LOS ANGELES -- The organizer of a protest over the state of the Los Angeles Lakers says the issues with the team boil down to one thing: decision-making on a front-office level.

Charlie Rivers, a 22-year-old Arizona college student who says he drove from the Phoenix area to take part in the protest he launched this week on social media, said Friday he was happy with the results of his efforts.

"I think I already got it -- media coverage, have the talking heads speak about it, analysts talk about the inept decision-making by the front office, basketball operations needing a change up there," Rivers said. "I don't mean it to be a personal attack on [owner] Jeanie Buss or anything like that. I just don't agree with their decision-making on a front-office level.

"Nepotism shouldn't be involved when it comes to decision-making."

The Lakers had no comment on the protest.

Fans numbering 35 to 40 drew an even larger group of media and onlookers Friday outside the main entrance of Staples Center. Chants rang out as several fans held protest signs. But looks of anger and concern common with many protests were absent, replaced mostly with laughing smiles of content.

Rivers, born and raised in Anaheim, California, said he was a lifelong Lakers fan who moved to Arizona with his family in 2008.

"I'm just like anybody else -- I just have my opinion," said Rivers, who used the social media site Reddit to organize the protest. "I don't feel any different than anyone. But I feel that my opinion picked up steam and people resonated with it. Somebody said, 'If you feel so strongly about this, why don't you start a protest?' So I did."

The message of one of the signs held as "No more Rambis!" chants rang out was clear: Jeanie Buss plus general manager Rob Pelinka equals an image of LeBron James -- with his eyes shut.

"This is based solely on the front office and their decision-making," Rivers said. "I understand LeBron is only going to be here three to four years. That's fine. When he's up there in age, that's all right. This is more so about the direction the organization's been taking ever since Dr. Buss passed away. Whether it's Jim Buss, Jeanie Buss -- things have been toxic, and I feel like people around Jeanie don't have her best interest at heart and they're making political moves to keep themselves on the job. And ultimately that's going to hinder the effectiveness of the organization."

The protest unfolded as the Lakers were reportedly set to interview their sixth head-coaching candidate since firing Luke Walton a month ago. Former Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel was flying to Los Angeles on Thursday for the interview, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

It also came a day after Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, in an impromptu interview with TMZ, called the city "a Clippers town."

"Right now, it's a Clippers town," Garcetti said. "I'm Lakers 'til the day I die. But I love [the] Clippers. I don't hate 'em."

Superfan "Cipper Darrell" appeared in front of Staples Center as the protest continued, drawing his own crowd.

He told some of those gathered that there was little reason for Lakers fans to hold hope.

"With social media now, players don't have to come to Los Angeles," he said.

There might not be enough superlatives to describe Stephen Curry's performance in the second half of the Golden State Warriors' win over the Houston Rockets in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals. After going scoreless in the first half, Curry poured in 33 points in the game's final 24 minutes -- 23 of which came in the fourth quarter, as the Warriors ended the Rockets' season for the fourth time in five years.

Curry's outstanding performance earned praise from NBA players watching at home, starting with one of his biggest postseason rivals, who -- intentionally or not -- invoked the words of a Rockets legend to describe Curry's effort.

NEVER underestimate the heart of a Champion‼️‼️

— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 11, 2019

Steph had 33 in the second half ?? that's silly lol

— Larry Nance Jr (@Larrydn22) May 11, 2019

Apology accepted. Y'all gon put some respect on that man name https://t.co/Zv902PMkym

— Baze (@24Bazemore) May 11, 2019

Steph had 33 in the second half ?

— Jaron Blossomgame (@JaronBgame) May 11, 2019

True but I didn't think he would get it! MVP behavior tonight! https://t.co/51Ln8uRrTG

— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) May 11, 2019

Meanwhile David West, who won titles with Curry and the Warriors in 2017 and 2018, shared this message, which might've been a shot at both Curry's critics -- who were particularly vocal after Game 5 -- and Rockets GM Daryl Morey.

Stop letting nerds tell you how to play basketball....

— David West (@D_West30) May 11, 2019

Minnesota Twins third baseman Marwin Gonzalez left Friday night's game against the Detroit Tigers with a facial contusion after a scary-looking collision at first base in the bottom of the sixth inning in Minneapolis.

Gonzalez hit a comebacker off the leg of Tigers starter Tyson Ross, who fielded the ricochet and threw high to first baseman Niko Goodrum. Goodrum jumped for the ball but hit Gonzalez in the head with his right knee.

Gonzalez, 30, immediately went down to the ground and remained there before eventually gathering himself and leaving the game with the assistance of Twins athletic trainers.

He finished 1-for-2 with a run scored, and the Twins won 6-0.

Goodrum also left with what the Tigers later said was a right knee contusion. He finished 0-for-3.

Travis d'Arnaud's tenure with the Los Angeles Dodgers is over after one pinch-hit appearance.

The former New York Mets catcher who signed with the Dodgers on Sunday has been traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for $100,000, the teams announced Friday.

The Dodgers signed d'Arnaud to a one-year deal on Sunday and anticipated using him as a backup catcher and first baseman. But the Rays, dealing with injuries to Mike Zunino and Michael Perez, were in the market for a catcher who could help out now. Zunino went on the injured list with a quad injury on Friday and is expected to miss four to five weeks.

D'Arnaud is a lifetime .242 hitter, with 47 home runs and 164 RBIs over seven seasons with the Mets.

D'Arnaud, 30, was sidelined for most of last season following Tommy John surgery in April 2018. He was activated April 7 and was expected to be the Mets backup, but he went 2-for-23 before being designated for assignment on April 28. The Mets are on the hook for most of his $3.5 million salary.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The fan who caught the ball on Albert Pujols' 2,000th career RBI said Friday that he had changed his mind and would not be keeping the souvenir.

Pujols became only the third player in Major League Baseball history to drive in 2,000 or more runs in a career, joining Alex Rodriguez (2,086) and Hank Aaron (2,297), with a solo home run in the Los Angeles Angels' win over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday at Comerica Park.

The fan, Ely Hydes, said Thursday that he had decided to keep the ball. However, he reversed course and told The Detroit News on Friday night that he will give the ball -- the first he caught at a major league game -- to Pujols or the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

"I slept on it," Hydes told The Detroit News. "All I ever wanted was to sleep on it. I slept on it and I woke up and I think [Pujols] is a class act.

"He's not my player, he's not my guy, I don't deserve the ball."

Hydes told the newspaper that he doesn't want any money for the ball, which can't be authenticated by Major League Baseball, and that he made his initial decision because of pressure from the Tigers' staff to hand it over. The Tigers disputed that, saying the staff "conducted themselves in a professional manner," according to The Detroit News.

Pujols had told reporters Thursday that he wasn't upset that Hydes kept the ball.

"He can keep it," Pujols said. "It's a great memory for him. I mean we play this game for the fans, and it's a piece of history that he's going to have for the rest of his life."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

BALTIMORE -- Mike Trout called his shot. Kind of.

Ninety minutes before Friday night's series opener against the Baltimore Orioles, 7-year-old superfan Gavin Edelson asked his favorite player to hit a homer for him. Trout, who had gone deep just once in his previous 17 games, responded by telling the youngster, "I need to hit a home run tonight." Then the Los Angeles Angels' center fielder went out and went yard.

In the top of the third inning, Trout sent a 3-2 fastball from O's starter Dan Straily over the wall in left-center. The towering shot, which had a launch angle of 38 degrees and didn't clear the fence by much, looked as though it might be caught by Baltimore center fielder Stevie Wilkerson, who leaped at the wall in an effort to rob Trout.

"I thought it was going to hit off the wall," said Gavin, who was sitting with his family five rows behind the Angels' dugout. "I was so happy that he hit it."

Trout's relationship with Gavin dates back to last summer, when the Angels visited Camden Yards for a three-game set. Prior to the opener of that series, during batting practice, the two-time MVP noticed the elementary schooler wearing his No. 27 jersey and holding a giant "Mike Trout is my idol" sign. Trout called Gavin over and spent most of batting practice chatting with him. When the session was over, Trout signed the bat he'd been using and gave it to the youngster.

On Friday, nearly a year later, batting practice was canceled due to a steady afternoon rain in Baltimore. But with the help of some Angels staffers, Gavin and his family managed to find their way into the tunnel near the visitors' clubhouse, where they encountered Trout returning from the indoor batting cage at Camden Yards.

Gavin, once again wearing one of his trademark "Troutfits," gave his idol a handwritten letter that started with "Dear Mike Trout, You're my favrit player ever" and ended with "I hope to be just like you." Attached to the letter was an imitation baseball card that featured a photo of Trout and Gavin from their meeting last summer. After spending three minutes talking to the Edelsons, Trout headed back into the Angels' clubhouse, but not before giving his bat to Gavin, and his batting gloves to 11-year-old brother Jacob.

Prior to hitting his eighth home run of the season, Trout struck out swinging against Straily in the first inning. In the fifth, he drilled an RBI double to left-center, and then came around to score on a single by Andrelton Simmons.

All eyes will be on the two hottest teams in baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs, tangling at Wrigley Field, but there are plenty of other matchups worth watching this weekend. Here's what we're most looking forward to.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have been one of baseball's best teams over the past month, running off a 14-4 spurt after a 6-9 start. Arizona hosts the Atlanta Braves this weekend. Will the D-backs be within striking distance of a playoff spot come September?

Eddie Matz: Striking distance? Sure. Beating out the Dodgers in the National League West seems like a pipe dream, but I see no reason why the D-backs can't hang with the other wild-card wannabes. Their run differential (plus-17 entering Thursday) says their early-season success is legit, and the front of the rotation (Zack Greinke, Robbie Ray and Luke Weaver) is solid. If they can get any kind of contribution down the stretch from Taijuan Walker, who's expected back from Tommy John surgery around midseason, it would go a long way toward upping their postseason odds (currently at 21 percent, per FanGraphs). All that said, I still think they will come up short in the end.

Sam Miller: Here's something wild: Carson Kelly has a higher OPS than Paul Goldschmidt, and Luke Weaver has a better ERA than Patrick Corbin, so the Diamondbacks' offseason step back (which included trading Goldie for Kelly and Weaver, and letting Corbin leave as a free agent) hasn't actually hurt them yet. Yet, I said. Yet! I don't really buy this offense -- they've scored the third-most runs in the NL, and nearly every hitter is outhitting his preseason projections -- but the NL really hasn't done enough to knock any teams out of striking distance yet. A whopping 12 teams -- including the three division leaders -- currently have wild-card odds between 5 and 30 percent, according to Baseball Prospectus.

David Schoenfield: Arizona's front office certainly did a credible job of reloading without completely tearing everything down (although, let's be honest, if they could have traded Greinke's contract, they probably would have). I think it all depends on where the playoff picture sits. It's possible that in a crowded NL field, 84 to 86 wins puts you in the running for at least a wild card. In that case, Arizona may stick around. One advantage is that if the Giants are bad, the Rockies are an under-.500 team and the Padres are merely a fluke at the moment, the NL West could be the weakest of the three divisions.

Just when it seemed the one-pitcher no-hitter might be a thing of the past, Oakland's Mike Fiers showed us it's possible after all. Which matchup this weekend is the best bet for another no-no: Luis Castillo vs. the Giants on Friday, Jacob deGrom vs. the Marlins on Sunday or Jose Berrios vs. the Tigers on Sunday?

Matz: The Giants have actually been swinging it well lately, plus they just faced Castillo on Sunday. So I say no go on the no-no there. Berrios against the Tigers is more likely, but not as likely as JdG no-hitting the Fish. The Mets' ace dominated them earlier this season (7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 14 K), and that was way back when Miami's offense was "good." Lately, the Marlins' offense has been brutal (no quotes necessary). They're prime no-hit material.

Miller: Castillo took a no-hitter into the sixth against the Giants on Sunday, and while Eddie is right that familiarity benefits the offense, Castillo is my pick. He's allowing 5.36 hits per nine, which -- if he could maintain it all season -- would be the fifth-lowest rate in history, behind a couple of Nolan Ryan joints.

Schoenfield: I'll go with deGrom vs. the Fish. He seems past that little blip where he was hittable and back to a 2018 level. Plus, the Fish ... dear lord, this is one of the worst offenses I've ever seen. Derek Jeter is unhappy with this start? DEREK, YOU BUILT THIS TEAM AND IT'S PRETTY MUCH PLAYING TO ITS LEVEL OF TALENT. Anyway, "Fish" isn't even an appropriate nickname anymore. I'd say "Minnows" works better.

The Brewers-Cubs series at Wrigley this weekend (Friday, 2:20 p.m. ET, ESPN+; Sunday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN) got us thinking about NL MVP contenders. Christian Yelich and Cody Bellinger broke out ahead of the field, but last year's runner-up, Javy Baez, has been gaining ground quickly. Rank this trio by their chances to be MVP.

Matz: MVP voters these days pay more and more attention to WAR. As good as Baez is, his low on-base numbers damage his WAR potential, which in turn hurts his MVP viability. So it's either Belly or Yelly. I'll give the edge to the guy who has the better chance of staying healthy. That'd be the guy who's four years younger and didn't just miss a week with back spasms (hint: rhymes with Schmody Schmellinger).

Miller: To make the case for Baez: He finished second in voting last year, with an OPS more than 100 points lower than he has now. As Eddie says, the MVP award has become (with some caveats) mostly a WAR award, and Baez gets a huge WAR boost for playing shortstop while the others are manning corners. And while all three do incredible things, Baez's best moments stick in your visual memory longer, simply because of the highly creative, high-torque style of play he has. Now, all that said: Bellinger is the leader in the race right now, and Yelich is probably the actual best player of the three, so he's the most likely to lead at the end. Handicapping 'em, Yelich > Bellinger > Baez.

Schoenfield: I'll admit that I didn't expect Baez to do this again, believing pitchers would do a better job of figuring out his inability to control the strike zone. Yet here he is with 44 strikeouts and nine walks and putting up even bigger numbers. He has the third-highest chase rate in the majors among regulars and one of the highest swing-and-miss rates. He's an absolute freak. Do not attempt his approach at your local Little League field, kids. Anyway, he'll play more second base with Addison Russell back, which could hurt him in MVP voting or help him (extra credit for his versatility). I'll go Bellinger > Yelich > Baez.

You guys are the real MVPs. What are you most looking forward to this weekend?

Matz: Watching Mike Trout in person. I don't get to see a whole lot of Trout up close, but this weekend he and the Angels visit Camden Yards. In related news, I live in Baltimore. So, yay.

Miller: I've got a pet interest in a very obscure sort of record -- the most strikeouts by a pitcher over nine innings -- so I'm watching Josh Hader, who has struck out 25 batters over his past nine innings.

Schoenfield: The Cubs are hot. The Brewers are hot. This feels like the series of the weekend. Plus, we can see if Baez can touch Hader.

PICK 'EM TIME

Surely you all predicted that on May 10, the Rays' Tyler Glasnow and the Yankees' Domingo German would be tied for the American League lead in wins with six. They are slated to face off Friday night at Yankee Stadium.

Total hits allowed by Glasnow and German on Friday: Over or under 9.5?

Matz: The numbers say that they should give up a combined seven hits over 13 innings. Or something like that. But both guys are due for a clunker. I'll take the over.

Miller: The Rays will have 9.5 hits when Boone comes out to get German in the fourth. Glasnow could throw a no-hitter, but I'm not banking on it. Over.

Schoenfield: I'm still kicking myself for not drafting German in my keeper fantasy league a few years ago. I liked his minor league numbers and thought he had a chance to start even if most projected him as a future reliever. Well, after struggling last year (5.57 ERA), he got another opportunity because of injuries in the rotation and he's run with it. Anyway, great matchup and I like to be positive around here, so I'll go under.

Red Sox pitching is among the league leaders in strikeouts; the Mariners whiff more than anyone.

Total K's for Boston pitchers in the three games at Fenway: Over or under 28?

Matz: The M's lead the majors in whiffs but not whiff rate (they're ninth). Still, they're facing a Red Sox staff that just tallied 22 strikeouts in a single game. Sure, it was against the Orioles, and yes, it took 12 innings. But still ... 22 punchies!!! I'll have the over, garcon.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – AFT Events has named Vance & Hines as the entitlement sponsor of the Vance & Hines So-Cal Half-Mile presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys.

The event is making its return to the Southern California Fairgrounds in Perris, Calif., on Saturday, May 11.

A titan within the motorcycle customization industry, Vance & Hines is at the forefront of aftermarket motorcycle performance parts development and production. Since its inception, the California-based company has maintained a commanding presence in multiple forms of motorcycle racing.

“We are very excited to welcome Vance & Hines as the title sponsor of the So-Cal Half-Mile,” said Cameron Gray, COO of AFT Events. “Vance & Hines has always been a strong supporter and player within American Flat Track and we are honored that they have expanded that support into event sponsorship. We know the fans at the track will be excited to see an industry leader like Vance & Hines in the vendor area and participating in the day’s activities.”

This fifth round of American Flat Track racing occurs in the backyard of Vance & Hines’s Santa Fe Springs headquarters. The Factory Harley-Davidson team of Sammy Halbert and Jarod Vanderkooi will be proudly representing the brand as they mount their Vance & Hines-powered XG750Rs and take to the half-mile on Saturday.

Fans in the vendor area can visit the Vance & Hines display truck featuring its latest and most-popular products.

“From the beginning, when the folks at AFT put together their plan to take flat track racing to a whole new level, we knew that we wanted to be a part of this program,” said Terry Vance, Founder of Vance & Hines. “It only makes sense for us to continue to grow our involvement in the sport. There is no question that American Flat Track is the most exciting form of two-wheeled racing you can find today.”

OSWEGO, N.Y. – Early in the offseason, longtime Oswego Speedway fan Craig Soper decided to take the plunge and purchase a pair of former Buske Racing Supermodifieds with plans in place for a two car 350 Supermodified team.

Just two weeks away from the track’s 69th Season Opener, that plan is still in motion and two race cars have been readied for action.

Early in the process, Barry Kingsley and Greg O’Connor were tabbed as Soper’s drivers, but a recent last minute change has been made allowing Small Block Super veteran Mike Bruce an opportunity in one of the rides.

“Craig called me recently and asked if I was interested in driving one of his 350 Supermodifieds this season,” Bruce said. “Greg (O’Connor) was just stepping away from the seat to focus on the Small Block car. I was happy to get that opportunity and decided to go for it.”

O’Connor, who had recently purchased two crate motors to field his Small Block program, was attempting to sell his Morrison SBS motor. Last year’s Small Block Super engines are currently legal in Oswego’s 350 Super class, so Bruce decided to approach Greg with an offer.

“With Craig supplying me a great car, I needed to supply the engine,” mentioned Bruce. “I was able to work a deal with Greg O’Connor for his freshly built Morrison. It’s all happened pretty fast. Craig called me last Thursday night and I picked everything up over the weekend.”

Now Bruce, who was not even remotely sure what his plans would like for 2019, intends to be at the track with the Lakeside Property Services ride for May 25th’s Season Opener and as much as he possibly can beyond that.

“Ideally we will run every show possible and I am going to thrash to make the Opener,” Bruce added. “Craig has been a big supporter of Oswego over the years. He has sponsored cars and attends every fundraiser for every team. He’s all about making as many races as possible and I’m happy to be a part of that with him.”

Oswego fans know Bruce as a longtime regular in the Small Block class. Driver of the family No. 22, Bruce is always a solid runner. He has thirty top fives and six feature wins to his credit, one of which came in last year’s $1,500 to win Mr. Pathfinder Bank SBS event. Mike has plenty of laps around Oswego and is looking forward to the change this season.

“I have honestly been a fan of the 350 class since I first heard of the idea,” Bruce commented. “I think it’s going to be pretty sweet making the transition over from the Small Block class. I of course don’t want it to be at the expense of the SBS division, but am really looking forward to another full season at Oswego.”

Beyond the Oswego Speedway, Bruce would like to venture to the New England area on some off weeks, especially towards the end of the year. He has also promoted several Small Block Super events at the Evans Mills Speedway, and has even considered a plan to bring Oswego’s newest division there as well.

“I definitely have my eyes on traveling with the car more so after Oswego is over. Really as much as possible,” mentioned Bruce. “I may try to do a show or exhibition at Evans Mills with the 350’s and the Small Blocks like we’ve done in the past. Maybe that can help promote the class a bit. We’ll see how that goes.”

To this point, Oswego already has a dozen or so 350 Supermodifieds pre-registered, which is not too shabby for its inaugural season. Of those twelve names, several current and former SBS competitors are in the mix such as Bruce, his teammate Barry Kingsley, last year’s track champ Anthony Losurdo, Dalton Doyle, Chris Proud, and more.

“It’s nice to see a lot of us Small Block guys get the chance in a Super,” Bruce said. “It’s good to have a group of cars with ideally the same rule package working together to continue building a successful class. We have a good start.”

As for Bruce’s Small Block car, he intends to have that on the track within the first few weeks of the season as well. It might not be him behind the wheel though. After all, he does have a younger brother with extensive experience at the Oswego Kartway. Has it come time for him to move up?

“The limited is actually in the hauler right now, and that is going to be put on the back burner for a little bit so I can finish the 350,” Bruce explained. “My intentions are to order a crate and finish it up. Hopefully we can see that car hit the track a few weeks into the season with another Bruce at the wheel. I went from nothing to balls deep in race cars and chaos. This is the latest I’ve ever got started for a season, but we’re excited to get going.”

While Kingsley will be driving the other Lakeside Property Services car as a Joe Paeno tribute No. 06, Bruce is set to drive the No. 72 which features a tribute scheme to the late Bobby Hollenbeck, a longtime Supermodified fan and dedicated supporter of the Oswego Speedway.

“The tribute scheme is cool to honor people we’ve all considered great friends, and people who were such big fans of Oswego Speedway,” offered Bruce. “It’s something different Craig thought of and I look forward to hopefully putting the car into victory lane. We want to get competitive first obviously, but that’s the big goal. I just love to race.”

Bruce and Lakeside Property Services Racing are ready to open their season in Oswego’s Memorial Weekend special set for Saturday, May 25. The program will feature a 35-lap special for the 350 Supermodifieds, which will be the division’s inaugural Saturday event at Oswego.