Sports

Teoscar Hernández has decisive hit as amazing seven-run ninth rallies Dodgers past Rockies

Published

2 years ago

June 19, 2024

Teoscar Hernández has decisive hit as amazing seven-run ninth rallies Dodgers past Rockies

DENVER —

During his team’s resurgence at the plate in recent weeks, in which the Dodgers have once again looked like their high-powered selves, Dave Roberts has used one adjective in his praise of the club above all else.

On more than one occasion, the manager has highlighted his lineup’s “fight” at the plate, extolling their ability to battle off pitches, extend at-bats and keep the team in games.

“We always talk about it here in the clubhouse,” outfielder Teoscar Hernández said. “Don’t give away at-bats. Fight through the at-bats. See a lot of pitches. And try to get a good one.”

On Tuesday, in the kind of comeback the club had not experienced in almost 100 years, the Dodgers epitomized everything Roberts and his players had been talking about, exploding for seven runs in an historic ninth-inning rally to snatch an unlikely 11-9 win over the Colorado Rockies.

“Man, there’s a lot to unpack,” Roberts said afterward, still buzzing from the franchise’s biggest ninth-inning comeback since 1957, and first in which they’d erased a five-run ninth-inning hole without playing extra innings since 1929. “That fight, I couldn’t be more proud of the guys.”

On three separate occasions Tuesday, the Dodgers found themselves trailing by five.

The Rockies led 6-1 in the bottom of the second, and 7-2 at the end of the fourth, with each run coming against Walker Buehler in his worst start of an already frustrating season.

Colorado was ahead 9-4 going into the eighth, having extinguished one Dodgers rally on a diving catch from Brenton Doyle in center field in the top of the seventh, and scoring an insurance run off Dodgers reliever Michael Peterson in his MLB debut a half-inning later.

But, even with their closer, Tyler Kinley, in the game, and the bottom of the Dodgers order due up in the ninth, the Rockies couldn’t get over the finish line.

Instead, the Dodgers loaded the bases on a single and two walks. They got back within one on a pinch-hit grand slam from Jason Heyward. And then — in a moment that not only flipped the script of Tuesday night’s game, but also defined the identity the Dodgers have been striving for this season — Hernández came to the plate, stayed alive in a two-strike at-bat, then launched a towering three-run home run the other way.

A thunderous bow on a seven-run outburst.

“When Jason hit that grand slam to turn the lineup over,” Hernández said, “you knew something was going to happen.”

A few weeks ago, such confidence at the plate appeared to be in short supply for the Dodgers. During a 12-12 stretch from May 10 to June 5, their star-studded offense averaged just 3.7 runs per game. Hitting in the clutch was a particular area of repeated frustration.

Since then, though, the lineup has started to rediscover its stride.

In their last 12 games, the Dodgers are 8-4. They are averaging more than 6.25 runs per contest in that stretch. And this week, they’ve totaled 20 runs in two games at Coors Field even while missing leadoff hitter Mookie Betts, who is out six to eight weeks with a hand fracture.

In Betts’ place, other stars like Shohei Ohtani (who hit his National League-leading 20th home run of the season Tuesday a whopping 476 feet) and Hernández (who is leading the team with 54 RBIs) have stepped up. But the team’s all-around approach has made key strides, too.

“That’s our approach to every single at-bat, every single day,” Heyward said. “Sometimes it looks ugly. Sometimes it looks pretty. But when you’re able to stick with that over the course of a season, to fill out big games, big spots, big moments, I think that’s how you get better. That’s how you improve.”

It’s also how the unlikleiest of wins can still be achieved — how the Dodgers, once looking left for dead on Tuesday, found a way to keep staying alive.

Heyward’s at-bat was perhaps most impressive, a two-strike battle in which the veteran outfielder eventually prevailed.

After swinging through one slider in a 2-and-1 count, then fouling off another on the very next pitch, Heyward simplified his mindset at the plate.

“I just told myself, ‘Alright, you got a feel for the take, you got a feel for the swing. So right here, take your time,’” he said. “If it’s there, it’s there. If it’s not, tip my cap.”

When Kinley fired a third-straight slider, Heyward hammered a high line drive off the foul pole in right.

The deficit suddenly trimmed to one, Ohtani kept the inning going by slicing a single to left, then advancing to second on a wild pitch. The Rockies intentionally walked Freddie Freeman with first base open. That brought up Hernández in the type of high-leverage moment he has thrived in all year.

“He reminds me of Manny Ramirez,” Roberts said. “When guys are on base, that’s when he really starts to lock it in and focus. He hunts those RBIs. That’s how you win baseball games.”

Hernández’s at-bat wasn’t without controversy. With two outs and two strikes, he contorted his body to check what would have been a game-ending swing.

The Rockies appealed to first base umpire Lance Barksdale, but he upheld the call. Manager Bud Black came out to argue, but was immediately ejected from the game. Video replay made it seem like Hernández might have gone around. Countless batters have been called out for less.

“It was close,” Hernández said. “Now that I saw the replay, I don’t think so. But you could’ve called it either way, and I think it would’ve been fine.”

The at-bat still alive, Hernández attacked the very next pitch, clubbing a center-cut fastball the other way for the deciding three-run shot.

“I honestly feel like we just got rewarded with our process right there,” Heyward said.

A process that, lately, has been marked by the Dodgers’ ability to battle at the plate and — even down five runs in the ninth inning — find a way to fight.

Buehler IL stint “possible”

After Buehler’s four-inning, seven-run start Tuesday — the most runs the pitcher has given up in a start since 2019 — both he and Roberts hinted at the possibility of the right-hander getting some sort of break amid his poor start to the season.

With a 5.84 ERA through eight starts this year, in his first season back from a 2022 Tommy John surgery, Buehler said there has been some thought internally of giving him a midseason “blow” in order to “reset” his performance.

Buehler was also hit in the hip by a comebacker Tuesday. While it didn’t force him from the game early, Roberts said there was some “concern” about the residual soreness it would create, making an injured list stint “possible” for the struggling 29-year-old.

“Given how he’s feeling, how he’s throwing the baseball and what happened tonight with that liner off his hip, it’s certainly going to be a conversation,” Roberts said. “We have some off days coming up that could line up so a blow is possible, for sure.”

Sports

Not done yet: Khalil Mack agrees to contract extension with Chargers

Published

38 minutes ago

March 7, 2026

Press Room

Not done yet: Khalil Mack agrees to contract extension with Chargers

Khalil Mack will continue to be a nuisance for opposing quarterbacks for at least one more season.

The Chargers edge rusher agreed to a contract extension with the team Saturday, the team announced. The deal is for one season and $18 million guaranteed, according to multiple reports.

In 12 games last season, Mack, 35, had 5½ sacks and 32 tackles, playing a key role alongside Tuli Tuipulotu and Odafe Oweh in spearheading the Chargers’ pass rush and softening the blow of Joey Bosa’s exit from the unit.

Since joining the Chargers via a trade with the Chicago Bears in March 2022, Mack has recorded 36½ sacks and 195 tackles. The three-time All-Pro and nine-time Pro Bowl selection missed five games with a left elbow injury early in the season, but he was still a force on defense for the Chargers — even when his sack totals were at their lowest mark since his 2014 rookie season.

Mack’s greatest season with the Chargers — and arguably his NFL career — came in 2023 when he had a franchise-record 17 sacks and finished tied for second in the league with four strip-sacks. During the Chargers’ Week 4 win over Las Vegas that season, he recorded six sacks.

If Mack’s decision seems familiar, that’s because it is. Last year, he didn’t re-sign with the Chargers until just before the start of free agency as he mulled whether to return or retire. He was persuaded with a one-year, $18-million deal similar to the one he agreed to Saturday.

Mack is a proven Hall of Fame-caliber pass rusher, but he still hasn’t been part of a playoff win. He’s 0-6 in the playoffs and the Chargers’ disheartening loss to the New England Patriots in the wild-card playoffs probably gave him plenty of reasons to think about his future.

With Mack under contract, re-signing Oweh becomes a clear priority for Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz ahead of the free-agent negotiation period beginning Monday.

Oweh had a breakout season in the aftermath of his midseason trade from Baltimore and is considered one of the top defensive players set to be available in free agency. Oweh had 7½ sacks and 28 tackles in 12 games with the Chargers.

With Jesse Minter leaving L.A. to become the head coach of the Ravens, Mack will be working under new defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary next season. If Mack can stay healthy, he’ll likely continue to be a valuable contributor to the Chargers’ pass-rushing threat.

Sports

Kyle Pitts blasts ‘fake emotion’ from NFL players who skipped Rondale Moore’s celebration of life

Published

12 hours ago

March 7, 2026

Press Room

Kyle Pitts blasts ‘fake emotion’ from NFL players who skipped Rondale Moore’s celebration of life

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Atlanta Falcons star Kyle Pitts called out the former teammates of Rondale Moore, who tragically died last month from a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound, after he said only a handful of them showed up to his celebration of life services on Friday.

Moore, 25, was found dead in the garage of his Indiana home on Feb. 21. Police said at the time that the former NFL receiver died of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound. News of Moore’s death prompted an outpouring of support from around the league and from those who knew Moore.

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. (8) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Dec. 21, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

But Pitts, who became close with Moore after he was traded to the Falcons in 2024, called out what he called the “fake emotion” that was displayed in the wake of Moore’s passing.

“Crazy how only about 6 maybe 7 of your teammates in the NFL showed up for you today smfh,” he wrote in a post shared to his Instagram Stories. “All that talk and fake emotion and nobody want to show up to lay you to rest.. Just at a loss of words.

“Be woke on who your ‘brothers’ really are, who really rock with you all areas of life not just in front of cameras or the public,” he continued, adding “Folks just want to throw up a post and not mean it but we ball yb as Kur said, ‘it might hurt a little’ but we ball.”

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Rondale Moore (4) and Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham (55) in action during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on Dec. 31, 2023. (Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports)

Moore was a standout football player in college for Purdue. The Arizona Cardinals selected him in the 2021 NFL Draft. He played three seasons in Arizona from 2021 to 2023. He was traded to the Atlanta Falcons in 2024 but suffered a season-ending injury.

He joined the Minnesota Vikings in March 2025 and suffered a season-ending injury in a preseason game.

Pitts shared an emotional post about Moore on social media after learning of his death.

“This can’t be real dawg,” he wrote after sharing a carousel of photos on Instagram. “I’m really sitting here crying on even what to say or think bruh.”

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. (8) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Dec. 21, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

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“We literally was just on the phone yesterday morning. I’m so hurt dawg, I’d never thought I’d be making this type of post let alone it be about you! Rondale, you’re truly aqt peace now watching over us but I wish you didn’t leave us man. I love you dawg and 4 is going to live on forever.”

Fox News Digital’s Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

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Sports

Lakers know they have something to prove against the Knicks on Sunday

Published

13 hours ago

March 7, 2026

Press Room

Lakers know they have something to prove against the Knicks on Sunday

The Lakers 128-117 winwon, Luka Doncic dominated and then the conversation moved forward, because even though a 128-117 win over the slumping Indiana Pacers on Friday counts all the same in the tight Western Conference standings, it doesn’t say as much about the Lakers as what comes next.

Buoyed by four recent wins over struggling teams, the Lakers are still searching for a statement victory to announce themselves as legitimate contenders in the crowded Western Conference. The Lakers (38-25) are comfortably in sixth place in the West, but just 3-11 against teams that are .600 or better.

Two of the wins came in the first two weeks of the season. The losses have been ugly: an average margin of 19.9 points per defeat.

Now with five of their next six games against teams that are .600 or better — starting with Sunday’s 12:30 p.m. contest against the New York Knicks — the Lakers get a chance to prove their potential to make a playoff run.

Lakers guard Austin Reaves drives to the basket as he’s chased by Indiana Pacers guards Quenton Jackson and Aaron Nesmith Friday at Crypto.com Arena.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

“You play teams that are playing winning basketball and [have] winning records, it definitely can build some confidence in the group,” guard Luke Kennard said Friday. “But I know even some of the close games we’ve lost just recently, I know we’ve done some really good things. … We know what we have in the locker room and in this group.”

Even a day and a win later, the Lakers were still ruing Thursday’s road loss in Denver. With a chance to jump to fifth place in the standings, they let the Nuggets (39-25) open the game on an 11-point run. Denver opened up a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter.

But unlike many of their other losses to playoff-contending teams, the Lakers answered Denver’s run. They cut it to one with 2:05 left before the Nuggets held on for the victory.

“That was a game that we’ve broken throughout the year, in games like that,” coach JJ Redick said. “And they made a number of runs that went to double digits and we just kept playing and had a chance. … I’m confident we’re going to find it. How we’re going to find it, that’s where it’s —”

Redick cut off his own thought as he searched for the words.

“You got to figure it out on a daily basis sometimes,” the coach concluded with a tight smile.

Lakers center Jaxson Hayes scores at the rim in front of Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard Friday at Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers figured it out Friday behind a dazzling 44-point performance from Doncic, who leads the NBA with 10 40-point games this season. The NBA’s leading scorer didn’t even play during the fourth quarter of the blowout.

Doncic’s brilliance was more than enough against the bottom-feeding Pacers, who, at 15-48, are playing more for lottery position than postseason hopes. But the Knicks (41-23) have won four of their last five games, including convincing wins over San Antonio and Denver. The only recent loss was a three-point defeat to Oklahoma City.

Lakers forward LeBron James is expected to be available for Sunday’s marquee game after injuring his elbow late in the loss to the Nuggets and missing Friday’s game. Centers Deandre Ayton (left knee soreness) and Maxi Kleber (lumbar back strain) are day-to-day.

Led by Jalen Brunson’s 26.2 points and 6.5 assists per game, the Knicks have the NBA’s third-best offense. Conversely, the Lakers are 21st in defensive rating.

The Lakers emphasized the importance of team defense all season, but Marcus Smart is “the only one that consistently is just doing what he’s supposed to do” on defense, Redick said Friday. Sometimes the former defensive player of the year is forced to overcompensate for his teammates’ mistakes.

Doncic’s defensive lapses are magnified, especially with the team’s recent inconsistencies. But Doncic’s oft-criticized defense has provided some bright spots, Redick said.

When he switches onto the ball, Doncic gives up the lowest number of points per possession among the Lakers’ perimeter players, Redick said. He led the Lakers in rebounding Friday with nine boards, all defensive. Doncic had both of the team’s blocks against the Pacers.

“He’s shown that he can contain the basketball,” Redick said of Doncic’s defense. “He’s obviously one of the best wing defensive rebounders in the NBA. He’s able to generate steals and deflections. And, with some prodding, he’s taking charges as well.”

Doncic has drawn 11 charges this season, the most for a single year in his NBA career.