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Bloodied Tony Gonsolin struggles as Angels complete three-game sweep of Dodgers

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Bloodied Tony Gonsolin struggles as Angels complete three-game sweep of Dodgers

Andrew Friedman gave a longer answer Sunday morning when asked about the Dodgers’ recent — and, by the feel of it, familiar — pitching woes so far this year, the club’s president of baseball operations bemoaning another wave of injuries that has left the pitching staff shorthanded.

But the gist of his answer was in the two words he uttered at the start of it.

“Not fun,” he said.

In the Dodgers’ 6-4 loss to the Angels later in the day, it became even less so.

As things currently stand, Tony Gonsolin is effectively the No. 2 pitcher in the Dodgers’ rotation, thrust into such a prominent role with Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki injured. But in a four-run, four-inning start, Gonsolin was derailed by his own physical issue, battling a bloody hand in a three-run first inning that put the Dodgers behind the eight ball.

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The Dodgers rallied, erasing what grew to a 4-0 deficit on Shohei Ohtani’s RBI single in the fifth and Will Smith’s tying three-run home run in the seventh. But then a banged-up bullpen gave the Angels the lead right back, with Travis d’Arnaud going deep in the eighth against Anthony Banda — himself forced into a high-leverage role lately, despite a disappointing start to the year, because of injuries to Blake Treinen, Evan Phillips and Kirby Yates (who became the latest pitcher to hit the injured list on Sunday with a hamstring strain he suffered the night before).

Angels center fielder Kyren Paris, right, narrowly avoids colliding with left fielder Taylor Ward after making a catch on a fly ball in the seventh inning Sunday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Friedman argued the Dodgers’ injury problems this year don’t compare to the dire straits they navigated en route to last year’s World Series title. Unlike then, the team hasn’t suffered any season-ending losses. In the big picture, they remain confident they’ll have enough depth to mount a title defense.

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And yet, the team hasn’t discovered the secret to better health. Their rotation problems are giving the bullpen an unsustainably grueling workload. And figuring out how to better protect the club’s expensive stable of arms is “by far the No. 1 thing that keeps me up at night,” Friedman said.

“I mean, everything from my brain is about what we can do, like, how we can solve this,” Friedman added, the self-described “deep dive” the organization took into pitching injuries this offseason having yet to yield better results. “It’s like a game of Whack-a-Mole, and things keep popping up. … The definition of enough depth, I think is a fool’s errand. I don’t know what enough depth means. I think more is always better with pitching depth.”

But, with the team now ranking 21st in the majors with a 4.22 team ERA, what they have currently certainly isn’t enough.

Dodgers pitcher Tony Gonsolin can't field a ball hit by the Angels' Luis Rengifo in the second inning Sunday.

Dodgers pitcher Tony Gonsolin can’t field a ball hit by the Angels’ Luis Rengifo in the second inning Sunday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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After Gonsolin gave up a leadoff home run to Zach Neto on a sunny afternoon at Dodger Stadium, trainers came to the mound to check on the right-hander. As they examined his throwing hand, the television broadcast zoomed in on streaks of blood covering the backside of his pants.

While Gonsolin’s exact problem wasn’t immediately clear, the right-hander’s struggle to command the baseball quickly became obvious. With one out, he walked Yoán Moncada, looking visibly uncomfortable as he sprayed the ball wide of the zone. In a 2-and-0 count to his next batter, Taylor Ward, Gonsolin threw a fastball over the heart of the plate. Ward crushed it for a two-run homer.

Gonsolin settled down from there, giving up just one more run the rest of the way. But his pitch count never got back under control, requiring 97 total throws to complete the fourth.

It was already the 14th time in 47 games this season that a Dodgers starter failed to work into the fifth.

All those short starts have had a cascading effect on the bullpen. And pitchers such as Banda have had to compensate as a result.

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Sunday’s outing marked Banda’s 21st appearance this year, becoming the fifth Dodgers reliever to reach that mark. Entering the day, no other team had more than three.

After pitching a clean seventh inning, Banda returned for the eighth and was bitten again by a common problem. In a 3-and-1 count against d’Arnaud, he threw a center-cut sinker that d’Arnaud crushed to left. It was Banda’s fifth home run yielded this year, tying the total he gave up in 48 appearances over all of last year. And this time, the Dodgers couldn’t answer back, getting tripped up by pitching problems again en route to the Angels’ first three-game Freeway Series sweep since 2010.

Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas shouts in frustration after striking out against the Angels.

Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas shouts in frustration after striking out against the Angels in the seventh inning Sunday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Bill Belichick-Jordon Hudson drama revealed in new emails

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Bill Belichick-Jordon Hudson drama revealed in new emails

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Emails obtained by WRAL show Bill Belichick addressing the controversy over his romantic and professional relationship with Jordon Hudson. 

The relationship between the legendary coach and the 24-year-old model has drawn national scrutiny after a controversial “CBS Sunday Morning” interview.

Hudson declared, “We’re not talking about that” when Belichick was asked about how the couple met. 

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Former cheerleader Jordon Hudson arrives at Sports Illustrated’s SI The Party at Mardi Gras World Feb. 8, 2025, in New Orleans. (Skip Bolen/Getty Images)

Belichick claimed in one email that CBS “secretly” had a camera focused on Hudson despite the model requesting to sit off camera. 

“Secretly, CBS had a camera focused on Jordon where Lead producer Gabe instructed her to sit,” Belichick reportedly wrote.

Belichick elaborated on why the question of how they met was not answered. 

PATRIOTS’ CHRISTIAN BARMORE SET TO RETURN TO FIELD AFTER SUFFERING FROM BLOOD CLOTS

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“I met Jordon randomly on a flight to Palm Beach in 2021. That is no secret. Jordon was not dodging the specific question regarding how we met, but rather was preventing the interview from continuing to probe into personal matters,” the email said. 

Belichick also addressed why Hudson was present at the interview to begin with. He believed the interview would be focused on his book, “The Art of Winning: Lessons from a Life in Football.”

Bill Belichick and girlfriend at NFL Honors

Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson at the 14th Annual NFL Honors at Saenger Theatre Feb. 6, 2025, in New Orleans.  (Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images)

“Jordon was present at the CBS interview because David Kass, the Simon & Schuster publicist, was not there,” Belichick wrote, referring to the publisher of his book. “I included Jordon in the book acknowledgments because she was a creative contributor to the book, including having the idea for formatting the 4 special pages in the book.”

In another email, Belichick addressed reports that he requested to have Hudson copied on every email sent to him. 

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“Jordon and I have both a personal & professional relationship,” Belchick wrote in the email. “This is not a secret. Jordon assists me with my personal media, which is why I asked UNC to forward media requests (E.G. CBS 60 Minutes) to her. Jordon has zero involvement in the UNC football program, beyond the degree that my personal media intersects with it.”

Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson

North Carolina Tar Heels head football coach Bill Belichick and girlfriend Jordon Hudson during the first half of a game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils at Dean E. Smith Center March 8, 2025, in Chapel Hill, N.C.  (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Belichick released a statement saying he was “surprised” about getting the questions about his relationship and that when Hudson had stepped in, she was doing her job. He went on to accuse CBS of creating a “false narrative” with so-called “selectively edited clips.”

CBS responded, disagreeing with Belichick’s version of events. 

In a separate interview with ESPN, Belichick insisted Hudson is not involved with UNC football.

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Why do coaches coach? Commander of USS Abraham Lincoln gives reason

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Why do coaches coach? Commander of USS Abraham Lincoln gives reason

Dan Keeler, the new captain of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, called up his football coaches from his days at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High earlier this week, along with his English teacher, to give them a salute for the impact they made on a teenager now in charge of one of the Navy’s most powerful ships.

The speech by Keeler on Wednesday in Coronado at a changing of the command ceremony offered the real reason coaches coach and teachers teach — to make a difference in a student’s life.

“I learned more about hard work, grit, determination and how to handle pain, honestly, from this group,” he said.

He recalled when Notre Dame coach Kevin Rooney gave him a recommendation letter for the Naval Academy:
“Coach Rooney, when you handed me the letter, you said, ‘I think you’re going to be good at this,’ and you were right.”

Keeler added, “There were plenty of championships, but I don’t think that’s how these people measure success. I was a very mediocre backup quarterback and defensive back. If I was playing in a football game, we were winning by a lot.

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“Those metrics of winning and losing weren’t the only things that mattered. They were important. These educators took all the time to get the best out of their students and I was one of them. They saw something in me and chose to make a positive impact, and I am forever grateful.”

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Indiana Pacers blow out Thunder to set up first NBA Finals Game 7 since 2016

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Indiana Pacers blow out Thunder to set up first NBA Finals Game 7 since 2016

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It will come down to Game 7 to determine who will lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy, as the Indiana Pacers blew out the Oklahoma City Thunder, 108-91, on their home court to force a final game in the NBA Finals. 

The Pacers went into their final home game of the season in a must-win scenario – and the entire team, from the starting five to the bench, knew the assignment at hand, running away with the game and never letting Oklahoma City sniff a chance at a comeback. 

Now, for the first time since the Cleveland Cavaliers famous comeback against the Golden State Warriors in 2016, there will be a Game 7 in the NBA Finals. 

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Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) motions next to Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) during the first half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Heading into Game 6, the Pacers weren’t sure if their star point guard, Tyrese Haliburton, would be available after suffering a calf strain in Game 5 that noticeably hampered his performance. Haliburton was adamant he would be playing because of the situation for his Pacers, and that’s exactly what happened when it was time for tip-off. 

Haliburton looked like his normal self on the court, going 4-of-9, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, to tally 12 points with four assists, two steals and one rebound in the first half. 

PACERS ISSUE EMOTIONAL PLEA TO FANS AS THUNDER SEEK NBA FINALS CLINCHER: ‘ONE MORE TIME, INDIANA’

Pascal Siakam also poured in 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the half to help Indiana run it up to a 64-42 halftime lead, creating a gap they wouldn’t relinquish. 

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Guard Andrew Nembhard was feeling it from the floor as well, going 5-of-7 with a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe to score 17 points to go along with his four assists and three steals on the night. 

But once again, the Pacers won because of their stellar depth off the bench, which included the team’s leading scorer, Obi Toppin. 

Pascal Siakam celebrates on court

Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) celebrates a basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Indianapolis.  (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Toppin, the former New York Knicks first-round pick, was raining three-pointers, making four of his seven attempts and going 6-fo-12 from the field overall to score 20 points. He also tallied six rebounds and two steals for the Pacers. 

Trusty point guard T.J. McConnell also had 12 points on 6-of-12 shooting for Indiana, while Aaron Nesmith added 10 points. As a team, 11 different players scored for Indiana in a game that needed contributions from everyone to keep the season alive. 

Meanwhile, the Thunder’s ailment in this one was turnovers. While the Pacers committed 11 turnovers for the game, they had just two to the Thunder’s 12 in the first half. Oklahoma City finished with 21 for the game, and eight of them came from league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. 

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Tyrese Haliburton reacts on court

Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers celebrates during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game Six of the 2025 NBA Finals on June 19, 2025 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

He didn’t have a bad night from the field, going 7-of-15 for 21 points with four rebounds and two assists. But he wasn’t careful with the ball, and the Pacers had 13 points off those turnovers. Indiana was also getting out in transition better than Oklahoma City with 22 fast-break points. 

In turn, the stage has been set for what’s bound to be a thrilling Game 7 in Oklahoma City on Sunday night. 

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