Sports
The Dodgers Just Bought Another World Series Contender—And They're Not Apologizing
Complaints that the deep pockets of the Los Angeles Dodgers are ruining the competitive balance of baseball have been heard and considered by World Series champions.
They are not apologizing.
“Our ownership group has been incredibly supportive of continuing to put back into our fans, who have done nothing but support us and come out and see us,” general manager Brandon Gomes said at the team’s most recent press conference, this one to announce the signing of top reliever Tanner Scott.
“So we’re solely focused on ‘How do we make our team better?’ and give back to the fans who have nothing but come out to see us.”
The Dodgers’ goal of making a very good roster even better comes from the desire to consistently be able to finish off what they start.
Before 2024, the Dodgers had made 11 consecutive playoff appearances, with 10 National League West titles in that stretch.
And the only championship in that run came in a pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
Anybody with a disdain for the Dodgers, especially anybody in San Francisco, was quick to dismiss the achievement. Some Dodgers’ personnel even referenced that dismissive attitude during last Fall’s title run.
“I’m sure there’s no asterisk on this one,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the current title was secured.
But the Dodgers aren’t spending again this winter out of spite. Key to their goal of adding as much talent as possible, even as payroll continues to increase, is that playing a 162-game season and then surviving the frenzied nature of the playoffs is daunting.
In previous playoff runs, Dodgers pitching seemed to be running on fumes, either from injury or the wear and tear of the regular season.
That issue even was present in the 2024 postseason, when the Dodgers had just three healthy starters, and one of them, Walker Buehler, was a question mark after a two-year layoff for a second Tommy John surgery.
The Dodgers cobbled together bullpen games in the playoffs to get the job done, and anybody who thought it was the team’s plan all along, or that it established some kind of legitimate strategy going forward, had not been paying attention to the team’s postseason plight over the past decade.
So the Dodgers added two of the biggest prizes in the offseason. Two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell came aboard on a five-year, $182 million deal, and Roki Sasaki was acquired on a $6.5 million signing bonus, with team-control salaries for his first three seasons.
There were other additions like Scott’s four-year, $72 million deal, shortstop Hyeseong Kim’s three-year, $12.5 million pact, right-hander Kirby Yates’ one-year, $13 million deal, and a one-year, $17 million contract for outfielder Michael Conforto. Outfielder Teoscar Hernandez re-signed for three years and $66 million.
Yet the most anticipated of all for 2025 will be Shohei Ohtani’s return to the mound.
With Tyler Glasnow’s return from an elbow strain, Tony Gonsolin’s comeback from Tommy John surgery, and Clayton Kershaw’s desire for at least one more summer in the L.A. sun, the starting staff is stacked. There are even expected contributions from Landon Knack, Dustin May and Justin Wrobleski.
The Dodgers know that a good thing can turn in an instant. Young starters like Gavin Stone, Emmit Sheehan and River Ryan all contributed last season, and all three will be out for 2025 with injuries. Buehler departed in free agency. Half-season rental Jack Flaherty is set to leave in free agency as well.
“… Right now we’re 3-to-1 against to win the World Series,” Dodgers team president Stan Kasten said last week. “That’s 70, 75 percent likely that someone else will win the World Series. So obviously (Dodgers spending) hasn’t damaged the game competitively.”
While that percentage is true, according to implied probability, the odds for a championship favorite don’t get much smaller than 3-to-1. It sets up the Dodgers as both a huge title favorite and a massive antagonist outside of L.A.
Nobody is expected to draw more fans in the upcoming season, either at home or on the road. It means competitive nature will be as big as ever in 2025.
Sports
Marlins aim to remain hot in visit to Phillies
Jun 14, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Miami Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez (6) hits a single against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the eighth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images The Miami Marlins are crossing Pennsylvania with some momentum as they open a three-game road set against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday.
Miami is coming off a series victory in Pittsburgh, highlighted by a 4-2 win over ace right-hander Paul Skenes and the Pirates on Sunday. The Marlins rode a strong start from Max Meyer (one run in six innings) and second-inning homers from Heriberto Hernandez and Joe Mack to their seventh win in eight games.
“A couple All-Stars potentially going at it today,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said of Meyer, who improved to 7-0, facing the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner. “You go into it facing someone that’s as tough as Paul Skenes is, (knowing) that runs are going to be at a premium, and it was nice for us to get a couple early. … It’s showing that (Meyer) can go up against anyone, and in a game where it’s probably going to be low scoring, (that he’s going) to be able to go match zeros against a premium arm.”
Miami will be facing another premium arm Monday in Zack Wheeler (5-1, 2.22 ERA), who has allowed more than three runs in a start only once this season. He held the host Toronto Blue Jays to one run over six innings Tuesday in an eventual 3-2 defeat.
“It wasn’t the best, wasn’t the sharpest,” Wheeler said. “Velocity was down just a tick. You take those games and throw them out right away and move on.”
Wheeler is 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA against the Marlins in 27 starts in his career. He has faced them once this season, holding Miami to one run and three hits over six innings in a 6-5 win on May 1.
The veteran right-hander will be opposed by Ryan Gusto (0-1, 6.00), who will be making his fifth appearance and third start of the season. The second-year righty will be facing the Phillies for the first time in his career.
In his last start, Gusto gave the Marlins four scoreless innings in an 8-0 home victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“I’m just trying to do my job,” Gusto said. “Obviously, I want to be in the mix as much as possible, but I have to earn that spot, and so it’s not up for me to decide. I just have to do my job every chance that I get, and hope that things work out.”
The Phillies enter this matchup on the heels of a series defeat in Milwaukee, where the Brewers shut out Philadelphia twice in the three-game set. In Sunday’s 4-0 setback, Cristopher Sanchez suffered his first loss since April 18 while the Phillies’ bats managed only four singles on the day.
“Everything was off today, especially my energy,” Sanchez said. “It wasn’t like it usually is. Not to use that as an excuse. Just got to go out there on days like this and try to battle.”
Monday’s matchup is the fifth of 13 meetings between the teams this season. The Phillies won three of four in Miami in early May.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Can Royals slow down Nationals, red-hot James Wood?
Jun 13, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals right fielder James Wood (29) reacts in the dugout after scoring a run against the Seattle Mariners during the fifth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images James Wood looks to continue his hot streak when the Washington Nationals open a three-game series against the visiting Kansas City Royals on Monday.
Wood finished a triple short of the cycle, drove in two runs and scored twice as the Nationals beat the visiting Seattle Mariners 10-1 on Sunday in the rubber game of that series.
Kansas City, meanwhile, snapped a four-game losing skid with a 4-0 home win against the Houston Astros.
The 23-year-old Wood is 11-for-25 (.440) during a six-game hitting streak with three home runs, six RBIs and three stolen bases. He hit his fifth leadoff homer of the season on Sunday and his 20th overall.
“Saw a couple of fastballs early and was able to lay off a curveball with two strikes,” Wood said. “Was able to get a slider up and put a barrel on it.”
Wood is the only player in the majors with 20 homers and 10 stolen bases. He is tied for fourth in home runs (20), and sits fourth in walks (58), fourth in on-base percentage (.414) and fifth in OPS (.972).
Trying to cool off Wood on Monday will be Royals right-hander Mitch Spence (0-0, 13.50 ERA), who is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Omaha and be opposed by left-hander Andrew Alvarez (1-0, 3.70).
Spence, 28, made his only 2026 appearance on April 18 when he gave up six runs in four innings against the New York Yankees. He picked up a relief win despite allowing two runs in 1 2/3 innings in his only appearance against the Nationals in April 2024.
After five relief appearances, Alvarez’s last two outings have been starts. In San Francisco last Tuesday, he gave up two runs on five hits and five walks in four innings, receiving a no-decision in a 6-3 win over the Giants.
Alvarez, who turned 27 on Saturday, has never faced the Royals.
Wood was not the only Nationals player to do damage on Sunday. Keibert Ruiz had three hits including a home run, Jacob Young hit two doubles, and the team collected 14 hits.
“Our lineup one through nine today, I thought, did a really good job of contributing,” manager Blake Butera said. “Just kept passing the bat back to the next guy. The base running was really good. We put a ton of pressure on them defensively. It was a lot of fun to be a part of.”
Playing on his 26th birthday, Royals All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. had two hits, stole two bases, scored a run and made a diving catch as Kansas City ended a 2-4 homestand on a positive note.
Maikel Garcia had three RBIs and starter Stephen Kolek pitched 7 1/3 innings.
“We’ve lost these games recently and that’s been really frustrating, but these guys are competing their butts off,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “Every one of these games on this homestand was a tough game one way or the other.
The news off the field was bad as first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino had surgery to repair the hamate bone in his right hand and will be out four to six weeks.
“I just told (Pasquantino) I was frustrated for him, especially because he’s got himself going,” Quatraro said. “It stinks because I know how hard he’s worked to get back and be productive. He’s gone through injuries before and it can be a real grind.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jalen Brunson's 45 points carry Knicks past Spurs for 1st NBA title since 1973
Jun 13, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives to the basket past San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) during game five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Pool Photo via Imagn Images SAN ANTONIO — Jalen Brunson set a franchise NBA Finals record with 45 points and nearly single-handedly ended the 53-year NBA title drought as the New York Knicks recorded a 94-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night.
Brunson scored 29 points in the second half of Game 5 as New York overcame a 15-point third-quarter deficit to win its first NBA championship since 1973. The Knicks won four of the five games in the best-of-seven series.
The Knicks also trailed by 16 points in the second quarter, one game after they rallied from 29 down to beat the Spurs in Game 4 on Wednesday in New York.
Brunson made four 3-pointers while posting his fourth outing of 30 or more points in the series en route to being selecting the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.
Brunson broke the team record of 38 points set by Hall of Famer Willis Reed in Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Mikal Bridges scored 14 points and Josh Hart registered 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Knicks. OG Anunoby had 11 points and Karl-Anthony Towns collected 10 rebounds before fouling out. Mitchell Robinson also grabbed 10 boards.
Dylan Harper scored 25 points and Victor Wembanyama added 19 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots for San Antonio. Julian Champagnie had 14 points and Devin Vassell added 12.
New York trailed by 10 with under eight minutes to play before Brunson took over with 10 straight points to tie the score at 83 with 4:48 left. Brunson shredded the San Antonio defense by driving for three layups during the spurt.
Vassell knocked down a 17-foot jumper to put San Antonio back ahead at 85-83 with 4:14 left. Brunson then was fouled shooting a 3-pointer 34 seconds later and made all three free throws to give the Knicks a one-point edge.
A short time later, Harper’s basket tied the score at 88 with 1:16 left. But Brunson once again navigated through the defense and made a floater with 1:05 left.
Hart and Anunoby each split two free throws as New York led by four with 21.6 seconds remaining.
Wembanyana missed a 3-pointer on San Antonio’s next possession, but Stephon Castle’s putback dunk brought the Spurs within 92-90 with 16.3 seconds left.
Bridges split two free throws with 8.8 seconds left to give New York a three-point lead before Harper missed two free throws with 8.5 seconds to go.
Anunoby split two free throws with 7.7 seconds left to close it out.
The Knicks made just 35.6% of their shots (31 of 87), including 12 of 37 from 3-point range.
San Antonio connected on 38.4% of its attempts (33 of 86) and also was 12 of 37 from behind the arc.
Vassell and Harper connected on back-to-back 3-pointers and Harper followed with three more points during a 9-0 run to give San Antonio a 68-53 lead with 3:11 left in the third quarter.
A short time later, Hart buried a 3-pointer and Brunson knocked down three free throws after being fouled shooting a trey to start a quarter-ending 10-2 burst. Robinson’s late tip-in brought the Knicks within 72-65 entering the fourth quarter.
Both teams were shaky offensively during a first half that concluded with San Antonio holding a 42-37 lead at the break. New York trailed 31-15 with 8:29 remaining in the half.
–Field Level Media
Marlins aim to remain hot in visit to Phillies
Startup CEO Charlie Javice is reportedly angling for a Trump pardon
