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Y E S T E R D A Y . . .

Dodgers 2, Braves 1: For the second time in three nights, a Dodgers starter flirted with perfection, and like Hiroki Kuroda on Monday, Derek Lowe shut down Atlanta on the way to a one run victory. Lowe, who no-hit Tampa Bay in 2002 as a member of the Red Sox, retired the first 18 batters of the game before Gregor Blanco singled. An inning later, the burly right-hander lost the shutout as well, giving up a solo homer to Jeff Francoeur. Matt Kemp hit his eighth home run of the season in the sixth and Andruw Jones picked up his first RBI in nearly two months with a one-out single an inning later. Takashi Saito recorded his 17th save in twenty chances.

Rangers 5, Angels 4: Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton continued his amazing saga on Tuesday; too bad the latest chapter had to come at the Angels expense. One night after Frankie Rodriguez became the first player in history to record 35 or more saves before the All-Star break, Hamilton crushed a two-out, two-run homer off the Angels’ closer. The walk-off winner spoiled the Halos’ chance to take a 2-1 series lead in Texas. Jered Weaver scattered seven hits and two walks over six innings, but only gave up two runs (one earned). In the seventh left fielder Juan Rivera snapped a 2-2 tie with a two-run homer that scored Torii Hunter.

Sparks 82, Comets 74: Alert from the department of obvious statements: Candace Parker is good. The rookie superstar scored a career high 40 points coupled with 16 rebounds as the Sparks knocked off Houston in OT. The win moved LA a half game away from first place San Antonio in the WNBA West at 12-6.

T O D A Y. . .

Angels at Rangers (5:05 p.m. PST FSN): The Angels look to split their four game series in the Lonestar state. Too bad Chuck Norris can’t help them. In two straight games, the Angels offense has been victimized by young Rangers hurlers, and Scott Feldman looks to continue the trend. The Halos will counter with ace John Lackey, who is 6-2 with a 1.93 ERA. Against Toronto on July 5, Lackey had his worst and shortest outing of ‘08, giving up six runs (five earned) in six innings of work. Second baseman Howie Kendrick has 12 hits in 31 July at bats.

Marlins at Dodgers (7:10 p.m. PST Prime): The opening of the Dodgers’ final series before the All-Star break could be momentous. As the Boys in Blue are getting healthy, they have a chance to knock off a Florida team that plays in the second most mediocre division in baseball. LA is currently tied with Arizona for first place in the West, which is kind of like running neck and neck in a third grade jog-a-thon. Chan Ho Park, who’s quietly resurrecting his career, takes the hill at the Ravine against Josh Johnson. The Marlins righty will make his first start since recovering from Tommy John surgery in July 2007.

Chivas at Galaxy (8:00 p.m. PST, ESPN 2): Sitting alone atop the Western Conference is only one of the rewards to be had from tonight’s all-LA futbol showdown. Chivas USA and the Galaxy are bitter rivals and fueled one of the more dramatic matches of the MLS season in April. This time around, with both teams virtually tied for first place, there’s more at stake than respect.

N E W S W O R T H Y. . .

• Sans Corey and Elton, B-Diddy is officially a Clipper. Los Angeles native Baron Davis followed through on his verbal agreement and signed a five-year, $65 million contract. The team also met with restricted free agent Josh Smith and made preliminary contact with Charlotte’s Emeka Okafor.
• Finally, former Yankee captain Don Mattingly will replace Mike Easler after the All-Star break as the Dodgers hitting instructor.
• Championships don’t come cheap in Laker-land as the team raised ticket prices for the third straight season.
• After 12 starts, Texas homecoming is turning into a regular ole road trip for John Lackey.
• Angels and manager Mike Scioscia are comfy with Vlady cleaning up.
• Prep quarterback Nicholas Montana, son of Hall of Famer Joe Montana, transferred from De La Salle to Oaks Christian in Westlake Village.
• Compton’s Brandon Jennings, a prep hoops mega recruit from Oak Hill Academy, reneged on his commitment to Arizona and will sign a contract with a European professional team. Not only does his decision have a dramatic impact on Pac-10 basketball in 2008-09, but it may ultimately change the way we think of the NBA’s “one-and-done” rule.

C O L U M N S. . .

• The Times’ Bill Plaschke argues that Elton Brand may have wanted out of LA for five years. He says whether it was as a Hollywood man or team leader, the now former Clippers star was acting all along. Why did Brand lie? Because the truth was inconvenient.
• SportsHubLA Column of the Day: Mark Whicker from the O.C. Register defends Elton Brand’s decision to ditch the Clips, citing factors such as a return to his roots and Brand’s desire for a championship. He also says that because LA was able to snatch Brand away from Chicago seven years ago, it should dismiss the notion that the franchise is cursed. Well, sort of. If Shaun Livingston’s gruesome knee injury taught us anything, it’s that being a member of the red and white often produces the blues. Maybe Brand grew tired of all the losing. Or he’d just become Pacman err… Adam Jones at a Spearmint Rhino: content. No matter the explanation, the Clippers are back to playing the lottery, a game they too often seem to lose.

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