McMahon's tiebreaking homer lifts last-place Rockies over NL West-leading Dodgers 6-3

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ryan McMahon hit a tiebreaking homer in the fifth inning and the last-place Colorado Rockies regrouped after blowing a three-run lead to beat the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers 6-3 on Saturday night.

The loss by the 92-win Dodgers assured that for the first time since 2014 no team in the major leagues will win 100 games, not including the 60-game, pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

The Dodgers’ division lead dropped to three games over second-place San Diego, which beat the Chicago White Sox. Los Angeles managed just one hit after the fifth.

Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani stole his 53rd base in the ninth. He has swiped 30 straight bases without being caught dating to July 23.

“He gets the big lead and it feels like five steps he's at second base,” Rockies catcher Jacob Stallings said.

Ohtani, the newly crowned 50-50 king, remained at 52 homers. He singled, walked, scored and struck out on his final giveaway night of the season. The first 40,000 fans in the sellout crowd of 52,267 received an Ohtani T-shirt. Earlier, his two bobblehead promotions snarled traffic and created long lines.

The Dodgers loaded the bases against Seth Halvorsen with two outs in the ninth. Ohtani singled and Freddie Freeman and Tommy Edman walked before Max Muncy went down swinging.

“A really good win for us,” Rockies starter Cal Quantrill said. “At times we’ve had a hard time holding leads. Our bullpen in the last few weeks has been terrific and gave me the freedom to pitch the way I wanted to.”

Halvorsen earned his first major league save. He found out after the eighth that he would pitch the ninth.

“Seth's been super impressive to all of us older guys,” Stallings said. “He didn't look like his heartbeat was fast at all.”

McMahon homered off starter Walker Buehler (1-6), giving the third baseman his fifth consecutive 20-homer season.

Four of the Rockies' six runs came on two-out, two-strike hits, including Charlie Blackmon's two-run homer in the ninth off Daniel Hudson.

Fans booed Rockies reliever Luis Peralta (5-3) for hitting Ohtani on his right elbow with a pitch in the sixth. Ohtani isn't pitching this season as he rehabilitates from the elbow surgery he had in September 2023.

Colorado led 3-0 on Michael Toglia's fielder's choice grounder to Buehler in the first. Buehler's throw to the plate was too high, allowing Blackmon to score after he doubled and went to third on a wild pitch. Ezequiel Tovar doubled down the left-field line for two runs with two outs in the second.

The Dodgers pulled to 3-2 on Mookie Betts' two-run homer in the third that scored Ohtani, who walked. They tied it at 3 on Hunter Feduccia's RBI single with two outs in the fourth.

Buehler gave up four runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings, struck out a season-high nine and walked one.

“I think I’ve had some rough patches and really questioned if I have the stuff to compete,” Buehler said, “and tonight I felt like I could compete, and just didn’t make the big pitches in the big spots, or kind of made little mistakes and in the big spots, and that’s frustrating.”

Quantrill allowed three runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked four.

“The battle was good,” Quantrill said. “We got the outs when we needed them and we didn’t give in.”

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rockies: CF Brenton Doyle (left knee tendinitis) was scratched for the second straight day.

Dodgers: LHP Anthony Banda (broken left hand) could return as soon as he's eligible, which is Wednesday.

UP NEXT

Rockies: RHP Antonio Senzatela (0-0, 6.00 ERA) makes his second start Sunday since returning from a 16-month rehab after Tommy John surgery.

Dodgers: RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-2, 2.63) makes his third start since coming off the injured list.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) reaches third as Teoscar Hernández lines out during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Colorado Rockies' Charlie Blackmon, top, heads to first for a two-run home run as Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Daniel Hudson, left, watches during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Colorado Rockies designated hitter Charlie Blackmon (19) celebrates with Jake Cave (11) and Ezequiel Tovar (14) after hitting a home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. Cave also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, right, congratulates Mookie Betts after Betts hit a two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Colorado Rockies' Ezequiel Tovar breaks his bat as he hits into a double play during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts, right, heads to first for a two-run home run as Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Cal Quantrill watches during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) runs to second as Colorado Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers (7) throws to first during the sixth inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. Mookie Betts grounded out in to a double play. Betts out at first, and Ohtani out at second. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Colorado Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers can't get to a ball hit for an RBI single by Los Angeles Dodgers' Hunter Feduccia during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Colorado Rockies' Jacob Stallings, center, scores on as double by Ezequiel Tovar as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Hunter Feduccia puts a late take on him during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts (50) celebrates with designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) after hitting a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. Ohtani also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts (50) runs the bases after hitting a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. Shohei Ohtani also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) runs as he grounds out during the first inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Colorado Rockies' Charlie Blackmon, right, scores under the tag of Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Hunter Feduccia after Michael Toglia hit into a fielder's choice during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Cal Quantrill throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Colorado Rockies' Jacob Stallings, right, scores on a double by Ezequiel Tovar as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Hunter Feduccia takes a late throw on during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

As media organizations go, NewsGuard cuts a low public profile as it follows its mission of issuing credibility ratings about news outlets. The Trump administration knows about it, though, and the company has joined a lengthening list of journalism organizations to face the White House's wrath.

A dispute between President Donald Trump's regulators and the news monitoring service has spilled into court, with NewsGuard Technologies suing the Federal Trade Commission and its chairman, Andrew Ferguson, to shut down an investigation. The FTC accuses the company of trying to suppress conservative speech. NewsGuard says it is being forced to kneel before vindictive power.

Since Trump returned to office in January 2025, the Republican administration has fought The Associated Press in court over the outlet's claim it is being punished for not adopting his preferred name for the Gulf of Mexico; settled with CBS News' corporate parent in a dispute over “60 Minutes” editing; sued The Wall Street Journal for its reporting on Trump and Jeffrey Epstein; and is in a legal fight with The New York Times over Pentagon reporting restrictions.

NewsGuard’s lawsuit, filed last month in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, accuses Trump’s FTC of “brazenly using its power not for any issue concerning trade or commerce but rather to censor speech simply because it disagreed with NewsGuard’s judgments about the reliability of news sources.”

The FTC calls NewsGuard’s accusations “untethered from both law and fact.”

Like the Federal Communications Commission under Brendan Carr, Ferguson’s FTC is a normally sleepy federal agency that has sprung to life to address issues of importance to Trump and his supporters, particularly involving the media. The FCC has launched investigations of media companies and this weekend Carr, responding to a Trump complaint about negative coverage of the Iran war, warned broadcasters “running hoaxes and news distortions” to correct course or see their licenses threatened.

Ferguson has made no secret about where he takes his cues. He said in an interview in July that “I am a law enforcer, and I will follow the law. But the policy priorities are set by the man the people chose to run this government.”

The liberal lobbying group Media Matters for America was one of his targets. A federal judge last summer halted an FTC investigation over efforts to promote advertising boycotts of companies the group opposes, saying the inquiry violated MMA's free speech rights.

While NewsGuard may not be a big name, money is at stake for news outlets friendly to the president. The company began in 2018, started by Court TV founder Steven Brill and Gordon Crovitz, a former Journal publisher. NewsGuard uses journalists to examine thousands of news outlets and websites, giving them ratings based on the credibility and reliability of their journalism.

A monthly subscription costs $4.95. Much of its business comes from companies that advise advertisers where to hawk their products, showing them which news sites may be toxic to their brands, and artificial intelligence companies looking to see where they would be more likely to find information they could trust.

NewsGuard made an enemy of the Trump-friendly television network Newsmax, giving its website a 20 on a scale where 100 is the best score. NewsGuard says “this website is unreliable because it severely violates basic journalism standards.” Newsmax has since repeatedly urged Republican lawmakers or regulators to do what they can to silence NewsGuard, the company said in its lawsuit.

“NewsGuard was started by Steve Brill to target conservative media and get ad agencies to deny them advertising revenue as a means of censorship,” Newsmax spokesman Bill Daddi said. “Brill is a Democratic Party activist and donor over many decades with a long history of advocating for liberal causes. He is not a respected journalist and in no way should be running a ratings service used by major ad agencies.”

Brill said his only political activity was working for Republican John Lindsay, New York City's mayor in the late 1960s and early 1970s, while a college and law school student. “I have been a journalist ever since,” Brill said, adding that he has not donated money to any politicians.

NewsGuard says its ratings are based on clearly defined criteria, such as whether or not an outlet publishes false or misleading material, whether it distorts arguments and uses multiple sources, whether it distinguishes between news and opinion and regularly corrects errors. To counter charges that it unfairly boosted liberals, the company noted times where Fox News scored higher in its ratings than the former MSNBC.

Yet the conservative Media Research Center has published studies contending that NewsGuard is more likely to give higher ratings to outlets with a liberal bent. In court papers, the FTC said it began investigating NewsGuard because congressional investigators connected the company's services to “coordinated actions to demonize disfavored media entities.”

The agency has asked the company to produce reams of internal documents, emails, financial reports and subscriber lists dated to its founding. Not only does NewsGuard consider that task unduly expensive and burdensome, it worries that regulators will use that information to target its subscribers.

The FTC, as a condition to approving a merger of two of the world's biggest media buying firms, Omnicom and IPG, prohibited the new company from using a service that reviews and rates news sites. That is designed to eliminate the company's ability to deny advertising based on politics, the agency said.

It has already cost NewsGuard business, the company asserts.

“The whole idea that any speaker has to justify to the government that it's not biased is a really troubling thought,” Brill said in an interview. “We have a constitutional right to be biased. It just so happens that we started the company on the core principle that we were going to be totally apolitical.”

The FTC's press department did not return a message seeking comment. But in court papers, the agency said it was conducting a broad investigation into whether advertiser boycotts violated antitrust laws and that it has issued more than a dozen orders for information similar to the one given to NewsGuard. The company's charges are “completely meritless,” the agency said.

If its order was so demanding, the FTC wondered why it took NewsGuard eight months after it was issued to sue.

“We tried to cooperate in the belief that the more that we told them what we do, the more likely it would be that they would decide that they didn't have any case,” Brill said. “We soon realized that they weren't worried about the merits.”

The company argues that the FTC actions “will continue until NewsGuard knuckles under.” Asked if he thought the government agency's goal was to put his company out of business, Brill declined to comment.

David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.

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