills on Monday and seemed probable to be available off the bench for the Dodgers in their series-opener against the New York Mets.

Assuming he continues to feel good, Betts should also return to the starting lineup on Tuesday, manager Dave Roberts said.

“That’s all contingent on if he recovers well tonight,” Roberts said.

Based on Betts’ activity level Monday, he certainly appeared to be ready to return. As one of the first Dodgers players on the field before the game, he spent several minutes running the bases, then went through a full session of infield grounders at shortstop. Betts also took batting practice, a day after Roberts said his swing in the batting cage “wasn’t compromised at all” by the freak injury.

“For me, I just want to make sure I move to make plays for those guys,” Betts said Sunday. “Hitting, hopefully that comes along. I just want to make sure I can play defense.”

As for the less encouraging update: A week after throwing his first bullpen session since going on the injured list in April with shoulder inflammation, Tyler Glasnow has been feeling general body discomfort, Roberts said.

Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow delivers against the Phillies on April 6, 2025 in Philadelphia.

(Derik Hamilton / Associated Press)

Glasnow has continued to play catch, including on Monday afternoon in the outfield of Dodger Stadium. But Roberts said he is “not sure when he’s gonna get back on a mound.”

“There was one ‘pen, and then [his] body didn’t respond,” Roberts said. “So we’re trying to figure out when we can ramp him back up.”

Given Glasnow’s extensive injury history, such a setback qualifies as only mildly surprising. The 31-year-old has never made more than 22 starts or pitched over 134 innings in a major league season. And while he set both of those high-marks in his first season with the Dodgers last year — arriving in Los Angeles via a trade from Tampa Bay two winters ago and an ensuing five-year, $136.5-million extension — he never returned from an elbow tendonitis injury he suffered in August, despite repeated attempts to comeback in time for the playoffs.

“I know he’s just as frustrated as we all are [that] the process since we’ve had him, it just hasn’t been linear, as far as getting him back,” Roberts said. “He’s champing at the bit, so that’s a good thing. He’s very anxious to get back out here and help his team.”

Of the Dodgers’ injured quartet of star pitchers — which also includes Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki and Shohei Ohtani — Glasnow was initially expected to return first.

Now, however, he and Snell might be on more similar timelines. Snell made notable progress in his throwing progression this week and could begin throwing bullpens early next week.

“He’s in a really good spot physically and mentally,” Roberts said of Snell.

Sasaki has also been throwing lately, though Roberts noted it has been low-intensity. Ohtani, meanwhile, threw his second live batting practice over the weekend, and remains on track to return sometime after the All-Star break.

In the bullpen, the Dodgers should get a couple of reinforcements in the coming days.

Hard-throwing right-hander Michael Kopech (out since the start of the season with a shoulder injury) will be in Los Angeles this week after completing a minor-league rehab assignment, though exactly when he will be activated remains to be seen. Kopech yielded 11 runs and 11 walks in 6 ⅓ innings with triple-A Oklahoma City, and Roberts said the club wants to “evaluate, see how he is” up close before having him make his MLB season debut.

Another veteran right-hander, Kirby Yates, threw his second bullpen session on Monday since suffering a hamstring strain last month. He will next throw a live batting practice on Wednesday, and could be activated as soon as next weekend.

It took the Dodgers until the ninth inning Monday night to erase their first two-run deficit.

But when Tanner Scott surrendered a pair of scores in the top of the 10th, they couldn’t do it again.

In a 4-3 extra-innings loss to the New York Mets on Monday, a night that started with frustration — then crescendoed with a late-game rally — ultimately ended in a familiar fizzle.

Despite tying it behind a seventh-inning home run and a ninth-inning sacrifice fly from Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers (36-24) once again stumbled beneath the weight of their slumping closer.

In the top of the 10th, Scott gave up an RBI double to Francisco Alvarez to lead off the inning. Francisco Lindor followed with a down-the-line single to bring another run for the Mets (38-22). The left-hander, who signed for four years and $72 million this offseason, has a 4.73 earned-run average in his first 28 outings.

And after coming back once on Monday night, the Dodgers’ magic ran out in the bottom of the 10th.

Although Freddie Freeman led off with a walk, and Andy Pages followed with an RBI single that made it a one-run score, the Dodgers came up empty the rest of the way.

Max Muncy struck out. Will Smith pinch-hit for Michael Conforto at the last second — literally running out of the dugout with Conforto already digging in at the plate — but flied out to center. Then Tommy Edman scorched a comebacker straight to reliever Jose Buttó, concluding a night in which the Dodgers went two for 11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 men on base.

The result squandered a strong six-inning, two-run start from Dustin May. It let Ohtani’s late-game heroics go to waste.

And instead of a rollicking late-game comeback, the Dodgers instead suffered a second consecutive deflating defeat.

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani hits a 424-foot home run to right field during the seventh inning Monday.

(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)

Yankees supporters are accustomed to Dodger Stadium being hostile ground, but being hit by a chunk of concrete falling from the stadium ceiling is beyond what fans steel themselves to encounter.

That is indeed what one Yankees fan says happened to him at Friday’s Dodgers-Yankees game.

Ricardo Aquino of Mexico City told the Athletic via a translator that a piece of the ceiling hit him in the back while he was seated in the top deck of the stadium during the third inning of the game. A photo showed the piece to be roughly the size of a baseball.

Aquino said he was in pain but applied an ice pack and soldiered on through the rest of the game, which the Dodgers ultimately won, 8-5, the news outlet reported.

A day later, a piece of concrete netting was installed in the area of the ceiling in the Section 10 reserve where the incident was reported, The Times confirmed.

“We had professionals and experts at Dodger Stadium this past weekend to examine the facility and ensure its safety,” Dodgers spokesperson Ally Salvage told The Times. “We will also be undertaking a longer-term review.”

Dodger Stadium, which opened in 1962, is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium west of the Mississippi and the third oldest in the nation, after Fenway Park in Boston and Wrigley Field in Chicago — both of which have also experienced issues with aging concrete.

In July 2004, there were three reports of chunks of concrete tumbling from the upper deck at Wrigley Field, prompting the Chicago Cubs to install protective netting and review stadium infrastructure, according to the Associated Press.

A major $100-million renovation project was completed at Dodger Stadium before the 2020 season. It included a new center field plaza with food and entertainment areas, more elevators and new bridges allowing fans to walk the entire perimeter of the stadium from any level inside the venue.

More renovations were completed in advance of this year’s season, this time focused on upgrading the clubhouse.

When is the “fastest” something of a slow roll?

How about last week when pitcher Chris Sale was crowned the fastest to reach 2,500 career strikeouts?

Not to diminish Sale’s accomplishment: It took him fewer innings (2,026) to record No. 2,500 than any other pitcher in history. But because of injuries and a reduced workload — both huge, flashing signs of the times — he didn’t achieve the feat until his 16th season.

Sale was appropriately humble, telling reporters, “I appreciate it for what it is, but I try not to get too caught up in stuff like that right now.”

Perhaps he realizes it took others far less time to reach the 2,500 milestone, including the top two strikeout artists of all time: Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson.

Strikeouts are a single lens in viewing the substantive changes over the last 100-plus years in how pitchers are utilized, record outs and withstand the burden. But they can be an instructive one.

Catch a whiff of this: A certain Dodger currently on the injured list strikes out more batters per nine innings than any other pitcher in baseball history, which in effect is another way to express Sale’s “fastest” title.

Blake Snell averages a record 11.1679 strikeouts per nine innings, edging out Sale, who is second all-time at 11.1056 among pitchers who average at least one inning per team game.

The believe-it-or-not distinction might explain why the Dodgers gave Snell a five-year, $182-million free agent contract last offseason. His wicked stuff that features a 96 mph four-seam fastball also could help explain why he’s on the injured list for the eighth time in the last eight seasons, this time out since April 6 with left shoulder inflammation.

Snell is the epitome of a highly valued starter in today’s game: He accumulates strikeouts at a higher rate than anyone else, gives up fewer hits than anyone else, and elicits only shrugs when someone points out that he has a grand total of one complete game in 213 career starts.

It is revealing that 13 of the top 20 pitchers on the all-time strikeout per innings list are active. The only one who didn’t pitch in the 21st century is Ryan at No. 19, just ahead of another believe-it-or-not name, Lucas Giolito.

Among the 33 pitchers to average more than a strikeout per inning, the only one whose career began in the 1950s has a statue outside Dodger Stadium: Sandy Koufax.

Koufax and Snell are two of 10 Dodgers among the 33, a clue as to what the Dodgers front office values in mound performance. Several of the names are less than luminary.

The others, from bottom to top: Lance Lynn (No. 32; 9.04), Rich Hill (No. 29; 9.12), Andrew Heaney (No. 25; 9.33), Clayton Kershaw (No. 16; 9.72), Trevor Bauer (No. 15; 9.82), Pedro Martinez (No. 12; 10.04), Yu Darvish (No. 7; 10.59) and Max Scherzer (No. 5; 10.65).

Note: Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani averaged a mammoth 11.40 strikeouts per nine innings in six seasons with the Angels but hasn’t pitched enough to qualify for the all-time list. He has recovered from elbow surgery and is expected to return to the mound after the All-Star break for the first time since August 2023.

Sale’s accomplishment, then, is sustaining a near-record rate of strikeouts per nine innings for more than 2,000 innings, certainly worthy of note.

An equally valid definition of “fastest” to reach a strikeout milestone would be how long it took to get there. The pitcher that the 6-foot-6, left-handed Sale surpassed was his boyhood idol: Johnson, a 6-10, left-handed flamethrower who ranks second to Ryan on the career strikeout list with 4,875.

Johnson notched No. 2,500 in inning No. 2,108 — 82 more than it took Sale. But he did so in only his 11th season, five seasons “faster” than Sale.

Incidentally — and incredibly — Johnson was only halfway through his career. He retired in 2009 after 22 seasons with 4,135.1 innings and 303 wins.

Granted, Johnson was an anomaly, the only hurler ever to amass more than 200 innings and 300 strikeouts in multiple seasons well into his 30s. At ages 35-38 from 1999-2002, he averaged a staggering 354 strikeouts and 258 innings a season.

The only comparable hurler was Ryan (record strikeout total: 5,714), who also reached No. 2,500 in his 11th season, the milestone whiff coming in inning No. 2,287 when he struck out Andre Thornton of Cleveland while pitching for the Angels in 1978.

Ryan’s longevity was even more impressive than Johnson’s: 27 seasons from 1966-93, 5,386 innings and 324 wins. No current pitcher will come close to those numbers.

On the other end of the strikeout spectrum are Hall of Fame pitchers from more than 100 years ago who logged vast numbers of innings while striking out far fewer batters per inning. Velocity wasn’t nearly as high or as prized as it is today and pitchers were expected to complete games they started.

Sale ranks No. 40 on the all-time strikeout list, and he next will pass Christy Mathewson, who needed a prodigious 4,788 innings to log 2,507 strikeouts from 1900-16. Mathewson is far down the list of strikeouts per nine innings, checking in at No. 689 with 4.71.

Walter Johnson, the legendary “Big Train” out of Fullerton Union High, is third all-time with 5,914 innings and ninth with 3,509 strikeouts in a career spanning 1907-27. But he averaged just 5.34 strikeouts per nine innings, ranking No. 520, a few notches ahead of the less than legendary former Dodgers swingman Elmer Dessens.

Other fabled names associated with blazing fastballs compiled surprisingly low strikeout rates as well. Bob “Rapid Robert” Feller, for example, sits at 6.07 strikeouts per nine innings.

Kershaw, meanwhile, is on the cusp of reaching a milestone that very nearly guarantees entry into the Hall of Fame: 3,000 strikeouts. The career Dodger in his 18th season has 2,974, and he’s inching toward the finish line, having struck out six in three abbreviated starts since coming off the injured list two weeks ago.

Although Kershaw has consistently downplayed the significance of reaching 3,000, he told Tyler Kepner of the Athletic last week that it’s on his mind.

“Yeah, I’d be lying if I didn’t want to do it,” Kershaw said. “But I think the coolest part is the company you get to be a part of. You know what I mean? There’s just some really special names.”

They include, of course, Ryan and Johnson. Nineteen pitchers have reached the milestone and 17 are in the Hall of Fame, with Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling falling short for reasons that had nothing to do with strikeout totals.

Kershaw is considered a Hall of Fame shoo-in, his earned-run average of 2.51 the lowest of any active pitcher that meets the innings qualification and his 212 career victories an impressive number in today’s game.

Snell’s candidacy falls into the “way too early to tell” category. Yes, he is the only pitcher to win a Cy Young award in each league, and his 3.18 career ERA sparkles. And, of course, striking out more batters per nine innings than anyone else in history stands out on his resume.

Yet Snell is in his 10th season and he has just 77 wins. Hall of Fame starters with the fewest MLB wins are Dizzy Dean (150) and Koufax (165), the careers of both cut short by arm injuries.

Snell’s career should be far from over. He’s only 32 and his lucrative Dodgers contract doesn’t expire until after the 2029 season. But to have a shot at the Hall, Snell must fulfill the promise that prompted the Dodgers to sign him.

The only active pitchers besides Kershaw considered Hall of Fame locks are Justin Verlander and Scherzer, both hard throwers with the requisite strikeout totals.

Verlander, 42, has 3,457 strikeouts while averaging 8.98 per nine innings. He also has 262 wins — 46 more than Scherzer and 50 more than Kershaw, the next two active pitchers on the all-time list. No one else is close to 200.

Scherzer ranks fifth all-time in strikeouts per nine innings at 10.65, trailing only Snell, Sale, Robby Ray (another believe-it-or-not name) and Jacob DeGrom. Scherzer’s career total of 3,408 ranks 11th, just behind Verlander.

Gerrit Cole, 34, appeared on a Hall of Fame track before undergoing Tommy John surgery in March. He won’t pitch again until early next season, putting a long pause on his current totals of 153 wins, 2,251 strikeouts and 10.37 strikeouts per nine innings.

The only recently retired starter who might be rehearsing his Hall induction speech is another former Dodger, Zack Greinke, who posted 225 wins and 2,979 strikeouts along with a 3.49 ERA before retiring in 2024 after 20 seasons.

What about Sale, whose rebound from four years of debilitating injuries to win a Cy Young award with the Atlanta Braves was one of baseball’s best stories of 2024? He finished in the top five of Cy Young voting seven years in a row from 2012-2018, and his 3.04 career ERA is lower than any active starter besides Kershaw and DeGrom.

“He’s kind of doing Hall of Fame stuff,” Braves manager Brian Snitker told reporters. “That guy is probably as big a baseball fan as anybody, just the history of the game and the competition. He’s a ballplayer, and it’s really cool to watch.”

Yet Sale has only 141 wins, and that perceived blemish could be an interesting litmus test for Hall voters who profess to recognize that wins are much more difficult to accumulate now that teams routinely limit starters to six or fewer innings.

Strikeouts are king these days, and the Dodgers clearly know it.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. A sad farewell to Loretta Swit, who played Major Margaret Houlihan on “M*A*S*H*,” one of my favorite shows. All that’s left now are Hawkeye, B.J., Radar and Klinger.

Once again, in the quest to give you some different voices to hear from during the season, I have reached out to Jake Reiner, who has co-hosted The Incline: Dodgers Podcast with Kevin Klein since 2020. Reiner, an actor, writer, and producer based in Los Angeles, executive produced and starred in the romantic comedy “Things Like This,” which is currently playing in theaters across the country. Reiner was featured in the final season of HBO Max’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” He’s also born into television royalty as the son of Rob Reiner and grandson of the late Carl Reiner.

This interview was conducted via email.

Q. How long ago and why did you become a Dodger fan?

Reiner: I’ve been a Dodgers fan ever since I learned what baseball was as a young child growing up in Los Angeles. The love of baseball is something that has been passed down from my grandfather to my father and then to me. Both my grandfather and father were originally New York Giants fans that converted to Dodgers fans for different reasons. My grandfather switched his allegiance because he fell in love with Jackie Robinson, and my father changed sides when the Giants traded his beloved Willie Mays to the Mets. I was lucky enough to be born into it after they were already bleeding Dodger blue. Thank God!

Q. How do you assess this season’s team?

Reiner: This year’s team is fascinating because there is a lot to improve with this roster and yet they’re still leading the division. It’s no secret the offense has carried them the entire time. I love the way they’re scoring because they aren’t just reliant on the home run. They’re manufacturing runs, hitting with runners in scoring position, and no deficit feels too large to overcome. The biggest mystery to me is why can’t any of their pitchers stay healthy? We’ve seen a few seasons of this recently, especially with the starting rotation. It’s honestly frustrating as a fan of a team that is so well-run in every aspect but we can’t seem to get a straight answer as to why guys such as Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell can’t stay on the mound.

Q. A genie grants your wish and says you are the owner of the Dodgers and can make three immediate changes. What changes do you make?

Reiner: 1. I would start Hyeseong Kim every day. Kim provides a type of offensive dynamic that the Dodgers don’t have anywhere on their roster outside of Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman. He’s surgical with the bat, can beat out an infield single, steal bases, and has some pop. But unlike Ohtani, Kim plays the field at an elite level. Who knows how long Mookie Betts will be out with his fractured toe, so he may get some more opportunities at shortstop, but playing Miguel Rojas over Kim at this point should be considered a crime. I don’t care about platooning — Kim is the better player.

2. This brings me to my next point. I think Rojas’ time as a Dodger should come to an end. We saw how decisive the Dodgers were with Chris Taylor and Austin Barnes, and I think Rojas is next on the list. Not knowing everything he provides as a clubhouse leader, what he provides on the field is not cutting it. He kills too many rallies by grounding into double plays while leaving Ohtani on deck most times, he’s too slow, and his defense can be replaced. The Dodgers already employ Kim, Kiké Hernández, and Tommy Edman, who can do everything Rojas can do, but exponentially better. Plus, I’d like to see a guy like Alex Freeland get called up from OKC to see what he can do at the big league level.

3. My last change(s) might be the most obvious, which is the Dodgers need to stock up as much pitching as they possibly can get before the July 31 trade deadline. Two starters and two relievers would be ideal, but I know that might be asking for too much. I don’t trust Glasnow, Snell, and Roki Sasaki will all return and be effective. I also don’t trust Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol, and Kirby Yates to return at full strength either. This might be a pessimistic view, but the Dodgers medical staff hasn’t instilled any confidence in me as it relates to the health of their pitchers.

Q. Tanner Scott is struggling right now. The Dodgers pitching is not as good as usual, and they have 14 pitchers on the IL. Do you remain patient, waiting for these guys to get healthy, or do you make a trade?

Reiner: I think you can be more patient waiting for some of the relievers to come back — especially if the Dodgers are able to maintain their standing in the NL West. But we’ve seen a lot of blown saves and home runs galore surrendered by this bullpen, which is not sustainable. If it were me, I’d actually try and find an innings-eating starting pitcher that can be effective and take the ball every fifth day. That might help the overworked bullpen. With all that said, the Dodgers offense has been able to weather the storm — I just hope they can keep this up until we get closer to the trade deadline.

Q. Last week, a website listed their 10 greatest Dodgers. A lot of fans were unhappy that Ohtani wasn’t among the top 10. Seems way too soon to consider him one of the 10 greatest Dodgers. What do you think?

Reiner: I think the fact that Ohtani won an MVP, had a 50-50 season, and won a title all in his first season with the Dodgers has fans salivating and already declaring him a Dodgers legend. I don’t doubt he’ll continue to put up monster numbers for this franchise, and I’ve even let myself think about him as the greatest player of all time, but let’s give him a few more seasons in blue to truly cement himself in the top 10. While we’re on the topic, I think Freddie Freeman could crack that list too when it’s all said and done.

Q. Do you have a favorite moment from your podcast, and how can fans listen to it?

Reiner: We’ve had a lot of cool guests on the podcast over the years: Shawn Green, Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia, Tim Neverett, Stephen Nelson, Gavin Stone, Dalton Rushing, Bob Nightengale, and Victor Rojas to name a few (all of them basically). However, I’d say one of my favorite moments, which was also a tragedy, was when the Dodgers got swept by the Diamondbacks in the 2023 NLDS. I don’t think my co-hosts or I had ever been this collectively animated on a single episode. The pain and frustration we released was as therapeutic as it was completely unhinged. We can laugh about it now because the Dodgers eventually cleaned up their postseason woes from 2022 and 2023 to win it all in 2024.

Fans can listen to us on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or anywhere you get your podcasts! Please also follow us on X @TheInclinePod!

The Yankees series

It’s funny how the order of victories can change how you view a series. The Dodgers get a great comeback victory over the Yankees on Friday, then blow them out Saturday, before losing Sunday, and some act like it’s the worst thing that has ever happened. If it had been reversed, and the Dodgers had lost Friday, then had an amazing comeback victory Saturday and a blowout victory Sunday, those same people would be talking about how amazing the Dodgers are.

The fact of the matter is the Dodgers won two of three from the team many believe is the best team in the American League. This is a good thing.

The Dodgers are beginning a tough stretch of games right now. The next 16 games are: Four against the Mets, three at St. Louis, three at San Diego, three against San Francisco, three more against San Diego. Only one day off in the middle of all of that. At the end of those 16 games, we will know a lot more about just how good this team is. Right now, they are off to a good start. Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.

All-time leaders

Which batters struck out the most with the Dodgers?

Franchise
1. Matt Kemp, 1,179
2. Duke Snider, 1,123
3. Gil Hodges, 1,108
4. Eric Karros, 1,105
5. Chris Taylor, 1,044
6. Andre Ethier, 938
7. Pee Wee Reese, 890
8. Max Muncy, 882
9. Ron Cey, 838
10. Willie Davis, 815

Los Angeles only
1. Matt Kemp, 1,179
2. Eric Karros, 1,105
3. Chris Taylor, 1,044
4. Andre Ethier, 938
5. Max Muncy, 882
6. Ron Cey, 838
7. Willie Davis, 815
8. Steve Garvey, 751
9. Mike Marshall, 724
10. Steve Yeager, 703
11. Cody Bellinger, 691
12. Bill Russell, 667
13. Raúl Mondesi, 663
14. Justin Turner, 647
15. Davey Lopes, 629

Is there a top 10 Dodgers list you’d like to see Email me at [email protected] and let me know.

Top 10 Dodgers

I asked you what sort of top 10 list you’d like to see, and the response was overwhelming for “Top 10 Dodgers at each position.” So, starting with the next newsletter, we will go position by position, listing the top 10 for each. Up first will be shortstop. And I’d like to hear from you, Who do you think are the top 10 Dodgers shortstops of all time? Rank them in order, and I’ll compile it and present your list after I give you mine.

Who are your top 10 Dodgers shortstops of all time (including Brooklyn)? Email your list [email protected] and let me know.

Bad news for Phillips

When Evan Phillips was first put on the IL, the Dodgers thought it would just be for the 15 days required. But no. The Dodgers announced Saturday that Phillips would undergo Tommy John surgery, which means he probably won’t pitch again until after the 2026 All-Star break.

A tough blow for the bullpen, which still has key members Blake Treinen, Michael Kopech, Kirby Yates and Brusdar Graterol on the IL.

He can see clearly now

Since putting on glasses, Max Muncy is a new man. In the 25 games since then he’s hitting .262/.387/.536 with six homers and 27 RBIs, 17 walks and 17 K’s in 84 at bats. Sometimes, patience pays off.

Though if I were the Dodgers, I’d bring a top optometrist and ophthalmologist to spring training next season.

Boiling point

Sammy Roth writes our “Boiling Point” newsletter, which deals with environmental concerns. His most recent newsletter takes a look at how the familiar orange and blue 76 logo, a longtime Dodgers sponsor, is now also sponsoring the, wait for it …. San Francisco Giants. Roth writes:

“Long before Clayton Kershaw donned No. 22 and Fernando Valenzuela wore No. 34, another number told fans it was time for Dodger baseball: 76.

“Union Oil Co., the 76 gasoline brand’s former owner, helped finance Dodger Stadium’s construction. The brand’s current owner, Phillips 66, remains a major sponsor. Through six World Series titles, orange-and-blue 76 logos have been a constant presence at Chavez Ravine. They tower above the scoreboards and grace the outfield walls.

“So when 76 recently posted on Instagram that it had begun sponsoring L.A.’s rivals in San Francisco — with an orange-and-blue logo on the center field clock at Oracle Park — some Dodgers fans weren’t pleased…..

An interesting newsletter, worth a read, which you can do here.

These names seem familiar

A look at how some prominent Dodgers from the last few seasons are doing with their new team (through Sunday). Click on the player name to be taken to the baseball-reference page with all their stats.

Batters

Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .253/.330/.443, 224 plate appearances, 9 doubles, 2 triples, 8 homers, 32 RBIs, 118 OPS+

Michael Busch, Cubs: .266/.366/.486, 205 PA’s, 11 doubles, 2 triples, 8 homers, 33 RBIs, 143 OPS+

Jason Heyward, Padres, .176/.223/.271, 95 PA’s, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 12 RBIs, 39 OPS+, on the IL

Gavin Lux, Reds: .291/.380/.400, 200 PA’s, 14 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 22 RBIs, 112 OPS+

Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .267/.358/.420, 205 PA’s, 10 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homers, 19 RBIs, 122 OPS+

Joc Pederson, Rangers, .131/.269/.238, 146 PA’s, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, 6 RBIs, 49 OPS+, on the IL

Keibert Ruiz, Nationals, .280/.327/.363, 168 PA’s, 7 doubles, 2 homers, 17 RBIs, 97 OPS+

Corey Seager, Rangers: .276/.317/.466, 107 PA’s, 4 doubles, 6 homers, 12 RBIs, 124 OPS+

Chris Taylor, Angels: .091/.091/.091, 11 PA’s, -48 OPS+ (numbers with Angels only)

Justin Turner, Cubs: .210/.302/.272, 96 PA’s, 2 doubles, 1 homer, 11 RBIs, 67 OPS+

Trea Turner, Phillies: .299/.358/.423, 257 PA’s, 10 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, 25 RBIs, 117 OPS+

Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .236/.313/.423, 233 PA’s, 15 doubles, 8 homers, 26 RBIs, 108 OPS+

Alex Verdugo, Braves: .259/.320/.326, 147 PA’s, 9 doubles, 10 RBIs, 82 OPS+

Pitching

Walker Buehler, Red Sox: 4-3, 4.44 ERA, 46.2 IP, 46 hits, 15 walks, 42 K’s, 93 ERA+

Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 3-6, 3.94 ERA, 59.1 IP, 47 hits, 19 walks, 72 K’s, 101 ERA+

Kenley Jansen, Angels: 0-2, 5.19 ERA, 11 saves, 17.1 IP, 19 hits, 7 walks, 16 K’s, 80 ERA+

Craig Kimbrel, Braves: in the minors

Kenta Maeda, Cubs: 0-0, 7.88 ERA, 8 IP, 9 hits, 6 walks, 8 K’s, 52 ERA+, in the minors

Ryan Pepiot, Rays: 3-5, 3.21 ERA, 70 IP, 61 hits, 20 walks, 56 K’s, 121 ERA+

Max Scherzer, Blue Jays: 0-0, 6.00 ERA, 3 IP, 3 hits, 0 walks, 1 K, 74 ERA+, on the IL

Ryan Yarbrough, Yankees: 3-0, 2.83 ERA, 41.1 IP, 30 hits, 11 walks, 40 K’s, 139 ERA+

Is there a player you’d like to see listed here? Email me at [email protected] and let me know.

Up next

Monday: New York Mets (Tylor Megill, 4-4, 3.52 ERA) at Dodgers (Dustin May, 3-4, 4.20 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Tuesday: New York Mets (Griffin Canning, 5-2, 3.23 ERA) at Dodgers (*Clayton Kershaw, 0-0, 4.91 ERA, 2.12 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, TBS, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Wednesday: New York Mets (*David Peterson, 4-2, 2.69 ERA) at Dodgers (Tony Gonsolin, 3-1, 5.23 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Thursday: New York Mets (Kodai Senga, 5-3, 1.46 ERA) at Dodgers (Landon Knack, 2-2, 5.22 ERA), 1:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Hernández: ‘I have no words for it.’ Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani inspires awe and confidence

Mookie Betts dealing with fractured toe, won’t start against Yankees this weekend

Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery

And finally

A look at Maury Wills’ 104 stolen bases in 1962. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected], and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

From Tim Willert: UCLA‘s run at the Women’s College World Series ended Sunday, two innings after Bruins slugger Megan Grant extended it.

Laura Mealer‘s bases-loaded, walk-off single to right field in the bottom of the ninth propelled Tennessee to a 5-4 win and a semifinal meeting with Texas at 9 a.m. PDT Monday.

The Volunteers (47-16) did what UCLA couldn’t in the ninth: deliver with the bases loaded. The Bruins got singles from Savannah Pola and Jordan Woolery followed by an intentional walk to Grant. But Alexis Ramirez grounded out to first to end the inning.

Taylor Pannell hit a deep fly to left field to lead off Tennessee’s half of the ninth, a ball that caromed off Rylee Slimp’s glove and hit the white padding on the top of the wall but didn’t leave the field. The play was reviewed and ruled a double.

Mealer, who knocked in two runs in the first inning to give the Volunteers an early 2-0 lead, delivered again, this time on a 2-2 pitch from Taylor Tinsley, who came on in relief of UCLA starter Kaitlyn Terry.

“Just a great battle to the end,” UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “I could not be more proud. Period. Just the ability for us to be able to fight, the ability for us to come back, the epic [rally], just down to the last pitch … there’s something about what UCLA softball can do, with your backs against the wall and just rising to the occasion creates some amazing memories.”

Continue reading here

NBA PLAYOFFS RESULTS

All Times Pacific

Conference finals

Western Conference

No. 1 Oklahoma City vs. No. 6 Minnesota
at Oklahoma City 114, Minnesota 88 (box score)
at Oklahoma City 118, Minnesota 103 (box score)
at Minnesota 143, Oklahoma City 101 (box score)
Oklahoma City 128, at Minnesota 126 (box score)
at Oklahoma City 124, Minnesota 94 (box score)

Eastern Conference

No. 3 New York vs. No. 4 Indiana
Indiana 138, at New York 135 (OT) (box score)
Indiana 114, at New York 109 (box score)
New York 106, at Indiana 100 (box score)
at Indiana 130, New York 121 (box score)
at New York 111, Indiana 94 (box score)
at Indiana 125, New York 108 (box score)

NBA FINALS

West No. 1 Oklahoma City vs. Indiana

Thursday at Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Sunday, June 8 at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m., ABC
Wed., June 11 at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Friday, June 13 at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Monday, June 16 at Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m., ABC*
Thursday, June 19 at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABC*
Sunday, June 22 at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m., ABC*

*if necessary

DODGERS

From Jack Harris: Dave Roberts downplayed the easy narrative on Sunday afternoon.

“No,” he said when asked if his Dodgers had the New York Yankees’ proverbial number, having followed up their defeat of the Bronx Bombers in last year’s World Series with two impressive wins to start this weekend’s rematch at Dodger Stadium.

“I think we’ve had their number the last two nights,” Roberts said, “but today’s a different day.”

Was it ever.

Twenty-four hours after a total annihilation of the Yankees in a 16-run rout on Saturday, the Dodgers suffered the kind of setback that has so often plagued them this season, squandering the chance to build further momentum in a 7-3 loss that prevented a series sweep.

Continue reading here

Going bananas: Why Savannah Bananas tickets cost more than a Dodgers-Yankees rematch

Hernández: How Japan media track down Ohtani’s home-run balls

Dodgers box score

MLB scores

MLB standings

ANGELS

José Ramírez homered during a three-run fourth inning, Gavin Williams gave up only one hit in 6⅔ innings and the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Angels 4-2 on Sunday.

Ramírez extended Cleveland’s lead to 2-0 when he connected on a slider from Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz (3-7) and put it into the stands in right-center for his team-leading 11th homer to lead off the fourth.

Nolan Jones added a two-run single with the bases loaded for the other runs in the inning as the Guardians took two of three games in the weekend series.

Continue reading here

Angels box score

MLB scores

MLB standings

UCLA BASEBALL

From Benjamin Royer: UCLA baseball is one step closer to earning a trip to Omaha.

The Bruins continued to roll in every facet of the game in the Los Angeles Regional final, scoring early and trusting their bullpen to defeat UC Irvine 8-5 on Sunday night. The Bruins advance to the super regionals of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019 and will host the Texas San Antonio at Jackie Robinson Stadium this week.

UTSA defeated Texas 7-4 in the Austin Regional final, taking down the national second-seed Longhorns to advance to its first-ever super regional.

If UCLA beats UTSA, it’ll advance to the College World Series in Omaha for the first time since 2013.

Continue reading here

USC BASEBALL

From Shotgun Spratling: USC baseball wanted to be aggressive knowing it was entering a hostile environment, playing in front of a sold-out crowd of 4,347 at Goss Stadium.

The Trojans tried to set the tone early.

Instead, it backfired, costing them early opportunities, early momentum and ultimately Sunday night’s matchup in a 14-1 loss to Oregon State in the Corvallis Regional final.

USC has a chance for redemption Monday as Oregon State’s win forces a winner-take-all regional final at 3 p.m. PDT (ESPNU).

Continue reading here

UC IRVINE BASEBALL

From Benjamin Royer: In the game early Sunday that advanced UC Irvine to the Sunday night game against UCLA….

Under threat of elimination, UC Irvine‘s bats emerged once again.

Bringing the power for a second straight game, the Anteaters connected for five home runs Sunday, eliminating Arizona State 11-6 in the Los Angeles Regional of the NCAA baseball tournament.

Needing to win four straight games to advance to the super regionals after losing to Arizona State on Friday, UC Irvine is halfway to its goal.

Alonso Reyes — who had just one home run in 2025 entering Sunday’s game — ripped a two-run home run off of Sun Devils starter Derek Schaefer in the fourth inning. Later in the inning, after Arizona State coach Willie Bloomquist went with Lucas Kelly out of the bullpen, Chase Call cleared the batter’s eye in dead center field for a two-run home run to give the Anteaters a 6-1 lead.

Continue reading here

SPARKS

From Anthony De Leon: Sunday’s matchup between the Sparks and Phoenix Mercury felt like déjà vu. When the Sparks faced Phoenix last month, the game ended with a failed Sparks comeback.

In a twist of fate, Sunday’s comeback belonged to Phoenix.

Unable to stay ahead after building an 18-point lead, the Sparks fell 85-80 to the Mercury at Crypto.com Arena for their third consecutive loss.

As with the first meeting, the third quarter proved to be the Sparks’ undoing. After scoring just seven points in the third quarter of their loss to Phoenix on May 21, the Sparks were outscored 24-9 in the third Sunday.

Continue reading here

Sparks box score

WNBA standings

USC-NOTRE DAME POLL

We asked readers of of our Sports Report and USC newsletters: Could a smoother path to the College Football Playoff be worth losing the USC-Notre Dame rivalry?

After 1,154 votes,

Yes, 17.6%
No, 82.4%

NHL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE, RESULTS

All times Pacific

STANLEY CUP FINALS

P3 Edmonton vs. A3 Florida
Wednesday at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNT
Friday, June 6 at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNT
Monday, June 9 at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT
Thursday, June 12 at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT
Saturday, June 14 at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNT*
Tuesday, June 17 at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT*
Friday, June 20 at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNT*

* If necessary

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1896 — Hastings, ridden by H. Griffin, edges Handspring by a neck to capture the Belmont Stakes.

1908 — Royal Tourist, ridden by Eddie Dugan, posts a four-length victory over Live Wire in the Preakness Stakes.

1909 — Joe Madden, ridden by Eddie Dugan, wins the Belmont Stakes by eight lengths over Wise Mason.

1935 — French Championships Men’s Tennis: Englishman Fred Perry wins his only French title, beating Gottfried von Cramm of Germany 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.

1947 — After a six-year layoff, 13-year-old Honey Cloud wins the second race at Aqueduct. His jockey, Clarence Minner, takes his first ride in 10 years.

1962 — French Championships Women’s Tennis: In an all-Australian final Margaret Smith beats doubles partner Lesley Turner 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.

1971 — European Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London: Ajax beats Panathinaikos, 2-0; Dutch champions begin 3-year period of domination.

1985 — Nancy Lopez beats Alice Miller by eight strokes to win the LPGA championship.

1991 — Andrettis finish 1-2-3 in the Miller 200 at Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway in Milwaukee. Mario Andretti finishes third, his son Michael wins the race and his nephew John finished second.

1996 — Annika Sorenstam closes with a 4-under 66 to win her second consecutive U.S. Women’s Open. Sorenstam’s 8-under 272 is the best ever in the Open.

2002 — Annika Sorenstam matches the LPGA record for margin of victory in a 54-hole event while winning the inaugural Kellogg-Keebler Classic. Sorenstam finishes at 21-under 195 to win by 11 strokes.

2005 — Jockey Russell Baze records his 9,000th career victory aboard Queen of the Hunt in the eighth race at Golden Gate Fields.

2007 — Daniel Gibson scores a career-high 31 points as Cleveland beats Detroit 98-82 to advance to the NBA Finals. The Cavaliers are the third team to come back from an 0-2 deficit in a conference finals, joining the 1971 Baltimore Bullets and 1993 Chicago Bulls.

2008 — Pittsburgh outlasts Detroit 4-3 in three overtimes of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals. Petr Sykora scores at 9:57 of the third overtime ending the fifth-longest finals game in NHL history.

2011 — Dirk Nowitzki makes the tie-breaking layup with 3.6 seconds left, and the Dallas Mavericks roar back from 15 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Miami Heat 95-93 and tie the NBA finals at one game apiece. The Mavs outscore the Heat 22-5 down the stretch and pull off the biggest comeback win in an NBA finals since 1992.

2019 — US Open Women’s Golf, CC of Charleston: Lee Jeong-eun of South Korea wins her first major title; beats runners-up Lexi Thompson, Agel Yin and Ryu So-yeon by 2 strokes.

THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

1928 — Les Bell of the Boston Braves hit three home runs and a triple at Braves Field, but the Cincinnati Reds came away with a 20-12 triumph.

1928 — The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1. All the runs came from three pinch-hit home runs.

1941 — Lou Gehrig died in New York at age 37.

1949 — The Philadelphia Phillies hit five homers in the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds. Andy Seminick hit two and Del Ennis, Willie Jones, and Schoolboy Rowe hit one apiece. Seminick had homered earlier in the game.

1959 — The Baltimore Orioles-Chicago White Sox game at Comiskey Park was delayed for nearly half an hour as a swarm of gnats overcame the field. Groundskeepers tried using bug sprays and torches, but the gnats wouldn’t budge. A postgame fireworks display was brought in from center field and a smoke bomb was attached to the framework. The gnats left and the Orioles defeated the White Sox, 3-2.

1990 — Randy Johnson pitched the first no-hitter in the Seattle Mariners’ history as he beat the Detroit Tigers 2-0. The 6-foot-10 left-hander, walked six and struck out eight while pitching the first no-hitter at the Kingdome, which opened for baseball in 1977.

1996 — Houston starter Darryl Kile tied the modern major league record by hitting four batters in a 2-0 loss at St. Louis, and the first to do it in the NL since Moe Drabowsky in 1957.

2000 — Tampa Bay’s Fred McGriff hit his 400th career home run, but the Devil Rays lost to the Mets 5-3.

2000 — Rick Aguilera of the Chicago Cubs became the 13th pitcher with 300 saves in a 2-0 win over Detroit. Aguilera reached the mark in 614 career appearances, third quickest.

2002 — Philadelphia pitcher Robert Person drove in seven runs with a grand slam and a three-run homer in an 18-3 win over Montreal. Person had just come off the disabled list and collected his first win of the season.

2005 — Kansas City completed a sweep of the New York Yankees with a 5-2 victory. The Royals, who have the worst record and second-lowest payroll in the major leagues, finished their first three-game sweep of the Yankees at home in 15 years.

2009 — Dan Uggla of the Marlins became the fastest second baseman to 100 homers in Florida’s 10-3 win over Milwaukee. Uggla’s two-run shot in the bottom of the second came in his 502nd game as a second baseman, beating Alfonso Soriano to 100 by 34 games.

2010 — Ken Griffey Jr. announces his retirement after 22 seasons in the major leagues. Hitting only .184 in part-time duty for the Mariners, he retires with 630 career home runs and six seasons of 40 or more homers. Most of his career was spent with Seattle and the Cincinnati Reds.

2010 — Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers lost his bid for a perfect game with two outs in the ninth inning on a call that first base umpire Jim Joyce later admitted he blew. First baseman Miguel Cabrera cleanly fielded Jason Donald’s grounder to his right and made an accurate throw to Galarraga covering the bag. The ball was there in time, and all of Comerica Park was ready to celebrate the 3-0 win over Cleveland, until Joyce emphatically signaled safe.

2011 — Aubrey Huff hit three home runs and matched his career best with six RBIs and the San Francisco Giants posted a 12-7 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Huff hit two-run homers in the fourth and ninth and a solo shot in the seventh.

2015 — In a memorable major league debut, Rangers 3B Joey Gallo hits a two-run homer in his second at-bat on the way to collecting 3 hits and 4 RBIs in leading Texas to a 15-2 beating of the White Sox.

2017 — Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers records his 2,000th career strikeout.

2018 — Jacob deGrom matches a career high set just two weeks earlier by racking up 13 strikeouts in 7 innings in a start against the Cubs.

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 [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Dave Roberts downplayed the easy narrative on Sunday afternoon.

“No,” he said when asked if his Dodgers had the New York Yankees’ proverbial number, having followed up their defeat of the Bronx Bombers in last year’s World Series with two impressive wins to start this weekend’s rematch at Dodger Stadium.

“I think we’ve had their number the last two nights,” Roberts said, “but today’s a different day.”

Was it ever.

Twenty-four hours after a total annihilation of the Yankees in a 16-run rout on Saturday, the Dodgers suffered the kind of setback that has so often plagued them this season, squandering the chance to build further momentum in a 7-3 loss that prevented a series sweep.

For as complete a performance as the Dodgers (36-23) put together Saturday, they looked equally out of sorts in a “Sunday Night Baseball” finale, getting a rare bad start from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, mistakes on defense and basepaths that cost them early runs, and virtually nothing from a lineup that looked largely discombobulated against funky left-hander (and former Dodgers swingman) Ryan Yarbrough.

They might have come out of the weekend with a marquee series win, continuing to nurse a narrow lead in the National League West standings.

But, they invited more scrutiny over their inconsistent start to the season with a finale flop, dropping to 13-13 over their last 26 games.

“You got to focus on the positives,” third baseman Max Muncy said. “We just took two of three from a really, really good team. We’re obviously upset that we didn’t get this one. But we played two really good games. … Just [today] the result wasn’t there.”

Yamamoto had been the one constant in the Dodgers’ injury-plagued rotation. His 1.97 earned-run average was second in the NL. His 64 innings not only led the team, but were almost twice as many as anyone else besides Dustin May.

Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto shouts in frustration after giving up a home run to New York’s Ben Rice in the third inning.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Yamamoto also had an impressive personal track record against the Yankees (36-22), shutting them out over seven innings in New York last June before delivering 6 ⅓ innings of one-run ball in Game 2 of the World Series.

On Sunday, however, he couldn’t consistently find the strike zone or execute his trademark splitter. And after scoring just two runs in their previous 15 innings in this series, the Yankees finally came to life at the plate.

“I was not being able to control my pitches,” Yamamoto said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. “During the game, I was trying to make an adjustment, but … I could not get it back, my stuff.”

In the first, Trent Grisham singled and Ben Rice walked before Jasson Domínguez dumped a line drive into left, driving in a run when Andy Pages airmailed his throw to home plate.

In the third, a leadoff walk to Judge was followed by a two-run homer to Rice — Yamamoto missing badly with two splitters in the first at-bat before leaving one hanging in the next.

Later in the inning, the Yankees scored again after Yamamoto gave up two singles and spiked a splitter for a run-scoring wild pitch.

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani strikes out against the Yankees in the first inning Sunday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

And with two outs in the fourth, Roberts pulled Yamamoto, his pitch count having ballooned to 96 on a day he gave up a season-high in hits (seven) and walked three others. It was the first time this year that Yamamoto, whose ERA rose to 2.39, had failed to complete the fifth.

“He wasn’t great today, wasn’t sharp with any of his pitches,” Roberts said. “Really uncharacteristic.”

The Dodgers faltered in other ways, as well.

After his first-inning throwing error, Pages made a mistake on the bases in the second. Following a one-out double, he was thrown out on an over-aggressive steal of third. That meant that when Tommy Edman homered moments later — his first long ball in 17 games, breaking him out of a recent funk at the plate — it was only a solo blast, temporarily tying the score before the Yankees answered in the next half-inning.

There would be no counterpunch from Dodgers’ offense, which was missing Mookie Betts for a third-straight game because of a toe fracture (Betts said before the game his toe was starting to feel better, and went through pregame activities in hopes of avoiding a stint on the injured list).

Instead, Yarbrough cruised against the team that dealt him away at last year’s trade deadline.

Even though he never hit 90 mph with his fastball, he induced a string of soft contact while striking out five in a six-inning start. Yarbrough was especially effective against the top of the Dodgers’ order, which went a combined 0 for 16.

“It’s funky,” catcher Will Smith, who was batting cleanup, said of Yarbrough’s unorthodox delivery. “We gave them a little momentum. They jumped on us early [with] some long innings. So he did a good job attacking us and keeping us off balance.”

The Dodgers did show some life after Yarbrough’s exit, with Pages and Muncy each taking reliever Jonathan Loáisiga deep within the space of three at-bats.

But by then, it was much too little, much too late — resulting in the Dodgers’ second straight series in which they failed to complete a sweep, and yet another momentum-halting loss in a season plagued by a few too many of them.

“I think for us, the takeaway is we won a series and that was the goal coming in,” Roberts said. “I think at the end of the day, you keep winning series and things will take care of themselves.”

In a region where baseball is king, the long-awaited rematch of last year’s World Series between the Dodgers and Yankees is unfolding. Ohtani. Judge. Two of the game’s best, facing off once more.

But just down the 5 Freeway in Anaheim, the home of Disney, the hottest ticket in baseball this weekend belongs to a stilted pitcher, juggling infielders and a yellow-suited, top hat-wearing carnival barker.

For back-to-back nights, more than 45,000 fans packed the Big A to see the Savannah Bananas — a team born from a small-time collegiate summer team that became a tour de force that has forever changed baseball. It was one stop during the Bananas’ most audacious barnstorming effort since their baseball traveling show hit the road just a few years ago.

The Savannah Bananas celebrate amid confetti after beating the Firefighters at Angel Stadium on Friday.

(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)

These tickets were only available through a lottery — reserved months in advance. And when they went on sale, all were gone in an instant. The only way in was through the resale market, where just hours before first pitch on Friday, the lowest price (fees and taxes included) for a pair of tickets on StubHub was $209.52.

Meanwhile, two lowest price StuHub tickets for the Dodgers versus Yankees game were available for $171.72.

All for the sake of “Banana Ball.”

This baseball game is a ballyhoo. One rooted in the thrills, energy and pageantry of early 20th-century carnivals, but with a 21st-century twist — the atmosphere of a TikTok reel brought to life. It’s the showmanship of Ringling Brothers Circus combined with the athletic flair of the Harlem Globetrotters.

But above all, it’s a brand built on Walt Disney’s blueprint— not just to entertain, but to make the audience feel.

“When you look at all the touch points — the joy, the fun, the dancing, the celebrating — and think about all the different stages, just like Walt, we think about all the stages: from the parking lot to the plaza, to the upper deck, to the dugouts,” said Bananas owner Jesse Cole, the man in the top hat. “How do we make someone feel something?”

Instead of lounging in a cushy, air-conditioned owner’s suite, Cole is in the dugout hours before showtime — a Disney-like archetype, his energy as vibrant as his layered, all-yellow suit, braving the afternoon heat.

Savannah Bananas founder and owner Jesse Cole leads the crowd in a cheer as his team takes on the Firefighters at Angel Stadium on Friday.

(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)

“Nonstop,” Cole said, describing Banana Ball in a nutshell. Refusing to sit, not wanting to lose an ounce of edge, he added, “It’s all about energy. We want to give people energy, delivering it every second, from the moment we open the gates at two o’clock until the last fan leaves at 11.”

While gates opened at 2 p.m., fans began arriving as early as 11 a.m. — clamoring for a shot at Banana-themed merchandise, many leaving the team tents with bags in both hands. In the parking lot, two young boys passed the time playing catch, gloves in hand.

As the afternoon wore on and the temperature climbed to 91 degrees, crowds trudged through the heat, some seeking refuge beneath the oversized Angels helmets at the stadium entrance, all for a chance to meet their favorite Banana Ballers. At the pregame plaza party, fans collected autographs, posed for photos and presented handmade gifts to players.

Savannah Bananas mascot Split marches through the crowd before the team’s game against the Firefighters at Angel Stadium Friday.

(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)

When the gates opened, the LaCaze family pointed out their 9-year-old daughter’s favorite player, David “DR” Meadows. Decked out in her signed Meadows jersey, Carrigan LaCaze ran into his arms, with glove and oversized baseball clutched tightly and began speaking with him as if they were old friends.

“I ran to DR, and we started hugging and just started talking for a while because I missed him,” Carrigan LaCaze said. “Tomorrow is actually one year on the dot since I met him.”

A Christmas road trip planned around the holidays, the family of four traveled across three states from their home in Alexandria, La., to Anaheim for two reasons: to visit Disneyland and see the Bananas. It was their second game — the family first saw the Bananas in the club’s hometown of Savannah, Ga., when Carrigan, who is battling cystic fibrosis, was granted a Make-A-Wish experience so meaningful it was a no-brainer to relive it.

“It’s great,” her father, Pierre LaCaze, said of the player interactions. “We’ve gotten to keep track with some of them during the course of the year. We come back, we see them again. You know they’re truly about the fans.”

Rainer Easton, 11, tries to catch a yellow “Banana Ball” from the stands before the Savannah Bananas take on the Firefighters at Angel Stadium on Friday.

(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)

The Bananas don’t sell tickets. They sell connections, moments and memories.

For Cole, meetings are a constant brainstorming session on how to keep fans engaged and interacting. That’s how he measures success. He says when the focus shifts to transactions, the game begins to lose its meaning.

“Our success is not judged by revenue,” Cole said. “It’s not judged by sales. It’s judged by the moments we create.”

But the numbers don’t lie.

The last time the Bananas came to Southern California, they played in front of 5,000 fans at LoanMart Field in Rancho Cucamonga in 2023 — a far cry from now selling out 18 major league ballparks and three football stadiums with capacities over 70,000.

Fans fill the stands as the Savannah Bananas take on the Firefighters in front of a sold out crowd Friday at Angel Stadium.

(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)

Attendance has soared year after year. Last season, the Bananas drew one million fans. This year, that number is expected to double, with more than three million people on the waitlist for their ticket lottery. Every game since February has sold out and every date in June and July is as well.

Michael and Melinda Schulteis, a husband and wife from Mission Viejo, were there the last time the Bananas came to town. When they heard the team was returning, they knew they couldn’t miss it.

“The intimate atmosphere at the last event was great,” Melinda Schulteis said. “But I’m curious, because they do such a good job putting on events, what touches are they going to add to still keep it close and intimate and give us another great experience?”

As the Bananas’ success and reach have grown, spilling out from cozy minor league parks into stadiums not built for intimacy, the games still feel like family gatherings. Whether serenading players with stadium anthems like Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” or the waving of phone lights to Coldplay’s “Yellow,” the crowd moves in sync, no matter the tune.

While they’re a privately owned team and don’t disclose revenue figures, they’ve confirmed generating millions. Much like their box office appeal, their social media reach extends into the millions as well.

The Savannah Bananas perform a kick line before taking on the Firefighters at Angel Stadium on Friday.

(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)

Their antics — choreographed dances, lip-synced walk-ups, backflip outfield catches — have attracted nearly 10 million followers on TikTok, almost double the combined total of the Dodgers and Angels. That viral mastery, and the parasocial bonds it fosters, is part of what makes every game feel tight-knit.

With his glove by his side, hoping to catch a foul ball for an out — one of the many offbeat rules of Banana Ball — Michael Schulties was disappointed he missed his favorite player, RobertAnthony Cruz, whom he first discovered on social media through his baseball coaching channel, better known as “Coach RAC.”

Cruz, who drew the longest meet-and-greet line, is a former minor leaguer in the Nationals’ farm system and a local — born just an hour away in Fontana. The game was a homecoming for Cruz, who joined the Bananas in 2023.

With more than 70 family members and friends in attendance — and even more social media direct messages asking for tickets — playing in big league stadiums has become a dream come true, especially for a former minor leaguer whose baseball ambitions nearly died when he never got the call to the show.

Savannah Bananas pitcher Correlle Prime delivers at Angel Stadium on Friday.

(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)

Behind all the gimmicks, wackiness and absurdity, the roster is still filled with ballplayers — many of them with unrealized MLB dreams — now finding a second life through Banana Ball. And for Cruz, it’s the happiest he’s ever been in the sport.

“I never would have imagined playing in this capacity,” Cruz said. “Banana Ball didn’t even exist when I was pursuing my dream of professional baseball. To be here, to see a sold-out crowd at a stadium that I went to growing up all the time, it’s very special.”

As the team travels the nation, sold-out crowds and newfound stardom have become the norm for Cruz.

“I’m not surprised by anything anymore,” Cruz said. “If you told me that we’re playing on the moon next year, I’d be like, ‘All right, cool. Let me know when and where, and I’ll be there’ … I wouldn’t be surprised if this thing continues to grow at an unprecedented rate.”

Despite their growing success, the Bananas’ brand of baseball remains polarizing — an easy target for detractors of zaniness, gatekeepers of fun and opponents of pizzazz who either don’t understand it or refuse to see its appeal.

“Anybody that criticizes this, we’re not for them,” Cole said. “There’s tradition in baseball, perfect. They’ve got Major League Baseball. … For people that want to come out and have fun, not take themselves too seriously and see something they’ve never seen before — and hopefully see the greatest show in sports — we built something for you.”

The formula works. And again, the numbers don’t lie.

The Savannah Bananas’ Jackson Olson celebrates a Troy Glaus base hit while the Bananas take on the Firefighters at Angel Stadium on Friday. Comedian Bert Kreischer celebrated behind the Bananas in the dugout.

(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)

Yes, the Savannah Bananas’ brand of baseball is far too outlandish ever to be compared to the major leagues — from flaming baseballs, rump-shaking umps and dress rehearsals. That’s the point. It all feels like something conjured from the wildest dreams of the late Bill Veeck’s imagination found a home, in a good way.

With many of the Banana Ball’s 11 rules — like an automatic strike when hitters step out of the box or ejecting bunting hitters because bunting “sucks” — are grounded in some sports-based logic, the innovations remain sacrilegious to baseball purists.

But for a fleeting moment in December, Major League Baseball and Banana Ball were almost linked.

In Banana Ball, the Golden Batter rule allows teams, once per game, to send their best hitter to the plate regardless of where they fall in the batting order.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred caused a stir when he floated a potential seismic rule by floating, making an offhand comment about the golden batter rule. Manfred later clarified it was merely “a very preliminary conversation” among members of the league’s competition committee and had not been formally discussed by the full ownership group.

A far-fetched idea, but Manfred has ushered in sweeping changes, from the widely praised pitch clock to the more contentious extra-inning “ghost runner.”

“Anything that’s best for the fans, I’m all in,” Cole said of its potential. “I know Major League Baseball won’t do it because of traditions, but … we’ve had a lot of fun doing it.”

The Firefighters run on the field before taking on the Savannah Bananas at Angel Stadium on Friday.

(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)

But MLB would be behind the Bananas, who already introduced their version of the rule last season with a typical flair and showmanship. Their spin on it is a batter summoned from the dugout wearing a James Brown-esque cape and a gleaming golden helmet — an honor that went to Joe Lytle, who came to bat in the top of the ninth for the Bananas’ Anaheim opponent, the Firefighters.

Ultimately, in a game where the score isn’t the end-all, be-all — but the fun is — the Bananas beat the Firefighters 5–2.

Like any other Bananas game, the festivities took center stage. It began with the “First Peel,” a signature ceremony in which a young fan bites into a banana to declare whether it’s good or bad — setting the tone for the night.

Heisman Trophy winner and USC legend Matt Leinart threw out the ceremonial first spiral (because, of course, he did). And in true fashion, Angels World Series MVP Troy Glaus made a surprise cameo as a pinch hitter.

But what was more important was the trip to Anaheim, a fitting one for Cole and Co.

The team that opened its season lip-syncing “Be Our Guest” from the Disney classic “Beauty and the Beast” — and its owner, cut from the same theatrical cloth as Disney — were celebrated a visit to the Happiest Place on Earth — Disneyland.

Savannah Bananas founder and owner Jesse Cole provides color commentary during the baby race between innings at Angel Stadium on Friday.

(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)

Greeted by fans in yellow gear, Cole’s creation — the Bananas — marched in step down Main Street U.S.A., alongside Walt’s own — Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck.

“When I walked underneath the castle and over the bridge and in front of thousands of people, they were all there for us,” Cole said. “Then I look and see Walt’s statue, holding the hand of Mickey, and I see that and I’m like, ‘This is special.’”

It was a full-circle moment for Cole, who became “immersed in the magic” after his first trip to Disney World as a kid — and who now says, “In a perfect world, I’d play catch with Walt on Main Street.” Serendipity.

“For me, that was an emotional moment — to know that we have worked so hard to create something that means something to people, that they come from all over the country just for a chance to see us,” Cole added.

It was a statement, a reminder and a warning all wrapped into one.

The Dodgers might not have been playing their best baseball entering this weekend’s World Series rematch against the New York Yankees.

But in a ceaseless offensive onslaught in the opening two innings on Saturday, things seemed to suddenly, profoundly and perhaps permanently change.

The Dodgers didn’t just beat the Yankees in a nationally televised late-afternoon contest to clinch a weekend series win at Dodger Stadium. They executed a slaughter in broad daylight. Four runs scored in the first inning. Six more came around in the second. And by the end, their 18-2 victory did more than set up the chance for a sweep in Sunday’s series finale.

It sent a shot across the bow to the rest of the baseball world, signifying that for all the Dodgers’ shortcomings of late, they might finally be clicking into top gear.

Granted, the Dodgers haven’t exactly been struggling to hit the ball. Entering Saturday, they were second in the majors in runs scored, second in OPS and first in batting average. They had been getting monster production from Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández and Will Smith. And, largely on the strength of their lineup, they were leading the National League West, still on a near 100-win pace in their pursuit of a second consecutive World Series title.

Still, over much of the last month, it had felt as if something was missing.

The team’s injury-ravaged pitching staff had put a strain on their recent play, leading to an 11-12 slide entering this weekend’s marquee Yankees matchup.

And their offense was picking up only so much of the slack, weighed down by early slumps from Mookie Betts, Max Muncy and Michael Conforto, as well as inconsistent performances from other bottom-half hitters.

Michael Conforto, left, celebrates with Hyeseong Kim after scoring on an RBI double by Tommy Edman in the second inning Saturday.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

It led to a malaise epitomized by a lack of signature moments. Not since knocking off the Detroit Tigers at the start of the regular season had the Dodgers won a series against a legitimate title contender. They were just 10-9 overall against opponents with winning records.

Manager Dave Roberts downplayed that notion Friday.

“We know that we have a good ballclub, and I don’t think that us not winning series against X amount of teams with winning records is an indictment on our ballclub,” he said. “I don’t think we’re thinking too much about that.”

Then again, with the Yankees coming to town as winners of 16 of their previous 20 games, this still felt like something of a litmus test — even if Betts was out with a fractured toe and the pitching staff remained far less than full strength.

“We try to win each and every game, of course,” Ohtani said in Japanese on Friday night, “but I think it’s a special atmosphere.”

Two games in, it has produced a couple of special results.

After coming from behind to steal Friday night’s opener, the Dodgers (36-22) wasted no time Saturday putting their foot firmly on the Yankees’ neck.

In the bottom of the first, Ohtani, Freeman, Smith and Muncy all singled within the first five at-bats against rookie Yankees starter Will Warren, scoring two runs. Conforto later added a sacrifice fly, before Tommy Edman hit a hard ground ball that got past third baseman (and former Dodgers farmhand) Jorbit Vivas for a run-scoring double, punctuating an inning in which the Dodgers batted around.

In the second, the Dodgers sent all nine batters to the plate again. After walks from Hernández and Freeman, Muncy hit a three-run homer to right, chasing Warren from the game with his 200th career long ball. Edman doubled home another run with two outs. Then Hyeseong Kim got the Dodgers to double digits, hitting his second home run of the season

Max Muncy hits a three-run home run in the second inning for the Dodgers on Saturday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

By the time the Yankees (35-22) recorded their first hit on Austin Wells’ leadoff single in the third, it was already 10-0.

As starting pitcher Landon Knack cruised through six strong innings with the big lead — he gave up his lone run on a fourth-inning solo blast from Aaron Judge, his first of two long balls on the day — the Dodgers kept adding on.

In the fifth, Freeman plated a run with his 525th career double, tying Willie Mays and Ted Williams for 46th most all-time.

Then, Muncy went deep again, continuing his recent surge by belting another three-run homer high off the right-field foul pole, tying a career-high with seven RBIs on the day.

Over his last 19 games, Muncy is now batting .300 with five home runs, 24 RBIs and a .991 OPS.

And he isn’t the only Dodgers hitter heating up. Edman snapped a recent cold streak with three hits. Kim also had three hits, plus two stellar defensive plays: doubling off a runner at second base with a diving effort from shortstop in the third inning, then throwing out Judge at second with a perfect throw from deep center after shifting to the outfield. Andy Pages maintained his strong form with a solo home run in the seventh. Dalton Rushing hit his first career home run in the eighth.

The Dodgers’ biggest stars, meanwhile, have continued to dominate.

Ohtani, coming off his second live batting practice as a pitcher before the game (he threw 29 pitches over two simulated innings), had two hits, moving his OPS to 1.062.

In the National League, only Freeman has a better mark in that category, finishing Saturday at 1.078 (to go along with his NL-leading .374 batting average) after his own two-hit showing.

Couple all that with the impending returns of pitchers such as Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Michael Kopech, Kirby Yates and Blake Treinen — all of whom could be back within the next month or two, and in some cases sooner — and the Dodgers are starting to look more like the juggernaut they were supposed to be all along.

It wasn’t quite as significant as the fifth inning of Game 5 last year.

But, in the opening contest of a World Series rematch at Chavez Ravine on Friday night, the Dodgers mounted another stunning late-game rally against the New York Yankees.

And this time, they didn’t even need an assist from the Yankees’ porous defense.

Seven months to the day since the Dodgers’ historic comeback at Yankee Stadium in last year’s World Series finale — when three Yankees errors keyed an infamous five-run fifth that propelled the Dodgers to the franchise’s eighth championship — the team produced an inning of similarly unexpected magic, scoring four times in the bottom of the sixth to turn a three-run deficit into an eventual 8-5 win at a sold-out Dodger Stadium.

“The situation is a little different,” designated hitter Shohei Ohtani said in Japanese, “but I think coming back to win is always good.”

It was Ohtani who got Friday’s sixth inning started, leading it off with his second home run of the night and MLB-leading 22nd of the season.

Freddie Freeman took over from there, hitting an RBI double off the wall to reprise his role of Yankees killer after winning MVP honors in last year’s Fall Classic.

Then, what had once been a 5-2 New York lead officially evaporated when Andy Pages lined a tying single against a drawn-in infield. The Dodgers finally went in front on a bases-loaded walk from Michael Conforto.

For a team that has been grinding for much of the last month, the sequence led to a scene of stadium-wide elation.

“Just getting guys on, keeping the line moving, getting huge hits,” Freeman said, “that was awesome.”

“Every win is important, [but] this one is a big one,” added outfielder Teoscar Hernández. “We were down early, [but] we didn’t panic.”

Highlights from the Dodgers’ 8-5 win over the Yankees on Friday night.

For the Dodgers (35-22), nothing will compare to the ecstasy of last year’s fifth inning in Game 5; when a dropped ball from Aaron Judge, an errant throw from Anthony Volpe and calamitous miscommunication between Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rizzo keyed the largest comeback in a title-clinching game in World Series history.

Asked about the similarities to Friday’s game, Freeman said he “actually never thought about it.”

But, given the team’s sub-.500 play over the last three weeks, and a rash of injuries that got worse Friday when Mookie Betts was scratched with a fractured toe and Evan Phillips was ruled out for the rest of the season because he’ll need Tommy John surgery, Friday injected this trying stretch of the regular season with a sorely needed jolt of life.

“For us to get behind the 8-ball a little bit … and find a way to scratch back into the game was huge,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Huge game for us to win.”

Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages reacts after he hits an RBI single against the Yankees in the sixth inning Friday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

For much of Friday, the Dodgers seemed headed to the kind of loss that had become commonplace over their 10-11 slide entering the night.

Their starting pitcher struggled, with Tony Gonsolin giving up four home runs in the first three innings — including a mammoth blast from Judge two batters into the game — to hand the Yankees a 5-2 lead.

Their lineup, meanwhile, was sputtering against a premium pitcher, inducing little stress against major league ERA leader Max Fried after an Ohtani homer to start the night.

“After giving up a run on [Judge’s] homer, I think it’s important for the flow of the game to get one back right away,” said Ohtani, whose first blast was his sixth leadoff homer of the season. It marked the first time in MLB history that the reigning MVPs of both the American and National League hit first-inning home runs in the same game.

“We were in a bad position after that too,” Ohtani noted, “but everyone didn’t give up.”

Indeed, as they did so many times during last year’s World Series, the Dodgers flipped the script on the Yankees (35-21) with an inning they never saw coming.

Dodgers baserunner Freddie Freeman, right, beats the tag of New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells to score in the seventh inning Friday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Ohtani’s blast to lead off the sixth was a sky-high fly ball to right, carrying just deep enough to land in the pavilion for his 15th home run of May (tying Pedro Guerrero in June 1985 and Duke Snider in August 1953 for the most in a single month in Dodgers history).

“Testament to Shohei,” Freeman said, “who is hitting home runs all over the place.”

The rest of the inning played out more methodically.

Hernández and Will Smith lined back-to-back singles. Freeman chased Fried from the game with an RBI double to left that got over Cody Bellinger’s head. Then, after the Yankees turned to right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga to face Pages, he hammered a ground-ball single through a drawn-in infield to bring home the tying run.

“When you can feel a little momentum, guys getting hits, you just try and keep that line moving,” Freeman said.

Another pitching change, with left-hander Tim Hill entering to face Conforto with the bases loaded and one out, didn’t help either.

“There were a lot of really good grindy at-bats in there, hitting some good pitches, spoiling some pitches,” Conforto said.

Against a ground-ball pitcher in Hill, Conforto took a different approach, working a full count while waiting for something up and over the plate.

On the payoff pitch, however, Conforto “kind of got the feeling he was losing the zone a little bit.”

Thus, when Hill pulled a sinker on his payoff offering, Conforto took for a run-scoring ball four.

“Just a rough inning,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

The Dodgers took more good at-bats in the seventh, when another double from Freeman set up Pages for a two-out, two-run single — with Freeman racing home on his battered right ankle to score on a bang-bang slide.

And after Gonsolin settled down to work through six innings without further damage, the Dodgers’ bullpen made the lead stand, getting key outs from Jack Dreyer and Ben Casparius in the seventh, then struggling late-game options Tanner Scott in the eighth and Alex Vesia for a ninth-inning save.

“It’s still early, it’s still May,” Gonsolin said. “But it’s cool to play that kind of caliber team and come out on top.”

“We try to win each and every game, of course,” Ohtani added. “But I think [tonight was] a special atmosphere. I think it was huge to have taken the [first game] of the series.”

Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts will not start in any of this weekend’s games against the New York Yankees after sustaining a fractured toe this week, but the team is hopeful he will be able to avoid a stint on the injured list.

Betts told the Times on Friday night that he fractured his toe at home this week, after the Dodgers returned from a road trip on Wednesday night.

“I was just going to the bathroom in the dark and hit my toe on a wall,” he said.

The Dodgers were originally still planning to have Betts in the lineup Friday for their series opener against the New York Yankees, but he was ultimately scratched after his toe continued to give him problems before the game.

“Putting on a shoe today was difficult for him,” manager Dave Roberts said.

Despite the diagnosis, Roberts and Betts said they were confident the former MVP wouldn’t be out more than a few days.

“I know it’s at the tip of his toe, so it’s going to be one of those situations [that is] per his [pain] tolerance,” Roberts said. “I don’t expect an IL. We’ll probably have him down for the series and hopefully he’ll be available to hit in a big spot. And then we’ll kind of see. But I think for me right now it’s just day to day.”

“It’s just pain,” Betts added. “Get the swelling out, it’ll be all right.”

Betts had started in each of the Dodgers’ past 20 games, and appeared in each of their last 51 overall, having not missed any time since recovering from a two-week stomach virus at the start of the season.

While his defense had been much-improved during his second season as the club’s everyday shortstop, the 32-year-old was struggling at the plate, batting just .254 on the season with eight home runs, 31 RBIs and a .742 OPS.

In Betts’ absence on Friday, veteran Miguel Rojas took over at shortstop. Tommy Edman and Hyeseong Kim are also options to fill in for Betts at shortstop over the rest of the weekend.

“I’m gonna be all right,” Betts said. “It is what it is.”

They don’t know what their rotation will look like in October, and they don’t know how worn down their bullpen will look like.

What the Dodgers know is this: They have Shohei Ohtani.

Ohtani will give them a chance in October regardless of what their roster looks like, just as he did on Friday night in an 8-5 victory over the New York Yankees.

How can a player who takes four or five at-bats on most nights have such an oversized influence on games? How can a player who bats once only two or three innings bring opponents to their knees? How can a three-time MVP be a better offensive player than he was in his historic 50-homer, 50-steal season last year?

“I have no words for it,” outfielder Michael Conforto said.

When Aaron Judge homered in the top of the first, Ohtani answered with a homer of his own in the bottom half of the inning.

When the Dodgers were down by three runs, Ohtani led off the sixth inning with another homer, this one making Yankees starter Max Fried strike the Kershaw Pose, back to the plate, hands on knees, head down. The blast one ignited a four-run surge by the Dodgers that produced their first lead of the night.

This was on a night in which Mookie Betts was sidelined with a broken toe, Evan Phillips was ruled out for the remainder of the season because of an upcoming elbow reconstruction, and the Dodgers had no choice but to start the unreliable Tony Gonsolin because three pitchers of their opening-day rotation were on the injured list.

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, left, watches his solo home run leave Dodger Stadium as New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried, center, reacts and catcher Austin Wells watches during the sixth inning Friday.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Playing with a diminished roster, manager Dave Roberts did what he could before the game to downplay the significance of the World Series rematch against the Yankees, but Ohtani recognized the contest for what it was.

This was a statement game, and Ohtani made a statement.

“We try to win each and every game, of course, but I think it’s a special atmosphere [against the Yankees,]” Ohtani said in Japanese. “I think it was huge to have taken the [first game] of the series.”

The homers were Ohtani’s 14th and 15th of May, which tied a single-month franchise record previously shared by only Pedro Guerrero and Duke Snider. The homers were Ohtani’s 21st and 22nd of the season, meaning Ohtani is on pace for a career-high 63 bombs.

The value of Ohtani’s homers extend beyond the numbers, however.

They inspire awe.

“You don’t want to miss any of his at-bats,” Conforto said. “You want to be in the dugout. You want to see it in person. That’s kind of what it is being his teammate. You want to be there.”

They inspire confidence.

“Every time he comes up to the plate, we’re expecting something awesome to happen,” Gonsolin said. “And he doesn’t let us down a lot of the time. Really cool to have someone like that on our team.”

They inspire a contagious form of courage.

“He would probably say it’s like any other game, but I do think when you see the reigning MVP [Judge] on the other side going out there and performing, that brings out even more of a competitor in Shohei,” Roberts said.

They inspire victories — the Dodgers are 14-6 when Ohtani homers.

“We always seem to play really well when Shohei’s playing well,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “I heard the chants for MVP and he’s really well on his way to doing that again.”

This is what the Dodgers will need in October, especially in a season in which little has gone according to plan. At this point, they can’t count on Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow to both be healthy for the remainder of the year. They can’t expect their bullpen to be as spectacular as it was last year. But they can rely on Ohtani to make up for their shortcomings.

He will soon be able to affect the game from the mound, as the Dodgers expect him to return to pitching after the All-Star break. Rather than revel in the victory Friday night, Ohtani said in an on-field postgame interview with Apple TV that he was already looking ahead to his next day’s assignment.

“Live bullpen is scheduled for tomorrow,” Ohtani said. “The game is over now and I’d like to get my body in order for the live BP.”

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Chris Taylor looks weird in an Angels uniform.

Here we are, a little over a third of the way through the season, so let’s take a look at how the Dodgers stack up in various categories.

OPS+
A league average OPS+ is 100. Anything above that is good, anything below, not as good. And the higher of lower your OPS+, the better or worse you are. OPS is on-base% plus slugging%:

Freddie Freeman, 194 (Freeman is 94% better than the league average hitter)
Shohei Ohtani, 191
Will Smith, 178
Teoscar Hernández, 151
Hyeseong Kim, 144
Andy Pages, 116
Mookie Betts, 111
Kiké Hernández, 108
Tommy Edman, 100
Max Muncy, 94
Michael Conforto, 73
Dalton Rushing, 68
James Outman, 67
Miguel Rojas, 66
Austin Barnes, 47
Chris Taylor, 29

ERA+
Same as OPS+, only for pitching. Minimum 10 innings

Rotation
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 198 (Yamamoto is 98% better than the league average hitter)
Dustin May, 93
Tyler Glasnow, 88
Tony Gonsolin, 84
Roki Sasaki, 83
Clayton Kershaw, 82
Landon Knack, 75

Bullpen
Ben Casparius, 140
Jack Dreyer, 130
Matt Sauer, 130
Alex Vesia, 117
Luis García, 103
Antony Banda, 98
Kirby Yates, 91
Tanner Scott, 85

Inherited runners who scored %
League average is 32.4%

Ben Casparius, 0% (0 of 5 inherited runners have scored)
Evan Phillips, 0% (0 of 3)
Matt Sauer, 0% (0 of 3)
Lou Trivino, 0% (0 of 3)
Tanner Scott, 0% (0 of 2)
Jack Dreyer, 20% (1 of 5)
Luis García, 25% (3 of 12)
Alex Vesia, 45.6% (5 of 11)
Kirby Yates, 33.3% (1 of 3)
Anthony Banda, 37.5% (3 of 8)
Team, 23.6% (13 of 55)

Where the Dodgers rank as a team in various stats (numbers, except winning percentage, are through Wednesday)

Winning percentage
1. Detroit, 37-20, .649
2. Philadelphia, 36-20, .643
3. N.Y. Yankees, 35-20, .636
4. Chicago Cubs, 35-21, .625
5. Dodgers, 34-22, .607
5. N.Y. Mets, 34-22, .607
7. San Diego, 31-23, .574

Note: The Dodgers are projected to win 98 games. Last season, they won 99.

Offense

Runs per game

1. Chicago Cubs, 5.89
2. Dodgers, 5.61
3. N.Y. Yankees, 5.55
4. Detroit, 5.05
5. Arizona, 4.98

Batting average
1. Dodgers, .263
2. Chicago Cubs, .262
3. St. Louis, .262
4. N.Y. Yankees, .259
5. Philadelphia, .259

On-base %
1. N.Y. Yankees, .343
1. Dodgers, .341
4. Philadelphia, .336
3. Chicago Cubs, .335
5. St. Louis, .333

Slugging %
1. N.Y. Yankees, .466
2. Dodgers, .458
3. Chicago Cubs, .450
4. Arizona, .445
5. Boston, .419

Doubles
1. Arizona, 110
2. Boston, 106
2. St. Louis, 106
3. Chicago Cubs, 105
5. N.Y. Yankees, 103
9. Dodgers, 93

Triples
1. Colorado, 15
2. Chicago Cubs, 13
3. N.Y. Mets, 12
4. Arizona, 11
4. Kansas City, 11
T8. Dodgers, 9

Home runs
1. N.Y. Yankees, 88
2. Dodgers, 87
3. Angels, 79
3. Chicago Cubs, 79
5. Arizona, 77

Walks
1. N.Y. Yankees, 225
2. Dodgers, 216
3. Chicago Cubs, 212
4. Seattle, 210
5. N.Y. Mets, 207

Strikeouts
1. Colorado, 549
2. Angels, 542
3. Boston, 522
4. Detroit, 510
5. Cincinnati, 508
T12. Dodgers, 464

Stolen Bases
1. Tampa Bay, 76
2. Milwaukee, 74
3. Chicago Cubs, 72
4. Pittsburgh, 56
5. Boston, 54
5. Cincinnati, 54
T19. Dodgers, 38

Pitching

ERA
1. N.Y. Mets, 2.87
2. Kansas City, 3.15
3. Texas, 3.19
4. San Francisco, 3.22
5. Detroit, 3.23
21. Dodgers, 4.09

Rotation ERA
1. Texas, 2.87
1. N.Y. Mets, 2.91
3. Kansas City, 3.02
4. Philadelphia, 3.15
5. Detroit, 3.22
22. Dodgers, 4.20

Rotation innings
1. Kansas City, 324.2
2. Arizona, 313.1
3. Pittsburgh, 311.2
4. Philadelphia, 311
5. Tampa Bay, 310.1
29. Dodgers, 259.1

Bullpen ERA
1. San Francisco, 2.48
2. Houston, 2.67
3. N.Y. Mets, 2.91
4. Minnesota, 3.18
5. N.Y. Yankees, 3.25
17. Dodgers, 3.98

Bullpen innings
1. Dodgers, 239.2
2. Milwaukee, 229.2
3. Miami, 221.1
4. Boston, 215.2
5. Chicago White Sox, 212.2

Baserunners per 9 IP
1. Houston, 1.148
2. N.Y. Yankees, 1.149
3. Detroit, 1.156
4. Minnesota, 1.159
5. Texas, 1.161
18. Dodgers, 1.291

Unearned runs allowed
1. Tampa Bay, 10
2. Washington, 12
3. Houston, 13
4. Atlanta, 14
4. Minnesota, 14
20. Dodgers, 22

Fewest walks allowed
1. Minnesota, 133
2. Tampa Bay, 153
3. St. Louis, 155
4. Toronto, 157
5. Kansas City, 158
22. Dodgers, 193

Strikeouts
1. Philadelphia, 531
2. N.Y. Yankees, 528
3. Houston, 519
4. Dodgers, 516
5. N.Y. Mets, 498

Fewest home runs allowed
1. N.Y. Mets, 36
2. San Francisco, 41
3. St. Louis, 42
4. N.Y. Yankees, 46
4. Pittsburgh, 47
24. Dodgers, 69

Saves
1. Philadelphia, 19
1. San Diego, 19
3. Kansas City, 18
3. Seattle, 18
T5. Dodgers, 17

Blown saves
1, Boston, 14
2. Dodgers, 12
2. Athletics, 12
4. Arizona, 11
4. Pittsburgh, 11
4. Chicago White Sox, 11

Yes, I know, that’s a lot of numbers I’ve thrown at you. But before we can analyze any team weaknesses, there needs to be proof of what we are talking about.

And look at those pitching numbers. Not ideal. In the bottom half of most categories. But let me draw your attention to two key stats: The Dodgers are next to last in the majors in innings pitched by their starting rotation. And they are first in innings pitched by their bullpen. The offense has been carrying the team. And if the bullpen continues to pitch this many innings, they will be burned out by the time October gets here.

There is no fix. We can only wait for the pitchers on the IL to get healthy, especially Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell. And for Evan Phillips and Blake Treinen, among others, to return to the bullpen. We are 56 games into the season, and the Dodgers have already used 27 pitchers. They’ve had to use guys such as Ryan Loutos, Noah Davis and J.P. Feyereisen to pitch for them. This does not seem sustainable over a full season. Of course, there’s still 106 games to go.

Muncy and Conforto

The two players still drawing the most negative attention on the team are Max Muncy and Michael Conforto. They both have had lengthy, lengthy, lengthy slumps. But they are both showing signs of coming out of it.

Since May 4, Muncy is hitting .250/.365/.426. That’s solid.
Since May 10, Conforto is hitting .267/.389/.444. Also good.

Some Dodger fans would like the team to trade some prospects for a replacement for Muncy or Conforto, or both. But as we can see in the previous item, the offense isn’t the problem. And with the Dodgers’ luck, if they traded for a pitcher, he’d get hurt in his first appearance.

Or, as the great coach Norman Dale once said, “I would hope you would support who we are. Not who we are not.”

The Yankees are coming

The Yankees come to town this weekend for a three-game series. A rematch of last year’s World Series.

And as good as Shohei Ohtani is as a hitter, Aaron Judge is every bit as good. He’s hitting only .391/.488/.739 this season, with 14 doubles, 18 homers and 47 RBIs.

Some Yankees were upset during the offseason, feeling the Dodgers took too much glee and rubbed it in about the Yankees’ metdown in the fifth inning of Game 5.

Yankees closer Luke Weaver told Times reporter Bill Shaikin recently: “The way I personally look at it is, when you go out and you are on the right side of the victory, you’ve got a leg to stand on. When you lose, you ain’t got much to say. They said what they said. That’s what they felt. I don’t take it too personally. In a perfect world, yeah, you don’t want to hear that type of stuff. We know what happened. We know we had to do a better job. We just didn’t quite do what we wanted to do. With that being said, it is what it is.”

It should be a fun series to watch. And if the Yankees win two of three or sweep, don’t believe it when a sportswriter or broadcaster tells you “The Yankees avenged last year’s World Series.” No, they didn’t. One of the first lessons I learned as a sports reporter: Winning a regular season series the following season does not avenge a postseason loss. People writing that are relying on a tired cliche.

The Tanner Scott problem

Tanner Scott has three blown saves in his last five appearances. costing the Dodgers against Arizona, the Mets and Cleveland.

“I’m not putting [guys] away,” Scott told Jack Harris before the blown save against Cleveland. “I’m not getting the swing-and-miss, and I’m keeping the ball in the zone too much.”

The Dodgers don’t have much of a choice but to keep sending Scott out there (he does have 10 saves), as Harris noted:

“Fellow high-leverage relievers Evan Phillips (forearm discomfort), Blake Treinen (forearm sprain), Kirby Yates (hamstring strain) and Michael Kopech (shoulder impingement) are all out injured. And while Kopech is on a minor-league rehab assignment, and Yates and Treinen are both beginning throwing programs, Phillips’ absence is starting to become “concerning,” Dave Roberts acknowledged this weekend, with the team’s former ninth-inning fixture now going on three weeks without throwing because of an injury initially expected to keep him out for only the minimum 15 days.”

Every closer goes through rough patches. In previous seasons, the Dodgers had so much pitching depth that when a key reliever started to struggle a bit, they could let him pitch in low-leverage situations for a while until he regained his form. This season, they don’t have that luxury. Treinen, Phillips, Yates, Kopech are hurt. The odds are that Scott will rebound.

Chris Taylor update

Chris Taylor, released by the Dodgers last week, signed with the Angels, so he will be staying in the area.

“I’m excited to stay home — I get to live at home,” Taylor said before his first game. “The Angels have been playing really good baseball, so I’m excited to join the team and hopefully get on the field. That was one thing with the Dodgers this year, just my role, I wasn’t getting on the field that much. So I’m really just looking forward to, like, getting consistent at-bats and playing time.

“First and foremost, I want to perform on the field. I want to help this team win ballgames. I feel like I have a lot to prove to myself. I haven’t performed to how I feel I’m capable of playing the last couple seasons, and I kind of want to turn that around.”

On the Dodgers releasing him: “It was emotional. I’ve been on the Dodgers for nine years, but I do believe it was time for me. It was my time to kind of start fresh, hopefully turn the page, start a new chapter. I’m excited to do that here.”

Taylor is one for nine with five strikeouts with the Angels.

All-time leaders

The Dodgers’ all-time leaders in home runs:

Franchise
1. Duke Snider, 389
2. Gil Hodges, 361
3. Eric Karros, 270
4. Roy Campanella, 242
5. Ron Cey, 228
6. Steve Garvey, 211
7. Matt Kemp, 203
8. Max Muncy, 194
9. Carl Furillo, 192
10. Mike Piazza, 177

Los Angeles only
1. Eric Karros, 270
2. Ron Cey, 228
3. Steve Garvey, 211
4. Matt Kemp, 203
5. Max Muncy, 194
6. Mike Piazza, 177
7. Pedro Guerrero, 171
8. Raúl Mondesi, 163
9. Andre Ethier, 162
9. Shawn Green, 162
11. Justin Turner, 156
12. Willie Davis, 154
13. Cody Bellinger, 152
14. Adrian Beltré, 147
15. Dusty Baker, 144
16. Mookie Betts, 140
17. Mike Marshall, 137
18. Joc Pederson, 130
19. Gary Sheffield, 129
20. Frank Howard, 123

Up next

Friday: N.Y. Yankees (*Max Fried, 7-0, 1.29 ERA) at Dodgers (Tony Gonsolin, 2-1, 4.68 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Apple TV+, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Saturday: N.Y. Yankees (Will Warren, 3-2, 4.09 ERA) at Dodgers (Landon Knack, 2-2, 5.22 ERA), 4:10 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Sunday: N.Y. Yankees (*Ryan Yarbrough, 2-0, 3.06 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 6-3, 1.97 ERA), 4 p.m., ESPN2, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

*-left-hander

In case you missed it

Shaikin: ‘Another log on the fire.’ Yankees eager to avenge World Series meltdown against Dodgers

‘A major league shortstop, on a championship club.’ Why Dodgers don’t plan to move Mookie Betts

Dodgers acquire former All-Star closer Alexis Díaz in trade with Reds

Chris Taylor is staying in SoCal. Angels sign former Dodgers utilityman

The simple adjustment the Dodgers hope will get closer Tanner Scott back on track

Shohei Ohtani throws live batting practice session 19 months after Tommy John surgery

‘It’s reimagining team travel.’ Why the Dodgers are using two planes on road trips this year

And finally

Vin Scully and the city of Nashville honor Jim Gilliam. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected], and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.