A generation of kids suffer as Trump destabilizes immigrant families

• September 23, 2026

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett, KFF Health News

The little girl stared up at Norma Gómez from the doorway of her neighbor’s apartment, her sad, brown eyes suddenly flashing with hope.

“Are you the person who’s going to bring my mom back?” she asked.

Gómez struggled to find an answer. It was a December morning, and she’d brought food, diapers, baby wipes, and clothes — items she hoped would help the 6-year-old girl, her baby brother, and the neighbor who had stepped in to care for them. The children were left alone after federal immigration agents arrested their parents outside their apartment in Oxnard, a mostly Latino agricultural community on the Southern California coast. But Gómez had no power to bring the parents back.

“We’re working on that,” Gómez recalled telling the girl. In reality, she was at a loss for how to answer truthfully without upsetting her.

As a project manager for a nonprofit that provides food assistance to immigrant families affected by Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, Gómez has witnessed the tumult and pain that have roiled the lives of millions of immigrant families since President Donald Trump returned to office, with devastating consequences for children’s health. They include an estimated 205,000 children with at least one parent detained by immigration authorities through April, a number that has undoubtedly climbed since. Separation from parents harms children psychologically. It destabilizes families, often leaving the remaining parent or caregiver scrambling to stay housed, buy food, and fulfill kids’ medical needs. Some kids are left alone to care for themselves.

Many kids whose parents aren’t detained are experiencing threats to their health and well-being too. Two children in the South died by suicide in February 2025 after reportedly being bullied over their family’s alleged immigration status.

Millions of children live in families losing access to medical care, food, tax credits, and other supports as federal and state governments roll back eligibility for immigrants with and without legal status. Fear of federal enforcement has pushed parents to avoid taking kids to school, going to the doctor, and engaging in social activities. Some have disenrolled from or avoided signing kids up for health and nutrition programs.

Children from immigrant backgrounds are also living in fear. They’re experiencing more emotional distress, increased bullying in school, and anxiety about racial profiling by ICE, even when they or their family members are citizens or legal residents.

Most of these children are American citizens. About 1 in 4 U.S.-born kids have an immigrant parent, including around 4.6 million with a parent who lacks legal status.

“I’m really concerned about how long it’s going to take for us as a country to address all of the harm that’s happening to this generation of kids,” said Wendy Cervantes, director of immigration and immigrant families at the Center for Law and Social Policy. “This type of stress can have long-term developmental harm and can really inhibit their ability to do well in school, to have good health outcomes, and to grow into thriving, stable adults.”

Curbing Public Benefits

Trump has made cracking down on immigrants — including the children of immigrants — a priority since his second term began last year. On Inauguration Day, he issued an executive order purporting to end birthright citizenship for kids born to parents without legal status or in the country on temporary visas, an attempt ultimately blocked by the Supreme Court.

His administration, with the approval of Republicans in Congress, has poured billions of dollars into immigration enforcement, detaining the parents of an estimated 145,000 U.S. citizen children as of April, and, according to an analysis by nonprofit newsroom The Marshall Project, over 6,200 children. It’s sought to rescind temporary protected status, or TPS, for over 1 million immigrants, tens of thousands of whom have U.S. citizen children, and stalled renewals in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which includes the parents of about 300,000 citizen children.

White House officials say the immigration crackdown benefits American citizens by freeing up resources such as jobs and housing, reducing pressure on public coffers, expelling criminals, and restoring integrity to the immigration system. (Studies have shown that mass deportations harm U.S. workers.) Trump and other Republican leaders have argued that birthright citizenship encourages unauthorized immigration and “ birth tourism,” and that TPS has allowed immigrants from “ dangerous, third-world countries” to remain in the United States indefinitely under what is supposed to be a temporary program.

In a statement, White House spokesperson Lauren Bis did not directly address whether the administration is concerned about long-term harm to children and increased healthcare costs because of its immigration policies. Instead, she repeated past White House criticisms that President Joe Biden’s immigration policies allowed children to be trafficked across the U.S. border.

“The real story is the psychiatric impact on the tens of thousands of children who were smuggled across the border — many by human and sex traffickers,” she wrote in an email.

Only 39% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of immigration, according to a recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll.

Stephen Miller, the chief architect of Trump’s immigration policies, has accused the children of immigrants of draining public resources and perpetuating problems from their parents’ home countries. Research, however, shows that immigrants earn more and do better the longer they live in the United States and that they and their children assimilate rapidly. Data also shows they rely less on welfare than native-born Americans.

“This is the great lie of mass migration,” Miller wrote on the social platform X in November. “You are not just importing individuals. You are importing societies. No magic transformation occurs when failed states cross borders. At scale, migrants and their descendants recreate the conditions, and terrors, of their broken homelands.”

The Republican tax-and-spending law enacted last summer curbs immigrant eligibility for health and food assistance programs. And this July, the administration issued new “public charge” rules that give immigration officers broad discretion to deny green cards to lawfully present immigrants if they or family members have used public benefit programs, a move that could result in over a million U.S. citizen children disenrolling from safety net healthcare programs.

Together but Afraid

Separation from parents is traumatic for children and can lead to lifelong health problems, including anxiety, depression, cardiovascular disease, and learning difficulties. Children separated from their parents at the border during the first Trump administration were found to exhibit lasting trauma. Researchers have also tied deportations and detentions of immigrant parents — as well as the threat of them — to widespread emotional trauma, higher school dropout rates, housing instability, and hunger among both immigrant and U.S.-born children.

It’s also costly to society. A 2024 study by federal researchers estimated that health conditions related to childhood trauma accounted for $292 billion in healthcare spending in 2021 alone, including by taxpayer-funded programs such as Medicaid and Medicare.

Emmanuel, a 13-year-old in Oxnard, gets anxious every time his dad goes to work as a farm laborer, his mother, Ana, said. He asks her for reassurance that his father will return, and about what would happen to him if his parents got detained. He tries to hurry Ana up when they’re out in public, worried that ICE could suddenly appear. KFF Health News is not using their full names because they fear deportation.

Doctors and therapists interviewed by KFF Health News said they have observed a notable increase in mental health problems, especially anxiety, in children from immigrant families. Kimberly McNally, a pediatrician at Venice Family Clinic’s Inglewood South La Brea Health Center, said she’s regularly referring children of all ages for mental health services related to fears that their parents will be taken away. At daycares, kids have been showing up with an extra bag in case their parents don’t pick them up, said Liza Davis, advocacy director for Children in Immigrant Families at The Children’s Partnership, which works with a coalition of early childhood educators.

Sometimes, the distress leads young people to take extreme actions. In June, 19-year-old Eliel José took his own life after his father was deported from the Atlanta area to Mexico, according to Univision.

Rosie Harrison, executive director of Grow Initiative GA, a community organization that serves low-income families, said she’s received calls over the past year from immigrant parents seeking help for suicidal and depressed kids. Their situations are often made worse because many lack health insurance and can’t afford to pay for therapy. That’s often because parents have lost jobs that came with health insurance due to worksite raids or because of eligibility changes imposed by the Trump administration.

“I’m concerned about the families that are going to be burying their child,” Harrison said. “I’m concerned that we are going to miss out on having an amazing person do amazing things for our community, for our country, because they took their life.”

Strength Under Pressure

Many children are showing resilience, though.

In a role reversal, some children have become their parents’ protectors. They go grocery shopping and take their younger siblings to school so that their parents don’t have to leave the house.

Giselle Gonzalez, a university student and volunteer with the immigrant protection network VC Defensa in Ventura County, California, said she’ll never forget the morning last summer when she woke up to the sound of kids on bicycles pedaling through her immigrant-heavy neighborhood in Thousand Oaks, yelling “La migra! La migra! Don’t come out!” They’d spotted ICE agents grabbing factory workers and gardeners on their way to work, she said.

Neighbors, community groups, health providers, and others have also stepped up in a variety of ways to support children and families affected by immigration enforcement. They deliver groceries, provide free therapy, walk kids to school, and help parents create emergency childcare plans in case they get detained or deported.

Ultimately, more humane immigration policies and enforcement tactics will be required to end the harm being done to children, academic experts and advocates said.

Researchers at Arizona State University point to a pilot called the Family Case Management Program as a model for keeping families together while also enforcing immigration laws. Launched in January 2016 under President Barack Obama, the program allowed families seeking asylum to remain in the community while awaiting resolution of their cases. Through a case manager, they received support in meeting the obligations of their immigration cases and preparing for deportation if needed. The program, which proved successful and cost-effective, was terminated by the first Trump administration.

At Venice Family Clinic in Los Angeles, case manager Mabel Alavez sees the pressures facing families who are still together but worried they could be separated. Many of the people are parents or grandparents who have been in the U.S. for decades. Some are afraid to take their children to school, the park, or the beach. They ask whether it’s safe to enroll their U.S.-born kids in Medicaid. She helps families who are facing eviction because they’re afraid to go to work and can no longer afford rent. She often helps them create plans for who will look after their children if they get detained.

Raised in an immigrant family herself, Alavez knows how challenging it can be for kids who are first-generation Americans to navigate growing up, going to school, and finding a sense of belonging in a country their parents aren’t from.

“It’s hard for me to imagine how they could possibly do that in addition to what’s going on now,” she said. “I do feel like there will be a big impact on them. What that might look like, I’m not exactly sure.”

©2026 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

​ Orange County Register 

Dolly Parton’s estate accuses her nephew of threatening violence and to destroy his aunt’s legacy

• September 23, 2026

By HALLIE GOLDEN

Dolly Parton’s estate accused the country music icon’s nephew of threatening to commit violence and destroy his aunt’s legacy and business empire in court filings submitted Tuesday and asked a judge to keep him away from its employees and business dealings.

Court documents filed in Nashville offer the first signs of discord in a carefully managed estate process for one of the most beloved personalities in music and beyond.

Bryan Seaver, who owns a company that provided Parton’s security detail and was handpicked by the star to announce her death from cancer last month, did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press requesting comment.

In the temporary restraining order request filed by She’s Alive, the entity that manages and protects Parton’s professional property and business, and other court documents, it claims Seaver sent increasingly threatening messages over the last several weeks. She’s Alive is run by Danny Nozell, Parton’s longtime manager.

Last week, “She’s Alive” terminated Seaver and Squadron Augmented Protection Services, saying his “terrorizing conduct made their continued retention untenable,” according to court documents.

The court documents showcase a series of text messages and emails She’s Alive says were sent by Seaver starting just before Parton’s death. The messages begin with threats to destroy the brand, and then after her death, depict Seaver reveling in his newfound fame and calling himself an “international arms dealer.”

In one message written on Sept. 1 and included in the court documents, he said: “I’m going to set up a podcast dedicated to ruining Dolly’s brand partnerships and telling the violations these people have done on us. It’s going to be great. Or f——— pay me.”

Seaver also claimed that he worked for private military contractors overseas during the Iraq War and used that experience as part of these threats, according to the complaint.

The messages have resulted in Parton’s trusts and estates attorney leaving and employees of She’s Alive resigning, according to the court documents. The entity has also had to hire private security for its employees, including at their homes, the documents state.

The restraining order is meant to stop Seaver from talking with or being within 1,000 feet of She’s Alive employees, attorneys and business partners. It also is meant to keep him from interfering with its business relationships.

Parton wrote hundreds of songs, including classics like “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You,” that earned a total of more than 100 million worldwide sales and more than 1 billion online streams.

​ Orange County Register 

US futures inch higher and oil prices slip for 6th straight day after US and Iranian officials meet

• September 23, 2026

By CHAN HO-HIM and MICHELLE CHAPMAN, AP Business Writers

U.S. futures are slightly higher and hovering near record highs while oil prices declined after President Donald Trump said that officials from the United States and Iran met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York this week.

Futures for the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average both gained 0.1% on Wednesday. Nasdaq futures were basically flat.

Trump talked of the meeting with Iran after telling the assembly Tuesday that he would have to make a choice, including whether to “annihilate” the Islamic Republic, if the sides fail to reach an agreement.

“I have a big decision to make,” Trump said. “Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before, maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world. Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?”

Brent crude, the international standard, dipped 0.3% to $98.99 per barrel. That is still elevated compared to the roughly $72 per barrel level from late February before the Iran war, and still about $30 more than at this point last year. Benchmark U.S. crude dropped 1.1% to $89.84 per barrel.

In addition to Trump’s reference to communication with Iran, ING commodities strategists Ewa Manthey and Warren Patterson said oil prices are also easing due to reports that Saudi Arabia was working to restore its east-west pipeline, which was disabled in an attack. The pipeline is crucial to getting some crude out of the Middle East by shipping it to the Red Sea rather than through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply passed before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in February.

Investors are also focusing on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington, which is kicking off Wednesday and his meeting this week with Trump, in which artificial intelligence is anticipated to be high on the agenda.

The leaders are expected to attempt to steady fragile ties in their third meeting since Trump returned to the White House. That is despite the world’s two largest economies seeking the upper hand on AI developments and trade, while pushing for leverage in persistent hot spots like Iran and Taiwan.

In Europe, Britain’s FTSE 100 edged up to 10,712.19. France’s CAC 40 slipped 0.1% to 8,146.73, while Germany’s DAX declined 0.4% to 25,473.41. Asian markets were mixed.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 was closed on Wednesday for a holiday and will resume trading on Thursday.

The U.S. dollar rose to 157.82 Japanese yen from 157.39 yen. The euro was trading at $1.1412, down from $1.1449.

​ Orange County Register 

Sparks can’t slow A’ja Wilson, Aces in final road game of season

• September 23, 2026

LAS VEGAS — The Nneka Ogwumike appreciation tour made its final road stop on Tuesday night, and the host Las Vegas Aces gave the eight-time WNBA All-Star her flowers – literally – before taking care of their own business.

Four-time MVP A’ja Wilson scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Aces to an 89-79 victory over the Sparks, clinching at least the No. 3 seed for the WNBA playoffs.

The Aces (30-13), who won their sixth game in a row, will get home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, which begin Sunday. If the standings hold, they would face No. 6 seed Washington (27-16) in a best-of-three series.

Chelsea Gray scored 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting for the Aces, Stephanie Talbot had 14 points. Jackie Young was held to just 14 points on 6-of-16 shooting and struggled from behind the arc (1 for 8), but she offset a rough shooting night with a game-high 11 assists.

The retirement-bound Ogwumike, who was honored before the game with bouquets of flowers and a standing ovation, scored 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Sparks (16-27). Erica Wheeler added 16 points, five assists and four rebounds. Rae Burrell added 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting, while Tonie Morgan posted 14 points on a much more efficient 6-of-7 showing from the field.

The Aces took control early with a 15-0 run that turned a 5-2 deficit into a 17-5 advantage. They stretched the margin to 17 points in the second quarter before the Sparks answered with 11 straight points to pull within 35-29.

The Sparks continued to hang around and were within single digits early in the third quarter, but Las Vegas responded with another decisive burst. The hosts scored 10 unanswered points to push their lead to 63-45 and carried a comfortable advantage into the fourth.

The Sparks never seriously threatened down the stretch. The Aces kept their lead in double figures for most of the final quarter and closed out the 10-point victory to finish 3-1 in the season series against the Sparks.

Officially eliminated from playoff contention last month, the Sparks are just trying to send Ogwumike out on a high note. The 2016 league MVP, who announced last month that she will retire from the WNBA after this season, is also president of the players’ union, adding to her stature with her peers around the league.

The Sparks played without forwards Dearica Hamby (left knee) and Cameron Brink (right ankle). Hamby, who played for the Aces from 2015-22, averages 14.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Brink, the second overall pick in the 2024 draft, averages 9.5 points and 5.0 rebounds.

UP NEXT

The Sparks close their season when they host Golden State on Thursday at 7 p.m.

​ Orange County Register 

Kings can’t overcome slow start in preseason loss to Utah

• September 23, 2026

LOS ANGELES — When the Kings last took the ice at Crypto.com Arena, they were being swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the Colorado Avalanche.

On Tuesday night they picked up, in earnest, where they left off, with a 6-3 preseason loss to the Utah Mammoth in which they were out-shot 27-11 through two periods and 35-22 overall.

“We were slow out of the gate,” Kings coach Peter Laviolette said. “A lot of the younger guys that are in here trying to make an impression or guys that maybe weren’t here last year [learned that] the game goes quick.”

Brandt Clarke scored a goal and picked up the lone assist on another by Martin Chromiak. Taylor Ward tallied for the Kings as well. Darcy Kuemper stopped 29 of 34 shots.

Anders Lee deposited two goals in his Mammoth debut. Daniil But and Clayton Keller contributed a goal and an assist apiece. Nick Schmaltz and Liam O’Brien also scored. MacKenzie Weegar and Mikhail Sergachev both had two assists. Karel Vejmelka made 19 saves.

Despite being more than doubled up in terms of shots after 40 minutes, the Kings made it a game early in the third period, moving to within a goal 1:48 into the frame.

It was Kenny Connors transporting the puck, fending off a defender and coming up with his second primary assist in two preseason games after Ward drifted wide and one-timed the puck.

“(Connors) has been noticeable,” Laviolette said. “Two really nice plays for primary assists in the two games, and the one tonight wasn’t easy. He had to get an edge on the guy, he had to hold him off and muscle it to the other side of the ice for a good finish by (Ward).”

But Utah quickly regained its two-goal advantage, when Maveric Lamoureaux’s shot created a rebound that O’Brien stabbed home to make it 5-3 at 3:14. With 50 seconds to play, Lee tacked on an empty-netter.

In the second period, the two sides swapped goals in a 69-second span.

The Kings sliced their deficit in half 2:42 into the second period and evened the special-teams count with a power-play goal, but quickly sunk back into a two-goal hole.

Clarke, a defenseman, drifted stealthily toward the net and presented his stick for a deft dish from Adrian Kempe that resulted in a redirection goal.

That momentum proved ephemeral. After Kuemper made a strong save on a deflection by But, both he and the Kings’ defense were scattered and misaligned. That led to a patient passing sequence, which culminated in Schmaltz’s authoritative strike from the side of the net.

“There were a couple untimely goals. We got back into the game at 2-1, and then a minute later [they scored]. We pushed and we made it 4-3, and then a minute later it went the other way,” Laviolette said. “We need to take those moments … and then get the next moment to go our way.”

Lee, a career New York Islander until this summer, scored his first goal in a Utah jersey at the 12:22 mark. A simple, set breakout flummoxed the Kings when But’s drive down the left-wing wall attracted two defenders, allowing him to find a trailing Lee wide open in the slot.

The Kings mustered a second goal before the second intermission. Clarke’s fadeaway lob banked off the glass, off a defender and directly to the offensive blue line for Chromiak, who zoomed ahead for a backhand goal. Chromiak led the Kings’ AHL affiliate in goals last season.

The Kings took two early penalties and the second one cost them as the Mammoth cashed in during the waning moments of their power play. The man they call “Cheeks,” But, set up right in front of Kuemper and tipped Weegar’s shot home, 8:49 after the opening draw.

After a Mammoth penalty kill, the Kings’ feeble efforts to clear the puck bit them as Samuel Helenius made a soft pass and Koehn Ziemmer fumbled around with its reception. That left a puck for Keller to pounce on and flick home with ease from the slot with 1:17 displayed on the clock.

“Our first period was definitely our worst period, but we got better as the game went on,” Clarke said.

The Kings will be right back at it on Wednesday when they visit the Ducks.

​ Orange County Register 

Two-out RBIs keep Dodgers hot at Padres’ expense

• September 23, 2026

LOS ANGELES — The schedule has given them lemons and the Dodgers have made some sweet lemonade this month.

Their September schedule has been the easiest in MLB, and it was just what they needed to refresh their offense. After sagging in July and August, they went into Tuesday night’s game first or second in the majors this month in runs, home runs, walks, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS.

The degree of difficulty goes up for three days this week, but the result didn’t change Tuesday night as the hot Dodgers beat the even-hotter San Diego Padres, 7-0, postponing the Padres’ chances to clinch a postseason berth.

The win was the Dodgers’ 15th in their past 18 games, their seventh in the past eight and their fifth in a row. The loss was just the second in the past 15 games for the Padres, whose magic number to clinch a wild-card spot remains two over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“I feel like we’ve just been playing really good baseball as a group lately,” said first baseman Freddie Freeman, who drove in three of the Dodgers’ runs. “We had to step up when guys went down, and that’s a credit to the guys that have been going, but you want to be playing well going into the playoffs. We need, what, one more win for that bye? So, that’s what we need. We need that, get some rest, then have a great week of practice going into the playoffs. But guys are swinging the bats at the right time, hopefully we can carry that.”

This hot streak for the Dodgers has moved them to within one more win (or one Atlanta Braves loss) of clinching a first-round bye for the National League playoffs. With a Milwaukee Brewers loss on Tuesday, the Dodgers even moved within a game of the top seed in the NL (though the Brewers own the tiebreaker, making it a two-game lead in reality) with five games left in the regular season.

“I think we all know why it’s important,” Freeman said with a knowing smile when asked about the importance of getting those five days off next week. “There’s a lot of us kind of limping toward the end here, a lot of aches and pains this year. It’s good to get those guys (Andy Pages on Tuesday, Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday) back on the field, get some ABs in them and then rest up and get some more ABs during the lives and whatever we do here in that (bye) week to get us ready for Saturday.”

The Dodgers’ focus for now is on sorting through their options for a postseason roster.

Two new ones joined the mix Tuesday with Pages and right-hander Roki Sasaki activated from the injured list.

Moving to his anticipated postseason role pitching out of the bullpen, Sasaki returned from his four-week stay on the IL due to a blister on his pitching hand and pitched a scoreless inning, striking out two and throwing five fastballs that registered between 99.7 and 100.1 mph.

“He looked good,” Roberts said. “He gave up, what, a couple hits, but I thought the stuff was really good. And the split, the fastball was really good. So I thought really solid outing for the first one in, what, three weeks, something like that.”

Sasaki was one of eight Dodgers relievers (only Kyle Hurt went a second inning) who combined to shut out the Padres on five hits – a callback to Game 4 of the 2024 NL Division Series.

“It’s great,” Roberts said of his bullpen. “Obviously we’ve had a lot of talent over the years. But as far as sitting here today at the end of the season, it’s as good of shape as we’ve ever been in with the bullpen. That could change in a day, in a game, as we all know. But right now, feel really good about everyone out there.”

If not Sasaki’s inning, then Edwin Diaz might have pitched the most significant inning in that group outing. He retired the side in order in the fifth. Facing the top of the Padres’ order, he struck out two of the three batters he faced. Since returning from his own trip to the IL, Diaz has thrown three encouraging innings, allowing one hit and walking just one while striking out six of the 11 batters he has faced.

“Loved it,” Roberts said of Diaz’s inning. “His last three have been fantastic with us. I like the life of the fastball. And I wanted to see him against their better hitters, and he did a really nice job. Like he said, it doesn’t matter where he pitches, when he pitches; he just wants to help us win baseball games. You saw that tonight.”

Before these three outings, Roberts hinted at Diaz needing to show he was worthy of a spot on the postseason roster. After Tuesday’s game, Roberts said it was “certainly possible” that Diaz reclaims the ninth inning in October.

“I think it’s one of those things where if you’re one of the 12 pitchers on a postseason roster, you’re in the ‘trust tree’” Roberts said. “He’s put himself right smack in that conversation. Given all that he’s had to go through this year to right the ship is a big credit to him.”

Whatever sweetening their soft September opposition has added to the Dodgers’ offense, it kicked in with two outs Tuesday. Their first six runs all scored with two outs in an inning.

Padres starter Michael King retired the first two batters in the second inning then gave up back-to-back singles to Teoscar Hernandez and Josue De Paula. In his first plate appearance since getting hit by a pitch and suffering a hand fracture, Pages stepped up – and was hit by a pitch (this time in the back of the left shoulder) to load the bases.

“Just super happy to be back on the field,” Pages said in Spanish.

King issued back-to-back bases-loaded walks to Tommy Edman and Mookie Betts, forcing in runs, then Freeman stroked a single through the middle to drive in two more.

Emerging from his slump, Freeman collected another two-out RBI with a single in the fourth inning to drive in Betts who had doubled.

It was Freeman’s third multi-hit game in his past five. He is 6 for his past 20 – after going 6 for 40 to start this month.

“I mean, it’s a little better,” Freeman said of the state of his swing after a bout with patellar tendinitis had him out of whack. “I’m just happy I got hits when I needed to get hits today. Last couple games were a lot better, so hopefully we’re trending in the right direction when we need to.”

Edman and Will Smith added solo home runs.

UP NEXT

Padres (LHP Robbie Ray, 13-8, 3.60 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 14-8, 2.51 ERA), Wednesday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM

​ Orange County Register 

Angels squander 6-run lead against A’s to begin final week of season

• September 23, 2026

WEST SACRAMENTO — As their disappointing seasons wind down, the Angels and the Athletics share the same goal: avoiding 100 losses.

The Angels have never lost 100 games in a season, but they took another step toward that mark when they squandered a six-run lead in a 9-7 loss to the A’s on Tuesday night at Sutter Health Park.

The Angels (60-97), who play one more game against the A’s on Wednesday before closing the season with a four-game series in Seattle, need to go at least 3-2 over their final five games to avoid making the wrong kind of history.

The last time the Angels were in Sacramento, a four-game series split turned into the Denzer Guzman show. The A’s also had a big come-from-behind comeback in the second game that series, trailing 11-4 going into the bottom of the sixth and ultimately walking away with a 12-11 walk-off win in 10 innings.

On Tuesday, both shows continued, but the A’s (62-95) ultimately came out ahead.

Batting cleanup for the first time as a starter this season, Guzman’s three-run home run in the top of the third inning gave the Angels an early 5-0 lead.

“I see the ball better,” Guzman said of his exploits at Sutter Health Park.

In the bottom of the third, the A’s threatened with runners on the corners and just one out, but Yusei Kikuchi was able to get Lawrence Butler to ground the ball to second baseman Christian Moore for an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.

Kikuchi sailed through the first five innings, keeping the A’s off the scoreboard on five hits. After a quick first out in the sixth, Shea Langeliers doubled and Lawrence Butler tripled on a ball to center that Jose Siri whiffed on at the wall. Zack Gelof followed that with a four-pitch walk, which was enough to bring Angels manager Kurt Suzuki out from the dugout, ending Kikuchi’s night.

Luke Murphy came in out of the bullpen and induced a potential inning-ending ground ball to first base, but Vaughn Grissom’s throw to second was a bit high and shortstop Zach Neto dropped it, allowing both runners to reach safely and Butler to score from third. Murphy was able to pitch around the miscue without any further damage, finishing the sixth with a 6-2 lead.

The A’s came right back in the seventh inning, with José Fermin giving up a single, followed by a misplayed RBI triple by Wade Meckler in right field to get the A’s within 6-3. Fermin then walked Henry Bolte and allowed an RBI single off the glove of Guzman at third, leaving the Angels clinging to a two-run lead.

Tayler Saucedo recorded the first out of the inning on a Butler sacrifice that advanced the runners, then the left-hander hit Gelof and walked Jeff McNeil to bring in another run.

Sam Bachman was called upon with the bases loaded and a 6-5 lead and got a fly ball to center for the second out, and a pop-up to first to end the threat.

Bachman remained in to begin the eighth and after a hard-luck ball up the middle that hit off second base put Alika Williams on first, Carlos Cortes launched a two-run homer that gave the A’s a 7-6 lead. Bachman was also on the mound against the A’s back on June 19 when the Jonah Heim delivered a game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth.

This time, Bachman recorded a pair of outs before allowing a ground-rule double to Butler that led to his exit. Left-hander Blake Weiman came in and promptly surrendered a two-run homer to Gelof that extended the A’s lead to 9-6.

“We’re giving [Ben] Joyce another day off,” Suzuki said of the decision to leave Bachman in after getting out of the jam in the seventh. “Watty [Ryan Watson] was going to be the closer. Bachman was going to be the guy to pitch the eighth inning and it just didn’t work out.”

The Angels brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth after a pair of softly hit grounders put two runners on base with two outs. Christian Moore singled off pitcher Hogan Harris’ glove, bringing in Jose Siri to make it 9-7, then pinch-hitter Oswald Peraza struck out looking to end the game.

Kikuchi was charged with two runs on seven hits in 5⅓ innings, striking out two and walking one.

The Angels continuously threatened, putting at least two runners on base in five of the first six innings and collecting 11 hits over that stretch. Mike Trout was responsible for three of those hits, collecting singles in the first and third and a double in the fourth. He also walked in the eighth to finish his 3-for-4 night.

Back-to-back singles and a wild pitch helped set up the Angels’ first run of the night. Guzman grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored Trout in the first inning.

Neto provided his own version of a Rickey Run in the sixth inning, drawing a six-pitch walk, then stealing second base and third. Neto then scored on a Vaughn Grissom RBI single through the left side of the infield for a 6-0 lead.

Guzman now has eight home runs this season, and four of those have come in his past four games played at the A’s hitter-friendly venue. He now holds the longest streak by a major leaguer at Sutter Health Park since the A’s temporarily relocated to the minor-league ballpark in 2025. The last minor leaguer with a four-game home run streak here was Miker Gerber in 2019.

Grissom reached base four times, collecting three singles and a hit-by pitch.

More to come on this story.

​ Orange County Register 

JSerra girls flag football turns showdown with Orange Lutheran into a blowout

• September 23, 2026

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — Typically when the top two teams in the county play each other, people can expect a competitive game.

That was not the case Tuesday when JSerra’s girls flag football team dominated Orange Lutheran 38-0 in a Trinity League game at JSerra High.

JSerra (18-0, 3-0) is ranked No. 1 in the Register’s Top 10 and Orange Lutheran (15-2, 2-1) is ranked No. 2. The Lions are ranked No. 1 in the CIF Southern Section computer rankings that were released Monday. Orange Lutheran is ranked No. 3.

The game tied for the largest margin of victory between the two teams in history and it is the first time Orange Lutheran has been shut out since Sept. 26, 2023.

“I just love it because the girls prepare so hard, so for them to see the fruit of their labor, it pays off,” JSerra coach Brian Ong said. “You see them dancing on the sideline and they’re having a lot of fun. Everybody in the stands gets to see the show on the field, but I get to see the work in practice and this is a testament of that work.”

The game went from being a competitive one to a lopsided one in a matter of two minutes when JSerra returned three interceptions for touchdowns.

After a scoreless first quarter, JSerra’s Anna Paquette, a transfer from Orange Lutheran, attempted to bat down a pass during her pass rush. Instead, she intercepted the pass and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown.

“Every day we have personal goals and Anna said, ‘I’m going to J.J. Watt this thing. I’m going to rush in and I want a pick-six,’” Ong said. “She manifested that thing.”

Sophomore Tessa Russell returned two interceptions for touchdowns to give the Lions an 18-0 lead in just 1:58 of game time.

“I’ve never seen that in my life,” Ong said of the three interception returns for touchdowns. “That’s a tough way for Orange Lutheran to have to start. It gives our team all the momentum. Hats off to Brian Russell (defensive coordinator) for putting the girls in a great position.”

“Our team feeds off of energy so I think that helped,” Tessa Russell said. “Our rushers getting to the ball so quickly put a lot of pressure on the quarterback and that was helpful for me.”

Russell has 10 interceptions this season and has returned them for 191 yards. The 10 interceptions are tied for the most by a sophomore in Orange County.

JSerra’s offense got going on the final possession of the first half. Quarterback Kate Meier capped a scoring drive with an 8-yard touchdown run to give the Lions a 25-0 lead at halftime.

The Lions added two touchdowns in the second half. JSerra scored on a hook-and-ladder play where Sterling Flores pitched the ball to GG Szczuka who ran it in for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Flores intercepted a pass late in the third quarter and was rewarded for her defensive effort with a 16-yard touchdown catch from Meier to extend the lead to 38-0.

Meier threw for 267 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Kai Beary led the Lions in receiving with 64 yards on six catches.

Szczuka had two sacks to lead the defense and Abby VanderWeerd had a team-high seven flag pulls.

Claire Dahman and Josie Anderson had interceptions for Orange Lutheran and Ava Harrison had a batted down pass. Quarterback Alyssa McClure played the first half and converted some third down opportunities, but did not play in the second half.

JSerra has won 46 consecutive games dating back to last season and has not lost since Oct. 26, 2024. The Lions beat Orange Lutheran 27-6 earlier this season in the Chargers tournament on Aug. 15.

JSerra will take a brief trip to Northern California to play Menlo of Atherton Thursday before resuming Trinity League play against Santa Margarita on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

“This is a good confidence boost, but at the end of the day, we take it one game at a time,” Tessa Russell said. “Tomorrow, this isn’t going to mean anything. We have to go out to Menlo, execute again and keep working.”

Orange Lutheran hosts Mater Dei in its next game on Tuesday, Sept. 29. The Lancers beat Mater Dei 19-12 in the first meeting between the two teams this season.

​ Orange County Register