The Sports Report: Dodgers extend winning streak to 10 games

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

From Mike DiGiovanna: Chris Taylor missed most of the Dodgers’ torrid July because of a left-foot fracture. Joey Gallo, the New York Yankees castoff, didn’t even arrive until the day after the Aug. 2 trade deadline. It was not too late for either to join the party.

Taylor snapped a tie score with a two-out solo home run in the sixth inning, and Gallo crushed a pinch-hit three-run homer in the seventh to lead the Dodgers to an 8-5 come-from-behind victory over the Minnesota Twins before a rollicking sellout crowd of 53,432 in Chavez Ravine.

Relievers Alex Vesia, David Price, Evan Phillips, Chris Martin and Craig Kimbrel combined to allow one run in 4 2/3 innings, as the Dodgers extended their win streak to 10 games, improved to 32-5 since June 29 and boosted their major league-best record to 77-33.

Taylor, who went one for 10 with five strikeouts in his first three games off the injured list, drove an 0-and-2 curve from Minnesota reliever Michael Fulmer into the left-field pavilion for a 5-4 lead in the sixth, a shot that was reminiscent of his walk-off homer off St. Louis in last October’s National League wild-card game.

Trea Turner doubled off the center-field wall with one out in the seventh, and Smith was intentionally walked with two outs. Gallo then drove a 97-mph fastball from Griffin Jax to left-center for a three-run homer and an 8-4 lead.

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Here’s how the Dodgers lineup is barreling baseballs and producing bushels of runs

SOCCER

From Kevin Baxter: They play the same sport under the same rules. But teams in the U.S.-based NWSL play a very different game than their sisters in Mexico’s Liga MX Femenil.

“The NWSL is more physical compared to Liga MX,” said Angel City’s Stefany Ferrer Van Ginkel, who has played in both leagues.

“One-hundred percent,” agreed former UCLA All-American Mia Fishel, who plays for four-time Mexican champion Tigres.

“Mexico uses more of their soccer IQ, their technical abilities because they don’t have necessarily the speed and the height of an American player.”

Those differences should have made Wednesday’s Angel City-Tigres exhibition at a half-empty Banc of California Stadium — a game that ended in a 1-0 Angel City win — a showcase of competing styles. Instead, it was a largely cautious, uncreative affair aside from the performances of Van Ginkel, a Brazilian by way of Spain, and teammate Jun Endo of Japan, a second-half substitute.

RAMS

From Gary Klein: Six years ago, upon their return to Los Angeles after a two-decade absence, the stands at UC Irvine for Rams training camp were a sea of other NFL teams’ jerseys. The Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, then-Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers seemed omnipresent.

No more.

The Super Bowl effect was in full effect during Rams training camp, which concluded Wednesday.

The Rams estimated that nearly 100,000 fans had attended 10 free public workouts. Most appeared to be wearing Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald, Matthew Stafford or Jalen Ramsey jerseys. Or T-shirts and caps commemorating the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium.

“We talked so much about it in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl: What playing the Super Bowl in Los Angeles would do. What a win would do,” said Kevin Demoff, the Rams chief operating officer. “I don’t think you can underestimate it.”

CHARGERS

From Jeff Miller: No returning Chargers player was more affected by the team’s offseason moves than Michael Davis, the veteran cornerback pushed down the depth chart this spring.

On Wednesday, in his first media session of training camp, Davis admitted that he permitted distractions to affect his play in 2021.

“I think last year for me, it was a year of distractions — on the field and off the field,” he said. “So I think that came into play in my game … like inconsistency. But I think we’re past that.”

In his fifth season, Davis started all 14 games in which he played, finishing with 54 tackles, a team-high 12 passes knocked away and one interception.

But he also was part of a defense that too often failed to make key stops, the Chargers finishing last in the NFL on third down.

ANGELS

Magneuris Sierra hit an RBI single in the 10th inning, then doubled home the go-ahead run in the 12th that lifted the Angels over the Oakland Athletics 5-4 on Wednesday for a three-game sweep.

“It feels great,” Sierra said through a translator. “I feel very thankful for the opportunity they gave me.”

Jaime Barria (2-2) limited the A’s to an unearned run in three innings of relief to pick up his first win since May 8.

“Nothing fazes him,“ Angels manager Phil Nevin praised. “He goes out and throws strikes and he’s going to make his pitches.”

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1929 — Babe Ruth is the first MLB player to hit 500 home runs.

1943 — Volo Song, driven by Ben White, wins the Hambletonian Stakes in the third heat.

1948 — Demon Hanover, driven by Harrison Hoyt, wins the Hambletonian Stakes in straight heats.

1974 — Lee Trevino beats Jack Nicklaus by one stroke to capture the PGA Championship.

1979 — Peter Haughton wins his second International Trot at Roosevelt Raceway by driving Doublemint to victory.

1984 — Britain’s Sebastian Coe sets an Olympic record in the 1,500 meter with a 3:32.53 winning time.

1985 — Hubert Green beats defending champion Lee Trevino by two strokes to take the PGA Championship.

1986 — Bob Tway’s bunker shot on the final hole gives him the PGA Championship over Greg Norman.

1991 — John Daly, the last alternate to make the field, wins the 73rd PGA Championship with a 1-under 71 to finish three strokes ahead of Bruce Lietzke.

1995 — Michael Johnson wins the 200 meters in 19.79 seconds in the World Track & Field Championships to become the first runner to capture the 200 and 400 meters in a major championship.

1996 — Mark Brooks makes a 5-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff with Kenny Perry to win the PGA Championship.

2002 — Karrie Webb’s latest comeback establishes a new standard of excellence on the LPGA Tour: the Super Slam — winning the four tournaments currently regarded as majors as well as the du Maurier, which lost its major status in 2000 after 21 years. Webb shoots a 6-under 66, rallying from three strokes behind to the first three-time winner in the Women’s British Open.

2012 — Usain Bolt is a perfect 3 for 3 at the London Olympics — three events, three victories — just like Beijing four years ago. Almost even with the last U.S. runner when he gets the baton for the anchor leg of the 4x100 meters, Bolt steadily pulls away down the stretch to cap his perfect Summer Games by leading Jamaica to victory in a world-record 36.84 seconds. Allyson Felix wins her third gold medal, giving the United States a 20-meter lead after the second leg of the 4x400-meter relay. DeeDee Trotter, Felix, Francena McCorory and Sanya Richards-Ross bring home the victory for the Americans’ fifth straight Olympic title in the event.

2012 — Candace Parker scores 21 points and the heavily favored U.S. women’s basketball team wins a fifth straight Olympic gold medal with an 86-50 victory over France.

2013 — Ashton Eaton of the United States wins the decathlon world championship title to add to his Olympic gold medal. He completes his collection with a season-leading total of 8,809 points in a 10-event competition.

2013 — Jason Dufner wins his first major title with a two-stroke victory over Jim Furyk at the PGA Championship.

2016 — Michael Phelps wins his fourth gold medal of the Rio Olympics and 22nd overall with a victory in the 200-meter individual medley. It was the 13th individual gold and 26 medals overall.

2016 — Simone Biles soars to the all-around title in women’s gymnastics at the Rio Olympics. Her total of 62.198 is well clear of silver medalist and “Final Five” teammate Aly Raisman and Russian bronze medalist Aliya Mustafina.

2017 — The NFL suspends Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott six games after a yearlong NFL investigation of his domestic violence case in Ohio.

Compiled by the Associated Press

And finally

Bob Tway’s bunker shot to win the 1986 PGA championship. Watch and listen here.