Luis Valbuena hit a tiebreaking solo home run in the seventh inning, Mike Trout and Andrelton Simmons also homered and the Angels beat the Boston Red Sox 3-2 on Sunday. Valbuena hit his ninth shot of the season into short right field to leadoff the inning, rounding out a trio of solo homers for the Angels. Parker Bridwell (4-1) gave up two runs on five hits in seven innings. Bud Norris earned his 15th save while only giving up a single to Hanley Ramirez to start the ninth. Xander Bogaerts hit into a double play to end the game. Rick Porcello (4-13) allowed three runs in eight innings, his 18th consecutive start where he threw at least 6 innings. He struck out six and walked one. Ramirez homered to left field with two outs in the top of the sixth that gave Boston a 2-1 lead. Trout promptly answered with a massive shot to center. It was Trout's third home run in five games and his fifth RBI of the eight-game homestand. Bridwell retired the first 10 batters he faced and 14 of … [Read more...]

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw left his start on Sunday because of tightness on the right side of his lower back, opening a vein of concern as his team marches toward a fifth consecutive National League West title. Kershaw departed after two innings against Atlanta. He missed six weeks in 2016 after herniating a disk in his lower back. The Dodgers did not provide any information besides the diagnosis of tightness. Kershaw will likely require a battery of tests to determine if he sustained further damage to his back. The Dodgers had given Kershaw nine days off before his start last week against the White Sox. Kershaw had not made public any issues with his back before Sunday. Kershaw (15-2, 2.04 earned-run average) raced through the first inning in eight pitches. His fastball clocked in at 93 mph. He looked less comfortable in the second. He secured two outs before facing Atlanta catcher Tyler Flowers. Kershaw fell behind in the count when he spiked a curveball in the dirt and missed low … [Read more...]

Enlarge this image Jordan Spieth celebrates on the 18th green after his final round 69 to win the 2017 Open Golf Championship at Royal Birkdale golf course in England on July 23, 2017. Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images Jordan Spieth celebrates on the 18th green after his final round 69 to win the 2017 Open Golf Championship at Royal Birkdale golf course in England on July 23, 2017. Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images Golf's oldest major championship has a 2017 winner: Jordan Spieth, an American. A dramatic final round capped the tournament, with Spieth vying with fellow … [Read more...]

Whether it’s juiced baseballs or an increase in launch angles or hitters taking more of an all-or-nothing approach at the plate, players are hitting home runs and striking out at a record pace this season.The 1,101 homers hit in June were the most in any calendar month in major-league history and 32 more than the previous high of 1,069 homers hit in May 2000, the peak of baseball’s so-called “steroid era.” The 1,060 homers hit this May are the third-most in any month.Of the 25,382 hits this season through Saturday’s games, 3,657 of them, or 14.4%, were home runs, the highest rate in baseball history.Strikeouts are also on the rise, with players whiffing 21.6% of the time this season, according to Fangraphs. The strikeout rate of 21.1% in 2016 was the highest ever recorded and marked the third straight season it has topped 20%. Which brings us to the curious case of Mookie Betts, the Boston Red Sox right fielder who is something of an anomaly in … [Read more...]

Dave Roberts left his office Sunday morning to see an unexpected sight. Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez was in the midst of a particularly vigorous round of batting practice at Dodger Stadium. It was the first time he had taken the field since being placed on the disabled list on June 13 because of the herniated disk in his back.“I was actually surprised at the effort he exerted,” Roberts said before his team’s series finale against the Braves. “He hit some balls out of the ballpark, and he said he feels good. I think for him to get on the field and take batting practice is a good thing.”Gonzalez could start a rehabilitation assignment later this week. Roberts suggested that how Gonzalez felt on Monday, after a day’s worth of exertion, was more important.“He wants to show us that he’s closer than we think,” Roberts said. “That’s good. That’s what you want from a player.” The Dodgers do not … [Read more...]

Katie Ledecky is off to a golden start at the world championships. Make it a double. The 20-year-old American star began an audacious week by winning a pair of gold medals Sunday on the opening night of swimming along the Danube River. She cruised to a dominating victory in the 400-meter freestyle and put the U.S. ahead to stay in the 4x100 free relay. Anchored by Nathan Adrian, the American men also won gold in the 4x100 free. “It was a good first night for Team USA,” Ledecky said. “I'm happy with my two swims and how it all went.” The only blip of a disappointment: Ledecky didn't break the 400 free world record she set last summer at Rio de Janeiro. That merely demonstrates what a high standard she's set. For the most part, her only competitor is the clock. “It's my second-best time,” Ledecky said. “There's no disappointment. It's a world championship gold medal and there's nothing to complain about there.” … [Read more...]

Lowriders and other car lovers have turned out in force this summer for cruising events on Whittier Boulevard in East L.A., a reminder of decades past when cars would congregate and traverse the boulevard.But history appears to be repeating itself — with officials looking once again to enforce cruise control.Last month, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion, introduced by Supervisor Hilda Solis, to look into enforcement for non-permitted cruising events.Solis said upward of 2,000 cars have turned out for cruising events, disrupting bus service and shutting down Whittier Boulevard and surrounding streets, despite a 1997 ordinance that prohibits such events. “I understand that there are people who like to do that, I get it. But there are venues to do that where it’s safe and people don’t get hurt and everything can be monitored,” Solis said. “I’m responsible for the safety of the residents, and I don’t see … [Read more...]

Gerald Madkins, who spent the last five seasons working as an executive in the Clippers’ front office, has taken a job with the New York Knicks to become the team’s assistant general manager, said NBA officials who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.Madkins joins newly promoted President Steven Mills and just-hired General Manager Scott Perry to form a top-notch league front office with the Knicks, making them the most prominent African American trio in the NBA.Madkins and Perry have a history, the two of them having worked in the front office with the Seattle SuperSonics. Madkins was the director of West Coast scouting.With his contract having expired with the Clippers in June, Madkins was sought by several teams, including the Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings. But he chose the Knicks because of his relationship with Perry.Madkins began his career as a front-office executive with the Knicks. He was a scout with the Knicks for four … [Read more...]

O.J. Simpson told a Nevada parole board last week that he’s led a “conflict-free life.”But that statement has sparked outrage from many, including the father of Ron Goldman, whom Simpson was acquitted of killing along with his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson.“A conflict-free life,” Fred Goldman asked incredulously Saturday. “This is who he is: He’s a sociopath, a narcissistic liar, a murderer, a thug, a kidnapper, a robber. The list goes on.”There was a wife-beating charge in 1989 that he pleaded no contest to, a road-rage charge he was acquitted of in 2001 and a contempt-of-court citation in 2008 that put him in jail for five days. There was also, of course, the 1994 slaying of Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Acquitted by a criminal jury in 1995, the football hero and Hollywood star was found liable for the killings in civil court two years later and ordered to pay the victims’ families $33.5 million.“The idea that he … [Read more...]

A surfer’s sighting of a shark estimated to be longer than 10 feet prompted lifeguards to issue an advisory at Coronado’s Silver Strand State Beach on Saturday.The 24-hour advisory warns beachgoers within a mile radius of the potential threat but does not close the beach.The surfer, a former commercial fisherman, spotted the shark about 8:10 a.m. between lifeguard Tower No. 1 and No. 0, about 80 yards from shore, said California State Parks Lifeguard Sgt. W. Jacob Pflepsen III.The surfer advised another nearby surfer of the shark, and both paddled to shore. The shark was longer than 10 feet and had a dorsal fine 12 inches to 16 inches tall. Lifeguards did not reveal what kind of shark it may have been, but said the species is predatory toward humans and may be a threat.Lifeguards patrolled the water Saturday and will continue to do so Sunday.“It is important to remember that sharks are a natural resource of California’s coastline and shark attacks … [Read more...]

Enlarge this image As the drought has extended into yet another rainy season, some herders walk for hours to get to this dam. Eyder Peralta/NPR hide caption toggle caption Eyder Peralta/NPR As the drought has extended into yet another rainy season, some herders walk for hours to get to this dam. Eyder Peralta/NPR Out here, in West Pokot County, Kenya, the landscape looks like Mars — red clay, rocks, and in the distance, a mountain so bare, it looks like a giant boulder. Stephen Long'uriareng, 80, has walked two hours to bring her two cows and goats to this watering hole. It's really just a dam carved out the earth, … [Read more...]

If you’re looking at Hawaii for a summer respite and you’re flying out of LAX or Orange County, rejoice: You’ll be saving $30 and $62, respectively.If you’re flying out of Burbank, put that celebration on hold. That fare zoomed up more than $180 from last week.Not surprisingly, airfares to Phoenix were down as summer settles in.The 10-day forecast shows temperatures mostly in the 100s, according to Weather.com, although a thunderstorm on Monday may cool things down to a brisk 96. But fares to Washington, D.C., ever its contrarian self, went up from LAX. Last week: $376. This week: $423.The good news for Burbankites: You’re paying the same this week as last to be hot and sticky.Meanwhile, on the international airfare front, hold onto your hat.The big gain this week was Auckland, New Zealand, where it is winter, not blistering hot summer. Last week, the lowest listed fare was $933, and this week it’s $1,124. … [Read more...]

Four days after The Times published a story about drug use by the then-dean of USC’s medical school, the university announced it was moving to fire Dr. Carmen A. Puliafito and said it was “outraged and disgusted” by his conduct.USC Provost Michael Quick said the university decided to act because it had been shown “extremely troubling” information that same day about Puliafito’s behavior. Quick provided no details. But he said it was “the first time we saw such information firsthand.”“I know many people wanted us to act on allegations and hearsay, but we needed actual facts,” Quick wrote in a letter to the faculty.It remains unclear when top USC officials first learned about the allegations involving Puliafito. But The Times made repeated inquiries over the last 15 months about Puliafito, in some cases describing information reporters had gathered about the dean. More than a year of questionsUSC’s leaders … [Read more...]

Dear Liz: I went back to school in 2002 to get my teaching credential. I took out several student loans and set up a repayment plan upon graduating with automatic deduction out of my checking account. Several years ago, the IRS started garnishing my bank account stating that there was a lien but I never received any other type of indication what was going on.After contacting the IRS, we found that someone took out a fraudulent student loan using my former married name. I also got my credit reports, which showed the loan. I was able to get the signed loan documents from the U.S. Department of Education but now the department does not respond to my certified letters or phone calls.I'm at a loss at what to do at this point. I filed a police report and notified the credit reporting agencies. I’m out almost $10,000. Is there any other advice you could give me?Answer: First, follow up with the credit bureaus to make sure the fraudulent loan has been removed from your credit reports. … [Read more...]

Ulysha Renee Hall will make history in Dallas in September, when she becomes the Texas city’s first female police chief. Hall, 46, currently deputy chief of the Detroit Police Department, was selected from a field of seven finalists that included another woman, Deputy Chief Carmen Best of Seattle. Hall followed in her father’s footsteps by choosing a career in law enforcement. He was killed in the line of duty when she was just 6 months old. Now, Hall will head a Dallas force that’s still coping with the tragedy of July 7, 2016, when a sniper killed five city officers and wounded nine others, as well as two civilians. Those shootings – by a veteran who had served in … [Read more...]

The state has picked a senior Los Angeles schools administrator, Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana, to lead the troubled Inglewood Unified School District.The Inglewood school system, which is located just east of Los Angeles International Airport, has long struggled with low academic achievement and declining enrollment, including the last five years under state control.Meléndez was named Thursday by state Supt. of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, who also asserted that Inglewood has been making progress recently.“Thelma Meléndez has a strong combination of leadership skills and experience managing school districts,” Torlakson said in a statement. “She will continue the district’s positive momentum.” Meléndez, 59, has been serving as head of the Office of Educational Services in the L.A. Unified School District. She was also superintendent of Pomona Unified and Santa Ana Unified, and she served as assistant secretary for … [Read more...]

Smoke was taking a visible toll Saturday on Yosemite National Park, where some of the most picturesque vistas on earth were hidden behind eerie curtains of thick haze drifting in from the devastating Detwiler fire, about 35 miles to the west.From the famous Tunnel View overlook on Highway 41, granite monoliths towering over Yosemite Valley including El Capitan and Half Dome resembled gray silhouettes. Bridalveil Fall was barely visible.Earlier in the week, these formations, along with waterfalls gushing with unusually heavy runoff from this winter’s historic snowpack, could not be seen at all through the gray shroud.Yosemite Valley, which attracts as many as 50,000 visitors on a summer weekend, remains open, but visitors from the across the nation and around the world expressed disappointment over the decrease in visibility as they posed for selfies. Among them was Ken Welsh, 60, from New Zealand, who said he arrived at the Tunnel View vista prepared to be … [Read more...]

Gregg Pettersen had the most fantastic round of golf in his life Saturday.And that’s before he hit a single shot.Pettersen, a golf pro at Royal Birkdale, got the plum assignment as a “marker” for South Africa’s Shaun Norris, to even out the 79-player field. The Englishman was essentially a placeholder.“For me, it was just a bit surreal,” said Pettersen, 38, who has worked at the club for 15 years and was informed the night before that he would be playing. “I’ve never played in front of that sort of crowds at all over the years. It’s just been maybe a couple of people spectating.” Pettersen, whose biggest paycheck as a professional is the equivalent of $390 in a club pro competition, only had to mark Norris’ card and not his own. He estimates he shot 4 or 5 over par, a considerable distance behind Norris’ 65.“I think the highlight was getting the first tee shot,” said Pettersen, whose pairing … [Read more...]

Chris Froome virtually sealed a fourth Tour de France victory on the penultimate stage on Saturday, stamping his authority on the race in a time trial in Marseille streets. Froome, the last rider to set off from the Stade Velodrome, finished third in the 22.5-kilometer stage won by Maciej Bodnar, and increased his overall lead. Colombian rider Rigoberto Uran moved to second place in the general classification, 54 seconds behind Froome, after Frenchman Romain Bardet cracked and dropped to third overall. Only the largely ceremonial stage into Paris on the Champs-Elysees on Sunday stands between Froome and his fourth triumph in five years. “It's just an amazing feeling,” Froome said. “It was so close coming into this TT. This was my closest Tour de France, the most hard-fought between the riders on GC. I didn't think it would come down to this TT in Marseille. There was a bit of pressure but, for me, it's always a good thing having pressure.” The … [Read more...]

Branden Grace was playing in the daylight — good weather, at last — and the dark.The South African had no idea that he was headed for history Saturday, that his eight-birdie round of 62 in the British Open was the lowest ever in a major championship.As a result, Grace went from ho-hum to history. He had narrowly made the plus-5 cut, finishing the first two days at Royal Birkdale at 4 over par. He said that on No. 18, he had no idea he was doing something no one else had ever done.“I honestly didn’t,” he said. “You know, I was just so in the zone of playing, hole after hole. I knew I was obviously playing really well, and making the turn at 5-under was pretty special. And I thought if I could make a couple more on the back nine, then it’s going to be a great score. I had no idea that 62 was obviously the lowest ever.” There have been 31 golfers who have shot a 63 in majors, including Phil Mickelson in the opening round at Royal … [Read more...]