Down 6-0, the Dodgers turned it into a clinic
Roki Sasaki spotted the Padres a six-run lead. The Dodgers then scored 12 for a 12-7 win, a sixth straight beating of San Diego, a 13-game division lead, and a Dalton Rushing night to remember.
Good morning! For three innings Thursday night it looked all wrong — Roki Sasaki couldn’t find the plate, the Padres tagged him for three homers, and San Diego led 6-0. Then the best offense in the National League woke up and put 12 unanswered on the board. Dalton Rushing went 4-for-4 with four RBIs, Kyle Tucker reached base all five times, and the Dodgers rolled 12-7 for their sixth straight win over the Padres. At 57-31, they lead the West by 13. Over at SoFi, Spain looked the part of a favorite. Let’s get into it.
🚨 HEADLINES
⚾ Never out of it. Down 6-0 after Sasaki’s early exit, the Dodgers score 12 unanswered to beat the Padres 12-7 and stretch their NL West lead to 13 — Fredo Cervantes at Dodger Stadium.
⚾ Padres in freefall. San Diego’s losing streak reaches new depths with a sixth straight defeat to its rival — James Newell at Dodger Stadium.
⚽ Spain looks the part. La Roja controls SoFi from the opening whistle, cruising past Austria 3-0 in the Round of 32 — Zach Cavanagh at SoFi Stadium.
🏀 Another nod for A’ja. Aces star A’ja Wilson adds yet another WNBA All-Star selection to a résumé that keeps growing — Derek Hegna in Las Vegas.
🏀 Sparks’ rookie rises. Chance Gray is taking her debut WNBA season one day at a time in Los Angeles — Holland Kaplan in Los Angeles.
See what else is trending at The Sporting Tribune.
📋 SCOREBOARD — THURSDAY, JULY 2
⚾ MLB: Dodgers 12, Padres 7 (series opener, at Dodger Stadium)
⚽ World Cup (Round of 32): Spain 3, Austria 0 (at SoFi Stadium)
⚾ “TONIGHT WAS A CLINIC”
It started as a nightmare. Manny Machado turned on a 97 mph fastball for a two-run shot in the first, and by the second, Jackson Merrill, Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth had turned it into a 6-0 hole. Roki Sasaki needed 88 pitches to get through three innings — seven hits, six earned, three homers — and his ERA over his last four starts has ballooned to 10.06. Dave Roberts said the club will “do a deep dive,” including ruling out pitch tipping, after the Padres “appeared to be on everything.”
Then the lineup did what it believes it can always do. Dalton Rushing’s two-run homer in the second lit the fuse; an eight-run stretch across the third and fourth flipped the game, capped by Mookie Betts’s go-ahead double. Rushing finished 4-for-4 with four RBIs and his 10th homer; Kyle Tucker reached base in all five plate appearances, his DNA finally showing through. “We feel like we’re never out of a game, even down six early,” Tucker said. Final: 12-7, a sixth straight over San Diego, and a 13-game cushion in the West. Next up: Shohei Ohtani Day on Friday, with Ohtani facing Padres ace Michael King.
GO DEEPER
› Fredo Cervantes: Dodgers’ offense erupts after Sasaki’s early exit in win over Padres (The Sporting Tribune)
› James Newell: Padres continue bad stretch with a sixth consecutive loss to the Dodgers (The Sporting Tribune)
› Brady Charette: Series preview — Padres carry a five-game skid into the rivalry set (The Sporting Tribune)
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⚽ SPAIN PUTS ON A SHOW AT SOFI
The World Cup keeps rolling through Inglewood, and Thursday belonged to the tournament favorites. Spain controlled the match from the first whistle, dominating possession and picking Austria apart in a composed 3-0 Round-of-32 win at SoFi Stadium. For SoCal fans getting a steady diet of world-class soccer in their backyard, it was a reminder of why this summer’s tournament has turned Southern California into a global stage — and of the level the U.S. will have to reach as the knockouts continue.
› Zach Cavanagh: Spain coasts past Austria in a controlled, dominant Round of 32 victory (The Sporting Tribune)
› TST Images: Spain defeats Austria, 3-0, at SoFi Stadium (The Sporting Tribune)
🏀 A’JA’S RÉSUMÉ KEEPS GROWING
The trophy got away in the Cup final, but the honors keep coming for the face of the Aces. A’ja Wilson earned another WNBA All-Star selection — the latest line on a résumé that already includes multiple MVPs and titles — as Las Vegas regroups for the season’s second half. Derek Hegna has what the nod means for a franchise still built around its cornerstone. On the ice, the Golden Knights kept shaping their depth chart with a wave of under-the-radar signings worth knowing before camp.
› Derek Hegna: A’ja Wilson adds another All-Star nod to her ever-growing résumé (The Sporting Tribune)
› Derek Hegna: Get to know the recent depth signings of the Vegas Golden Knights (The Sporting Tribune)
🏀 THE LUKA-ERA LAKERS HIT SUMMER LEAGUE
The next look at the post-LeBron Lakers arrives in Las Vegas. Los Angeles announced its Summer League schedule and roster, headlined by Adou Thiero and this year’s first-round pick Cameron Carr — the young, athletic core the front office is betting on around Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Carlos Yakimowich has the schedule and who to watch.
› Carlos Yakimowich: Lakers announce Summer League schedule, roster headlined by Thiero and Carr (The Sporting Tribune)
📺 WATCHLIST — FRIDAY, JULY 3
⚽ World Cup: Australia vs. Egypt — FOX — 11:00 a.m. PT
⚽ World Cup: Argentina vs. Cape Verde — FOX — 3:00 p.m. PT
⚽ World Cup: Columbia vs. Ghana — FOX — 6:30 p.m. PT
⚾ MLB: Reds Sox at Angels — ABTV — 6:30 p.m. PT
⚾ MLB: Padres at Dodgers — SNLA — 7:00 p.m. PT
🎟️ GOING TO A GAME TODAY?
Get-in prices across Southern California and Las Vegas — brought to you by TickPick, the no-hidden-fee ticket marketplace.
⚾ MLB: Padres at Dodgers — Dodger Stadium — $75
⚾ MLB: Reds Sox at Angels — Angel Stadium — $6
🌴 TST TRIVIA
Dalton Rushing’s 4-for-4, four-RBI night made him the sixth Dodger to reach double-digit home runs this season. Name the other five players.
Answer at the bottom.
🎧 THE SPORTING TRIBUNE TODAY
Today’s episode breaks down the Dodgers’ stunning 12-7 comeback and the growing questions around Roki Sasaki, previews Shohei Ohtani Day against the Padres, and checks in on Spain’s statement at SoFi as the World Cup knockouts roll on. Hear it on the radio across Southern California, Las Vegas and Hawaii via Westwood One Sports.
› Listen to the latest episode
Trivia answer: Shohei Ohtani, Max Muncy, Andy Pages, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts. The Dodgers improved to 57-31 with Thursday’s win, holding the best record in the NL and a 13-game lead in the NL West.
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