Los Angeles Times - 07.09.2019

SPORTS

D SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2019:: LATIMES.COM/SPORTS

D

Magic number

Combination of Dodgers wins

or Arizona losses that will

clinch the NL West title.

4

Clayton Kershaw flung

his glove on the bench and

booted a plastic cooler with

the force of an NFL kicker,

the frustration of the Dod-

gers left-hander clearly evi-

dent upon his early return to

the dugout Friday night.

The three-time National

League Cy Young Award

winner who prides himself

on going deep into games did

not record an out in the fifth

inning of an eventual 5-4 loss

to the San Francisco Giants

before 53,317 in Dodger Sta-

dium.

“You just never want to

come out of a game, espe-

cially that early,” Kershaw

said after giving up three

runs and seven hits in four

innings, striking out six and

walking three, to fall to 13-5.

“It was just a frustrating

game, all the way around.”

A.J. Pollock did his part

to keep the Dodgers in it, hit-

ting three homers in a game

for the second time in his ca-

reer, including a solo shot off

Giants closer Will Smith to

pull the Dodgers to within a

Short

and

long

don’t

add up

Kershaw goes four

innings, Pollock hits

three home runs, and

the Giants hang on.

SAN FRANCISCO 5

DODGERS 4

By Mike DiGiovanna

[SeeDodgers, D3]

Major league players are

not routinely tested for opi-

oids. Now, one week after Ty-

ler Skaggs’ autopsy revealed

the Angels pitcher had fen-

tanyl and oxycodone in his

system when he died July 1,

the commissioner’s office

and players union are ex-

pected to discuss whether to

expand the drug testing pro-

gram to include random

screenings for opioids.

“For several reasons, in-

cluding the tragic loss of a

member of our fraternity

and other developments

happening in the country as

a whole, it is appropriate and

important to reexamine all

of our drug protocols relat-

ing to education, treatment

and prevention,” Tony

Clark, the executive director

of the Major League Base-

ball Players Assn., said in a

statement Friday.

In the minor leagues,

where players are not repre-

sented by the union, the

commissioner’s office man-

dates testing for opioids. Of

the 75,000 tests adminis-

tered over the last five years,

only 10 were positive for opi-

Skaggs’

death has

MLB on

high alert

Baseball and its union

expected to discuss

expanding drug testing

to include opioids.

By Bill Shaikin

[SeeMLB,D3]

COLLEGE FOOTBALL ::WEEK 2

Late last Saturday, in the tunnel

of the Coliseum, Graham Harrell

was asked if his system, with its

purposefully simple approach,

might be better suited than most to

withstand a change at quarter-

back. It was a scenario no offensive

coordinator wanted to consider.

He paused for a beat, then of-

fered a weak smile.

“I sure hope so,” Harrell said,

knowing full well that his theory

would soon be tested. “We’ll see.”

Up the coast, in Palo Alto, the

same question lingered over the

proceedings leading up to Sat-

urday’s Pac-12 showdown between

USC and Stanford at the Coliseum.

Both conference blue bloods won

their debuts last Saturday, but lost

their starting quarterbacks — a po-

tentially devastating blow in such a

closely contested conference pic-

ture.

On Thursday, Stanford officially

THE TROJANSsay they won’t be altering their game plan to fit Kedon Slovis, who will be making his first college start tonight.

Robert GauthierLos Angeles Times

BACK FOR SECONDS

Rocky Long is running the
spread offense and Chip Kelly is
running something far more plod-
ding than his famed blur.
It may be impossible to tell Sat-
urday afternoon at the Rose Bowl
which coach is known as the master
innovator and which has a reputa-
tion as being more old-fashioned
than leather helmets.
There’s no question who is more
in need of a victory.
Kelly’s UCLA Bruins dropped
their opener again and appeared to
have regressed in doing so, raising
concerns about what exactly
they’ve been doing the last nine
months.
A loss to San Diego State in their
home opener would prompt more
fan angst, not to mention worries
about another 0-5 start with No. 4
Oklahoma and consecutive road
games to start Pac-12 Conference
play next up on the schedule.

UCLA badly

needs a victory

in home opener

DORIAN THOMPSON-ROBINSON, left, and his UCLA team-

mates are looking for an offensive identity to avoid an 0-2 start.

Albert CesareAssociated Press

PAC-12 OPENER

USC vs. 23 Stanford

AT THE COLISEUM

Tonight, 7:30

TV: ESPN

UCLA vs.

San Diego State

AT THE ROSE BOWL

Today, 1:15 p.m.

TV:Pac-12 Networks

By Ben Bolch

[SeeUCLA,D6]

Quarterbacks

in spotlight for

USC, Stanford

By Ryan Kartje

[SeeUSC, D6]

NEW YORK

— Someday,

Rafael

Nadal, Roger

Federer and

Novak

Djokovic will

lose their

stranglehold

on Grand Slam tournament

titles. Someone will push

the Big Three aside, crack-

ing an opening for a brigade

of energetic youngsters to

break through, and the

torch will figuratively be

passed to the next genera-

tion.

Nadal, the last of the trio

left standing at the U.S.

Open following early exits

by Federer and Djokovic,

isn’t ready for that to hap-

pen. Not here, and not now.

Backed by a crowd that

has always appreciated his

passion and grunting exer-

tions, the 33-year-old Span-

iard gained strength after

he saved two set points in

the first-set tiebreaker of his

semifinal against Italy’s

Matteo Berrettini on Friday.

Nadal insisted he was lucky

to win the first set. Maybe

so. But with his 23-year-old

opponent over-hitting at

crucial times and commit-

ting 44 unforced errors,

RAFAEL NADAL lunges to make a return to Matteo Berrettini in the U.S. Open

semifinals on Friday night. Nadal, 33, will face Daniil Medvedev in Sunday’s final.

Justin Lane EPA/Shutterstock

Nadal’s not ready to leave

HELENE ELLIOTT

[SeeElliott, D8]

When he discovered he
would be starting in Russell
Okung’s spot, Trent Scott
reacted to the news the same
way many Chargers fans did
on social media.
Not well.
Okung is entering his 10th
NFL season and twice has
been a Pro Bowl player at left
tackle, the most important
position on the offensive
line.
Scott is entering his sec-
ond season and has one ca-
reer start — at right tackle —
and, on his first NFL snap
last September, was beaten
by the Rams’ Ndamukong
Suh for a sack.
“When I first stepped in
for Russ, I kind of put a little
pressure on myself,” Scott
said Friday. “I had to get
back to, ‘You dreamed of this
your whole life, sure, but it’s
just football.’ ”
This was back in the late
spring, after Okung suffered
a pulmonary embolism that

Chargers confident

novice can protect

Rivers’ blind side

By Jeff Miller

[SeeChargers, D7]

NFL WEEK 1

Chargers vs.

Indianapolis

AT DIGNITY HEALTH

SPORTS PARK

Sunday, 1 p.m.

TV:Channel 2

Rams vs.

Carolina

AT BANK OF AMERICA

STADIUM

Sunday, 10 a.m. PDT.

TV: Channel 11

He’s over it:Rams coach

Sean McVay is ready to

show what he learned from

the team’s Super Bowl loss

to the Patriots. D7