AP California News

By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer DENVER (AP) — Michael Porter Jr. checked his thoughts at the bench as best he could and used the basketball court as his safe place. It wasn’t easy, he said, to keep his focus from drifting toward his younger brother, Jontay, who was banned by the NBA in a

By SUMAN NAISHADHAM Associated Press Carpets of yellow, orange and gold flowers are beginning to cover Southern California’s vast deserts, the Bay Area’s dramatic bluffs and even near Los Angeles International Airport. But do they add up to a “superbloom”? There is no single definition of the event, but so far this year’s blooms haven’t

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Denis Bouanga scored two goals, his second multi-goal game this season, to help Los Angeles FC rally from an early deficit for a 2-2 tie with the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night. Bouanga ripped a right-footer from the left corner of the penalty area into the back of the

BOSTON (AP) — Dave McCarty, a member of the Boston Red Sox championship team in 2004 who played with seven MLB teams in an 11-year career, has died. He was 54. The Red Sox announced McCarty’s death in a statement, saying the former first baseman and outfielder died Friday after suffering a cardiac event in

By RICHARD J. MARCUS Associated Press SAN DIEGO (AP) — Daulton Varsho hit a three-run homer and José Berríos pitched six scoreless innings to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a 5-2 win over the San Diego Padres on Saturday night. Berríos (4-0) allowed six hits, struck out six and lowered his ERA to 0.85.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Stanford’s Asher Hong won the vault, parallel bars and rings and Khoi Young won the all-around title to help the Cardinal secure its fifth consecutive NCAA men’s gymnastics national championship on Saturday. Stanford won its 10th title in program history — tied with Illinois for third-most all time — and joins

By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Sports Writer DENVER (AP) — Unlike their crowd that drowned out the Los Angeles Lakers’ pregame introductions, the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets were a little late to the playoff party Saturday night. They turned up their offense and defense after a sputtering start, however, powering past the Lakers 114-103 behind

By BRIAN DULIK Associated Press CLEVELAND (AP) — Guardians slugger Josh Naylor has happily headbutted his manager and pretended to rock a baby after delivering clutch hits in recent years. He added another memorable celebration to the list Saturday. Naylor intentionally struck himself on the helmet with his bat as he watched his two-run, go-ahead

By MITCH STACY AP Sports Writer CINCINNATI (AP) — Tyler Stephenson hit his first career grand slam in the first inning, Stuart Fairchild drove in two runs and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-5 on Saturday night to take the first two games of the three-game interleague series. Graham Ashcraft pitched into

By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic arrived in character for a first-round playoff game Saturday night. That character was “Gru,” the protagonist from the “Despicable Me” movies. Jokic, the two-time NBA MVP for the Denver Nuggets, wore a similar outfit and signature wrap-around striped scarf as “Gru.” It was a

By The Associated Press Roman Gabriel had big size and a big arm when he was the No. 2 draft pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 1962. Even while playing in an era of grinding it out on the ground, he still holds the Rams’ team record with 154 touchdown passes. Gabriel, the first

By BRIAN DULIK Associated Press CLEVELAND (AP) — Josh Naylor hit a two-run homer and celebrated by striking himself on the helmet with his bat, providing the Cleveland Guardians with the go-ahead run in a 6-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday night. Naylor’s drive in the fifth off Alex Wood drove in Steven

LOS ANGELES (AP) — New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez has a torn ligament in his left thumb and will need surgery, manager Carlos Mendoza said Saturday after a 6-4 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Alvarez was placed on the 10-day injured list before the game with a sprained left thumb sustained while running

By BERNIE WILSON AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Starling Marte hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the sixth and first baseman Pete Alonso made a spectacular rally-killing play in the bottom of the inning for the New York Mets, who beat the struggling Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 Saturday to extend their winning streak

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels’ Anthony Rendon left Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds with a hamstring injury. The 33-year was limping after legging out an infield single leading off the game. Zach Neto replaced Rendon as a pinch runner. Rendon is hitting. 257 with three RBIs. He started the season 0 for

By ERIC HE Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Patrick Bailey drove in three runs and had four hits, including a two-run homer into McCovey Cove, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-3 on Saturday. Bailey’s home run off Zac Gallen (3-1) landed in a floating kayak and broke a 3-3, fifth-inning

By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Felix Rosenqvist’s career turnaround continued Saturday when the Swede won Meyer Shank Racing its first ever pole in IndyCar by barely edging Will Power for the top starting spot at the Long Beach Grand Prix. Rosenqvist is in his first season with his

By The Associated Press Roman Gabriel, the former North Carolina State quarterback who was the 1969 NFL MVP with the Los Angeles Rams, died Saturday. He was 83. Gabriel’s son, Roman III, announced his father’s death in a social-media post, saying he had “passed away peacefully” that morning of natural causes at home. Gabriel was

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The New York Mets placed catcher Francisco Alvarez on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a sprained left thumb sustained while running the bases the night before in a 9-4 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Manager Carlos Mendoza said the team still was waiting for results of an MRI performed

By HOLLY RAMER Associated Press John Brewer, whose coast-to-coast journalism career spanned 50 years, including nearly two decades at The Associated Press, has died. He was 76. Brewer and his longtime friend Randy Johnson were on their annual fly fishing trip in Montana on Friday when the boat Brewer was in hit a submerged log