Sports
Dodgers visit White House, give World Series ring to President Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump displays a World Series ring during a reception for the reigning Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the Rose Garden at the White House, Washington, D.C., U.S., July 23, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst For the second year in a row, the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated a World Series championship with a visit to the White House on Thursday in Washington.
“I’m thrilled to say welcome back to the White House,” President Donald Trump said in a Rose Garden gathering, adding, “and maybe I’ll see you again next year.”
Dodgers owner Mark Walter gave the president a Trump No. 47 Dodgers jersey and a World Series championship ring.
“Do I have to report this?” Trump asked about the ring while pocketing it.
Walter replied, “It’s got your name on it.”
A few of the Dodgers were not in attendance.
Mookie Betts told reporters that his decision to skip the event wasn’t politically motivated, but that he wanted to spend the team’s off day with his family.
Enrique Hernandez, a critic of Trump’s immigration policies, was absent. Will Smith, who is out injured, as is Hernandez, also didn’t attend.
Clayton Kershaw, who retired after helping the Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series, was present at the White House in his role as a special assistant to the team.
Trump recounted numerous moments in the Dodgers’ latest title run.
Citing his friendship with late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, Trump said, “He would do anything to win, but you’re doing the same thing. It’s amazing.”
Referencing two-way Los Angeles star Shohei Ohtani, the president said, “He’s amazing. He’s amazing. Everybody loves him. Last year, Shohei did what was previously unthinkable. Nobody thought it was possible. He collected his third straight unanimous league MVP with a franchise-record 55 home runs. And if you would have told me you can be the best pitcher and the best hitter at the same time, you know, Babe Ruth was pretty close to that.”
Trump called Los Angeles’ Dave Roberts “a helluva manager.”
Roberts said during the ceremony, “We did something that hasn’t been done in … years, going back-to-back (as) World Series champions. And we are going for a three-peat.”
Earlier in the day, Roberts and players Will Klein and Miguel Rojas were among a Dodgers contingent that visited lawmakers at the Capitol.
The Dodgers completed a series in Philadelphia on Wednesday, and they open a set in New York against the Mets on Friday. Los Angeles owns the best record in the major leagues, 65-38 (.631), and leads the National League West by 11 games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Galaxy, Quakes aim for first win since break in California Clasico
Jul 22, 2026; Carson, California, USA; LA Galaxy midfield Troy Elgersma (76) celebrates after scoring a goal against St. Louis CITY SC during the second half at Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Griffin Hooper-Imagn Images The San Jose Earthquakes and Los Angeles Galaxy will be out to solve their post World Cup-break issues when they meet Saturday for the 105th California Clasico at Stanford, Calif.
It is the third consecutive season, and the 13th time overall, the Earthquakes (10-4-2, 32 points) will play host to the Galaxy (5-7-5, 20 points) at the larger Stanford Stadium instead of their regular home in San Jose.
San Jose, led by Preston Judd (11 goals), holds second place in the Western Conference but was crushed 4-0 at home by Orlando City on Wednesday following the two-month break.
The Earthquakes gave up a goal early in each half and allowed two goals off set pieces, including one on an unmarked header in the seventh minute.
“The start of the game hurt us,” San Jose coach Bruce Arena said. “Conceding the first goal in the manner in which we did, was disappointing. I don’t think we had given up a goal off a defensive restart in the first 15 games of the season, and we gave up two. We played poorly. No excuses.”
The defeat came in the Earthquakes debut of goalkeeper Angus Gunn, who started for Scotland in the World Cup.
The Galaxy were outscored 6-1 in a pair of home defeats after the break. They dropped below the playoff line with a 3-1 loss to St. Louis City on Wednesday after they were reduced to 10 men on a red card for Emiro Garces.
The lone LA goal came from Troy Elgersma, a 22-year-old forward who was playing for USL League Two side Ventura County earlier this season. It was Elgersma’s first career MLS goal.
It was a rare recent moment to savor for a club that continues to be without forward Joao Klauss (foot), while playmaking midfielder Gabriel Pec departed during the break in a transfer to Cruzeiro in Brazil.
“Yeah, got to keep battling,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “We’re going to be down to maybe 11 guys that are on our 20-man roster for (Saturday’s) game between guys who might be out with injuries, suspension (or are) not here. … (Wednesday) we were at 14.”
This week, the Galaxy signed Japanese forward Kyogo Furuhashi, a former Golden Boot winner in Scotland in 2022-23, but visa issues could delay his debut.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rays pound out 15 hits in win over Guardians
Jul 24, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays catcher Nick Fortes (40) hits a RBI single in the fourth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images Ryan Vilade hit a two-run homer and Richie Palacios added a three-run blast as the Tampa Bay Rays opened a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians with an 11-3 win on Friday in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Shane McClanahan (9-6) allowed one run on two hits over five innings. He walked two and struck out three while throwing 71 pitches. Chris Roycroft closed the game with three scoreless innings for his first career save.
Nick Fortes went 4-for-4 with two RBIs, and Jonny DeLuca and Chandler Simpson each had two hits with an RBI for Tampa Bay, which led 5-1 after four innings and won for the fourth time in its last five games. Cedric Mullins added two hits.
Austin Hedges hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning for Cleveland, which was outhit 15-7 and lost its third straight.
Vilade gave the Rays the lead in the second inning with a two-run homer against Joey Cantillo (8-6). The 365-foot shot was Vilade’s eighth homer of the season.
McClanahan did not allow a hit until the fourth inning, when Chase DeLauter extended his season-high on-base streak to 16 games with a leadoff double and scored on Brayan Rocchio’s one-out double.
Tampa Bay extended its lead with three runs on four hits in the fourth inning. Mullins began the rally with a leadoff triple and scored on DeLuca’s single.
After Simpson reached on a bunt single, Vilade walked and DeLuca scored on Ben Williamson’s fielder’s choice grounder to first baseman Rhys Hoskins.
Fortes followed with an RBI single before Cantillo struck out the next two batters. Matt Festa entered and stranded the bases loaded when Junior Caminero popped out.
Cantillo allowed five runs on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out four.
With two runners on and two outs in the sixth inning, the Rays tacked on a run when Fortes raced home from second base on Caminero’s single to left field.
The Rays scored again with two outs in the seventh on back-to-back doubles by Williamson and Fortes. Tampa Bay added four runs in the eighth on Simpson’s sacrifice fly and Palacios’ three-run homer to right-center.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Roki Sasaki fires 7 strong innings as Dodgers down Mets
Jul 24, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) follows through on a double against the New York Mets during the fifth inning at Citi Field. Ohtani was thrown out at third base attempting to stretch the double into a triple. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Roki Sasaki struck out nine and allowed just one run over seven innings, earning his first win in two months as the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Mets 4-2 on Friday.
Kyle Tucker went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer in the eighth that gave the Dodgers some breathing room. Freddie Freeman finished 3-for-4, scoring twice, and Shohei Ohtani (2-for-4) hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh that put Los Angeles on top for the first time.
Luis Robert Jr. hit a solo homer off Sasaki (4-5) in the second inning for the Mets, who collected only four hits. Francisco Alvarez added a solo shot off Evan Phillips in the eighth.
Los Angeles’ Tanner Scott pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 16th save.
Most of the game was a pitchers’ duel between two starters with ERAs higher than 4.70. Sasaki matched his season high by going seven innings for the third time. The right-hander’s nine strikeouts were his second-highest total in 2026.
Sasaki permitted three hits, walked two and retired the last nine batters he faced.
Sasaki needed to be sharp as Sean Manaea gave up just a run over six innings while fanning three. The Dodgers got leadoff hits in five of those innings, but the Mets left-hander, who allowed six hits and two walks, benefited from a couple big throws by Carson Benge.
The Mets right fielder cut down Ohtani trying to extend a leadoff double into a triple in the fifth. An inning later, after catching a Miguel Rojas fly ball, he got Freeman on a one-hop throw to the plate to secure an inning-ending double play.
Los Angeles took the lead with some soft contact off Brooks Raley (4-5), who took over for Manaea in the seventh. Tucker led off with an infield single and took third on a bloop hit by Teoscar Hernandez (2-for-4).
Dalton Rushing tried a safety squeeze, but the Mets caught Tucker in a rundown. Tucker avoided being tagged long enough to let Hernandez and Rushing take second and third, respectively, allowing Ohtani to give the Dodgers the lead with his subsequent fly ball to center.
New York’s Juan Soto left in the sixth inning because of a sore left calf, the same issue that prompted the Mets to give him the day off Wednesday. After the game, the team announced that Soto would undergo imaging Saturday on his calf.
–Field Level Media
Galaxy, Quakes aim for first win since break in California Clasico
Rays pound out 15 hits in win over Guardians
