The Sports Report: Stumbling Dodgers lose to Reds, 6-5

Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.

Jorge Castillo on the Dodgers: Over the last few days, as his club’s offensive downturn bled into a second week, manager Dave Roberts maintained that the drought was an anomaly. He called it a funk. He said all teams, even World Series favorites, endure lulls and the Dodgers are too talented, even with Cody Bellinger on the injured list, to have this continue for long.

On Tuesday, the Dodgers’ bats showed some life. It wasn’t an outburst, but they mustered timely hits and scored five runs – just the third time they reached that total over the last 10 games – against the Cincinnati Reds.

But the pitching faltered, rendering the production insufficient in a 6-5 loss at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers (15-9) have lost three straight games for the first time since August 2019 and seven of nine games after starting the season 13-2.

“We’re fine. We know what we have in this clubhouse,” left fielder Matt Beaty said. “We’re a really good group of ballplayers. We’re confident. …We need to put together some good at-bats and get the momentum going. Once that happens, it’s going to be game on.”

Walker Buehler recorded 10 strikeouts to one walk over 6 1/3 innings, but he was charged with a season-high five runs on seven hits. He exited the game with two runners on base in the seventh inning and watched Joey Votto cracked a 3-2, two-out, two-run double off Scott Alexander that ultimately made the difference.

“I don’t care if you punch out 27,” a frustrated Buehler said, “to keep giving up leads the offense kept giving me is not acceptable.”

“We got beat,” Roberts said. “Those guys kept fighting and put themselves in a position to win a game. Right now, we’re in salvage-the-series mode.”

ANGELS

Jack Harris on the Angels: In years past, Shohei Ohtani would have likely watched Tuesday’s game from the dugout.

The two-way star was coming off a double-duty performance Monday, when he threw 75 pitches and came to the plate four times. He’d played in each of the first 21 games of the season, 20 of which included him in the starting lineup.

But rather than a scripted day off, the Angels instead stuck to their goal of removing restrictions on the 26-year-old’s playing time. Once Ohtani told manager Joe Maddon he was good to play again Tuesday, Maddon happily agreed.

“I said, ‘You got it,’” Maddon said. “Not gonna argue.”

Ohtani went hitless in the Angels’ 6-1 loss to the Texas Rangers, a game in which the team fell behind early after starter José Quintana gave up five runs in 31/3 innings, then squandered chances to rally by leaving nine men on base and going just two for 11 with runners in scoring position.

USC SONG GIRLS

Ryan Kartje on USC: Former USC Song Girls coach Lori Nelson accused the university of discrimination, harassment and retaliation in an October resignation letter submitted amid a Title IX investigation into allegations of toxic behavior within the program.

In the Oct. 29 letter reviewed by The Times, Nelson wrote that she felt “discriminated against and harassed” by USC officials “since bringing forward past lost wages and hour disputes against the university.” She added she believes the Title IX investigation launched in August was “only further retaliation” from USC.

USC declined to comment when asked about the allegations in Nelson’s letter.

Ten former Song Girls who spoke to The Times described a toxic culture within the famed collegiate dance program under Nelson’s leadership. The women’s allegations included dancers who were rebuked publicly for their eating habits, personal appearance and sex lives. The allegations, first brought to USC officials last February, sparked a Title IX investigation which, according to an email from outside counsel hired by USC, centers on “potential violations of the university’s non-discrimination, anti-harassment and anti-retaliation policy by Ms. Nelson.”

Nelson, 63, declined interview requests from The Times. Her attorney, Ryan Saba, defended her and denounced the former Song Girls’ claims, writing in a statement that Nelson “vehemently and unequivocally denies the harmful and misleading allegations against her.”

In her resignation letter, Nelson argued USC was the source of challenges facing the spirit squad. She wrote that the athletic department marketing office refused to communicate with her.

“There seems to be an underlying disrespect of the USC Song Girls program and myself by certain individuals in Athletic Marketing that has demonstrated repeatedly throughout Football, Basketball, Baseball and Volleyball Seasons,” Nelson wrote. “The refusal to communicate directly with me as Head Coach and the outward disdain that is demonstrated is unprofessional and makes what should be an incredible experience for the Song Girls one that is intolerable. My sincere hope is that USC addresses these concerns and continues to hold the Song Girls in the highest regard and for the program to be free of internal politics and struggles.

CLIPPERS

Andrew Greif on the Clippers: When Portland sent a second defender to double-team DeMarcus Cousins in the post last week, and New Orleans did the same Monday, the Clippers center had one reaction: Why?

“I’m the third-string big, on a 10-day, getting double-teamed,” Cousins said, stifling laughter. “I don’t think that’s ever happened before. It’s pretty funny to me.”

In one comment, Cousins underscored why the Clippers decided to sign him through the rest of the season after his second 10-day contract expired.

The 30-year-old, once-dominant center not only still knows his surroundings on the court, but he also has proved self-aware about his standing within the NBA since injuries to his quadriceps, Achilles’ tendon and knee threw his career trajectory off course.

Now the 14th man on a roster for which rotation minutes in the playoffs could either be sparing or unavailable, depending on the Clippers’ health, Cousins said it is just “a joy to come to work every day” for a contender.

“This team has so much potential, man,” Cousins said. “Extremely excited to be a part of this organization, here to play my part, here to help push this team to bigger heights and, you know, just be that spark off the bench.”

KENTUCKY DERBY

John Cherwa on the Kentucky Derby: Horse racing trainers generally can rationalize any post position as being OK, except for one, and that’s the one. It’s a place where a horse can get boxed in by the rail or covered up by the 19 horses to his outside and trapped with nowhere to go.

So, as the random draw for the 147th Kentucky Derby was coming to a close Tuesday, there were three positions yet to be matched with a horse and the one post was in the mix. And the undefeated favorite, Essential Quality, did not have his spot yet.

Was trainer Brad Cox nervous?

“Yeah, a lot, a whole lot,” Cox said.

He even formulated a way to make things sound just fine if his horse drew the one.

“Churchill does have a new [starting] gate [that puts the one further away from the rail],” Cox said. “That’s going to give the one a little bit more opportunity at a clear run. That was the positive spin I was going to put on it if I got the one, but fortunately I don’t have to use that excuse.”

As it turned out, Known Agenda, one of four horses for Todd Pletcher, drew the one and Essential Quality got the 14 in the penultimate draw.

Essential Quality was made the 2-1 morning-line favorite by Mike Battaglia, who has been making the Derby line since 1975, the same year the race was capped at 20 starters.

No horse has won from the one since Ferdinand in 1986, and before that you have to go back to 1963 when Chateaugay won the Derby in a nine-horse race.

The Kentucky Derby will be held Saturday at 3:57 p.m. PDT. Horses in post-position order with jockey and morningline odds:

1. Known Agenda (Irad Ortiz Jr.), 6-1

2. Like the King (Drayden Van Dyke), 50-1

3. Brooklyn Strong (Umberto Rispoli), 50-1

4. Keepmeinmind (David Cohen), 50-1

5. Sainthood (Corey Lanerie), 50-1

6. O Besos (Marcelino Pedroza), 20-1

7. Mandaloun (Florent Geroux), 15-1

8. Medina Spirit (John Velazquez), 15-1

9. Hot Rod Charlie (Flavien Prat), 8-1

10. Midnight Bourbon (Mike Smith), 20-1

11. Dynamic One (Jose Ortiz), 20-1

12. Helium (Julien Leparoux), 50-1

13. Hidden Stash (Rafael Bejarano), 50-1

14. Essential Quality (Luis Saez), 2-1

15. Rock Your World (Joel Rosario), 5-1

16. King Fury (Brian Hernandez Jr.), 20-1

17. Highly Motivated (Javier Castellano), 10-1

18. Super Stock (Ricardo Santana Jr.), 30-1

19. Soup and Sandwich (Tyler Gaffalione), 30-1

20. Bourbonic (Kendrick Carmouche), 30-1

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1966 — Boston edges the Lakers 95-93 in Game 7, giving the Celtics and coach Red Auerbach eight straight NBA titles. Auerbach, who announced his retirement earlier, is replaced by center Bill Russell, the first Black head coach of a major U.S. sports team.

1967 — Muhammad Ali refuses induction into the U.S. Armed Forces. He is arrested and the New York State Athletic Commission suspends his boxing license and strips him of his heavyweight title.

1987 — The NBA awards expansion franchises to Charlotte, N.C. and Miami for 1988, and Minneapolis and Orlando, Fla., in 1989.

1990 — Boston set single-game NBA playoff records for scoring and shooting accuracy in a 157-128 rout of the New York Knicks to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series.

1992 — Video replay is used to decide a playoff game for the first time. In game six of the Detroit-Minnesota division semifinal, Sergei Fedorov of the Red Wings appears to hit the crossbar behind Minnesota goalie Jon Casey during overtime. The Stars ice the puck immediately, but referee Rob Shick calls for a video review. The replay shows the puck enters the goal just below the crossbar and caroms off the frame at the back of the net. Fedorov is awarded the goal to give the Red Wings a series-tying 1-0 victory.

1995 — Michael Jordan, in his first playoff game since his return from retirement, scored 48 points as the Chicago Bulls beat the Charlotte Hornets 108-100.

1995 — The Orlando Magic give the Boston Celtics their worst defeat in team history, 124-77, in a playoff opener.

2001 — Colorado’s Patrick Roy sets an NHL record with his 16th career playoff shutout, making 20 saves in a 2-0 win over the Kings.

2009 — Washington edges the New York Rangers 2-1 in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference series to cap a comeback from a 3-games-to-1 deficit. It is the franchise’s first series victory since the 1997-98 season, when Washington made it all the way to the Stanley Cup finals.

2010 — Montreal beats Washington 2-1 to complete a come-from-behind 4-3 series victory and eliminate the NHL’s best regular-season in the first round of the playoffs. The Canadiens are the ninth No. 8-seeded team to knock off a No. 1 in 32 matchups since the NHL went to its current playoff format in 1994 — and the first to come back from a 3-1 series deficit.

2011 — Canada’s Patrick Chan wins his first world figure skating title in record fashion. Chan sets world records for the free skate and total points to claim titles at the world figure skating championships in Moscow.

2016 — The Rams select California quarterback Jared Goff with the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, and the No. 2 selection for the Philadelphia Eagles is North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz. It’s the second straight year that two QBs went 1-2 and the seventh time in the modern era of the draft since 1967.

And finally

The Rams select Jared Goff with the first pick of the 2016 NFL Draft. Watch it here.