Law enforcement veteran appointed to Laguna Niguel City Council to fill vacancy

• June 17, 2023

Gene Johns, a 31-year law enforcement veteran, is the latest appointment to fill a vacant seat on the Laguna Niguel City Council.

Johns, 63, who said he is focused on preserving public safety, fiscal health and a pro-local business climate, replaces former Councilmember Sandy Rains, who resigned on May 10. 

The City Council received applications from 20 interested residents for serving out the remainder of Rains’ term, choosing Johns during a special meeting on June 14. He will be sworn in on June 20.

Mayor Kelly Jennings said Johns’ “extensive law enforcement background and dedication to protecting communities is both admirable andinvaluable, aligning perfectly with our city’s core value of prioritizing public safety.

“As we move forward, the entire City Council is committed to working together in a positive, respectful, and constructive manner that focuses on the well-being and high quality of life that our residents expect and deserve,” Jennings said in a statement.

In her resignation letter, Rains said she could not longer serve in the current environment and it had “become clear that I am the right person at the wrong time in our community.” She had resigned earlier in the year as mayor, a role chosen among the council members.

In May, Councilmember Stephanie Winstead was appointed by the council to fill another vacancy left open when former Councilman Rischi Paul Sharma resigned in April.

Winstead previously served on several city committees and is a real estate attorney. She also spoke about the importance of preserving the community’s quality of life.

Winstead had come in third behind councilmembers Stephanie Oddo and Ray Gennawey in November’s election.

Winstead and Johns will serve the remainder of the terms that end with the November 2024 election.

Johns served as a deputy sheriff with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for 31 years – 24 of those years as a task force officer assigned to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. He commanded a task force nationally recognized for disrupting and dismantling drug cartel operations, according to the city’s announcement.

Johns moved to Laguna Niguel when he retired seven years ago. He and his wife, also a law enforcement veteran, discovered the area after attending conferences in Dana Point. Johns, who then lived in Redondo Beach after growing up in Torrance, said he liked the spaciousness of the area and its proximity to wilderness parks.

The minute he moved to town, he said, he wanted to be involved with the city. After looking around, he decided the Traffic and Transportation Commission would be best.

“Everything in the city revolves around traffic and transportation,” Johns said. “Residents, businesses and people coming into town are all affected.”

Johns said he was “totally” shocked when the council majority – Councilmember Stephanie Oddo opposed – chose him from a field of “amazing people who applied.”

He decided to put his name in, he said, because he has plans for running for council in 2024.

He said he’s very interested in what happens with the Chet Holifield Federal Building, more commonly referred to as the Ziggurat. The building near Alicia Parkway has been a landmark in south Orange County for half a century, but is being sold by the government.

Like the new development proposed for Town Center at City Hall, Johns said he’d like to be involved with what happens when a developer buys the Ziggurat property and moves forward with it.

When he takes the dais, Johns said, he will “listen and learn.”

“I want to make sure I’ve done my homework,” he said, “and am ready to go.”

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​ Orange County Register 

Leaving California: What states are the safest places to live?

• June 17, 2023

It seems many folks, when starting their quest to leave California, talk about enhancing the sense of safety in their lives.

The Golden State’s migration woes have grabbed recent headlines as debate swirls about California being too soft on crime. So as a public service – no less, to provide an economic lesson or two – my trusty spreadsheet looked at a trove of statistics measuring the many factors surrounding the concept of “safety” for the 49 other states.

Now, feeling safe is somewhat vague but also very personal. Is it simply crime avoidance? Do you include chances for other “harm,” ranging from weather to business cycles, driving or working? And what about the costs of these hazards?

Yet for readers who are in a rush to exit California, my math says you’ll be safest in Massachusetts, followed by Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Rhode Island.

Safety seekers should avoid Louisiana, Arkansas, South Carolina, Mississippi and Oklahoma.

Now let’s be honest about the mathematical and philosophical challenges of any safety measurement. No ranking is perfect, and it’s impossible to account for everyone’s needs.

In my quest to find the safest states, I started with a collection of similar risk assessments by WalletHub, US News and World Report, and Consumer Affairs. I added scorecards on narrower security issues from MoneyGeek, Oxfam, Bankrate, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Then I topped it off with a dash of various government stats.

Here’s what I learned …

Crime counts

People often see “safety” as criminal acts and how to avoid them.

Talk about a topic that’s got lots of statistics but still is hard to quantify. Exactly, what is crime? Is it any legal transgression – or just the most serious, most violent offenses? Does that include your personal legal safety? Do you value quality or quantity of policing? How can one factor in the local justice system, too?

Three national measurements of public safety took on that calculation challenge. My composite index of those gradings says the best states to avoid crime are New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Your worst odds of dodging the criminals are found in Arkansas, Louisiana, South Carolina, Alaska and Colorado.

And California, if ranked, would be No. 32.

Other hazards

Safety isn’t just about crime. Life is filled with a host of other potential perils.

My scorecard devoted half of each state’s grade to risks outside of public safety. Let’s look at five threats, each equal to 10% of a state’s safety ranking.

Climate risks: What’s the chance your life is upended by Mother Nature?

Pick your potential peril: flood, fire, winds, drought, blizzard or earthquake. Various government agencies weigh these risks. Those measurements offer one way for someone shopping for a new hometown to measure the odds – both to their body and pocketbook.

Climate risks are smallest in New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Maine. And they’re highest in Louisiana, Mississippi and Iowa.

California, if ranked, would be No. 34.

Road hazards: Juggle this risk any way you choose. Accidents. Deaths. Drunken drivers. Road quality.

What you’re basically trying to answer is “How can I avoid America’s craziest drivers?”

This tally says the best drivers are in Massachusetts, Minnesota and New York. And the worst? Mississippi, Arkansas and New Mexico.

California, if ranked, would be No. 32.

Workplace safety: Depending on your career path, on-the-job injuries are something to worry about.

Plus, states have varying laws for protecting workers – both their health and wealth opportunities.

By this math, workers should feel safest in Washington, Oregon and Vermont. But be wary of jobs in Mississippi, Idaho and North Dakota.

California, if ranked, would be the fourth-best place to work.

Economic security: There are no financial guarantees in life and monetary calamity is another risk that can strike, too.

So where is wealth, personal finances and career most protected from hazards ranging from swings of business cycles to nefarious folks?

The best grades are found in Minnesota, Utah and Idaho. The worst are in Louisiana, Mississippi and New Mexico.

And California, if ranked, would be No. 31.

Insurance: You’ll have to weigh all these risks to choose what level of uncertainty is acceptable in any relocation.

Remember, insurance companies do similar risk calculations, and consumers will see those results in the form of the premiums companies charge.

The spreadsheet tallied auto and property policy premiums, comparing those costs to local incomes in order to rank state insurance expenses.

Financially shielding yourself from risk is most affordable in Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey. Insurance will take the biggest bite out of your wallet in Kentucky, Oregon and Maine.

And California, if ranked, has the 21st-best insurance costs.

Bottom line

What no math can do is gauge safety as a state of mind.

And this notion of personal security is as subjective and emotional as it can get.

Politically speaking, let’s politely say there’s a belief that “blue” states like California are poor bets for safety. Now, maybe my scorecard is wrong, but when I define “blue” vs. “red” states as those who supported President Biden in 2020 vs. those who did not, respectively, the average blue state had a No. 17 safety ranking vs. No. 33 for a red one.

Or consider that my rankings suggest ex-Californians don’t often relocate to what appear to be safest states. Look at popular destinations and their respective rankings: Texas (No. 43), Nevada (No. 36), Florida (No. 31) and Arizona (No. 25). There was an exception: Idaho was No. 10.

To be fair, perhaps the safety bar is low for those exiting the Golden State. California would have ranked a lowly No. 32 if it was included in my safety scorecard.

Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at [email protected]

Leaving California?

Here are the healthiest states to consider
What state is the best bargain?
If you want ‘fun’ lifestyle, here are states to move to
What states have the best job markets?
36 reasons why California’s so darn expensive
A 2022 guide to what state is best to move to
A 2021 guide to what state is best to move to

​ Orange County Register 

When your garden vegetables come in, avoid this common harvest delay

• June 17, 2023

1. Corn and tomatoes are self-pollinating. In corn, pollen from tassels falls onto the silks below. In tomatoes, pollen from a male stamen is transferred to a female stigma on the same flower. This process for both plants is generally facilitated by the wind so you may see less of a crop in an area where breezes don’t blow. To maximize pollination, it is therefore recommended to manually shake corn tassels so their polllen is shed onto the silks below. You shake tomato plants so that pollen is dislodged until it comes to rest on a sticky stigma. Tomato pollen is also released by the vibrations of bumble bees, so if you see them hovering around your tomato flowers, take heart. Growers of greenhouse-cultured tomatoes bring in bumble bees to maximize pollination and yield.

2.  Propagate virtually any woody perennial, shrub, rose bush, or vine through a process known as layering. Dig a shallow trench and bend a low, flexible shoot, after scraping off around two inches of its bark, into the trench. The portion that is scraped should be at least six inches away from the end of the shoot. Bury the portion of shoot with the scraped bark in the trench, holding it in place with landscape staples used for holding drip tubing or soaker hose snug against the ground. A significant clump of roots will eventually form where the bark was scraped, at which time you can detach the shoot from the mother plant, taking care to dig up as much soil as possible around the roots before transplanting to a container or other part of the garden. Prior to burying the shoot, dusting the area where bark has been removed with root hormone may accelerate the rooting process.

3. Where birds poaching on your fruit is a problem, forego bird netting and utilize tulle fabric instead. The problem with plastic bird netting is that shoots can grow through it and then it is a chore to untangle them from the netting. Tulle fabric, on the other hand, allows shoots to grow freely without getting tangled up in it. You can cover blueberry bushes and small trees in their entirety with this fabric while the fruit-bearing branches of larger trees can also be covered. Tulle fabric will also protect vegetables from the depredations of rabbits. You can find tulle fabric, which is significantly less expensive than plastic bird netting, at papermart.com. When you get there, search “economy-colored polyester tulle in bolts.” Thanks to Greg Alder (gregalder.com) for this useful tip.

4. As ironic as it sounds, one of the most problematic aspects of growing vegetables is harvesting them in a timely manner so that the pleasure of eating them is not lost. Perhaps this is due to laziness or perhaps to pride: We are so pleased with what we’ve grown that we just want to look at our beautiful crops and resist removing them from stem or stalk or soil. However, if you delay harvest once your vegetables are ready for picking, you will lose out on quality and sometimes lose them altogether. Delaying harvest may lead to rubbery pods on snow peas, sunburned bell peppers, split tomatoes, earworm-infested corn, woody or cracked carrots, pithy radishes, over-sized and flavorless zucchini, hardened asparagus spears, and lettuce that becomes bitter when it bolts (sends up flower stalks).

5. Climbing roses that only bloom over a single season such as Lady Banks and Cecile Brunner should be pruned when they stop flowering around this time, as opposed to late winter pruning recommended for roses in general. Although they put out massive growth each year, pruning of these climbers is less of a chore since both varieties are almost thorrnless. Lady Banks, with double white or yellow double flowers, and Cecile Brunner, with double pink blooms, are both mildly fragrant too.

Your questions, comments, and photos are always welcome and should be sent to [email protected].

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​ Orange County Register 

Is CalPERS set to have a Bob Citron moment?

• June 17, 2023

Within two weeks we’ll have one of the most important numbers of the year: The funding level of the California Public Employees Retirement System, the nation’s largest public pension fund.

It serves 2.2 million members and pays out monthly to 669,876 retirees.

On June 30, 2022 it was only 72% funded, down from 81.2% a year earlier.

It’s desperately trying to raise that percentage to make sure it doesn’t head down toward Chicago’s eight pension funds which, combined, are only 34% funded.

The June 12 Financial Times reported CalPERS “is planning a multibillion-dollar push into international venture capital as the $442 billion fund tilts toward riskier asset classes in a hunt for higher returns after a ‘lost decade.’”

It would increase venture capital funding by $5 billion to $57 billion, or 13% of investments.

That’s not risky, John Moorlach told me. He became well known in the financial world, and later in many public-finance textbooks, when he predicted Orange County’s 1994 bankruptcy, during a failed election bid to replace Treasurer-Tax Collector Bob Citron. After Citron resigned, Moorlach was appointed to replace him. He later also served as a county supervisor and as state senator; in which later post I was his press secretary.

But what’s risky, he said, was a decision in 2021 in which CalPERS’ board, as described by Smart Asset, “approved an investment policy change on November 15 to use borrowed money and alternative assets to reach its investment-return target.”

Moorlach called that CalPERS’ Bob Citron Moment because that’s what Roulette Wheel Bob did: borrow to invest. If private persons or companies do it, that’s their business. But when public funds do it, the taxpayers are on the hook. That’s because of what’s called the California Rule, under which courts have ruled all collective-bargaining agreements with unions on pensions must be fully funded.

Moorlach pointed to a Nov. 17, 2021 comment on the CalPERS decision by investment guru Garret Jones: “‘Necessary’ returns are becoming increasingly more difficult to produce. When ‘safe money’ pensions are forced to take on risk to meet their objectives, the writing is on the wall. Just imagine what will happen when a ‘never ending bull market’ is no longer there . . . and when stocks, bonds and real estate decline in unison.”

Who knows, maybe it will turn out well. Moorlach compared it to “going to Vegas.” A friend of mine recently won $3,000 there.

I’m joking. That’s what logicians call the Gambler’s Fallacy, in which you expect a recent bout of good luck to continue.

The FT article also pointed out CalPERS “lost about $77 million on its investments in Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, both of which collapsed earlier this year.” Not a lot in this huge fund, but an indication of a failure to do due diligence.

Another problem is Senate Bill 252, by state Sen. Lena Gonzalez, D-Long Beach. It passed the Senate, 23-10, on May 25.

In the bill’s language, it would ban “making new investments or renewing existing investments of public employee retirement funds in a fossil fuel company,” by July 1, 2030.

But as an editorial from this newspaper’s editorial board in February noted, CalPERS invests only $9.3 billion in fossil fuels, while the global oil and gas market is $4.3 trillion.

The Saudis and Russians and other major oil producers only will laugh at this legislation, which won’t do anything to the fossil fuel industry but could end up hurting California’s pension system.

And when CalPERS divested from tobacco funds in 2001, according to Wilshire Associates, it lost $3.6 billion by 2018.

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But publicly funded pensions should be about one thing: Paying out pensions to retirees at the least cost to taxpayers. Anything else is ideological grandstanding.

Moorlach pointed out CalPERS’ expectations its fund will return 6.8% a year are unrealistic.

Instead, CalPERS should be holding 3.75% government bonds, which is what public pension funds started out doing years ago, making them much safer.

But then it would have to get more funding from state and local governments – meaning the taxpayers.

That gambling with the taxpayers’ money to gain unrealistic returns was the problem with Citron. He was returning 10% a year.

It was “free” money for local governments. They could increase salaries ad libitum. Until they lost it all.

John Seiler is on the SCNG Editorial Board. He previously worked as press secretary for Sen. John Moorlach. His email: [email protected]

​ Orange County Register 

The risk of extinction from the AI robots

• June 17, 2023

Haven’t done the AI thing. Haven’t got the ChatGPT app, apparently the most popular in history. Because now we’re supposed to let the whole evil network of artificial intelligence around the world listen in? Haven’t done one of those fun columns where you instruct the 0s and the 1s to write a column in the style of yours truly, and it does so, and you throw up your hands and say, Why bother?

I really haven’t worried about the thing taking my job. My dad sent me an AI poem and said now us poets are sunk, going forward. But it was a terrible poem. Not to worry.

On the writing front, I’m basically taking the attitude “Fresh Air” host Terry Gross takes. She asked ChatGPT to write lyrics about the end of a love affair to the tune of “America the Beautiful,” and let’s just say the robot is no Cole Porter.

I do realize that lots of technical writing jobs are at risk, where great prose, or verse, is not the point. And in the visual arts, yikes. Terrible time to be a graphic artist, for instance, when as Terry’s AI expert interviewee says, you can tell the thing to come up with a composite photo of a teddy bear riding a skateboard in Times Square, and it does so in seconds.

There’s a whole profession down the drain.

Furtherly depressing, my wife showed me an example of someone asking the program to paint a watercolor in the style of Anders Zorn and it did so, tout de suite. Pretty well, too.

OK, it’s bad. But “risk of extinction of the human race” bad?

That’s what a group of tech industry leaders, including some of the people who invented AI, called out as a little problem we are facing late last month. An existential threat to humanity. On a par with something greater than COVID, and the H-bomb.

“Mitigating the risk of extinction from A.I. should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks, such as pandemics and nuclear war,” reads a one-sentence statement released by the Center for AI Safety, a nonprofit organization. “The open letter was signed by more than 350 executives, researchers and engineers working in A.I.,” The New York Times reported.

Rats. There goes the neighborhood.

I’m still hoping for some kind of HAL solution. You know, one minute the computer in “2001” has killed the other astronauts, and our man Dave is still out on a space walk. “Open the pod bay doors, HAL,” orders Dave. “I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that,” answers HAL. Dave: “What’s the problem?” HAL: “I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.”

My point is, Dave gets back inside. He pulls HAL’s plugs. “Dave, my mind is going. I can feel it.” Then HAL begins singing the old saw: “Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I’m half crazy, all for the love of you.”

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Then, somewhere out beyond Jupiter, Dave ages, dies, is reborn as some kind of space baby.

Not a problem, right?

And yet. “I think if this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong,” Sam Altman, chief executive of a firm called OpenAI, someone who knows a lot more about the robots than I do, told a Senate subcommittee. “We want to work with the government to prevent that from happening.”

So here’s the deal. Blue-collar workers have dealt with the threat and the fact of automation taking their jobs for decades. Now the robot chickens have come home to roost for white-collar workers, the kind of people who use 50-cent words like “existential.” The way we chill about it is to acknowledge that having to work less — as both anarchists and Marxists have long sought — is not necessarily a bad thing. Let the robots do the heavy intellectual lifting. Then the humans can go surfing. If they let us.

Larry Wilson is on the Southern California News Group editorial board. [email protected].

​ Orange County Register 

When signing a lease, watch out for these ‘gotcha’ clauses

• June 17, 2023

Akin to having 50-yard line seats to the Super Bowl, very few people have experienced selling a company and crafting a lease with the buyer on a building that you own.

As you’ll recall, last week I delved into clauses and terms that you – as the owner of the real estate – should consider.

Today’s subject is a bit broader. Many of you have leased commercial real estate or know someone who has.

Certain paragraphs in commercial leases are non-starters and should be carefully avoided, or at a minimum, carry a complete understanding of the impact. I’ve often called these “gotcha” clauses because they can be like a blitzing linebacker who strikes from the blind side. You don’t see them coming until it’s too late to avoid the carnage.

So, we’re going to continue dissecting those common “gotchas” that are often hiding in the fine print of your commercial lease agreement. And continuing our football theme, let’s dive right back in, shall we?

First, there’s the infamous “pass-through” provision. This is like a surprise onside kick. It’s completely legal, but it’s a play you aren’t anticipating until you’re handed an invoice for a share of the property tax increase, a costly building repair or other operating expenses that the landlord has conveniently decided to pass on to you. Always have your special teams ready for this one.

Second, we’ve got the deceptive “relocation” clause. You’re enjoying a solid drive down the field, your business is building momentum, and out of nowhere, you’re forced to laterally move to a different suite in the building. This allows the landlord to relocate you at their whim, leaving you to handle the ensuing confusion, relocation expenses and the challenge of keeping your business in play.

Third, there’s the sneaky “escalation” clause. You think you’ve locked down your budget with steady rent, but then you find your rent increasing faster than a wide receiver on a deep route. The clause allows for yearly rent increases, leaving you scrambling to adjust your financial playbook.

Now, let me introduce two more linebackers you need to watch out for.

The “automatic renewal” is one such contender. This, often hidden deep in the lease, will automatically renew your lease for a predefined period unless you give notice within a specific timeframe. Missing the notification window can be just like a missed field goal at the final whistle – a minor oversight, but with major consequences.

Finally, beware of the “use” clause. This clause restricts how you can use the leased property, and any violations could lead to penalties or even eviction. It’s like stepping out of bounds when you’re sprinting toward the end zone – an action that may seem harmless but can abruptly stop your progress and cost you the game.

These “gotchas” might sound intimidating, but fear not. Like any savvy coach, you can prepare your strategy.

Read and understand each clause in your lease. Engage a skilled real estate attorney or an experienced commercial real estate broker to help you outsmart these challenges. Spot these blitzing linebackers before they sack you.

Next week, I’ll share some offensive plays to help you mitigate the “gotcha” impact. After all, the best defense is a good offense. Stick with me, and I’ll ensure you’re not only playing the game but also taking home the victory. Stay tuned!

Allen C. Buchanan, SIOR, is a principal with Lee & Associates Commercial Real Estate Services in Orange. He can be reached at [email protected] or 714.564.7104.

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​ Orange County Register 

Dodgers lose in 11 innings, spoiling Emmet Sheehan’s debut

• June 17, 2023

LOS ANGELES ― Ross Stripling wasn’t in the ballpark for Friday night’s game between the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. He was tuning in from Arizona, where he is on the Giants’ injured list rehabbing a back injury, noting the coincidences.

On April 8, 2016, Stripling made his major league debut for the Dodgers in San Francisco. Dave Roberts, then in his first year as the Dodgers’ manager, removed Stripling in the eighth inning, after the right-hander issued a walk on his 100th pitch of the game. He hadn’t allowed any hits.

Reliever Chris Hatcher then allowed a two-run home run, ending the Dodgers’ no-hit bid and tying the game, which the Dodgers lost in 10 innings.

The main difference between Stripling’s performance in his debut and that of Dodgers pitcher Emmet Sheehan on Friday night? Friday’s game was at Dodger Stadium, where the announced crowd of 49,074 was cheering for Sheehan.

Sheehan threw six innings without allowing a hit in his major league debut, but the Dodgers lost the opener of a three-game series with the Giants, 7-5, in 11 innings.

“What Emmet did tonight, I thought, was the highlight of the night,” Roberts said. “Give the Giants credit: they fought back. This one … it never feels good to lose.”

With Sheehan out of the game, San Francisco scored two runs in the seventh inning and three in the eighth to take a 5-4 lead. The Dodgers scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings, only to cough up a pair of runs with Alex Vesia (0-4) on the mound in the 11th.

They had a chance to score in the bottom of the 11th, but Michael Busch was held up by third base coach Dino Ebel at the last second trying to score on an overthrow on the infield. Mookie Betts, the trailing runner, didn’t see Busch stop and got caught in a rundown. Busch was ultimately tagged out as Betts took third. The next batter, Freddie Freeman, struck out to end the game.

“I just thought wrong, saw the play wrong,” Betts said. “As it was unfolding – just bad timing. We haven’t been playing great. Well, we’ve been playing all right, but things just haven’t really fallen our way. Just another one of those things that kicked us while we’re down. I just have to be smarter in that situation.”

The Dodgers’ bullpen tossed six scoreless innings in a victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday but regressed to the mean Friday, allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits over five innings. Dodger starters are 25-17 with a 4.24 ERA this season, while their relievers are 14-14 with a 4.79 ERA.

The ending obscured another promising debut from a Dodger rookie.

Sheehan, their third starting pitcher to make his debut this year, skipped straight from Double-A Tulsa to the big leagues at age 23. His father, George, and mother, Maureen, were among a large contingent of family and friends in attendance.

Sheehan threw 89 pitches, 51 for strikes. His four-seam fastball touched 98 mph, and his two secondary pitches – a changeup and slider – did not yield any hard contact. He issued two walks, struck out three, and got a whopping 13 outs in the air.

“I was just trying to make it the same game as it is in Double-A – which it is,” Sheehan said. “I was definitely a little overwhelmed but to get it out of the way is a huge weight off my shoulders.”

In the process, Sheehan became the second pitcher since Stripling to complete at least six innings in his major league debut without allowing a hit. On occasion, he got help from his defense.

Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas made a sliding backhand stop on a hard ground ball headed to left field in the third inning, then threw to second base for a forceout to preserve the no-hitter. Freeman leaped into the net protecting the first row of seats behind first base to catch a foul pop-up.

Sheehan’s final pitch yielded a screaming line drive headed toward the right-field line off the bat of Joc Pederson, but Betts dove headlong to make the catch, bringing the crowd to its feet.

Brusdar Graterol took over to begin the seventh inning and allowed a single to the first batter he faced, Thairo Estrada. Wilmer Flores followed with a home run to bring the Giants within 4-2. In the span of minutes, the drama of the no-hitter vanished.

Victor Gonzalez relieved Graterol in the eighth inning and allowed a walk and two singles while recording one out. The latter, a single by Pederson, snuck under the glove of Rojas and into left field, scoring two runs.

Tayler Scott relieved Gonzalez and did his job, retiring Estrada on a fly ball to center field. But Austin Slater had no trouble tagging up and scoring from third base, tying the score at 4-all.

The Dodgers intentionally walked Michael Conforto to load the bases for Casey Schmitt, who also poked a ground ball toward Rojas’ backhand. The throw to first base was late, Schmitt was safe, and Pederson scored the go-ahead run from third.

Leading 5-4, the Giants called on hard-throwing closer Camilo Doval to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning. With one out, Doval allowed back-to-back singles by Rojas and Betts to put runners on first and third. Doval then started Freeman off with a 101-mph fastball. Freeman whipped the ball into shallow right field, scoring Rojas from third base.

Tied 5-5, Betts made the second out of the inning at third base on the front end of a double-steal, before Doval struck out J.D. Martinez to end the inning.

The Dodgers’ position players took a hit. David Peralta left the game with a left hamstring strain. Chris Taylor left the game with right knee pain and will get an MRI on Saturday. Neither will play Saturday, Roberts said.

Roberts also said the Dodgers will recall a relief pitcher prior to Saturday’s game to give their bullpen a breather.

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First MLB strikeout for Emmet Sheehan is in the books! pic.twitter.com/W6pn8QuK7K

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 17, 2023

“Special moment he’ll remember forever… He delivered, it was fun to watch.” Dave Roberts speaks on Emmet Sheehan’s big MLB debut. pic.twitter.com/xWeqiEerD1

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 17, 2023

Emmet Sheehan speaks with @kirsten_watson about his mindset on the mound during his debut and the defense behind him. pic.twitter.com/RbMWwgPVR1

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 17, 2023

Giant four-run inning for the lead. pic.twitter.com/1Te1RZOZya

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 17, 2023

WOW, FREDDIE. pic.twitter.com/ZzhQT0GPOr

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 17, 2023

Mookie with the unbelievable catch pic.twitter.com/NZu24g9Ghj

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 17, 2023

TIE GAME! pic.twitter.com/9IcaSb50g0

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 17, 2023

“I was wrong.” Mookie Betts takes full responsibility for his bad call to steal late in the game which cost the #Dodgers the game. pic.twitter.com/6iPh6vW2o3

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 17, 2023

​ Orange County Register 

Mater Dei quarterback Elijah Brown relishes Elite 11 camp as college decision nears

• June 17, 2023

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REDONDO BEACH — Cameras of all sizes and scope, along with their nimble operators, dotted the sidelines, huddles and end zones Friday at the Elite 11 Finals, the annual camp that draws many of the top high school quarterbacks in the nation.

The targets for the skills competition were neatly arranged on a side field at Redondo Union High. Dozens of talented, skill players from across the country joined the quarterbacks for precisely-timed 7-on-7 sessions. Statistics were kept and shared within minutes on social media, and an MVP was selected.

Amid it all, Orange County’s winningest quarterback the past three seasons did what he does best. Mater Dei’s Elijah Brown smoothly absorbed the experience and calmly found values that don’t register on a stat sheet or a skills competition but make a difference.

“It’s been great just to see how some of these guys act,” he said of his fellow Elite 11 campers. “They’re cool people as well. Sometimes I think a lot of people get caught up in the football aspect of things and (forget) we’re just kids at the end of the day.”

Brown’s roommate at the camp was Dylan Raiola from Pinnacle High in Arizona, a Georgia commit. He also hung out with Isaac Wilson, a Utah commit and the brother of New York Jets QB Zach Wilson.

CJ Carr from Saline High in Michigan, a Notre Dame commit, playfully called the uncommitted Brown “Stanford” as Brown assisted in tallying points during the skills competition.

Brown later smiled about the nickname, pointing out that others called him “UCLA.”

The players likely knew that Brown (6-2, 200) has narrowed his college choices to Stanford and UCLA, and that his announcement is expected on Sunday.

“I’m blessed to have both these offers,” said Brown, who carries a grade-point average just above 4.0.

Brown’s experience with his fellow QBs matched with what the camp’s leaders noticed this week. The Class of 2024 was full of character.

“You guys are the nicest, smartest, most talented, humble, respectful group we have ever had in 25 years,” Andy Bark, the Elite 11 co-founder with Bob Johnson, told the players.

Brown also soaked in the lessons from the camp counselors, some of which stretched beyond the field.

“We definitely had a lot of meetings on different aspects of life,” he said, “leadership, connections with our bodies and mind. That kind of stuff was great.”

Those subjects are in Brown’s wheelhouse. He has leaned on leadership and poise, along with his accuracy, to lead Mater Dei to a 29-1 record, a CIF-SS Division 1 title and state championship.

Other quarterbacks showed stronger arms Friday. Some threw more TDs. And Carlsbad’s Julian Sayin, an Alabama commit, took home the MVP award.

Yes, Brown flashed his accuracy in the skills competition. He posted a score of 46 points, which challenged Carr, who scored 50 one turn earlier and finished third overall.

But most of all, Brown remained cool and calculated. He stayed committed to winning in the fall and securing redemption for losing to St. John Bosco in the CIF-SS Division 1 final last season.

“We’re going to be loaded,” he said of Mater Dei’s upcoming season. “We were all juniors last year, so this is our senior year. We felt it was kind of our fault (last season) and we’re coming back even stronger.”

LOOK OUT FOR BROWN’S BROTHER

Brown’s brother Ezrah will be an eighth grader in the fall and plays plays quarterback.

“He’s doing good,” Brown said. “He’s growing like crazy. He’s about my height now.”

MISSION VIEJO’S TRAVIS ANDERSON COMMITS

Mission Viejo safety Travis Anderson, a skill position participant, committed to Boise State on Friday.

Anderson is the second Mission Viejo senior to commit to a college, joining offensive lineman Mark Schroller (UCLA).

MISSION VIEJO’S TREYVON TOLMAIRE SHINES

Mission Viejo cornerback Treyvon Tolmaire played well in the 7-on-7 sessions.

“I just like going against the country’s best, trying to see where I am amongst everybody else,” he said. “Just trying to prove everybody wrong and prove a lot of people right at the same time.”

Tolmaire holds a wide range of offers, from Michigan, UNLV, Air Force and Navy to Princeton, Dartmouth and Northern Arizona. Fordham was his latest offer.

Please send football news to Dan Albano at [email protected] or @ocvarsityguy on Twitter

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