After blowout loss, USC baseball can look to world champion Dodgers for inspiration
After blowout loss, USC baseball can look to world champion Dodgers for inspiration
On Sunday night, USC baseball was blown out 14-1 by Oregon State in the NCAA Tournament. With the loss, the Trojans blew an opportunity to clinch their first trip to the super regionals in 19 years. Instead, the two teams will play a winner-take-all game on Monday afternoon in order to decide who moves on.
Obviously, losing a postseason game by 13 runs is demoralizing. However, the Trojans do not have time to wallow. They have to turn around and play a decisive game less than 24 hours later. For inspiration, Andy Stankiewicz's team can look just a few miles up the road at the world champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Last October, the Dodgers entered Game 5 of the NLCS with a chance to clinch to clinch a trip to the World Series with a win. Like the Trojans on Sunday, however, Los Angeles's potential clincher turned into a nightmare. The Dodgers were blown out 12-6 by the New York Mets in a game that was not nearly as close as the final score indicated.
Two days later, the Dodgers had another chance to clinch the pennant. This time, they finished the job, handling New York 10-5 to win the National League and advance to the Fall Classic.
In the World Series against the New York Yankees, the same scenario unfolded. With a chance to clinch the title in Game 4, the Dodgers were blown out 11-4. The following night, however, it was a different story, as LA pulled out a 7-6 instant classic victory to win the championship.
On two separate occasions, the Dodgers had a chance to clinch a series, but instead suffered a blowout loss. Both times, they responded emphatically in the following game, getting the win they needed.
On Monday, USC baseball will look to do the same. After being blown out in a potential clincher on Sunday, the Trojans will get another shot on Monday in a winner-take-all game. If they want to emerge victorious, the Trojans will need to put the struggles of the last game behind them and focus on the task at hand.
Fortunately for the Trojans, there is a very clear blueprint on how to do so. To find it, they need only look to their baseball brethren in Los Angeles.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
How to Watch Cardinals vs. Dodgers: TV Channel & Live Stream
Data Skrive The St. Louis Cardinals and Nolan Arenado will take on Andy Pages and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Busch Stadium on Friday, with the first pitch at 8:15 p.m. ET. Here is everything you need to know to watch the Cardinals vs. Dodgers game. Keep up with MLB on FOX Sports. Check out the best moments between the Kansas City Royals and the St. Louis Cardinals. Cardinals vs. Dodgers Game Information & How to Watch When: Friday, June 6, 2025 at 8:15 p.m. ET Where: Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri TV: Watch on FDSMW, SportsNet LA Box Score: Fox Sports Cardinals vs. Dodgers Prediction Score Prediction: Cardinals 5, Dodgers 4 Total Prediction: Over 8.5 runs Win Probabilities: Cardinals 51%, Dodgers 49% Cardinals vs. Dodgers Head to Head Date Favorite Spread Total Favorite Moneyline Underdog Moneyline Result 8/18/2024 Cardinals -1.5 7.5 -115 -104 2-1 LAD 8/17/2024 Dodgers -1.5 9 -120 +100 5-2 STL 8/16/2024 Dodgers -1.5 9.5 -134 +114 7-6 LAD 3/31/2024 Dodgers -1.5 9 -173 +146 5-4 LAD 3/30/2024 Dodgers -1.5 8.5 -237 +193 6-5 STL 3/29/2024 Dodgers -1.5 8.5 -231 +190 6-3 LAD 3/28/2024 Dodgers -1.5 9 -253 +208 7-1 LAD 5/21/2023 Dodgers -1.5 8 -136 +116 10-5 STL 5/20/2023 Cardinals -1.5 9 -136 +116 6-5 STL 5/19/2023 Dodgers -1.5 8.5 -116 -103 5-0 LAD Cardinals Last 10 Game Stats Stat Avg/Total Record 5-5 Runs Per Game 4.1 HR 9 ERA 4.91 K/9 7.7 Cardinals Player Insights The Cardinals best hitter so far this season is Brendan Donovan, who's hitting at a team-leading .314 rate along with four homers and 24 RBI. Including all MLB batters, Donovan ranks 11th in batting average, 19th in on-base percentage, and 58th in slugging. Lars Nootbaar's eight home runs pace his team. Nootbaar is 77th in home runs in baseball, and 83rd in RBI. Arenado has 10 doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 20 walks while hitting .228. Masyn Winn is batting .273 with 10 doubles, six home runs and 20 walks. Cardinals Recent & Upcoming Games Dodgers Last 10 Game Stats Stat Avg/Total Record 6-4 Runs Per Game 6.5 HR 19 ERA 4.35 K/9 8.3 Dodgers Player Insights Shohei Ohtani has swatted a team-leading 23 home runs. Ohtani's home run total places him second in the majors, and he ranks 22nd in RBI. Mookie Betts is hitting .259 with six doubles, a triple, eight home runs and 28 walks. Among all MLB hitters, Betts is 77th in home runs and 58th in RBI. Freddie Freeman leads the Dodgers with a team-best batting average of .363. Pages has nine doubles, a triple, 12 home runs and 13 walks while batting .289. Dodgers Recent & Upcoming Games FOX Sports created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily. FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience St. Louis Cardinals Los Angeles Dodgers recommended
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Alex Cora on Hot Seat? Firing of Red Sox Manager Predicted to Come Before All-Star Break
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. This was supposed to be the year the Boston Red Sox were back. In 2018, Alex Cora's rookie year as manager, the Red Sox put together the best season in the history of the franchise — a history that dates back to the founding of the American League in 1901. But since 2018, the Red Sox have provided little for their fans to get excited about. In that historic 2018 season, Boston won 108 games, breezing past the 106-year-old team record of 105 in 1912, the first year the Red Sox played in a brand-new facility named Fenway Park. The 1912 Red Sox defeated the New York Giants in the World Series, but took eight games to do it, winning 4-3 with one game tied. The 2018 Red Sox blew away the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games. But those glory days seem like distant memories now. From that season, only All-Star slugger Rafael Devers and manager Alex Cora remain — and according to a prediction by one prominent Boston sports commentator, Cora will not last much longer. ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 01: Manager Alex Cora #13 of the Boston Red Sox looks on during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on June 01, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 01: Manager Alex Cora #13 of the Boston Red Sox looks on during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on June 01, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images "Cora will be gone by All-Star break," said WEEI Radio personality Jermaine "Wiggy" Wiggins, a former tight end for the New England Patriots and four other NFL teams. "They're going to continue to play like this. They might be double digits (back) when it comes to a wild card spot," Wiggins continued, on a Wednesday broadcast. "I don't think if you're the front office, Breslow and those guys, I think it's time to pull the Band-Aid off. What's $14 million or whatever you owe him?" Wiggins was referring to the fact that the Red Sox, with fewer than 100 games left to play in the season, have performed well below preseason expectations. After an offseason that saw the acquisitions of ace lefty starter Garrett Crochet and two-time World Series-winning third baseman Alex Bregman — as well as former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler and veteran bullpen closer Aroldis Chapman, among others — numerous experts predicted the Red Sox would be a playoff-caliber team. More MLB: Padres Held Call With Red Sox Regarding Jarren Duran Trade, Second MLB Insider Reports Some went so far as to predict that the Red Sox would top the Yankees in winning the AL East, and reach as far as the World Series. All of that remains theoretically possible, of course, but with 64 games in the books, the prognosis doesn't look good. Last year's Red Sox finished at 82-82, their third straight season without topping the .500 mark. After 64 games, that edition sat at 32-32. This year's Red Sox head into a weekend series with their arch rivals, the New York Yankees, at 30-34, two wins behind last year's pace. Perhaps fortunately, the Yankees also got off to a slow start, so the Red Sox are now nine games off New York's pace at the top of the division, compared to 12 1/2 games at the same point last season. On Thursday, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow appeared on WEEI and was asked about Cora's future. While he did not say Cora's job was in danger, he didn't exactly give the 49-year-old manager a ringing endorsement either. More MLB: Watch: Tempers Flare Between Red Sox, Angels as Multiple Players, Coaches Involved "We're always going to be anchored to what is best for the team, and we have a lot of confidence in Alex as the leader of this group," Breslow told Wiggins on the broadcast. "We have conversations daily about everything that we can do to get us back on track. That's where our focus is, and that's where it will remain." Cora missed the COVID-shortened 2020 season as he served a one-year suspension for his role in the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal when he was bench coach for that team. Cora returned to the Red Sox in 2021 and led an overachieving roster to 92 wins, a wild card postseason spot, and all the way to the AL Championship Series, where they lost to the Astros in six games. Otherwise, in his five full seasons as Red Sox manager since the triumphant 2018 campaign, Cora has posted only two more winning seasons: 2021 and 2019, when the Red Sox slumped to a third-place finish, and failed to qualify for the playoffs with an 84-78 record — 24 games behind their regular season record the previous year. More MLB: Nashville White Sox? Jerry Reinsdorf to Sell Team, Raising Fears of Move
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
USC baseball ace Caden Aoki granted extra year of eligibility, enters transfer portal
USC baseball ace Caden Aoki granted extra year of eligibility, enters transfer portal On Monday, USC baseball's season came to an end in the NCAA Tournament. After making their first postseason appearance in 10 years, the Trojans fell to Oregon State in the final of the Corvallis Regional. On Wednesday, the Trojans got more tough news when it was reported that their top pitcher, Caden Aoki, will be entering the transfer portal. Aoki was a senior this past season, but was granted an additional season of eligibility by the NCAA. However, it now appears as though he will spend that season elsewhere. After spending his freshman year at Notre Dame in 2022, Aoki transferred to USC prior to the 2023 season. He emerged as the Trojans' top starting pitcher over the better part of the past three seasons. In 2025, he went 6-4 with a 3.99 ERA. However, it was the NCAA Tournament where Aoki forever etched himself into Trojans lore. In USC's tournament opener against TCU, Aoki allowed just one run over eight innings, throwing 114 pitches. For his performance, he was named to the all-Corvallis Regional team. While the Trojans were likely expecting to lose Aoki anyway, seeing him hit the transfer portal would be a tough loss. Given that USC lacked pitching depth behind Aoki in 2025, it will be critical that head coach Andy Stankiewicz address the position this offseason.
