Sports
Carson Hocevar avoids Big One at Talladega, nabs first Cup Series win
Mar 29, 2026; Martinsville, Virginia, USA; Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar (77) during practice at Martinsville Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Carson Hocevar recorded his first NASCAR Cup Series win Sunday, pulling away from Chris Buescher off the final turn in a three-lap shootout to win the wreck-ridden Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala.
The high-speed, 188-lap drafting race was interrupted by a chaotic accident on Lap 115 in Stage 2 that eliminated many competitors, but the two drivers ran side-by-side until Erik Jones, running fourth, wrecked with seven laps left.
Hocevar’s No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet beat Buescher’s No. 17 Ford by 0.114 seconds for his first Cup win in his 91st start, becoming the 13th driver to notch his first-ever victory at the Alabama track.
As cars wrecked coming to the final flag, Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott and Zane Smith finished third through fifth.
In typical Talladega fashion, the 2.66-mile superspeedway produced several different leaders moving back and forth, including Chad Finchum, making his second start in 2026, coming from the back in his No. 66 Ford along with Cody Ware and leading his first NASCAR laps as the race became 10 circuits old.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs led after the field pitted in three different large groups — a wild session full of mistakes, which featured JGR teammates Denny Hamlin cited for speeding and Chase Briscoe for a safety violation as he roared the pits.
After the varying pit strategies and infractions played out in Stage 1, Ryan Preece’s No. 60 took the checkers for the top points as RFK Racing led the charge. Teammates Brad Keselowski and Buescher were second and fourth, respectively, while Joey Logano was third, Ryan Blaney fifth and Josh Berry sixth — all in Fords.
The Big One, Talladega’s massive crash, occurred on Lap 115 in Stage 2 as the front of the pack got together when second-place Ross Chastain turned leader Bubba Wallace to start the season’s biggest track mayhem by far.
While the front four cars of Chastain, Preece, Buescher and Christopher Bell all drove away unscathed as bedlam unfolded behind them, 26 cars were sent spinning and sliding in a wreck that forced a red-flag condition of nearly 10 minutes.
In hard two-wide racing to end Stage 2, Chastain held off Bell while Buescher, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Todd Gilliland rounded out the first five under the checkers.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Astros awaken to salvage finale, end Yankees' 8-game win streak
Apr 26, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (44) hits a double during the fifth inning against the New York Yankees at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Spencer Arrighetti worked seven strong innings, Christian Walker produced a three-hit game with a home run and the Houston Astros salvaged the finale of their three-game series against the visiting New York Yankees with a 7-4 victory on Sunday.
Arrighetti (3-0) remained unbeaten in three starts after opening the season with Triple-A Sugar Land. He allowed three hits, walked one and posted eight strikeouts on 96 pitches, 64 for strikes.
Walker finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs while Isaac Paredes went 2-for-4 with a homer, three runs and three RBIs. Yordan Alvarez also produced a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a pair of runs.
Paul Goldschmidt doubled twice and scored for the Yankees, who rallied for three runs with two outs in the ninth but had their eight-game winning streak snapped.
Arrighetti retired the Yankees in order in the top of the first, fourth and fifth innings. He worked around a one-out single from Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the second and stranded two runners after issuing a hit-by-pitch and a two-out walk in the third. Arrighetti retired nine consecutive batters before Aaron Judge clubbed a two-out homer in the sixth. Judge hit his 10th home run on his 34th birthday.
The Astros quickly pounced on Yankees right-hander Luis Gil (1-2), with Walker firing the first salvo on a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the first that plated Paredes. Walker, who homered in his final plate appearance in the ninth inning on Saturday, delivered the Astros a 2-0 lead with his seventh homer this season.
Two innings later, Paredes smacked his third home run off the left field foul pole, plating Alvarez and doubling the Houston lead to 4-0. Alvarez rallied from an 0-2 hole against Gil that extended the inning before Paredes capped the two-out rally by driving a 1-0 sinker 364 feet.
Alvarez chased Gil with a double to right that pushed Carlos Correa, who walked leading off the fifth, to third base. Paredes greeted Yankees reliever Paul Blackburn with an RBI single that scored Correa, and Walker followed with a two-run double to left-center for a 7-0 lead.
Gil allowed six runs on five hits and three walks in four-plus innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jose Tena's HR in 10th helps Nationals edge White Sox
Apr 26, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Washington Nationals pitcher Foster Griffin (22) throws the ball against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images Jose Tena hit a pinch-hit solo home run in the 10th inning after CJ Abrams provided a go-ahead sacrifice fly as the visiting Washington Nationals defeated the Chicago White Sox 2-1 on Sunday.
Both pitching staffs allowed just four hits. Paxton Schultz worked around Tristan Peters’ RBI single in the bottom of the 10th for his first save.
Nationals left-hander Foster Griffin delivered his second consecutive quality start, scattering two hits in seven shutout innings. Griffin walked two and struck out a career-high eight.
Chicago righty Sean Burke shined, as well, limiting the Nationals to three hits in 7 1/3 innings with zero walks and four strikeouts.
After both clubs scored at least three runs in the first two games of the series, offense was a dicey proposition as Griffin and Burke matched zeroes for much of the afternoon.
The White Sox nearly gave Burke an early lead after opener Bryan Hudson pitched a scoreless bottom of the first. Chase Meidroth opened the game with a single, advanced to second on a balk and took third on a wild pitch. But Griffin struck out the side to keep Meidroth from scoring.
Tanner Murray contributed a one-out single in the second and Drew Romo walked two batters later before the rally faded. Griffin hit Colson Montgomery with a pitch in the fourth inning before recovering to retire 11 of the next 12.
Burke yielded a two-out double to Jacob Young in the second and a two-out single to James Wood in the third but kept the Nationals off the scoreboard. Romo, Chicago’s catcher, caught Wood stealing to end the threat in the second.
Burke mowed through the next 15 Washington batters after that, with a four-pitch seventh inning highlighting his dominance. Nasim Nunez broke the streak with a leadoff single in the ninth, stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice fly. Reliever Sean Newcomb got two popouts to end the inning.
Chicago was unable to score in the bottom of the ninth. Everson Pereira singled with one out for the team’s first hit since the second and went to second on an errant pickoff attempt but was stranded.
Murray left the game with an apparent left-shoulder injury while making a diving catch on Abrams’ sacrifice fly to left field.
Richard Lovelady (1-1) pitched a scoreless ninth for the victory.
Seranthony Dominguez (1-3) took the loss.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dominant Kyle Harrison fans 12 as Brewers end slide vs. Pirates
Apr 26, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Kyle Harrison (52) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Kyle Harrison tossed six innings of one-hit ball with a career-high 12 strikeouts and the Milwaukee Brewers snapped a four-game skid with a 5-0 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.
The Brewers backed Harrison with a five-run fourth inning to avoid their first sweep against Pittsburgh since 2022 and first at home to the Pirates since a four-game series in August 2016.
The only hit off Harrison (2-1) in his 101-pitch outing was a leadoff single in the second by Marcell Ozuna, who was erased on a double play. The only other runner off Harrison came on a two-out walk in the fourth.
Held hitless through three innings, the Brewers erupted for five runs in the decisive fourth off Carmen Mlodzinski (1-2). William Contreras capped a 10-pitch at-bat with a leadoff single and Jake Bauers lined a ground rule double to right-center. Contreras scored on Gary Sanchez’s RBI groundout.
Sal Frelick reached on catcher’s interference with two outs and Luis Rengifo followed with an RBI single. David Hamilton lined an RBI double off the wall in right-center to make it 3-0. Brandon Lockridge followed with a two-run single, chasing Mlodzinski, who allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits in 3 2/3 innings.
The Pirates had runners in scoring position in the seventh and eighth innings, but failed to convert.
Milwaukee’s Trevor Megill, recently demoted from the closer role, allowed a double and a walk to open the seventh, but retired three straight with two strikeouts for his fifth consecutive appearance without an earned run.
Pittsburgh loaded the bases in the eighth against Aaron Ashby on two walks and an error, but Bryan Reynolds bounced to second to end the inning.
The Brewers failed to homer for the seventh consecutive game, their most since a franchise-record 13 straight games in 1999. Milwaukee has one home run in its last 11 games.
–Field Level Media
