The Sports Report: Dodgers strive to keep their competitive edge while awaiting NLDS

Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.

From Jack Harris: Facing a third straight postseason that will begin with a five-day bye week — and still reeling from the early eliminations that followed the first two the last couple of years — the Dodgers changed up some things ahead of their Saturday opener in the best-of-five National League Division Series.

As opposed to the last two years, when they played full scrimmages on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday ahead of the NLDS — having gotten a bye through MLB’s wild-card round as a top-two seed in the NL bracket — the Dodgers opted for a more “gradual build-up,” according to general manager Brandon Gomes, waiting to ramp up to game action until closer to Game 1 at Dodger Stadium.

The team also is incorporating “different technologies,” Gomes said (like a Trajekt Arc pitching simulator that was installed at Dodger Stadium this year), as well as more batting practice sessions off high-velocity machines to prepare for the kind of pitching they expect to face.

But really, the biggest difference the club has seen so far is in its players’ mindsets.

Unlike the last two years, they didn’t coast into the postseason, instead playing meaningful games — including a division-clinching win against the San Diego Padres, their NLDS opponent — deep into September.

And when they reconvened at Chavez Ravine on Tuesday, manager Dave Roberts quickly noticed a “different level of intensity.”

“I see some more hunger, I see some more edge,” Roberts said on a video call. “That kind of sour taste that you have when you make an early exit from the postseason, our guys are tired of it. So this is another opportunity. I do sense that edge.”

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ANGELS

From Bill Shaikin: Three days after the Angels concluded the worst season in franchise history, their fans faced a new and urgent concern: Would they be able to watch their team on television next season?

The answer appears to be yes, and probably in the same way they did this season. On Wednesday, however, the parent company of Bally Sports indicated that it was prepared to step away from broadcasting games of the Angels and all but one other team.

A federal bankruptcy court has the final say, so nothing is definitive for now, and the Angels and Major League Baseball declined to comment. Here are questions and answers about what we do know.

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MLB POSTSEASON SCHEDULE

Wild-card round
All times Pacific

National League
No. 6 NY Mets at No. 3 Milwaukee
New York 8, at Milwaukee 4
at Milwaukee 5, New York 3
Thursday at Milwaukee, 4 p.m., ESPN2

No. 5 Atlanta at No. 4 San Diego
at San Diego 4, Atlanta 0
at San Diego 5, Atlanta 4

American League
No. 6 Detroit at No. 3 Houston
Detroit 3, at Houston 1
Detroit 5, Houston 2

No. 5 Kansas City at No. 4 Baltimore
Kansas City 1, at Baltimore 0
Kansas City 2, at Baltimore 1

Division Series
All times Pacific

National League
No. 1 Dodgers vs. No. 4 San Diego
Saturday at Dodgers, 5:30 p.m., FS1
Sunday at Dodgers, 5 p.m., FS1
Tuesday at San Diego, TBD, Fox or FS1
*Wed. at San Diego, TBD, Fox or FS1
*Friday, Oct. 11 at Dodgers, TBD, Fox or FS1

No. 2 Philadelphia vs. No. 3 Milwaukee/No. 6 NY Mets
Saturday at Philadelphia, 1 p.m., Fox
Sunday at Philadelphia, 1 p.m., FS1
Tuesday at Mil./NY, TBD, Fox or FS1
*Wed. at Mil./NY, TBD, Fox or FS1
*Friday, Oct. 11 at Philadelphia, TBD, Fox or FS1

American League

No. 2 Cleveland vs. No. 6 Detroit
Saturday at Cleveland, 10 a.m., TBS
Monday at Cleveland, 1 p.m., TBS
Wed. at Detroit, TBD, TBS
*Thursday, Oct. 10 at Detroit, TBD, TBS
*Saturday, Oct. 12 at Cleveland, TBD, TBS

No. 1 NY Yankees vs. No. 5 Kansas City
Saturday at New York, 3:30 p.m., TBS
Monday at New York, 4:30 p.m., TBS
Wed. at Kansas City, TBD, TBS
*Thursday, Oct. 10 at Kansas City, TBD, TBS
*Saturday, Oct. 12 at New York, TBD, TBS

*-if necessary

LAKERS

From Dan Woike: JJ Redick, the Lakers new head coach, looked down at one set of the numbers to discover that one of his rookies, Bronny James, had done more moving in the team’s first practice than anyone else on the roster.

“I went over to Bronny before practice and I was like, ‘Dude, you ran six miles.’ And he was like, ‘Yeah, I know.’ So somebody had already shared that with him,” Redick said Wednesday. “I think my experience as a player was very helpful because I got to come in at the tail end of all of this tracking stuff. And it was something, especially as I got older, that was important to me in terms of measuring just my capacity and my load. And if a guy has got a strong buildup, and he’s feeling good, that’s important information for him.”

But it’s not important to everyone, a needle that Redick is going to have to thread with how he uses and disseminates information gleaned through wearable technology, high-definition cameras and sensors near the rims in the practice facility — all measuring different information and logging data.

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CHARGERS

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Derwin James Jr. didn’t necessarily like the view, but he liked what he saw.

The safety who was suspended for the Chargers’ game against the Kansas City Chiefs watched on his television as his defensive teammates forced two takeaways against the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.

The way teammates were zooming across the field and communicating, despite not having one of their defensive captains, brought a proud smile to James’ face, even if the final 17-10 score did not.

“To know I’m a part of that, what a special defense we have, it’s just amazing,” James said Wednesday. “I couldn’t wait to get back out here to work with these guys.”

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From Ben Bolch: It started as the same unremarkable sequence that materializes dozens of times a season on UCLA’s football practice field, a coach lingering to speak with reporters and engage in the usual give and take.

Questions were asked about simplifying the defense and putting more pressure on the quarterback. Answers were given about accountability, attention to detail and putting the right defenders in position to make plays.

Then the coach started blinking tears, his voice catching, his words a chore. Everything routine about the exchange transformed into something else entirely.

“You know, I love this defense because I feel like part of them,” defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe began Tuesday, still holding it together. “They work so hard to try to give me what I want, you know, and so, on the flip side just, man, I can’t — I mean, I’ve been up since 3 o’clock on Sunday because I just don’t want to let down this team.

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GALAXY

Rookie Gabriel Pec scored early in the second half and had assists on two Riqui Puig goals as the Galaxy rallied for a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday night.

Neither team scored until Connor Ronan took a pass from Djordje Mihailovic and found the net in the 45th minute to give the Rapids (15-12-5) a 1-0 lead at halftime. It was the first goal of the season for Ronan and the second of his two-year career. Mihailovic has 11 goals and 14 assists in his first season with the club.

Pec pulled the Galaxy (18-7-7) even in the 50th minute when he used assists from Mark Delgado — his seventh — and defender Maya Yoshida — his first — to score for the 14th time this season.

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Galaxy box score

MLS standings

LAFC

Denis Bouanga scored in the first minute of first-half stoppage time and Hugo Lloris wasn’t tested on the way to his league-leading 13th clean sheet of the season as LAFC blanked St. Louis City 1-0 on Wednesday night.

Bouanga used assists from Mateusz Bogusz and Olivier Giroud to find the net for the 19th time this season for LAFC (16-8-7). Bouanga is second only to the 22 goals of D.C. United’s Christian Benteke in the race for the Golden Boot with two matches left in the regular season. Bogusz’s assist was his seventh, while Giroud notched his second in seven career appearances.

Lloris grabbed the shutout lead without having to make a save. He has one more than FC Cincinnati’s Patrick Schulte and the Seattle Sounders’ Stefan Frei.

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LAFC box score

MLS standings

SOCCER

From Kevin Baxter: Mauricio Pochettino named his first roster as coach of the men’s national soccer team Wednesday. And in many ways it was little different than the rosters that have come before.

It’s a little older, with the 25 players averaging just more than 25 years of age, and a bit more experienced, with 17 of the 21 outfield players reporting to camp this weekend with at least 12 international caps. And there are some familiar faces returning as well, with goalkeeper Zach Steffen getting his first call-up since March 2023 and midfielder Gianluca Busio back for the first time since the 2023 Gold Cup.

Among the missing are midfielders Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna, center backs Chris Richards and Cameron Carter-Vickers and right back Sergiño Dest, who are all dealing with injuries. But forward Tim Weah, midfielder Weston McKennie and defender Antonee Robinson are all back after missing the September friendlies.

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The roster

Goalkeepers: Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace) Defenders: Marlon Fossey (Standard Liege), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach), Auston Trusty (Celtic) Midfielders: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Gianluca Busio (Venezia), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough), Yunus Musah (AC Milan), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven) Forwards: Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Josh Sargent (Norwich City), Timothy Weah (Juventus), Haji Wright (Coventry City).

WNBA PLAYOFFS

Semifinals
All times Pacific

No. 1 New York (32-8) vs. No. 4 Las Vegas (27-13)
at New York 87, Las Vegas 77
at New York 88, Las Vegas 84
Friday at Las Vegas, 6:30 p.m., ESPN2
*Sunday at Las Vegas, TBD
*Tuesday at New York, TBD, ESPN2

No. 2 Minnesota (30-10) vs. No. 3 Connecticut (28-12)
Connecticut 73, at Minnesota 70
at Minnesota 77, Connecticut 70
Friday at Connecticut, 4:30 p.m., ESPN2
Sunday at Connecticut, TBD
*Tuesday at Minnesota, TBD, ESPN2

*-if necessary

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1942 — With a victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Whirlaway becomes the first horse to amass more than $500,000 in lifetime earnings.

1951 — Bobby Thomson hits a three-run homer off Ralph Branca of the Brooklyn Dodgers with one out in the bottom of the ninth to give the New York Giants a dramatic 5-4 playoff victory and the National League pennant.

1971 — Billie Jean King wins the Virginia Slims-Thunderbird tournament in Phoenix to become the first women tennis player to win $100,000 in one year.

1973 — The formation of the World Football League is announced.

1974 — Frank Robinson signs a $175,000-a-year player-manager contract with the Cleveland Indians, making him the first Black manager in major league history.

1974 — Jerry West retires after 14 seasons with the Lakers; West has 25,192 career points; averages 29.1 ppg in 153 playoff games.

1976 — Future Baseball Hall of Fame right fielder Hank Aaron singles in his last MLB at-bat & drives in his 2,297th run as Milwaukee Brewers lose, 5-2 vs. Detroit Tigers.

1981 — USC’s Marcus Allen rushes for 223 yards against Oregon State, his fourth straight 200-plus rushing game.

1990 — George Brett, Kansas City Royals, become the first player in MLB history to win a batting title in three different decades.

1993 — The Toronto Blue Jays become the first team in American League history to have teammates finish 1-2-3 in the batting race. John Olerud leads the league with a .363 batting average, Paul Molitor finishes at .332 and Roberto Alomar at .326.

1997 — Sixty-nine-year-old Hall of Famer Gordie Howe skates the first shift with the Detroit Vipers in their International Hockey League opener, becoming the only professional in his sport to compete in six decades.

1998 — Ricky Williams rushes for a school-record 350 yards and five touchdowns to set NCAA records with 65 career rushing touchdowns and career points by a non-kicker (394) as Texas defeats Iowa State 54-33.

1999 — St Louis 1st baseman Mark McGwire hits his 65th homer of the season in a rain shortened 9-5 win over Cubs at Busch Stadium; wins 2nd straight HR title over Sammy Sosa, who hits his 63rd HR in same game.

2001 — San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds Is walked for the 171st time in 11-8 win at Houston; breaks Babe Ruth’s 1923 MLB single-season record for walks.

2004 — Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki finishes the season with a MLB record 262 hits.

2010 — Angel McCoughtry scores 18 points as the United States wins gold at the women’s basketball world championship with an 89-69 victory over the Czech Republic.

2015 — Max Scherzer pitches his second no-hitter this season for Washington, striking out a team-record 17 and leading the Nationals over the NL East champion New York Mets 2-0 for a doubleheader sweep.

2021 — Tom Brady becomes the NFL’s all-time leader in career passing yardage eclipsing Drew Brees’ high of 80,358.

Compiled by the Associated Press