Sports
Walker Buehler struggles, division lead narrows as Dodgers lose to Brewers
The San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks both won games before the Dodgers took the field against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night, yet another reminder that, for a team that has won 10 of the last 11 National League West titles, objects in the rearview mirror are closer than they appear.
The Dodgers failed to hold serve in an ugly 5-4 loss to the Brewers in American Family Field, and their division lead fell to 2½ games over the scorching-hot Padres, who have won 19 of 22 games, and Diamondbacks, who have won 18 of 21 games.
Veteran right-hander Walker Buehler returned from a right-hip injury and gave the Dodgers little hope that he will provide much of a rotation boost down the stretch, laboring through a 3⅓-inning, 87-pitch start in which he gave up four runs (one earned) and three hits, struck out three and walked four.
The Dodgers also committed three errors, which led to four unearned runs, and their win streak was snapped at five.
“It wasn’t a clean game, by any means,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Those [defensive plays] are pretty uncharacteristic, and they ended up hurting us.”
Despite Buehler’s shoddy start and the shaky defense, the Dodgers tied the score 4-4 in the seventh. Trailing 4-3, Mookie Betts hit a one-out single to left-center field off left-hander Jared Koenig and took third on Freddie Freeman’s single to right.
Teoscar Hernández struck out, and Roberts sent Miguel Rojas to bat for Gavin Lux, the team’s hottest hitter for the last month. Rojas lined a single to right-center to tie the score.
But Milwaukee retook the lead in the bottom of the seventh, an inning that began with Dodgers reliever Brent Honeywell hitting No. 9 batter Joey Ortiz with a pitch.
Ortiz took second on Brice Turang’s sacrifice bunt and scored for a 5-4 lead when Jackson Chourio’s bloop single to right field nicked off the glove of Betts for an error.
“I was coming in, I know that guy is fast,” said Betts, who returned to right field this week after playing shortstop the first 2½ months of the season. “I was trying to make a play and just missed it.”
There were plenty of misfires for Buehler, whose early May return from a second Tommy John surgery was derailed by right-hip inflammation that sidelined him for almost two months.
He spent several weeks at a private training facility in Florida in an effort to “get those feels back,” but didn’t look any better Wednesday night than he did in his start to the season, when he went 1-4 with a 5.84 ERA in eight starts in which he gave up 10 homers in 37 innings.
“A lot of near misses, a lot of bad pitches in bad spots,” Buehler said. “It’s just frustrating. I’m not getting ahead the way I’m accustomed to, and then at certain times, I’m going from 0-and-2 to 3-and-2. Stuff to clean up. Stuff to figure out.”
Buehler was staked to a 3-0 lead in the first when the Dodgers loaded the bases with no outs and scored on Teoscar Hernández’s walk, Kiké Hernández’s sacrifice fly and Kevin Kiermaier’s hustle RBI double.
Buehler walked three batters to open the bottom of the first but escaped with the help of Kiermaier, the four-time Gold Glove Award winner who caught William Contreras’ fly ball and fired a 99-mph, one-hop throw to catcher Austin Barnes, who made the catch and tag on Turang for a double play.
“I caught it with some momentum coming in, had a bunch of adrenaline, and I just wanted to make a good throw,” said Kiermaier, who was acquired from Toronto on July 29. “Bases loaded, no outs, I was glad to help Walker out there.”
Buehler struck out Willy Adames with a 91-mph cutter to end the inning, but of his 25 pitches in the opening frame, 15 were balls.
Buehler then coughed up three runs in the second, an inning that Jake Bauers opened with a home run to right field. Garrett Mitchell struck out, and Sal Frelick reached on an error by shortstop Nick Ahmed that easily could have been scored an infield single.
Ortiz grounded out to first, but Turang drove a triple over the head of Kiermaier to make it 3-2, and Chourio’s broken-bat infield single made it 3-3. By the time Tyler Black popped out to end the inning, Buehler’s pitch count had reached 60.
“There are too many holes in my delivery where little things can go wrong,” Buehler said. “When you’re rolling, you can make adjustments really quick. I’m not making them quick enough. There are some really big misses after misses, which is not good. In this league, you can miss once, but you miss twice in the same [area], you’re in a bad spot.”
Buehler retired the side in order on 14 pitches in the third but walked Mitchell to open the fourth. Mitchell stole second, took third on Frelick’s groundout and scored for a 4-3 lead when Ortiz’s grounder kicked off the glove of Kiké Hernández at third for an error.
Left-hander Anthony Banda replaced Buehler and gave up what appeared to be a Turang double down the left-field line, but Ortiz was deked by Ahmed into sliding into second, took a step back toward first and headed for third without re-touching the bag.
Roberts said pitcher Clayton Kershaw spotted the gaffe and alerted the manager, who came to the mound and instructed Banda to throw to second base. Ortiz was ruled out on the appeal, and Chourio grounded out to end the inning.
Of Buehler’s 87 pitches, only 46 were strikes. He used six different pitches against the Brewers but could not throw his curveball consistently for strikes.
“There were some good things, but from the eye test, he was out of sync,” Roberts said. “His throw was inconsistent, the delivery was inconsistent, he didn’t get Strike 1 very often. He was working behind hitters, and then you’re trying to find your way back into counts. It’s hard to live like that. … You can see he’s still searching.”
Buehler said he feels “closer” to regaining his presurgery form, his elbow feels good physically, and he’s been encouraged by some bullpen sessions. But he knows these kinds of results aren’t going to cut it.
“At the end of the day, there’s a standard of performing here, and I’m very aware of where I’m at in that standard,” Buehler said. “Keep plugging away. Wish isn’t the right word, or hope, but hopefully keep doing the right things, and it’ll come together.”
Short hops
The Dodgers will push right-hander Tyler Glasnow’s next start to Saturday night in St. Louis and probably will call up a pitcher from triple-A Oklahoma City — likely left-hander Justin Wrobleski — for Friday night’s game against the Cardinals. … Reliever Ryan Brasier, out since late April because of a right-calf strain, has given up four hits, struck out 10 and walked none in 6⅔ innings of his first seven rehab appearances for Oklahoma City and is on track to be activated Saturday. … Right-hander Landon Knack, who threw four innings of one-run ball in Tuesday night’s win, was optioned to Oklahoma City to clear a roster spot for Buehler.
Sports
Auburn fans shower officials with debris after wild buzzer-beater gets overturned
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A chaotic scene unfolded at Auburn University on Tuesday night as a wild buzzer-beater was waved off well after the Tigers had celebrated on their own court.
With 0.6 seconds remaining and Auburn trailing 90-88, KeShawn Murphy, somehow left wide open, caught an inbounds pass and nailed a long 3-pointer for what was thought to be the game-winner.
However, officials went to the scorer’s table to review the play, which was awfully close.
Auburn Tigers players watch the replay of a possible game-winning shot that was called back as Auburn Tigers take on Texas A&M Aggies at Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Jake Crandall/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Ultimately, officials ruled that the shot had not gone off in time, ending the Tigers’ celebration and prompting one from Texas A&M.
The officials quickly made themselves public enemy number one and were showered with debris from fans on their way off the court. At least one referee needed his head to be covered.
One fan sitting courtside even turned his back and threw his drink over his shoulder aimed at an official.
“They didn’t say a word. They just said it was no good and ran off the floor. I probably wouldn’t want to talk to me in that moment, anyway,” Auburn head coach Steven Pearl, who took over for his dad, Bruce this season, said after the game. “So, I get why they’d run away from me. Just from the angles that I saw, it looked like it was off his fingers. But that was just, I don’t have all the same angles they have.”
Texas A&M Aggies players celebrate victory as Auburn Tigers take on Texas A&M Aggies at Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama, on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Jake Crandall/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
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It is now six losses in their last 10 games for the Tigers after starting 5-1. They lost in the Final Four last year to Florida, who won the national championship over Houston.
Auburn (9-6, 0-2) led 47-37 at halftime and extended the margin to 61-45 with 12:29 remaining.
KeShawn Murphy of the Auburn Tigers reacts after officials ruled that his last-second shot did not beat the shot clock to win the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Neville Arena on Jan. 6, 2026 in Auburn, Alabama. (Stew Milne/Getty Images)
Texas A&M answered with a steady run fueled by outside shooting, taking its first lead at 8:42 when Pop Isaacs buried a 3-pointer. The Aggies followed with back-to-back triples from Isaacs to open a five-point cushion that they would not relinquish, by the skin of their teeth.
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Sports
Former NFL player Jordan Shipley is in critical condition after accident on his ranch
Two-time All-American wide receiver and prominent Outdoors Channel host Jordan Shipley is in critical condition after an accident on his ranch in Texas, his family said in a statement.
Shipley, 40, was described as stable after remaining hospitalized Tuesday night in Austin. The statement said a machine that he was operating near his hometown of Burnet caught fire. The former Texas great suffered “severe burns on his body.”
Shipley abruptly retired in 2012 after three NFL seasons primarily because of persistent concussion issues and chronic knee problems. He quickly transitioned to television shows that showcased his passion for deer hunting, co-hosting “The Bucks of Tecomate” and “Tecomate Whitetail Nation.”
“It was not hard at all,” Shipley said at the time of retiring at 27. “Only because I never saw myself as a football player first. Don’t get me wrong, I worked my tail off for football and I loved it but never saw that as my whole identity because I had such a big background in outdoors. Really, with this opportunity I had I was actually pretty excited about moving forward.”
Although he enjoyed a strong rookie season with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2010 with 52 receptions for 600 yards and three touchdowns, he is best remembered as a record-setting player at Texas.
Shipley starred as a receiver and a kick returner from 2006 to 2009, setting program single-season records in 2009 with 116 receptions and 1,489 yards. He also remains the career leader for receptions with 248 and ranks second in career receiving yards with 3,191, behind Roy Williams. Shipley also returned four punts or kickoffs for touchdowns.
After being drafted in the third round by the Bengals, he became one of the most popular players with Cincinnati fans, and his No. 11 jersey was worn by thousands. After a debilitating knee injury early in the 2011 season, he was never the same player, and he had short stints with Tampa Bay and Jacksonville before retiring.
According to his family, Jordan was operating a machine at his ranch when it caught fire. He managed to free himself from the machine, but “not before sustaining severe burns on his body in the process.” Jordan was airlifted to the hospital in Austin.
“He was able to get to one of his workers on the ranch, who drove him to a local hospital. He was then care-flighted to Austin, where he remains in critical but stable condition,” the statement said.
Shipley’s younger brother, former Texas wide receiver Jaxon Shipley, 33, asked for prayers in a statement on Instagram: “Please pray for full healing and no infections or other issues on his road to recovery. I don’t want to get into all the details, other than his life was spared today by the grace of God and the sheer will to live. I believe prayer is effective so I’m asking anyone and everyone to lift Jordan up in prayer.”
Sports
Tom Izzo explodes on former Michigan State player in wild scene: ‘What the f— are you doing?’
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Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo has been known to get visibly angry with his players over his years in East Lansing, but what happened Monday night against USC was different.
Izzo let loose his frustration on a former player.
During the Spartans’ blowout over the Trojans, 80-51, Izzo was spotted unloading on former Michigan State center Paul Davis, who played for the team from 2002-06, after he caused a disturbance in the stands.
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Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans reacts to a call during a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena Jan. 2, 2026, in Lincoln, Neb. (Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
Referees pointed out Davis, who was a spectator, from his courtside seat after he was among many in the building who disagreed with a call in the second half. Davis stood up and shouted at referee Jeffrey Anderson.
Anderson responded with a loud whistle, stopping play and pointing at Davis. Then, Anderson went over to Izzo to explain what happened, and the 70-year-old coach went ballistic.
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First, he was motioning toward Davis, and it was clear he asked his former center, “What the f— are you doing?”
Davis was met by someone asking him to leave his seat, and that’s when Izzo went nuts. He shouted “Get out of here!” at Davis, who appeared to gesture toward Izzo, perhaps in apology for disturbing the game.
Izzo was asked about Davis’ ejection after the game.
“What he said, he should never say anywhere in the world,” Izzo responded when asked what happened. “That ticked me off. So, just because it’s 25, 20 years later, I’m going to have to call him tomorrow and tell him what I thought of it. And you know what he’ll say? ‘I screwed up, coach. I’m sorry.’”
Izzo quickly clarified that what Davis said “wasn’t something racial” and “it wasn’t something sexual.”
Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo protests a call that benefited the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center Dec. 2, 2025. (Dale Young/Imagn Images)
“It was just the wrong thing to say, and I’ll leave it at that.”
Davis later met with reporters Tuesday, apologizing for his actions.
“I’m not up here to make any excuses. I’m up here to take accountability, to own it,” Davis said. It was a mistake that will never happen again. It was a mistake that’s not me, but, unfortunately, last night it was.”
Izzo said Davis was one of his “favorite guys” during his time playing for the Spartans. He had a breakout sophomore campaign with 15.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and two assists per game in 30 starts for Izzo during the 2003-04 season.
Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans reacts during a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena Jan. 2, 2026, in Lincoln, Neb. (Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
In his senior year, Davis averaged 17.5 points, a career-high, in 33 games.
He was taken in the second round of the 2006 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. Davis played just four seasons in the league, his final one with the Washington Wizards.
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