Sports
Kollin Keister holds off last-lap bump to win at virtual Vegas
Sep 26, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; General view of main grandstand as NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11) leads driver Ryan Blaney (12) driver B.J. McLeod (78) driver Kyle Busch (18) and driver Kyle Larson (5) during the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Kollin Keister survived a furious final push by Michael Cosey Jr. to take the checkered flag at virtual Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Tuesday night and pick up his second career eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series win.
Restarting sixth when the green flag dropped for the final time with 10 laps to go, Keister had 23 fewer laps on the tires of his No. 15 Ford than the five cars in front of him. Keister quickly charged to the front and grabbed the lead for good on Lap 96 of the 100-lap race, passing defending series champion Parker White and his No. 95 Chevrolet.
He then held off Cosey despite a bump on the final set of turns, crossing the finish line 0.172 second ahead of Cosey’s No. 34 Chevy.
“I didn’t know how that was going to play out in the end,” Keister, who finished third at this race last season, said of the frantic finish. “Just glad to be here in Victory Lane after that race … I was three and four wide the whole time, and luckily we made it through without getting wrecked.”
Cosey, looking for his first career win, nearly got it when, heading into Turn 3 on the final lap, he tapped Keister’s back bumper with his No. 34 Chevy, getting the leader a little squirrelly. But Keister held on and remained clear of Cosey coming out of Turn 4.
“I can’t even describe it, man,” Cosey, who like Keister had some of the freshest tires in the field at the end of the race, said of his final charge through the field. “With 25 laps to go, I was 30th, taking fresh tires. … We had a bad race in Vegas, then all of a sudden I finished second, man.”
About the last-lap contact with Keister, the Hagerstown, Md., native said, “I didn’t want to wreck him, you know, that was the last thing I wanted to do. But I had such a good run, I had to give just a little feel. You never know what might happen down there off of 3 and 4.”
Donovan Strauss and his No. 51 Chevy came in fourth, while Seth Demerchant in the No. 14 Toyota finished fifth.
Keister’s other win came in 2020, but because there were more race winners than playoff spots that season, not all winners made the playoffs that season. Keister, from Frostburg, Md., was among those missing out on the playoffs that season.
The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series returns to action on March 4 for its international race, this time at virtual Interlagos (Sao Paulo, Brazil).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Right-handers for Giants, Brewers out to cap successful July with win
Jul 22, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp (65) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images A pair of young right-handers attempting to complete an unbeaten month of July will go head-to-head Tuesday night when Logan Henderson and the Milwaukee Brewers take on Landen Roupp and the host San Francisco Giants in the continuation of a three-game series.
The Giants opened the set with a 3-0 victory Monday, getting brilliant pitching from Tyler Mahle and a two-run homer from Grant McCray.
Roupp (7-8, 3.93 ERA) will attempt to successfully follow in Mahle’s footsteps as he looks to continue the form that led to a fast start this season before a two-month slump.
The 27-year-old began the season 5-1 through the end of April, but then started 11 consecutive losses, seven of which went on his record, in May and June.
The third-year major-leaguer has regained his winning form in July, however, going 2-0 with wins against the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners. He took a no-decision against the Kansas City Royals in a 5-4 win last Wednesday. He has allowed just three runs and nine hits in 21 innings.
Roupp’s earlier skid reached its greatest depth when he suffered through his worst outing of the season in a 16-2 loss at Milwaukee on June 1, charged with eight runs in four innings. The loss ran his career record against the Brewers to 0-2 with a 7.16 ERA in five games, including three starts.
Jackson Chourio’s two-run double and Brice Turang’s two-RBI triple, hit consecutively, were the big blows against Roupp in the earlier head-to-head in Milwaukee.
Henderson (4-1, 3.05) has had a similar month. Like Roupp, he is 2-0 with a no-decision in July. The Brewers have won all three Henderson starts, games against the St. Louis Cardinals, Miami Marlins and New York Mets.
In just his second major-league season, the 24-year-old Henderson went winless in his first three starts in 2026 before going unbeaten in his past five. He has allowed just six runs and 11 hits in 15 1/3 innings in July.
His July starts followed almost a six-week layoff due to back soreness. But he watched closely, especially the games of hard-throwing staff ace Jacob Misiorowski, who clearly inspires him.
“It never gets old, and he’s taking it up a notch every start,” Henderson told reporters recently. “I feel privileged to have a front-row seat every game.”
Henderson never has faced the Giants.
One player Henderson definitely won’t see will be Giants slugger Casey Schmitt, who strained his right knee rounding first base after a hit in the second inning of the opener and had to be removed from the game.
The Giants announced after the game that Schmitt, whose hit raised his average to .271, would undergo an MRI on Tuesday.
San Francisco manager Tony Vitello said after the game that he feared Schmitt could miss “significant” time.
“He’s a little bummed out. He loves to play every day,” Vitello told reporters after the win. “Scary moment for him. He was really struggling just to move around. Heart’s got to go out to him and you hope for the best.”
– Field Level Media
Sports
French legend Zinedine Zidane to coach national team
Jul 26, 2024; Paris, FRANCE; Zinedine Zidane during the Opening Ceremony for the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games along the Seine River. Mandatory Credit: Andrew P. Scott-Imagn Images Zinedine Zidane, who led France to the 1998 World Cup championship, has been named the next coach of the French men’s national team.
He replaces Didier Deschamps, 57, who had been at the helm since 2012. Deschamps said in January 2025 that he intended to retire at the end of the 2026 World Cup, in which France lost 6-4 to England in the third-place match.
The deal with Zidane, announced Tuesday, is for four years, and he officially will begin his job on Aug. 1. His staff is expected to be revealed in September.
Zidane, 54, entered coaching after his playing days, and his Real Madrid teams won three consecutive Champions Leagues finals (2016-18) and two LaLiga titles.
He resigned from his job in Madrid five years ago and has not coached since, long projected as the successor to Deschamps.
“For me it’s a continuity, a dream,” Zidane said. “I had some offers during the five years I was away to take charge of a club but I turned them all down for the France team. It was the only thing I wanted to do.”
And Zidane said he is ready to get to work.
“I have so many emotions, I am ready for the challenge,” he said. “That’s what motivates me.
“Today I have the opportunity to be in charge of this team and I will give everything so that this team can win.”
Zidane will make his coaching debut with the national team on Sept. 25, when he leads France against Turkey in their first match of this UEFA Nations League schedule.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Luca Van Assche beats Alexander Blockx in Portugal for first title
Jul 31, 2024; Washington, DC, USA; Luca Van Assche (FRA) hits a forehand against Andrey Rublev (not pictured) on day five of the Mubadala Citi DC Open at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Luca Van Assche of France secured his first ATP title when he posted a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 victory over Belgium’s Alexander Blockx on Sunday in the Estoril Open final in Portugal.
Van Assche, 22, converted 8 of 13 break points and overcame eight double faults to win in two hours and 24 minutes on the clay surface. He is the ATP’s 10th first-time winner this year.
Blockx, 21, had seven aces and seven double faults while playing in his first title match. He rallied from a 3-0 hole in the third set to tie it 5-5 before Van Assche closed it out by winning two straight games.
The championship match was the first between players born in 2004 or later.
–Field Level Media
