Sports
Patience at the plate and slick defense help Dodgers continue Jackie Robinson Day dominance
Two sloppy tendencies — one involving gloves, the other bats — repeatedly cost the Dodgers during a slipshod 10-game stretch that followed their 8-0 start to the season: Uncharacteristic defensive miscues and an inability to lay off pitches out of the strike zone.
Both were solved early and emphatically in a 6-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers improved to 17-4 on Jackie Robinson Day, the April 15 tradition since 2004 that celebrates and honors the anniversary of the Dodgers’ Black Hall of Fame infielder breaking the color barrier in 1947.
“This is an emotional day for me,” said the Dodgers’ Dave Roberts, who along with the Angels’ Ron Washington are the only Black managers in major league baseball.
“People that have certainly never seen Jackie Robinson, just hear some stories, are trying to live in a way that he lived. And that’s something that is so powerful for me.”
Because the Dodgers didn’t chase errant pitches, they chased Rockies starter Ryan Feltner in only 2 2/3 innings after he walked six and threw 81 pitches, leading to one run in the second inning and four in the third.
Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman walked, then jogged home when Will Smith crushed a first-pitch sinker over the left-field wall in the third. Smith continued his hot start — his .482 on-base percentage entering the game was the best in baseball — with his second homer of the season, improving his on-base-plus-slugging percentage to 1.026.
“He’s just that steady presence in the middle of the lineup,” teammate Tommy Edman said of Smith. “He always has good at-bats and always seems to come through in those big moments.”
Edman had good at-bats of his own. He doubled with two out in the third — one of his four hits — and scored after Max Muncy walked on Chris Taylor’s single to extend the lead to 5-0. One more walk, this one to Andy Pages, and Rockies manager Bud Black had seen enough, lifting Feltner, who in September had pitched six scoreless innings against the Dodgers.
“That’s exactly the model for what this offense can do, build innings, create stress, then get the big hit,” Roberts said. “I thought we controlled the strike zone really well, got to the starter again and found a way to win a ballgame.”
The Dodgers also made outstanding defensive plays that helped strand runners in each of the first four innings and enabled spot starter Landon Knack to navigate 4 1/3 innings in 65 pitches, including 41 strikes.
With a runner on second and none out in the second inning, second baseman Edman knocked down a hot smash from Mickey Moniak, scooped up the ball and threw him out by a whisker. Then with two out, shortstop Mookie Betts made a slick backhand play deep in the hole and retired Jacob Stallings on a one-hop throw to first.
With a runner on second and none out in the third inning, center fielder Taylor made a diving catch on a line drive directly in front of him, and Knack again stranded the runner. The Rockies scored two runs in the fourth on a two-out double by Jacob Stallings and Knack exited after retiring the first batter in the fifth, having gone through the lineup twice and faced Ezequiel Tovar a third time.
Roberts said that for a young starter to face a lineup a third time, he needs to have command of his entire arsenal of pitches.
“Tonight his stuff was fine, it wasn’t great,” Roberts said. “He competed really well. He did his job. He found a way to make pitches when he needed to.”
Knack’s previous start was a disaster, lasting only 2 1/3 innings and giving up five runs to the Washington Nationals. He felt he had something to prove Tuesday.
“I was just really determined to come out and just kind of attack a little more,” he said. “Obviously, I still had a couple walks in there, but overall, just a lot better direction with everything, a better feel coming out of the hand, and just getting after it a little bit more. Definitely a lot better feeling.”
The win was the Dodgers’ second in a row over the Rockies, which could be expected. Colorado is 3-14, including 1-10 on the road. The Dodgers, meanwhile, are 13-6, including 9-2 at home, and have won 32 of their last 42 games against the Rockies.
Teoscar Hernández sat out a second game in a row because of illness, but Roberts said the slugging outfielder would return to the lineup Wednesday.
Miller time to arrive early
Bobby Miller will start for the Dodgers on Wednesday, his first big league appearance since September, when he was so ineffective he was deemed unusable during the postseason.
Miller gave up 17 earned runs in 11.1 innings over three September starts, capping a perplexing and injury-riddled sophomore season. In 56 innings he posted an 8.52 ERA, the worst in baseball among pitchers who logged more than 50 innings.
It was a precipitous fall from the lofty expectations the Dodgers developed after Miller’s rookie season in 2023 when he went 11-4 in 124.1 innings, posting a perfectly acceptable ERA of 3.76 in 22 starts and looking every bit a mainstay of the rotation for years to come.
The former first-round draft pick out of Louisville appears to have returned to form at triple-A Oklahoma City this season, posting a 2.25 ERA while giving up only six hits in 12 innings over three appearances.
When he was demoted in September, Miller vowed to return to the Dodgers with a vengeance. Roberts said Miller will replace Knack, who will be sent back to triple-A.
“There is no doubt in my mind, whenever that may be, I’m going to be back better than I ever have,” Miller said.
He’ll get his first chance at fulfilling that promise against the Rockies.
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An Olympic medalist and 13-time X Games winner suffered serious head injuries after a stunt went wrong.
Nyjah Huston, who won bronze in Paris in 2024, said he suffered a fractured skull and eye socket.
“A harsh reminder how death-defying skating massive rails can be…” Huston wrote in an Instagram post which included a photo of himself in a hospital bed. “Taking it one day at a time. I hope yall had a better new years then me. We live to fight another day.”
Nyjah Huston of the United States competes in the men’s street prelims during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at La Concorde 3. (Jack Gruber/USA TODAY Sports)
The post also featured Huston being treated by first responders and friends, along with another photo showing a large black-and-blue mark on Huston’s eye.
Numerous skating legends showed their support for Huston, who is considered one of the best skateboarders in the United States today.
Nyjah Huston of Team USA reacts at the Skateboarding Men’s Street Prelims on day two of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Urban Sports Park on July 25, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
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“Been watching @nyjah grow up into one of the best skaters to ever do it and it amazes me the amount of grit this kid has,” Shaun White shared on his Instagram story, via Pro Football Network. “You got this brother. Heal quick!”
Even Tony Hawk shared well-wishes on Huston’s Instagram post.
“Heavy. Stay strong; we know you’ll be back,” the skateboarding legend wrote.
“Man.. prayers for healing brother!” added Ryan Sheckler.
It is unknown whether Huston was wearing a helmet at the time of the incident.
Nyjah Huston, of the United States, celebrates during the men’s skateboard street final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 29, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Huston has seven gold medals and five silvers in world championships. He has not competed since the 2024 Olympics, but the California native has his eyes set on the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
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JuJu Watkins is returning to Sierra Canyon High on Friday, the place where she was a high school basketball All-American.
The school will hold a ceremony retiring her jersey at halftime of the boys’ basketball game between Sierra Canyon and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.
She will be presented with a framed jersey.
Watkins is sitting out this season at USC while recovering from a knee injury.
Sierra Canyon girls’ basketball coach Alicia Komaki said, “She raised our standards, which was hard to do because we had won four state championships. She was an incredibly talented player.”
Watkins was also making a huge impact in the college game until her injury last season during the NCAA playoffs.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Sports
Miami beats Ole Miss behind Carson Beck’s game-winning touchdown to reach CFP National Championship Game
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The Miami Hurricanes are heading to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, coming away with a narrow victory over Ole Miss, 31-27, in an all-time postseason contest.
The Hurricanes will now await the winner of the other semifinal between the Indiana Hoosiers and Oregon Ducks to see who they will play on Jan. 19. But Miami will do so on their home turf, with the National Championship Game being played at Hard Rock Stadium – the site of their home games.
The game began slowly for both teams, with only Miami getting on the scoreboard in the first quarter with a field goal on their 13-play opening drive. But the fireworks came out from there for the Rebels thanks to the speed of running back Kewan Lacy.
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Charmar Brown of the Miami (FL) Hurricanes celebrates a run in the first quarter of the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at State Farm Stadium on Jan. 8, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Steve Limentani/ISI Photos)
On just the second play of the second quarter, Lacy was off to the race, finding a seam and busting out a 73-yard touchdown run to go up 7-3 after the extra point.
But this game was back and forth for quite some time, including the ensuing Hurricanes drive as quarterback Carson Beck led the way on a 15-play touchdown series with a CharMar Brown rushing score from four yards out.
The game was deadlocked at 10 apiece when Beck decided to air it out to Keelan Marion, and it was worth the risk. Marion made the grab for a 52-yard touchdown to help Miami go up 17-13 at halftime.
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The third quarter was an odd one for both squads, as their opening drives resulted in a missed field goal apiece. Then, after Beck threw an interception, the Rebels were able to cut the lead to 17-16 in favor of the Hurricanes heading into the fourth quarter for the ages.
There was no absence of electric plays when it mattered most in the final 15 minutes, as Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss got his team downfield enough to take a 19-17 lead with a field goal.
But the speed of Malachi Toney changed the scoreboard for Miami in the best way possible, as he took a screen 36 yards to the house, capping a four-play, 75-yard answer drive for the Hurricanes right after Ole Miss took the lead.
Trinidad Chambliss of the Ole Miss Rebels celebrates a touchdown against the Miami Hurricanes in the second quarter during the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the VRBO Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on Jan. 8, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
With a 24-19 lead and five minutes left to play in the game, Chambliss and the Rebels’ offense had quite enough time to retake the lead. He did just that, finding trusty tight end Dae’Quan Wright for 24 yards to send the Rebels faithful ballistic.
Ole Miss wanted to go for two in hopes of making it a three-point lead, and Chambliss came through again, finding a wide open Caleb Odom for the key score.
It was up to Beck and the Miami offense to keep the game alive with at least tying the game at 27 apiece. On a crucial third-and-10 just inside field goal range, Beck was confident with his pass to Marion to get well within range. Another pass to Marion made it first-and-goal, and it was clear Miami wasn’t trying to force overtime. They wanted to win it all.
How fitting was it that Beck, scanning the field, found a seam to his left and just sprinted for the colored paint to score the game-winner with 18 seconds left.
But things got fascinating at the end, with Ole Miss going 40 yards in just a few seconds to set up a Hail Mary for the win. Chambliss had the space to loft a pass to the end zone, and though it hit off the hand of a teammate, it landed incomplete for the Miami victory.
Carson Beck of the Miami Hurricanes passes the ball against the Ole Miss Rebels in the first quarter during the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the VRBO Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on Jan. 8, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
In the box score, Beck was 23-of-37 for 268 yards with his two passing touchdowns and an interception. Marion was a key player in the victory with seven catches for 114 yards, while Mark Fletcher Jr. set the tone in the ground game with 133 yards rushing on 22 carries. Toney also tallied 81 receiving yards for Miami.
For Ole Miss, Chambliss also went 23-of-37 for 277 yards with his touchdown to Wright, who finished with 64 yards on three grabs. De’Zhaun Stribling was five for 77 through the air, while Lacy rushed for 103 yards on 11 carries.
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