Sports
Christian Walker frustrates Dodgers in series loss to Arizona: 'He's Babe Ruth against us'
The Dodgers dugout sat in quiet dejection.
Two rows behind it, a Dodgers fan rose to his feet and began bowing down.
Rounding the bases before them was the club’s new No. 1 enemy, a decent MLB slugger who, during trips to Dodger Stadium in recent years, suddenly performs like a cross between Barry Bonds and Babe Ruth.
Once again, Christian Walker had the Dodgers’ number.
For a second straight night, he hit two home runs to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 9-3, rubber-match win at Chavez Ravine.
“Obviously,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts sighed after the game, “he feels really comfortable in the box against us.”
Entering this week, Walker already had a reputation as a Dodgers killer. In 87 games against them, he’d hit 22 home runs and collected 50 RBIs. His numbers against franchise icon Clayton Kershaw were especially good, with a .294 batting average against the future Hall of Famer.
“I got some thoughts,” Kershaw, who remains sidelined following offseason shoulder surgery, told reporters Thursday afternoon about how the team could neutralize Walker in the series finale. “For our guys, not for you.”
Whatever Kershaw was thinking, it didn’t stop Walker.
After hitting one home run in Tuesday’s series opener, then two more in Wednesday’s rout of the Dodgers, Walker continued his weeklong tear with another explosion, taking his place among the Dodgers’ most fearsome foes. Since 2002, Walker’s 19 home runs at Dodger Stadium are tied for most by any visiting player, matching former Diamondbacks star Paul Goldschmidt. Among visiting players with at least 100 plate appearances in that span, Walker’s .783 slugging percentage is first, while his .341 batting average is second.
Arizona’s Christian Walker rounds third base after hitting a home run in the first inning against the Dodgers on Thursday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Both of Walker’s home runs Thursday came off rookie starter Landon Knack.
In the first inning, Walker followed a Joc Pederson home run with a solo blast, hammering a two-strike fastball at the bottom of the zone. In the third inning, Walker launched a two-run shot deep to left, opening a 4-0 lead on a hanging changeup Knack left over the plate.
“We just don’t make good pitches against him,” Roberts said. “That’s just the bottom line.”
The most telling moment of Walker’s Dodgers dominance might have come in the the fifth. With a runner on second, two outs and left-handed reliever Anthony Banda on the mound, Roberts raised four fingers from the dugout.
An intentional walk.
To a hitter who, in ballparks other than Dodger Stadium, was batting .257 with a .788 on-base-plus-slugging percentage this year.
“When we’re living it, it digs a little deeper,” Roberts said of the team’s frustrations with Walker, which were only amplified by sarcastic cheers from the crowd following the walk.
“He’s Babe Ruth against us,” the manager added.
While Walker drew one more walk the rest of the night — he finished two for three Thursday and eight for 13 in the series with five home runs and nine RBIs — his contributions were enough to key the Diamondbacks’ series-clinching win.
Dodgers starting pitcher Landon Knack sits alone in the dugout during the fourth inning Thursday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers scored three runs in the fourth inning on a groundout from Kiké Hernández and a two-run single from Austin Barnes to cut it to 4-3. But after a fielding flub by Freddie Freeman in the fifth helped the Diamondbacks double their advantage, Arizona’s bullpen shut the door over the final five innings, while its lineup tacked on four insurance runs the ninth.
“We have shown how we’re gonna have to fight back,” outfielder Jason Heyward said of the team’s play over the last week, in which it dropped back-to-back series for the first time since late May. “We’re gonna have to figure out ways to do that and weather the storm.”
Of bigger concern for the Dodgers was Heyward, who exited after two innings because of left knee pain.
On Pederson’s home run in the first inning, Heyward injured his knee after leaping at the wall. Roberts said Heyward was unlikely to play Friday and was scheduled to get an MRI.
Dodgers right fielder Jason Heyward can’t reach a home-run ball hit by Arizona’s Joc Pederson in the first inning of the Dodgers’ 9-3 loss Thursday. Heyward later left the game with knee pain.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“As soon as I landed, it felt like one of those trust falls; it happened fast,” Heyward said. “Put my feet down and I was like ‘All right, this doesn’t feel great’ … You just kind of have to wait and see.”
Heyward took only one at-bat, grounding out in the first. The veteran has been slumping, just three for 35 in his last 12 games.
Nonetheless, the veteran remains a key part of the outfield platoon, playing most days in right field given the Dodgers’ heavy dose of opposing right-handed pitchers. Any extended absence might only amplify the Dodgers’ growing need to bolster their depth before the July 30 trade deadline.
Fans watch the Fourth of July fireworks show at Dodger Stadium following Thursday’s game.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The team’s sudden 2-4 slide — even when accounting for Walker’s dominance — has highlighted that dynamic enough on its own.
“We couldn’t do anything after that one big inning,” Roberts said, before evaluating his team’s last week bluntly: “It’s not pretty.”
The Cleveland Browns, rumored to be willing to trade down from their No. 6 overall selection in the 2026 NFL draft, did just that Thursday evening when the traded the pick to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Cleveland traded the sixth overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft to the Chiefs, in exchange for the ninth overall pick, as well as pick No. 74 in the third round and No. 148 in the fifth round.
The Browns now hold the No. 9 and No. 24 picks in the first round of the draft. They have a total of 11 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns watch from the sidelines during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio, on Sept. 7, 2025. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
So the Chiefs gave up three picks in making the first trade of the first round.
BROWNS EXECS RAISE EYEBROWS WITH REACTIONS AFTER DRAFTING SHEDEUR SANDERS FOLLOWING HISTORIC SLIDE
And we know what the fan bases of both clubs were thinking prior to the selection:
Chiefs fans were thinking we know something they don’t. And then the Chiefs selected cornerback Mansoor Delane from LSU — a move no doubt forced by the club’s trade of Pro Bowl cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams earlier in the offseason.
So, the Chiefs fill a major need, assuming Delane is indeed the quality corner they believe.
LSU Tigers CB Mansoor Delane celebrates a defensive stop against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium in South Carolina. (Ken Ruinard/USA TODAY Network)
GREG OLSEN’S ADVICE FOR NFL DRAFT FIRST-ROUND PICKS ON HANDLING HIGH EXPECTATIONS
ESPN’s Mel Kiper didn’t like the pick, by the way. He had Delane as the 14th best player in the draft.
“It was a necessity,” ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, a former NFL defensive back, responded.
Browns fans weren’t thinking that way.
BROWNS MAKE STUNNING KENNY PICKETT TRADE TO RAIDERS AS BACKUP QUARTERBACK ROLE REMAINS WIDE OPEN
They were probably thinking something akin to “We screwed up.”
This is understandable because they’re Browns fans and this could have been the Browns Browning.
Well, the Browns, moving down three slots, gave up a shot to draft linebacker Sonny Styles of Ohio State to the Washington Commanders, receiver Jordyn Tyson to the New Orleans Saints and then the Browns got their chance with the newly acquired No. 9 pick:
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Offensive tackle Spencer Fano of Utah.
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind., on Feb. 24, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
Fano is good. And he makes the Browns offensive line instantly better because he’s going to likely start at left tackle for them.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
So what will Browns fans think of this pick?
They’ll probably wonder why the Browns didn’t pick Miami’s Francis Mauigoa, who went with the No. 10 pick to the New York Giants and promised “to die for” Jaxson Dart if necessary. They’ll wonder this because Browns fans expect the worst.
UCLA women’s basketball team has added some star power as its revamped roster begins to take shape.
Former Iowa State forward Addy Brown announced Thursday she is committing to UCLA, giving the Bruins one of the top players in the portal.
Brown averaged 11.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 43.1% from the floor and 33.8% from three-point distance with the Cyclones last season. She played just 21 games due to injury, but she is one of the better two-way players in the nation on the transfer market.
The 6-foot-2 forward co-starred with Audi Crooks for Iowa State the past few seasons and was a part of the mass exodus from the Cyclones’ program.
The Bruins reeled in former North Carolina junior guard Elina Aarnisalo and former Texas Christian senior guard Donovyn Hunter a few weeks ago, adding two more experienced players to the depleted starting lineup after a record six UCLA players were selected in the WNBA draft.
UCLA also signed Arkansas sophomore guard Bonnie Deas earlier this month. She is likely to start at point guard for the Bruins and is one of the best rebounding guards in the nation.
Along with returner Timea Gardiner, the Bruins are starting to form somewhat of a core to defend their national championship. Gardiner was a starter during UCLA’s 2024-25 Final Four run, but missed all of this past season with injury and has one season of eligibility left.
A lineup with Deas and Aarnisalo in the backcourt, Hunter at the three and Gardiner or Brown at the four and adding another big or Sienna Betts at the five would be a competitive lineup in the Big Ten.
Before going to TCU, Hunter played two seasons at Oregon State where she earned All-Pac-12 Defensive Team honorable mention and All-Pac-12 Freshman team honors. This past season with a Horned Frogs team that went to the Sweet 16, she was third in scoring with 10.2 points per game and averaged 3.2 rebounds per contest. She also shot 45.7% from the field and was 33.7% from beyond the arc.
Aarnisalo played her freshman year in Westwood after she originally committed to UCLA in 2025. Due to injuries from point guard Kiki Rice at the start of the 2024-25 season, she was forced into action early her freshman season and finished the year averaging 5.1 points per game.
The Helsinki, Finland, native averaged 10.2 points per game for the Tar Heels as a sophomore last season while shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.3% from the arc. The Bruins will desperately need to replace the three-point production lost with the departure of Rice, Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker.
UCLA coach Cori Close said she wanted to sign five players from the portal. She probably needs one more guard and a little more forward depth coming off the bench following the departures of Gabriela Jaquez and Angela Dugalic.
Lena Bilic and Amanda Muse are returners coming off the bench who got a little bit of playing time in the tournament and should have much larger roles, but they are still relatively unproven in late-game situations. They will get a chance to develop as backups with some more Power Four experienced starters now in the fold.
Trump says there’s ‘no time frame’ to secure Iran deal
Republican Minnesota Senate candidate Tom Weiler joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss President Donald Trump’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S.-Iranian conflict continues and react to Gov. Tim Walz’s, D-Minn., criticism of the president.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Saudi Arabia was among the countries seeing missiles fly into their airspace as a conflict broke out in the Middle East between the U.S. and Iran.
The prospect of Iran targeting its Middle Eastern neighbors like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates put some sporting events on hold and questioned others. Formula 1 races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were canceled and rumors swirled around whether future WWE events could be held in the kingdom.
Roman Reigns celebrates his win during WWE’s Royal Rumble at Riyadh Season Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 31, 2026. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
As the Trump administration brokered a ceasefire with Iran, WWE announced on Thursday that its Night of Champions premium live event will be held in Riyadh on June 27.
“We are proud to welcome Night of Champions back to Riyadh and look forward to delivering another unforgettable night of WWE action for fans in the Kingdom and around the world,” General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Al-Sheikh said in a news release.
PRO WRESTLING STARS CHRIS SABIN, ALEX SHELLEY TALK POSSIBILITY OF WWE USING TNA’S GIMMICK MATCHES
Sami Zayn makes his entrance during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
The release touted that WrestleMania 43 will still be held in Riyadh in 2027. It will be the first time that WrestleMania is held outside the U.S.
WWE president Nick Khan was adamant before WrestleMania 42 that the event will still take place in Saudi Arabia despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“We’re doing WrestleMania next year in Saudi,” he said at a Sports Business Journal event, via The Sporting Tribune. “First time ever, WrestleMania will be outside the United States or Canada. And we’ve had a big, fruitful partnership with them.”
John Cena wrestles CM Punk during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
He added that those complaining about WrestleMania being held in Saudi Arabia were a “vocal minority.”
-
Detroit, MI26 minutes agoBlake Miller has high floor, big upside, says Lions GM Brad Holmes
-
San Francisco, CA38 minutes agoHighway 1 closure in San Francisco expected to snarl Sunset traffic all weekend
-
Dallas, TX44 minutes agoHow UCF EDGE Malachi Lawrence Fits With The Dallas Cowboys
-
Miami, FL50 minutes ago
Dolphins Select Two Players in The First Round of The 2026 NFL Draft
-
Boston, MA56 minutes agoIn-Store Only
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoWolves Back Up the Big Talk With Blowout Win Over Denver in Game 3
-
Seattle, WA1 hour ago‘Rare’ Tiny-Home Compound Featuring 3 Adorable Abodes Hits the Market in Seattle for Just $900K
-
San Diego, CA1 hour agoSan Diego Care Facility Owner Sentenced To House Arrest For Elder Abuse