The Sports Report: Dante Moore brought his relentless work ethic to UCLA football

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

From Ben Bolch: Dante Moore saw the family mantra more than he heard it.

His father heading out the door for long days at the Ford plant where he worked as an engineer. Bartending at Detroit Lions and Detroit Tigers games. Mowing lawns as part of another side job. Somehow still finding time to coach youth teams and make every one of Dante’s games.

On the move from sunrise to nightfall, and often beyond, Otha Moore Sr. didn’t have to say it for his son to feel it.

Hard work is undefeated.

Dante lived that motto himself, the quarterback running extra laps after youth football games while observers laughed. As a high school freshman, he met with a quarterback guru the mornings before games. The next morning, he’d rise early for another workout. His coach told him he had to slow down or he’d wear out his arm.

Doing everything he could to be the best was all the kid knew.

“I told him, ‘If you work just like the next man, you’re going to be the same as the next man,’ ” Otha said. “ ‘If you work harder than the next man, you’re going to be better.’ ”

Two high school state championships later, Dante has brought that same relentlessness to UCLA in his attempt to forge a similar arc. After beating out a veteran counterpart to become the starter, he’s quickly emerged as one of the country’s most electric true freshmen.

Seven touchdown passes in basically 1½ games of playing time have cemented his standing as the guy for the No. 22 Bruins (3-0) heading into a Saturday showdown on the road against No. 11 Utah (3-0).

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DODGERS

From Jack Harris: Clayton Kershaw prefers not to think about it.

It doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

The next month might be Kershaw’s last playing for the Dodgers, with the 35-year-old left-hander set for free agency — or, if he chooses, retirement — this coming offseason.

As such, Saturday night could be his final regular-season start at Dodger Stadium, if not his last time ever gracing the Chavez Ravine mound — though a home start in the playoffs next month seems increasingly likely.

Either way, don’t expect Kershaw to dwell on the possibility, or the Dodgers to stage some grand recognition of his potential Los Angeles send-off.

“It’s just all about trying to win this year,” Kershaw said in an interview near the Dodgers dugout this week. “All the personal stuff is kind of out the door.”

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From Jack Harris: Dave Roberts climbed the dugout stairs, walked across the infield and, for the seventh time in his eight years as the Dodgers manager, took the ball away from a starting pitcher who had yet to give up a hit.

For perhaps the first time in the now-notorious trend, there were almost no dissenters to the decision.

In what was a largely promising performance for his postseason prospects, rookie right-hander Emmet Sheehan allowed no hits to the San Francisco Giants for the second time in his career, following up his hitless six-inning MLB debut against them in June by spinning 4 ⅔ hitless innings Thursday night.

However, in a reminder about the dangers of counting too much on young pitching, the 24-year-old failed to keep the Giants off the board, with his sterling outing coming to a screeching halt in the top of the fifth.

After getting two quick outs in the frame — including his career-high ninth strikeout of the night — Sheehan plunked Mike Yastrzemski with a pitch, then walked the next three batters he faced, the latter forcing home a run with the bases loaded.

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The top playoff seed is up for grabs, but the Dodgers aren’t changing their approach

Dodgers box score

All MLB box scores

NL WEST STANDINGS

x-Dodgers, 94-58
Arizona, 81-72, 13.5 GB
San Francisco, 76-77, 18.5 GB
San Diego, 75-78, 19.5 GB
Colorado, 56-96, 38 GB

x-clinched division

WILD-CARD STANDINGS
top three teams qualify

Philadelphia, 84-69
Arizona, 81-72
Miami, 79-74

Chicago, 79-74
Cincinnati, 79-75, 0.5 GB
San Francisco, 76-77, 3 GB
San Diego, 75-78, 4 GB

For full standings, go here

ANGELS

Manuel Margot flared a run-scoring single to right field to complete a two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the playoff-bound Tampa Bay Rays beat the Angels 5-4 on Thursday

Jo Adell put the Angels ahead 4-2 on his sixth-inning, two-run homer off Shawn Armstrong, who hadn’t given up a homer in 40-1/3 innings.

“It was the best we’ve played for a while for three days and to just come out with one win, it’s very frustrating,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said. “This game isn’t easy. But when you get opportunities to get runs home and don’t do it, [protecting] one run is a tough assignment, to close a game against a really good lineup coming to the top.”

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Angels box score

All MLB box scores

AL WEST STANDINGS

Houston, 85-68
Texas, 84-68, 0.5 GB
Seattle, 84-68, 0.5 GB
Angels, 69-84, 16 GB
Oakland, 46-107, 39 GB

WILD-CARD STANDINGS

top three teams qualify

y-Tampa Bay, 94-60
Toronto, 85-68
Texas, 84-68

Seattle, 84-68
New York, 77-76, 7.5 GB

y-clinched wild-card berth

Note: The Angels have been eliminated from postseason contention.

For full standings, go here

USC FOOTBALL

USC football coach Lincoln Riley announced Thursday he has lifted a beat reporter’s suspension one week earlier than planned following a phone conversation with the journalist.

The school’s athletic department informed the Southern California News Group on Sept. 14 that Riley was suspending journalist Luca Evans’ access for two weeks because of violations of the Trojans’ media policy.

The cited infractions included reporting on a conversation he heard while standing in approved media area, asking a follow-up question after a news conference ended, speaking with players and coaches outside of sanctioned times, contacting players’ parents without seeking the school’s permission and using the phrase “garbage time” in a story. Much of Evans’ work cited mirrored practices of other reporters who cover USC.

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Do you call it Cal or Berkeley? UC school may rebrand to Cal Berkeley for sports

NFL

Christian McCaffrey scored a touchdown in his 12th straight game, Brock Purdy threw two TD passes and the San Francisco 49ers won their 13th straight regular season game, 30-12 over the New York Giants on Thursday night.

The Niners weren’t particularly sharp on offense in their home opener but got enough from McCaffrey and on big runs after the catch by Deebo Samuel and George Kittle to earn their second 3-0 start in 25 seasons.

The defense did the rest against the short-handed Giants (1-2), who fell behind by double digits at the half for the third time in three games this season.

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NFL Week 3 picks: Chargers and Patriots to remain winless? Can Raiders beat Steelers?

SOCCER

Two-time Women’s World Cup winner Julie Ertz played her final match for the United States, an emotional 3-0 victory over South Africa in an exhibition on Thursday night.

Ertz announced last month that she was retiring after a 10-year career. She started against South Africa, wearing the captain’s armband for her 123th appearance for the United States.

Lynn Williams scored twice as the U.S. did all its scoring in the first half. Ertz subbed out in the 35th minute to a standing ovation from the crowd at TQL Stadium, shorty after Trinity Rodman’s goal that made it 2-0.

She said before Thursday’s game that being able to spend time with her son and husband Zach Ertz, a tight end for the Arizona Cardinals, was “irreplaceable.” And she was grateful to walk away on her own terms.

“I do feel I could step away and be like, ‘It’s not because Momma can’t play. Momma can play. She has just adapted priorities,’” Ertz said. “And I think that just comes with age and just I feel like I’ve been so blessed to have the career that I’ve had.”

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THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1905 — Willie Anderson wins the U.S. Open for the fourth time in five years, beating Alex Smith with a 314-total at the Myopia Hunt Club in South Hamilton, Mass.

1927 — Gene Tunney wins a unanimous 10-round decision over Jack Dempsey at Soldier Field in Chicago to retain his world heavyweight title. The fight is marred by a long 10-count in the seventh round. Dempsey knocks Tunney to the mat, but Dempsey doesn’t go to a neutral corner. The referee doesn’t start counting until four or five seconds after Tunney is down. Tunney regains his feet and goes on to win.

1969 — Willie Mays becomes the second major league player to hit 600 homers with a two-run shot off Mike Corkins, giving the San Francisco Giants a 4-2 victory over the San Diego Padres.

1974 — The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Denver Broncos are the first teams to play to a tie, 35-35, with the new overtime rule in effect.

1986 — Fernando Valenzuela becomes the first Mexican pitcher to win 20 games.

1987 — The 1,585-member NFL Players Assn. goes on strike after the New England-New York Jets Monday night game. The strike lasts 24 days.

1990 — Illinois’ Howard Griffith sets an NCAA record when he scores eight rushing touchdowns in a 56-21 rout of Southern Illinois.

1990 — Andre Dawson steals his 300th base and is only player other than Willie Mays to have 300 HRs, 300 steals & 2,000 hits.

1991 — Miami coach Don Shula gets his 300th career victory in the Dolphins’ 16-13 win over Green Bay.

1993 — Nolan Ryan, 46, pitches his last game.

2002 — New England’s Tom Brady completes 39 of 54 passes for 410 yards and throws touchdown passes to four different receivers, leading the Patriots to a 41-38 overtime victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

2012 — Old Dominion’s Taylor Heinicke smashes NCAA Division I records by throwing for 730 yards. He completes 55 of 79 attempts without being intercepted and leads the Monarchs back from a 23-point, third-quarter deficit to a 64-61 victory against New Hampshire.

2018 — Jess McDonald scores two goals and the North Carolina Courage win the National Women’s Soccer League championship with a 3-0 victory over the Portland Thorns.

—Compiled by the Associated Press

And finally...

Willie Mays hits his 600th home run. Watch and listen here.