Sports
Another walk-off for Cubs, who beat Reds for 8th straight victory
May 6, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ (8) Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell (11), right, after he hits a two run home run during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Michael Busch drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the 10th inning and the Chicago Cubs beat the visiting Cincinnati Reds 7-6 on Wednesday for their eighth straight win.
Cincinnati moved ahead 6-4 after Spencer Steer sparked a four-run ninth inning with a leadoff homer. The Cubs pulled even in the bottom of the ninth on Pete Crow-Armstrong’s two-run homer against Graham Ashcraft.
Ian Happ went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer for the Cubs, who have opened the four-game series with three straight walk-off victories. Right-hander Trent Thornton (1-0) pitched a scoreless 10th inning for the win in his Cubs debut.
Chicago has won 14 straight games at Wrigley Field, matching the team’s longest home-winning streak since winning 14 in a row in 2008.
Matt McLain homered among his two hits for Cincinnati, which has lost a season-high six consecutive games and eight of its last 10.
Busch capped the Cubs’ victory by drawing a five-pitch walk from Brock Burke (1-2).
Cincinnati took the lead in the top of the ninth after Steer’s homer against Corbin Martin. The Reds loaded the bases with one out before JJ Bleday singled in a run against Hoby Milner and two runs scored on Elly De La Cruz’s sacrifice fly to deep right field.
The Reds took a 1-0 lead in the first inning against Colin Rea when TJ Friedl drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on an errant pickoff throw, took third on Bleday’s single to left and scored on De La Cruz’s groundout.
Rea allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits over 5 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out five.
Chicago answered with two runs in the bottom of the first against Brady Singer, who retired the first two batters before Alex Bregman singled and scored on Happ’s two-run shot to left-center field.
Happ extended his on-base streak to 27 games with the 399-foot shot, his ninth homer of the season and the 33rd of his career against the Reds.
Chicago tacked on two runs in the fourth. Happ singled to begin the inning and scored on Seiya Suzuki’s double. Suzuki moved to third on Busch’s single and scored when Carson Kelly grounded into a double play.
Singer gave up four runs on six hits with one walk and six strikeouts over six innings.
McLain snapped a 0-for-19 hitless streak with a single in the third inning before slugging a leadoff homer in the fifth. The 371-foot homer was McLain’s third of the season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Another Masters in the bag, Rory McIlroy determined to extend major success
Rory McIlroy tees off on the third hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Rory McIlroy reflected on his second career Masters victory before arriving at the Truist Championship and came away with one lasting emotion.
“I feel like if anything I’m more motivated after what happened at Augusta this year than I’ve ever been,” McIlroy said Wednesday at Quail Hollow, site of this week’s PGA event and his first career victory on Tour in 2010.
Upon completing the career Grand Slam last year, McIlroy became the sixth player to accomplish the feat and first since Tiger Woods in 2000. He won his sixth career major last month, claiming another green jacket at Augusta.
But when McIlroy had a moment to fully crack open what the latest major victory meant to him, the 37-year-old Northern Irishman came to the realization the new trophy only pushes him to chase the next one even harder.
“I felt like winning the Grand Slam was going to be this life-changing thing,” he said. “And in some ways it was. But in other ways I had to remember like, ‘No, I still have a lot of my career left and I want to keep playing and keep competing.’ So this year I think winning was validation for all the work that I’ve put in over the last few years to get myself back to this place where I’m winning majors. I’m excited for the road ahead.”
Before he shifts the target to the PGA Championship next week, McIlroy arrived in North Carolina as the top-ranked player in the field. No. 2 McIlroy won’t have to contend with top-ranked Scottie Scheffler this week.
He’s feeling refreshed after a short stint away from the course. McIlroy said he went to New York with his wife, Erica, and attended the State Dinner at the White House.
“I gave myself a good 10 days to enjoy myself and then thought I needed to get back on the range and start to practice and get ready for this stretch coming up,” he said.
The Truist Championship is a PGA Tour Signature Event and has a $20 million purse. McIlroy won the event in 2024 and four of his 30 victories are at Quail Hollow (2010, 2015, 2021).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal (elbow) set for Wednesday surgery
Apr 29, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is scheduled to undergo surgery on his left elbow Wednesday.
The surgery to remove loose bodies in his pitching elbow is being performed by prominent surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, per the New York Post, which added he could return to pitch in about two months.
Skubal experienced discomfort last Wednesday in his start against the Atlanta Braves. He gave up two runs on five hits in seven innings and departed the game with a 3-2 lead, but the Detroit bullpen couldn’t hold the advantage in the 4-3 loss. Skubal struck out seven.
In a throwing session on Sunday, Skubal reported further discomfort, and testing revealed the loose bodies, manager A.J. Hinch said Monday.
Skubal, 29, is 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA over seven starts this season. He led the American League with a 2.21 ERA over 31 starts and 195 1/3 innings last season when he won his second consecutive American League Cy Young Award.
–Field Level Media
Sports
USGA: 'Not a race' for U.S. Open to match Masters prize money
Jun 12, 2024; Pinehurst, North Carolina, USA; Chief executive officer Mike Whan with the USGA address the media during a press conference for the U.S. Open golf tournament at Pinehurst No. 2. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images The U.S. Open has yet to decide if it will give the Masters a run for its proverbial money on payouts, USGA CEO Mike Whan told Front Office Sports.
The 2026 Masters increased its prize money by $1.5 million to a record purse of $22.5 million, with Rory McIlroy pocketing a record-setting winner’s check of $4.5 million.
The U.S. Open’s purse over the last two years was $21.5 million, with J.J. Spaun taking home $4.3 million for winning the tournament in 2025.
“To be determined,” Whan told FOS on Tuesday at the U.S. Open media day when asked about a potential payout boost. “We make that decision with the board usually the week before we play. But to me, it’s not a race. It wouldn’t bother me a bit if Augusta was more or less the same.”
The U.S. Open has paid out the largest purse among the four major championships since 2017.
“It’s funny to admit this out loud, but no, we really don’t talk about it,” Whan said of the monetary difference among the major championships. “… But if you ask me right now what the purse of the other two majors were, I don’t think I’d get within a million dollars of correct.”
–Field Level Media
Another Masters in the bag, Rory McIlroy determined to extend major success
Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal (elbow) set for Wednesday surgery
