Sports
Blackhawks, Blues battle in Winter Classic at Wrigley Field
Dec 30, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; A general view of Wrigley Field prior to the Winter Classic ice hockey game between the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images After four consecutive losses — including two straight by four goals — the Chicago Blackhawks might appreciate some fresh air.
Tuesday’s NHL Winter Classic against the St. Louis Blues at Wrigley Field in Chicago offers the opportunity for a refresh, in more ways than one.
“Maybe something different, yeah. Switch it up,” Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones said. “I know a lot of guys have families and friends in town now. … It’s going to be a hectic couple of days but once we hit the ice for the game, business starts.”
Transition is a theme for both longtime rivals in the league’s annual showcase game, which pivots to New Year’s Eve from New Year’s Day for the first time.
Coaches who didn’t start the season on the bench for Chicago and St. Louis now guide the clubs, with Anders Sorensen leading the Blackhawks and Jim Montgomery in charge of the Blues.
The Blackhawks tote the fewest points in the NHL (26) into a matchup with a Central Division foe that is struggling to break past the .500 mark in a bid to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2021-22.
Perhaps the outdoor game can serve as a springboard for better things over the final 40-plus games of the season.
“It’s always fun playing Chicago,” St. Louis forward Brayden Schenn said. “You just feel the energy in the building no matter what. It’s special to have the Blues vs. Chicago in the outdoor game, Wrigley Field. The whole thing just adds up.”
Unfortunately for the Blackhawks, miscues and goals against have been on the rise. Chicago has allowed 21 goals during its current skid, including five unanswered in Sunday’s 5-1 home loss to Dallas.
“I feel like there’s been a lot of games something goes wrong and the game starts going the wrong way,” Chicago forward Teuvo Teravainen said. “I guess we have to figure it out. There’s mistakes to be made, and when somebody (makes) a mistake, we just have to get better next shift. Got to be better. Everyone.”
As with its record, St. Louis continues an up and down trajectory. Trying for the sixth time this season to win three successive games, the Blues again were unsuccessful, losing 4-2 on Sunday to the visiting Buffalo Sabres.
Colton Parayko extended his point streak to three games to help the Blues tie the game in the third period. Shaky special teams were the difference, though, as the Blues went 0-for-4 on the man advantage while yielding a pair of power-play goals.
“Our sticks haven’t been great on the (penalty kill),” Montgomery said. “We’re getting seamed. … You’ve got to protect the middle of the ice and give our goalies a better chance at the saves that they should be expecting to see.”
Blues defenseman Cam Fowler is set to skate in the 1,000th game of his career, becoming the first player to achieve the milestone in an outdoor contest.
St. Louis is seeking to match the Boston Bruins with its third Winter Classic victory. The Blues defeated Chicago in St. Louis in 2017 and won in Minnesota in 2022.
Chicago is 1-4 in outdoor games all-time, including a 6-4 loss to Detroit at Wrigley Field in the 2009 Winter Classic.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Late homer helps Yankees earn doubleheader split vs. Dodgers
Jul 19, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) celebrates his solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a tiebreaking homer with one out in the eighth inning Sunday night as the New York Yankees held on for a 2-1 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers, splitting a doubleheader in a bullpen game for both teams.
After wasting numerous opportunities earlier to expand a 1-0 lead, the Yankees regained the lead when Chisholm lifted a 1-0 fastball off Evan Phillips (0-1) into the lower rows of the left-center field seats. It was the second baseman’s 14th homer and his fifth in the eighth inning or later.
Before Chisholm homered, the Dodgers had two on in the top half of the eighth. David Bednar (4-3) struck out Shohei Ohtani and retired Andy Pages on a full-count pop-up that Chisholm caught in shallow right field.
Bednar kept the game tied after Fernando Cruz allowed a tying homer to pinch hitter Tommy Edman on an 0-1 splitter and issued two walks. Bednar opened the ninth by walking Freddie Freeman but ended New York’s second win in its last 11 home games by retiring the next three batters.
New York used five pitchers in the nightcap after Cam Schlittler lasted 4 1/3 innings in an 8-2 loss on Sunday afternoon. Ryan Yarbrough started and allowed two hits in 2 2/3 innings. Paul Blackburn followed with 2 1/3 innings, and Brent Headrick also tossed two scoreless innings before Cruz faltered.
Despite Edman’s heroics, the Dodgers lost for the sixth time in 10 games.
Los Angeles used seven pitchers after getting a complete game four-hitter from Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the opener. Will Klein started the game and allowed Cody Bellinger’s RBI single among three hits in the first.
After a double by Paul Goldschmidt, Bellinger ripped a single to center for a 1-0 lead. Jasson Dominguez followed with another base hit, but Chisholm struck out. The Yankees had runners at second and third with one out in the fourth following two walks and a wild pitch, but Anthony Volpe was thrown out at the plate and Trent Grisham grounded out to come up empty.
New York opened the fifth with three straight singles off Jack Dreyer but did not score. Brock Stewart replaced Dreyer and left the bases loaded by sandwiching two strikeouts around a popout.
Alex Vesia struck out the side in the seventh for the Dodgers before the Yankees lost and regained the lead.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Angel Reese exits Dream's win after injuring leg
Jul 19, 2026; College Park, Georgia, USA; Chicago Sky center-forward Elizabeth Williams (1) blocks a shot against Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) during the first quarter at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese left Sunday’s 93-91 win over the visiting Chicago Sky early in the fourth quarter after injuring her left leg during a layup attempt and did not return.
Just 15 seconds into the fourth, Reese was driving for a layup when she appeared to roll her ankle as she released the ball and went down to the floor.
Courtney Vandersloot was called for a foul as she defended on the play but a replay showed Vandersloot did not touch Reese and the foul call was overturned. Reese was also wearing a sleeve over her left knee.
After getting back to her feet, Reese went back down to the floor before returning to the bench. She was ruled out for the rest of the game, and no update was provided on her status, though coach Karl Smesko did speak with the media.
“It’s hard because we’re in the timeout. It seemed like a really long timeout, and there wasn’t a lot being said because we were all just looking at Angel,” Sesko said. “And when I was looking at her, it seemed like she was in a lot of pain, and she wanted to go out there and keep playing because she’s competitive and she wants to win the game. … I just didn’t feel comfortable with it because she looked like she was in a lot of pain.”
Reese, an All-Star in each of her first two seasons with Chicago, entered the game averaging a career-best 15.7 points along with a league-leading 11.8 rebounds.
She was traded from Chicago along with a second-round pick to Atlanta for a pair of first-round picks in the offseason.
She scored eight points with five rebounds in 20 minutes Sunday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Joey Logano fastest to finish in first North Wilkesboro points race since '96
Jul 19, 2026; North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, USA; Team Penske driver Joey Logano (22) takes the second stage during the Window World 400 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Joey Logano dominated by leading a career-high 323 laps as NASCAR welcomed historic North Wilkesboro Speedway back to the Cup Series’ regular-season points schedule for the first time since 1996 in Sunday night’s Window World 450 in North Wilkesboro, N.C.
Winless since early May of last season at Texas Motor Speedway, the three-time Cup Series champion notched his 38th career victory in 16 seasons by topping Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota over the final half of the race, beating the points leader by 0.859 seconds in a long stretch of green-flag racing.
Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs and Shane van Gisbergen finished as the top five.
Sixth-place Bubba Wallace was the final car on the lead lap.
After three cleanly-raced support events over the weekend, Ryan Blaney was slotted first after qualifying was washed out Saturday, but his No. 12 Ford team had to fix a power steering issue that sent him to the back of the 37-car field.
That gave the point to Gibbs, who took them to green in a points race for the first time since polesitter Ted Musgrave did so on Sept. 29, 1996, before a nearly three-decade-long shutdown of the 0.625-mile short track.
Gibbs led the first 40 circuits until John Hunter Nemechek spun after contact with Zane Smith, and the first caution period ended with Hamlin taking two tires to claim the lead on the restart.
Gibbs hustled back in his No. 54 Toyota and narrowly beat van Gisbergen to win Stage 1, which consisted of 80 laps. Logano, Hamlin and Carson Hocevar were the next three finishers.
Logano, the 2024 winner of the All-Star Race at NWS, took the lead from van Gisbergen on Lap 113 in Turn 4 in the 185 laps that made up Stage 2.
The No. 22 Team Penske driver increased his advantage over second-place Chase Elliott to 3 1/2 seconds by Lap 150 and soon lapped Gibbs (speeding penalty), but Hamlin found his way to move by Elliott in the first long green-flag run on the short track.
On Lap 183, Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman wrecked coming off Turn 2 and slid onto the pit-road entrance for the third caution, putting William Byron and Elliott two laps down after their green-flag stop.
Logano captured Stage 2 for his first segment win this season, and Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, Wallace and van Gisbergen earned top-five bonus points.
–Field Level Media
Late homer helps Yankees earn doubleheader split vs. Dodgers
Angel Reese exits Dream's win after injuring leg
