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Shohei Ohtani is not yet ready for his Los Angeles Dodgers debut, but the team got off to a roaring start in Cactus League play with a 14-1 win over the San Diego Padres at Peoria Sports Complex.
Fellow newcomer Teoscar Hernández immediately found himself in position to contribute with the bases loaded and nobody out in the first inning, and he delivered with a ground-rule double that put the Dodgers up 2-0.
Chris Owings connected for a two-run, ground-rule double as well, and Dodgers prospect Andy Pages brought in two more on a base hit. Kevin Padlo’s two-run homer capped off the Dodgers’ eight-run inning.
That was more than enough run support for the Dodgers pitching staff that was led by Gavin Stone getting through a perfect inning with one strikeout.
Michael Grove also struck out a batter in his lone inning of work, but allowed a hit and issued one walk. Ricky Vanasco made it a third scoreless inning for the Dodgers before Alex Vesia surrendered a solo home run to Jake Cronenworth in the fourth.
Elieser Hernández, Stephen Gonsalves, Kevin Gowdy, Eduardo Salazar and John Rooney also pitched in the Dodgers’ win.
The Padres and Dodgers play again Friday at Camelback Ranch. Landon Knack is scheduled to start for L.A.
It’s going to be the final meeting between the two teams before they open the 2024 regular season with the Seoul Series in South Korea from March 20-21.
Dodgers prospects break game open
What already was a commanding lead for the Dodgers turned into a laugher behind their six-run inning in the sixth.
After RBI singles from Travis Swaggerty and Drew Avans, Jose Ramos ripped a two-run double into left field and Kody Hoese later added an extra-base hit to bring in a pair of runners as well.
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Three potential landing spots for Cody Bellinger
Cody Bellinger put a mediocre 2024 behind him in his only year with the New York Yankees. Acquired to protect outfielder Aaron Judge in the lineup after Juan Soto departed for the Mets, Bellinger was exactly what the Yankees needed. He posted a .272/.334/.480 batting line over 656 plate appearances, hitting 29 homers and 25 doubles. His 5.1 bWAR was his best mark since leading the National League with 8.7 bWAR during his MVP season in 2019. It was an easy decision for Bellinger to opt out of the final year of his contract and enter free agency. The 30-year-old Bellinger provides more than a solid bat in the middle of the lineup. He is capable of playing all three outfield positions and first base, typically providing above-average defense at each spot. Bellinger is the type of player who virtually every team could use in the lineup. Let's take a look at three possible teams that could sign him. Three potential landing spots for Cody Bellinger in free agency 1. New York Yankees No team may need Bellinger more than the Yankees. While Judge is a perennial MVP candidate in right, the rest of the outfield is far more uncertain. Center fielder Trent Grisham is slated for free agency, although he could accept the qualifying offer. Jasson Dominguez is penciled in as the starting left fielder, but he struggled in the second half as he lost playing time down the stretch. First base may be open as well, depending on whether or not the Yankees want Ben Rice to be their primary catcher. Even if Grisham accepts the offer and returns, the Yankees have plenty of holes. A reunion is possible. Bellinger was clear that he would be willing to return to the Yankees, the franchise his father, Clay Bellinger, won a pair of World Series titles with, saying that he had "an unbelievable time" in New York. The Yankees, likewise, want him back in pinstripes. It may just be a matter of getting the financials to work. 2. Los Angeles Angels The Angels desperately need an infusion of talent throughout the roster if they are going to even think about contending for a playoff spot. Although the Angels are focused on bolstering their pitching staff, they are also looking to improve the lineup, preferring to add a left-handed hitter to provide more balance to the lineup. While the Angels have a backlog of corner outfield/designated hitter types, center field is a distinct area of need. Jim Bowden of The Athletic listed the Angels as the best fit for Bellinger, as he would be a perfect fit for one of their biggest needs. However, it is fair to wonder if he would be willing to sign with a team that, even with his bat in the lineup, would need several more pieces to contend for the postseason. 3. Philadelphia Phillies If there is a team that needs Bellinger more than the Yankees, it may be the Phillies. Kyle Schwarber is a free agent, and although the Phillies would like to bring him back, he is best suited as a designated hitter defensively. Outfielder Nick Castellanos imploded last season and is expected to be traded or released. Fellow outfielders Harrison Bader and Max Kepler are also free agents, leaving Brandon Marsh as the only given in the Phillies outfield. Signing Bellinger could also improve the Phillies outfield at another position. Outfield prospect Justin Crawford may be ready for the majors offensively, but there are questions about his defense, especially in center. By slotting Bellinger in center, Crawford could move over to left, putting less pressure on his glove as he acclimates to the majors.
Cowboys' Jerry Jones has made a decision about George Pickens
The Dallas Cowboys made a big gamble in the offseason. On paper, adding George Pickens to the mix was going to work wonders for the passing game. However, Pickens had a long history of character issues, and watching Mike Tomlin essentially give up on him wasn't an encouraging sign. Fast forward to today, and the Georgia product has finally shown what he's capable of. That's why he may not be going anywhere. Jerry Jones wants to keep George Pickens around Cowboys insider Jon Machota of The Athletic reported that Jones affirmed that he's willing to spend big bucks to keep Pickens around, even though he's already committed more than $60 million a year to defensive tackles. Jones had previously been more tight-lipped about this situation, claiming that money would obviously be a factor to consider. But after watching Pickens haul in nine receptions for 144 yards and one touchdown in the 33-16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday, he may have changed his stance. Jerry Jones gushes about George Pickens' performance Following the win, the Cowboys owner/GM had nothing but praise for the former second-round pick. "Pickens was — I’ve never seen a performance like that. It was poetic the way that he was making those moves out there. It was like he was in an opera or something out there. A ballet," Jones said, per Pro Football Talk. Character concerns aside, Pickens has all the talent in the world, and his tandem with CeeDee Lamb is one of the most explosive in the league. He's up to 58 receptions on 83 targets for 908 yards and seven touchdowns in his first 10 games with the Cowboys, and he's looking at a big payday this offseason.
CFP rankings: SEC in great shape after third reveal
The third College Football Playoff rankings of the 2025 season were released on Tuesday night with Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A M, Georgia and Texas Tech making up the top five. The Bulldogs and Red Raiders each move up one spot with Alabama falling down to 10th after a 23-21 loss to Oklahoma on Saturday. Ole Miss, Oregon, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Alabama round out the top 10. The Big Ten and SEC continue their dominance by claiming eight of the top-10 spots, but the SEC looks to be in the best position of any league with five teams in the top 10, even with Alabama's second loss of the season. Alabama clings to playoff spot as SEC's outlook only grows stronger Here is a look at what the 12-team bracket would look like as of Tuesday: The biggest takeaway from this week's rankings is the position the SEC finds itself in. Texas A M, Georgia and Ole Miss appear to be in excellent shape, while Oklahoma and Alabama still find themselves in the projected field. Texas was the biggest loser, falling seven spots to No. 17 after its loss to Georgia. Even for Alabama, which suffered its second loss on Saturday, it could still find itself in the SEC Championship game depending on how everything plays out over the final two weeks, which could only strengthen its case even more. Miami remains the highest-ranked ACC team at No. 13, ahead of No. 16 Georgia Tech and No. 19 Virginia. With the five highest-ranked conference champions guaranteed to make the 12-team field, Miami would inherit the 11-seed as things currently stand. Following South Florida's loss to Navy, Tulane moves up to No. 24 and the 12th-seed as the highest-ranked Group of Five team. No. 11 BYU would be the first team out following the third reveal. There are two ranked matchups this weekend as No. 8 Oklahoma hosts No. 22 Missouri and No. 15 USC takes on No. 7 Oregon. With only two weeks of regular-season play remaining, time is running out to add quality wins to resumes, something each of these two games will certainly do. Assuming there are no more hiccups, the SEC has a realistic shot at getting five teams in the field. Week 12 presented an opportunity for other teams to move up, but after Texas A M completed its remarkable comeback over South Carolina and with Alabama remaining in the top 10, that does not bode well for the rest of the field.
Two old issues re-emerge as Green Bay Packers’ obstacles
After two weeks of demoralizing losses, the Green Bay Packers have re-entered the win column with their 27-20 victory against the New York Giants. Although the Giants are a broken team in many ways, the game was only won through a heroic touchdown catch by Christian Watson with less than 5 minutes left on the clock. Standing in the way of what might have been a much bigger win was 2 issues that were Packers’ obstacles last year. Drops Drops are one of the Packers obstacles that was most cited for their disappointing offense in 2024. Their receivers were tied with the New York Jets for the most dropped passes in the league. Combined with Jordan Love’s nagging injuries, the offense never really picked up where it left off at the end of the 2023 season. So far this season, drops have not been a big issue for the Packers. That changed against the Giants, where they dropped 6 passes for an estimated loss of 92 yards. This is an unacceptable loss for a team that was desperate for a win. The drops were not only an issue for the offense either. Although Evan Williams did pick off Jameis Winston in the endzone once, Carrington Valentine dropped two potential turnovers and Kesian Nixon dropped another one. Even for a position that is described with “if they could catch, they would be receivers” the value lost in these drops is frustrating. Kicking Ever since the departure of Mason Crosby in 2022, the Packers have been searching for a trustworthy kicker. After moving on from Anders Carlson and Braden Narveson, it appeared they had found a solution in Brandon McManus. However, he has missed several games due to injury. The substitute teacher turned substitute kicker Lucas Havrisik played on Sunday and made only one of his three extra point attempts. Before the Packers game winning score, they were trailing the Giants by one point when they should have been winning by one. Although it was an extremely windy game where the Giants kicker also missed an extra point, Havrisik did not kick well enough. This disappointing performance comes after weeks of McManus kicking poorly. Of all kickers who have attempted a field goal this season, McManus ranks dead last in field goal percentage. He ranks especially badly on kicks outside the red zone, where he has only made 3 of his 9 attempts. With Havrisik struggling in McManus’ absence, there are no easy solutions for the Packers on special teams. A reliable kicker looms large in the list of potential Packers’ obstacles for the remainder of the year.
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