The Sports Report: Juan Soto is the definite star of Dodgers’ 4-1 loss to Nationals

Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.

From Jack Harris: Juan Soto and Trea Turner both used the word “crazy” on Monday afternoon.

For Soto, crazy that he could be traded by the Washington Nationals before the Aug. 2 deadline.

To Turner, crazy that the Dodgers seem to be one of his potential — and maybe most likely — landing spots.

“I don’t know if I can recruit,” said Turner, a former teammate of Soto’s on the Nationals until getting dealt to the Dodgers last year, “but I’m a Dodger, and hopefully he’s a Dodger as well.”

For now, Soto remains a National, returning to Dodger Stadium this week as a visitor.

In the Nationals 4-1 win Monday night, however, the 23-year-old star outfielder was treated like anything but.

As the Nationals lineup was read over the public address system pregame, Soto’s name was met with a round of applause.

When he stepped on deck in the top of the first, almost every person in the first row in front of him whipped out their phone to take a picture.

Then, when he came to the plate, he was greeted by another ovation and a smattering of hopeful chants from a crowd of 48,647 at Chavez Ravine:

“Fut-ure Dod-ger! Fut-ure Dod-ger!”

It was the same chant Soto received during the All-Star Game last week, when a group of fans in Dodger Stadium’s outfield pavilion caught his attention while he stood in center field.

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How much would a team give up for Juan Soto? Probably more than you think

Baseball players union rejects MLB’s proposal for an international draft

RAMS

From Helene Elliott: Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has been busy since he and his teammates lifted the Lombardi trophy as the winners of Super Bowl LVI.

Before the last drops of champagne had dried, Stafford signed a four-year contract extension that includes $120 million guaranteed. He also became the star of a clever AT&T commercial that ends with him offering a wink and a subtle nod toward the 12 years he spent in Detroit before the Rams acquired him from the Lions in January 2021.

He capped his eventful offseason with a surprising debut on Instagram. A photo of him wearing the Rams’ huge and glittery championship ring appeared a few days ago on an account with his name and a blue verification check mark, causing a stir because he had long avoided engaging with social media.

It was a big deal. Almost as big a deal as the fact that on Sunday, the opening day of the Rams’ training camp at UC Irvine, Stafford threw passes for the first time since he received an anti-inflammatory injection in his right arm soon after the Super Bowl.

He was happier with his throwing than his social media venture.

“Listen, I have no clue. I have no idea,” an embarrassed Stafford said of the Instagram post, which featured the ring but cropped out his wife Kelly. “You can ask me all the football questions you want. Don’t ask me about that.”

As for the football part, he said all went fine Sunday with his arm, which had nagged him during the Rams’ march to the championship. He threw smoothly, surely, regaining his timing and footing and shaking off the rust that had accumulated because he didn’t throw during minicamp or offseason workouts.

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Jalen Ramsey says he doesn’t have weight of Rams contract on his (rehabbing) shoulders

CHARGERS

From Jeff Miller: They sold their house, their furniture, Dad’s truck and his motorcycle.

Lisa Dasher and Chris Jackson surrendered their jobs and their friends and trekked 140 miles north, joining Lisa’s oldest daughter in her apartment — her one-and-a-half bedroom apartment.

“We was living in the half,” Lisa recalled, smiling.

Dasher, Jackson and their son, J.C., were three of the seven people wedged into the space, their lives squeezed for the most basic of reasons: They needed money.

Yes, the bills were significant. And so were the circumstances. They had to pay the attorneys trying to keep J.C. out of prison.

“Every success he’s having now is very emotional to me because I know the path,” Lisa said. “I tell people, ‘You don’t understand everything that we had to sacrifice to be here.’ It just wasn’t easy. But I’m glad we made it, man.”

In March, J.C. Jackson signed with the Chargers, accepting a five-year contract worth up to $82.5 million, $40 million of which is guaranteed.

UCLA BASKETBALL

From Ben Bolch: It’s a brother-sister act that UCLA has seen once before.

Big brother is in his last college season. Little sis is just getting started.

Both are as tough as the hardwood they freely dive onto in pursuit of loose balls.

Nearly a half-century ago, it was Ann and Dave Meyers. Now it’s Gabriela and Jaime Jaquez Jr.

The last time the Bruins experienced this sort of sibling splendor, it ended in banner seasons. Dave Meyers led his final college team to a national championship in 1975, which also happened to be the coda for coach John Wooden. Three years later, as a senior, Ann propelled the UCLA women’s team to its first — and only — national title.

Several months ago, as she watched a practice inside the Mo Ostin Center, her feet planted on Ann Meyers Drysdale Court, Gabriela Jaquez’s eyes drifted skyward to that Assn. for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women banner won in 1978. A discussion ensued about the meaning of that achievement, coach Cori Close saying not to discredit a title won four years before the NCAA began crowning women’s champions.

ANGELS

Zack Greinke combined with four Royals relievers to hold the scuffling Angels to five hits, Michael A. Taylor drove in three runs, and Kansas City broke open a close game late for a 7-0 win on Monday night.

Emmanuel Rivera drove in a run during a four-run seventh, and MJ Melendez added a two-run homer in the eighth, helping to position the Royals for another shot at their first four-game win streak this season on Tuesday night.

The Angels’ Noah Syndergaard (5-8) went 5 2/3 innings, giving up one run and six hits and two walks with six strikeouts.

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1859 — The first intercollegiate Regatta is held in Worcester, Mass., with Harvard beating Yale and Brown.

1928 — Gene Tunney beats Tom Heeney on a technical knockout in the 11th round at Yankee Stadium to retain the world heavyweight title.

1952 — Bob Mathias wins his second Olympic decathlon in Helsinki, Finland.

1955 — Doug Ford defeats Cary Middlecoff 4 and 3 in the final round to capture the PGA title.

1981 — Pat Bradley shoots a record 279 total to win the U.S. Women’s Open. Kathy Whitworth, who finishes third, becomes the first million-dollar golfer in LPGA history.

1987 — Stephen Roche of Ireland wins the Tour de France by 40 seconds over Spain’s Pedro Delgado. Jeannie Longo of France wins the women’s race, finishing 2:52 ahead of Italy’s Maria Canins.

1992 — Miguel Indurain of Spain, the holder of the yellow jersey as overall leader for the final nine days, rides in the pack to clinch his second straight victory in the Tour de France.

1996 — American swimmer Amy Van Dyken wins the 50-meter freestyle to become Atlanta’s first quadruple gold medalist and the first U.S. woman to win four in a single Olympics.

1998 — Three spectators are killed — the first fan deaths at a major race in the United States in more than a decade — and six are injured by flying debris from a one-car crash at the U.S. 500 at Michigan Speedway.

2005 — Greg Maddux records his 3,000th career strikeout against San Francisco, striking out Omar Vizquel in the third inning of a 3-2, 11-inning victory for the Giants.

2009 — Alberto Contador wins the Tour de France for a second time. Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, Contador’s biggest rival among title contenders in the mountains, finishes second.

2013 — He Chong wins his record-tying third consecutive world title in the men’s 3-meter springboard at Barcelona, Spain, giving China its seventh gold medal in eight diving events. His victories in 2009, 2011, and 2013, matches Phillip Boggs’ record of three titles from 1973-78.

2015 — Christina Jones and Bill May of the U.S. win the first gold medal in new mixed duet technical synchronized swimming at the world championships in Kazan, Russia. The mixed duet is new to the world championships.

2015 — Kyle Busch’s incredible comeback continues with a weekend sweep at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He wins the Brickyard 400 a day after winning the second-tier Xfinity Series race. Busch, who missed the first 11 races of the season with a broken right leg and broken left foot, wins the fourth of the last five Sprint Cup Series races, including three straight.

2020 — Italian soccer team Juventus wins its 9th straight Serie A title in a 2-0 victory over Sampdoria.

2021 — Hidilyn Diaz becomes the first athlete from the Philippines to win an Olympic gold medal in the 55kg class of weightlifting at the Tokyo Games.

Compiled by the Associated Press

And finally

Greg Maddux gets his 3,000th strike out. Watch and listen here.