Sports
After brutal week, Dodgers remind everyone why they're still World Series dreaming
Despite all the injuries to their pitching staff and questions about their roster depth, the Dodgers still believe.
That they can finish off a division title in the National League West.
That they can mount a deep, albeit unconventional, October run.
That, as manager Dave Roberts declared, “the talent we have, the character we have, is plenty to win the World Series.”
If so, they’ll need more performances like Sunday’s 9-2 win over the Atlanta Braves.
After entering the night with losses in six of their previous nine games, and an NL West lead that had been trimmed to three games by the surging San Diego Padres, the Dodgers put all the pieces together in a much-needed win at Truist Park.
Walker Buehler battled through early command issues to pitch six strong innings in one of his best performances of the season.
The lineup erased an early two-run deficit, showing the kind of fight that has been missing at times in recent weeks.
Then, with the score tied 2-2 in the ninth, their superstar bats erupted for a seven-run rally — one that started with an RBI single from Mookie Betts, then included three-straight home runs from Teoscar Hernández, Tommy Edman and Max Muncy.
It was a sigh of relief, a flurry of exaltation and a potential postseason statement, wrapped up into one potentially momentum-turning victory.
The Dodgers’ seven-run ninth was initially sparked by one of their coldest hitters, with Will Smith hitting a deep fly ball that bounced off the top of the tall brick wall in right-center for a leadoff triple.
Two batters later, the Braves faced a decision: Let right-handed closer Raisel Iglesias pitch to Shohei Ohtani? Or intentionally walk the left-handed hitting, most valuable player front-runner to face Betts instead.
Braves manager Brian Snitker chose the latter.
And, just as Betts did in a similar situation against the Angels earlier this month, he immediately made Atlanta pay.
On the third pitch of his at-bat, Betts hammered a center-cut fastball through the infield for an RBI single, giving the Dodgers their first lead of this weekend’s series.
Former Braves star Freddie Freeman quickly added some insurance, lining a single to left that scored two runs after Jarred Kelenic misplayed the ball.
From there, the Dodgers (88-61) took out their frustrations from the last couple days — including Saturday’s news that ace pitcher Tyler Glasnow will likely miss the rest of the season with a sprained elbow — in explosive fashion.
Hernández hammered his 29th home run of the season to left. Muncy and Edman followed with solo blasts that gave the Dodgers their third set of back-to-back-to-back home runs this month.
If not for Buehler’s effort earlier in the night, it all might not have happened.
Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler delivers during the first inning Sunday against the Braves.
(Jason Allen / Associated Press)
Buehler almost came unraveled in a 31-pitch, two-run third inning — one in which the Dodgers’ recently sloppy defense gave him little help.
The Braves loaded the bases with one out, sandwiching a couple walks around a catcher’s interference call on Austin Barnes (who later left the game with a contusion to the same left big toe he broke last month).
Another walk to Matt Olson, after Buehler had been ahead 0-and-2 in the count, plated the night’s first run.
In the next at-bat, Buehler induced a slow grounder from Travis d’Arnaud. But on what would have been a tricky double play, the Dodgers failed to record any outs, with Gavin Lux bobbling the ball at second base to let in a run, making it 2-0.
After that, however, Buehler settled down.
He retired the next two batters to limit the third-inning damage.
He then navigated three more innings with much-needed efficiency, giving up only an infield single the rest of the way in a six-inning, two-run (one earned) outing.
The Braves (81-68) allowed the Dodgers to get back into the game with their own sloppy execution.
After Ohtani trimmed the deficit in half with a RBI double in the fifth, he got another chance with runners on base in the seventh thanks in small part to Braves left-hander Dylan Lee.
With two outs in the inning, Lee had Smith in a full count, but then committed a pitch clock violation (his second of the inning) that led to an automatic walk. After pinch-hitter Andy Pages followed with a single, Ohtani came back to the plate and doubled again, dropping a line drive down the right field line.
That knotted the score at 2-2. Two innings later, the Dodgers burst in front for good.
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Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley sounded off on the frenzied reactions to the U.S. men’s hockey team getting invited to the White House by President Donald Trump.
Trump talked to the Olympic gold medal-winning team immediately after they defeated Canada in overtime last weekend. He said they would be invited to his State of the Union address and added that he needed to invite the women’s team as well or he would be “impeached.”
Charles Barkley sits courtside against the Minnesota Timberwolves during an NBA Cup game at Mortgage Matchup Center on Nov. 21, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
Trump critics took the joke as a shot at the women’s team, which sparked questions from NHL and Professional Women’s Hockey League reporters as the players returned to their respective club teams.
“I’m proud of the United States men. I’m proud of the United States women. You should have invited both of them to the White House, but it shouldn’t have been disrespect, misogyny,” Barkley said on the “Steam Room” podcast. “Like, yo, man, why do y’all have to mess everything up? Everything isn’t Democrat, Republican, conservative, liberal. That’s why we got this divided, screwed up country. Stop it man. Because, you know, the public, they’re idiots. They’re fools. They can’t think for themselves. I know y’all say stuff to trigger them. Y’all say stuff and y’all know they’re going to be fools.”
Barkley lamented that the average person would get riled up over the supposed controversy.
The U.S. team poses for a group photo after defeating Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Milan, Italy, on Feb. 22, 2026. (Luca Bruno/AP Photo)
“We don’t have to fall for stupidity. But we do – that’s my point. These people out here are stupid. They need something to trigger them. Just because they want us to be stupid. We don’t have to be stupid. He should have invited both teams to the White House. Simple as that. Guys who didn’t want to go shouldn’t have to explain why they didn’t go.”
The former Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns star made clear he would go to the White House regardless of whether Trump was in office.
“I’ve said this before, I’m not a Trump guy. But if I got invited to the White House, I would go. I’m not a Trump guy – I want to make that clear. But I respect the office,” Barkley said. “He’s the president of the United States. But if guys don’t want to go, I understand that too. It doesn’t have to be a talking point. It doesn’t have to be un-American.
Megan Keller (5) celebrates with a flag alongside Cayla Barnes (3) of Team United States after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime during the women’s gold medal match against Canada on Day 13 of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 19, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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“I just wish y’all would stop falling for the stupidity.”
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Three years ago, as a 14-year-old freshman, Slava Shahbazyan made it to Bakersfield for the state wrestling championships.
“It was good to get experience that young,” he said.
Then came Saturday night when he had a breakthrough moment, winning the state 165-pound championship as a 17-year-old senior for Birmingham High.
“It means everything to me,” he said. “It took four years.”
Shahbazyan, who transferred from Chaminade after his sophomore year, is set to attend Stanford and still in the hunt to be valedictorian at Birmingham. Coach Jimmy Medeiros said he was close to winning last season before finishing fourth.
“He got a lot better,” Medeiros said.
Shahbazyan has been wrestling since he was 8. “My father loves wrestling,” he said.
Two St. John Bosco wrestlers, Jesse Grajeda at 144 pounds and Michael Romero at 150 pounds, also won state titles.
Here’s the link to complete results.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
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Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Dominiq Ponder died this weekend, the team’s head coach Deion Sanders confirmed on Sunday with a social media post.
“God please comfort the Ponder family, friends and loved ones,” Sanders wrote on social media. “Dom was one of my favorites! He was Loved, Respected & a Born Leader. Let’s pray for all that knew him & had the opportunity to be in his presence. Lord you’re receiving a good 1. Comfort us Lord Comfort us.”
Ponder was 23 years old.
Details of Ponder’s death are not yet known.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his team warm up before an NCAA college football game against TCU Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas. (Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo)
Ponder, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound signal caller, joined the Buffaloes and “Coach Prime’s” program in 2024 after spending time at Bethune-Cookman before making his way to Boulder.
Last season, Ponder played just two games for the Buffaloes while serving in his backup role. He recorded two rush attempts and one pass attempt.
The Opa Locka, Fla., native also received tribute from a fellow quarterback with the Buffaloes, Colton Allen.
Bethune-Cookman QB Dominiq Ponder takes a snap during the Wildcats’ spring game Saturday, April 22, 2023, at Daytona Stadium. (IMAGN)
“Dom, you were a blessing to so many people,” Allen wrote on Instagram. “You had a presence about you that just made everything better. You brought so much joy to me and everyone around you. I’m grateful for every lift, every practice, every rep, every conversation we got to share. I’ll carry those with me for the rest of my life.”
Ponder was going to be a part of Colorado’s spring practices, which are set to begin on Monday. It’s unknown if Sanders will postpone the start due to Ponder’s passing.
Ponder also received a tribute from the University of Central Florida.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his players warm up before an NCAA college football game against Utah, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Salt Lake City. (Tyler Tate/AP Photo)
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“Our prayers are with Dominiq and the Ponder family along with all in the Colorado football program,” the university’s football account on X wrote.
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