Sports
Kevin Yu wins Sanderson Farms in playoff for maiden tour title
Jul 7, 2024; Silvis, Illinois, USA; Kevin Yu reacts after hitting his tee shot on the second hole during the final round of the John Deere Classic golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Cress-Imagn Images Kevin Yu of Taiwan birdied the first playoff hole to defeat Beau Hossler and win his first title on the PGA Tour at the Sanderson Farms Championship on Sunday in Jackson, Miss.
Yu shot a 5-under-par 67 to match Hossler (68) at 23-under 265. They returned to the tee at the par-4 18th hole at the Country Club of Jackson, and Yu found the fairway while Hossler’s drive missed far left.
Yu planted his approach 6 feet from the hole, and Hossler’s second shot landed in a greenside bunker. However, he hit a beautiful recovery shot that sat down 3 feet from the cup, applying some pressure on Yu to make his birdie or else continue the playoff.
But Yu’s birdie putt was true, and he pumped both his fists above his head in celebration.
“Feels amazing. Feels like a dream come true,” Yu said. “I’ve been dreaming this since I was five. I just feel like to do it with my parents out here, it’s really special.
“Everybody was saying, like, first win is always very special and only get it once, so really happy.”
Yu jumped 36 spots in the FedEx Cup Fall standings to No. 60. At the end of the fall, the players ranked Nos. 51-60 will qualify for the first two signature events of 2025, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational.
“It’s very, very important,” Yu said. “My mindset was definitely trying to win and we did it today. You know, to get into — to play those signature events I think helps a lot for world rankings and just all experiences.”
Yu made six birdies and one bogey in the fourth round, including a 15-foot birdie at No. 18 to post the clubhouse lead at 23 under.
“I knew I have to make at least a birdie to have a chance to play playoff,” Yu said. “I had a great number and talked to my caddie, he loves it, too. … That putt, I mean, was definitely stressful but definitely out there I was really calm and trying to do the best I could have done out there.
“Pulled the trigger, and luckily it went in and it was great.”
Hossler played with third-round leader Keith Mitchell in the final pairing and both were 23 under when they came to the 18th tee.
Mitchell had a 34 1/2-foot birdie putt to win the tournament in regulation, but after that missed, his 4-foot comebacker slipped to the left of the hole and he missed the playoff, settling for a 2-under 70.
“The first putt actually looked good off the face,” Mitchell said. “Right when it missed I kind of turned my head and didn’t watch the read on the way by, so when I got there I assumed it was breaking. Guess it broke left. It was going to break right back up the hill. I played it left edge, left center, and it and just didn’t go in.”
Hossler also missed left of the fairway when playing the 18th in regulation, but after punching out into the fairway, he stuck his third shot inside 4 feet of the pin and saved par to force the playoff with Yu.
“That’s what you play for, right?” said Hossler, who was also trying to win his first PGA Tour title. “We play 28 weeks a year, and for me, just to get in contention however many times, this is what I train for and have been working for since I was a little kid. Really nice to be nervous. Nice to hit good shots when you’re nervous.”
Lucas Glover (66) tied with Mitchell for third at 22 under. Alex Smalley fired the round of the day, a 9-under 63, to tie Bud Cauley (67) for fifth at 21 under.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braves RF Ronald Acuna Jr. leaves Rockies game with hamstring tightness
May 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. left Saturday’s game at the Colorado Rockies with left hamstring tightness.
Acuna grabbed at his hamstring and pulled up when attempting to run out a grounder he hit in the second inning in Denver. He limped off the field under his own power after being examined by the team’s medical staff.
The 2023 National League MVP, Acuna entered the day hitting .248 with two homers and nine RBIs in 33 games. He led off the game with a single and scored when Drake Baldwin followed with a home run.
Acuna was replaced in right field by Eli White, who is hitting .186 with two homers and seven RBIs in 19 games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Pirates wreck Reds; tie MLB record for consecutive walks
May 2, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Home plate umpire Willie Traynow keeps Cincinnati Reds second baseman Sal Stewart (27) away from Pittsburgh Pirates cvatcher Henry Davis after he was nearly hit by the ball during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images The host Pittsburgh Pirates scored 15 runs in the first four innings and took advantage of record wildness by the Cincinnati Reds to roll to a 17-7 victory on Saturday.
Rookie Konnor Griffin doubled, tripled and went 4-for-5 while driving in two, while Ryan O’Hearn doubled and drove in three as the top eight hitters in the Pirates lineup each had at least one hit while seven batters had at least two hits.
Pittsburgh also drew seven consecutive walks in the second inning — tying a major league record set in 1909 and equaled in 1983. The Pirates scored five runs in the second without a hit, becoming the first team to accomplish the feat since 1994.
Right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski (2-2) was the beneficiary of the offensive outburst. He struck out a career-high 10 while scattering eight hits, two walks and five runs over 5 2/3 innings.
Will Benson and JJ Bleday homered and Nathaniel Lowe drove in three runs for the Reds, who trailed 15-3 after four innings. Cincinnati starter Rhett Lowder (3-2) surrendered eight runs, five hits and four walks before being removed with one out in the second.
Since losing 2-0 to Cincinnati in their first meeting on March 30, Pittsburgh has won the last four by a combined 42-14 score.
For a second straight day, the game was played in raw conditions, with a game-time temperature of 43 degrees.
Lowder appeared miserable in the cold and struggled badly early. He was unable to find his rhythm or command while allowing four runs before there were two outs in the first inning. The five runs allowed in the first were a career high for the right-hander.
Lowder labored through 30 pitches in the first as O’Hearn, Marcell Ozuna and Griffin each doubled in the five-run outburst. Lowder then walked the bases loaded in the second before being pulled.
Reliever Connor Phillips came in and walked all four Pirates he faced to force in four runs. He left after throwing just five of his 21 pitches for strikes.
The last time seven straight walks were issued in a Major League game came on May 25, 1983, when three Pirates pitchers walked seven in a row at Atlanta in a 6-0 Braves win.
The five runs without a hit in the second happened for the first time since April 27, 1994, when the Seattle Mariners allowed five runs to the New York Yankees in the top of the third inning.
With the score 15-6, Pittsburgh reliever Chris Devenski was ejected for throwing inside near the ribcage of Sal Stewart to open the seventh. Stewart took exception and stared out at the mound. But the encounter did not escalate as umpires intervened.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Max Meyer, 2 relievers hold Phillies to 1 hit
May 2, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Max Meyer (23) throws against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images Max Meyer only allowed one hit in seven shutout innings and Xavier Edwards homered in the host Miami Marlins’ 4-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday
Meyer (2-0) faced one over the minimum number of batters with a walk and seven strikeouts in the longest start of his career. He threw 55 strikes in 83 pitches.
Anthony Bender and Andrew Nardi each retired the side in order in the combined one-hitter.
Otto Lopez and Edwards each had two hits with a run and an RBI and Connor Norby was 2-for-3 with a run batted in for the Marlins, who evened the four-game series at one win each.
Garrett Stubbs got the lone hit for the Phillies, who had their four-game winning streak under interim manager Don Mattingly snapped. Kyle Schwarber was 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and has struck out in all eight at-bats over his last two games, tying a career high for consecutive strikeouts.
Philadelphia right-hander Andrew Painter (1-3) gave up three runs on seven hits in five innings with three walks and seven strikeouts.
The Marlins took a 2-0 lead in the third on consecutive bases-loaded, two-out walks to Agustin Ramirez and Norby.
It was the second straight inning Miami loaded the bases with one out with three consecutive singles. In the second, Painter got Graham Pauley on a foul out and struck out Esteury Ruiz swinging to end the inning.
Edwards’ one-out solo homer in the fifth made it 3-0. He drove Painter’s 1-1 four-seam fastball into the right-field stands for his second home run.
Lopez’s infield single with two outs in the sixth increased the Marlins’ advantage to 4-0.
Stubbs singled in the third with one out and was erased on an inning-ending double play.
Justin Crawford was scratched from the Phillies’ lineup because of a migraine.
Philadelphia also activated catcher J.T, Realmuto from the 10-day injured list (back spasms) earlier Saturday and designated Dylan Moore for assignment. Realmuto was hitless in three at-bats.
–Field Level Media
Braves RF Ronald Acuna Jr. leaves Rockies game with hamstring tightness
Pirates wreck Reds; tie MLB record for consecutive walks
