Sports
Shohei Ohtani steals spotlight from his dog with homer, two steals in Dodgers' victory
Wednesday night wasn’t the first time Shohei Ohtani has stolen the show.
It was, however, the first time he had to snatch the spotlight away from his dog.
On a day fans began lining up outside the Dodger Stadium gates at 8 in the morning, staking out a spot in line to get a bobblehead with Ohtani holding his dog, Dekopin (aka Decoy), in his arms, both owner and pet put on a spectacle in the Dodgers’ 6-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
Dekopin received the night’s first big ovation, delivering the ceremonial first “pitch” by picking up a ball in his mouth and running to home plate — where Ohtani was crouched down like a catcher waiting.
From there, though, it was Ohtani who guided the Dodgers through a back-and-forth game with a fellow World Series contender in Baltimore, going two for four with a home run (his 42nd of the season), two steals (giving him 42 on the season) and three runs scored.
“I’m telling you,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Any big moment, he seems to rise up to the occasion.”
Ohtani opened the scoring with a leadoff home run in the first, collecting his first big fly since last Friday’s 40-40 clinching grand slam on a line drive to right.
He was in the middle of the action in a four-run third inning, lining an opposite-field single three at-bats before Teoscar Hernández launched a go-ahead three-run homer.
Then in the fifth, Ohtani almost single-handedly gave the Dodgers some insurance. After belting a line drive that Ryan O’Hearn failed to catch at first, Ohtani went from first to third on a stolen base and wild pitch and eventually scored on a two-out error, doubling what at the time was only a one-run lead.
“It’s a really special night,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton.
After starting August with a two-week slump (Ohtani batted just .181, albeit with seven homers, from Aug. 2-19), the National League MVP favorite is ending the month on a tear.
Wednesday was his fifth multi-hit game in the last seven. It was his 10th game of the year with at least one home run and one steal. And, before striking out in his final trip to the plate in the seventh, he was serenaded with “MVP!” chants from a sold-out crowd of 53,290 that — more than usual — was there for him.
And his dog.
“I heard that Decoy was going to throw the first pitch and — I’m impressed that the dog was already that trained,” Roberts said. “I guess if it’s Shohei’s dog, nothing should be that surprising. That was pretty impressive.”
Ohtani said he and Decoy had been practicing his first pitch for the last three weeks, including a “dry run” at the stadium.
“I hope to buy some special snack for him,” Ohtani said.
There were some nervy moments early on for the Dodgers.
After Ohtani’s leadoff blast, the Orioles struck for three runs in a second-inning rally fueled by poor defense. With one out, Max Muncy misfired on a throw to first. A batter later, Cedric Mullins struck out on a pitch in the dirt, but reached base after catcher Will Smith seemingly forgot to throw the ball to first.
“I don’t know what team was playing defense that second inning,” Roberts said
Instead of the inning being over, Ramón Urías laced a two-run double and James McCann added an RBI single.
Shohei Ohtani holds Decoy after his dog delivered the first pitch before the game.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
And, like so many other times this year, it left starting pitching Walker Buehler on the verge of going off the rails.
This time, however, the right-hander settled down, found some rhythm and completed perhaps his best start of the season.
With better first-pitch efficiency (13 for 23 on first-pitch strikes) and two-strike execution (he only gave up one hit and one walk in such a count), Buehler gave up only one other run in 4⅔ innings Wednesday — and even that was the result of more bad luck, coming on an RBI double from O’Hearn a batter after Buehler failed to get an apparent strike call on a full-count check swing.
“We haven’t seen that in quite some time,” Roberts said of Buehler. “For him to reset, gather himself and still throw the baseball the way he did was big for his confidence, for us, and I’m looking forward for him to build on this.”
Buehler still has an ugly 5.88 ERA this season, his first since undergoing a second career Tommy John surgery in 2022. He has only managed to work past the fifth inning in three of 11 starts, a far cry from the All-Star form he once displayed as the ace of the Dodgers rotation.
But over 90 pitches Wednesday, in which he struck out four and got a season-best 12 whiffs, he at least showed some semblance of promise, helping put the Dodgers (who also got 4⅓ scoreless inning from the bullpen) in position to capitalize on Ohtani’s big night.
“I’m as encouraged as I’ve been since 2021,” Buehler said. “I didn’t have to tell myself to do something and hope it worked out. I felt a lot more like when I picked up my leg I was able to throw the ball over the plate … When I go to sleep I’ll feel like I’m somewhat myself again, and that’s a big thing for me.”
Injury updates
— Tyler Glasnow will resume his throwing program Friday, after having a previously scheduled session of catch play this week scratched. Manager Dave Roberts said Glasnow, who went on the injured list Aug. 16 with elbow tendinitis, didn’t feel great after initially starting his throwing program last week.
The Dodgers are hoping this time around goes better for the 31-year-old right-hander. Roberts acknowledged this week that any further delays in Glasnow’s recovery might hamper his ability to get fully built up in time for the playoffs.
— Yoshinobu Yamamoto began his minor league rehab assignment with triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday, giving up one run in two innings while striking out two batters and sitting 94-95 mph with his fastball.
— Jack Flaherty came in feeling OK after taking a comebacker off his right throwing wrist Tuesday. Flaherty’s next start will be Sunday or Monday — depending on if the Dodgers decide to use a spot starter on Sunday in Arizona (triple-A pitcher Justin Wrobleski could be an option to pitch that day).
— Andy Pages will probably be the position player call-up when rosters expand in September, Roberts said.
— Austin Barnes (toe fracture) is expected to be activated Thursday. Brusdar Graterol (hamstring strain) will also be going out on a rehab assignment soon, Roberts said.
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U.S. men’s national team star Folarin Balogun received a red card in the second half of their Round of 32 World Cup matchup against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday night.
Balogun was making a challenge on a ball when he stepped on an opposing player’s leg.
The U.S. men’s national team is down to 10 players for the rest of the match. If the U.S. holds their 1-0 lead, Balogun will have to miss the Round of 16 game.
Balogun scored for the U.S. in the first half.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
SACRAMENTO — The first half of the season will conclude with Will Smith in the same place he has been for the last month: the injured list.
The Dodgers’ three-time All-Star catcher has been on the IL since June 8 because of what the Dodgers list as neck inflammation. Smith said he had been diagnosed with an inflamed disk.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he “just can’t see any world” in which Smith would return before the All-Star break, which concludes July 16.
“It’s certainly longer, I know, than all of us expected,” Roberts said. “But I don’t think it’s anything real, kind of affecting-the-season type thing.”
Roberts said Smith has not been able to accelerate his rehabilitation to the point of doing baseball activities.
Dalton Rushing, who has taken over as the Dodgers’ primary catcher in Smith’s absence, is batting .213 with one home run and 19 strikeouts in 18 games while Smith has been on the injured list. The Dodgers gave Rushing the day off Wednesday.
The Dodgers were 14-6 with Smith on the IL entering play Wednesday.
Also Wednesday, the team scratched shortstop Mookie Betts from the starting lineup because of a sore right wrist.
Sports
Ex-NFL reporter Dianna Russini interaction with police officer to dodge traffic ticket comes to light
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Police bodycam footage appeared to refute a claim made by former NFL reporter Dianna Russini earlier this year about what she did to get out of a traffic ticket.
Russini, whose relationship with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel led to her resigning from her role with The Athletic in April, said on the “Stugotz and Company” show back in February that she FaceTimed the NFL coach, though she didn’t drop the name, of the officer’s favorite team after being pulled over for being on her phone.
It was a story that came up again during the New York Times’ deep dive into the Russini-Vrabel controversy, and now police bodycam footage has confirmed that wasn’t the case. However, she did name-drop a coach.
ESPN reporter Dianna Russini looks on during the NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Sept. 16, 2018. (Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire)
The footage went just over seven minutes long, as Russini was stopped in Ridgewood, New Jersey, for using her phone while driving. Not only did a FaceTime never happen, but no call at all occurred during the exchange between Russini and the officer.
What did occur, though, was Russini showing the officer texts she had been having with Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, and she showed the officer her phone with the texts on it.
DIANNA RUSSINI PULLED PATHETIC MOVE WITH AN OFFICER TO GET OUT OF A TICKET, AND IT SHOULD HAVE THE NFL NERVOUS
“I’m an NFL reporter, and I just broke that Seam McDermott got fired from the Bills,” Russini told the officer almost immediately, understanding why she was being pulled over. “I was gonna pull over because I have to make calls. I know you don’t care, but I’m just letting you know my reason why. It was a work thing and it was an emergency for what I do.”
McDermott was fired the morning of Jan. 19, which was the date shown on the bodycam footage, after the Bills’ AFC Divisional Round loss to the Denver Broncos.
The officer replied that Russini had been on her phone “for a while” before pulling her over, though he did acknowledge she had a job to do.
Russini continued, telling the officer that former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll “wants the job” with the Bills. He was connected to the team given his history with Buffalo prior to joining the Giants, but they hired in-house with Joe Brady being promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach. Daboll ended up joining Robert Saleh’s staff as offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans.
Dianna Russini, left, and Mike Vrabel, right, are shown in a split composite image featuring Russini with an ESPN microphone and Vrabel on the Titans sideline wearing a headset. (Imagn Images)
Russini, then, asked if the officer was a Giants or Jets fan given the New Jersey ties. When he responded by saying he was a Vikings fan, it prompted Russini to seemingly show texts with O’Connell. The conversation, which included Russini saying the Vikings’ quarterback “sucks” and “KOC’s awesome” ultimately led to the officer letting her off with a warning.
“I’m gonna cut you a break on the cellphone,” the officer was heard saying. “I understand your job requires you to be on the phone a lot. Just try to wait until you get home, OK?”
PATRIOTS SAY THEY ‘FULLY SUPPORT’ MIKE VRABEL AMID LATEST IN CONTROVERSY INVOLVING DIANNA RUSSINI
The Center Square first reported Russini’s interaction with the officer.
Fox News Digital reached out to Russini and the Vikings for comment.
Ridgewood Police Chief Forest Lyons issued a statement on the matter.
“On January 19, 2026, at 9:40 a.m., a Ridgewood police officer conducted a motor vehicle stop on Godwin Avenue involving Ms. Dianna Russini for the use of a handheld cell phone while driving,” the statement read. “After following department protocol during the stop, and reviewing Ms. Russini’s driving history, the officer exercised his professional discretion and issued a verbal warning to Ms. Russini.
Dianna Russini attends the 2026 Fanatics Super Bowl Party at Pier 48 in San Francisco, California, on Feb. 7, 2026. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
“The use of officer discretion in determining whether to issue a warning or a citation is consistent with Ridgewood Police Department policy and longstanding practice. Police officers are encouraged to use their judgment and, when appropriate, provide motorists with warnings as part of the Department’s commitment to fair, impartial and community-oriented policing.”
Russini resigned from her post at The Athletic amid mounting criticism over her relationship with Vrabel after photographs of them hugging and holding hands at a private resort in Sedona, Arizona, went viral. After initially trying to downplay it, saying “reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues,” Russini ultimately released her resignation.
After the original photos, others dating back to 2020 showed Vrabel and Russini kissing at a bar in New York City. The pictures exclusively obtained by the New York Post were taken in the early hours of March 11, 2020.
“They were kissing, and they were all over each other,” an eyewitness told the outlet. “He had a ring on.”
Dianna Russini appears on the red carpet prior to the NFL Honors awards presentation at YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, Calif., on Feb. 10, 2022. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)
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While Russini resigned, Vrabel was back with the Patriots after a counseling visit, which fell on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Vrabel said he had difficult conversations with his family, while also speaking with his players about the situation. The Patriots said before the draft they “fully support” Vrabel, allowing him to seek the counseling he desired despite four rounds of the draft still remaining.
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