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LOS ANGELES — The Rose Bowl press box was shaking. UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson had found wide receiver Logan Loya on a crossing route across the middle and the receiver had turned it into a 70-yard touchdown. The score put the Bruins up 10 points on No. 11 Utah and sent the crowd on hand — most of the season-high 42,038 sitting in the shaded side of the stadium — into a frenzy.

If it took a second for those inside the box to notice the movement, it’s because the Rose Bowl press box hasn’t moved much, if at all, this season. After two games with fewer than 35,000 fans in attendance, the Bruins’ 4-0 start had more people gawking at half-empty stadium pictures online than witnesses on hand.

But the sport’s most storied venue got more crowded when UCLA upset Washington on Sept. 30 to earn a No. 18 ranking in the polls and a host of national attention. The snowball effect carried over to Saturday’s kickoff against Utah. Before the game, the Rose Bowl sidelines were peppered with a plethora of alumni, former players, boosters and guests that had shown up to watch the Bruins warm up and eventually move to 6-0.

“The energy and excitement around this team is palpable,” UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond told ESPN. “Best ball in the country is being played at the Rose Bowl.”

About 14 miles southwest of the Rose Bowl, a few hours after the Bruins pulled off their second upset in two weeks, USC athletic director Mike Bohn and USC president Carol Folt stood at the south end zone of the Los Angeles Coliseum and continued what has become tradition: greeting players and coaches after wins. On Saturday night, a lei-wearing Lincoln Riley shook hands with Bohn and Folt before greeting recruits as he walked off the field 6-0 as USC head coach after beating Washington State. The program hasn’t been 6-0 since 2006 — or as people around these parts more commonly know it, the Pete Carroll days.

“I think it’s really positive,” Bohn told ESPN of the two schools being undefeated. “This is what makes L.A. sports great.”

Saturday marked a unique day in the city: Over the course of eight hours, across multiple L.A. freeways filled with traffic, UCLA proved it belonged in the upper echelon of college football, while USC continued to display traits of an elite team. The last time both teams were undefeated through the first six games was 2005. A lot has changed since — at each program, in the city (there are two NFL teams now!) — but after a handful of down years for college football in L.A., things are looking up on both sides of town.

“To succeed in L.A., you not only need to win,” said Jeff Fellenzer, a professor of sports, business and media at USC who grew up in a UCLA household. “You need to win and be entertaining when you win, and you need to have star power, and [both teams] are checking all those boxes.”


ON THE CONCOURSE level of the stadium, just below the Rose Bowl boxes and suites that were filled Saturday, UCLA has a plaque labeling its biggest donors. In the “$100,000 or more” category, one name stands out above the rest: Troy Aikman.

The former Bruin and NFL Hall of Famer called UCLA’s attendance issues “an embarrassment” just a few weeks ago but said those issues even plagued his UCLA team when it was No. 1 in the nation. Aikman called for a smaller, on-campus stadium, but if you’ve ever been to Westwood — or the west side of L.A. for that matter — you know that’s probably not happening any time soon.

Attendance has been a running theme for the Bruins, whose campus is 30 miles across the city from the Rose Bowl. The recent L.A. heat wave and lackluster opponents meant the first three games’ attendance didn’t reach 40,000, with the opening game against Bowling Green featuring only 27,143. Tarps covering large sections of the stadium have remained even through this week. As coach Chip Kelly pointed out recently, the Bruins also have to deal with the fact that the UC school system is on quarters, not semesters, which means students don’t arrive on campus until about Week 3 of the season.

“It would be like holding a home football game at USC in late July. I mean, it seems silly,” Fellenzer said. “That’s a real factor.”

Fellenzer, who has missed only one (non-pandemic season) UCLA-USC game in person since 1964, was in the press box earlier this season when UCLA faced South Alabama and recalled seeing virtually no student section because school was not in session. He has since returned as a fan against Washington and Utah.

“There was more energy,” Fellenzer said of the game against Utah. “There was a feeling that maybe something special was around the corner.”

Indeed, the vibe among fans at the Rose Bowl on Saturday was that of anticipation. If this Bruins team was going to keep beating teams the rest of the country said were better, they wanted to be there to witness it.

UCLA, for its part, has also tried to make the game experience better for fans so that attendance isn’t solely based on results. Against Washington, it featured fireworks pregame, a halftime fireworks show and lights coordinated to music as well as an in-game MC. The latter is something USC has also had the past few years. Whether those entertainment features are bringing more fans to the stadium is hard to gauge, but the point seems to be to enhance the experience for those who do show up.

Percentage-wise, attendance has been better at USC (averaging just below 80% capacity on home games this season), due in large part to the renewed sense of direction from hiring Riley and bringing in transfers Caleb Williams and Jordan Addison. Players who have been in the program the past few seasons say they have noticed a difference.

“Tonight was electric,” said senior offensive lineman Andrew Vorhees after Saturday’s game, which featured more than 63,000 fans.

Vorhees remembers the 2017 game against Texas when the Coliseum was almost sold out. He’s hoping that if the Trojans keep playing like this, they’ll get close to another sellout this season.

Winning remains king, and with USC and UCLA facing tough road matchups at Utah (Oct. 15) and Oregon (Oct. 22), respectively, away game results might be what set the tone for the home atmosphere the rest of the season. For now, though, the winning has both those in blue and cardinal wearing rose-colored glasses.

After Friday night’s win, one UCLA official was heard yelling through the hallways, “What are they going to say now?” And on Saturday, even Aikman logged back on Twitter to send a congratulatory message to Kelly’s team and give credence to the slow-brewing Heisman hype building around Thompson-Robinson.

“UCLA wins that game, then the sky’s the limit in what you could shoot for this season,” Fellenzer said. “I think that was that feeling in the air, even though it was also a hotter day than I think any of us expected. Everybody was sort of willing to endure that because now there was something to really get excited about.”


COLLEGE FOOTBALL IN modern-day Los Angeles is a vexing proposition. Though both UCLA and USC have fervent fan bases and alumni groups, there’s no centralized hub around either program because of the sprawling nature of the city. USC comes close, with its campus walking distance to the Coliseum, but the proximity to downtown both means there’s plenty of other things around and any fan coming to the game is likely making a serious commute.

Insert the obligatory L.A. traffic comment here.

Sometimes in L.A., though, even winning might not be enough. The way in which that winning is done and with whom, matters, too. It’s cliché, but the city loves its stars.

“I think a big part of it is having these two electric quarterbacks who are worth the price of admission,” Fellenzer said. “It reminds me a bit of those Aikman-[Rodney] Peete matchups in 1987 when you had major star power at quarterback.”

Football, as an entertainment product, has always been about the quarterback first. And both USC and UCLA this season have potential Heisman Trophy contenders in Williams and Thompson-Robinson. So far this season, the two have had their share of highlights and performances, which has been the programs’ most effective form of advertising. Because of the city’s size, transient population and multiple teams for every major sport, there’s no single unifying team. The Dodgers and Lakers are the teams that come closest to turning sports in L.A. into a monoculture. USC and UCLA’s appeal, though, lies at the heart of that very split. Their rivalry is the city’s best. Yet it’s also at its best only when the two teams are playing well. Recently, that hasn’t been the case. With both the Trojans and Bruins struggling on the field the past few seasons, there has been no reason, as far as L.A. sports fans are concerned, to make the trek to downtown or Pasadena.

Riley hasn’t shied away from accepting the reality of being a sports team in L.A., alluding to the fact that he knows the crowds will come if they keep winning.

“We understand that in this city, and I think it’s fair, we gotta go prove who we are as a team,” Riley said after the season opener. “We’re going to do everything we can as a team to keep working so that people can’t even stand the thought of not coming to a USC football game.”

In the span of a few weeks, winning has changed the tone, or at the very least, given the matchup between the two teams in mid-November with a lot more juice. As soon as both teams won Saturday, many, including Fellenzer, scanned the remaining schedule for each team to see what the possibility of both teams going undefeated into that game could be.

Fellenzer was quick to point out, though, that if the two remain undefeated heading into this year’s installment of The Game, it might still not top the 1967 game. That season, UCLA was No. 1 in the country, USC was No. 4, and both teams boasted Heisman candidates — RB O.J. Simpson for USC, QB Gary Beban for UCLA. That game also decided the Pac-8 champion, the Rose Bowl participant and the national champion. The Trojans went on to win the game 21-20, but Beban went on to win the Heisman.

Of course, because of the Pac-12’s new rules this season, there is a chance that UCLA and USC face each other twice — once in their normal regular-season matchup (this year’s will be at the Rose Bowl) and then potentially on Dec. 3 in Las Vegas — Thompson-Robinson’s hometown — with the Pac-12 championship on the line.

“Even if one of them loses, I still think it will be a massive game this year,” Fellenzer said. “I don’t know how many tickets would be available for the Rose Bowl, but I think you would get a huge crowd.”


AFTER THE CLOCK hit zero at The Rose Bowl on Saturday, UCLA fans stayed. They crowded the stands near the tunnels, gave ovations to Kelly and Thompson-Robinson — the former was uncharacteristically happy postgame, inviting more questions even after he was supposed to be done — and basked in the glory of success that felt overdue.

As the rest of the team and Utah trickled into the stadium tunnel, one UCLA fan stayed back and made sure to get the visiting team’s attention. He wasn’t thinking about the bye week. Or about playing No. 12 Oregon in Eugene after that.

“Hey Utah!” he called out to the remaining players and fans. “You go beat SC next week! Beat SC!”

Much like at USC, where the band plays “Tusk,” which features the “UCLA sucks” chants at the end of every victory, the two rivals never seem to be far away from each other’s thoughts. Should they both keep winning, that sentiment will only continue to heighten and from downtown to the eastside, the crowds should continue to get louder, too.

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2025 MLB Home Run Derby: The field is set! Who is the slugger to beat?

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2025 MLB Home Run Derby: The field is set! Who is the slugger to beat?

The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.

Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.

On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.

With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.

Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more


2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet

Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.

Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.


2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet

Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.

Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.


2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet

Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.

Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.


2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet

Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.

Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.


2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet

Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.

Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.


2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet

Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.

Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.


2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet

Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.

Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.


2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet

Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.

Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.

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Reds’ Fraley to play through partially torn labrum

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Reds' Fraley to play through partially torn labrum

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Reds right fielder Jake Fraley was activated from the 10-day injured list on Saturday.

He had injured his right shoulder while trying to make a diving catch June 23 against the New York Yankees.

An MRI revealed a partially torn labrum that will eventually require surgery. Fraley received a cortisone shot and will try to play through it for the rest of the season.

The Reds were 7-4 in his absence.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who hasn’t played since Noelvi Marte returned from the IL on July 4, was optioned to Triple-A Louisville.

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Royals P Lorenzen (illness) scratched from start

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Royals P Lorenzen (illness) scratched from start

Kansas City Royals right-hander Michael Lorenzen was scratched from Saturday’s start due to an illness.

Left-hander Angel Zerpa replaced Lorenzen for the game against the visiting New York Mets.

Lorenzen, 33, is 5-8 with a 4.61 ERA through 18 starts this season.

Zerpa, 25, is 3-1 with a 3.89 ERA in 40 appearances out of the bullpen this season. His last start was in August 2023.

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