Connect with us

Sports

Resurgent Dodgers power past the Texas Rangers

Published

on

Resurgent Dodgers power past the Texas Rangers

The Dodgers thought they had found a spark during their series win over the New York Yankees last weekend.

Turns out, after a month of mostly middling play from the first-place ball club, they might have actually lit a raging, relentless summertime fire.

In their encore to a successful showdown in the Bronx, the Dodgers returned home to dismantle the defending World Series champions Tuesday night, cruising to a 15-2 rout of the Texas Rangers — their most lopsided win all season.

“It was great,” outfielder Teoscar Hernández said. “We’ve been playing really good baseball. We’re taking good at bats. And that’s why we’ve been producing a lot lately.”

Advertisement

It’s come as a stark contrast to just barely a week ago, when the Dodgers were scuffling through the middle portion of their season.

They went 12-12 from May 10 to June 5. They battled inconsistencies from the lineup and pitching staff for much of that stretch. And entering their showdown with the Yankees last weekend, they were looking for a “shot in the arm,” as Roberts said ahead of that series.

Five games later, that jolt has been received.

The team’s star-studded lineup has surged back to life, punctuating Tuesday’s season-high scoring output with four home runs in a seven-run sixth inning — the club’s first four-home run inning since September 2021.

A banged-up pitching staff has maintained solid production, getting a strong six-inning, one-run start Tuesday from previously struggling left-hander James Paxton.

Advertisement

And, a month after the Dodgers staged a 14-2 run to open a large lead in the National League West standings, the team now appears to be on the verge of another scorching stretch in the schedule, enjoying contributions from all parts of the lineup, and all corners of the pitching staff, en route to winning four of their last five games.

“We caught a lead and then kept adding on,” Roberts said. “I just thought that we won a lot of at-bats.”

Indeed, Tuesday’s blowout began with a blast, when Will Smith carried a fly ball just deep enough for a three-run homer in the bottom of the first.

Mookie Betts then broke the score open in the bottom of the fourth, lining a two-out, three-run, bases-loaded double to left field that gave the Dodgers a 6-1 lead.

“That,” Roberts said, “was probably the big hit of the night.”

Advertisement

It wasn’t until the sixth inning, though, that the club’s sizzling form at the plate reached its peak.

In a span of seven batters against Rangers reliever Grant Anderson, the Dodgers left the yard four times.

Shohei Ohtani belted a two-run homer to right. Freddie Freeman added a solo blast in the next at-bat. Hernández, the reigning NL Player of the Week after his big series against the Yankees, hammered a two-run dinger for his 17th home run of the year, second-most in the NL. And with two out in the inning, Jason Heyward gulfed another long ball deep to right.

Did the Dodgers, who have celebrated home runs this season by showering sunflower seeds on each other in the dugout, have enough supply to last the entire inning?

“Thank God we have a bunch in the dugout,” Hernández, who introduced the ritual to the team this season, said affirmatiely. “It’s fun when that happens.”

Advertisement

When asked what has changed with the lineup over the past week, after the Dodgers were averaging just 3.7 runs in their 24 games prior, Roberts pointed to several factors in the wake of Tuesday’s win.

The big bats at the top of the order are hitting again, highlighted Tuesday by a combined nine knocks and 11 RBI from Betts, Ohtani, Freeman, Smith and Hernández.

The bottom of the order is stressing opposing pitchers, as well, thanks to recent resurgent form from role players like Gavin Lux and Andy Pages (who both had two hits Tuesday).

Mostly, though, Roberts said he is seeing better overall “compete” from his hitters lately, proudly highlighting a two-strike single from Lux in the fourth inning — a hit that ultimately led to Betts’ three-run double — as the latest such example of better at-bat conviction and quality.

“You’re not gonna have your A-swing every night,” Roberts said. “But you should have compete. And tonight, I saw that. I’ve seen that the last four or five games.”

Advertisement

The question now is whether the Dodgers can keep this all going for the foreseeable future, and turn one hot week into another blistering stretch of their season.

“I sure hope so,” Freeman said, with a hedge. “I just wish baseball was more of a guarantee and I could tell you yes.”

“I think so,” Roberts echoed, more definitively. “Just what I saw at the back half of that road trip, I do think that there’s a lot of good things that are happening offensively. Tonight, certainly it all came together. And I can see us sustaining this for a bit.”

Advertisement

Sports

Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones

Published

on

Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Anthony Richardson Sr.’s future in Indianapolis faces more uncertainty than ever. 

The Indianapolis Colts granted Anthony Richardson, the team that used the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on the quarterback, permission to explore a trade. His agent, Deiric Jackson, confirmed the latest development in the 23-year-old’s tumultuous career to ESPN on Thursday.

Veteran quarterback Daniel Jones beat out Richardson in a preseason competition for the starting job. Jones made the most of another opportunity as an NFL starter, helping the Colts win eight of their first 10 games of the 2025 regular season. 

Advertisement

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson heads off the field after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

However, his season was ultimately derailed by an Achilles injury. The setback came two years after he tore an ACL with the New York Giants. The Colts appear ready to move forward with Jones, clouding Richardson’s future in Indianapolis.

Jones is set to become a free agent in March, meaning the Colts must either use the franchise tag or sign him to a new deal. Richardson has started just 15 games in three seasons with the Colts, his tenure largely shaped by injuries. 

A shoulder surgery limited Richardson to four games during his rookie campaign, while a series of setbacks cost him four games in 2024. 

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks for an open receiver during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)

Advertisement

Richardson suffered what was described as a “freak pregame incident” during warmups last season, landing him on injured reserve after attempting just two passes in two games in 2025. He has thrown 11 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in his NFL career. 

Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Tuesday that the vision problems stemming from Richardson’s orbital fracture last October are “trending in the right direction.” He added that Richardson has been “cleared to play.”

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates his touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)

Riley Leonard, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is expected to return to the Colts next season.

Advertisement

When asked about Richardson’s standing with the Colts moving ahead, Ballard replied, “I still believe in Anthony.”

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Related Article

Falcons make decision on Kirk Cousins two years after signing him to $180 million contract

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Prep talk: Freshman golfer William Hudson of St. John Bosco wins Servite Invitational

Published

on

Prep talk: Freshman golfer William Hudson of St. John Bosco wins Servite Invitational

William Hudson, a 14-year-old freshman golfer, shot 71 on Monday at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills to win the Servite Invitational.

“It was very important to me and my school,” Hudson said.

Some think it’s the first time a St. John Bosco student won an invitational title.

Hudson is a straight-A student who picked up his first golf club when he was 3. He has a daily routine involving practicing at 6 a.m. before heading to school. He’s also enrolled in a school entrepreneur program that involves taking classes at a junior college that will qualify for college credits.

“They are long days, but I get through it,” Hudson said.

Advertisement

He comes from a family that enjoys golf. His great-grandfather played until his death at 98 last year.

“I love how it can take me to interesting places and meet interesting people,” Hudson said. “I can play for the rest of my life. It’s a lifelong sport.”

It’s looking like another strong year for golfers in Southern California, with several individual champions returning, including Jaden Soong of St. Francis and Grant Leary of Crespi.

Now Hudson has thrust himself into the conversation.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Dashcam video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon rear-ending vehicle on Connecticut highway

Published

on

Dashcam video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon rear-ending vehicle on Connecticut highway

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Police have released new video showing former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon speeding before crashing his 2024 Bentley Continental GT into another luxury car on a Connecticut highway last summer.

McMahon appeared to be followed by a state trooper in Westport moments ahead of the eventual collision. McMahon’s vehicle reached speeds of more than 100 mph, state police said.

A trooper’s dashcam video showed McMahon accelerating and then braking too late to avoid rear-ending a BMW. The car McMahon was driving then swerved into a guardrail and careened back across the highway. A cloud of dirt, apparently mixed with vehicle debris, was visible in the immediate area of the crash.

Advertisement

WWE owner Vince McMahon enters the arena during WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium on Apr 3, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports)

“Why were you driving all over 100 mph?” a state trooper asked McMahon after catching up to the wrecked Bentley.

“I got my granddaughter’s birthday,” McMahon replied, explaining he was on his way to see her. The encounter was recorded on police bodycam video.

No serious injuries were reported in the July 24 crash, which happened the same day former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan died of a heart attack in Florida.

In an image taken from Connecticut State Police police bodycam video, Vince McMahon is questioned in his car after an accident on July 24, 2025, in Westport, Connecticut. (Connecticut State Police via The Associated Press)

Advertisement

Aside from the damage to the rear of the BMW, another vehicle driving on the opposite side of the parkway was struck by flying debris. The driver of that third car happened to be wearing a WWE shirt, police video suggested.

McMahon was cited for reckless driving and following too closely. In October, a state judge allowed him to enter a pretrial probation program that could erase the charges if he completes it successfully.

He was also ordered to make a $1,000 charitable contribution. His attorney, Mark Sherman, called the crash simply an “accident.”

“Not every car accident is a crime,” Sherman said. “Vince’s primary concern during this case was for the other drivers and is appreciative that the court saw this more of an accident than a crime that needed to be prosecuted.”

Vince McMahon attends a press conference to announce that WWE Wrestlemania 29 will be held at MetLife Stadium in 2013 at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 16, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.  (Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images)

Advertisement

State police said a trooper was trying to catch up to McMahon on the parkway and clock his speed before pulling him over. They said the incident was not a pursuit, which happens when police chase someone trying to flee officers. They also said it did not appear McMahon was trying to escape.

“I’m trying to catch up to you, and you keep taking off,” State Police Det. Maxwell Robins said in the video. 

“No, no no. I’m not trying to outrun you,” McMahon clarified.

An accident information summary provided to the media shortly after the crash did not mention that a trooper was following McMahon.

The trooper’s bodycam video also shows him asking McMahon whether he was looking at his phone when the crash happened. McMahon said he was not and added he hadn’t driven his car in a long time.

Advertisement

After Robins tells McMahon that his car is fast, McMahon replies, “Yeah, too (expletive) fast.”

Fox News Digital submitted a public records request to obtain the police video, which was first acquired by The Sun.

McMahon stepped down as WWE’s CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He also resigned as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE, in 2024, a day after a former WWE employee filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against him. McMahon has denied the allegations. The lawsuit remains pending.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Advertisement

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Related Article

Former WWE CEO Vince McMahon, Securities and Exchange Commission reach settlement after lengthy probe

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending