Sports
Mookie Betts homers in return as Dodgers beat the Brewers
Mookie Betts — or, as he’s known around these parts, “Spooky” Betts — returned to the Dodgers’ lineup for the opener of a four-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night, refusing to stay with the team at the supposedly haunted Pfister Hotel for the second straight season.
Whether ghosts actually exist in the historic, 131-year-old downtown hotel is open to debate, but Betts wasn’t about to take a chance that they do.
“You don’t want to mess with them,” Betts said. “I’m staying at an [apparition-free] Airbnb again. That part is not gonna change.”
Another thing that hasn’t changed: Betts’ ability to make baseballs disappear.
Playing for the first time in seven weeks, Betts deposited a two-run home run over the left-field wall in the third inning to drive in the first runs of an eventual 5-2 win over the Brewers in American Family Field.
Betts, who prepared for his return by taking live batting practice in Dodger Stadium for three days, also hit a two-out RBI single in the seventh to help push the Dodgers to their fourth straight win.
“It’s probably on one hand, it really is,” manager Dave Roberts said, when asked how many major leaguers could come back after seven weeks, not play any minor league rehab games and have the game Betts had Monday night.
“[Brewers starter] Freddy Peralta is a heck of a pitcher, so to have the night he did against him was huge. And that two-out hit off [Bryan] Hudson to add the insurance run was big. It’s a lot more fun writing his name in the lineup.”
The lineup isn’t quite whole. Third baseman Max Muncy and utility man Tommy Edman, who is expected to play mostly center field, are expected to be activated next week.
But even with the loss of Betts for almost two months, Muncy for three months and injuries that have shelved 10 starting pitchers, the Dodgers (70-49) have the best record in the National League and are tied with Cleveland and Baltimore for the best record in baseball.
“It’s remarkable,” Roberts said. “It’s a credit to those guys in the room, the coaches, and everyone playing their tails off. And I still believe we haven’t played our best baseball in quite some time. The expectation is for us to be even better.”
Shohei Ohtani, who remained in the leadoff spot while Betts moved to the two-hole, followed Kevin Kiermaier’s fifth-inning single with his NL-leading 36th homer, driving a 3-and-0 fastball from Peralta 424 feet to left-center field to give the Dodgers a 4-0 lead. It was the first time in Ohtani’s career that he homered on a 3-0 pitch.
“He has the green light [on 3-0],” Roberts said. “He can fire whenever he wants to.”
Clayton Kershaw delivered his best start in four games since his late-July return from shoulder surgery, giving up one run and three hits in 5 ⅔ innings, striking out six and walking two for his first win of the season.
“It was a good game for us, all the way around,” said Kershaw, who leaned more heavily on his slow curve. “Personally, it was OK. Decent command all the way through. A couple of big spots I was able to get out of.”
Kershaw departed with a runner aboard and two out in the sixth, only to have his replacement, Joe Kelly, give up a two-run homer to William Contreras that cut the Dodgers’ lead to 4-2. Kelly has been tagged for five earned runs and five hits — three of them homers–in 3 ⅔ innings of his last five games.
The Dodgers got one run back in the seventh when Ohtani walked with two out, stole second — his 33rd stolen base of the season–and scored on Betts’ RBI single to right field for a 5-2 lead.
Dodgers left-hander Alex Vesia struck out the side in the seventh, and right-hander Michael Kopech struck out two of four in a scoreless eighth, Jake Bauers with a 101-mph fastball and Willy Adames with a 98-mph fastball.
Kopech has given up one hit, struck out 10 and walked one in 6 ⅓ innings of six games since being acquired from the Chicago White Sox.
“He’s picked us up big-time,” Roberts said of Kopech. “In any leverage spot at the back end of the game, the strike-throwing is there, the consistent throw of the fastball, being able to mix in the slider, the cutter whenever he needs it, he’s neutral against left and right … those are the pieces I look for in the seventh, eighth and ninth inning.”
Daniel Hudson retired the side in order in the ninth for his ninth save Monday night, but would Roberts consider moving Kopech to closer?
“We’ll see,” Roberts said. “We’ve got time.”
Betts had not played since June 16, the day he suffered a left-hand fracture when he was struck by a 98-mph fastball.
He spent the first 2 ½ months at shortstop, a position he was thrust into because of Gavin Lux’s throwing woes in early March, but both Betts and the Dodgers decided last Friday that the team — and the player — would be better off with Betts in right field, the position Betts has won six Gold Glove Awards at.
Betts looked comfortable and confident in the outfield Monday night, quickly gathering Jackson Chourio’s sixth-inning line drive off the wall and firing back to second to hold the Brewers left fielder to a single.
“You know what? It just kind of happened, I didn’t even think about it,” Betts said. “Those are the intricacies of playing right field that I got to learn over 10 years. I didn’t get a chance to learn it [at shortstop] in two months.”
The Dodgers went 44-29, averaged 4.90 runs a game and hit .255 with a .770 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in their first 73 games with Betts. They went 25-20, averaged 4.98 runs a game and hit .248 with a .757 OPS in 46 games without Betts.
“Having Mookie back is awesome,” Kershaw said. “That ball off the wall in the sixth inning, to keep it to a single — stuff that not a lot of people can make look that easy–not to mention the homer and stuff. The lineup is starting to look like it should. It’s really cool.”
Unless you’re Amed Rosario and Jason Heyward. Betts’ return and position switch had a domino effect on the roster and lineup, with Rosario, a utility man, and Heyward, a right fielder, bearing the brunt of the move.
Rosario, who was batting .305 in 81 games, was designated for assignment to clear a roster spot for Betts just two weeks after he was acquired from Tampa Bay, the Dodgers choosing to keep the right-handed bats of utility man Kiké Hernández and shortstop Nick Ahmed over Rosario.
“You’re cutting ties with a really good ballplayer who is versatile, but it shows the talent we have in the room now and that’s potentially coming,” Roberts said. “I really like Amed a lot. It’s a tough decision. But with our lineup construction, I just didn’t see a lot of runway for him.”
The left-handed-hitting Heyward has started 48 games in right field, batting .204 with five homers and 24 RBIs, but with Gold Glove-caliber defender Kiermaier and Andy Pages platooning in center field and Teoscar Hernández entrenched in left field, Heyward will be reduced to a pinch-hitter with an occasional spot start.
“It’s awesome to get Mookie back in our lineup — he’s a tough guy to miss, so it will be fun to have him back,” said Heyward, a 15-year veteran. “The name of the game is helping the team win, and I’ll be ready for that.”
Sports
Auburn fans shower officials with debris after wild buzzer-beater gets overturned
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A chaotic scene unfolded at Auburn University on Tuesday night as a wild buzzer-beater was waved off well after the Tigers had celebrated on their own court.
With 0.6 seconds remaining and Auburn trailing 90-88, KeShawn Murphy, somehow left wide open, caught an inbounds pass and nailed a long 3-pointer for what was thought to be the game-winner.
However, officials went to the scorer’s table to review the play, which was awfully close.
Auburn Tigers players watch the replay of a possible game-winning shot that was called back as Auburn Tigers take on Texas A&M Aggies at Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Jake Crandall/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Ultimately, officials ruled that the shot had not gone off in time, ending the Tigers’ celebration and prompting one from Texas A&M.
The officials quickly made themselves public enemy number one and were showered with debris from fans on their way off the court. At least one referee needed his head to be covered.
One fan sitting courtside even turned his back and threw his drink over his shoulder aimed at an official.
“They didn’t say a word. They just said it was no good and ran off the floor. I probably wouldn’t want to talk to me in that moment, anyway,” Auburn head coach Steven Pearl, who took over for his dad, Bruce this season, said after the game. “So, I get why they’d run away from me. Just from the angles that I saw, it looked like it was off his fingers. But that was just, I don’t have all the same angles they have.”
Texas A&M Aggies players celebrate victory as Auburn Tigers take on Texas A&M Aggies at Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama, on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Jake Crandall/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
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It is now six losses in their last 10 games for the Tigers after starting 5-1. They lost in the Final Four last year to Florida, who won the national championship over Houston.
Auburn (9-6, 0-2) led 47-37 at halftime and extended the margin to 61-45 with 12:29 remaining.
KeShawn Murphy of the Auburn Tigers reacts after officials ruled that his last-second shot did not beat the shot clock to win the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Neville Arena on Jan. 6, 2026 in Auburn, Alabama. (Stew Milne/Getty Images)
Texas A&M answered with a steady run fueled by outside shooting, taking its first lead at 8:42 when Pop Isaacs buried a 3-pointer. The Aggies followed with back-to-back triples from Isaacs to open a five-point cushion that they would not relinquish, by the skin of their teeth.
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Sports
Former NFL player Jordan Shipley is in critical condition after accident on his ranch
Two-time All-American wide receiver and prominent Outdoors Channel host Jordan Shipley is in critical condition after an accident on his ranch in Texas, his family said in a statement.
Shipley, 40, was described as stable after remaining hospitalized Tuesday night in Austin. The statement said a machine that he was operating near his hometown of Burnet caught fire. The former Texas great suffered “severe burns on his body.”
Shipley abruptly retired in 2012 after three NFL seasons primarily because of persistent concussion issues and chronic knee problems. He quickly transitioned to television shows that showcased his passion for deer hunting, co-hosting “The Bucks of Tecomate” and “Tecomate Whitetail Nation.”
“It was not hard at all,” Shipley said at the time of retiring at 27. “Only because I never saw myself as a football player first. Don’t get me wrong, I worked my tail off for football and I loved it but never saw that as my whole identity because I had such a big background in outdoors. Really, with this opportunity I had I was actually pretty excited about moving forward.”
Although he enjoyed a strong rookie season with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2010 with 52 receptions for 600 yards and three touchdowns, he is best remembered as a record-setting player at Texas.
Shipley starred as a receiver and a kick returner from 2006 to 2009, setting program single-season records in 2009 with 116 receptions and 1,489 yards. He also remains the career leader for receptions with 248 and ranks second in career receiving yards with 3,191, behind Roy Williams. Shipley also returned four punts or kickoffs for touchdowns.
After being drafted in the third round by the Bengals, he became one of the most popular players with Cincinnati fans, and his No. 11 jersey was worn by thousands. After a debilitating knee injury early in the 2011 season, he was never the same player, and he had short stints with Tampa Bay and Jacksonville before retiring.
According to his family, Jordan was operating a machine at his ranch when it caught fire. He managed to free himself from the machine, but “not before sustaining severe burns on his body in the process.” Jordan was airlifted to the hospital in Austin.
“He was able to get to one of his workers on the ranch, who drove him to a local hospital. He was then care-flighted to Austin, where he remains in critical but stable condition,” the statement said.
Shipley’s younger brother, former Texas wide receiver Jaxon Shipley, 33, asked for prayers in a statement on Instagram: “Please pray for full healing and no infections or other issues on his road to recovery. I don’t want to get into all the details, other than his life was spared today by the grace of God and the sheer will to live. I believe prayer is effective so I’m asking anyone and everyone to lift Jordan up in prayer.”
Sports
Tom Izzo explodes on former Michigan State player in wild scene: ‘What the f— are you doing?’
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Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo has been known to get visibly angry with his players over his years in East Lansing, but what happened Monday night against USC was different.
Izzo let loose his frustration on a former player.
During the Spartans’ blowout over the Trojans, 80-51, Izzo was spotted unloading on former Michigan State center Paul Davis, who played for the team from 2002-06, after he caused a disturbance in the stands.
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Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans reacts to a call during a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena Jan. 2, 2026, in Lincoln, Neb. (Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
Referees pointed out Davis, who was a spectator, from his courtside seat after he was among many in the building who disagreed with a call in the second half. Davis stood up and shouted at referee Jeffrey Anderson.
Anderson responded with a loud whistle, stopping play and pointing at Davis. Then, Anderson went over to Izzo to explain what happened, and the 70-year-old coach went ballistic.
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First, he was motioning toward Davis, and it was clear he asked his former center, “What the f— are you doing?”
Davis was met by someone asking him to leave his seat, and that’s when Izzo went nuts. He shouted “Get out of here!” at Davis, who appeared to gesture toward Izzo, perhaps in apology for disturbing the game.
Izzo was asked about Davis’ ejection after the game.
“What he said, he should never say anywhere in the world,” Izzo responded when asked what happened. “That ticked me off. So, just because it’s 25, 20 years later, I’m going to have to call him tomorrow and tell him what I thought of it. And you know what he’ll say? ‘I screwed up, coach. I’m sorry.’”
Izzo quickly clarified that what Davis said “wasn’t something racial” and “it wasn’t something sexual.”
Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo protests a call that benefited the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center Dec. 2, 2025. (Dale Young/Imagn Images)
“It was just the wrong thing to say, and I’ll leave it at that.”
Davis later met with reporters Tuesday, apologizing for his actions.
“I’m not up here to make any excuses. I’m up here to take accountability, to own it,” Davis said. It was a mistake that will never happen again. It was a mistake that’s not me, but, unfortunately, last night it was.”
Izzo said Davis was one of his “favorite guys” during his time playing for the Spartans. He had a breakout sophomore campaign with 15.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and two assists per game in 30 starts for Izzo during the 2003-04 season.
Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans reacts during a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena Jan. 2, 2026, in Lincoln, Neb. (Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
In his senior year, Davis averaged 17.5 points, a career-high, in 33 games.
He was taken in the second round of the 2006 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. Davis played just four seasons in the league, his final one with the Washington Wizards.
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