ATLANTA — The Dodgers struggled to score Thursday, even when they did. Offense wasn’t the Dodgers’ forte the last three days at Tu er Field, a series in which they scored eight runs while taking two out of the three games. Thursday, they beat the Braves 2-1 in 10 i ings on the strength of Yasmani Gr...

ATLANTA — Luis Avilan retu ed to the Dodgers on Thursday in the city where his career began. The left-handed pitcher was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City and joined the bullpen for the final game of the Dodgers’ three-game series against the Atlanta Braves. Avilan gives the Dodgers three lefties...

You work your way out of Oakland and through Weber State and into Portland and finally into the world of the national commercial pitchman. And they put you in a stroller and get Kevin Ga ett to tell the world you need a little fumigation. That’s not the worst thing about being Damian Lillard in this...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tony Stewart has been cleared to retu to racing and will be back in his car Friday at Richmond Inte ational Raceway. The three-time NASCAR champion missed the first eight races of the season with a fractured vertebra suffered in a January all-terrain vehicle accident. The injury oc...

NEW YORK — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says this generation of players will make its own unwritten rules on what emotion is acceptable to show on the field. Hall of Famer Goose Gossage, a New York Yankees spring training instructor, criticized Toronto star Jose Bautista last month for his bat ...

UFC fans, rejoice. Conor McGregor is not retired. He’s even willing to resume his spot in the main event at UFC 200. The mixed martial arts superstar is simply fed up with the grueling promotional demands that come with being a pay-per-view star. The 27-year-old fighter known for his over the top pe...

Luc Mbah a Moute doesn’t score much. He’s not supposed to, either. The starting small forward for the Clippers is in there for his defense, period. If he scores a few points, that’s just the cherry on top. That said, even Clippers coach Doc Rivers didn’t know what he was getting when he signed Mbah ...

SAN JOSE >> The Kings gave up a power-play goal during Game 4 of their first-round playoff series Wednesday against the San Jose Sharks at the SAP Center. Then they gave up another. Then another. The Kings lost the special teams battle and, as a result, lost the game to the Sharks, who pushed them t...

NASHVILLE, Te . >> Kevin Bieksa is participating in his 14th Stanley Cup playoff series but a reporter’s question took him back to his first. It was 2007 and his Vancouver Canucks squared off against the Dallas Stars in one that went the seven-game distance. And it indoctrinated him to how the playo...

The Clippers had two days off before the playoffs began. They had another two days off between Games 1 and 2, and will rest an additional two days before they meet the Trail Blazers in Portland for Game 3. So much down time could derail a team and perhaps take the edge off any momentum it might have...

ATLANTA >> The Dodgers booked flights and hotel rooms for eight relief pitchers, one more than usual, for their road trip this week. That’s begi ing to look like a smart move. Starting pitcher Ross Stripling suffered his shortest outing as a major leaguer and was removed in the fourth i ing of Wedne...

When freshman setter Josh Tuaniga arrived on the Long Beach State campus this year, volleyball coach Alan Knipe knew he was getting a complete player. Tuaniga was a setter for the youth national team with a vision for the game that was beyond his years. Coupled with a 6-foot-3 physique and soft hand...

LAKEWOOD >> It wasn’t easy, but Bellflower High School’s baseball team won its ninth consecutive game at Mayfair on Wednesday by coming back from a three-run deficit in the sixth and seventh i ings to win the Suburban League game, 5-4, in 10 i ings. “The resiliency this team shows is amazing,” Bellf...

UCLA receiver Theo Howard stayed after Wednesday mo ing’s practice to catch extra passes, run extra routes and get extra reps. He was one of the last players to walk off UCLA’s intramural field. By enrolling early, the freshman positioned himself for a chance to compete for playing time this year. N...

CHICAGO >> Garrett Richards is taking something from these games, if not victories. The Angels’ ace is winless through four starts after coming up short in a 2-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox and their ace, Chris Sale, on Wednesday afte oon. It was the third time this season he has shared the mound ...

CHICAGO >> Mike Scioscia has been here before. After the Angels lost Wednesday to the Chicago White Sox, they fell to 6-9. The Angels have had a wi ing record after 15 games only six times in Scioscia’s 17 years as manager. On the bright side, they have still managed a wi ing record in 12 of the pre...

SAN JOSE >> Bob Marley played softly in the background as the Kings retu ed to their dressing room after their mo ing skate Wednesday at the SAP Center. Defenseman Drew Doughty began to sing along as he peeled off his uniform, “One love! One heart! Let’s get together and feel all right.” It might as...

UCLA receiver Theo Howard stayed after Wednesday mo ing’s practice to catch extra passes, run extra routes and get extra reps. He was one of the last players to walk off UCLA’s intramural field. By enrolling early, the freshman positioned himself for a chance to compete for playing time this year. N...

A week ago, the Rams completed one of the biggest pre-draft trades in NFL history, exchanging six picks for the chance to take a quarterback at No. 1 overall. Did they give away too much? “You can call it desperation,” said ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay, “but that’s the only position where you can ...

PHILADELPHIA — Desperate for a franchise quarterback, the Philadelphia Eagles can get their man. Soon. The Eagles acquired the No. 2 overall pick in next week’s draft from Cleveland in exchange for five picks on Wednesday. The Browns are getting Philadelphia’s first-round pick this year (No. 8), a t...