Dodgers demote Miguel Vargas after poor first half

• July 9, 2023

LOS ANGELES — Miguel Vargas’ potential motivated the Dodgers to hand him a job as their second baseman. His performance has prompted them to take it away.

Vargas was optioned to the minor leagues Sunday after batting just .195 with a .672 OPS and 80 OPS-plus (100 is league average) in 81 games. The 23-year-old rookie reached the All-Star break with five hits in his last 63 at-bats.

The Dodgers also optioned left-hander Bryan Hudson and activated right-hander Yency Almonte from the paternity list.

The moves leave one roster spot open. Both Chris Taylor and Clayton Kershaw are expected to be activated from the Injured List at some point after the Dodgers return from the All-Star break.

The every-day second baseman when the season started despite his limited experience — in the big leagues and at the position — Vargas started 69 games there in the first half. But his protracted slump prompted the Dodgers to bench him, particularly against right-handed pitching. Mookie Betts started at second base six times in the Dodgers’ last 13 games before the break.

Earlier this week, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged that a demotion for Vargas could be “on the table.”

“There’s a piece of winning here, and there’s also a piece of putting his mind where it needs to be, because clearly right now, he’s pressing. He’s never struggled like this,” Roberts said of Vargas, who has a .313 average and .878 OPS in his minor-league career.

“I do believe the defense is getting better, and the experience of being at the major league level is helpful. But it’s also helpful to feel yourself getting some hits and getting your confidence going. … He’s grinding. He’s playing hard. But it’s just not happening.”

The Dodgers open the second half on Friday in New York against the Mets. Vargas cannot be recalled for 10 days unless it is to replace a player going to the IL.

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Triple-digit heat wave to blanket parts of Southern California this week

• July 9, 2023

Summer is only just beginning and with it, another heat wave is on the way for parts of Southern California this week, with inland cities facing temperatures in the triple digits, forecasters said.

A high-pressure system is expected to start building over the region on Monday, with temperatures slowly climbing throughout the week and peaking by Thursday or Friday, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Rich Thompson.

Temperatures will start to creep from the low 80s into the mid to high 80s on Monday and continue to rise into the high 90s and low 100s by Friday around inland Los Angeles County cities, including Woodland Hills and Pasadena.

Coastal communities will be spared from the heat wave, with early morning light fog hanging over the beaches and temperatures lingering in the mid to high 70s for most of the week, Thompson said.

Heading south down the coast, Orange County cities like Huntington Beach and Laguna Beach will also receive some cloud coverage, and temperatures in the mid-70s to low 80s for the majority of the heat spell, said National Weather Service meteorologist Kasey Oswant.

The Inland Empire will feel the brunt of the torridity, with temperatures already in the 90s for some cities on Monday.

“The IE is going to get quite toasty, especially by the end of the week,” Oswant said.

By Tuesday, San Bernardino cities including Fontana and Ontario will climb into the mid-90s and potentially into the triple digits by Thursday, Oswant said. Meanwhile in Riverside County, cities like Moreno Valley and Corona should see similar temperatures that likely will reach into the low 100s by the end of the week.

A heat advisory was in effect starting on Tuesday through Saturday evening for several Inland Empire cities, as well as a heat advisory extending through Sunday evening in Los Angeles County.

Temperatures may begin to cool down by next Sunday, though forecasters said it’s too early to tell whether it would be the end of the heat wave.

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Lakers beat Hornets for second straight summer league win

• July 9, 2023

LAS VEGAS — The Lakers didn’t need another 20-point performance from Max Christie to secure their second consecutive summer league win, a 93-75 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

They got contributions from several players in the win, led by Colin Castleton’s 21-point, 14-rebound double-double to go with three assists.

D’Moi Hodge had 16 points, five rebounds and two blocks, while first-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino recorded 15 points and five assists.

Second-round pick Maxwell Lewis added 12 on 5-of-9 shooting while Christie finished with 11 points, six rebounds and four blocks.

Brandon Miller, the No. 2 pick in the June 22 NBA draft, had 10 points (4-of-17 shooting), seven rebounds and four assists for Charlotte.

The Lakers were coming off a Friday win over the Golden State Warriors.

They’ll play the Boston Celtics Wednesday (7 p.m.) at the Thomas & Mack Center, the third of five games they will play in Las Vegas.

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17-year-old boy killed in predawn shooting near Beverly Center; suspect sought

• July 9, 2023

A 17-year-old boy was shot to death and two other males were wounded near the Beverly Center early Sunday, July 9, and the shooter was still at large, authorities said.

Officers were dispatched at 3:50 a.m. to West Third Street and South Orlando Avenue, where the boy was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

A 17-year-old boy was shot to death and two other males were wounded near the Beverly Center early Sunday, July 9 and the shooter was still at large, authorities said. (Image courtesy of Google Maps)

Paramedics rushed another 17-year-old boy and a 26-year-old man to nearby Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

The suspect was last seen fleeing the area on foot southbound on Orlando Avenue, police said.

According to ABC7, the shooting occurred outside Berri’s Cafe, which is open until 4 a.m.

LAPD West Bureau homicide detectives urged anyone with information about the shooting to call them at 213-382-9470 or 877-527-3247.

Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or go to lapdonline.org.

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How Dodgers’ Mookie Betts packs power into 5-foot-9, 170-pound frame

• July 9, 2023

LOS ANGELES — Growing up in Nashville, Tenn., young Mookie Betts was usually the smallest player on the field when he played baseball. So the other kids did what kids do.

“They said, ‘Move in,’” Betts recalled.

Betts’ parents weren’t the type to let their son accept any limitations on his abilities. So they offered some advice.

“They said, ‘Hit it over their heads.’ So I just did it. I don’t know how. I just did it,” Betts said. “God blessed me with the ability to do it, and I’m still trying to do it.”

He is doing it more successfully than ever this season. Betts reached the All-Star break with 26 home runs, tied for third in the major leagues and on pace for the first 40-homer season of his career. Ten of those have come in his first at-bat of the game, a franchise record for leadoff home runs and just three short of matching the single-season record set by Alfonso Soriano with the 2003 Yankees.

Betts has been outslugging much larger sluggers all season and will now try to do it in their private lair, the Home Run Derby scheduled for Monday in Seattle.

Move in, indeed.

A similarly sized outfielder in his playing days, Dave Roberts hit a total of 23 home runs in his 10-year playing career. When the Dodgers acquired Betts in 2020, Roberts said the one thing that surprised him about the former MVP was his power.

“I just think looking at the stature, the physicality, it doesn’t add up,” the Dodgers manager said. “But as I’ve gotten to know him more and understand how he uses his body, the way he sequences (the parts of his swing), how he uses the ground force as well as anybody I’ve been around — then it starts to make sense.

“That’s how he generates it. … It’s not the bat speed. It’s the ground force, the torque he creates. He gets this whippy, rubber-band type thing with his body — all those things and the sequencing of how it goes. I equate it to how a golfer who’s not that big can launch a ball because everything is working in sequence, where you can try to brute-force a ball and it just doesn’t go as far.”

Hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc highlights two things as keys to Betts’ ability to generate more power than his 5-foot-9, 170-pound frame implies — efficiency and leverage.

“He just uses every inch of his frame and everything he has as efficiently as you can,” Van Scoyoc said. “He uses his core, his wrists, his arms, all of it, each part independently is super efficient, and as you put them all together as one piece, it can produce that.”

Betts was one of several Dodgers players who went to Driveline for an evaluation this past offseason, that baseball think-tank known for helping pitchers now expanding into hitting. The feedback there just confirmed what the Dodgers’ hitting staff already knew about Betts’ swing, Van Scoyoc said.

“Since he’s smaller in size and stature, he has to get into his front leg and he uses his front leg very effectively, goes into rotation and creates a lot of force and torque with his front leg which will translate into speed and power up the frame,” the hitting coach said.

This is all well and good. But don’t expect Betts to traffic in words like “leverage” and “torque” when explaining how he generates power with his swing. In fact, don’t expect him to explain it.

“I have no idea. I have no earthly idea where it comes from. I just do it,” he said. “People ask me about hitting, I try not to ever give advice on hitting. I just don’t know.

“I know my swing. But for other people, I can’t tell other people how to do what I do. Hell, half the time I don’t know how I do what I do with hitting.”

But he knew what he wanted to do.

Betts took a step back offensively during his third full season in the big leagues. He hit just .264 in 2017 with an .803 OPS (still the lowest of his career). A friendship blossomed with new teammate J.D. Martinez, who encouraged Betts to make some changes in his swing.

“Really just the finish,” Betts said. “It’s kind of hard to explain. My finish used to be kind of low and cut across and that’s why I would hit a lot of ground balls on sliders. J.D. and Rob were kind of the ones who taught me a better finish.”

The result was Betts elevated more balls and drove them more often — though he insists that’s not what he was going for. His aim was “just to be a better hitter.”

“I just didn’t want to hit it on the ground. Not for launch angle. I’m not into launch-angle stuff. Just not hitting it on the ground,” Betts said.

“Sure, I wanted to drive it. But it was mostly to stop hitting ground balls on sliders. You look back at ’17, I hit .260. I hit a lot of ground balls to second on sliders, a lot of ground balls to short. I just didn’t want to do that anymore.”

Betts hit a career-high 32 home runs in 2018, led the majors with a .640 slugging percentage (Martinez was second) and won the American League MVP award. Though his average has dropped since then, Betts’ slugging percentage has stayed up and his home run rate has increased.

In his first three full big-league seasons, he had a .492 slugging percentage and hit a home run every 28.7 plate appearances while playing his home games at hitter-friendly Fenway Park. Since 2018, he has slugged .553 with a home run every 19.6 plate appearances.

“When things are clicking for him, it’s a really efficient swing,” said Dodgers coach Clayton McCullough, whose job it will be to find Betts’ sweet spot pitching to him in the Derby. “There’s a lot of twitch in there and a lot of bat speed. And his ability to create some torque, it amazes me sometimes.

“You can tell as soon as he hits it, you’re just like ‘Wow.’ For it to come off his bat that way, for someone who is not as physically maxed out or gifted as some other guys, it’s impressive — like everything he does.”

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Missing 14-year-old girl found at Camp Pendleton; Marine taken into custody

• July 9, 2023

A 14-year-old girl who was reported missing in San Diego County last month is back home after she was found at Camp Pendleton, while a Marine has reportedly been taken into custody in the case, which is being investigated by human trafficking authorities.

The girl, who has not been identified because of her age, was reported missing by her grandmother on June 13, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff’s officials said the grandmother told them the girl, who had run away before but always returned home quickly, went missing on June 9.

The teen’s information was entered into multiple missing person databases, including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Military police at Camp Pendleton located the girl on June 28 and informed the sheriff’s department. Detectives interviewed her and the family was offered services, authorities said.

“When a minor runs away, there is usually an underlining of trauma associated. Free counseling and social service programs to help the girl and her family to deal with trauma and personal issues are being offered,” Lt. Carpenter, a watch commander for the SCSD, told City News Service.

The girl, who is from Spring Valley in east San Diego County, was not hospitalized, but it was unclear if she sustained any physical injuries.

Since Camp Pendleton is federal property, Naval Criminal Investigative Services is handling the investigation. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force are supporting NCIS with the investigation, sheriff’s officials said.

On June 28, a Marine was taken into custody by military police on the base and questioned by NCIS personnel about his involvement with the girl, NBC7 reported.

“We can confirm that a Marine with Combat Logistics Battalion 5, 1st Marine Logistics Group was taken into custody for questioning by Naval Criminal Investigative Services on June 28, 2023, as seen on social media July 2, 2023,” Captain Chuck Palmer of Camp Pendleton-based 1st Marine Logistics Group told the station.

He added that the Marine — who has not been identified — had not been charged as of Thursday, and remains in the custody of his command.

Meanwhile, the girl’s aunt, Casaundra Perez, told the station that her niece has learning disabilities and was sold to a Marine for sex. Perez posted a video to TikTok in which she said that her family was afraid of retaliation from the military and from the man she believes trafficked her niece.

“Out of respect for the investigative process, NCIS does not comment on, confirm details relating to, or confirm the existence of ongoing investigations,” the agency said in a statement.

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OC Fair 2023: What you need to know about tickets, parking and getting in

• July 9, 2023

The Ferris wheel stands tall, ready for riders; thousands of stuffed animals are waiting for the winners to take them home; you can almost smell the kettle corn.

It is time for the 2023 OC Fair, which opens at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 14, for its 23-day run at the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

RELATED: 2023 OC Fair set to open with familiar favorites, new thrills

More than 1 million people are expected to visit the fair over the next four weeks, feeding their adrenaline needs on the midway, shopping for their next favorite gadget in the products buildings, taking delight in the sounds of crunching cars in the demolition derby and otherwise enjoying the vast selection of entertainment available.

Here is what you need to know to park, pay and get inside:

When and where is the 2023 OC Fair?

The 23-day OC Fair kicks off July 14 and continues through Aug. 13; it is closed Monday and Tuesdays.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and 11 a.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

The OC Fair & Event Center is at 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa; just off the 55 Freeway.

How much is admission?

General admission has increased slightly this year; entry now costs $13 on Wednesdays and Thursdays and $15 on Fridays and weekends.

Ages 60 and older pay $9 any day, as do those 6 to 12. Ages 5 and younger are free.

This is the key part: Admission is capped and tickets need to be purchased online ahead of time. Several days did sell out last year, so you will want to plan your trip. Dates with popular acts at the Pacific Amphitheatre and The Hangar tend to be among the days that sell out.

New this year is the Every Day Passport available for $60, which has no restrictions on what days or what time you can visit the fair. There are a limited number available.

What kind of discounts are available?

With the cap on daily admission at about 45,000 visitors, the fair is not offering the discounted and free ticket options it once did.

Tickets for shows at the Pacific Amphitheatre, The Hangar and Action Sports Arena do include free fair admission on the day of the show. And there is the $60 Every Day Passport for people who like to visit a lot.

Carnival tickets and unlimited ride wristbands are on sale at discounted rates online through July 13.

And on Thursdays from noon to 4 p.m. you can sample select fair foods for $4 each.

What items are you allowed to take into the OC Fair?

Snacks and beverages in factory-sealed containers are allowed. Water bottles are allowed if factory sealed or empty when you get to the gate. No cans, glass or outside alcohol are permitted. No hard-sided coolers allowed. All belongings are subject to inspection before entering the fairgrounds.

Wagons and strollers are allowed and they are also available for rent.

Pets are not allowed though service animals as defined by the ADA are.

There is no smoking or vaping allowed during the fair, either inside buildings or outside around the fairgrounds.

Selfie sticks and drones are not welcome, nor are weapons.

What are the parking options?

Parking is $12 at the fairgrounds.

Use Gate 1 on Fair Drive, which is the main gate, for Uber/Lyft/taxi drop-off and pickup.

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2023 OC Fair set to open with familiar favorites, new thrills

• July 9, 2023

The 2023 OC Fair is set to open Friday, July 14, offering 23 days jam-packed with entertainment, games, shopping, wacky foods and thrilling rides.

More than 1 million people are expected to visit during the fair’s run through Aug. 13 – it is closed Mondays and Tuesdays – at the the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

Fair officials have elected to maintain a daily cap on attendance at 45,000 people – initially enforced as a pandemic protocol, they’ve said it created a better experience for all, with just a little more elbow room – so visitors are encouraged to plan ahead because some days will sell out, especially when there are popular shows at the Pacific Amphitheater and The Hangar.

Tickets need to be purchased online. But, for those folks who need more than one day of deep fried foods and nostalgic carnival games, the fair has brought back its passport option, which will provide admission any day of the fair with no restrictions.

RELATED: OC Fair 2023: What you need to know about tickets, parking and getting in

Speaking of fair nostalgia, one stop for many fairgoers is the Centennial Farm. Built in 1989, the farm was constructed with the intention of highlighting Southern California’s rich agriculture. It’s also home to goats, pigs and other farm animals.

When it’s not fair season, days on the farm are calm, but busy. Volunteers lead school tours and agriculture classes. Most days the farm is open for locals to walk around the grounds and learn about where their food comes from or take a peak at the animals.

But a different thrill of excitement fills the air at the Centennial Farm when the OC Fair rolls around.

“Good memories are created here,” Evy Young, director of agriculture programs at OC Fair & Events, said simply.

Pigs are a regular fan-favorite at the OC Fair, Young said, and this year attendees will be meeting some newborn piglets and possibly will even see some sows give birth.

FYI: There is a live pig cam you can check out anytime.

“We also highlight milking demonstrations and California dairy,” Young said. “California is the No. 1 dairy state in the nation. We borrow cows from Scott Brothers Dairy and we do three milking demos every day of the fair so people can actually see the cows getting milked. And we provide education to the public while they do that.”

OC Beekeepers, the UC Master Gardener Program, the California Rare Fruit Grower Society and other organizations hang out at the fair to share more gardening and agricultural lessons.

“The farm is where the love is,” Young said. “It’s a free aspect of the fair. Animal always make people smile.”

In the early days of the fair, before the farm was created, organizers would “would create little vignettes” and showcase some landscaping, but  “they started to see that a lot of the kids weren’t really in tune with what agriculture was and where their food came from,” Young said. “The impetus for starting the Centennial Farm is to be able to provide that education, so kids will remember that the food they buy at the grocery store, someone had to grow and raise that food. And hopefully there will be a better understanding and more respect for the environment.”

Michele Richards, CEO and president at the OC Fair & Events Center, said the Centennial Farm is a way for the public to get up close and personal with the importance of farming.

“I absolutely love watching people experience the fair,” Richards said. “I love seeing the expressions on their faces, especially little kids who maybe have never seen a pig or a cow up close. To see that for the first time, the wonder in their eyes, it’s such a special thing for me.”

Aside from all the activity happening at the farm, Richards said she is most excited for the carnival food that’ll be cooking once the fair opens.

“When you come to the fair, you have to give yourself permission for that one day to go crazy,” Richards said. “Set your your diet aside and just experience all the the wonderful flavors of the fair.”

And there are plenty of concoctions to bust a diet, from deep fried s’more on a stick to a bacon smoothie.

For the fair’s thrill-seekers there are two carnival areas, with one geared toward the kiddies. The main carnival midway will be packed with 40 rides including returning favorites Zipper, Crazy Coaster and Rocking Rodeo.

There are three new rides, including Sling Shot, an experience that is exactly as it sounds. Riders will be strapped into a harness and rubber band-like cables are pulled back like a slingshot, shooting riders up into the air.

Tickets for playing the carnival games and unlimited ride wristbands are on sale at discounted rates online at ocfair.com through July 13.

If thrill rides are not your thing, let loose at one of the five stages that will feature free live entertainment – there is also roving entertainers. Karaoke with a live band returns this year and Mark Yuzuik, comedy hypnotist, is always popular.

Ticketed concerts – they include fair admission – at the Pacific Amphitheatre include a variety of genres. Smokey Robinson, Ramon Ayala, and Three Doors Down are among the many artists set to play during the fair. The Hangar has a full lineup of popular tribute bands and adrenaline junkies will be thrilled by the calendar at the Action Sports Arena with its mix of demolition derby, motorcycle racing and rodeo. Both venues also require a show ticket.

Catch a breather by walking through an exhibit of contest entries or doing some shopping.

The Art of Music Experience exhibit will showcase hand-painted reproductions of album covers, renderings of legendary musicians and neon signs. The exhibit is designed to celebrate the pre-digital legacy of record albums and get visitors to explore the creative process and impact of these works of art.

“The OC Fair is the largest gathering of community in Orange County all year long, so it’s a time and an opportunity for people to get their family and friends together to make memories,” Richards said. “Our theme this year is ‘Happy Together,’ so our hope is that everyone will come to the fair and just be happy together.”

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