The sports report: Dodgers beat Padres and are one step closer to the division title

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By Jack Harris: As Dave Roberts put it, Wednesday was a day for serenity, not anxiety.

The Dodgers manager had not expected passionate speeches from his players, even after Tuesday’s loss, which ended in a triple play.

He didn’t fire up the locker room or hold an impromptu late-season meeting even as the team’s lead in the division dwindled. Instead, Roberts just wanted a clean, complete performance from his injury-plagued but still resilient team in the second act of this week’s crucial three-game series against the San Diego Padres.

“We play 162 games and there are a lot of heartbreaking games,” Roberts said before the first pitch. “And the thing about baseball players is they have to come back the next day and win.”

With a lot of help from Shohei Ohtani and an outstanding bullpen, the Dodgers did just that.

Wednesday’s 4-3 win over the Padres wasn’t a National League West victory for the Dodgers, but with four games left in the regular season and their lead in the division back up to three games, they can get the champagne bottles and plastic wrap ready.

At another turning point where their top spot in the standings seemed to be faltering, the Dodgers have once again found a way to stabilize their season. And if they beat the Padres (91-67) again on Thursday night or win at least twice in their final regular-season series this weekend in Colorado, they will clinch their 11th division title in the last 12 years.

“It was great to bounce back after last night,” said third baseman Max Muncy. “I thought we played with a little more energy.”

The biggest source of energy was Ohtani, who continued his storming run to end the season with the recent confirmation of his MVP candidacy. Not only did the hitter go two-of-three with a double, a walk, two RBIs and his 56th stolen base, but he also played a key role in each of the team’s three scoring rallies, most notably a sixth-inning single that broke a 3-3 tie.

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Who else? What else? Shohei Ohtani beats Dodgers to the brink of a division title

Gavin Lux rewards Dave Roberts’ patience with some important goals in Wednesday’s win

Dodger Result

MLB Results

MLB table

ANGEL

The Chicago White Sox avoided their record-breaking 121st loss for the second straight game by defeating the Angels 4-3 on a 10th-inning single by Andrew Benintendi on Wednesday night.

Chicago shares the modern major league single-season losing record with the 1962 New York Mets. Chicago will play the Angels again on Thursday before concluding its three-game schedule at Detroit.

Benintendi got the game-winning hit for the second time in as many games when he hit a single to left-center field off Jose Quijada (2-1) to help the White Sox (38-120) avoid ignominy for the second consecutive game. Designated runner Miguel Vargas scored from second base.

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Seat thieves beware: A’s beef up security with “playoff-level” personnel for Oakland finale

Dick Moss, the lawyer who helped grant MLB players free agency nearly 50 years ago, has died

Angels match report

MLB Results

MLB table

CHARGERS

By Thuc Nhi Nguyen: With an off week looming, Justin Herbert could get two weeks of rest for his sore ankle for the price of one game if he sits out Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

But even that one-game sacrifice is too much for the hyper-competitive quarterback, who hopes to end the Chargers’ five-game losing streak against their AFC West rivals.

Herbert “will do whatever it takes to play against the Chiefs,” he said Wednesday while still dealing with a sprained ankle suffered on Sept. 15. After the injury was aggravated in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Herbert said his right ankle felt better Wednesday than it did this time last week when he started against the Steelers.

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LAKERS

By Dan Woike: The banners above the practice court, the names of legends on the wall and, most importantly, the trophies in Jeanie Buss’ window at the Lakers’ practice facility tell the story of the team’s past.

As the organization approaches the start of the 2024-25 season, General Manager Rob Pelinka reiterated this.

Excellence is the standard that has made the Lakers one of the NBA’s best franchises, and that remains the goal, Pelinka said Wednesday. But inconsistency with LeBron James since the team signed him has left the Lakers chasing sustained success.

“Everyone in this building is aware of the fact that he is almost 40,” JJ Redick, the new Lakers coach, said of James, who has been back training with the team for two weeks after spending the summer leading the U.S. to an Olympic gold medal.

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By Ryan Kartje: When Bear Alexander flirted with the transfer portal last spring, USC and his staff did everything they could to keep the former five-star defensive tackle on the team. At the time, Alexander seemed like the Trojans’ best hope of adding a disruptive defensive presence to the Big Ten.

But as USC’s new defense was formed, Alexander’s role became smaller and smaller. Last Saturday against Michigan, he played just 21 snaps, a season-low, prompting him and his family to vent their frustration on social media.

Any questions about his future at USC were answered until Wednesday, when his guardian, Tony Jones, confirmed to the Times that Alexander intends to be ineligible to play this season, meaning he will sit out the rest of the season to preserve a year of eligibility.

When asked if the reason for Alexander’s decision was a lack of playing time, Jones said, “100%.” ​​He described the relationship with USC as “broken.”

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LAFC

By Kevin Baxter: The U.S. Open Cup, the country’s oldest national soccer competition, is both magical and egalitarian, as it is the only one open to all men’s teams at all levels.

Over the decades, amateurs have beaten professionals, nobodies have beaten anyone. It’s a tournament where there are no favorites and no underdogs, and that form continued for most of Wednesday’s final before LAFC beat Sporting Kansas City 3-1, with goals from Omar Campos and Kei Kamara in extra time.

The win in front of a sold-out crowd at BMO Stadium was LAFC’s first in five tournament finals since the 2022 MLS Cup. For Kansas City, the loss was their first in five US Open Cup finals in two decades. And the decisive goal came from a second-half substitute who had only had two shots on goal this season.

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WNBA PLAYOFFS

First round
All times Pacific

No. 1 New York (32-8) vs. No. 8 Atlanta (15-25)
in New York 83, Atlanta 69
in New York 91, Atlanta 82

No. 2 Minnesota (30-10) vs. No. 7 Phoenix (19-21)
at Minnesota 102, Phoenix 95
at Minnesota 101, Phoenix 88

No. 3 Connecticut (28-12) vs. No. 6 Indiana (20-20)
in Connecticut 93, Indiana 69
in Connecticut 87, Indiana 81

No. 4 Las Vegas (27-13) vs. No. 5 Seattle (25-15)
in Las Vegas 78, Seattle 67
in Las Vegas 83, Seattle 76

Semifinal

No. 1 New York (32-8) vs. No. 4 Las Vegas (27-13)
Sunday in New York, 12:00 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday in New York, will be announced
Friday, October 4 in Las Vegas, 6:30 p.m., ESPN2
*Sunday, Oct. 6 in Las Vegas, to be announced
*Tuesday, October 8 in New York, TBD, ESPN2

No. 2 Minnesota (30-10) vs. No. 3 Connecticut (28-12)
Sunday in Minnesota, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday in Minnesota, will be announced
Friday, October 4 in Connecticut, 4:30 p.m., ESPN2
*Sunday, Oct. 6 in Connecticut, to be announced
*Tuesday, October 8 in Minnesota, TBD, ESPN2

*-if required

THIS DATE IN SPORT

1961 – New York Yankee Roger Maris ties Babe Ruth’s 34-year-old record with his 60th home run against Baltimore’s Jack Fisher.

1981 – Nolan Ryan of the Houston Astros becomes the first player to throw five no-hitters, this time in a 5-0 win over the Dodgers at the Astrodome.

1981 – North Carolina’s Kelvin Bryant rushes for 173 yards and scores four touchdowns in a 56-14 win over Boston College, giving him 15 touchdowns in his last three games, an NCAA record.

1983 – Australia II wins the America’s Cup race, ending the longest winning streak in the sport’s history. Australia II, skippered by John Bertrand, wins the title in the seventh and final race. Australia II crosses the finish line 41 seconds ahead of Liberty, skippered by Dennis Conner. The United States had successfully defended the Cup for 132 years, since the schooner America won it in a fleet race around the Isle of Wight in England in 1851.

1992 – Rocky Mountain’s Steve Thompson rushes for 405 yards and six touchdowns in a 42-36 overtime win over Carroll College, the second-most in NAIA history.

1996 – SF Giant Barry Bonds becomes the second player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases.

1998 – Prairie View A&M ends its NCAA-record 80-game losing streak by denying a 2-point conversion in the final minute to defeat Langston 14-12. The victory is the Panthers’ first since Oct. 28, 1989, when they defeated Mississippi Valley 21-12.

2000 – At the Sydney Olympics, the U.S. softball team makes a stunning comeback, defeating Japan 2-1 in overtime to win its second consecutive gold medal.

2004 – Indianapolis’ Peyton Manning throws for 393 yards and five touchdowns in the first half in a 45-31 win over Green Bay. Manning has the most touchdown throws in a half since Tommy Kramer in 1986 and the most yards in a quarter (247) since Boomer Esiason in 1996.

2004 – San Francisco’s 34-0 loss to Seattle ends the 49ers’ 420-game unbeaten streak, an NFL record.

2010 – Christine Sinclair scores two goals and Marta adds a goal and two assists as Gold Pride FC defeats Philadelphia Independence 4-0 to win the women’s professional soccer championship.

2010 – Seattle’s Leon Washington returns two kickoffs – 101 and 99 yards – for touchdowns in the Seahawks’ 27-20 win over San Diego.

2015 – Sebastian Giovinco breaks the MLS single-season points record by providing two assists in Toronto FC’s 3-2 win over Chicago Fire, bringing his total to 35.

2017 – Sylvia Fowles grabs a WNBA Finals record 17 rebounds and scores 13 points to lead the Minnesota Lynx to a 70-68 victory over the Sparks in Game 2 to even the series at a tie.

2021 – The United States regains the Ryder Cup by defeating Team Europe 19-9 at Whistling Straits, Haven, Wisconsin.

Compiled by Associated Press