BASEBALL

Photo Credit: LAPRESSE

As the playoffs approach, the Los Angeles Dodgers are faced with a challenge of piecing together their pitching staff. While the offense is strong, the pitching staff is nearly improvised, meaning the Dodgers have room for as many high-upside pieces as they can possibly find. With that in mind, there's three secret weapons that the Dodgers must make sure are on their 2023 Playoff Roster.

First up is Shelby Miller. After returning from injury on Aug. 31, Miller has been impressive, maintaining a 1.80 ERA and striking out approximately a batter per inning. Since returning from injury, Miller has yet to allow an earned run across 10 outings.

Photo Credit: Matt Slocum

Crammed into the visitor’s clubhouse, the Atlanta Braves puffed on their championship cigars, showered each other with bubbly, shot-gunned beers and danced in alcohol puddles — until the music briefly paused.

“Turn the music up! Some people want to party!” shouted reliever Kirby Yates.

On his command, the music was cranked to max volume and the NL East title celebration resumed. Yates was the one who closed another division title, so he got to call the shots in the locker room.

And as he surveyed the jubilation around him, and ran his fingers through hair matted by booze, Yates knew there was nowhere else he wanted to be.

Photo Credit: Gene J. Puskar

Little Leaguers everywhere dream of a moment like this.

Louis Lappe hit a walk-off homer and California beat Curacao 6-5 in the Little League World Series championship on Sunday, despite giving up a four-run lead.

Louis flipped his bat and threw his arms in the air as he trotted around the bases, leaping onto home plate as he was greeted by his teammates surrounding the batter’s box. The leadoff hitter in the bottom of the sixth inning, Louis lofted the second pitch he saw just beyond the left field fence.

Photo Credit: Charles Rex Arbogast

Two women were injured Friday night in a shooting during a White Sox baseball game at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Chicago police say a 42-year-old woman sustained a gunshot wound to the leg, and a 26-year-old woman had a graze wound to her abdomen. The 42-year-old woman was in fair condition at University of Chicago Medical Center. The 26-year-old woman refused medical attention, according to the police statement.

Chicago police say its information is still preliminary because detectives are investigating.

“Upon receiving notification of this incident, CPD responded immediately and deployed additional resources while coordinating with White Sox security to maintain the safety of those who were in attendance or working at the game,” the police said in its statement. “At no time was it believed there was an active threat.”

Photo Credit: Damian Dovarganes

Major League Baseball has rescheduled three Sunday games in California because of the forecast for Hurricane Hilary.

The changes were announced by MLB as Hurricane Hilary churned off Mexico’s Pacific coast Friday as a powerful Category 4 storm.

Each of the games — Arizona at San Diego, Tampa Bay at the Los Angeles Angels and Miami at the Los Angeles Dodgers — will now be played Saturday as part of split doubleheaders.

“I’m very grateful that they were proactive in the thought,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s certainly going to be an inconvenience for some people that had Sunday tickets, but to at least get ahead of it made sense to me. ... This is crazy. A hurricane, Southern California, this is very unprecedented, clearly. I just want to make sure we get ahead of it, people get safe and it passes us by.”