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Remember when the Angels pummeled the Dodgers a couple of weeks ago? Twice?
A tale of two teams, within one city logo, continues on divergent paths that leaves one to forget that even happened.
The Cardinal sin for the Dodgers as they enter the last two months of the regular season is believing they can coast into the playoffs. The two-time NL champion and six-time NL West winner face St. Louis, probably a surprise leader in the NL Central, for three games that could be one of those playoff preview kind of things. Note the Cardinals swept four from the Dodgers in early April, including a 4-0 shutout thrown by six Cardinals pitchers. We then reach a point where the Diamondbacks make their last visit to Dodger Stadium for the season, where they’ve already lost in five of their six L.A. games and don’t have Zack Greinke in the rotation any more. The key talking points this week will be when and where Hyun-Jin Ryu comes off the IL after his 10-day stint should end, and how many more starts Dustin May might make.
The Angels, meanwhile, get no breaks with injuries and are forced to take  another uneventful interleague required series in Cincinnati before heading to Boston:

How the week plays out for the Dodgers (an MLB-best 74-40 mark in the NL West, 17  games up, still No. 1 in the ESPN Power Rankings):
Vs. St. Louis at Dodger Stadium:
Monday at 7:10 p.m., (Tony Gonsolin vs. Michael Wacha), SNLA
Tuesday at 7:10 p.m., (Clayton Kershaw vs. Miles Mikolas), SNLA
Wednesday at 12:10 p.m. (Dustin May vs. Jack Flaherty), YouTube.com
Vs. Arizona at Dodger Stadium:
Friday at 7:10 p.m. (Walker Buehler vs. Alex Young)
Saturday at 6:10 p.m. (Kenta Maeda vs. Robbie Ray)
Sunday at 1:10 p.m., (TBA vs. Merrill Kelly)

How the week plays out for the Angels (56-57 in the AL West, 17 back from the lead, nine back in the wildcard, losers of four in a row and eight of their last 10):
At Cincinnati:
Monday at 4:10 p.m. (Patrick Sandoval vs. Luis Castillo), Fox Sports West
Tuesday at 4:10 p.m., (Jose Suarez vs. Anthony DeSciafani), FSW
At Boston:
Thursday at 4:10 p.m. (Dillon Peters vs. Chris Sale), FSW
Friday at 4:10 p.m., (TBA vs. David Price), FSW
Saturday at 1:05 p.m., (Jamie Barria vs. Rick Porcello), FSW
Sunday at 10:05 a.m. (TBA vs. Andrew Cashner), FSW Continue reading “08.05.19: Five things for the week ahead based on unscientific evidence of guaranteed importance” →

Under the new MLB rules, the last day for teams to make a deal is Wednesday. “Our front office has shown that if there’s a need, we have no problem trying to address and line up on a deal,” says Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “But it’s got to be right for both clubs, too. I think that the history points to if something could happen or should happen, we’ll make it happen.”
Yeah, but …
The Dodgers’ history going forward will likely hinge on the acquisition of bullpen help (Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez?) and they could use first aid right away with another three games in Colorado that ends up as a fire drill for pitching staffs just trying to survive. Dodgers Cy Young candidate Hyun-Jin Ryu (11-2, 1.74 ERA, 0.96 WHiP) saw his last trip in Colorado on June 28 end up pretty upside down – giving up a season-high seven runs and nine hits (three homers) in four innings and taking the loss in a 13-9 decision. But his ERA went up only from 1.27 to 1.83. And the Dodgers have won his last four games since then. Ryu will pitch the Dodgers’ last game of July on Wednesday – he is 2-0 this month with a 1.35 ERA in four starts.

How the week plays out for the Dodgers (an MLB-best 69-36 mark in the NL West, 14 1/2 games up, after just a 2-3 week and still No. 1 on the ESPN MLB Power Rankings where they have been for seven straight weeks, since Week 9/May 27, plus Weeks 4-5-6, plus Week 1):
At Colorado:
Monday at 5:40 p.m. (Kenta Maeda vs. Jon Gray), SportsNet LA
Tuesday at 5:40 p.m. (TBA vs. Kyle Freeland), SNLA
Wednesday at 12:10 p.m. (Hyun-Jin Ryu vs. German Marquez), SNLA
Vs. San Diego at Dodger Stadium:
Thursday at 7:10 p.m. (Joey Lucchesi vs. Clayton Kershaw), SNLA
Friday at 7:10 p.m. (TBA vs. Walker Buehler), SNLA
Saturday at 6:10 p.m. (Chris Paddack vs. Kenta Maeda), SNLA
Sunday at 1:10 p.m. (Dinelson Larnet vs. TBA), SNLA

How the week plays out for the Angels (55-52 in the AL West, 13 back of the lead and 5 back in the AL wildcard, sticking to No. 15 in the ESPN MLB Power Rankings after two home wins against the Dodgers but just a 3-3  week after a walkoff win Sunday to avoid getting swept in four by the lowly Orioles):
Vs. Detroit at Angel Stadium:
Monday at 7:07 p.m. (Jordan Zimmerman vs. Jaime Barria), YouTube.com
Tuesday at 7:07 p.m. (Drew VerHagen vs. Griffin Canning), FSW
Wednesday at 1:07 p.m. (Daniel Norris vs. Jose Suarez), FSW
At Cleveland:
Friday at 4:10 p.m. (Felix Pena vs. Mike Clevinger), FSW
Saturday a 4:10 p.m. (Jaime Barria vs. Trevor Bauer), FS1
Sunday at 10:10 a.m. (Griffin Canning vs. Shane Bieber), FSW Continue reading “07.29.19: Five things for the week ahead based on unscientific evidence of guaranteed importance” →

The 148^th version of The Open golf tournament, from Northern Ireland for the first time since 1951 in the seaside town of Portrush, puts the magnificent scenery in the sunlight more than anything else. All other 146 versions of this event have been in England or Scotland, so it’s far overdue. Defending champ Francesco Molinari won at Carnoustie in Scotland a year ago, but Northern Ireland native Rory McIlroy will be the real looker, having set the record at the Portrush Royal Golf Club with a round of 61 in 2005, when he was 16. The course has been rerouted a bit since then. Graeme McDowell is another countryman proud to be here, getting an entry because he won the RBC Canadian Open recently. Tiger Woods has three Open championships among his 15 majors.
The TV schedule:
Wednesday night: Golf Channel, 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday
Thursday night: Golf Channel, 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday
Saturday morning: Golf Channel, 1:30 a.m. to 4 a.m.; Channel 4, 4 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Sunday morning: Golf Channel, 1:30 a.m. to 4 a.m., Channel 4, 4 a.m. to 11 a.m.

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As we try to retain some of our soccer high from the recent Women’s World Cup activities, and the U.S. loss to Mexico in the Gold Cup, we come upon what we still believe should be called El Trafico – your LAFC heading down the Harbor Freeway and cutting up the 91N to Dignity Health Sports Park for one of two regular-season MLS meetings against the Galaxy for what’s also being called The Los Angeles Derby – Friday, 7 p.m., ESPN. Not so much because it’s a battle of the two top teams in the Western Conference.
The next Galaxy-LAFC meeting happens Sunday, Aug. 25, at Banc of California Stadium.
Also: The International Champions Cup goes to Dignity Health Sports Park for a Arsenal-Bayern Munich matchup, Wednesday at 8 p.m. Continue reading “07.15.19: Five things for the week ahead based on unscientific evidence of guaranteed importance” →

The 90^th Major League Baseball All Star Game hasn’t gotten all that progressive, no matter that Cleveland plays host this season at what it calls Progressive Field – Tuesday, 4:30 p.m., Channel 11.
Wait, there’ll be no Chief Wahoo present for this thing, right? Maybe that’s progress. But there’s still a mascot issue.
All in all, this is still an exhibition, not determining anything of import. About 60 players have to commit, and the others get nearly a week off to rest.
Dave Roberts will have to manage this again for the NL team without anyone from the front office moving the chess pieces for him during the contest.Pitchers barely last one inning, even if Clayton Kershaw (7-2, 3.09) finally gets to start one of these before he goes into the Hall of Fame. And he won’t. It’s teammate Hyun-Jin Ryu (10-2, 1.73) instead. Thanks Dave.
Expanded rosters don’t rule out using everyone before a possible extra-inning game happens. The American League has won the last six in a row, including the last three all held in NL parks, and the last two decided in the 10^th inning, the last one as Roberts put Ross Stripling on the mound to absorb the defeat in Washington, D.C.
Keeping in mind the Dodgers host this game next season, the annual ritual will feature an NL squad of Kershaw, Ryu, Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy and Walker Buehler.  Interesting, the Padres’ lone All Star is reliever Kirby Yates. Not Manny Machado or Fernando Tatis Jr.? Crazy.
The Angels annual rep: Mike Trout.
Play on. Continue reading “07.08.19: Five things to plan for the week ahead based on unscientific evidence of guaranteed importance” →

Even if the Women’s World Cup isn’t getting any easier for the U.S. Women’s National Team entering Decision Week, it’s definitely getting more compelling on top of more complicated.
Franklin Foer writes in The Atlantic that he finds himself “more wrapped up in this team than any World Cup squad I can remember. In part, it’s the unmistakable sense of camaraderie they possess –and how the team’s success is inseparable from its sense of moral purpose. …
“No women’s team has ever repeated a World Cup—as the U.S. is poised to do—and certainly no team has prevailed while its co-captain rhetorically jousts with its president and the squad battles its boss for equal pay. This team has flourished in the face of all this, and actually seems intent on milking the experience for all the pleasures it can provide. A day after Donald Trump denounced her, Megan Rapinoe played perhaps her best game in the American jersey. This is history in the making, folks. The movie version won’t be nearly so good.”
Watch it live, then, as the USWNT faces England in the semifinals in Lyon, France — Tuesday, noon, Channel 11. The second semifinal comes Wednesday (noon, FS1) with Sweden vs. the Netherlands. That funnels into Sunday’s title game (Sunday, 8 a.m., Channel 11, replayed at 1:30 p.m., FS1), or the third-place game (Saturday, 8 a.m., Channel 11).
And then when they come home, we’ll see about a White House visit.
More info: www.fifa.com/womensworldcup

Also:

In the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the semifinals are already confirmed:
Mexico vs. Haiti: Tuesday, at Glendale, Ariz., 7:30 p.m., FS1
U.S. vs. Jamacia: Wednesday at Nashville, Tenn.,  6:30 p.m., FS1
The USMNT 1-0 win over … who was it again? … is hardly something that leads to a confident trip into this stage of the event that finishes up Sunday (at Soldier Field in Chicago, 6 p.m., FS1)
More info: www.goldcup.org

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Before the All-Star break arrives, a few weeks beyond the actual mid-point in the season, the Dodgers have a chance to clean up on more NL West leftovers and the Angels have another chance to eat up some ground on the top two teams in the AL West.
How the week lays out this week for the Dodgers, 57-29, 12 games up in the NL West, coming off a series loss and a series split, yet still No. 1 in the ESPN Power Rankings for Week 13:
* vs. Arizona, at Dodger Stadium: Tuesday (Taylor Clarke vs. Ross Stripling) at 7:10 p.m., Wednesday (Merrill Kelly vs. Walker Buehler) at 7:10 p.m.
* vs. San Diego, at Dodger Stadium: July 4 Thursday (Chris Paddack vs. Hyun-Jin Ryu) at 6:10 p.m.; Friday (Joey Lucchessi vs. Clayton Kershaw) at 7:10 p.m.; Saturday (Logan Allen vs. Kenta Maeda) at 7:10 p.m.; Sunday (Matt Strahm vs. Ross Stripling) at 1:10 p.m.
All on SportsNet LA Continue reading “07.01.19: Five things you should plan for the week ahead based on unscientific evidence of guaranteed importance” →