The Rams have an aura and it showed on Day 1
It took one training-camp practice at Loyola Marymount to confirm it: with Myles Garrett bending the field on the edge, the Los Angeles Rams look the part of a Super Bowl favorite.
Good morning! Football is officially back in Los Angeles. The Rams opened training camp Sunday, and it took exactly one practice to feel the expectation around a reloaded roster. On the diamond, the Padres swept their way into the playoff picture just as the deadline heats up, and the Dodgers took a series at the Mets. Let’s get into it.
🚨 HEADLINES
⚾ Buyers now. Machado and Merrill powered the Padres to a sweep of the Marlins and into a wild-card spot — Brady Charette at loanDepot Park.
🏈 Fernandomania. Fernando Mendoza’s $57.27 million deal is done and the Raiders’ top pick is in camp — Steve Carp in Henderson.
🏀 Last laugh. A’ja Wilson’s Team Spoon beat her Aces teammates at the WNBA All-Star Game — Derek Hegna at the United Center.
⚽ Streak snapped. Angel City’s hot start under Smerud came to a halt against Racing Louisville — David Martinez at BMO Stadium.
⚽ Home debut. San Diego FC edged FC Dallas 1-0 in its return to Snapdragon — Angel Rodriguez in San Diego.
See what else is trending at The Sporting Tribune.
📋 SCOREBOARD — WEEKEND
⚾ Padres: Swept the Marlins — 4-2, 7-2, 5-3 (Miller’s 27th save)
⚾ Dodgers: Took 2 of 3 at the Mets — 4-2, 4-3, then fell 8-3 Sunday
⚾ Angels: Dropped 2 of 3 at San Francisco, salvaged Sunday 4-3
🏈 THE RAMS ARE AURA FARMING
It took one practice. On Day 1 of Rams training camp at Loyola Marymount — no pads, no tackling, the hitting still theoretical — Eric Lambkins II found a team carrying the weight of expectation, one year removed from an NFC Championship Game and one blockbuster trade removed from landing the most terrifying edge rusher in football. Myles Garrett bent the geometry of the field, and even Trent McDuffie, the league’s highest-paid corner and a two-time champion, watched like everyone else: “When he’s out there, you can just feel his aura.” That aura is the season’s central bet. Les Snead went all-in, importing Garrett plus corners McDuffie and Jaylen Watson to remake a defense that faded late last year — and Watson validated it immediately, breaking up a deep ball for a highlight pass-defense with safety Kam Kinchens. With Matthew Stafford given a scheduled day off, Stetson Bennett ran the first team and hit Tyler Higbee for the day’s first touchdown. It was only Day 1. But when Garrett lines up on the edge, “special” starts to feel like an understatement.
GO DEEPER
› Eric Lambkins II: The Rams’ aura is undeniable in their first training camp practice (The Sporting Tribune)
› TST Images: Day 1 of Rams training camp in Los Angeles (The Sporting Tribune)
TOGETHER WITH BETONLINE
Today’s TST Best Bets are brought to you by BetOnline.ag. Join here — new players get a 50% welcome bonus and up to $250 in free bets.
⚾ THE PADRES PICK THE RIGHT WEEK TO GET HOT
A week ago the Padres looked like a team drifting toward a hard decision. Now they look like buyers. San Diego swept the reeling Marlins — 4-2, 7-2 and a 5-3 comeback on Sunday, with Mason Miller slamming the door for his 27th save — to climb back to .500 and leapfrog Miami into a National League wild-card spot, powered by home runs from Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill. The timing could not be sharper: the trade deadline is Aug. 3, and a front office that had every reason to hesitate suddenly has a reason to add. “If we keep playing like this,” Jake Cronenworth said, “we’re going to put ourselves in a position to make A.J. help this team.” San Diego comes home Tuesday to face the Rockies with a playoff push — and a deadline mandate — taking shape. The Dodgers, meanwhile, took two of three at the Mets and stay atop baseball.
GO DEEPER
› Machado, Merrill power the Padres to a series sweep over the Marlins (The Sporting Tribune)
› TST Images: Mets defeat Dodgers, 8-3, at Citi Field (The Sporting Tribune)
🏈 FOOTBALL SEASON ARRIVES IN THE DESERT
The calendar has turned to football in Las Vegas. With Fernando Mendoza’s $57.27 million rookie deal signed and the top pick in camp on time, the Raiders can get to the questions that actually matter: how quickly Klint Kubiak brings his rookie along, and how the quarterback room sorts itself out with Kirk Cousins in the building. Steve Carp has been on the story from Henderson, and camp will start supplying answers this week — the first real football of a season that ends, for this city, with a Super Bowl at SoFi looming on the horizon in 2027.
GO DEEPER
› Steve Carp: Mendoza signed, sealed and delivered (The Sporting Tribune)
› Why Klint Kubiak is refusing to force Fernando Mendoza out there (The Sporting Tribune)
📺 WATCHLIST — MONDAY, JULY 27
⚾ MLB: Astros at Angels — ABTV— 6:38 p.m. PT
Coming up: The Dodgers host Seattle and the Padres host Colorado starting Tuesday.
🎟️ GOING TO A GAME THIS WEEK?
Get-in prices across Southern California and Las Vegas — brought to you by TickPick, the no-hidden-fee ticket marketplace.
⚾ MLB: Astros at Angels — Angel Stadium — $9
⚾ Tue., July 28: Mariners at Dodgers — Dodger Stadium — $100
🌴 TST TRIVIA
The Padres are chasing a National League wild-card spot. In what year did San Diego last reach the World Series — and which team swept them in it?
Answer at the bottom.
🎧 THE SPORTING TRIBUNE TODAY
Today’s episode opens Rams training camp with Myles Garrett setting the tone and a roster built to chase a title, digs into a Padres sweep that flips San Diego into buyer mode a week from the deadline, and welcomes football season with Raiders camp underway in Las Vegas. Hear it on the radio across Southern California and Las Vegas via Westwood One Sports.
› Listen to the latest episode
Trivia answer: 1998 — the Padres reached the World Series and were swept by the New York Yankees. (San Diego also lost the 1984 Series to the Tigers.)
Thanks for reading! Follow us on X and Instagram, or drop us a line at tips@thesportingtribune.com.