Los Angeles Times - 25.08.2019

SPORTS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 2019:: LATIMES.COM/SPORTS

D

There’s a new

rivalry in town

L.A.’s newest rivalry

took a big step forward

when the Gladiators and

Valiant esports teams

squared off, Arash

Markazi writes. D2

It’s game week

for the Bruins

Chip Kelly and UCLA

begin to prepare for

Cincinnati, where they

open their college

football season on

Thursday. D4

She represents

USA and UCLA

West Ranch standout

Allison Jacobs will play

volleyball for both,

starting with U18 World

Championships next

month in Cairo. D8

FINDING PEACE IN FOOTBALL

Wally SkalijLos Angeles Times

Lukas Hartley, second from right, and Paradise High team return to field

for first time since fire leveled the town last year, Bill Plaschke writes. A1

EL TRAFICO

Galaxy vs. LAFC

AT BANC OF CALIFORNIA

STADIUM

Tonight, 7:30

TV:FS1

Carlos Vela is happy.
And why shouldn’t he be?
He has a beautiful wife, a
healthy 3-year-old son and
the fourth-highest salary in
U.S. soccer.
He’s also having the
greatest season in MLS his-
tory, one that could end with
him and his team, LAFC,
owning every significant
record in the 24-year-old
league’s history.
And Vela says his happi-
ness is the foundation on
which that spectacular sea-
son has been built.
“When I’m happy,” he
says with a smile, “good
things happen.”

Upbeat Vela does

his happy dance

LAFC forward takes

the next step toward

superstardom with a

season for the ages.

By Kevin Baxter

FORWARDCarlos Vela

has had a hand in 41 goals

this season for LAFC.

Patrick T. FallonFor The Times

[SeeVela,D9]

The ingredients for a playoff at-

mosphere were all there in the

ninth inning Saturday afternoon at

Dodger Stadium. A one-run differ-

ence between historic clubs with

the two best records in baseball. A

famed closer, fighting for the confi-

dence of everyone in the building,

on the ropes. A raucous capacity

crowd at one of the sport’s classic

venues riding with every pitch and

play and decision.

And when the final out was se-

cured, it was the Dodgers, the bene-

ficiaries of a controversial, game-

changing call, escaping with a 2-1

win over the New York Yankees in

Part 2 of a possible World Series

preview.

SECOND BASEMANMax Muncy is upended by Brett Gardner, who was safe after a replay review overturned the initial out call.

Photographs byKelvin KuoAssociated Press

CALAMITY AVERTED

THE DODGERS’Justin Turner watches his two-run home run

during the third inning against the New York Yankees.

HOUSTON 5, ANGELS 2

Struggling Angels fall to Astros

Inconsistent pitching and a lack of timely

hitting doom the Angels yet again. D4

A wave of relief swept

over Dodger Sta-

dium as Kenley

Jansen slapped his

chest in triumph.

Disaster was

averted. A day after

the Dodgers

watched the New

York Yankees de-

stroy their No. 1 starter, they lim-

ited their visitors to a solitary run

in a 2-1 victory.

The reprieve was short-lived.

The uneasiness over Jansen

remained, exacerbated by the

particulars of his 27th save. If the

consecutive strikeouts to end the

game Saturday were promising

displays of his resilience, the fact

he permitted the Yankees to load

the bases in a dramatic ninth

inning further heightened con-

cerns about his perceived decline.

The Dodgers bullpen contrib-

uted four scoreless innings to the

winning effort, with performances

by other key relievers offering the

team ninth-inning alternatives to

Jansen.

Joe Kelly pitched 1^2 ⁄ 3 innings,

armed with a fastball that touched

99 mph.

Pedro Baez registered 1^1 ⁄ 3 in-

For Dodgers,

no turning away

from closer

DYLAN HERNANDEZ

[SeeHernandez, D7]

Magic number

Combination of Dodgers wins

or losses by the division’s

second-place team that will

clinch the NL West title.

12

Jansen survives

bases-loaded

jam in ninth

DODGERS 2, N.Y. YANKEES 1

By Jorge Castillo

[SeeDodgers,D7]

The NFL’s comeback

player of the year won’t be

coming back for another

season.

Indianapolis Colts

quarterback Andrew Luck,

a four-time Pro Bowl player

who made a triumphant re-

turn from a serious shoulder

injury last year, announced

Saturday night that he’s re-

tiring, a stunning devel-

opment for a franchise con-

sidered by many a legitimate

Super Bowl contender.

“This is not an easy deci-

sion. Honestly, the hardest

decision of my life. But it is

the right decision for me,”

Luck said during a news con-

ference after an exhibition

game in Indianapolis. “For

the last four years or so, I’ve

been in this cycle of injury,

pain, rehab, injury, pain, re-

hab, and it’s been unceasing,

Luck

calls it

a career

at 29

Colts quarterback felt

‘stuck’ in rehab, retires

two weeks before

opener vs. Chargers.

By Sam Farmer

ANDREW LUCKwas

the NFL’s comeback

player of the year in 2018.

Andy LyonsGetty Images

[SeeLuck,D2]

Rams triumph,

Chargers tumble

Late touchdown enough

for Rams in 10-6 win over

Denver while Seattle

rolls to 23-15 victory. D3

NEW YORK

— Serena

Williams

finally en-

countered

an opponent

she can’t

outhit or

overpower.

Williams, soon to be 38,

still can defeat the kids who

grew up idolizing her. She

still can put together

enough solid matches to go

deep into tournaments,

reaching three Grand Slam

finals since she returned to

competition last year after

enduring ghastly

complications related to the

birth of her daughter,

Olympia, who will be 2 on

Sept. 1.

But Williams hasn’t

gained ground in her pur-

suit of Margaret Court’s

record of 24 Grand Slam

singles titles, remaining one

short. What once seemed

inevitable is now a battle

against time.

Williams lost each of

those three finals in straight

sets, most recently at

Wimbledon this year despite

being gifted an easy draw

until she faced a supernatu-

rally sharp Simona Halep.

Her progress was inter-

rupted this spring by a knee

Williams’

Open

window

is closing

HELENE ELLIOTT

[SeeElliott,D10]