Howdy, I’m your host, Iliana Limón Romero, filling in for Houston Mitchell, who is probably still watching Freddie Freeman’s World Series walk-off grand slam again and again. Let’s get right to the news.
Go beyond the scoreboard
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From Jack Harris: The New York Mets added Juan Soto, but the Dodgers’ lineup remains deeper and more dangerous.
The New York Yankees inked Max Fried, but the Dodgers’ rotation still outnumbers them in big-name, frontline arms.
In a high-priced offseason that has featured several big-market clubs bolstering their rosters — or at least make lucrative bids in an attempt to do so — the Dodgers still reign supremein baseball’s hierarchy of contenders, well positioned coming out of this week’s winter meetings to mount a World Series title defense.
And yet as they embark on the rest of the offseason, they seem primed to keep trying to add to their collection of premium talent.
“We’ve made some moves that have set a real strong foundation for a successful team,” general manager Brandon Gomes said Wednesday as the meetings wound down at the Hilton Anatole. “Now we’ll take the next couple weeks leading up to spring training to explore what’s out there.”
The Dodgers already have been busy in free agency. They landed an ace, Blake Snell, on a $182-million contract. They also added outfield depth in Michael Conforto, re-signed Blake Treinen to shore up the bullpen and locked up utility man Tommy Edman to a five-year extension.
Hernández: Are the Dodgers what pitcher Roki Sasaki wants in an MLB team?
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RAMS
From Gary Klein: They were two moments seemingly frozen in time, balletic catches by Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp that not only indicated the Rams offense could finally produce consistently but also could do it with panache.
In Sunday’s victory over the Buffalo Bills, Nacua made a full-extension, toe-tap catch on the sideline that should be framed as artwork. Kupp’s leaping acrobatic touchdown catch harked to the veteran’s historic 2021 season.
It was not the first time the two receivers showed they were past injuries that sidelined them early this season. In a mid-November victory over the New England Patriots, both amassed more than 100 yards receiving.
But this was different.
Nacua and Kupp both displayed the flair of masters performing at the top of their games, and it could not come at a better time for coach Sean McVay and the Rams.
On Thursday night, the Rams play the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium, the first of three games against NFC West opponents remaining on the Rams’ schedule.
The Seattle Seahawks (8-5) lead the division. The Rams (7-6) are in second place, with the Arizona Cardinals (6-7) and 49ers (6-7) close behind.
Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers: How to watch, prediction and betting odds
NFL Week 15 picks: Big implications behind Rams-49ers and Bills-Lions matchups
CHARGERS
From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Quarterback Justin Herbert missed practice Wednesday after he suffered left leg and ankle injuries in the Chargers’ loss against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Although Herbert left the game for one play after taking a hard hit on the left thigh during a tackle late in the second quarter, it was actually a left ankle injury suffered in the first quarter that kept him off the practice field Wednesday, he said.
Herbert first hurt the ankle on a seven-yard scramble on third-and-16 on the Chargers’ opening drive. He was seen grimacing as he jogged toward the sideline. Trainers re-taped the ankle both inside and outside of his cleat and he continued to play.
LAKERS
From Dan Woike: Go to Phoenix on Monday, play Tuesday. Fly to San Antonio late Tuesday and play the next day. Back to Los Angeles late on Thanksgiving eve, off for the holiday and then play the Thunder on Friday. Fly to Utah the next day, play the Jazz on Sunday. Then off to Minnesota on Sunday night, land late and play the Timberwolves on Monday. Then go to Miami for a game Wednesday. Then go to Atlanta for a game Friday. Off for a day, then host Portland on Sunday.
And then, for the first time in weeks, exhale for 48 hours.
The Lakers practiced Wednesday after two full days off, a rare oasis in an early schedule that featured them playing six preseason games outside of Los Angeles only to begin the season with the second-most road games in the Western Conference through their first 24 contests.
The time off is a benefit of elimination from the NBA Cup, the Lakers idle during the knockout games this week. While the more than $500,000 in prize money eluded them, they got something that could be more valuable.
HIGH SCHOOLS
From Eric Sondheimer: Somebody kept calling.
“Hello,” I’d answer.
Nobody would respond. There was only the sound of talking in the background.
It happened five times.
The mystery was solved when Concord De La Salle football coach Justin Alumbaugh reached me and apologized that his 2-year-old daughter, Isabel, had gotten ahold of his phone.
If you think De La Salle’s task of trying to hand Mater Dei its first defeat in Saturday night’s CIF Open Division state championship bowl game might be tough, imagine the balancing act Alumbaugh has been pulling off with help from his wife, coaching football and having kids ages 6, 5 and 2.
“There’s no denying how good they are,” Alumbaugh said of the 12-0 Monarchs.
State football previews: A look at the matchups for Southland teams
Prep talk: Shane Rosenthal’s final numbers are staggering
Prep basketball roundup: Sophomore Gene Roebuck scores 36 points in La Mirada victory
DUCKS
From the Associated Press: Drake Batherson had three goals and an assist, and the Ottawa Senators beat the Ducks 5-1 Wednesday night for their third win in four games.
Brady Tkachuk had a goal and an assist, and Noah Gregor also scored for the Senators. Linus Ullmark stopped 31 shots.
Cutter Gauthier scored for the Ducks, and John Gibson finished with 29 saves. The Ducks have lost four straight games.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1937 — Rookie Sammy Baugh throws second-half touchdown passes of 55, 78 and 33 yards to overcome a 14-7 Chicago lead and give the Washington Redskins a 28-21 victory over the Chicago Bears for the NFL championship.
1953 — Maurice Richard of the Montreal Canadiens becomes the NHL’s all-time leading scorer with a goal and two assists in a 7-2 victory against the New York Rangers. Richard finishes the game with 611 points, one more than injured linemate Elmer Lach, who has held the record since February 1952.
1965 — Chicago’s Gale Sayers scores six touchdowns with 336 combined yards to lead the Bears to a 61-20 rout of the San Francisco 49ers. The six TDs give Sayers an NFL-record 21 for the season. Sayers’ first touchdown is a reception, the next four rushing and the final, an 85-yard punt return.
1968 — Arthur Ashe becomes 1st black person be ranked #1 in tennis.
1971 — Bobby Hull of the Chicago Black Hawks scores his 1,000th point with an assist in the first period of a 5-3 victory over the Minnesota North Stars.
1977 — NBA Commissioner Larry O’Brien fined Kermit Washington $10,000 and suspends the Los Angeles Lakers forward for at least 60 days (26 games) for punching Houston’s Rudy Tomjanovich during a game on Dec. 9. The suspension is the longest ever in NBA history and the fine is the maximum permissible under league rules.
1986 — James “Bonecrusher” Smith knocks out Tim Witherspoon in the first round to win the WBA heavyweight title in New York.
1987 — Guard Mookie Blaylock leads Oklahoma to an NCAA-record 33 steals with 13 in a 152-84 victory over Centenary.
1990 — Connecticut uses a stifling press and quickness to jump to a 32-0 lead en route to an 85-32 victory over New Hampshire. New Hampshire plays 11 minutes and 48 seconds before scoring its first point.
2015 — Keenan Reynolds ends his Navy career with a clean sweep against Army. Reynolds rushes for two touchdowns and throws for another score to lead the No. 21 Midshipmen to their 14th straight win over the Black Knights, 21-17. Reynolds is the first quarterback over the 116-game series to go 4-0.
2015 — The Golden State Warriors’ NBA-record start ends at 24 wins when the Milwaukee Bucks beat them 108-95.
2016 — Tom Brady connects with Chris Hogan for a 79-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to help the New England Patriots overcome a sloppy second half and claim a 30-23 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Brady throws for 406 yards and three touchdowns, becoming the fourth NFL quarterback with at least 450 career touchdown passes. He also throws just his second interception of the season.
2021 – Dutchman Max Verstappen wins Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
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