Sports
Tyler Reddick rules AdventHealth 400 qualifying, collects another pole
May 11, 2025; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Tyler Reddick (45) races during the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A fourth victory from the pole position would suit Tyler Reddick just fine after the driver of the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota prevailed in Saturday’s highly competitive qualifying session at Kansas Speedway.
Reddick toured the 1.5-mile speedway in 29.142 seconds (185.300 mph) to claim his third pole of the season, his second at Kansas and the 14th of his career.
In doing so, Reddick edged his car owner, Denny Hamlin (185.179 mph), by 0.019 seconds for the top starting spot in Sunday’s AdventHealth 400, the ninth NASCAR Cup Series race of the year.
The pole was the fifth in the last six Kansas races for Toyota drivers.
The 2026 season already has been a remarkable one for Reddick, who won the first three races and added a fourth victory March 22 at Darlington Raceway. Reddick’s last three wins have come from the pole position: at EchoPark Speedway near Atlanta (starting on metrics after a qualifying rainout), Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, and at Darlington.
Should Reddick win on Sunday, he would become the fourth driver in Cup Series history –and the first since Dale Earnhardt in 1987 — to win five of the first nine events of a season. Reddick tops the series standings with a 62-point edge over second-place Ryan Blaney.
“We had a lot of good handling in our car for Atlanta,” Reddick said of his and his team’s ability to convert qualifying speed into race wins. “COTA, obviously I felt like the 12 (Blaney) and Shane (van Gisbergen) were really strong. I think just good handling, handling that you can trust, handling that stays with you in the long run (really helps). So, Darlington, same thing.
“Here, the speeds were a bit higher, and I didn’t know if we’d be able to get the pole, but it was really nice to see that the handling that we have, the short-run speed that we have, appears to be all there today.”
Bristol winner Ty Gibbs and defending series champion Kyle Larson posted identical times (29.192 seconds for 184.982 mph) and will start third and fourth, respectively, with Gibbs getting the nod on owner points. Larson is the two-time defending winner of the spring race at Kansas.
Chase Briscoe qualified fifth at 184.938 mph as Toyotas claimed four of the top five starting positions. Carson Hocevar was sixth, followed by Chris Buescher, Daniel Suarez, Blaney and Bubba Wallace.
–NASCAR Wire Service
Sports
Freddie Freeman posts 2,500th hit in 10-run 7th; Dodgers drub Pirates
Jun 9, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) hits an RBI single to record his twenty-five hundred MLB career hit against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Freddie Freeman recorded his 2,500th career hit, Andy Pages drove in three runs and Shohei Ohtani drove in two more during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 10-run seventh inning, which propelled them to a 12-3 win over the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.
In the seventh, Pages hit a two-run home run off Pirates reliever Wilber Dotel (1-1) and a sacrifice fly off Brandan Bidois. Ohtani hit an RBI double against Dotel, then Bidois walked him with the bases loaded to force in another run.
Freeman’s milestone came on an RBI single up the middle off Bidois to score Alex Freeland and cap the scoring in the inning.
Every Dodger in the starting lineup scored in the inning as the visitors sent 15 batters to the plate.
Paul Skenes started for the Pirates, who lost their fourth in a row, and gave up two runs on six hits and two walks and struck out seven over six innings.
Skenes retired Ohtani all three times he faced him, including a strikeout in the third.
Dotel allowed six runs (five earned) on five hits and one walk without recording an out. The Pirates needed 68 pitches and used three relievers until Mookie Betts lined out to left against Dennis Santana to end the seventh.
Dotel had allowed two runs in his first 16 2/3 career innings before Tuesday.
The first nine Dodgers reached safely until Dalton Rushing struck out in his second at-bat of the seventh. Rushing started behind the plate for the third consecutive game with Will Smith still dealing with neck stiffness.
Max Muncy finished with three hits and an RBI while Freeman, Betts, Freeland and Santiago Espinal each had two of Los Angeles’ 15 hits.
In the sixth, Will Klein (2-2) relieved starter Eric Lauer, who gave up two runs on back-to-back home runs by Bryan Reynolds and Ryan O’Hearn with two outs in the first. Lauer struck out five and allowed three hits and no walks before Klein struck out three over 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Pittsburgh infielder Tyler Callihan made his first career pitching appearance and threw a scoreless ninth.
Oneil Cruz was a late scratch for the Pirates as he continues to deal with left hand discomfort.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jac Caglianone's 2 home runs power Royals past Rangers
Jun 9, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone (14) hits a two run home run against the Texas Rangers during the sixth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Jac Caglianone homered twice and the Kansas City Royals used a four-run sixth inning to rally for their third straight victory, 5-3 over the visiting Texas Rangers on Tuesday night.
Caglianone, who had three hits with a walk, led off the fifth inning with a home run for Kansas City’s first hit against Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi (5-7). He then highlighted the breakout sixth with a two-run shot.
Both of Caglianone’s career two-homer games have come against Texas, and this one helped the Royals overcome a 2-0 hole and win for the sixth time in eight games.
Josh Jung and Brandon Nimmo each had two hits for Texas, which had won seven of nine, a stretch that began with a three-game home sweep of Kansas City.
Texas opened the scoring the second, settling for one run. Royals starter Stephen Kolek walked Wyatt Langford, who went to third on Ezequiel Duran’s double and scored when Jake Burger singled to left. However, Duran was tagged out at home on Evan Carter’s grounder to third baseman Maikel Garcia, then Kyle Higashioka hit into a 5-4-3 double play.
The Rangers added another run in the fourth. Carter recorded a two-out single, went to second on Kolek’s errant pickoff throw, then stole third and scored on catcher Carter Jensen’s throwing error.
Kolek left after five innings, charged with two runs (one earned) on eight hits.
Caglianone got the Royals on the board by lining an Eovaldi pitch 421 feet over the right field fence.
In the sixth, Jensen doubled and eventually scored on a triple off the center field wall by Garcia, who came home via Vinnie Pasquantino’s ground-rule double to put the Royals ahead. After Salvador Perez popped out, Eovaldi exited. Facing Jalen Beeks, Caglianone found the right field fountains for a 5-2 Kansas City lead.
Eovaldi was charged with four runs while yielding four hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings.
Texas got a run back in the seventh when Joc Pederson tripled on a ball Caglianone misplayed in right field. He scored on Corey Seager’s groundout to first base.
Steven Cruz (1-2) retired all four batters faced for the win.
Kansas City center fielder Kyle Isbel exited with an apparent leg injury following his seventh-inning single.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dan + Shay, Jason Sudeikis slated to appear before U.S.'s Cup opener
Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay poses on the red carpet of the 58th annual CMA Awards show in Nashville on Nov. 20, 2024. Dan + Shay will sing the national anthem and the star of “Ted Lasso,” Jason Sudeikis, also will participate in the pregame festivities ahead of the United States’ opening World Cup match.
The U.S. will face Paraguay on Friday in Inglewood, Calif. Purahei Soul will perform the Paraguayan national anthem.
In a Tuesday press release, FIFA announced that Sudeikis “will welcome fans to Los Angeles and celebrate the unifying power of football on the world’s biggest stage.”
The pregame show already was scheduled to include performers Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema and Tyla.
FIFA has scheduled headline entertainers for performances ahead of the World Cup openers in all three of the co-host nations. Mexico plays its first match on Thursday against South Africa in Mexico City, while Canada opens on Friday against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto.
–Field Level Media
