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
Randy Vasquez, Padres hand Rockies 1-0 home defeat
Apr 21, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Randy Vasquez (98) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Randy Vasquez pitched seven shutout innings and allowed just three hits for the San Diego Padres, who squeaked out a rare 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday in Denver.
It marked just the fourth time in Rockies history they lost a 1-0 game at Coors Field. The other three instances happened in 2006, with the Milwaukee Brewers last beating Colorado by that score on Aug. 1, 2006.
Vasquez (2-0) struck out five without issuing a walk. The right-hander outdueled Chase Dollander, who threw six strong innings but had a lapse of wildness in the sixth that sent the Rockies their second straight defeat.
Dollander, who came in the second after Rockies opener Jimmy Herget struck out the side in the first, allowed a one-out double to Jake Cronenworth. After Ramon Laureano struck out, Fernando Tatis hit a ground-ball single that hit off Rockies third baseman Kyle Karros to put runners at the corners.
Dollander then hit Jackson Merrill with a pitch to load the bases, and he walked Manny Machado to force home Cronenworth.
The Rockies right-hander allowed just three hits and a walk while plunking two Padres. He struck nine, tying a career high he set last Thursday in Houston.
Tatis finished 2-for-4 and was the only hitter for either team with multiple hits. The squads combined for just nine hits.
Hunter Goodman singled off Vasquez to lead off the Rockies’ fourth, but he was the last baserunner the Padres starter allowed. Vasquez retired the last 12 batters he faced, and Jason Adam pitched a perfect eighth in relief with a strikeout.
Padres closer Mason Miller, who pitched in three of the Padres’ previous four games, stayed in the bullpen Tuesday as Adrian Morejon pitched the ninth. Morejon struck out Edouard Julien and Mickey Moniak to start the inning before Goodman flied out to center, giving the left-hander his first save of the season.
Colorado lost despite striking out 15 Padres. The last time San Diego won despite striking out that many times took place on July 23, 2022, when the Padres won 2-1 on the road against the New York Mets.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Victor Wembanyama sustains concussion in Spurs' Game 2 loss
Apr 21, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) drives to the basket past San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) during the first half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images San Antonio star center Victor Wembanyama was concussed during Game 2 of the Spurs’ first-round playoff series with the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, his coach confirmed following the contest.
“I just know he has a concussion and he’s in the protocol and we’ll obviously take the proper and appropriate steps,” San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson said. “You know, it’s tough. That protocol is the protocol, so we’ll just follow it, as everyone else does, and plan accordingly.”
Wembanyama was forced from Game 2 after hitting his face on the floor early in the second quarter. The Spurs later announced that Wembanyama had entered concussion protocol and would not return to the game before it was confirmed after the contest — a 106-103 Blazers win that leveled the series — that a concussion had been sustained.
Wembanyama hit his face on the floor at near-full speed after being knocked off his feet during a drive to the basket at the 8:57 mark of the second period, with the contact leaving him dazed enough to struggle standing up before jogging off the floor to the locker room.
San Antonio trailed 34-32 at the time, and Wembanyama had amassed five points, four rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot in 11:41 of court time when he was injured. The game was tied 57-57 by halftime.
The Spurs have had plenty of success without their star this season. Wembanyama missed 18 games this season with various injuries, with San Antonio going 12-6 in those games.
However, Wembanyama’s absence for Game 3 and potentially beyond would loom large in a series that suddenly swung to Portland’s advantage after the Blazers wrested away the home-court edge on Tuesday.
Wembanyama is scheduled to receive further testing on Wednesday but must remain inactive for a minimum of 24 hours and can’t resume full participation before 48 hours, per NBA concussion guidelines.
The teams won’t play again until Friday, when Game 3 will be contested in Portland.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lenyn Sosa's late clutch hit lifts Jays over skidding Angels
Apr 21, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) beats the tag of Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe (14) to score during the eighth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Pinch hitter Lenyn Sosa drilled a tiebreaking two-run double during a three-run eighth inning to propel the Toronto Blue Jays to a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night at Anaheim, Calif.
Eloy Jimenez had two RBIs and Vladimir Guerrero scored twice for the Blue Jays, who defeated the Angels for the second straight night and matched their season best of three straight wins.
Ernie Clement and Daulton Varsho had two hits apiece for Toronto. Louie Varland entered to induce a game-ending double play with the bases loaded for his first career save.
Oswald Peraza had two hits and a run for the Angels, who had just five hits overall. Los Angeles has scored just six runs during a season-worst four-game losing streak.
Clement’s one-out double inside the left field line got the decisive uprising going against Drew Pomeranz (0-2) in the eighth. Guerrero was walked intentionally and Sosa came up and ripped a 1-1 fastball off the wall in right to give Toronto a 3-1 lead.
Jimenez followed with a ground single through the right side to score Clement.
Mason Fluharty (1-0) retired the final two batters of the seventh and Tyler Rogers worked a perfect eighth for Toronto.
Struggling closer Jeff Hoffman started the ninth and created a jam. He struck out Zach Neto to start the inning before allowing Mike Trout’s single to left and plunking Jo Adell on the right hand and Jorge Soler on the left elbow to load the bases.
Yoan Moncada then pinch-hit for Peraza and hit an RBI single to right to bring the Angels within 4-2 and end Hoffman’s night. Varland entered and got Nolan Schanuel to hit his first pitch on the ground to Toronto second baseman Clement, who began to turn the decisive double play with shortstop Andres Gimenez’s throw to first narrowly beating the diving Schanuel.
Toronto starter Patrick Corbin allowed one run and two hits over five innings. He struck out three and walked two.
Los Angeles starter Jack Kochanowicz gave up one run and five hits over 5 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out one.
The Angels moved ahead in the fifth when Peraza and Schanuel hit one-out singles and Vaughn Grissom followed with a sacrifice fly to score Peraza.
Toronto had a similar frame in the sixth when Guerrero and Jesus Sanchez had consecutive one-out singles and Jimenez plated Guerrero with a sacrifice fly.
–Field Level Media
Randy Vasquez, Padres hand Rockies 1-0 home defeat
Victor Wembanyama sustains concussion in Spurs' Game 2 loss
