Matt Fleming: Thank God for family

• October 8, 2023

It turns out that raising two kids is way harder than raising one. 

My wife and I just welcomed our son into the world two weeks ago, which also happened to be just days after our daughter’s first birthday.

But instead of simply doubling our workload and stress, the second baby brought a multiplier effect that blew way past double and into a what-is-happening-to-me level of work and stress.

My son eats constantly, a service I cannot provide, so I am often left watching the toddler – and she is a handful. 

(My wife asked me to make it clear that I understand that I don’t watch my own kids, nor do I babysit. I parent, I spend time with, but I don’t watch or babysit. I understand, Dear). 

While he spends most of his time eating, sleeping and keeping his eyes open for short periods of time, staring at the wall like it’s the Mona Lisa, my daughter stays busy by satisfying her curiosity in every dangerous way imaginable. They say to make sure the house is baby proofed – but nothing can be totally baby-proofed because Baby refuses to be denied. 

If there’s a ledge, she’s on it. She’ll either fall off or climb up and then fall off – whatever the situation calls for. She has yet to learn from her mistakes. 

She loves the oven and shutting things on her fingers. Live wires excite her. Everything goes in her mouth: rocks, sticks, extension cords, and sometimes she’s too fast for me to tell whatever that last thing was. 

Intense heat, heights, electricity, sharpness and choke hazards don’t scare her a bit. Danger is her middle name.  

We took her to swimming lessons and my primary goal was to keep her alive. I was successful, but it wasn’t easy. 

Every time her face got close to the water, which was quite often during a swim lesson, she lunged for the water to drink it. Not only did this lead to repeated self-waterboarding, but she drank a bunch of chlorine too. 

The swim instructor said not to worry, kids get sick once from drinking the pool water and never do it again, but it turns out my daughter is one of a kind. 

I might be impressed with my daughter’s courage and passion for life if I wasn’t so busy helicoptering in terror or fantasizing about the day my wife can put down our son for a while.

But all the terrifying moments cannot offset the tremendous love and appreciation I’ve developed for my daughter over the past year. So many things about her I absolutely adore. 

How she says “Hi” and blows kisses at literally everything. How she snores. How she follows me everywhere I go and gets mad if I go too fast. How her favorite word is “Dada” (take that, Wife!). How when the day is done she walks into the room with her pacifier and blanket and says: “Nigh, nigh” (baby talk for bedtime). 

How just this week she started singing along to Raffi (we’ll get her on Alice In Chains and Luke Combs soon enough) and joins my wife and I in humming.

As annoying as it can be, I love that when she’s done eating a certain food item, she just throws it over her shoulder. This of course does not mean she’s done eating it, just that she’s moved on to something else for now and will inevitably want whatever she just cast aside. Hopefully she’ll soon learn that she can simply leave it on her high-chair tray until she’s ready to eat it, but until then we’re reluctant observers of the five-second rule. 

When she was our son’s age, a few weeks old, we were freaked out by everything. It’s terrifying. I was constantly checking her to make sure she was still breathing. There’s only one cry, but I was a wreck trying to figure out what it could mean.

But that’s all changed. Whenever our daughter is at daycare and we’re alone with our newborn son, it’s like a vacation. If he’s crying, he’s probably hungry. Feed him and he stops crying – it’s simple. 

Our daughter is still unsure of the new guy, which wreaks havoc on my wife’s and my emotions. Though to be fair, my wife and I are a little unsure of him too — we’re all still getting acquainted, after all. 

But when I consider how much my love has grown for my daughter over the past year, I have no doubt the same will happen for my son. I mean, just look at his little face! And those yawns!

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This whole experience has given me a profound respect for single parents, especially those with multiple kids. Or the parents of twins, or triplets, and so on. And all the parents, really. 

Parenting is hard. It’s a title fight in time management. How to put more than one kid to bed around the same time is a Dan Brown-level mystery I’ve yet to crack. 

But it’s all worth it. To make this an argument and to satisfy my editor’s insistence that the opinion pages contain opinion pieces, I’ll say this: If you have the chance to be a parent, take it. 

I know it can be daunting (it’s actually way harder than you imagine!). Maybe you’re scared, or maybe there’s something else blocking you. Whatever it is, you are missing out on the most amazing experience of your life. 

My wife is an amazing spouse, friend and parent. My daughter is a gift from the heavens and my son is an unfolding adventure. Thank God for family.

Follow Matt on Twitter or X or whatever you call it @FlemingWords

​ Orange County Register 

Caleb Williams lifts USC past Arizona in triple overtime

• October 8, 2023

LOS ANGELES — He had been bruised and battered, tossed aside spread-eagle on the sidelines like a rag-doll, smothered and scattered and made to look decidedly mortal.

But when it mattered most, Caleb Williams became Hercules himself.

At the start of the fourth quarter in a dogfight against Arizona, previously-nonexistent USC momentum buoyed by heaps of yellow laundry, the Trojans expended two full minutes of gametime starting a drive from the one-yard line. This was not battle but war in the trenches, end-zone pushes from Austin Jones and MarShawn Lloyd and Williams ending in a fruitless pile of bodies.

And on a first down from the one, Williams took a snap and pushed, hitting a wall of Wildcats defenders and seemingly disappearing. Arizona cornerback Treydan Stukes’ arm was around his neck, and there was nowhere to go, the Heisman winner seeming dead to rights.

Except Williams turned 360 degrees, angling back, keeping his feet moving as Stukes clung like a barnacle, clawing and churning and full-body extending until miraculously he thumped to the turf with the ball across the goal line.

It was an awe-inspiring display of heart, Williams’ second rushing score of the day giving USC an eight-point lead in a game that had felt like chewing with a mouth full of peanut butter, a summation of a gritty effort in his worst game of the year that was somehow going to be enough to drag the Trojans, yet, again, across the finish line.

And even as it seemed as if a win would nearly slip away from USC — did, nearly, slip away from USC in one of the most unbelievable botched-field-goal plays you’ll ever see — Williams and USC survived a truly unimaginable triple-overtime game to put Arizona away 43-41, the Trojans’ demigod becoming immortal yet again with one final two-point conversion run before USC’s defense finally held to shut a final Wildcat two-point conversion away.

In a moment, the Coliseum exploded, lights flickering away and a stream of USC red-and-goal swarming the field in a game that was thankfully, at long last, finished.

With seconds left to play, tied 28-28 on a final drive, Williams had done his part, hitting Tahj Washington for a 26-yard gain over the middle of the field and recovering a late fumble to preserve possession. Lloyd had done his part, breaking off a couple runs to set USC up. All the Trojans had to do to seal a win, to escape the Coliseum 6-0 and earn about a six-hour ice bath, was dump through a 25-yard field goal and send home fans into a frenzy.

Except in a play that’ll live in infamy in this 2023 USC season, a play so unbelievable it seemed to take a few seconds to set in, a field-goal snap went slightly high to punter Will Rose. And for a moment, time froze, Rose seeming unsure of whether to place the snap down or try and run, eventually placing it and kicker Denis Lynch completely whiffing — bringing an already-grueling game to overtime.

But as USC’s defense broke, completely, as all momentum dictated the Trojans simply were destined to lose this game on pure bad omen, Williams would not quit. Back and forth they dueled, Williams scrambling for an 18-yard score only to be matched by a quick bomb from Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita, Arizona coming back and scoring again before Austin Jones matched them with an 11-yard touchdown run.

Williams darted in for a two-point conversion in the third overtime, Arizona’s two-point conversion was swallowed by USC’s defense, and Williams went bounding up the tunnel in glee after one of the craziest collegiate football games a rocking crowd at the Coliseum had ever seen.

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​ Orange County Register 

Diamondbacks credit luck, momentum, smart decisions for forcing Clayton Kershaw’s early exit

• October 8, 2023

LOS ANGELES ― Before Saturday, Clayton Kershaw had never lasted fewer than three innings in any of his 32 postseason starts. He had never failed to complete one full inning in a regular season start, either, a streak spanning 422 games over 16 seasons.

The Dodgers’ 11-2 loss in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks marked the shortest start of Kershaw’s career, regular season or postseason. He faced eight batters and retired one. Of the other seven, six scored. Kershaw threw his first pitch at 6:20 p.m. Pacific Time and the last of his 35 pitches at 6:36 – the fastest exit of his career.

The Diamondbacks’ exit velocities were just as impressive: a 116-mph line drive by Ketel Marte that James Outman overran in left-center field, scored a double. A 110-mph single by Corbin Carroll. A 100-mph single by Tommy Pham. A 106-mph double by Christian Walker. A 111-mph home run by Gabriel Moreno. All came before Kershaw recorded his first out.

It was a good old-fashioned whupping unlike anything Kershaw had seen before.

“He’s so good at making things look like strikes and putting them on the edges,” Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker said. “I think the battle today was making good decisions. (Kershaw) is a pitcher through and through. He knows how to read swings. He knows how to make things look hittable. He knows how to locate. He’s been on this stage a lot. So as far as making good decisions … that’s the epitome of what we pride ourselves on.”

Kershaw threw 25 strikes in the inning. The Diamondbacks swung at 24 of them.

Aggressive? Sure, but that’s every team’s approach against Kershaw, veteran third baseman Evan Longoria said.

“We really didn’t have a set plan before the game,” Longoria said. “We’ve faced him (three) times before this (in 2023). We’ve talked about … the game before, what did he do with us? How are we going to approach him? The meeting today wasn’t super focused on one specific plan. It just seemed like from the beginning of the game, one batter after another, guys were feeding off the previous guy’s at-bat.”

Walker, who doubled in his only plate appearance against Kershaw, has the highest career on-base plus slugging percentage (1.069) of any hitter with at least 30 plate appearances against Kershaw in his career. Diamondbacks designated hitter Tommy Pham, who pounded an 0-and-2 slider from Kershaw into left field for a single, has a .206 OPS in his career against Kershaw.

For an inning, their past performances against Kershaw almost didn’t matter. Everyone feasted.

“Kershaw, man, he owns me,” Pham said. “I joke with him, ‘give me an autograph for every strikeout you have against me.’ (Seven before today.) He historically does really well against me, so I don’t know what it is. I got lucky. The ball wasn’t even in the zone. I typically don’t even hit that pitch. I got lucky.”

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Longoria, who celebrated his 38th birthday Saturday, made his major league debut a month before Kershaw in April 2008. They might face each other again in Game 4, which Kershaw is scheduled to start in Phoenix if the series should go that far.

For that reason, Longoria would not allow the thought that Saturday might have been the last time that he – or anyone – sees Kershaw on a major league mound.

“Those are thoughts you have at the end of the season, or when he or I retire. In an atmosphere like tonight, that’s probably the last thought on my mind,” Longoria said. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Kersh. He’s one of the best pitchers of our generation. I don’t think that’s even an argument. Whoever goes out there on the mound at this point in the year, we’re trying to put up as many runs as we can and win the game.

“At the end of the day, Kershaw’s going to be remembered for how great he was. He isn’t going to be remembered for that game.”

​ Orange County Register 

Santa Anita horse racing consensus picks for Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023

• October 8, 2023

The consensus box of Santa Anita horse racing picks comes from handicappers Bob Mieszerski, Art Wilson, Terry Turrell and Eddie Wilson. Here are the picks for thoroughbred races on Sunday, October 8, 2023.

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​ Orange County Register 

Clayton Kershaw chased in 1st inning as Dodgers lose NLDS opener to Diamondbacks

• October 8, 2023

LOS ANGELES — Hall of Fame careers do not always end heroically.

Willie Mays stumbled in the outfield while playing for the New York Mets during the 1973 World Series and it has become the archetype – exaggerated though it has been over the years – of the great player who stayed longer than his skills.

Clayton Kershaw has not said this is his last season. He defied a shoulder injury that limited him over the final two months of the regular season and robbed him of velocity to earn his 32nd postseason start.

If it is his farewell, though, the Dodgers’ 11-2 loss in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Saturday night was Kershaw’s embarrassing stumble.

He faced just eight batters. The first six all reached base and scored. He retired just one batter before Dodgers manager Dave Roberts mercifully pulled him from the game.

Kershaw sat alone on the bench, his head down, as Emmet Sheehan got out of the inning then walked the length of the dugout and disappeared down the tunnel leading to the clubhouse, his teammates politely looking away.

Whether Kershaw emerges to pitch again for the Dodgers – this postseason or next year – is very much in doubt. It is easier to imagine the Dodgers placing him on the injured list with his unspecified shoulder issue (thus making him ineligible if the Dodgers rebound to reach the NL Championship Series) than it is to picture them sending Kershaw back to the mound for a Game 4 or 5 and risking more of this in a potential elimination game.

Ketel Marte started Saturday’s beating with a rocket into the left-center field gap. James Outman got there but overran the ball, reached back and had it go off his glove for a double (which could have been scored an error).

Corbin Carroll drove him in with an RBI single. In quick order, Tommy Pham singled, Christian Walker doubled off the bullpen gate in left field and Gabriel Moreno launched a 419-foot drive into the night for a three-run home run (the first of four Diamondbacks homers in the game).

The five hits had exit velocities of 115.7, 109.6, 99.4, 105.7 and 110.8 mph on the home run. Anything 95 mph or higher is considered a ‘hard-hit’ ball by Statcast measures. Kershaw gave up another one (96.7 mph) but got an out on the ground ball to Miguel Rojas. A walk and another double followed before Roberts could get to the mound.

It was the first time in Kershaw’s career that he allowed more than five ‘hard-hit’ balls in any inning. The Diamondbacks showed no fear, swinging at 24 of the 25 strikes Kershaw managed in his 35-pitch night and averaging 105.2 mph in exit velocity when they put it in play.

To the litany of Kershaw’s October miseries include these new additions.

He is the first pitcher in postseason history to allow five runs and five hits before recording an out, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

And he is the third starting pitcher in postseason history to record one out or none while allowing six earned runs or more, joining Mike Foltynewicz of the Braves (against the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2019 NLDS) and Gil Heredia of the Oakland A’s (against the New York Yankees in the 2000 ALDS), according to OptaStats.

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The Diamondbacks continued against Emmet Sheehan, the rookie called in to stop the bleeding. He gave up a home run to Carroll in the second inning and two more runs before the Diamondbacks tired of ripping extra-base hits, at least for awhile.

While Kershaw making painful history, Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly reversed some personal history.

Kelly came into the game 0-11 with a 5.49 ERA in 16 career starts against the Dodgers. According to OptaStats that is the most career losses without a win against a single opponent when starting a playoff game against them.

Making the first postseason appearance of his career, Kelly breezed through the shell-shocked Dodgers. He allowed just three hits over 6⅓ innings, taking a shutout into the seventh before handing the big lead over to the bullpen.

The Diamondbacks hit seven balls with exit velocities above 95 mph in the first inning – the Dodgers had five total off Kelly. Three of those went for outs.

More to come on this story.

​ Orange County Register 

Alexander: Clayton Kershaw’s Game 1 start against the Diamondbacks is a debacle

• October 8, 2023

LOS ANGELES — We’ve asked the question yearly at this time: Could we be witnessing Clayton Kershaw’s career finale?

If Saturday indeed turns out to be the last look we have of him in a Dodger uniform – this is, of course, jumping to conclusions – it was ugly, and sad.

The first, and only, inning of Kershaw’s 32nd career playoff start was simply a disaster. Not only didn’t he make it through the inning, he only got one out, and by the time Manager Dave Roberts came to the mound to replace him the Arizona Diamondbacks had a 6-0 lead, en route to an 11-2 rout and a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five National League Division Series.

Of their six hits off Kershaw, four were 100 mph or more off the bat:

• A double by leadoff hitter Ketel Marte (115.7 mph, on a 73 mph curveball), which seemed to sail as it reached center fielder James Outman and ticked off his glove;

• An RBI single by Corbin Carroll (109.6, on an 87 mph slider) that zoomed through the right side of the infield;

• An RBI double off the left field bullpen gate by Christian Walker (105.7, on a 74.7 mph curveball);

• And a 419-foot three-run homer into the left field pavilion (110.8, on an 86.6 mph slider) by catcher Gabriel Moreno, whose very availability was in doubt after he’d taken an inadvertent bat to the head Wednesday night in Milwaukee.

This time it was Kershaw and the Dodgers who were stunned. And after Evan Longoria’s RBI double (a four-seam fastball that came in at 90 mph and went out at 98.8) made it 6-0, Roberts went to the mound to take the ball.

“It’s just embarrassing,” Kershaw said afterward. “I feel like I let everybody down. It’s a tough way to start the postseason. Obviously, we still have a chance at this thing. This wasn’t the way I should have started.

“I’m fine. I just didn’t make enough good pitches. There’s nothing health-related here, just bad pitching.”

It would indeed be disheartening if this were the way Kershaw were to go out. And who knows? It still might not be.

For one thing, it’s only one loss, and while losses are magnified more in a best-of-five format this isn’t the edge of the cliff yet. If the Diamondbacks were to rough up Bobby Miller in Monday’s Game 2 as well, that would be the edge of the cliff and the Dodgers would be looking down the barrel of elimination beginning Wednesday night in Phoenix. If the Dodgers can get at least one win in the next two, Roberts said that Kershaw would be his Game 4 starter Thursday.

“I’ll be ready,” Kershaw said.

And secondly? If this indeed turns out to be the last we see of Kershaw this season, it might just make the three-time Cy Young Award winner more determined to give it one more try in 2024.

As we mentioned previously, his future has become an annual question at season’s end. And that’s primarily Kershaw’s doing because he has signed one-year contracts the last two years ($17 million in 2022, $20 million this season) in order to give himself options.

He would be 36 on Opening Day 2024. He is ending his 16th season in the major leagues, and while the regular-season numbers were as brilliant as ever (13-5, 2.46 ERA, a 1.063 WHIP), the years have taken their toll. Those pitches that got into the 90s Saturday night? This was the first time he’d thrown that many at that velocity in more than a month. He has been physically compromised, no longer able to rear back and blow hitters away but instead reduced to guile, location and pitch selection.

Up until Saturday, he had succeeded with that reduced arsenal.

“I’d much rather just be good and be able to pitch the way I used to,” he said two weeks ago after pitching five two-hit innings against the San Francisco Giants in his last home start of the regular season. “But I don’t really think of it like that too much. Whenever it’s your turn to pitch, just go out there and try to win, and hopefully you get the job done.”

Before Saturday’s outing, Roberts said “this is as good as he’s felt physically in the last couple of months. I think that there’s maybe five starts ago, four starts ago, (where) it was a little rocky as far as the command. But we weathered that, and I think right now he’s in a good spot.”

Afterward, Roberts said: “Obviously they took a lot of good swings. It seemed like they were on everything he threw up there. The Pham ball (a sharp single to left on an 87.8 mph slider) was down below and he scooped it, but outside of that I think balls were just up and good pitches for them to hit. They didn’t miss them. … Usually Clayton does a great job of controlling, managing damage. And tonight unfortunately we didn’t do that.

“I thought the stuff was good. Just some mistakes that they capitalized on.”

Along with everything else, this puts another dent in Kershaw’s October reputation. He is now 13-13 in the postseason with a 4.49 ERA and 1.137 WHIP, though his 213 postseason strikeouts are second all-time to Justin Verlander.

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Given Kershaw’s adaptation to make up for his physical limitations, it’s worth noting that when he was a rookie in 2008, designated for long relief in the postseason by then-manager Joe Torre, the other guy serving in that role was Greg Maddux, who was ending his 23-year career with the Dodgers and would go into the Hall of Fame with 355 victories thanks to his own mix of guile, location and pitch selection.

“I think we were the two long guys in the ’pen in 2008,” Kershaw said Friday. “That was kind of a unique experience.”

He never came right out and said so, but you’ve got to think he soaked up some of Maddux’s knowledge during their two months or so as teammates, after the Dodgers had acquired Maddux from San Diego in mid-August.

Flash forward to this season, and on nights when Kershaw hasn’t pitched he’s been on the top step of the dugout in conversation, often with some of the Dodgers’ young pitchers, paying it forward. Maybe his example, of persevering when you’re at less than your best – and, if the story goes the way he and the Dodgers want, following a disastrous outing with a strong one – will be something the youngsters can draw on later in their careers.

Meanwhile, let’s hope this isn’t the way Kershaw goes out. A future Hall of Famer deserves better.

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​ Orange County Register 

LAFC moves into 2nd in West, eliminates Austin from playoff contention

• October 8, 2023

AUSTIN, Texas — Dénis Bouanga’s big week has helped LAFC surge past the Seattle Sounders in the race for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

Bouanga scored twice to extend his MLS lead to 19 goals this season and LAFC (14-10-9, 51 points) moved one point ahead of Seattle (13-9-11) and into second place with a 4-2 victory over Austin FC on Saturday night, eliminating the Texans’ playoff hopes in the process. LAFC and Seattle both have one game left in the regular season, with LAFC playing at fifth-place Vancouver on Oct. 21 and Seattle playing at first-place St. Louis City SC the same day.

Bouanga, who had three goals in a 5-1 victory over Minnesota United on Wednesday night, recorded his fifth multi-score game of the season, the second-most in a single season in club history behind Carlos Vela’s seven in 2019.

LAFC has won six of the eight all-time meetings, with Austin winning the other two.

Austin (10-15-8, 38 points) was coming off a 3-0 win over D.C. United on Wednesday to snap a club-record 10-match winless run in all competitions.

Timothy Tillman opened the scoring in the 13th minute and Bouanga hammered in a penalty kick just before halftime. Bouanga made it 3-0 in the 54th and Cristian Olivera gave LAFC a four-goal lead in the 68th.

Leo Väisänen scored his first MLS goal for Austin in the 75th and they benefited from Giorgio Chiellini’s own goal in second-half stoppage time.

LAFC has totaled nine goals in two games this week.

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​ Orange County Register 

Galaxy eliminated from playoff contention with loss to Minnesota United

• October 8, 2023

SAINT PAUL, Minn. — The Galaxy were eliminated from playoff contention after Teemu Pukki scored three of his four goals in the second half to propel Minnesota United to a 5-2 victory on Saturday night.

The Galaxy leads the all-time series 7-3-4. The club hasn’t won in its last three visits, though, after posting 4-0-1 mark in its first five trips. The Galaxy has conceded multiple goals in a team-record seven straight league matches.

Jonathan Bond stopped eight shots for the Galaxy. Dayne St. Clair tallied six saves for Minnesota United.

The Galaxy return home to host Real Salt Lake on Saturday. Minnesota United returns to action on Oct. 21 at Sporting Kansas City.

Pukki set a club record with his effort for Minnesota United (10-12-11), helping the team keep its playoff hopes alive. Darwin Quintero scored three goals in a 2018 match to set the previous mark.

Pukki scored in the 45th minute to give Minnesota United a 2-1 lead at halftime. He added goals in the 60th, 67th and 76th minutes, giving him 10 goals in just 12 starts and 13 appearances for the club this season. Emanuel Reynoso had an assist on Pukki’s first netter. His second goal was unassisted. Bongokuhle Hlongwane and Reynoso had assists on Pukki’s third goal and Franco Fragapane notched a helper on his fourth. Hlongwane also had an assist on Hassani Dotson’s third goal of the campaign, giving the club a 1-0 lead in the 33rd minute.

Tyler Boyd scored for a seventh time this season to pull the Galaxy (8-13-11) even at 1-1. Dejan Joveljic scored his fifth goal of the season, unassisted in the 82nd minute to complete the scoring.

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​ Orange County Register