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Los Angeles Times
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
The Sports Report: Dodgers outlast Padres in extra innings
From Jack Harris: Rivalries in baseball can sometimes be difficult to define. There are the obvious ones. Like the Yankees and Red Sox. The Cardinals and Cubs. And for the Dodgers, going back to their founding in New York, a generations-old hatred for the Giants. 'By definition, you can't just decide to choose your rivalry because one team gets good,' veteran third baseman Max Muncy said. 'And for the Dodgers, that'll always be the Giants.' But periodically, there are other emotionally charged, highly competitive, and intensely simmering clashes; often taking root between simultaneous contenders, bad-blooded division foes or closely situated fan bases sharing a mutual dislike. Over the last half-decade, that's what has slowly been built between the Dodgers and San Diego Padres. And in their first renewal of the season Monday night at Petco Park, the two clubs lived up to the ever-growing hype in an 8-7 extra-innings win for the Dodgers. 'Both teams are good. The fan bases are very adamant. Both environments have been hostile over the last several years,' Muncy said. 'It brings everything that a rivalry should bring.' Continue reading here Dodgers box score MLB scores MLB standings All Times Pacific NBA FINALS Oklahoma City vs. Indiana Indiana 111, at Oklahoma City 110 (box score, story)at Oklahoma City 123, Indiana 107 (box score, story)Wednesday at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABCFriday at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABCMonday at Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m., ABCThursday, June 19 at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABC*Sunday, June 22 at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m., ABC* *if necessary From Benjamin Royer: Ron Washington took a page out of the characterized version of himself from the 2011 film 'Moneyball' when asked about how difficult it would be to revive the Angels' sputtering offense. 'It's hard,' the Angels manager said Friday. 'It's very hard.' Finding ways to improve the Angels' productivity at the plate could prove even more daunting. They have the second-most strikeouts (622) and second-fewest walks (163) in MLB. Washington understands it's a problem, but acknowledges the solution isn't easily attainable. 'Adjustments is something in the game of baseball that's never ending, so we just got to keep making adjustments,' Washington said. 'That's it. If I knew, if anybody knew the adjustment to make to get an offense going, you would never see offense putter. That's baseball. You just got to keep adjusting, readjusting, adjusting, readjusting, adjusting, readjusting, adjusting, readjusting.' Continue reading here ———— Yusei Kikuchi took a one-hit shutout into the eighth inning and Jo Adell homered and drove in three runs to help the Angels beat the Athletics 7-4 on Monday night. Mike Trout had two RBIs for the Angels, who shook off the latest incredible catch by Athletics rookie Denzel Clarke in center field. Kikuchi (2-5) yielded just a one-out single to Max Muncy in the fifth and exited after striking out Nick Kurtz with his 104th pitch to begin the eighth. The left-hander struck out five and walked one in a brilliant outing. Continue reading here Angels box score MLB scores MLB standings From Anthony De Leon: With both teams in similar stages of growth and aiming to build lasting foundations, the Sparks and the Golden State Valkyries have shown just how slim the gap is between them. A margin so thin that in the third meeting of the season, it took overtime to declare a winner. The Valkyries have proven to be a real problem for the Sparks — offering far more fight than expected from a first-year franchise. And for the second straight meeting with the Valkyries, the Sparks couldn't keep up, losing 89-81 at Arena on Monday. In the end, it came down to fundamentals. After struggling with layups all night, the Valkyries converted two in a row — first from Veronica Burton, then from Kayla Thornton — to take an 82–79 lead in overtime. They built on that momentum, and with 37 seconds left, Thornton delivered the dagger: a three-pointer that sealed a hard-fought win. Continue reading here Sparks box score WNBA standings From Thuc Nhi Nguyen and Dakota Smith: Three years before the Olympics, LA28 organizers gave International Olympic Committee officials the kind of Games preview that even Hollywood's best scriptwriters couldn't plan. To begin a visit to check on LA28's planning progress, the IOC coordination commission attended a game at Dodger Stadium and watched Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off double in the 10th inning to defeat the New York Mets in the same stadium that will host Olympic baseball in three years. The electric celebration, passing grades for an advanced venue plan and a growing corporate sponsorship portfolio keeps LA28 on track approaching the three-year mark until the 2028 Olympics open in a dual-venue ceremony at SoFi Stadium and the Coliseum. 'We are really confident in the progress we've made,' LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman said after the coordination committee's three-day visit. 'We're focused on what we've always done to deliver the greatest Games we are capable of delivering in this city in the most fiscally responsible way that pays dividends for every member of our Olympic movement and our community.' Continue reading here All times Pacific STANLEY CUP FINAL Edmonton vs. Floridaat Edmonton 4, Florida 3 (OT) (summary, story)Florida 5, at Edmonton 4 (2 OT) (summary, story)Monday at Florida (summary, story)Thursday at Florida, 5 p.m., TNTSaturday at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNTTuesday at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT*Friday, June 20 at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNT* * If necessary 1890 — The Preakness Stakes is run outside Baltimore, at Morris Park in New York. The race is then suspended for three years, and resumes at the Brooklyn Jockey Club's Gravesend Course from 1894-1908. 1932 — Gene Sarazen leads wire-to-wire to win the British Open by five strokes ahead of Macdonald Smith at Prince's Golf Club in Sandwich, England. Sarazen finishes with a tournament record of 283. 1933 — Johnny Goodman wins the U.S. Open golf title, making him the last amateur to win this event. 1934 — Italy beats Czechoslovakia 2-1 in extra time to win the second FIFA World Cup at the Stadio Flaminio in Rome. Italy trailing 1-0, ties the game at the 80th minute. Angelo Schiavio scores the winning goal in extra time. 1944 — A rare triple dead heat occurs in the Carter Handicap at Aqueduct with Bossuet, Brownie and Wait a Bit crossing the finish line together. 1950 — Sixteen months after near-fatal car accident, Ben Hogan wins the U.S. Open. Hogan beats Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio in an 18-hole playoff at the Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa. 1968 — UEFA European Championship Final, Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy: Italy beats Yugoslavia, 2-0 in a replay (first game, 1-1). 1973 — Mary Mills shoots a 63 in the final round of the LPGA Championship to beat Betty Burfeindt by one stroke. 1977 — Al Geiberger sets a PGA Championship 18-hole record when he shoots a 59 in the Danny Thomas Classic. 1978 — Affirmed, ridden by Steve Cauthen, wins the Belmont Stakes to capture the Triple Crown in one of the greatest battles in racing history. Affirmed edges Alydar for the third time. 1989 — Wayne Gretzky of the Kings is named the NHL's MVP, winning the Hart Trophy for a record ninth time. 1995 — Trainer D. Wayne Lukas wins a record five straight Triple Crown races as Thunder Gulch takes the Belmont Stakes. Lukas is the first trainer to win the Triple Crown races with two different horses. Lukas' Timber Country won the Preakness. 1996 — Colorado's Patrick Roy makes 63 saves before Uwe Krupp scores 4:31 into the third overtime to give the Avalanche a 1-0 victory against the Florida Panthers at Miami Arena and complete a four-game sweep of the Stanley Cup Final. 2000 — Stanley Cup Final, Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX: New Jersey Devils defeat Dallas Stars, 2-1 in double OT for a 4-2 series victory. 2006 — In Atlantic City, N.J., Bernard Hopkins wins a unanimous decision over light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver, capping an 18-year career with an upset for the ages. 2010 — USC is placed on four years probation, receives a two-year bowl ban and a sharp loss of football scholarships. The NCAA cites USC for a lack of institutional control. The NCAA found that Reggie Bush, identified as a 'former football student-athlete,' was ineligible beginning at least by December 2004. The NCAA also orders USC to vacate every victory in which Bush participated while ineligible. USC loses 30 scholarships over a three-year period, 10 annually from 2011-13. 2012 — Shanshan Feng wins the LPGA Championship to become the first Chinese player to win an LPGA Tour title and a major event. 2018 — Rafael Nadal won a record-extending 11th championship at Roland Garros by beating Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Nadal became the second player in tennis history to win 11 singles titles at any Grand Slam tournament after Margaret Court, who claimed 11 Australian Open titles. 2018 — Kristen Gillman led a U.S. singles sweep in the biggest blowout in Curtis Cup history. Gillman, a 20-year-old University of Alabama star, beat 16-year-old Annabell Fuller 5 and 4 to cap a perfect weekend at Quaker Ridge in Scarsdale, N.Y. The Americans won 17-3, breaking the record for margin of victory of 11 set in a 14 1/2-3 1/2 victory at Denver Country Club in 1982. 2023 — UEFA Champions League Final, Ataturk Stadium, Istanbul: Manchester City beats Inter Milan, 1-0 to complete historic Champions League, Premier League & FA Cup trifecta. 1921 — Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees became baseball's career home run leader by hitting his 120th off Cleveland's Jim Bagby in the third inning. The Indians took the game 8-6. 1944 — Joe Nuxhall, at 15 years, 10 months and 11 days, became the youngest player in major league history when he pitched for the Cincinnati Reds in an 18-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. 1959 — Rocky Colavito of Cleveland hit four consecutive home runs at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium, a tough home run park. Billy Martin and Minnie Minoso also homered in the Indians' 11-8 victory. 1966 — Cleveland's Sonny Siebert threw the only no-hitter of the year as the Indians beat the Washington Senators 2-0. 1972 — Hank Aaron's grand slam pushed the Atlanta Braves to a 15-3 rout over the Philadelphia Phillies. It was Aaron's 649th home run, moving him ahead of Willie Mays into second place on the career home run list. It was also his 14th grand slam, tying Gil Hodges' NL record. 1997 — Kevin Brown threw a no-hitter and kept himself from a perfect game by hitting a batter in the eighth inning, leading the Florida Marlins over the San Francisco Giants 9-0. 2005 — Baltimore's 4-3 win over Cincinnati marked the first time that three 500-homer players appeared in the same game — the Orioles' Sammy Sosa (580) and Rafael Palmeiro (559), and the Reds' Ken Griffey, who hit a solo shot in the eighth inning for No. 511. 2006 — Reggie Sanders became the fifth player in major league history with 300 homers and 300 stolen bases when he hit a two-run shot in Kansas City's 9-5 loss to Tampa Bay. Sanders homered off Chad Harville in the ninth to reach the milestone joining Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Andre Dawson and Bobby Bonds. 2011 — Tony La Russa managed his 5,000th game when the St. Louis Cardinals lost to the Milwaukee Brewers 8-0. La Russa complied a 2,676-2,324 record with the White Sox, Athletics and Cardinals. Only Connie Mack managed more games with 7,755 over 53 years. 2012 — Frankie Vanderka threw a three-hitter, Travis Jankowski had four hits and Stony Brook completed an improbable run to the College World Series with a 7-2 victory over LSU in the deciding game of the Baton Rouge super regional. Stony Brook became only the second team to open the tournament as a No. 4 seed in the regional round and advance to the World Series. The first was Fresno State during its stunning 2008 run to a national title. 2019 — The Diamondbacks and Phillies play 'Home Run Derby' at Citizens Bank Park, in a 13-8 win by the D-Backs. Arizona opens the game with three straight homers off Jerad Eickhoff, by Jarrod Dyson, Ketel Marte and David Peralta, on their way to hitting 8 long balls. The Phillies reply with 5 of their own, including two by Scott Kingery, but it's not enough on a night when balls are flying out of the park right and left. Eduardo Escobar homers from different sides of the plate in consecutive innings for Arizona, and Ildemaro Vargas also homers twice. The combined 13 homers set a new major league record. The D-Backs had been the last team to open a game with three dingers, back on July 21, 2017. 2020 — Because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 Amateur draft is held virtually and limited to five rounds. Compiled by the Associated Press That concludes today's newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you'd like to see, email me at To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
New York Post
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Woeful White Sox have penguin throw out first pitch: ‘Can he start tomorrow?'
Perhaps the solution to the White Sox pitching woes is a little penguin named Pepe. Before Sunday's game against the Royals, Chicago trotted out Pepe to accompany Dr. Mike Adkesson, president and CEO of the Brookfield Zoo, for the ceremonial first pitch at Rate Field. Pepe waddled out to the mound from the dugout while Adkesson tossed in a strike. Advertisement A Humboldt penguin, the creature made his appearance in celebration of World Ocean Day, as an ambassador for ocean cleanliness and safety. The White Sox (22-44) could've used the penguin's services during the game, though, as they went on to lose 7-5. Advertisement 3 Pepe the penguin takes in the view from the pitcher's mound Sunday at Rate Field. AP Naturally, fans on social media had a field day with the adorable moment. 'Major upgrade for the White Sox pitching staff!' remarked one fan on X. 'Can he start tomorrow?' asked another. Advertisement 'Billy, this is Pepe. He's a penguin. He is one of the most undervalued birds in baseball. His defect is he can't fly,' cracked another, referencing the classic scene from Moneyball. 3 Pepe the penguin with Brookfield Zoo President and CEO Dr. Mike Adkesson and White Sox reporter Brooke Fletcher. @CHSN_WhiteSox/X 3 White Sox manager Will Venable in Sunday's 7-5 loss to the Royals. AP The White Sox have the ninth-worst team ERA in the majors with a 4.12, and the loss to Kansas City was a prime example of their woes on the mound — Chicago's bullpen gave up five runs in a brutal display. Advertisement Others couldn't help but poke fun at former NFL player Taylor Lewan, who went viral for his brutal first pitch at a Cardinals game last week. 'Nobody show this to @TaylorLewan77,' posted one fan on X, with dozens of others echoing a similar message. The White Sox will look to take inspiration from Pepe as they attempt to climb out of a 20 ½-game hole in the AL Central starting with a three-game series in Houston against the Astros beginning on Tuesday night.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Can the Angels' offense be saved? It probably (mostly) depends on Mike Trout
Angels star Mike Trout makes contact during a win over the Seattle Mariners on Friday. If Trout can stay healthy, will he turn around the struggling Angels offense? (Eric Thayer / Associated Press) Ron Washington took a page out of the characterized version of himself from the 2011 film 'Moneyball' when asked about how difficult it would be to revive the Angels' sputtering offense. 'It's hard,' the Angels manager said Friday. 'It's very hard.' Advertisement His response probably sounds familiar to "Moneyball" fans. In the film, the version of Washington, played by actor Brett Jennings, visits Scott Hatteberg — portrayed by Chris Pratt — at his home. Billy Beane — played by Brad Pitt — and Washington try to sell Hatteberg, a free-agent catcher with the yips, on playing first base. 'You don't know how to play first base,' Beane says. 'That's right,' Hatteberg replies. 'It's not that hard, Scott. Tell em, Wash,' Beane quips. 'It's incredibly hard,' Washington responds. Read more: Angels can't pull off sweep, striking out 18 times in loss to Mariners Advertisement Finding ways to improve the Angels' productivity at the plate could prove even more daunting. They have the second-most strikeouts (622) and second-fewest walks (163) in MLB. Washington understands it's a problem, but acknowledges the solution isn't easily attainable. 'Adjustments is something in the game of baseball that's never ending, so we just got to keep making adjustments,' Washington said. 'That's it. If I knew, if anybody knew the adjustment to make to get an offense going, you would never see offense putter. That's baseball. You just got to keep adjusting, readjusting, adjusting, readjusting, adjusting, readjusting, adjusting, readjusting.' The Angels held the third-worst batting average (.229) and fourth-worst on-base percentage (.301) in MLB a year ago. Three months into the 2025 season, they've regressed. The team's batting average stands at .225 heading into Monday and the team's on-base percentage is considerably lower over last year at .287. During the Angels' eight-game winning streak in May, it seemed as if hitting coach Johnny Washington — in his second year with the team — discovered something to help the offense click. They tallied a .291 batting average and averaged almost eight runs a game. Advertisement The Angels then lost five consecutive games and entered Monday having lost nine of their last 14. 'I think it's come down to guys just continuing the process with trying to simplify guys' approaches, keeping it with their strengths, giving these guys the best chance to succeed versus a given pitcher, and continue the game plan,' Johnny Washington said. 'Been doing it all year. There are some youth, but there's a ton of growth taking place. I know it hasn't been pretty at certain times, but it's a great group.' Angels manager Ron Washington talks to Chris Taylor during a win over the Mariners on Friday. (Eric Thayer / Associated Press) In their last two series against Boston and Seattle, there were encouraging signs on offense. The Angels scored five or more runs in four of the six games, and cut down on their strikeout totals, with seven or fewer strikeouts coming in four games. Advertisement Chris Taylor, who struggled at the plate since signing with the team on May 26, began making hard contact — going two for three in two of three games against the Mariners, homering for the first time this season on Saturday. Sunday, however, proved to be much different. In the Angels' 3-2 loss to the Mariners, the lineup struck out a season-high 18 times. 'I think it's kind of just like snapping out of it,' said first baseman Nolan Schanuel on Friday, a day after the Angels returned from a six-game trip in which they averaged more than five runs a game. 'We had a good stretch, got cold for a little bit, and snapped out of it and started to hit again.' Read more: Kyle Hendricks earns win No. 100 and Chris Taylor shines in Angels victory Advertisement Infielder Kevin Newman, who has a team-low .200 on-base percentage and a .186 batting average (minimum 50 at-bats) added: 'We're pretty streaky, probably more streaky than we'd like to be. We'd like to definitely find some consistency, especially here at home.' It's no coincidence that the Angels are finding a little more success at the plate with Mike Trout back in the lineup. Activated off the injured list on May 30, Trout has played as if he wasn't out for a month with a bone bruise in his knee. He hit .476 across six games against Cleveland and Boston and has gotten on base in nearly half of his at-bats this month (.429 on-base percentage). On June 2 against Boston, the 33-year-old carried the Angels to victory with a three-hit, three-RBI game — hitting his second home run since returning from injury. 'It's good to be able to at least hit and contribute,' Trout said, adding that his time on the injured list over the last two seasons had been frustrating. Advertisement Trout's impact isn't lost on teammate Taylor Ward. 'Having Mike back is — I mean, unbelievable, right,' Ward said. 'A guy that can carry the offense.' Taylor Ward, right, is congratulated by Mike Trout, left, after hitting a two-run home run against the Mariners on Sunday. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press) Schanuel said he has watched Trout's daily regimen closely since joining Angels two seasons ago. Ron Washington, who became the Angels' manager last year, said he has marveled at how the three-time MVP prepares and trains. But even he was surprised at how quickly Trout began to contribute coming off injury. 'He still does things that other people on the baseball field can't do,' Ron Washington said. 'No doubt about it. You can get a 70% Mike Trout and it'd be 100% of a lot of players in this league. So hey, I was surprised, but then again, I'm not — because we are talking about Mike Trout.' Advertisement Even with Trout back, the Angels still have room for improvement. Although he's hitting .241 with 14 home runs and 31 RBIs entering Monday, Logan O'Hoppe has walked just eight times, leading to a .273 on-base percentage. Luis Rengifo holds the second-lowest on-base percentage in the league at .242. Will Trout's return continue to rejuvenate the Angels' offense and help them close the 5½-game gap to the first-place Houston Astros in the AL West? Time will tell. 'One of the greatest players of our generation,' Johnny Washington said about Trout. 'He's been a huge help to our offensive group, to us as coaches and as well to the players" Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Can the Angels' offense be saved? It probably (mostly) depends on Mike Trout
Ron Washington took a page out of the characterized version of himself from the 2011 film 'Moneyball' when asked about how difficult it would be to revive the Angels' sputtering offense. 'It's hard,' the Angels manager said Friday. 'It's very hard.' His response probably sounds familiar to 'Moneyball' fans. In the film, the version of Washington, played by actor Brett Jennings, visits Scott Hatteberg — portrayed by Chris Pratt — at his home. Billy Beane — played by Brad Pitt — and Washington try to sell Hatteberg, a free-agent catcher with the yips, on playing first base. 'You don't know how to play first base,' Beane says. 'That's right,' Hatteberg replies. 'It's not that hard, Scott. Tell em, Wash,' Beane quips. 'It's incredibly hard,' Washington responds. Finding ways to improve the Angels' productivity at the plate could prove even more daunting. They have the second-most strikeouts (622) and second-fewest walks (163) in MLB. Washington understands it's a problem, but acknowledges the solution isn't easily attainable. 'Adjustments is something in the game of baseball that's never ending, so we just got to keep making adjustments,' Washington said. 'That's it. If I knew, if anybody knew the adjustment to make to get an offense going, you would never see offense putter. That's baseball. You just got to keep adjusting, readjusting, adjusting, readjusting, adjusting, readjusting, adjusting, readjusting.' The Angels held the third-worst batting average (.229) and fourth-worst on-base percentage (.301) in MLB a year ago. Three months into the 2025 season, they've regressed. The team's batting average stands at .225 heading into Monday and the team's on-base percentage is considerably lower over last year at .287. During the Angels' eight-game winning streak in May, it seemed as if hitting coach Johnny Washington — in his second year with the team — discovered something to help the offense click. They tallied a .291 batting average and averaged almost eight runs a game. The Angels then lost five consecutive games and entered Monday having lost nine of their last 14. 'I think it's come down to guys just continuing the process with trying to simplify guys' approaches, keeping it with their strengths, giving these guys the best chance to succeed versus a given pitcher, and continue the game plan,' Johnny Washington said. 'Been doing it all year. There are some youth, but there's a ton of growth taking place. I know it hasn't been pretty at certain times, but it's a great group.' In their last two series against Boston and Seattle, there were encouraging signs on offense. The Angels scored five or more runs in four of the six games, and cut down on their strikeout totals, with seven or fewer strikeouts coming in four games. Chris Taylor, who struggled at the plate since signing with the team on May 26, began making hard contact — going two for three in two of three games against the Mariners, homering for the first time this season on Saturday. Sunday, however, proved to be much different. In the Angels' 3-2 loss to the Mariners, the lineup struck out a season-high 18 times. 'I think it's kind of just like snapping out of it,' said first baseman Nolan Schanuel on Friday, a day after the Angels returned from a six-game trip in which they averaged more than five runs a game. 'We had a good stretch, got cold for a little bit, and snapped out of it and started to hit again.' Infielder Kevin Newman, who has a team-low .200 on-base percentage and a .186 batting average (minimum 50 at-bats) added: 'We're pretty streaky, probably more streaky than we'd like to be. We'd like to definitely find some consistency, especially here at home.' It's no coincidence that the Angels are finding a little more success at the plate with Mike Trout back in the lineup. Activated off the injured list on May 30, Trout has played as if he wasn't out for a month with a bone bruise in his knee. He hit .476 across six games against Cleveland and Boston and has gotten on base in nearly half of his at-bats this month (.429 on-base percentage). On June 2 against Boston, the 33-year-old carried the Angels to victory with a three-hit, three-RBI game — hitting his second home run since returning from injury. 'It's good to be able to at least hit and contribute,' Trout said, adding that his time on the injured list over the last two seasons had been frustrating. Trout's impact isn't lost on teammate Taylor Ward. 'Having Mike back is — I mean, unbelievable, right,' Ward said. 'A guy that can carry the offense.' Schanuel said he has watched Trout's daily regimen closely since joining Angels two seasons ago. Ron Washington, who became the Angels' manager last year, said he has marveled at how the three-time MVP prepares and trains. But even he was surprised at how quickly Trout began to contribute coming off injury. 'He still does things that other people on the baseball field can't do,' Ron Washington said. 'No doubt about it. You can get a 70% Mike Trout and it'd be 100% of a lot of players in this league. So hey, I was surprised, but then again, I'm not — because we are talking about Mike Trout.' Even with Trout back, the Angels still have room for improvement. Although he's hitting .241 with 14 home runs and 31 RBIs entering Monday, Logan O'Hoppe has walked just eight times, leading to a .273 on-base percentage. Luis Rengifo holds the second-lowest on-base percentage in the league at .242. Will Trout's return continue to rejuvenate the Angels' offense and help them close the 5½-game gap to the first-place Houston Astros in the AL West? Time will tell. 'One of the greatest players of our generation,' Johnny Washington said about Trout. 'He's been a huge help to our offensive group, to us as coaches and as well to the players'
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Brad Pitt fans have just days to watch 'best sports movie ever'
With a near-perfect 94 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes, this Brad Pitt starrer has often been hailed as one of the best sports movies of all time. Leaving Netflix on June 21, fans have just days to watch the film. With a smashing 94 per cent score on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, Brad Pitt's Moneyball is often regarded as one of the best sports movies of all time. Leaving Netflix on June 21, Moneyball is a 2011 biographical sports drama adapted for screen by Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian. It's based on Michael Lewis's 2003 book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. Directed by Bennett Miller, Moneyball sees Pitt joined by a stellar cast comprising Robin Wright, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Chris Pratt. Based on the life of Oakland Athletics' general manager Billy Beane (portrayed by Brad Pitt) and his use of unconventional data analytics to build a top-tier baseball team on a much more limited budget than others, this American sports drama delves into how Billy Beane challenged the traditional scouting methods and in turn, changed the sport forever. Moneyball received six Academy Awards nominations including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, along with bagging a Best Actor nomination for Brad Pitt and a Best Supporting Actor nod for Jonah Hill. The film was also a commercial success, grossing $110.2 million worldwide against a production budget of $50 million. Speaking to NPR about portraying Billy Beane on screen, Brad Pitt said: 'I like him for his idiosyncrasies — that he can't watch the games without getting too emotional, that he often has food down his shirt, that he tends to break a few chairs now and then. These things make him human.' Moneyball received high praise from critics, with one reviewer saying: 'Moneyball is a winner, one of the freshest and smartest sports movies in years.' While one critic felt Bennett Miller's offering was 'an accomplished, bracingly intelligent film that scores points on all fronts,' another called it 'an engaging, almost exotic film'. Praise for Brad Pitt in Moneyball ran abound, as one reviewer commented: 'Starring Brad Pitt in top movie star form, it's a film that's impressive and surprising,' while another said: 'It is Pitt who is in every way, the heart of the movie, his natural confidence and grace a lovely balance to the formulas with Greek letters and the endless statistics.' Another critic said of the film: 'It's to the director's credit, and Pitt's, that Moneyball is anything but bloodless — in its own quiet, unspectacular way, this movie courses with life,' while another added: 'This is a subtle, elegant and altogether triumphant film about a subject I thought I was tired of, told with an artistry and freshness that is positively thrilling.' Audiences were left as taken with the Brad Pitt spectacle, with one viewer saying: 'All Time Classic. Acting is excellent. Everyone gives really good performances but Brad Pitt is excellent and just sends it over the top with an interesting character to boot. The music also is excellent as well in a really unique way.' Another viewer called it a 'brilliant, inspirational film. A testament to the romanticism and amazingness of baseball. A great depiction of the Oakland Athletics miracle season. Fantastic acting. The best sports movie I have ever seen.' While one viewer felt they couldn't understand 'how anyone doesn't like this', writing: 'I've watched it 100+ times, it's my top 3 movies of all time. So many amazing scenes and subtle acting mastery. I love this movie.' And one fan of the film said: 'It doesn't matter if you don't care much for baseball, you'll love it. Bennett writes and directs this flawlessly and puts together a great cast. Which of course ends up in a perfect film. One of, if not Brad's best performance yet.'
