Sports
Chase for Championship 4 comes down to Martinsville
Apr 7, 2024; Martinsville, Virginia, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron (24) celebrates his win during the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images With one Round of 8 race left before the 11th Championship 4 weekend decides the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series champion, the six non-qualified drivers have hard work ahead of them in Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va.
The tight, 0.526-mile speedway that opened in 1947 sits near the North Carolina state line and just a two hours-plus ride for most teams from their Charlotte-area headquarters.
But more is at stake than area bragging rights this weekend for these half-dozen drivers: Two will join Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick and compete for a title next Sunday in Phoenix.
Christopher Bell (+29 points) — No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Bell’s points position gives him a major edge on the field in the elimination race. The Oklahoman has three wins, 14 top fives and 11 stage wins so far. The 29-year-old has more wiggle room than any other racer and would benefit the most by a non-contender taking the checkered flag.
Martinsville wins: 1 (2022)
Championship 4 appearances: (2023, 2022)
William Byron (+7) — No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Byron won three of the season’s first eight races but hasn’t visited Victory Lane since April 7 at the Virginia track. The fourth-place driver also is trying to hold off the winningest driver in the sport. This is the spot where the racing really begins to warm up.
Martinsville wins: 2 (2024, 2022)
Championship 4 appearances: (2023)
Kyle Larson (-7) — No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
What more needs to be said about Larson, who has led a season-high 1,615 laps in one fewer race thanks to some completely dominant race weekends? He ran runner-up to Byron at Martinsville in April, losing by 0.550 seconds, and posted a win and a sixth-place finish in the two events there in 2023.
Martinsville wins: 1 (2023)
Championship 4 appearances: 2 (2023, 2021)
Denny Hamlin (-18) — No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
A strong contender at Martinsville, the Virginia racer is in position to take advantage of a bad day by someone (or two) in front of him, but it would also require a strong run in his Camry. Seemingly unbeatable at times at NASCAR’s shortest track, his last win there was nine years ago.
Martinsville wins: 5 (2015, 2010-twice, 2009, 2008)
Championship 4 appearances: 4 (2021, 2020, 2019, 2014)
Ryan Blaney (-38) — No. 12 Team Penske Ford
The reigning champion made a title run at Phoenix by winning this race, and he’s in a must-win situation again. Blaney was ready to put losing off the final turn in Homestead last Sunday behind him. “We just move on to the next thing — good, bad or indifferent,” the 30-year-old Ohioan said.
Martinsville wins: 1 (2023)
Championship 4 appearances: 1 (2023)
Chase Elliott (-43) — No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
The 2020 Cup champ has five top-three showings since his first race there in March of 2015 and an average finish of 12.7 in 18 starts. He has led 1,104 laps on the paper-clip-like layout, but he needs to lead the 500th (or final one) Sunday for any chance at a second title.
Martinsville wins: 1 (2020)
Championship 4 appearances: 3 (2022, 2021, 2020)
Prediction:
It’s hard to imagine any championship scenario that leaves out Larson and his series-best six victories. However, Bell finds himself in a good place, and Byron is due to show his earlier season strength. The final 50 laps may be the most intense racing this season.
Until Phoenix.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Luis Garcia Jr.'s 4-hit effort powers Nationals past Braves
Apr 21, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder James Wood (29) hits a solo home run against the Atlanta Braves during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Luis Garcia Jr. had four hits and drove in three runs, Curtis Mead socked a three-run homer and the host Washington Nationals ended the Atlanta Braves’ six-game winning streak with an 11-4 win on Tuesday.
James Wood hit his eighth homer of the season, walked four times and scored three runs for Washington, which leveled the four-game series at one victory apiece.
Nationals starter Foster Griffin (3-0) allowed three runs on five hits over six solid innings. He walked one and struck out three.
Drake Baldwin and Eli White homered for the Braves, and Mauricio Dubon had two hits.
Atlanta starter Reynaldo Lopez (1-1) allowed four runs in one-plus inning and gave up five hits and three walks while fanning one. Braves pitchers issued 12 walks.
Ronald Acuna Jr. was in the Atlanta lineup and went 1-for-5 one day after being hit by pitch twice, including once on the left hand.
The first six Nationals reached base in a three-run first. Wood walked and Garcia singled him to third, then stole second. Jacob Young lined a single to center, scoring Wood. CJ Abrams and Daylen Lile walked, with Lile getting an RBI. Nasim Nunez singled to score Young with the third run.
Back-to-back two-out doubles by Dubon and Michael Harris II got the Braves within 3-1 in the second.
Wood homered leading off the bottom half, and Lopez was done for the night after Garcia singled.
Baldwin’s solo homer in the third pulled the Braves within 4-2.
White homered in the fifth to make it 4-3, but the Nationals answered in the bottom half when Brady House singled, stole second and scored on a two-out single by Garcia to make it 5-3.
In the seventh, the Nationals loaded the bases with two walks and a single. Garcia followed with a two-run double, and another runner came home on a groundout by Young.
Austin Riley’s RBI groundout pulled the Braves within 8-4 in the eighth, but a pair of walks and Mead’s three-run homer put things out of reach in the bottom half.
The Braves placed closer Raisel Iglesias on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, and they promoted Dylan Dodd from Triple-A Gwinnett to fill the roster spot.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Luke Keaschall powers late rally as Twins dump Mets
Apr 21, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Minnesota Twins second baseman Luke Keaschall (15) hits a RBI single in the seventh inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Luke Keaschall’s second RBI single of the game snapped a ninth-inning tie Tuesday night and helped the visiting Minnesota Twins rally past the slumping New York Mets 5-3.
In losing its 12th straight game, New York coughed up a 3-0 lead as closer Devin Williams melted down during the top of the ninth. Williams (0-1) didn’t retire any of the five hitters he faced, walking three.
That included Matt Wallner, whose free pass with the sacks filled forced Ryan Jeffers home with an insurance run, inspiring angry boos from the listed crowd of 32,798 as Mets manager Carlos Mendoza hooked Williams.
Minnesota’s bullpen retired all 12 hitters it faced. Cole Sands (1-1) pitched the last two innings to earn the win, fanning Tyrone Taylor for the last out.
Needing something good to happen early in the opener of its nine-game homestand, New York got it in the bottom of the third. Mark Vientos led off with a single and was forced at second on Carson Benge’s grounder.
Benge swiped second and Marcus Semien walked. After working a full count, Lindor crushed a 3-2 offering an estimated 410 feet into the second deck in right field. It was his second homer and quadrupled his RBI total from one to four.
Nolan McLean mowed down the first 15 hitters he faced before finding trouble in the sixth. Wallner broke up his perfect game with a leadoff single and trotted home with two outs when Byron Buxton lofted a two-run homer, his fourth of the year, just over the leaping Benge and over the left field wall.
Minnesota equalized an inning later when Kody Clemens lined a double to right and scored on Keaschall’s line-drive single to center. One out later, McLean was gone after fanning 10 in 6 2/3 innings while permitting five hits and three runs.
Keaschall’s hit got Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson off the hook after he pitched five innings, yielding four hits and three runs with three walks and two strikeouts.
–Field Level Media
Sports
'We're right there': Ducks hungry to even series with Oilers
Apr 20, 2026; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers center Matt Savoie (22) with center Connor McDavid (97) attempt to stop Anaheim Ducks right winger Troy Terry (19) in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs during the second period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images After feeling like they let a win slip from their grasp in the series opener, the Anaheim Ducks will try to regroup for Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round matchup against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night.
The Oilers took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series on Monday when they scored twice in the final nine minutes to rally back for a 4-3 win in Edmonton.
Edmonton had blown a 2-0 lead when it surrendered three goals in the second period.
“It’s unfortunate the result of that game, and it’s going to be tough to swallow, but we’ve got to put it behind us,” Ducks forward Troy Terry said. “We kind of got our feet under us, and we’re into this thing now.”
Terry had two goals and an assist in his first playoff game in his ninth year in the NHL. Leo Carlsson contributed a goal and an assist.
Terry, Carlsson and rookie Beckett Sennecke combined to take 21 of Anaheim’s 28 shots on goal in Game 1.
The Ducks could use better performances from their most veteran players, however.
Chris Kreider had a turnover in the neutral zone that led to the second goal by Edmonton; Radko Gudas fell while skating backwards defending a rush, leading to the third goal; and Jacob Trouba lost track of Kasperi Kapanen on the go-ahead goal with 1:54 left.
Alex Killorn also committed the only two penalties by Anaheim.
“I thought, as a group, we proved to ourselves, we’re right there,” Terry said. “These little mental mistakes can sway a series one way or the other.”
The Oilers benefited from secondary scoring in the Game 1 win.
Kapanen, who scored twice, is a second-line wing, and Jason Dickinson, who scored the other two goals, centered the third line.
“Just very important for this team,” Kapanen said of the secondary scoring. “And other guys stepping up and making big defensive plays that you don’t really see on the highlight reel, but that are just as important.”
The Oilers welcomed back forward Leon Draisaitl for Game 1 after he missed the final 14 games of the regular season with a lower-body injury, and he contributed two assists in the win.
Draisaitl had 97 points in 65 games during the regular season.
“I felt OK,” Draisaitl said. “Certainly going to take a couple games to really be myself and really trust myself again, but for a start, I thought it was OK.”
Just as Draisaitl was returning, however, Edmonton forward Adam Henrique left in the first period with a lower-body injury after colliding shin-on-shin with a teammate.
“We will find out (Tuesday) how long he will be out,” Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said. “We will miss him.”
The Oilers still have Connor McDavid, however, and he’ll be extra hungry after going without a point for just the 15th time in 83 games this season and the first time in a victory.
McDavid, who led the NHL with 138 points during the regular season, has only been held off the scoresheet in back-to-back games once this season.
“Connor is going to get his chances and get his looks, and we’re not worried about that,” Kapanen said.
–Field Level Media
