San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish delivers against the Dodgers in Game 2 of the NLDS on Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Except for the three months he actually played for the team in 2017, Yu Darvish, the Padres’ starter for Game 5, has spent most of his major league career tormenting the … Read more
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek scored on a strong night for the second line, Mats Zuccarello added a power-play goal and the Minnesota Wild opened the season by beating former coach Dean Evason and the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 on Thursday night. Filip Gustavsson had 30 saves for the Wild, … Read more
SAN JOSE, Calif. – Macklin Celebrini didn’t take long to make an impact for the San Jose Sharks. The 18-year-old rookie scored San Jose’s first goal of the season and added an assist in his first period as a pro Thursday night against the St. Louis Blues, signifying a brighter future ahead for a franchise … Read more
SHANGHAI – Taylor Fritz advanced to his fifth Masters semifinal with a straightforward 6-3, 6-4 victory over David Goffin of Belgium at the Shanghai Masters on Friday. The 26-year-old American was in control throughout the 82-minute encounter and converted three of his seven break points to set up a meeting against four-time champion Novak Djokovic … Read more
UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger, left, leaps to try to stop Oregon wide receiver Traeshon Holden as he runs in a touchdown at the Rose Bowl on Sept. 28. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) The expansion of scholarship limits could have unintended consequences. It could eliminate success stories like Carson Schwesinger. A onetime walk-on, Schwesinger has … Read more
As Woody Marks weighed his football future last winter, Darren Myles was frank with his former running back. His body of work, he told Marks, was an incomplete picture of the player Myles knew he could be. Four seasons at Mississippi State, playing in Mike Leach’s pass-happy Air Raid offense, proved Marks could catch passes … Read more
Matt Holtry had no inside knowledge or crystal ball when he made the decision. The football coach at Homedale (Idaho) High had multiple options when choosing which of Scott Matlock’s jersey numbers to retire this summer. An offensive lineman, defensive lineman and tight end at the small high school in Western Idaho, the Chargers’ 2023 … Read more
“Dale!” drag king Mauro Cuchi shouts into the mic. “Eso!” the crowd roars back. A spotlight shines on two glistening bodies facing off on the wrestling mat, each scantily clad and grappling to subdue the other in a takedown. But just as one manages to top the other, they start aggressively making out. The packed … Read more
During his initial overview of the Chargers’ season schedule, offensive coordinator Greg Roman stopped short of cursing the team’s Week 5 off week, but he was at least “strongly speaking against it.” “As it turns out,” Roman said this week, “it’s a gift from the football gods.” The Chargers (2-2) lost consecutive games entering the … Read more
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Gerrit Cole pitched like an ace again and now the Yankees are going back to the ALCS. But he didn’t do it without a bit of drama, giving up a long Kyle Isbel fly ball to the fence in right field with two outs in the seventh that was just feet … Read more