The Sports Report: Max Muncy uses some lightning (in his bat) and rain to power Dodgers

Los Angeles Times

4 hours ago

From Jack Harris: The rain came out of nowhere. So too, it seemed, did Max Muncy's infield pop-up.
In the top of the sixth inning at Coors Field on Tuesday night, Muncy was at the plate with two out and two runners aboard when a sudden rainstorm opened up from overcast skies. Within moments, sheets of rain were pouring down. But as fans scattered for cover, umpires let the at-bat roll on.
'My glasses were pretty full of water at that point,' Muncy said. 'Was just kind of praying to put the ball in play.'
In a full count, Muncy did, launching a sky-high pop-up down the first base line.
In clear conditions, it would have been a routine catch to end the inning.
But this time, neither Rockies first baseman Michael Toglia nor second baseman Thairo Estrada could locate the blur of leather as it came hurtling back to earth.
'When rain is falling that thick,' Muncy said, 'it's really hard to look up and find a baseball.'
In the scorebook, the play went down as a two-run single, representing the first runs in a game the Dodgers went on to win 8-1 — with the help of a victory-sealing grand slam from Muncy in the top of the seventh.
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Yusei Kikuchi struck out a season-high 12 in seven innings, Jo Adell and Travis d'Arnaud hit solo homers and RBI singles, and the Angels beat the Boston Red Sox 5-2 Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.
Kikuchi (3-6) gave up two hits, walked one and threw 31 pitches in a shaky first inning when the Red Sox took advantage of shortstop Scott Kingery's fielding error and scored two unearned runs on Trevor Story's two-out single with the bases loaded.
The 34-year-old Japanese left-hander recovered and limited Boston to one hit with no walks over the next six innings. Kikuchi struck out the side in the second and fifth innings and retired the Red Sox in order in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings.
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Angels box score
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Dodgers controlling owner Mark Walter and Lakers president and controlling owner Jeanie Buss broke their silence Wednesday on a blockbuster deal that shocked many in and outside of Los Angeles.
A news release issued by Walter's team confirmed his acquisition of majority ownership stake of the Lakers, with the transaction expected to close in the third or fourth quarter of this year.
During the sale talks, the valuation of the Lakers was placed at $10 billion, a record for a professional sports team, people with knowledge of the deal not authorized to discuss it publicly told The Times. ESPN reported it is possible the value could swell to $12 billion before the transaction is complete.
'The Buss family is deeply honored to have looked after this incredible organization for almost half a century,' Jeanie Buss said in the statement. 'From the day our father purchased the Lakers, we have been determined to deliver what the City of Los Angeles deserves and demands: a team that is committed to winning — relentlessly — and to doing so with passion and with style.'
I have gotten to know Mark very well over time and been delighted to learn how he shares those same values. For the last four years, Mark has been an excellent partner to us, and we are thrilled to keep working with him to continue the Lakers' extraordinary legacy.'
From Broderick Turner: Some three hours before the Clippers used the 30th and final pick in the first round of the NBA draft to select Penn State's Yanic Konan Niederhauser, the two top choices went as predicted and then the rest of the order was all over the place Wednesday.
In Konan Niederhauser, the Clippers got a 7-foot center and that was one of the positions they needed help to back up starter Ivica Zubac.
'We always go into the draft board looking for the best available player, and it also coincides this time with a need,' said Lawrence Frank, the Clippers president of basketball operations. 'We've kind of looked over the years for a center that complements Zu, that does something different than Zu does. Sometimes it's resulted with guys being undersized where we haven't been able to maximize it. Yanic has legit positional size and I think the rim-rolling threat, combined with what Zu's play is, I think in due time will be really, really good.'
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2025 NBA draft: Pick-by-pick coverage and analysis
LAFC closed out the Club World Cup by tying Flamengo 1-1 at Inter & Co Stadium on Tuesday night.
Orlando has a large Brazilian community accustomed to cheering on former Orlando City star Kaká and current Orlando Pride star Marta. As a result, Brazilian club Flamengo enjoyed a strong push from the crowd against LAFC.
Flamengo's Wallace Yan came off the bench and scored the game's equalizer in the 86th minute. He received a pass from Jorginho, ran at full speed and scored with a right-footed shot from the penalty spot.
The 20-year-old striker's goal gave Flamengo a draw. The team will face German giants Bayern Munich in the round of 16. That match will be played on Sunday in Miami.
'I couldn't be prouder of the guys,' LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo said. 'I'm really happy with their effort. ... It's very difficult against a quality side like Flamengo, but I think we did well with the opportunities we had.'
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Djordje Mihailovic and Calvin Harris scored four-minutes apart in the first half and the Colorado Rapids beat the Galaxy 2-0 on Wednesday night in a game delayed two hours due to weather.
Colorado (7-8-4) snapped a three-game losing streak.
The Galaxy (1-13-5) lost to the Rapids for the first time since May 6, 2023.
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Galaxy summary
MLS standings
1910 — For the second consecutive year, Hazel Hotchkiss wins the singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles at the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championships. Hotchkiss beats Louise Hammond 6-4, 6-2 for the singles title.
1925 — Jim Barnes wins the British Open with a one-stroke win over Ted Ray and Archie Compston at Prestwick Golf Club in South Ayrshire, Scotland.
1959 — Ingemar Johansson knocks out Floyd Patterson in the third round at Yankee Stadium to win the world heavyweight title.
1976 — Japanese pro wrestler Antonio Inoki fights American boxer Muhammad Ali, at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan.
1990 — Jennifer Capriati, 14, defeats Helen Kelesi 6-3, 6-1 in the first round to become the youngest winner of a match in Wimbledon history.
1991 — NBA Draft: UNLV power forward Larry Johnson first pick by Charlotte Hornets.
1992 — UEFA European Championship Final, Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden: In a huge upset Denmark beats Germany, 2-0.
1993 — NHL Draft: Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL) center Alexandre Daigle first pick by Ottawa Senators.
1995 — The U.S. Supreme Court upholds a random drug-testing program in Vernonia, Ore. The 6-to-3 decision allows public high school officials to require student-athletes to submit to random urinalysis as a condition of being allowed to play interscholastic sports.
1996 — NBA Draft: Georgetown guard Allen Iverson first pick by Philadelphia 76ers.
1998 — Jamaica becomes the first Caribbean nation to win a World Cup soccer match since Cuba beat Romania in 1938. Theodore Whitmore scores in the 40th and 54th minutes as the Jamaicans beat Japan 2-1.
1999 — NHL Draft: Long Beach Ice Dogs (IHL) center Patrik Stefan first pick by Atlanta Thrashers.
2002 — In one of the most extraordinary days at the All England Club, seven-time champion Pete Sampras, 1992 winner Andre Agassi and No. 2-seeded Marat Safin all lose — throwing the Wimbledon tournament wide open. For the first time in the Open era, five of the top-eight seeded men's players are eliminated before the third round.
2002 — NBA Draft: Shanghai Sharks (China) center Yao Ming first pick by Houston Rockets.
2003 — NBA Draft: St. Vincent–St. Mary HS (Akron, Ohio) small forward LeBron James first pick by Cleveland Cavaliers.
2005 — Justin Gatlin cements his status as America's fastest human by winning the 200 meters, becoming the first man in 20 years to sweep the sprints at the U.S. track and field championships. A day after winning the 100, Gatlin wins the 200 in 20.04 seconds. The last man to win both races at the U.S. meet was Kirk Baptiste in 1985.
2008 — Two stunning second-round upsets happen at Wimbledon as former champion Maria Sharapova and two-time runner-up Andy Roddick are ousted.
2008 — NBA Draft: Memphis point guard Derrick Rose first pick by Chicago Bulls.
2011 — Top-ranked Yani Tseng wins the LPGA Championship by 10 strokes and, at 22, becomes the youngest player to win four LPGA Tour majors.
2012 — Major college football finally gets a playoff. A committee of university presidents approve the BCS commissioners' plan for a four-team playoff to start in the 2014 season.
2013 — Seven-time champion Roger Federer is stunned by 116th-ranked Sergiy Stakhovsky in the second round of Wimbledon, his earliest loss in a Grand Slam tournament in 10 years.
2014 — The United States reaches the knockout stage of consecutive World Cups for the first time. Germany beat the U.S. 1-0 to win Group G, but the Americans held onto second place when Portugal defeats Ghana 2-1 in a game played simultaneously.
2014 — NBA Draft: Kansas small forward Andrew Wiggins first pick by Cleveland Cavaliers.
2015 — NHL Draft: Erie Otters (OHL) center Connor McDavid #1 pick by the Edmonton Oilers.
2017 — Helmsman Peter Burling and Emirates Team New Zealand wins the America's Cup with a resounding romp against software tycoon Larry Ellison's two-time defending champion Oracle Team USA. They win Race 9 to clinch the 35th America's Cup match at 7-1. Burling, at 26, is the youngest helmsman to win sailing's greatest prize in a competition that dates to 1851.
2021 — Tour de France: The largest pile up in Tour history is caused by a spectator with a sign during Stage 1. The spectator is apprehended and arrested.
2012 — Stanley Cup Final, Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL: Colorado Avalanche beats two-time defending champions Tampa Bay Lightning, 2-1 for a 4-2 series win; Avs 3rd championship in franchise history.
1916 — The Cleveland Indians wore numbers on their sleeves in a game against the Chicago White Sox. It marked the first time players were identified by numbers corresponding to the scorecard.
1924 — New York right-hander Virgil Barnes faced his older sibling, Jesse, marking the first time brothers started against one another in major league history. Jesse got the loss when the Giants beat the Boston Braves 11-7.
1938 — Lonny Frey of the Cincinnati Reds had eight hits in a doubleheader split with the Philadelphia Phillies. Frey had three hits in a 10-3 opening-game loss and collected five in the nightcap, which the Reds won 8-5.
1944 — In an effort to raise funds for war bonds, the New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees played each other in a six-inning game at the Polo Grounds. More than 50,000 fans turned out. Each team played successive innings against the other two teams then would sit out an inning. The final score was Dodgers 5, Yankees 1, Giants 0.
1962 — Earl Wilson of the Boston Red Sox pitched a 2-0 no-hitter against the Angels at Fenway Park. Wilson, the Red Sox's first Black pitcher, also homered in the game.
1968 — St. Louis' Bob Gibson pitched his fifth consecutive shutout as he blanked Pittsburgh, 3-0, in the first game of a doubleheader at Busch Stadium.
1970 — Frank Robinson hit two grand slams to power the Baltimore Orioles to a 12-2 victory over the Washington Senators.
1976 — Shortstop Toby Harrah played an entire doubleheader for the Texas Rangers without handling a batted ball by the Chicago White Sox.
1983 — New York's Rusty Staub tied a season record with his eighth consecutive pinch hit. Staub equaled the 1958 mark established by Dave Philley of the Phillies when he singled in the ninth inning off reliever Ron Reed in the Mets' 8-4 loss to Philadelphia at Shea Stadium.
2000 — Minor league sensation Alex Cabrera hit a two-run homer in his first major league at-bat for Arizona as the Diamondbacks beat the Houston Astros 6-1.
2003 — Edgar Martinez, who already holds the Mariners' all-time records for games played, at-bats, hits, doubles, total bases, extra-base hits, walks and runs scored, passes Ken Griffey Jr.'s mark for team career RBIs. His two-run homer in the Mariners' 10 - 6 victory over the Angels gives the All-Star designated hitter 1,153 RBIs, one more than Junior.
2006 — Oregon State beats North Carolina 3-2 for its first College World Series title.
2015 — Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg resigns in his third season with his team in last place.
2019 — Vanderbilt University defeats Michigan 8-2 to win the College World Series.
2023 — Louisiana State University wins the 2023 College World Series with an 18-4 win over the University of Florida in the final game, one day after losing 24-4 to the Gators. Paul Skenes is named the recipient of the College World Series Most Outstanding Player award. It is the Tigers' seventh title overall, and first since 2009.
Compiled by the Associated Press
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