The Sports Report: MLB says Justin Turner ignored the rules

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

Jorge Castillo and Bill Shaikin on the Dodgers: Major League Baseball in a statement Wednesday said Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner refused to adhere to rules when he returned to the field to celebrate the Dodgers winning the World Series on Tuesday after his positive coronavirus test.

The league stated that officials received word of Turner’s positive test during the game, which prompted them to order the Dodgers to remove Turner. The team was informed during the seventh inning and Turner was officially replaced at third base in the eighth. Turner wasn’t on the field for the Dodgers’ trophy presentation but later emerged to celebrate with the team.

“Turner was placed into isolation for the safety of those around him,” the league’s statement read. “However, following the Dodgers’ victory, it is clear that Turner chose to disregard the agreed-upon joint protocols and the instructions he was given regarding the safety and protection of others.

“While a desire to celebrate is understandable, Turner’s decision to leave isolation and enter the field was wrong and put everyone he came in contact with at risk. When MLB Security raised the matter of being on the field with Turner, he emphatically refused to comply.

“The Commissioner’s Office is beginning a full investigation into this matter and will consult with the Players Association within the parameters of the joint 2020 Operations Manual.”

An initial round of postgame tests Tuesday night turned up no additional positives among players on the Dodgers or the Tampa Bay Rays, The Times learned. Another round of testing took place Wednesday. One Rays family member tested positive.

Players and families from both teams cleared after testing boarded flights to Los Angeles and Tampa Bay on Wednesday afternoon.

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Bill Plaschke: Justin Turner’s act of selfishness leaves stain on Dodgers’ championship moment

Seven Dodgers become free agents a day after winning the World Series

Dodgers’ celebration produced one last unprecedented moment in pandemic-era season

A look at the contract status of key Dodgers heading into the 2021 season:

Signed
Mookie Betts
Kenley Jansen
Joe Kelly
Clayton Kershaw
Max Muncy
AJ Pollock
David Price
Chris Taylor

Arbitration eligible
Scott Alexander
Austin Barnes
Cody Bellinger
Corey Seager
Julio Urías

Under team control*
Matt Beaty
Walker Buehler
Caleb Ferguson
Dylan Floro
Tony Gonsolin
Victor González
Brusdar Graterol
Adam Kolarek
Gavin Lux
Dustin May
Edwin Ríos
Dennis Santana
Will Smith
(*players can’t go to arbitration or free agency; team can renew contract)

Free agents
Pedro Báez
Kiké Hernández
Jake McGee
Joc Pederson
Blake Treinen
Justin Turner
Alex Wood

LAFC

Kevin Baxter on LAFC: LAFC didn’t take the most direct route nor did it have the smoothest of journeys, but the team got where it wanted to go Wednesday night, clinching an MLS playoff berth with a 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo.

That result, combined with the Galaxy’s loss in Portland, guarantees LAFC will finish in the top eight in the Western Conference and qualify for an expanded postseason tournament. But the celebration at an empty Banc of California Stadium was a muted one because reaching the playoffs is just the first step on what the team hopes will be a much longer journey.

LAFC has been here before, of course, reaching the postseason in each of its first two seasons — then winning just one game once it got there.

This season it waited until there were two games left to accept its playoff invitation, the deepest it has gone into a season without one.

GALAXY

Jaroslaw Niezgoda scored a pair of first-half goals and the Portland Timbers clinched a spot in the playoffs with a 5-2 victory over the Galaxy on Wednesday night.

It is the fourth straight season that the Timbers (10-5-5) have made the postseason.

Cristian Pavon scored twice for the Galaxy (5-11-3), who have lost eight of their last nine games and are sitting in last place in the Western Conference.

UCLA FOOTBALL

Ben Bolch on UCLA football: UCLA reserve defensive lineman Steven Mason has been suspended indefinitely after his arrest this month on suspicion of felony domestic violence and child endangerment.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office declined to file felony charges and has referred the case to the L.A. City Attorney’s Office, which has scheduled the matter for informal resolution during a hearing at the L.A. Airport Courthouse.

UCLA said in a statement that it was aware of Mason’s arrest and confirmed his suspension but would have no further comment on the matter while it was being reviewed.

Mason, 22, was arrested Oct. 10 at 10:56 p.m. after UCLA police responded to a report of domestic violence in the 3300 block of Sawtelle Boulevard. Mason was transported to the UCLA Police Department, where he was booked and transported to L.A. County Jail on $150,000 bail.

TODAY’S LOCAL MAJOR SPORTS SCHEDULE

All times Pacific.

No games scheduled.

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1950 — Detroit’s Wally Triplett gains 294 yards in kickoff returns and ends up with 331 total yards as the Lions pound the Los Angeles Rams 65-24 on 41 third-quarter points.

1961 — Oscar Robertson dishes out a franchise-record 22 assists during Cincinnati’s 139-132 win over visiting Syracuse. The “Big O” goes on to average a triple-double (30.8 ppg, 12.5 rpg and 11.4 apg) for the Royals during the 1961-62 season, becoming the first NBA player to average double figures in assists.

1977 — Boston’s John Havlicek becomes the second player in NBA history to connect on 10,000 career field goals, reaching the milestone in a 103-98 loss at Cleveland.

1977 — Russell Erxleben of Texas kicks a 60-yard field goal in a 26-0 rout of Texas Tech for his third field goal of the season over 60 yards, an NCAA record.

1983 — Gil Fenerty rushes for 337 yards on a 18 carries and scores six touchdowns to lead Holy Cross to a 77-28 rout of Columbia.

1984 — Orlando Pizzolato wins the New York Marathon in 2:14:53 and Grete Waitz captures the women’s title in 2:29:30.

1994 — Arnold Mickens rushes for more than 200 yards for the eighth consecutive game, breaking the NCAA Division I-AA single-season rushing record as Butler beats Evansville 49-14. Mickens’ 244 yards gives him a total of 2,111, surpassing the record of 2,016 set by Towson State’s Tony Vinson.

2005 — Top-ranked USC wins its 30th straight game, routing Washington State 55-13. The Trojans tie Texas for the 11th-longest winning streak in major college football history.

2006 — With a a 34-31 victory over Denver, Indianapolis is the first team to start 7-0 in consecutive seasons since the 1929-31 Green Bay Packers did it three straight times.

2011 — Joe Paterno breaks Eddie Robinson’s record for victories by a Division I coach with No. 409 in Penn State’s sloppy 10-7 win over Illinois.

2014 — Madison Bumgarner and the San Francisco Giants succeed where no team had in 3 1/2 decades, winning Game 7 on the road for their third World Series title in five years. Bumgarner comes out of the bullpen to pitch five scoreless innings on two days’ rest as the Giants held off the Kansas City Royals 3-2.

2017 — Russell Wilson hits Jimmy Graham for an 18-yard touchdown with 21 seconds left, his second TD catch of the fourth quarter, to lead Seattle over Houston 41-38. Wilson finishes 26 of 41 for a career-high 452 yards and four TDs. Deshaun Watson is nearly the equal of Wilson, throwing for 402 yards and four touchdowns and three interceptions.

2017 — Caroline Wozniacki wins the biggest title of her career when she beat Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 in the WTA Finals.

2017 — Justin Rose mounts the third-largest final-round comeback in PGA TOUR history to win the WGC-HSBC Champions. Rose starts the final round eight shots behind Dustin Johnson, who ties a record for losing the largest lead in the final round. The historic 5-under 67 round by Rose is keyed by a back-nine 31. Rose finishes at 14-under 274 and Johnson who finishes with a 77, ties for second with Henrik Stenson and Brooks Koepka, two strokes back.

And finally

The Dodgers take the lead in Game 6 of the 2020 World Series. Watch it here.