Michael J. Duarte is a sports writer and reporter with NBCLA. He is known for his sharp wit in sports news storytelling and his detailed sports features, Duarte is the 2019 Southern California Sports Journalist of the Year and currently covers the Los Angeles Lakers, Dodgers, Rams, and more.
The Latest
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Reactions pour in after LeBron and Bronny James make NBA history as first father-son duo to share the court
Reactions from across the NBA included LeBron and Bronny James themselves, teammates and opponents after the father-son duo made NBA history Tuesday night.
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Shohei Ohtani's 50-50 baseball sells for record-breaking $4.39 Million at auction
It was a night that will be etched in the annals of baseball history forever—a night that saw Shohei Ohtani not just add to his growing list of accomplishments but redefine the boundaries of greatness. The ball from his historic 50th home run, the final stroke that secured his place as the founding member of Major League Baseball’s exclusive...
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Fernando Valenzuela's remarkable rookie season with the Dodgers in 1981 will live on forever
When Fernando Valenzuela first stepped onto the mound in 1981, few could have predicted the seismic shift he would create, not just in baseball, but in the cultural fabric of Los Angeles. His untimely passing on Tuesday, at the age of 63, brings fresh emotion to a legacy that started on the dirt fields of Etchohuaquila, Mexico and transcended into…
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The Dodgers hold on to defeat the Mets 10-5 in Game 6 to advance to World Series against Yankees
The last time this happened, not a single player on the Dodgers roster was alive. Manager Dave Roberts was just nine years old. But when you put on the uniform of the Los Angeles Dodgers, history follows you, it’s inescapable. Now, history is upon them. For the 12th time it will be the Dodgers versus the New York Yankees...
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Dodgers face uphill battle against Mets in Game 6 without Freddie Freeman, Michael Kopech to start for LA
The stakes couldn’t be higher for the Los Angeles Dodgers as they gear up for Game 6 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers hold a 3-2 lead over the New York Mets, just one win away from clinching their record-setting 25th National League pennant. But it won’t come easy—not with two...
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Dodgers unable to overcome early deficit, as Mets stave off elimination with 12-6 victory in Game 5 of NLCS. LA leads series 3-2
The New York Mets love it when people count them out. So in a season of miraculous comebacks, what’s one more? The Mets offense broke out in a season-saving elimination game, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 12-6 in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series on Thursday night at Citi Field. “If we come back from this, then...
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Dodgers bats stay hot in another blowout win over Mets in Game 4 of the NLCS, LA leads 3-1.
Winning a baseball game in the playoffs is extremely difficult. Just ask the other 26 teams in Major League Baseball that are home watching the last four left standing. But winning a baseball game in the playoffs without your all-star first baseman, starting second baseman, and shortstop, against the hottest pitcher in the postseason is even more difficult. Mission Impossible?…
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Dodgers face Game 4 NLCS test without Freddie Freeman against Mets' left-hander Jose Quintana
As the Los Angeles Dodgers gear up for Game 4 of the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets at Citi Field, they’re missing a key piece of their offensive puzzle. All-Star first baseman and former MVP Freddie Freeman will not be in the lineup, sidelined by a high-ankle sprain that has nagged him since late September. ...
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Kiké Hernández and Shohei Ohtani power the Dodgers past Mets 8-0 in Game 3 of NLCS, LA lead series 2-1
History remembers the October heroes over the regular season Joes. Six months of mediocrity is expunged with one swing in the postseason. Just ask Mr. October himself, Reggie Jackson.
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Dodgers players reveal the strangest animals they've seen in baseball after wild snake slithers into dugout during Game 2 of NLCS
Baseball may be a game of strategy, skill, and split-second decisions, but sometimes the most unexpected moments come courtesy of creatures that have no business being on the field at all. Look no further than the wild snake that appeared in the dugout of the Los Angeles Dodgers during Game 2 of the National League Championship Series against the New…