SPORTS
D THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019:: LATIMES.COM/SPORTS
D
Angels fans probably
would like nothing better
than to wake up one morn-
ing around Christmas and
find a big lump of Cole in
their stockings.
Gerrit Cole, that is.
There might not be a
better fit in free agency next
winter than the Angels and
Cole, the Houston Astros
right-hander who is 14-5
with a 2.87 earned-run aver-
age and an American
League-leading 226 strike-
outs in 156^2 ⁄ 3 innings of 25
starts.
Cole is what the pitch-
ing-poor Angels need — an
ace. He’s a strapping 6-
foot-4, 225-pound flame-
thrower who could front a
young rotation and possibly
vault the Angels into playoff
contention.
Cole, a Newport Beach
native who grew up an An-
gels fan and played at Or-
ange Lutheran High and
UCLA, seems open to a
homecoming.
After giving up one run
and striking out 11 in Hous-
ton’s 11-2 win in Angel Sta-
dium on July 18, Cole said he
enjoyed pitching in front of
family members and
friends.
“I grew up here, watched
games when they still had
bleachers,” Cole said. “It’s a
really unique park. Driving
up the 57 today, seeing the
Big A, it’s always cool. It’s
always special. In an indus-
try where you don’t always
Cole
would
be a
coup
Pricey right-hander
grew up an Angels fan
and could be exactly
what the team needs.
PITCHERGerrit Cole of
Houston will be a free
agent after this season.
Michael WykeAssociated Press[SeeDiGiovanna,D6]MIKE DiGIOVANNA
ON BASEBALL
For eight innings Wednesday
afternoon, the Dodgers, so formi-
dable and relentless and explosive
for so long, were shushed. The St.
Louis Cardinals, fronted by a stout
seven-inning performance from
Jack Flaherty, were working on a
shutout at Dodger Stadium with
three outs to go. It was an odd oc-
currence. The Dodgers’ first shut-
out loss since May 18 and fifth all
season appeared imminent.
But the Dodgers, as they’ve
made a habit of doing as they sprint
from the pack clutching another di-
vision title, woke up just before
their final chance dissolved. This
time, Russell Martin, their 36-year-
old backup catcher, hit a ground
ball up the middle with the Dodgers
down to their last strike. Corey Sea-
ger scored the tying run and Will
Smith raced home from second
base to give the Dodgers a 2-1 vic-
tory in a duel between pitching
staffs.RUSSELL MARTIN, on the ground, is mobbed by teammates after hitting a two-run, walk-off single up the middle to lift the Dodgers
over St. Louis. It is the 11th game-ending hit for the 36-year-old backup catcher, who says, “Let the old guys get hot too, you know?”Photographs byMyung J. ChunLos Angeles TimesIt’s not over until ...
Martin’s two-run
hit in ninth inning
is a game winner
DUSTIN MAYworks against the St. Louis Cardinals, leaving in
the sixth inning after striking out seven batters but trailing 1-0.DODGERS 2, ST. LOUIS 1By Jorge Castillo[SeeDodgers,D5]It has become as
much a part of the
Dodger Stadium
scenery as the
Elysian Hills.
It has worked its
way into Dodger
Stadium soundtrack
as loudly as, “I Love
L.A.”
A loud crack. A roiling roar.
Fans bouncing. Seats shaking.
A player rounds first base with
his fist in the air. Another player
dances or dives across home plate
with his feet flying.
The dugout empties, the rest of
the team stampedes to shallow left
field to find the hero and hug him
or tackle him or tear at his jersey.
There is Gatorade. There is
baby powder. The cluttered dia-
mond seems to rise toward the
heavens, pushed there by fans who
refuse to stop cheering, and there
is a prolonged moment of brilliant
blue joy.
Welcome to Chavez Ravine’s
newest monument, The Walk-Off.BILL PLASCHKEA walk-off in the
park continues
magical season
[SeePlaschke,D5]NFL PRESEASON: WEEK 1
Chargers at Arizona
Tonight, 7 | TV:Channel 7, NFL NetworkRest assured:Chargers plan to use the game to
test backups and check the depth of the roster. D3
------------------------------------------------------------------Rams at Oakland
Saturday, 5 p.m. | TV: Channels 2 and 5Goff on target: Quarterback finds his rhythm
with a variety of receivers and pleases his coach. D3ANTHONY LYNNsays Chargers’ game against
Arizona will offer a real evaluation of some players.Brian van der BrugLos Angeles TimesBoss Tagaloa ran with
UCLA’s skill position players
over the summer, nearly
matching their pace despite
weighing nearly twice as
much as his counterparts.
He challenged quarter-
back Dorian Thompson-
Robinson in a throwing com-
petition, taking the lead be-
fore his teammate rallied to
win and avoid embarrass-
ment.
He even ran some routes
while being defended by 360-
pound lineman Atonio Mafi,
possibly setting a record for
combined weight of a re-
ceiver and his defender.
It seems as if there’s
nothing the senior center
can’t do, or at least nothinghe won’t try.
“I wish I could be a
quarterback,” Tagaloa, who
is 6 feet 1 and weighs 318
pounds, said after practice
Wednesday without a hint of
sarcasm.
Pushing himself is ad-
mirable but not necessary.
All Tagaloa needs to do in his
final college season is more
of the same.
His move to center last
season from defensive end
changed the trajectory of
UCLA’s offense. The BruinsIt took a little longer than
expected and it was a lot
more complicated than
anticipated, but the Galaxy
and LAFC landed the young
South American players
they were looking for
Wednesday, just hours
before the close of the MLS
secondary transfer window.
The Galaxy added at-
tacker Cristian Pavon, a
23-year-old World Cup
veteran, on loan from Ar-
gentine club Boca Juniors
while LAFC purchased
teenage winger Brian Rodri-
guez from Uruguay’s Pe-
narol. Both players must
complete visa and interna-
tional transfer certificate
paperwork, which could
keep them from playing this
weekend.
The Galaxy’s pursuit of
Pavon lasted months and
often tested the patience of
general manager Dennis te
Kloese, who appeared to be
near an agreement several
times only to see the goal-
posts move. The broad
outlines of the deal have
been known for some time: a
free loan with a first-year
salary funded with targeted
allocation money, or TAM,
through the end of this
season and an option to
extend the loan for next
season.
The Galaxy would then
have an option to buy
Pavon’s rights from Boca
Juniors after the 2020 sea-
son, although the cost is
reported to be exorbitant,
with the Athletic’s Paul
Tenorio reporting the price
at an MLS-record $20 mil-
lion.
The particulars areGalaxy, LAFC
get their men
Each team lands a
South American
player they coveted,
but it wasn’t easy.
KEVIN BAXTER
ON SOCCER[SeeBaxter, D2]SEASON OPENER
UCLA vs. Cincinnati
AT NIPPERT STADIUM,
CINCINNATI
Aug. 29, 4 p.m. PDT
TV:ESPNTagaloa is at the
center of mass
The former defensive
end helps make theoffensive line a
strength for UCLA.
By Ben Bolch[SeeUCLA,D6]