Jake Pilarski’s rapid ascent caught Dodgers pitcher by surprise

• March 28, 2023

ANAHEIM ― The Dodgers’ hardest-throwing pitcher hasn’t had a locker in their major league clubhouse for most of spring training. He won’t have one after the exhibition season ends Tuesday, either.

For Jake Pilarski, that’s OK.

When he signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers in December, he said, “I did not think I’d be standing in the Dodgers’ clubhouse (Sunday) and the Anaheim clubhouse today.”

At 24, Pilarski’s journey in professional baseball is just beginning. An undrafted free agent out of The Citadel, Pilarski spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons pitching in the independent Frontier League. Last season with the Washington (Pennsylvania) Wild Things was his first as a relief pitcher. With a new role, Pilarski said, came a new mentality that brought him one step closer to the big leagues.

“It really helped,” he said. “Instead of navigating 100 pitches, it was ‘throw 25 as hard as you’ve got.’”

Last year, the hardest Pilarski’s fastball could muster with regularity was 95 to 97 mph. Occasionally, he said, it would reach 98. Pilarski posted a 4.30 ERA across 23 appearances for Washington, unhelped by issuing 23 walks across 28⅓ innings.

After the season, Pilarski paid his own way to Tread Athletics, a training facility in North Carolina. The next step beckoned.

“I got to a point in my career where, with my lifting experience, I didn’t know where to go,” he said.

Listed as a sturdy 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, strength was less of an issue for Pilarski than mobility. His relative inability to bend at the waist was preventing him from unlocking pitch velocity. Exactly how much velocity wasn’t clear at the outset. By the time he left Tread, he had established a new radar gun record at the facility: 101.4 mph.

An amateur scout for the Dodgers, Jonah Rosenthal, was among those who were impressed. He and Will Rhymes, the Dodgers’ director of player development, worked quickly to hammer out a minor league contract. Exactly what they were getting wasn’t clear, particularly given Pilarski’s short track record as a pro.

“He’s had an excellent camp,” Rhymes said. “(Fastball velocity of) 99-101, improved slider, changeup is a weapon. Probably one of the biggest surprises in camp.”

Rhymes wouldn’t say where among the Dodgers’ minor league affiliates Pilarski would begin the regular season, but he suggested the right-hander might not be there long.

“We’re going to give him a chance to get off to a good start, and because of his age he’s a guy who could move quickly depending on how he’s performing,” Rhymes said. “We’ll let his performance dictate it.”

Already, Pilarski has been impressed by how quickly his career has accelerated. He appeared in two Cactus League games in spot appearances with the Dodgers, faced four batters, and struck out three.

“A lot of my friends from college are like ‘dude, what the hell?’” he said.

MINOR MATTERS

Pilarski is one of 14 players who are expected to begin the season in the minor leagues who have had a locker for the first two games of the Freeway Series.

Why are they here?

“It’s a great opportunity for these guys,” Rhymes said. “It’s a nod to their hard work and to the springs they’ve had. It’s just a great experience for them to feel what it’s like to be in a major league stadium, to feel that environment.”

INJURY UPDATES

Pitcher Tony Gonsolin (sprained left ankle) threw a bullpen session, Manager Dave Roberts said. Via pitching coach Mark Prior, Roberts relayed hope that Gonsolin can throw another in the days to come. Gonsolin is on track for a late-April return.

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The timeline isn’t as clear-cut for relief pitcher Daniel Hudson (knee), who remains at the Dodgers’ Camelback Ranch facility in Arizona. He continues to experience discomfort after pitching, Roberts said.

“We didn’t shut him down – we tapered, backed off a little bit, and even when we did that there was that feeling that he wasn’t recovering well,” Roberts said.

Pitcher Jimmy Nelson, who will begin the season on the injured list, is with the team through Opening Day but will return to Arizona afterward, Roberts said.

UP NEXT

Dodgers (RHP Ryan Pepiot) vs. Angels (LHP Reid Detmers) at Angel Stadium, Tuesday, 6 p.m., Bally Sports West, SportsNet LA, 830 AM, 570 AM

​ Orange County Register 

Camp Pendleton is latest agency to find PFAS chemical in drinking water

• March 28, 2023

Camp Pendleton leaders on Monday sent a public notice to thousands of service members and civilians who live and work on the base’s north end alerting them that recent testing revealed their drinking water contained a higher-than-desired level of PFAS, a potentially carcinogenic chemical that has been found in much of Southern California’s groundwater supply.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluorinated substances, can be found in cleaning products, water-resistant fabrics, grease-resistant paper and non-stick cookware, as well as in products such as shampoo, dental floss and nail polish. The state only set requirements to test for the chemicals in the last few years and has lowered the threshold for when their detection needs to be reported to the public by water agencies.

Water districts throughout Southern California have been struggling to get PFAS levels down. Base officials believe their water supply was likely impacted by groundwater that seeped in from inland and uphill Orange County.

For example, of the roughly 200 wells managed by the Orange County Water District in the north and central parts of the county, 61 have had to be closed. A water treatment plant in Fullerton to remove PFAS contaminants went into service in 2021.

The letter sent by Brig. Gen. Jason Woodworth, the base commander, alerted about 18,000 people at the San Onofre housing area, where Marines live with their families, as well as the Fifth Marine Regiment and the School of Infantry that results on Feb. 14  from the base’s northern water treatment plant tested at 23.5 parts per trillion in the drinking water, which is higher than the reporting threshold the state’s Department of Drinking Water set in October at 20 parts per trillion.

One part per trillion is about the same as four grains of sugar in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

The base is blending the water in several wells – one of the approved options for reducing PFAS levels – and are awaiting new testing results.

“The main point is to let folks know of the current condition and steps we’re taking to ensure safety,” Woodworth said. “We remain in compliance with all the guidelines.”

Base officials on Monday said they have taken steps to ensure that the water at the base’s north end is safe for drinking and said they are not recommending the community “go to household filtration at this time.”

“It shouldn’t be in the water, but it’s not something that is acutely dangerous,” said Navy Cmdr. Stephen Ramsey, an engineer who is in Public Works on the base. “If it’s acutely dangerous, you shut the water system down, but this is not the case.”

Camp Pendleton operates mainly with two water systems, one serving its south end and one on the north end. There is a smaller system that supplies water to the Las Pulgas area of the base, but that’s not affected. The only water system presently impacted is the one on the north end, which produces about 1.2 million gallons a day.

Ramsey said back in October, after the state’s guidelines were issued to monitor for specific PFAS levels, officials checked all their wells. Five of the wells showed high levels, and those were immediately taken offline, he said.

Three more wells on the north end continued to be in use and in January, there was a pump failure in one of the three wells used to dilute the water.

“That’s when our blending was no longer clean enough to stay under the guidelines,” Ramsey said. “Two of the wells were significantly below the numbers and one was above.”

At that point, Ramsey said a reverse osmosis system was put in place to work on the well that exceeded the state’s recent guidelines. The system, which uses high water pressure to force water through microfilters, put it well below the EPA’s guidelines, but not below the California guidelines, Ramsey said. Officials are now awaiting testing results from this month and are hopeful the water will come back clean.

In the meantime, the base has been working on a $63 million pipeline project that will carry water about 17 miles from Camp Pendleton’s south end to the north end. That system should be up and running in a couple of weeks, officials said.

“That will allow us to flow the water from the south that’s gone through reverse osmosis and is considerably cleaner,” Ramsey said.

The base also has two Liquid-Phase Granular Activated Carbon (LGAC) filtration systems in the works that are expected to eliminate the PFAS entirely. The south water filtration system will come online in about two months, and then all the water from those wells will feed both the southern and northern systems.

In six months, the LGAC system is expected to come online in the north, and Ramsey said the northern wells can then be used again.

“One of my greatest responsibilities is the safety, security and well-being of the Marines, military families, and employees that live and work on Camp Pendleton,” Woodworth said. “Ensuring we provide safe drinking water is critically important to me and to our team at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.”

​ Orange County Register 

CIF-SS girls lacrosse polls, March 27

• March 28, 2023

The CIF-SS high school girls lacrosse polls, released Monday, March 27

CIF-SS GIRLS LACROSSE

(Selected by the CIF-SS Lacrosse Committee)

Division 1/2

Foothill

Marlborough

Redondo Union

Mira Costa

Edison

San Clemente

St. Margaret’s

Murrieta Mesa

Oak Park

Palos Verdes

Others: Newport Harbor, Newbury Park, Santiago/Corona, Mater Dei, Royal

Division 3

Huntington Beach

Chaparral

Simi Valley

Northwood

San Marcos

Orange Lutheran

Portola

El Toro

Santa Monica

Murrieta Valley

Others: ML King, Notre Dame/SO, Temecula Valley. Rosary

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

Man fatally stabbed during argument in Garden Grove

• March 28, 2023

A 25-year-old man is suspected of fatally stabbing a man and injuring a teenage girl at a home in Garden Grove, police said Monday.

The suspect, Juan Carlos Fernandez Bustos of Garden Grove, was hospitalized Monday for injuries sustained in a fracas Sunday night at a Garden Grove home, Garden Grove police Sgt. Nick Jensen said.

Police were dispatched just before 10:30 p.m. Sunday to the 10300 block of Lampson Avenue.

Bustos, who previously dated someone living at the residence, got into an argument with family members that escalated into a physical conflict, Jensen said.

A 43-year-old man, whose name was not immediately released, intervened to stop the struggle and got stabbed in the upper body, Jensen said. He was rushed to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

A 16-year-old girl who also attempted to quell the conflict suffered a non-life-threatening injury to her hand, Jensen said.

The family identified the suspect, who was later tracked down at a nearby hospital, where he was being treated for injuries, Jensen said.

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

CIF-SS boys lacrosse polls, March 27

• March 28, 2023

The CIF-SS high school boys lacrosse polls, released Monday, March 27

CIF-SS BOYS LACROSSE

(Selected by the CIF-SS Lacrosse Committee)

Division 1/2

Mater Dei

Loyola

Foothill

St. Margaret’s

Westlake

Mira Costa

Corona del Mar

Santa Margarita

Agoura

Trabuco Hills

Others: None

Division 3

Chaminade

Santa Monica

Crean Lutheran

University

Canyon

Village Christian

El Segundo

Brentwood

ML King

Dos Pueblos

Others: None

​ Orange County Register 

Nicolas Batum, Clippers heat up to bury Bulls

• March 28, 2023

LOS ANGELES — With Paul George sidelined, the Clippers need other players to step up. The team cannot afford to be Kawhi-centric, waiting for their other star to pull them through.

Two games ago, it was guards Terance Mann and Bone Hyland who filled the void left by George, who is out for the remainder of the regular season. This time, it was Eric Gordon and Nicolas Batum.

While Leonard struggled to get free against the Chicago Bulls’ fifth-rated defense, Gordon and Batum came up big, combining for 46 points in a 124-112 victory on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena.

Batum, starting in place of an ailing Marcus Morris Sr., scored all of his season-high 24 points on 3-pointers. Gordon added 22 points, going 5 for 9 from long range, in his highest-scoring game since returning to the Clippers in a trade last month.

“You know, when you’re missing a guy like PG and Norm (Powell) and Mook – three guys who can really score the ball, we have to find a way to score the basketball, and it was by sharing the ball,” Batum said. “We can’t just really rely on Kawhi to take us home every game for 48 minutes. We kind of did that last game. He was pretty tired, and it didn’t work.”

But it wasn’t just those two who helped the Clippers (40-36) hold onto the fifth spot in the jam-packed Western Conference standings. Leonard finally shook free of the Bulls’ double-teams to score 22 points, grab seven rebounds and dish out six assists.

He had just seven points in the first half.

“He just took his time,” Coach Tyronn Lue said. “We knew they were going to double-team him on the post-ups, they always do, and so just taking his time and making the right play and not forcing anything.

“When you have a great player that takes his time and plays at his own pace, and never gets sped up and just takes what the defense gives him, I thought he did a good job with that and that allowed us to shoot the ball so well and get 40 threes up and make 20 of them because of his pace and his poise and taking on the double team and making the right pass.”

Russell Westbrook added 12 points and had 10 assists, while Hyland had 13 points and eight assists on a night when the Clippers had 41 assists on their 48 field goals and coasted across the finish line.

The Clippers pushed the pace, scoring in transition to pull away in the third quarter and open a 22-point lead. At one point, after Batum landed a season-high eighth 3-pointer with 2:25 remaining, Leonard found him for a quick dap as they ran down the court. The help appeared to be welcomed.

“It’s great,” Leonard said of how the others contributed. “They set the tone early tonight offensively, making shots. This is what we are going to have to do with PG being out and yeah, it just opens up the floor.”

When healthy, Leonard has been one of the team’s most productive players. He’s been averaging 23.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 51.2% from the field. But he can’t do it all on a nightly basis.

Leonard will get more help when Norman Powell returns during the upcoming three-game road trip that begins Wednesday in Memphis. Powell has missed 11 games because of a shoulder subluxation.

The Bulls, who defeated the Lakers on Sunday afternoon couldn’t garner any sort of momentum. They led briefly in the first half but struggled to slow the Clippers. They turned the ball over 14 times for 20 points and made just 9 of 23 3-point attempts.

Zach Lavine led the Bulls with 23 points, DeMar DeRozan added 21 points and seven assists and Nikola Vucevic had 20 points and eight rebounds.

Lue, in somewhat of a joking manner, admitted he should change his tune during his pregame talks.

“Maybe I should if we keep making the same mistakes and you don’t do what we’ve been working on the last three years,” he said. “Maybe I should change my tactic. I’m going to work on that.”

Maybe his words finally sunk in.

The Clippers avoided giving up a huge run by the Bulls to start the game. In their past three games, the Clippers have fallen behind by sometimes double-digit leads and struggled to overcome the deficit. Against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, they never recovered.

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“I think playing at home and getting off to better starts is our main focus. It’s got to start on the defensive end of getting stops early,” Lue said before tip-off. “We can’t keep starting the games 8-0, 10-2, 14-2; we got to do a better job of starting games. Hopefully, that starts tonight.”

The Clippers stayed with the Bulls in the early going, never letting them get ahead by more than five points for the first 15 minutes.

The Clippers started to take control of the game late in the first half, building a 10-point lead before Nikola Vucevic buried a 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds to cut into the lead 62-55.

The Clippers improved to 2-1 without George, who is expected to miss the rest of the regular season and the beginning of the playoffs after spraining his right knee in a loss to Oklahoma City last Tuesday.

“That’s the way that we have to play without PG especially, but until he comes back got to find a way to really get everybody involved and play good basketball,” Batum said.

Ty Lue shares his thoughts following the W against the Bulls@LAClippers | #ClippersLive pic.twitter.com/8wMl69Nek5

— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) March 28, 2023

Nico scored a season-high of 24 points and went 8-10 beyond the arch@nicolas88batum | @Kristina_Pink | #ClipperNation pic.twitter.com/n0382sKbHe

— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) March 28, 2023

​ Orange County Register 

Nathan MacKinnon helps Avalanche surge past Ducks

• March 28, 2023

ANAHEIM — For nearly 16 tantalizing minutes, it looked like the Ducks could play – at least on this night – with the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche.

They held a 1-0 lead and early momentum.

The Avalanche equalized with defenseman Bowen Byram’s goal at 15:43 and as time wound down in the first period, the Nathan MacKinnon Show took over. Playing in his 700th NHL game, he made something out of nothing, scoring with 7.9 seconds remaining in, making it 2-1, and it completely changed the complexion of the game.

Colorado went on to score two quick goals – in the first 3:46 of the second period – and it was straight downhill for the Ducks after that as the Avalanche won, 5-1, on Monday night at Honda Center. The Ducks have lost five straight games since defeating Columbus on March 17 and went 1-6-1 during their eight-game homestand.

“It looks like they’re just ramping it up now and getting ready for another run at it,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said of the Avalanche. “I thought we had some good moments in the game. I thought there were some moments where we were in over our head. And some moments we can learn from.”

Further compounding the bad news for the Ducks was that leading scorer Trevor Zegras did not play the third period because of a lower-body injury.

“It actually happened in the first period,” Eakins said of the injury. “He had to leave and get it taped up, or whatever he did. It wasn’t good enough to go. So we’ll have to see how that is for the road trip.”

The Ducks begin a three-game trip on Thursday in Seattle. Against Colorado, the Ducks were already playing without Troy Terry, who has been absent from the team because of personal reasons.

By the time Zegras exited, the game had mostly been decided. Ducks goalie John Gibson made 39 saves.

MacKinnon, who has 24 points and 10 goals this month, was the difference-maker. The two-point night brought him to 95 points in 62 games this season, as he is closing in on an important individual mark – 100 points. His career high is 99 in the 2018-19 season.

In a season full of lessons for the Ducks, this was yet another one, seeing how a player of MacKinnon’s caliber can single-handedly impact a game with two inspired and energized shifts.

In addition to his late first-period goal, MacKinnon set up Valeri Nichushkin, making it 4-1 at 3:46 of the second.

“He had a couple of shifts where he was moving really well,” Ducks forward Jakob Silfverberg said. “It’s tough to check him. Sometimes you almost need two guys on him. But as soon as you do that – he slides it to the open man.”

Added Eakins: “It is incredible how hard that kid has worked on his game. The way he’s trained in the summer and how explosive and strong he is. When he’s cutting back down there and the separation he gets, it’s incredible.”

It demonstrated once again that Colorado, not at its best, still manages to find a way. The Avs expanded their lead to 5-1 in the third period on Samuel Girard’s goal at 4:22, their 12th consecutive game with a power-play goal.

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Colorado, which is one point behind Dallas for the Central Division lead, has been beset by injuries all season and started a goaltender, Jonas Johansson, who is well down its organizational depth chart, appearing in just his third game this season.

He made 29 saves and faced 19 shots in the final two periods. The Ducks’ lone goal was produced by the fourth line as center Derek Grant opened the scoring at 12:08 of the first period, set up by Silfverberg, who capitalized on a turnover by Colorado defenseman Cale Makar. Makar went on to record two assists, bringing his point total to 66 in 58 games this season.

“That team there – with a certain core, a certain staff, all those things, six years ago that team was 34 games under .500 and they stayed patient with their program,” Eakins said. “Really patient with their young players and they’re Stanley Cup champions five years later.

“It just takes time. For us, for our fans, that’s a good team to look at and have hope.”

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County baseball stat leaders through March 25

• March 28, 2023

Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now

Orange County baseball stat leaders through Saturday, March 25.

To be included, teams must have their stats up to date on the MaxPreps.com leaderboards.

BATTING AVERAGE

Name, school
Avg.
Hits
AB

Nick Santivanez, El Modena
.562
9
16

John Uchytil, Estancia
.542
26
48

Joshua Delgado, Santa Ana
.526
10
19

Waylon Pipia, Calvary Chapel
.526
10
19

Keenan Anzai, Mission Viejo
.516
16
31

Chase Brunson, San Clemente
.514
18
35

Jack Boucher, Mission Viejo
.500
15
30

Alex Blancas, Buena Park
.481
13
27

Jack Compton, Laguna Hills
.478
11
23

Cole Lefebvre, Estancia
.472
25
53

Sawyer Atkinson, Estancia
.471
8
17

RUNS BATTED IN

Name, school
RBI
PA
GP

Grady Jackson, Costa Mesa
25
66
15

Sam Stute, Costa Mesa
19
60
14

James De La O, Estancia
19
56
14

Wylan Rottschafer, Costa Mesa
18
68
15

John Uchytil, Estancia
16
58
14

Matt Anderson, Costa Mesa
16
56
15

Caleb Robeck, Costa Mesa
16
50
15

Connor Sunderland, Fullerton
16
43
11

Rylan Morris, Sunny Hills
15
46
11

Malachi Meni, Fullerton
15
41
11

Cole Lefebvre, Estancia
14
62
14

Michael Joyce, Costa Mesa
14
58
15

Anthony DeMarco, Woodbridge
14
58
16

Gavin Grahovac, Villa Park
14
54
12

Zach Brown, Villa Park
14
45
12

Aiden Comte, Costa Mesa
13
48
15

Lucas Marinelli, Portola
12
37
10

Tyler Holland, Mission Viejo
12
33
10

Jacob Beauchaine, Capo Valley Chr.
11
49
13

SLUGGING PERCENTAGE

Name, school
Slugging %
AB
TB

Neil Navarro, Buena Park
1.000
24
24

Joshua Delgado, Santa Ana
1.000
19
19

Chase Brunson, San Clemente
.971
35
34

Connor Sunderland, Fullerton
.882
34
30

Tyler Holland, Mission Viejo
.833
24
20

Gavin Grahovac, Villa Park
.818
44
36

John Uchytil, Estancia
.813
48
39

Lucas Marinelli, Portola
.794
34
27

Anthony Lopez, Saddleback
.762
21
16

Rylan Morris, Sunny Hills
.711
38
27

Nate Norman, Fullerton
.694
36
25

Jake Staffieri, Newport Harbor
.692
13
9

EARNED-RUN AVERAGE

Name, school
ERA
IP
ER

Griffin Naess, Laguna Beach
0.00
26.0
0

Nick Sandstedt, El Dorado
0.33
21.1
1

Andrew Mits, Estancia
0.40
34.2
2

Logan Rome, University
0.41
17.0
1

Andrew Parker, Foothill
0.43
32.1
2

Keenan Anzai, Mission Viejo
0.45
15.2
1

Tyler Onofre, Kennedy
0.52
13.1
1

Matthew Kuromoto, Woodbridge
0.55
38.0
3

Jose Arcos, Buena Park
0.58
12.0
1

Andrew Grove, Villa Park
0.58
12.0
1

Tyler Bellerose, Huntington Beach
0.60
11.2
1

Spencer Jacobs, El Modena
0.60
11.2
1

Hunter Long, Capo Valley Christian
0.62
22.2
2

Tylor Balenti, Kennedy
0.64
11.0
1

Cooper Berger, University
0.70
30.0
3

Brandon Luu, Villa Park
0.75
28.0
3

Joon Lee, Irvine
0.77
36.1
4

STRIKEOUTS

Name, school
K
BF
IP

Andrew Mits, Estancia
48
139
34.2

Hunter Long, Capo Valley Christian
46
90
22.2

Landon Martin, Sonora
44
147
35.2

Dominic Viglione, Newport Harbor
42
148
31.1

Joon Lee, Irvine
42
148
36.1

Brandon Luu, Villa Park
39
107
28.0

Matthew Kuromoto, Woodbridge
39
148
38.0

Griffin Naess, Laguna Beach
37
99
26.0

Michael Joyce, Costa Mesa
35
130
31.0

Zach Brown, Villa Park
34
91
22.2

Carson Lane, Huntington Beach
33
93
20.2

Alex Mascaro, El Modena
33
94
25.0

Cooper Berger, University
33
106
30.0

Matthew Solorzano, Fountain Vly
32
124
31.0

Nicholas Moreno, Katella
31
112
23.1

Will Clark, Costa Mesa
31
122
30.0

Luis Tinoco, Katella
31
138
34.0

Jonathan Rodriguez, Valencia
30
91
18.2

Andrew Vega, Bolsa Grande
30
101
21.2

​ Orange County Register