‘Yes, no, wait, sorry’: Anatomy of a run out

‘Yes, no, wait, sorry’: Anatomy of a run out
Above, India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur plays a shot during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE on Oct. 6, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 10 October 2024
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‘Yes, no, wait, sorry’: Anatomy of a run out

‘Yes, no, wait, sorry’: Anatomy of a run out
  • Convention has it that the batter on strike calls for a run if he or she has full vision of the ball

In the recent ICC Women’s T20 World Cup match between New Zealand and India, a bizarre incident occurred.

Amelia Kerr of New Zealand played the last ball of the 14th over to wide long off and took a single. The ball was in the hands of Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s captain. At that point, the umpire handed the bowler her cap, usually a sure sign that the end of the over has been called. Undeterred, the batters, presumably ignorant of the fact that the bowler’s cap had been returned, tried to steal a run. Kaur threw the ball to the wicket keeper, who ran out Kerr.

She headed off to the dugout, convinced of her dismissal, but was stopped by the fourth umpire. After some discussion, the umpires ruled that the ball was dead when the dismissal occurred. Kaur was incensed and had to be restrained, but the letter of the law was upheld. Observers were unanimous in saying that they had not seen anything like it before.

While this was a run-out attempt that failed, it generated a degree of drama, something common to this method of dismissal, since it can involve an error of judgment by not just one, but two people. Some batters are “bad runners.” This reflects their tendency to be a poor judge of when a run is possible, or not. It is conventional that the batter on strike calls for a run if he or she has full vision of the ball. If the ball is out of vision, the responsibility for calling falls to the non-striker.

A number of factors must be computed very quickly in a batter’s head when deciding if both parties can reach the other crease before the ball is returned by the fielder to the stumps. These include the speed at which the ball has been hit, how close it is to the fielder, the competency of the fielder in gathering and returning the ball at speed, underfoot conditions, the running speed of the two batters and the state of the match in terms of level of risk worth taking.

Denis Compton was a debonair, dashing, English batter whose best years were between 1946 and 1950. During this time, he scored 14,641 runs with 60 centuries in county cricket and for England, also finding time to play 250 matches for Arsenal, including the win over Liverpool in the 1950 FA Cup final. One of his English cricket colleagues remarked that “a call for a run from Compton should be treated as no more than a basis for negotiation.” Maybe this was the origin of “Yes, no, wait, sorry.”

There have been others afflicted with similarly impaired judgment. Inzamam-ul-Haq was a notoriously leaden-footed runner. An example occurred in the group stage of the 1992 ODI World Cup when Pakistan, chasing 212 to win against South Africa, were 135 for 2. Inzamam, on 48 from 43 balls, pushed the ball to point, set off for a run but was sent back by his captain, Imran Khan, who recognised the danger. But the world’s finest fielder was lurking, Jonty Rhodes swooped, flung himself horizontally, simultaneously releasing the ball, which broke the wicket. Pakistan folded to 173 all out.   

South African players have featured in other disastrous run-out incidents. At Edgbaston in the semi-final of the 1999 ODI World Cup, Australia were restricted to 213. With 39 deliveries remaining, South Africa required 31 runs, with four wickets in hand. The equation was reduced to nine runs in the last over, only one wicket remaining. Lance Klusener hit the first two balls for four. The field was brought in, Klusener hit the ball straight to a fielder, his partner had moved far out of his crease and a direct hit to his stumps would have led to a run-out.

The next ball was also hit straight to fielder, this time Klusener ran, but his partner did not, until too late. The match was tied. Australia progressed to the final by virtue of having beaten South Africa in the group stage.

No consideration of run-outs would be complete without reference to Geoffrey Boycott. In 1977, back in the England team after a self-imposed exile, he was batting at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, with local hero Derek Randall, who had never made a century in a Test match on his home ground. Randall had settled his nerves in making 13 when Boycott tried to play the ball into the off side, set off for a run only to find that the ball had gone straight back to the bowler. Boycott continued running to the non-striker’s end, Randall sprinted to the other end but was already doomed. The locals booed — I know, I was there — while Boycott stood with gloved hand over his face. He later wrote that “if the ground had opened and swallowed me at that moment it would have been a mercy.”

In January 1978, the tables were turned when Randall ran out Boycott in Pakistan, the latter remarking that he could not complain after Nottingham. The following month, Boycott captained England in New Zealand. In the second innings of the second Test quick runs were needed to seize the initiative. Boycott, in poor form, could not provide them. It is rumoured that senior team members decided that he should be deliberately run out. This responsibility fell to a young Ian Botham and he did not disappoint, to the chagrin of his captain.

Probably the most famous run-out in the game’s history occurred in Brisbane in 1961. When the last over of the match began, Australia, with three wickets left, needed six runs to beat the West Indies. Five runs were scored, but two wickets lost, one to a run-out. On the penultimate ball, the last pair set off for the winning run. The fielder, Joe Solomon, side on to the stumps, threw the ball, which hit the wicket with the scores level. The match was tied, the first ever in Tests.

These examples demonstrate that a run-out has the capacity to generate mixed and varied emotions. Tragic, even farcical lows, as experienced by the South Africans and Randall, are balanced by the incredulity of Australians and West Indians snatching unlikely victories. Victims and perpetrators of chaotic run-outs rarely forget the experience.


Yao Ming quits as head of China’s basketball association

Yao Ming quits as head of China’s basketball association
Updated 5 sec ago
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Yao Ming quits as head of China’s basketball association

Yao Ming quits as head of China’s basketball association
  • The former Rockets center is China’s most famous basketball star and retired from playing in 2011
BEIJING: NBA legend Yao Ming has quit as head of the Chinese Basketball Association after seven years in the job, the organization said on Thursday, calling it a “personal decision.”
The former Rockets center is China’s most famous basketball star and retired from playing in 2011.
“On October 31 the executive committee... held a meeting in Beijing to review and approve Yao Ming’s application to resign as the chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association and elect Guo Zhenming as the new chairman,” the association said in a statement.
The 44-year-old said he decided to quit “after careful consideration and based on considerations for the development of China’s basketball and personal planning,” the statement said.
It directly quoted him as saying that “basketball is a career I have always adored, whether in the past, present or future.”
“I hope that everyone will continue to support Chinese basketball with me in the future,” Yao said.
The association said the national sport administration “expressed sincere gratitude” to Yao for his work.
“It is believed that Yao Ming has done a lot of fruitful work in building the foundation of bringing basketball to the masses... (and) improving the level of the national team,” the association said.
“The executive members... respect and understand Yao Ming’s personal decision,” it added.

Fabinho up against old friend Firmino as Al-Ittihad look to overcome Jeddah rivals Al-Ahli in Derby Week

Fabinho up against old friend Firmino as Al-Ittihad look to overcome Jeddah rivals Al-Ahli in Derby Week
Updated 31 October 2024
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Fabinho up against old friend Firmino as Al-Ittihad look to overcome Jeddah rivals Al-Ahli in Derby Week

Fabinho up against old friend Firmino as Al-Ittihad look to overcome Jeddah rivals Al-Ahli in Derby Week
  • ‘Last season, I made a hard tackle on him, and he sent me a photo of his ankle. I said: Sorry, Bobby,’ Fabinho reveals ahead of Thursday night’s Jeddah derby

JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad midfielder Fabinho has admitted “it’s not nice” playing against compatriot, ex-Liverpool teammate and good friend Roberto Firmino, but will be doing everything to beat him and Al-Ahli in the Roshn Saudi League on Thursday.

Both Brazilian stars moved to their respective Jeddah clubs in the summer of 2023 after enjoying years of success at Liverpool, including winning the Champions League and Premier League.

But they will be on opposite sides for the Sea Derby, with Fabinho confessing that he even had to apologize to his good friend Firmino after an overzealous tackle in a corresponding fixture last season.

Al-Ittihad go into the derby in second place, with their local rival 11th in the Roshn Saudi League table.

The Jeddah derby, which kicks off at 9 p.m. local time at King Abdullah Sports City, is a part of the Roshn Saudi League’s innovative Derby Week, which is taking place in matchweek nine of the 2024-2025 season.

The new Derby Week addition to the Saudi Arabian topflight features Christiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr versus champions Al-Hilal, with Neymar at No. 10, at Al-Awwal Park. The mouthwatering Capital Derby matchup is on Friday.

The Eastern Derby between Al-Ettifaq, managed by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, and Al-Qadsiah, who welcomed Real Madrid hero Nacho into their ranks in summer, is on Saturday.

Here are some of Fabinho’s views on the big game and the SPL season:

On the derby

“For us it is a really important game, the team is in a really good moment. We are second in the league just behind Al-Hilal and we want to be at the top, so we have to win this game.

“This will be my third derby, the first two were not very good for us. We lost both of them, so it is an opportunity to give a nice result to our fans. The fans they are asking for us to give everything to win this game.”

Al-Ittihad’s form this season

“I think the players that arrived (in the transfer window) are playing really well. Moussa Diaby, Houssem Aouar, all the players who arrived have really integrated into the team and adapted to the team and the way we play.

“I think some key players are finding their best football again, so this is very important for us. The new coach and his staff arrived as well, and we know the ideas they have and how they want to play football.

“What everybody expects from us is to fight for the league, it’s not a big surprise. We have to do everything to reach the top.”

On facing Firmino

“It is not nice. Bobby is one of my good friends that I have made in football, he is a very good player, so I never like to play against him. Last season when we played against them, I made a hard tackle on him and after the game he sent me a photo of his ankle. I said: ‘Sorry, Bobby.’

“After the game we can talk but, in the game, I will fight for my side and my team. It’s nice to be in the same city as him, to see him off the pitch often. Our families also are in contact, and he is a very good friend, but on the pitch and in the derby, I am with Al-Ittihad and he is with Al-Ahli.”

On living in Jeddah

“My good friend Helder Costa played here for one season, so I talked to him, because I wanted my family to be comfortable in the city. Coming to Jeddah it was a very good surprise to see how nice the city is.

“We have adapted to the city, and we love to live in Jeddah. We’re very happy to be here.”


Patty Tavatanakit looks to ‘idol’ Taylor Swift as she seeks success at Aramco Team Series in Riyadh

Patty Tavatanakit looks to ‘idol’ Taylor Swift as she seeks success at Aramco Team Series in Riyadh
Updated 31 October 2024
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Patty Tavatanakit looks to ‘idol’ Taylor Swift as she seeks success at Aramco Team Series in Riyadh

Patty Tavatanakit looks to ‘idol’ Taylor Swift as she seeks success at Aramco Team Series in Riyadh
  • Golfer from Thailand is hoping to draw inspiration from singer as she looks to cap off her year with a third tournament win
  • England’s Charley Hull is back from injury and feeling fresh, seeking to make the most of her month off

RIYADH: Golf, for all its glory, can often be a lonely and difficult game on tour.

As the end of the 2024 season beckons, four players from the Aramco Team Series presented by PIF – Riyadh reflected on the trials and tribulations of the sport.

The global event series organized by Golf Saudi, which contributes $5 million annually to the Ladies European Tour prize fund, ends in Saudi Arabia’s capital this week, with action underway on Thursday at Riyadh Golf Club.

Speaking at the pre-tournament press conference, Charley Hull, Carlota Ciganda, Alison Lee and Patty Tavatanakit opened up about some of the hardships of a grueling schedule, and the opportunities.

Tavatanakit, who opened her year with a win at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF, spoke frankly about what can be a love-hate relationship with golf, and how the drive for success keeps her motivated.

“This is only my fifth year on tour,” said the Thai golfer. “I’m already contemplating if I actually love golf, but I do it as a job. But what drives me to do what I do is being successful.

“I really want to be successful, setting goals and trying to achieve them, whatever it is. I feel like I lost that for a little bit, over the past two years, I was just really lost and like, why am I playing?”

When prompted about what inspires her to keep going and help to put herself in the best position to compete this week in Riyadh, Tavatanakit was keen to draw on one of her idols — global popstar Taylor Swift.

“Earlier this year I watched Taylor Swift in Singapore, and she performed probably three times a week at that stretch, and I really looked up to her. There must be some nights where she just does not feel like it, she just wants to call it quits, but she can’t disappoint all those people.

“It’s just the same with us, sometimes we just want to call it quits and we just want to go home, but we can’t disappoint our fans, our responsibility for the tour, our sponsors.

“So yeah, if you watch her on the stage, she did not even show that, so I idolize her for that, and I try to put it in this year’s mindset, as much as possible.”

Also looking to bring a fresh perspective into the event is England’s Hull who, after sustaining a freak shoulder injury after slipping in the shower earlier in the year, is now competing again, with her game back to the level she expects.

Hull had more than a month without competing before returning to action last week in Malaysia, and said playing golf with her friends and family has helped to keep her love going for the sport.

“I just enjoy being out on the golf course, I find it quite therapeutic,” said Hull. “I actually enjoy playing golf at home more with my friends than I do on tour. It’s a lot faster. I just like hitting shots, and I just love golf, that’s what gets me out of bed.”

“It’s a really nice golf course here, and it’s very scorable,” she continued. “It’s good for confidence too, because you can make those birdies out there. Last year, 29-under-par for Alison (Lee) after three rounds … that’s pretty crazy. So yeah, I’m here trying to make those birdies.

Solheim Cup star Lee was in inspired form in 2023, with her score of 29-under-par equaling the record for the LET — the caveat being that she achieved this in just three days.

The course will provide a sterner challenge but Lee is determined to retain her trophy. “I’ve never really been able to win anything back-to-back, so to be able to get that opportunity this week, I’m really excited,” said Lee.

“I know it’s going to be pretty tough, though, and I think it’s playing a little differently this year. I noticed some of the tee boxes are put back a little bit, so will be playing a little longer.”

Lee has seen how courses including Riyadh Golf Club have evolved since the growth of the game in Saudi Arabia, which has gone hand in hand with a surge in women’s golf.

“In Saudi Arabia, we’ve played on some of the best courses, and during the first Saudi Ladies International Tournament, about 1,000 women joined the Ladies First Club, which has since tripled,” said Lee.

“While that number might seem small, it’s a significant growth from zero, highlighting the potential for further development in women’s sports and golf. There’s still so much more room for growth here, and it’s awesome to be a part of that.”

The reigning champion from the team aspect, Spain’s Ciganda, will feel that she has a fantastic opportunity to retain her title — with seven-time LET winner Caroline Hedwall and fellow Spaniard Carmen Alonso making up the professional element of her team.

Alonso secured her first win on the LET in 2023 at the age of 38, and her captain Ciganda is excited for the chance to play together this week, given Alonso’s importance as a formative figure in Ciganda’s early years.

Said Ciganda: “Carmen is a little older than me, so when I was an amateur, she was on the team, and she was like a big sister to me when I was playing for Spain in the national team.

“We played a lot of European Amateur Team Championships, so when I saw that she was the third player, I was very happy.”

She added: “Every time I come here, it’s always a great week, the way they treat us. The golf course, the food, I think it’s (a) very easy week for us. I’m very, very excited for the week and looking forward to starting tomorrow.”

The Aramco Team Series presented by PIF – Riyadh runs from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 with 28 teams of four players each, consisting of three professionals and one amateur.


Pacers hold off Celtics in overtime, Cavs rout Lakers in James family return

Pacers hold off Celtics in overtime, Cavs rout Lakers in James family return
Updated 31 October 2024
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Pacers hold off Celtics in overtime, Cavs rout Lakers in James family return

Pacers hold off Celtics in overtime, Cavs rout Lakers in James family return
  • Indiana’s victory in a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference finals left the Cleveland Cavaliers as the East’s only unbeaten team
  • The Cavs gave the Los Angeles Lakers a rough ride, despite a warm reception for Bronny James in Cleveland, where the hosts dominated in a 134-110 victory to improve to 5-0
  • The Oklahoma City Thunder remained unbeaten in the West, improving to 4-0 with a 105-93 victory over the San Antonio Spurs

LOS ANGELES: Pascal Siakam drilled the game-winning three-pointer in overtime as the Indiana Pacers beat Boston 135-132 on Wednesday, handing the NBA champion Celtics their first defeat of the season.

Indiana’s victory in a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference finals left the Cleveland Cavaliers as the East’s only unbeaten team.

The Cavs gave the Los Angeles Lakers a rough ride, despite a warm reception for Bronny James in Cleveland, where the hosts dominated in a 134-110 victory to improve to 5-0.

In Indianapolis, Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 30 points and 11 rebounds. Siakam added 29 and Tyrese Haliburton scored 17 points with 12 assists for Indiana, who led by as many as 24 early in the third quarter.

Boston outscored Indiana 38-24 in the fourth, twice cutting the deficit to three before Jayson Tatum drained a step-back three-pointer with 14.4 seconds remaining in regulation.

Boston took their first lead since the first quarter on Derrick White’s driving layup that made it 132-130 with 39.7 seconds left.

But Siakam had the last word, making a basket to tie it then rising for a three-pointer over Haliburton with 7.3 seconds to play.

“It’s big, it’s big,” Siakam said. “We got a couple of games where we lost by a couple of turnovers, rebounds. So we wanted to get this one.”

Tatum scored 37 points, Brown added 25 and White scored 23 for Boston, but they couldn’t pull off the miracle.

“We let them come back, but I thought we fought,” Siakam said. “That’s what we’ve got to do. We’ve got to be a team that fights to the end.”

Boston dropped to 4-1 as Cleveland improved to 5-0 for just the third time in franchise history.

Wednesday’s game was billed as a homecoming for LeBron and Bronny James — who hadn’t played since he was subbed in to play alongside his superstar father in the Lakers’ season-opening victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

That made them the first father-son duo to play alongside each other in an NBA game.

This time around, LeBron James had departed for good and the game was out of hand when Bronny James was subbed in late in the fourth quarter — to cheers from Cleveland fans who remember him as a toddler attending Cavs games when his father starred for his hometown team.

Although the 20-year-old drafted by the Lakers in June is expected to be headed to the developmental G League soon, he did hit a mid-range jump shot for his first NBA points.

“To see him get his first NBA basket in this arena where he grew up not too far from here — it’s an unbelievable moment,” LeBron James said.

Nevertheless, it will be little consolation for the Lakers.

The Cavs made 17 three-pointers to the Lakers’ six and parlayed 21 Lakers turnovers into 31 points.

Cleveland took control with a red-hot first quarter, connecting on 77.3 percent of their shots from the field.

The Cavs led by 19 at halftime and turnovers doomed the Lakers’ efforts to make significant inroads in the third.

Evan Mobley scored 25 points and Mitchell added 24 as six Cavs players scored in double figures.

LeBron James led the Lakers with 26 points. Anthony Davis added 22 with 13 rebounds but Los Angeles dropped their second straight.

The Oklahoma City Thunder remained unbeaten in the West, improving to 4-0 with a 105-93 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

Lu Dort scored 20 points and Chet Holmgren added 19 for Oklahoma City as San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama was held to six points on one-for-five shooting.

Wembanyama added eight rebounds and three blocks, but it was Holmgren who came out on top in their match-up of second-year big men.

Elsewhere, Karl-Anthony Towns erupted for 44 points and 13 rebounds to propel the New York Knicks to a 116-107 victory over the Heat in Miami.

Jaden Ivey scored 23 points and Cade Cunningham added 22 to lead the Detroit Pistons to their first win, a 105-95 triumph in Philadelphia where the 76ers continued to struggle with stars Joel Embiid and Paul George sidelined by injury.


Dodgers win World Series in 5 games, overcome 5-run deficit with help of errors to beat Yankees 7-6

Dodgers win World Series in 5 games, overcome 5-run deficit with help of errors to beat Yankees 7-6
Updated 31 October 2024
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Dodgers win World Series in 5 games, overcome 5-run deficit with help of errors to beat Yankees 7-6

Dodgers win World Series in 5 games, overcome 5-run deficit with help of errors to beat Yankees 7-6
  • The Dodgers earned their eighth championship and seventh since leaving Brooklyn for Los Angeles — their first in a non-shortened season since 1988
  • New York remained without a title since winning their record 27th in 2009

NEW YORK: The Los Angeles Dodgers won their second World Series championship in five seasons, overcoming a five-run deficit with the help of three Yankees defensive miscues and rallying on sacrifice flies from Gavin Lux and Mookie Betts in the eighth inning to beat New York 7-6 in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning, Alex Verdugo’s RBI single chased Jack Flaherty in the second and Giancarlo Stanton’s third-inning homer against Ryan Brasier built a 5-0 Yankees lead.

But errors by Judge in center and Anthony Volpe at shortstop, combined with pitcher Gerrit Cole failing to cover first on Betts’ grounder, helped Los Angeles score five unearned runs in the fifth.

After Stanton’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly put the Yankees back ahead 6-5, the Dodgers loaded the bases against loser Tommy Kahnle in the eighth before the sacrifice flies off Luke Weaver.

Winner Blake Treinen escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the bottom half by retiring Stanton on a flyout and striking out Anthony Rizzo.

Walker Buehler, making his first relief appearance since his rookie season in 2018, pitched a perfect ninth for his first major league save.

“We’re obviously resilient, but there’s so much love in the clubhouse that won this game today,” Betts said. “That’s what it was. It was love, it was grit. I mean, it was just a beautiful thing. I’m just proud of us and I’m happy for us.”

When Buehler struck out Verdugo to end the game, the Dodgers poured onto the field to celebrate between the mound and first base, capping a season in which they won 98 games and finished with the best regular-season record.

“There’s just a lot of ways we can win baseball games,” Buehler said. “Obviously the superstars we have on our team and the discipline, it just kind of all adds up.”

Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers’ record-setting $700 million signing and baseball’s first 50-homer, 50-steal player, went 2 for 19 with no RBIs and had one single after separating his shoulder during a stolen base attempt in Game 2.

Freddie Freeman hit a two-run single to tie the Series record of 12 RBIs, set by Bobby Richardson over seven games in 1960. With the Dodgers one out from losing Friday’s opener, Freeman hit a game-ending grand slam reminiscent of Kirk Gibson’s homer off Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley in 1988’s Game 1 that sparked Los Angeles to the title.

The Dodgers earned their eighth championship and seventh since leaving Brooklyn for Los Angeles — their first in a non-shortened season since 1988. They won a neutral-site World Series against Tampa Bay in 2020 after a 60-game regular season and couldn’t have a parade because of the coronavirus pandemic.

These Dodgers of Ohtani, Freeman & Betts joined the 1955 Duke Snider and Roy Campanella Boys of Summer, the Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale era that spanned the three titles from 1959-65, the Tommy Lasorda-led groups 1981 and ‘88 and the Betts and Clayton Kershaw champions of 2020.

Dave Roberts won his second championship in nine seasons as Dodgers manager, matching Lasorda and trailing the four of Walter Alston. The Dodgers won for the fourth time in 12 Series meetings with the Yankees.

New York remained without a title since winning their record 27th in 2009. The Yankees acquired Juan Soto from San Diego in December knowing he would be eligible for free agency after the 2024 Series. The 26-year-old star went 5 for 16 one RBI in the Series heading into intensely followed bidding on the open market.

Judge finished 4 for 18 with three RBIs.

Cole didn’t allow a hit until Kike Hernandez singled leading off the fifth. Judge, who an inning earlier made a leaping catch at the wall to deny Freeman an extra-base hit, dropped Tommy Edman’s fly to center. Shortstop Anthony Volpe then bounced a throw to third on Will Smith’s grounder, allowing the Dodgers to load the bases with no outs.

Cole struck out Lux and Ohtani, and Betts hit a grounder to Rizzo. Cole didn’t cover first, pointing at Rizzo to run to the bag as Betts outraced the first baseman.

Freeman followed with a two-run single and Teoscar Hernandez hit a tying two-run double. Max Muncy walked before Kike Hernandez grounded into a forceout on Cole’s 48th pitch of the inning.

“We just take advantage of every mistake they made in that inning,” Teoscar Hernandez said. “We put some good at-bats together. We put the ball in play.”

Stanton’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly off Brusdar Graterol put the Yankees ahead 6-5, but the Dodgers rallied one last time in the eighth.

Kike Hernandez singled off Tommy Kahnle leading off. Edman followed with an infield hit and Smith walked on four pitches. Lux’s sacrifice fly off Luke Weaver tied the score. Ohtani reached home on catcher’s interference and Betts followed with another sacrifice fly to give the Dodgers their first lead.

Purchased by Guggenheim Baseball Management in 2012, the Dodgers hired Andrew Friedman from Tampa Bay to head their baseball operations two years later. He boosted the front office with a multitude of analytics and performance science staff, and ownership supplied the cash.

Los Angeles went on an unprecedented $1.25 billion spending spree last offseason on deals with Ohtani, pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and James Paxton, and outfielder Teoscar Hernandez. Much of the money was future obligations that raised the Dodgers’ deferred compensation to $915.5 million owed from 2028-44.

Faced with injuries, the Dodgers acquired Flaherty, Edman and reliever Michael Kopech ahead of the trade deadline, and all became important cogs in the title run. The additions boosted payroll to $266 million, third behind the Mets and the Yankees, plus a projected $43 million luxury tax.

UP NEXT

Los Angeles opens its spring schedule on Feb. 20 against the Chicago Cubs at Camelback Ranch, and the Yankees start the next day against Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida.