The night’s opening swing was a spectacle that eclipsed the eventual outcome.

Despite facing issues with his knee, Shohei Ohtani appeared to be in fine form.

Ohtani was expected to pitch in the Dodgers’ 9-3 defeat at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. Unfortunately, he was scratched from his pitching duties due to “continued irritation in his left knee,” as stated by the team.

Yet, this setback didn’t prevent the multi-talented star from playing as the team’s designated hitter. Just three pitches into his initial at-bat, Ohtani launched a leadoff home run against All-Star left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, offering both power and peace of mind with his performance.

The concerns about Ohtani’s knee should not be underestimated, however, as they are indeed significant.

After plaguing him for a month, he is set to have it drained on Sunday and will likely get a pain-relieving injection after that.

The treatment plan will keep him from attending the All-Star Game. It also forced the Dodgers into a bullpen game on Friday that came with disappointing results.

Still, manager Dave Roberts insisted Ohtani’s status was no big concern either.

If this were October, Roberts said, Ohtani would’ve been pitching.

And even for the middle of July, he felt good enough to keep taking at-bats.

The leadoff homer only underscored such optimism, with Ohtani somehow getting to a fastball off the inside corner and launching it to the opposite field for a 381-foot drive to left.

It was Ohtani’s 21st home run of the season, his third in the last four games, and his 10th since his knee first began giving him problems back on June 10.

Even in a losing effort, it was a sigh of supreme relief.

What it means

The Dodgers did miss Ohtani’s arm on Friday, dropping the opening game of this first-half-finale series thanks to choppy performances from most of their relief staff.

It started with opener Kyle Hurt, who gave up two runs in the first on three singles and a walk. The Dbacks mounted three more two-run rallies in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, as well, in which Will Klein, Brock Stewart and Edgardo Henriquez combined to give up only two hits but walk four batters.

The Dodgers’ defense certainly didn’t help (more on that later), but the pitching performances were plenty bad on their own.

The low points: When Stewart gave up a two-run homer to No. 9 hitter Tim Tawa in the fourth, breaking a 2-2 tie; and when Edgardo Henriquez entered in the fifth with a runner on second, and immediately brought him home by balking and throwing a wild pitch.

Who’s hot

Rodriguez eventually settled down after his shaky start for Arizona, completing a six-inning, two-run, five-strikeout start.

But not before Andy Pages followed Ohtani in the first inning with a home run of his own.

The blast was one of three hits Pages recorded on Friday, in addition to singles in the third and sixth innings. That marked the All-Star outfielder’s ninth three-hit game this season, but only the second time it had happened since May 6.

The 3-for-4 performance pushed his batting average back up to .269 and his OPS to .807.

Who’s not

For most of the year, the Dodgers’ defense has been a strength.

This week, it looks like they’re already thinking ahead to next week’s All-Star break.

On Friday, the team committed three errors: A bad throw from right fielder Kyle Tucker in the first inning, sending the ball skipping into the dugout to score a run; another bad throw in the fifth from catcher Dalton Rushing, who fired too low to second base to put a Diamondbacks’ rally in motion; and yet another misfire from third baseman Tommy Edman in the sixth while trying to field a bunt.

In all, they accounted for three unearned runs of the eight Dodgers pitchers allowed.

More concerning is that, over the last three games, the club has now committed six errors overall –– including a couple that contributed to another loss on Tuesday.

Even with those recent struggles, the Dodgers still lead the majors in fielding percentage and fewest errors recorded on the season.

But, it has been a source of frustration of late for Roberts, who looked dismayed in the dugout Friday as his squad kicked the ball around the yard.

Up next

The Dodgers will go from a bullpen game to their staff ace on Saturday, sending Yoshinobu Yamamoto (9-5, 2.49 ERA) to the mound for the final time before the All-Star break against Arizona right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (2-1, 4.84 ERA).

Former President Donald Trump has declared that the United States has 1,000 missiles “locked and loaded,” aimed directly at Iran, as a preemptive measure should the Islamic republic proceed with threats to assassinate him.

Trump laid out a detailed strategy for potential military retaliation, stating unequivocally that Iran would face complete decimation if it were to follow through on its long-standing threats. This stark warning was delivered to the public on Friday night.

The context for Trump’s bold statement arose from increased calls for his assassination, notably during the funeral proceedings for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In response to these renewed threats, Trump’s warning stood out for its severe implications.

Offering one of his most direct threats to date against Tehran, Trump disclosed that he had already given precise instructions to military officials on the nation’s course of action if Iran were to make any attempts on his life.

Writing in a fervent post on Truth Social, Trump stated, “1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands more to immediately follow if the Iranian Government acts on its threat to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate, the sitting President of the United States of America, in this case, ME!”

He continued: ‘Orders have already been given, and the US Military is ready, willing, and able, for a one year period of time, subject to extension, to completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran – PRAISE BE TO ALLAH!’

Trump’s remarks came just hours after mourners attending Khamenei’s funeral in Tehran again chanted slogans calling for the  president’s death.

The comments also follow days of escalating military confrontation between Washington and Tehran, including US strikes on Iranian targets and retaliatory Iranian attacks across the Middle East.

The president’s latest declaration dramatically expanded on comments he made earlier this week, when he revealed he had already left standing instructions for overwhelming military retaliation if he were assassinated.

‘I’ve been on their list for a long time. That’s what we’re dealing with,’ Trump told the New York Post.

‘The only thing is, I’ve left instructions, if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before.’

Asked about recent intelligence reports suggesting Israel had uncovered a fresh Iranian assassination plot targeting him, Trump dismissed the idea that the threat was new.

‘No, no. Israel came up with nothing. No, no,’ he said. ‘I’ve been number one for a long time, and it’s the way life is, you know.’

Iran’s hostility toward Trump dates back to January 2020, when he authorized the US drone strike that killed Iranian Revolutionary Guard General Qasem Soleimani near Baghdad International Airport.

Since then, senior Iranian officials have repeatedly vowed revenge, while posters and banners calling for Trump’s death have frequently appeared across Tehran.

More recently, large ‘Kill Trump’ signs written in both English and Farsi have been erected in the Iranian capital, underscoring the regime’s continued anger over Soleimani’s killing.

The threat environment surrounding Trump has intensified over the past year following multiple disrupted assassination plots, including the July 2024 campaign rally shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a sniper’s bullet grazed his ear.

Trump has acknowledged the constant security risks surrounding his presidency.

During his final press conference in Ankara, Turkey, he admitted he may have viewed another White House run differently had he known the extent of the threats against his life.

Trump officials said that security concerns were also the reason the president chose to swap from his new Qatari-gifted Air Force One back to his older Boeing 747-200 jet for part of his journey home from the NATO summit.

The switch was designed as an element of ‘misdirection’ according to White House communications director Steven Cheung.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has simultaneously intensified military pressure on Tehran following a series of attacks on commercial vessels transiting the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

Officials have indicated that the scale and duration of the current campaign will depend entirely on Iran’s actions in the coming days, with the White House signaling it is prepared to sustain military operations if attacks continue.

Some administration advisers have privately referred to the military campaign by the informal nickname ‘Operation B**** Slap’ in internal discussions. 

However White House and Pentagon officials have stressed the phrase is unofficial and not the formal name of any military operation.

Trump has repeatedly insisted the United States will not tolerate attacks on international shipping or threats against American interests.

Those close to the president say the escalating confrontation with Iran has become deeply personal given the regime’s long-standing calls for his assassination.

The Daily Mail has contacted the White House for comment. 

In an unprecedented weather event that altered the landscape of Missouri, hundreds of individuals, including young campers, were saved from perilous conditions after flash floods turned tranquil rivers into ferocious torrents.

The region saw an overwhelming amount of rainfall, with thunderstorms unleashing between 6 and 12 inches of rain across southeast Missouri. Officials have characterized this as a 1-in-1000-year rainfall event, highlighting its extreme nature.

Responding to the historic overnight deluge, Governor Mike Kehoe declared a state of emergency and mobilized one of the most extensive search and rescue operations the state has seen. This was a crucial step in coordinating the efforts to manage such an extraordinary situation.

The Black River, along with nearby streams in southeast Missouri, swelled beyond their banks due to the torrential downpour, posing significant risks to local residents and vacationers gathered for the summer. The dangerous rise in water levels necessitated immediate intervention.

Governor Kehoe reported that over 200 water rescues were carried out throughout the region, a testament to the scale and urgency of the relief efforts deployed to ensure the safety of those affected.

Victims were stranded in flood waters, on trees and rooftops and in vehicles.

Around 200 stranded campers were swiftly rescued and airlifted out to safety by National Guard helicopters Friday afternoon from the Camp Taum Stauk in the hammered region of Reynolds County, according to State Highway Patrol Sergeant Eddie Young. 

Half of the evacuees rescued from the summer youth camp, which is located 100 miles south of St. Louis, were children and the rest were camp counselors and staff, Young confirmed. 

Elsewhere in Reynolds County, around 20 people were swept away after a building at the Bearcat Gateway Campground collapsed from the weight of the stranded campers who had climbed on top of the roof to escape from the raging flood waters, Young said. 

Another three people were rescued from trees along the Black River in Reynolds County.

There were 20 to 30 people reported missing throughout the battered Reynolds County, including the campers swept away from Bearcat Gateway Campground, but by Friday evening, all were either rescued or turned up safe.

So far there have been no fatalities or serious injuries reported.

But one woman in Crawford County, located 71 miles southwest of St. Louis, remains missing after the house she was in was swept away from its foundation by the floodwaters. 

“Missouri’s first responders once again answered the call with extraordinary bravery, professionalism, and compassion, rescuing hundreds of Missourians from dangerous floodwaters,” Kehoe said.

“As recovery efforts continue and additional rain is expected, I urge everyone in flood-prone and low-lying areas to stay weather-aware, have multiple ways of receiving alerts, and be ready to take protective action.”

Eight states have posted flood watches for over 21 million people from Missouri to Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania, according to the National Weather Service.

Additional showers were expected on Friday night across the rain-saturated ​region, though the weather service warned that “considerable flood impacts will be likely” if southeastern Missouri experiences further heavy rain overnight into Saturday morning.

With Post wires